HOT TO GET WHITER, BRIGHTER TEETH AT HOME

Peanut butter and ...jelly, macaroni and ... cheese, Dolce and  ...Gabbana.  And finally, a sizzling summer tan and ... gorgeous pearly whites of course! Some things just go together!  Right now I am worked on perfecting the last dynamic duo that I listed.  I've got my summer tan going on , (thanks to TanTowel!) so now I am working on giving my grin a makeover.  I do love my  Dunkin' Donuts Iced coffee but I hate how it stains my teeth. My latest obsession, the GLO Brilliant Teeth Whitening Device. If you are a Sephora nut like me then you have already seen the new GLO Brilliant Teeth Whitening Device!

WHAT ARE YOU SMILING AT?
I have yet to try the GLO Brilliant Teeth Whitening Device but it definitly has come up on my beauty radar.  Since I always seem to be in a crunch for time, "at home" beauty treatments are something that I live by.  I love that I can squeeze in a "professional" treatment anytime I want to, no appointments needed! This is one of the reasons that I am dying to get my hands on the GLO Teeth Whitening Device.  Please check out the details of this product below and let me know what you think!  Till then!  B.

GLO Brilliant™ Personal Teeth Whitening Device product details from Sephora.com

What it is:
A groundbreaking, at-home teeth whitening system that uses innovative, patent-pending technology to deliver professional, clinically-proven, long-lasting results.

What it does:
This kit gives you professional quality teeth whitening results at-home—up to eight shade changes-with an average of five shades in five days with no sensitivity. The GLO Device, when used with the GLO Brilliant™ Whitening Gels and GLO Brilliant™ Whitening Mouthpiece, uses the patented Guided Light Optics Technology and illuminates with a brilliant blue light as it gently warms up. The light and heat accelerate the GLO Brilliant™ Whitening Gel giving you faster, longer-lasting results. You're in control, your smile can get as white and as bright as can be.

THE 12 BEST CHEAPIE MASCARAS YOU HAVE TO TRY!

Top 12 Cheap Mascaras - From Total Beauty.com - "Some of us weren't blessed with gorgeous, bat-worthy lashes like certain celebrities we love to hate. So if good ol' genetics didn't bless us with full lashes, and we don't have the time to apply falsies every day, what's a girl to do?"
"To elaborate, find a mascara that will give us the false lash look nature denied us. A good mascara can lengthen, volumize, and curl your lashes all without flaking or requiring paint thinner to remove it. The best part about mascara is that with this beauty product, price doesn't dictate quality. In fact, to prove our point, we scoured through thousands of reviews to find drugstore mascaras that readers believe are comparable if not better than the leading high-end brands" Check them out!

12 Cheapie Mascaras That Work

You don't have to give a lot to take a lot. Check out readers' favorite drugstore mascaras

Mystery Beauty Pick of the Day Click Here A good mascara can lengthen, volumize, and curl your lashes all without flaking or requiring paint thinner to remove it. The best part about mascara is that with this beauty product, price doesn't dictate quality. See products

No. 12: Rimmel London Lycra Lash Extender Mascara, $7.29

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 8.4

Readers call it the "best mascara I've tried in ages," and a "fab find for the $$."

No. 11: L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Original Mascara, $7.49

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8.4

"It is the best mascara I have ever used -- even when compared to department store brands."

No. 10: Almay One Coat Nourishing Mascara Lengthening, $5.99

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8.5

"My lashes are sparse and this mascara makes them look full and beautiful."

Want to see what other mascaras made the list? Click here!

HOW TO CURL STRAIGHT EYELASHES

"When it comes to Asian makeup, the most common complaint is lashes that seem to be forever answering the question, "Where's the ground?" "Down there," they say. Straight down."

"While this is most prevalent for Asian women, those of Eastern European and Spanish descent also deal with stubbornly straight lashes. After much investigation (and talking to celebrity makeup artist Taylor Chang-Babaian, author of Asian Faces: The Essential Beauty and Makeup Guide for Asian Women), we can finally take this case out of the Unsolvable Mysteries file."

"We've learned lashes that don't curl are primarily due to a lack of a double crease. The monolid forces lashes to grow straight down. Plus, the lid covers the base of the lashes making them look shorter than they are."

