Beauty Brands : InStyle.com What's Right Now

Launch You’ll Love: Phone Cases That Match Your Manicures

Apr 25, 2013 @ 4:00 pm

It’s always a pleasant surprise to find that your nail polish and cell phone case complement each other, but now you can sport exact color pairs thanks to OPI‘s latest launch. The famed nail brand collaborated with My Case Couture to develop nail lacquer and phone case duos decked out in their most iconic hues, from the true blue “Dating a Royal” shade to the vivid “Pink Flamenco.” Each case puts a literal meaning into the term “a splash of color,” and includes a free mini nail lacquer in the exact shade showcased across the back. Plus, My Case Couture also offers screen protectors paired with OPI’s heavy-duty top coat, so your phone can be just as durable as your manicure. Pick up the sets at mycasecouture.com, priced at $40 for cases and $20 for screen protectors.

Click the photo to take a look at even more spring beauty and fashion launches.

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• Trend to Try: Textured Nail Polishes
• Enter to Win Our Best Beauty Buys Sweepstakes!
• How Much Do You Really Spend on Makeup?

— Marianne Mychaskiw

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The Best Mascara You’ll Find for $8 Is…

Apr 25, 2013 @ 12:45 pm

Forget the twisted mascara wands and rotating brushes—we’ve tested them all and L’Oreal‘s Voluminous Original came out on top as the best inexpensive mascara in our 2013 Best Beauty Buys! The secret lies in the ample amount of panthenol used in the formula, which makes the product easier to apply while also hydrating your lashes. Hair and makeup pro Tasha Reiko Brown loves it so much, she’ll skip the falsies when working with her famous clientele like Jordin Sparks. “I’ve spent thousands on mascara—this is the best!” she told us. And the feeling is mutual; the product is such a staple in our makeup bags, that its stay-put counterpart also won best waterproof mascara of 2013! Pick up a tube of L’Oreal Voluminous Original for $8 at drugstore.com.

Click the box below to browse more of 2013′s Best Beauty Buys!

BEST BEAUTY BUYS 2013!

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• Enter Our Best Beauty Buys Sweepstakes!
• Sign Up for InStyle’s Hair Newsletter
• Shop the Best Drugstore Lip Gloss of 2013

— Marianne Mychaskiw

Best Beauty Buys - Inexpensive Lip Gloss

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The Best Lip Gloss You’ll Find at the Drugstore Is…

Apr 24, 2013 @ 2:00 pm

Restocking your lip color supply doesn’t have to be costly. Our InStyle beauty pros tried out countless glosses, balms, and lipsticks to compile this year’s Best Beauty Buys, and the argan-infused formula of L’Oreal Paris’ Colour Riche came out on top as the best inexpensive lip gloss of 2013. We’re obsessed with the natural-looking shine it creates, and even after it wears off, the product leaves a faint tint of color on your lips. The gloss is available in 16 versatile shades, including the one-size-fits-all Nude Touch (pictured). Plus, at only $8 bucks a pop, you can afford to try each one. Pick up a tube at drugstore.com.

Shop more of the best lip glosses of 2013.

BEST BEAUTY BUYS: LIP GLOSS

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• Enter Our Best Beauty Buys Giveaway
• How Much Do You Really Spend on Makeup?
• More of Our 2013 Best Beauty Buys!

— Marianne Mychaskiw

How to Recycle Your Empty Makeup Containers and Get Free Beauty Loot in Return!

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How to Recycle Your Empty Makeup Containers and Get Free Beauty Loot in Return!

Apr 22, 2013 @ 1:55 pm

Did you know that product packaging makes up almost 45% of the trash found in landfills? Luckily, many brands like MAC, Lush, and Kiehl’s have found creative ways to reduce that number—by rewarding you with a new product or a discount toward your next purchase when you recycle your empty products. Click the photo to learn exactly how it works.

