Thursday, May 27, 2010

national sun protection day: keep your kiddies undercover, with Jason Naturals

It's only May 27th...there's a whole summer of slathering up the kids right around the corner. In honor of National Sun Protection Day, Jason Naturals Sunbrellas offers plenty of options to keep your family safe in the sun. At our hosue, we already use the Jason Kids Only Shampoo and Conditioner which we love, so we're excited to spend the summer with the brand's sun-smart sunscreens. Try Facial Natural Sunblock SPF 20 ($11.95), Family Natural Sunblock SPF 45 ($11.95), Kids Natural Sunblock SPF 45 ($11.95), Mineral Based Natural Sunblock SPF 30 ($14.95), Sport Natural Block SPF 45 ($11.95) and Lip Balm SPF 25 ($4.95). My kids love lotioning up themselves--hopefully I can tolerate the mess! JASON Natural Products are available at Whole Foods and other health and natural food stores in the United States and Canada, or by visiting http://www.jason-natural.com.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

expert advice: must-have makeup for girls on the go, from Urban Cowgirl founder Margeaux Mann


Margeaux Mann, founder of Urban Cowgirl, started the brand with just a vision of making women's lives a little bit easier while staying true to being feminine and fabulous and the concept continued to evolve into a full range of products and now a website complete with ecommerce, social networking and social shopping capabilities. Here, she tells us about her amazing products, designed for women who don't have time to cook dinner let alone apply mascara.

PIPD: How are your products designed for women on the go?
MM: As an active, busy woman who's always on-the-go, I know how important it is to have products that can help to make your life a little bit easier without having to sacrifice all the beautiful things that make you feminine like fabulous makeup! It's important that I create products that I want to use so everything in the line has been created with that on-the-go mentality in mind: the Mineral Concealer/Foundation that can be used as a spot corrector or swept across the entire face as a light, translucent foundation, the Mineral EyeBling triples as a shadow, liner and for filling in brows. I love the idea of creating multi-purpose products that can be used by day and layered for a more dramatic look at night. It's all about being versatile and having the right tools to take you through your day. I also have a few different kits because I have found that women are always looking for kits but it can be difficult to find the right one. In the NEW 5 Minutes to Gorgeous Kit you get everything you need to create a makeup look for any occasion in just 5 minutes--really!

PIPD: Any tips for tired moms who have seconds to get out the door once we finally get the kids ready?
MM: The NEW 5 Minutes to Gorgeous Kit is the key to any busy mom's beauty regimen! It has everything you need to create a flawless face and it really can be done in just 5 Minutes! The Concealer/Foundation compact can be blended quickly and easily for a smooth foundation and used to conceal dark under-eye circles. Sweep on a bit of Blush/Bronzer to brighten up your face and sculpt your cheeks. Line/define eyes and fill in brows with the EyeBling and apply a coat of Mascara. Finish the look with our Whipstick Lip Goss and you're all set! It really can be that simple and our expertly blended formulas were designed in light, medium and dark to complement your unique complexion. The products come in a fabulous looking paisley cosmetic bag that you can toss into any purse or gym bag making it easy to apply in the parking lot between carpool pickups or on your way to the parent/teacher conference!

PIPD: Can you list three Urban Cowgirl must-haves for summer?
MM: Summer is all about fun in the sun but we all know how important it is to avoid sun exposure. The Urban Cowgirl Bronzer is your healthy alternative to that summer sun-kissed glow and a must-have for summer. It leaves just the right amount of shimmering bronze color. Our NEW EyeBling in Slate is another summer must-have. It's a neutral gray shadow that can be used for color over the entire lid, applied with a fine tip brush as a liner and also works as a universal shade to fill in brows--one product used three different ways is definitely a must-have!
I'm a California girl so when I think of summer I think of sun-kissed skin and shimmering pink lips. The NEW Urban Cowgirl Whipstick in Lush is the perfect, super moisturizing lip gloss and the glossy pink color ties your summer makeup look all together.

Check out UrbanCowgirl's great product line created by girls for girls and UrbanCowgirl.com's cutting edge, interactive features--the Giddi-up Lounge™ and the Giddi-up Posse™, designed to help customers engage with the brand, interact with each other and receive exclusive tips and tricks. Consumers can shop the product pages where they’ll discover a wide variety of easy-to-use cosmetics and skincare products ideal for taking them through their busy days and nights, while they seek the answers to all their beauty questions in the Giddi-Up Lounge. The site also houses Makeover Videos showing step-by-step tutorials and an ongoing blog discussing all things Urban Cowgirl. Go to www.urbancowgirl.com to try it first-hand.