It’s Sunday and I’m vegging on the couch watching MTV and reading some of these great stories from The Beauty Blog Network. If you’re just lounging around today like me check out these beautiful reads!

The Makeup Divas reviews and tells you about a new lip gloss innovation by Cover Girl.

Shades Of U shares swatches and a review on mineralize blushes from the MAC Sonic Chic collection.

A Touch of Blusher takes you beauty-shopping in Tokyo.

Musings of a Muse shares the a review of Lancome Maharani Jewels Fall Collection featuring the gorgeous Elephant Bronzer.

Cybelesays introduces the new Fall 2008 Collection from Urban Decay. Check it out here.

Beauty Anonymous shares her thoughts on MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural powder.

Beauty Junkie in SF finds a great moisturizing shampoo from PureOlogy to cure her dry summer locks.

Beauty Banter gets an **exclusive** brow makeover and interview with brow specialist to the stars, Anastasia!!!

Rouge Deluxe takes a look at Canmake’s Sunset Beauty summer collection!

StyleBell shows you how you can get the Big Hair look as seen on Angelina Jolie and Sarah Jessica Parker!

Beauty411 tells you about a portable skincare system that’s as on-the-go as you are. Perfect for vacay!

Amber from Beauty Blogging Junkie gives you the scoop on Lauren Conrad, Blake Lively, Gabrielle Union and others at the vitaminwater Best of New York party’s red carpet.

Girl Gloss loves the new Sally Hansen Volumizing Lip Shield, SPF 15 and has a review with swatches of the shades.

Jenn and Christine over at Beauty in Real Life are having another giveaway, this time over $145 of Skinn Cosmetics!! Click here to enter.

Pursebuzz.com gives Make Up Forever HD powder a whirl. Check out my review here and see if it’s a thumbs up or down. Will it stop shine like a star? Or just go to the bottom of the drawer?

Beauty and Personal Grooming shares , Bindi Mint Eye mask which soothes and calms the undereye area and helps drain the lymphatic fluids that causes the puffiness.

Project Runway fans, listen up! Spoiled Pretty has your glimpse behind the scenes…check out Daneen’s interview with Nathan Johnson, Project Runway Makeup Artist!

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic has swatches from NARS Fall 2008 Collection!

TheBeautynomist shares her rave review about Clarins Sun Fever Lipsticks!

The Mineral Makeup Blog reviews the Lumiere Happy Hour Collection!

Makeup Moxie reviews Pop Lip Lust.

Yesterday, we hit the road at our regular scheduled time at 1pm only to be stuck in traffic immediately trying to head down the mountain. It took us about an hour to drive 5 miles (we barely made it out of the actual city of South Lake Tahoe) so we decided to turn back around and head back to the city early this morning to avoid sitting in the car for 9 hours instead of the 4 it would normally take us to drive home.  (more…)

Happy Friday guys! I’m heading off to San Diego this weekend for a wedding. It’ll be super fun, doubly so because I’ll get to see my aunt and her family as well. Don’t you just love seeing family and friends anywhere you go? I do!

Since I haven’t packed yet and we’re leaving tomorrow night right after I get off work I figured I’d make this entry short and sweet with five fun facts about the beautiful city of San Diego.

1. The San Diego Zoo is home to four giant pandas - the largest number of giant pandas in the United States! In 1999, Hua Mei was the first giant panda born in North America to survive to adulthood. Tons of people lined up for hours to visit Hua Mei and millions watched her grow up via the zoo’s Panda Cam. Now, affter watching Kung Fu Panda last week, I can’t help but secretly want to visit the zoo on Sunday if we have some time before our flight back to San Francisco. (more…)

Imagine my excitement as I’m sitting at my desk, replying to the gazillionth email on a Monday morning when all of a sudden I receive a brown package full of goodies delivered to me! I had completely forgotten that I had ordered some new (and unneeded) makeup for Nordstorm last week. And when I remembered, it came with the 19-piece sample sample I blogged about a couple of weeks ago - woo hoo! Talk about random acts of beauty - thanks Karen! By the way, check out some of Makeup and Beauty Blog’s random acts of beauty this week HERE.

Here’s what came in my zebra-print clutch - which is kinda hideous, by the way, so I think I’m going to toss it.

The first photo includes:

* Bvlgari Omnia Amethyste Body Lotion
* Clarins Super Restorative Serum
* Japonesque Snowflake Lashes
* Kinerase Intensive Eye Cream
* L, a L.A.M.B. Fragrance by Gwen Stefani
* Lancome Definicils Mascara
*LiftFusion Face Lift (packette)
* MD Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel (packette)
* N.V. Perricone, M.D. Face Finishing Moisturizer
* Thierry Mugler Alien Prodigy Body Lotion

The second photo includes:

* Bare Escentuals Prime Time Foundation Primer (packette)
* Bliss Thinny Thin Chin (packette)
* Fekkai Glossing Cream (packette)
* Laura Mercier Creme Brulee Creme Body Wash
* L’Occitane Verbena Shower Gel
* Origins Ginger Souffle Whipped Body Cream
* Philosophy Inner Grace Shower Gel
* Smashbox Lipgloss
* Vera Wang Parfum

I haven’t tried most of these products so I’ll be road-testing them all and reviewing my samples over the next couple of weeks. Let me know what you think of these products before I try them out. Maybe your favorite will become one of mine as well!

Don’t you really hate it when you travel to high altitudes and when you finally land, everything in your beauty arsenal explodes upon opening?? Shampoos, facial cleansers, lotions, and even lip glosses!

My weekend in Lake Tahoe was the last straw for me when it came to my favorite facial cleanser, Olay’s Foaming Face Wash, exploded about a third of the cleanser in my duffle bag. This must be the third time that this has happened now and I know I should have learned the first time to put it in a plastic baggie. But still, plastic baggie or no plastic baggie, it still leaks no matter what because it comes in a pump form only (blech!) and I hate wasting it.

I’ve finally decided that now I’m ready to do something about it. I recently read about these nifty facial film soaps from a Japanese brand called DHC on one of my favorite beauty blogs, Makeup and Beauty Blog. The Q10 Facial Film Soap sheets come in a solid form and then foam up when you wet it and swirl it around in your hand to create magical soapy suds! Check out Karen’s awesome review and tutorial on how it works HERE.

I’m going to order a boat-load of these online on the DHC website today. You can get 40 sheets for $9.50 US or from now until Nov. 30th, they’re only $7 - what a deal! I can’t wait to try it out as this will definitely help to relieve me of my exploding soap insanity when I travel.

Now, if someone can only come up with a solution for my favorite lip glosses! *wink*

{Photo: People.com}

There’s just too much going on in the celebrity world for me to cover it all. But I thought I’d help you get your celebrity fix while I get mine on with this week’s hottest celebrity gossip from around the blogosphere.

Should we be expecting a huge blowout between Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Simpson? Perez Hilton tells us his theory.

How did Britney Spears really feel about K-Fed? Hollyscoop gives us the scoop on a song from her new Blackout album that reveals a more personal Britney.

I’m Not Obsessed gives us an exclusive from Ryan Gosling on his breakup with Rachel McAdams. Darn, I was rooting for them. Gotta love her!

Check out A Socialite’s Life Fashion Disaster of the Day. Anyone recognize that Rock of Love alum?

Happy Reading!