— Marianne Mychaskiw

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Bumble and Bumble iPhone App - Bumble and Shuffle

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App to Download: Score Beauty Loot Through Bumble and Bumble’s Free App

Apr 21, 2013 @ 12:00 pm

Bumble and Bumble’s new Bumble and Shuffle app just launched for iPads and iPhones on the iTunes store, and we’re loving the addicting puzzle games—not only are they fun, but you can trade in the tokens you earn for winning for real-world beauty loot. Simply download the app, then dive into the Salon and Slide hairstyle matching game to rack up BB tokens, which you can use toward product samples, free shipping on bumbleandbumble.com, and more—for online shopping and at salons (the app’s Salon Locator tool makes finding participating locations easy). The app also includes a runway-inspired level where you pair the best catwalk hairstyle with the right couture look. Download the app for free on the iTunes store today.

See more beauty apps we love in our gallery!

BEAUTY APPS TO TRY NOW!

MORE:
• See the Best Beauty Buys 2013!
• Sign Up for InStyle’s Hair Newsletter
• Download Our iPad Hairstyle Try-On App!

— Marianne Mychaskiw

Courtesy Photo; Time Inc Photo Studio

Editor-Tested: This Blue Lipstick Is Actually Wearable

Apr 17, 2013 @ 10:45 am

Aside from the creative makeup choices on Halloween, can blue lipstick really be worn in the real world? We asked InStyle.com Assistant Beauty Editor Marianne Mychaskiw to try out the Hello Sailor shade by Lipstick Queen, and it turns out, the results were more chic than shocking. Keep reading to see her thoughts!

“I’m a sucker for lip products, and the tawny nudes in Lipstick Queen‘s impressive range have been staples in my makeup bag for years. The brand’s new Hello Sailor shade ($25; barneys.com) served as a fond reminder of the dark blue lipstick my best friend and I used to steal from her cool older sister’s Caboodle kit, but while the ’90s are having a renaissance, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to revisit such a severe color. To my surprise, the product was very sheer and transformed into a transparent berry stain once it hit my lips. I’m not very adventurous when it comes to lip color, so I loved how the balm-like consistency allowed me to build upon the intensity. Plus, it’s a pain-free alternative to whitening strips—the faint blue pigments in the formula actually make your teeth appear whiter! I’m definitely not retiring my nude lipsticks anytime soon, but this is a baby-step in a bolder direction.”

See more products our beauty editors are loving in our gallery.

BEAUTY EDITOR MUST-HAVES!

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• Our Beauty Director’s Morning Hair Tip!
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New Dove Campaign Wants You to Know You’re More Beautiful Than You Think

Apr 16, 2013 @ 2:30 pm

It’s no secret that most women tend to be their own worst critics. Dove is out to change that. Its new campaign “Real Beauty Sketches,” currently making the rounds on Facebook and Twitter, asked seven women to sit behind a curtain and describe themselves to a FBI-trained forensic composite artist. Next, strangers who briefly met one of these seven women were asked to do the same—sit behind a curtain and describe the woman to the forensic composite artist. The results are enlightening to say the least. “I should be more grateful of my natural beauty,” one woman said after learning the results. “It effects everything. It couldn’t be more critical to our happiness.” Watch the video above, and then scroll down to take our poll: Do you think you are too critical of your own look? More

Startraksphoto; Courtesy Photo; Time Inc Photo Studio

Oliva Palermo’s Red Nail Polish Pick: Essie’s Geranium

Apr 13, 2013 @ 8:00 am

Olivia Palermo celebrated the launch of Alizé COCO’s two new liqueur flavors, peach and pineapple, at its manicure launch event, held at the TenOverTen Salon in New York City. She picked a shade as fruity as the flavors for her digits, Essie’s vivid orange-red shade, Geranium. Pick up the polish for $8 at target.com. The vibrant red is perfect for spring!

Plus, shop more celebrity-loved nail colors!

Shop Celebrity Nails

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• OP at the New Yorkers for Children Gala
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— Jennifer Davis