"Curled lashes make eyes look prettier, finished, feminine and sexy. And now there's no reason why you can't have them too. Look no further than this guide to finally get those darn lashes to curl -- and stay curled" From Total Beauty.com

Expert Tips to Fix Stubbornly Straight Eyelashes -- Finally

See these professional tips from celebrity makeup artist Taylor Chang-Babaian to finally get those lashes to curl and stay curled

Mystery Beauty Pick of the Day Click Here There are some things in this world that are inexplicable, but one mystery Total Beauty was intent on solving was stubbornly-straight eyelashes. Why do some lashes just refuse to curl? Well, we went to an expert and finally found the reason and solutions to this dilemma. See the expert tips to fix straight eyelashes now. Get tips

7 TIPS FOR KEEPING COLOR TREATED HAIR HEALTHY

Quench Your Dry Hair

These 7 expert tips are easy to follow and can revitalize your quenched hair -- stat

This is a TotalBeauty.com dry hair article While we're thankful we can bypass Mother Nature's intended shade for us, coloring our hair also makes it more susceptible to damage. For tips on how to best keep your color-treated hair healthy and lush looking, click below. See tips

GIVEAWAY- TANTOWEL EXPRESS SELF-TAN KIT GIVEAWAY!

Britney’s Beauty Blog is proud and excited to announce our latest giveaway with TanTowel.com . TanTowel is well know for their high-end, self tanning products. I have used and have become a HUGE fan of the TanTowel line because their products are so easy to use and I get a gorgeous tan every time I use it!

TanTowel has been very generous and will be giving away their amazing TanTowel Express Self-Tan Kit to 1 lucky Britney’s Beauty Blog reader! So, don’t miss out on your chance to treat your self to a gorgeous sun kissed glow! The contest begins on May 27, 2011 and will end on June 10, 2011 at 11:59 pm Est. Contest open to Continental U.S. residents only.

Click on the following link to read my review of the TanTowel Express Self-Tan Kit.

TanTowel Express Self-Tan Kit
Here’s How To Enter:

Mandatory Entry Requirements For All Giveaways: Simply do the following,

- Follow BritneysBeautyBlog.com on Google Friend Connect (located on the right sidebar)

- Like TanTowel on Facebook, click here.

For those of you who are already Google Friend Connect friends then simply pick 2 of the additional entry opportunities below and let me know that you entered by leaving a comment on the Giveaway post with your primary email address, name and contact information.

You must complete the mandatory entry criteria or your entry will be disqualified and deemed null and void. Mandatory entry requirements will equal 1 contest(s)/giveaway(s) entry.

Bonus/Extra Contest/Giveaway Entry Opportunities:

If you would like to earn extra contest entries into the contest/giveaway, please make sure to let me know that you have earned extra entries by submitting a separate comment with your email address, name and contact information for each extra entry you earn)

- Become a facebook Friend at http://tinyurl.com/22shzvn 2 entries

- Like on facebook by clicking on http://tinyurl.com/2evvukp 2 entries

- Become a Twitter Britneys's Beauty Blog follower at http://twitter.com/BBeautyBlog 1 entry

- Become a Twitter follower of TanTowel at http://twitter.com/TanTowel 1 entry

- Subscribe to BritneysBeautyBlog.com by RSS reader: (Right Sidebar) 1 entry

- Subscribe by email to BritneysBeautyBlog.com (located on the right sidebar) 1 entry

- Update your facebook status to link back to this giveaway (comment with your facebook page in): 2 entries

- Link to this giveaway from your website or from a beauty related forum: 4 entries

(MAXIMUM 15 ENTRIES TOTAL)

I hope you enjoy the opportunity to enter the BritneysBeautyBlog.com contest(s)/giveaway(s) and I look forward meeting new people and friends so make sure you visit BritneysBeautyBlog.com for great information on all things beauty related as well as participating in great giveaways.

For more on TanTowel and their self tanning line click on the following link Tantowel.com

For the complete list of rules and disclosures regarding giveaways please click on the following Giveaway Rules & Disclosures.

TOP TIPS THAT WILL KEEP YOUR MAKEUP FROM MELTING

Look gorgeous even if the temperature is sizzling outside with these smart girl summer makeup tips! While others will be watching their makeup run off their face you will be sitting pretty.

How to Keep Your Makeup from Melting

Going to an outdoor wedding or just fighting the daily onslaught of humidity? Check out these tips to keep your makeup from dripping

This is a TotalBeauty.com makeup article I'm going to an outdoor wedding in the sticky hot month of June and to prep for the guaranteed makeup meltdown, I went to celebrity makeup artist Fiona Stiles to get the lowdown on keeping my face from running down my couture. Get tips

HOW TO REMOVE BLACKHEADS AND REDUCE THE APPEARANCE OF YOUR PORES

I cleanse, I scrub, I peel and yet I still have blackheads on my nose and pores the size of grapes (well, not really the size of grapes but I think you get my drift!) What the heck is going on with my skin?   I'm not exactly sure how I got here or why I am here but none the less I am here. I do have a sneaking suspicion that all the sticky, sweaty, insanely humid conditions may have something to do with my current skincare woes.  I however have not given up because I still have 1 more trick left in my beauty bag of tricks to try out!

STRIPTEASE
After clamoring through all the deep cleansing products at Sephora I came across the Boscia Pore Purifying Black Strips.  These little beauties are the perfect fixer for removing the stubborn dirt and oils that clog our pores that cleansing and exfoliating can't remove. I found that while they do cost more than the drugstore brand (6 strips = $15) I believe that they are worth the money.  I found that they stick better to my nose which helps to remove even more pore congesting "stuff" then the drugstore brand and they are larger so they cover more of the sides of nose.

After using the Boscia Pore Purifying Black StripsI am so excited to report that my pores have returned to their normal size and my blackheads are no more!  So you can be sure that these will be a staple in my beauty bag this long, hot and sticky summer!  Please let me know what you think!  Till then! B.   

Boscia Pore Purifying Black Strips official product details from Sephora.com 
What you are getting
"A pack of six peel-off strips that absorb dirt and oil to reduce the appearance of pores and blackheads."

What it will do for you
"Each adhesive strip attracts pore-clogging dirt and oil. Its full-contact delivery system instantly applies charcoal powder, an ingredient that draws out impurities and detoxifies the skin. Silica, a natural mineral, controls excess oil while witch hazel extract, a natural astringent, tightens pores. Effective yet gentle, additional botanical ingredients provide a soothing and cooling sensation upon adhesion. Skin is left exceptionally clarified."



THE CURLY HAIR MAKEOVER YOU HAVE GOT TO SEE!

Girls with curls rock! See how one woman took her curls from drab to fab with a much needed "do' over". From Total Beauty.com - "With virgin color and hair that has only been cut by family members, Theresa is due for a style overhaul. Here to make the magic happen is our talented makeover team at the Warren-Tricomi salon in Los Angeles, Calif. See how they take the reserved music teacher's look to a whole new level of sophistication with subtle highlights and smoothed out curls, giving her the elegant look she craves."

Drab-to-Fab Curly Hair Makeover

See how we turned one Total Beauty reader's frizzy curls into sleek sun-kissed waves

Mystery Beauty Pick of the Day Click Here With virgin color and hair that has only been cut by family members, Theresa is due for a style overhaul. Here to make the magic happen is our talented makeover team at the Warren-Tricomi salon in Los Angeles, Calif. See makeover

Show your curls some lovin' with these products!

   



GLYCOLIC ACID AND THE REASON WHY YOU SHOULD BE USING IT!

LESS IS DEFINITELY MORE!
The statement "less is more" couldn't be more true than during the lazy days of summer.  The LESS fussing around with my "look" and the MORE cool beachy babe persona I take on, the happier I am! I think that it's the laid-back, cool vibe of summer that most of us "high- maintenance" girls love most about summer. During the summer we can finally let down our hair, spend less time agonizing over our makeup and throw on a cool pair of shades, shorts, sandals and shirt and head out the door looking just FABULOUS! The only thing that I am still hard at work with during the summer is my skin care maintenance routine, especially now that I have finally hit the BIG 4-0!

For this aging beach bunny resurfacing my skin with a glycolic acid product is probably one of the best things that I can do to keep my skin radiant and glowy.  Getting rid of the old, dull, dead skin cells and debris allows the new, healthy skin cells to shine through, thus giving me a more beautiful youthful complexion. Resurfacing my skin also helps to fade the brown spots that I have "earned" from days spent soaking up the sun. Check out my picks for the products that are tops in glycolic acid treatments!

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1. Exuviance Exuviance Performance Peel AP25   



2. DERMAdoctor Litmus Test pH Correcting & Renewing Glycolic Acid



3. DDF Glycolic 10% Toning Complex, 8.45-Ounce Bottle

AVOID THESE FOODS IF YOUR HAVE ACNE PRONE SKIN!

Foods to avoid for acne prone skin from Total Beauty.com - You live to eat; you eat to live. But eating a healthy skin diet to reduce acne? Indeed. It's not quite the adage of, "you are what you eat," but it is true that what you eat affects the way you look -- and feel."

"According to dermatologist Elliott Weiss, M.D., of the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York, new research suggests that diet may play a role in exacerbating acne. "One interesting observation is that acne is predominantly an issue in societies that follow a western diet (high refined sugar, high refined grain products), whereas societies that follow a hunter-and-gatherer type of diet (meat, vegetables, whole grains, no refined or packaged food) don't have a problem with pimples."

"Changing your healthy skin diet alone won't cure your acne or keep you completely blemish free, but it is a great place to start on your path to a perfect complexion. Here, with help from nutritionist Lara Field, MS, RD, CPS, LSN, we share the seven rules you should live by -- starting now -- to help keep acne issues at bay.""

What Not to Eat for Acne-Prone Skin

Prevent acne by adopting this healthy skin diet

Mystery Beauty Pick of the Day Click Here If you're eating the wrong foods, chances are high that it will literally show on your skin. According to dermatologist Elliott Weiss, M.D., new research suggests that diet may play a role in exacerbating acne. See what not to eat now. Get tips

Check out some of the products I love for keeping my skin clear!

    

GET FLIRTY SUMMER EYES NOW! - MAKE UP FOR EVER AQUA LINERS

IS IT HOT IN HERE OR IS IT JUST ME?
This summer's makeup is all about color, big bold and bright color and having a blast wearing makeup!  I for one say "hooray", I have been seriously longing to add a burst of color to my makeup scheme. I love my browns but lately this girl is craving something a little spicy for the summer.  Enter my latest obsession for summer, The Make Up For Ever Aqua Liners!

PARTY PEEPERS
The Make Up For Ever Aqua Liners are exactly what summer makeup is all about! They're fun, flirty and add an instant shot of excitement to my usual makeup line-up.  The shades of the Aqua Liners remind me of what I think an exotic getaway would look like. I love the bright vivid colors of these liners and of course the glitter and glitz, I'm thinking Rio de Janeiro Carnival-esc.  But don't let the Aqua Liners fun and party-like appearance fool you, these liners also mean business when it comes to staying power.  Not only will they look fantastic while you are enjoy a summer night out but these waterproof liners stay put no matter what water adventure you put them through!

BRIT'S NIT PICKS
Applying this eye liner does take some practice as well as a steady hand to avoid getting it on your lashes.  I found that when I got some on my lashes it made my mascara clumpy.

Please let me know what you think of the MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Liner.   Rant or rave?  till then!  B.

WHY MAKEUP PRIMERS ARE SO IMPORTANT

Obvious foundation streaks, noticeable pores, redness around the nose, these are all makeup blunders on par with a glaringly large flake of black pepper stuck between your teeth. Celebrity makeup artist and beauty brand founder, Napoleon Perdis, says these makeup faux pas can be avoided by adding one simple step to your morning routine: applying primer.

"Not to prime is a crime! It's been my career-long mantra as it helps finesse your foundation, helping your skin to stay flawless for longer," says Perdis. See what readers think are the 12 best makeup primers now. 

12 Amazing Makeup Primers

Keep your makeup from melting off your face with these primers

This is a TotalBeauty.com best and worst makeup products article Makeup primers are crucial for keeping oil at bay, filling in fine lines, and providing a smooth canvas for your foundation to stick to. So, if you don't have one yet, choose from these reader-approved favorites. See the best

No. 12: Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy Luminizing Face Primer, $19.99

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 7.8

"I love that post-gym workout glow and I can achieve that (minus the workout on those lazy days!) with Carmindy's Luminizing Primer."

No. 11: Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer SPF 15 with Dermaxyl Complex, $42

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 7.9

"My makeup stays on all day and night. And, it also minimizes my pores, which is a plus."

No. 10: Bare Escentuals Prime Time Brightening Foundation Primer, $21

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8

"I have tried many primers and this one actually does what it says! I am a Mineral Makeup girl, and this definitely sets it for the day."

Want to see what other primers made the list? Click here!

If you think a makeup primer is right for you then click the on the following items: