Disappointing Lashes

I've been waiting patiently for my MAC package to arrive so I could get my Fafi beauty powder (I'll review that later!) and a new mascara. I've been trading off between Cover Girl's Lash Blast, which I love all but the stupid fat iorange container, and MAC's Zoomlash, which over time I have grown to dislike. It's very thick, which creates vampy dark lashes, but can sometimes be too much. I usually have to comb out the clumps, a extra step that can get annoying. Maybe it is just getting old...

So I decided to try another MAC mascara, Plushlash. The name sounded cool (i want my lashes plush, not just lush!) and I've read that other people have enjoyed it. Well, I'm not excited about it at all! It's very thin and not that dark! I've never had to put on two coats with either the Zoomlash or Lash Blast but with Plushlash I had to. For $11 it was worth a try out, but I don't think I'll be buying that one again.

Lash Lovely!

Makup Mess!

I realized today that I am grown out of my makeup container. The top of my dresser is a complete mess and its only going to get worse... in case you haven't noticed, i can't stop buying makeup!
But I think I've found my solution to this madness. After my next payday, I'm going to head to Sephora and pick up a giant gunmetal traincase!With all the compartments and trays, I will have enough room and organization to continue building my collection! Sounds wonderful to me!

Organize Lovely!

Fav and Not So Fav Oscar Looks

I just have to put in my two cents regarding the makeup looks seen on Sunday evening at the Oscars. While I didn't watch them (I went to go see No Country for Old Men instead!), I knew I could catch all the coverage online and on E! 's Fashion Police show. Here is what I thought:

Favorite Glowing Mommy-to-be: Cate Blanchet

I think she looks really beautiful. The jewel tones are elegant and the gown is flaterring for her bump. She would have looked funny with a fancy up do while that pregnant, the soft, low do is much more believable. I may be biased becuase I love her so much as an actress, but, hey! The Fashion Police agreed with me!

Favorite Supermodel Not Afraid to Go BIG! Heidi KlumI loved the custom gown (which will be auctioned off for charity) and I like the HUGE bun is beautiful and fun. The black eyeliner and nude lip is clean and sophisticated. The only complaint I might make is the makeup artist seemed to go a little crazy with the bronzer. I guess its better than getting washed out by the camera.

Favorite Latin Beauty: Penelope Cruz

While I wasn't too crazy about her dress (never been much for feathers), I think her makeup and hair are spot-on. The eyes are dark and smoky, the earrings are pretty yet elegant and the hair is simple and sweet, without being too sweet. She looks absolutely stunning.

Least Favorite Young Starlet Trying to Emulate Old Hollywood: Katherine Heigl

Well, I have to say, I am not loving this one bit! She looks old beyond her years and her cheeks are so bronzed they look dirty! I do like the matching red lips to her dress, which I also enjoyed, but the hair is just too old school for me.

Least Favorite Pixie Cut: Renee ZellwegerBesides the dress washing her out, I am not liking this short haircut. And I don't think she is either! The five minutes of red carpet coverage I saw showed her constantly playing with it, mussing it up or something. Its just looked awkward. Its straight out of her movie Chicago! It really should have stayed there....

Browse Lovely!

New Lippy From Fresh

This weekend, in the midst of craziness, I some how managed to find time to organize not only my shoe rack but my overfowing collection of lip glosses. I found some REALLY old, nasty ones at the bottom of the pile, and discovered a new favorite. Cuz really, you can never have too many lip glosses.

I discovered a sample size Fresh Sugar Lip Gloss in a bright cherry red (looks like it is probably Sugar Shag, but I'm not 100% sure since there is no label) and now I'm hooked. I am for sure heading to Sephora and picking up some new lippies. It has a nice lightly sweet taste, lots of moisture, and the color is almost a stain sort of looks. Even the bright red looks natural somehow.

I am for sure going to look at Sugar Flirt (shimmering honey raspberry) and Sugar Cherry Rose (shimmering soft cherry rose). I always seem to end up with a million light pink lip glosses. I need to branch out!

Lip Lovely!

Friday Beauty Blog Reads

It's that time again... to link to my blogging buddies' fabulous posts. Enjoy!

I am so jealous that Beautiful Makeup Search got to go to the CW Product Demo! It looks like so much fun. Maybe some day I'll be important enough...

Cupcakes Taste Nice reviewed a lovely hand scrub from Sephora. We all need a little pampering sometimes. God knows my cuticles do!

I love the new Giogio Armani collection covered by Lipstick, Powder 'n Paint. It's all about berry lips right now and the green eyes are strikingly brilliant (see picture).

The Daily Cookie reviews Skyn Iceland's Pure Cloud Cream... to some unsatisfying results. See, some bloggers tell it like it is. Yay Lilan!

Yummy 411 is a drugstore paprazzi! I love it. I don't know where to find NYX but everyone seems to go gaga over it.

Pruduct Girl convincingly reviewed Mediterranean Spa's Olive Oil Body Butter. I might be willing to branch out from my stand bys from The Body Shop even.

Link Lovely!

Color Is In The Air

Just like I loved Bottega Veneta's lilac eyes yesterday, I am loving the trend towards highly bright pigmented eyes and lips. Sephora's big ads right now are all about "Makeup As Art" and I just love it. You should be afraid of going a little bright once in awhile. Its your chance to show off the wild side and go a little color crazy! Here are some products I love for creating these highly pigmented bright looks:

Make Up For Ever Flash Color is a cream color that delivers highly dramatic shades for a unique and unforgettable look. I love the Bright Blue and Fuchsia!








Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencils provide excellent color for your most fabulous looks. Urban has been shocking is customers for years now with over the top, wow-worthy colors and these pencils are no disappointment. I love Gunmetal and Lush the best but they are all lust worthy!






Lancome Color Fever Shine has a lot of color with being too over the top because it's still sheer. The more vibrant shades can be worn to follow this highly pigmented trend and still stay within the bounds of "pretty". I would try Pink In The Limo or Rock Icon Fuchsia for some serious color! Not to mention the packaging is so cute!




Color Lovely!

Milano Moda Donna Autunno/Inverno 2008/2009: Makeup Looks

I am a sucker for Italian fashion, culture, food, language, you name it (except for the men... they are too short!). So tonight, even though I'm exhausted, I would post a few looks from the shows going on right now in Milan. I was fortunate to go Milan during fashion week a few years back when I was studying there, and sneak in the back for a few shows. But now all I can do is browse through Style.com's coverage and hope that they have detail shots so I can check out my favorite part: the makeup! Here are a few so far:

Alberta Ferretti:

The black rimmed eyes are so striking and yet simple. I love that all the models had smooth, long straight hair, parted to the side and pull slightly away with a simple bobby pin. So simply chic.

Bottega Veneta:

I LOOOOVE the violet eyes. Such a fun use of unexpected color and delight. I even think this can work off stage. It's crazy without being over the top, not to mention gorgeous!

Roberto Cavalli:

She really does look like a princess. The pink flushed cheeks are so pretty and match her pink lips perfectly. It's like she jumped straight out of a fairytale.

Gucci:

A classic Gucci look. The dramatic, almost over the top smokey eye. So sexy and yet always in style. It's just Gucci, damn it.

Marni:

A beautiful berry stained lip, very on trend with the other shows this fall, seen a lot in New York. A beautiful way for a woman to express her femininty without going too red and bold.

Prada:

I think Prada is always my least favorite. This look is way too.... ugly...???... for me. I hate the big prominent eyebrow thing. I can't wait for that to go out of style, and the brown wings on the eyes just makes her look sort of alien. Yuck.

What you you guys think? Which is your favorite? I think I love the violet look from Bottega Veneta, because it is the most fun and yet flattering. I just love makeup as ART!

Browse Lovely!

Trying out MAC's Paint Pots

Along with my Light Flush Mineralize Skinfinish, I picked up a Paint Pot in Bare Study with my online order at maccosmetics.com (join their email list and you'll get free shipping codes all the time). I was doubtful because I have tried other creamy eye products with less than stellar results. They tend to crease like crazy on my eyelids and make any product applied on top cake too much. But many trusted MAC lovers swear by paint pots as both a base for eyeshadow and even as a substitute for gel eyeliner.

The paint pot preformed up to its reputation. Bare Study is a similar frosty pinkish color to my favorite MAC eyeshadow, Phloof!, so when I wear them together, it makes for one bright, frosty look! My eyeshadow seems to last longer when applied over the paint pot but I'm not sure it is worth the application process every day. I tried with a brush, but it seems to be easier to use my finger tip. A little goes along way, otherwise it gets cakey and un-smooth. I think I might be up to trying some other shades, especially a matte one, which might have a different consistency. Let me know what you think about paint pots.

Paint Lovely!

New Fabulous Foundation and Concealer

The other night I realized that after being in the sun for a few days in Cabo, my foundation didn't match my skin anymore. Even though I protected my face, I still got a touch of color. When I put on my old concealer and powder my face was a VERY different color than my neck and chest. YUCK!

So something had to be done. I have heard raves about Laura Mercier products for awhile now, especially her concealers, so I decided to try them out. I needed to pick up some things at Macy's (tights... I am loving the sweater dress and tights combo for winter work wear right now) and so I headed straight to The Laura Mercier counter since its strategically placed right at the bottom of the down escalator at the Macy's in Union Square.

The sales people were very helpful and nice. I told then I wanted a new powder foundation and a spot concealer. The woman found a powder (No. 2) that is a perfect match for my skin and showed me how to apply their highly rated Secret Camouflage concealer (she also selected SC 2).

Secret Camouflage is a compact concealer that comes with two colors. For perfect application, use a small-tipped brush and mix the two colors on the top of your hand, to warm up the makeup and make it easier to apply. Then lightly dab on the spot you want to cover, blending into your skin. Set lightly with powder. It is the easiest application I've tried and really is effective. I had some nasty breakouts after vacation, but no one could tell after this stuff! Glorious!

I am very happy with my new foundation routine. It looks flawless without looking overly made up. I love powder foundation because it is buildable, so depending on how you feel about your completion, it can give your the coverage you want all the time. Love it!

Cover Lovely!

Protect Yourself From The Rays

Well, it is deliciously sunny and beautiful in SF right. Although I miss Cabo's warm warm sunshine and being able to lounge on the beach all day, the SF sun will have to do. I wore spf 30 on my face the entire time I was there and it seems to have protected me from the sun quite well. I definitely got a little color everywhere else though! I'm such a sucker for a tan... but not on my face! I don't want wrinkles when I'm 30 or cancer when I'm 40... no way! So here are some great products to protect your youthful mug:


Aveeno Sunblock Lotion, Face, Continuous Protection SPF 30: All three of us wore this on our faces everyday and no one got even a bit pink in the face. It lasted all day at the beach, even when I was too distracted to re-apply after being out for 5 plus hours. It has a nice subtle smell and doesn't feel greasy or leave any kind of layer on your skin. I'm definitely bring this one with me next trip to the beach!


LORAC ProtecTINT SPF 30 Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer: A great quick way to protect your face and get some coverage is a tinted moisturizer with an SPF. This one is cool because it comes in a wide variety of colors. Since I'm pretty fair, most tinted moisturizers are too dark. But this one comes in 5 different shades. Niiiice.


Fresh Sugar Lip Balm SPF 15: People often forget they have to protect thier pout as well. Even in the reflective snow, lips can get burned. Fresh's lip balm blends moisturizing oils with wax and a sunscreen, prefect for any day (warm or cold) out in the sun. Plus it tasting delish!


Protect Lovely!

I'm back....

And sooo tired. So glad I have a few days off before my job begins. Need a rest after vacation! Really, it was tons of fun and mostly relaxing. Except for when me and my girlfriends danced till 4am! But most of the time was spent laying on the beach. I wore makeup to the beach the first few days... but my the end, I was going au natural... why wear eye makeup when you are wearing your sunnies all day long?! I'm so silly!

Now it's time to get some stuff done on this long weekend. Going to start by celebrating Valentine's Day SF style... with a big giant Pillow Fight downtown! I've never been, but it looks to be lots of fun... and slightly painful!

Hope everyone has a beautiful V-Day and I swear the beauty post will commence tomorrow!

Cabo here I come!

So I'm off to Cabo tomorrow at the crack of dawn and I won't be posting until I get back next week, just in time for Valentine's Day, my least favorite holiday. Hopefully I get some single girl friends together and have a grand old time drinking ourselves silly. Then I have a few days off before I start my new job. I think I want take that time to re-vamp the site a bit. So stay tuned...

Until then, Lovelies!

Vacation Must-Haves

I'm about to go on a lovely little getaway before I start my new job and I am sooo excited. It's been ages since I had a real vacation and even longer since I spent it on the beach! I leave extremely early Friday morning and so I need to start packing today. Of course, I am thinking about the beauty items that are a must have for a relaxing fun vacay in Cabo! Here are a few I know I'll be toting (and causing me to check my bag...grrr!):

Purpose Facial Moisturizer, Redness Reducing SPF 30: I love this face lotion because it is super gentle, won't clog my pores and has SPF 30! I don't really need to reduce redness but I trust Purpose to give me a gimmic-free face lotion that will protect me from the sun!

Coppertone Sunblock Lotion Oil Free SPF 15: This sunblock is an old stand by for me. It won't clog pores, it's waterproof, and its not greasy or thick like some other sunscreens out there. I put it on before heading out to the beach and then re-apply a few hours in and all I get is a nice golden tan, no burn! Wahoo! Can't wait to get rid of this pastey-whiteness.

The Body Shop's Body Butter in Coconut: I swear by this stuff as an after sun bathing soother. It smells tropical and delish and moisturizes the heck out of your skin after the sun has dried it out.

Stila Sun Bronzing Powder SPF 15: Since I'll be protecting my face from almost all sun, I want to bring along a lovely bronzing powder to mimic the effect of the mexican rays. This one is gorgeous and has added sun protection!

Now I just need to find the perfect sun dress and I'll be on my way to Cabo.... Yay!

Getaway lovely!

My First MAC Mineralized Skinfinish

I finally got my MAC package in the mail yesterday and I am in LOVE with the Mineralized Skinfinish in Light Flush from the N Collection (the one pictured is Warmth, a golden bronze with light yellow gold veining, but Light Flush is a soft pastel pink with deep bronze veining). It is incredibly divine and absolutely stunning.

Ok, I'm using a bit of hyperbole here, but it’s just so PRETTY! I have friends who love their mineralized skinfinishes, but I never understood what the big deal was... now I do. I put it over my favorite powder blush, MAC Springsheen, and it just makes me feel like I'm glowing, without looking cheesy or overly made up. This is definitely going to be a regular addition to my makeup routine.

Glow Lovely!

Stila V-Day Promo

Looking to stock up or your Stila favorites? Or maybe you need a little sale to nudge you towards trying something new... well StilaCosmetics.com has whatever you need and depending on how much you spend, you can get free shipping and some fabulous free gifts!

*Free shipping when you spend $25 or more (coupon code BONUS)

*Free shipping and a free lip pot in Baie when you spend $75 or more (coupon code LIPPOT)

*Free shipping and a free deluxe palette in Warm when you spend $150 or more (coupon code DELUXE)

They have some really great products for creating a gorgeous valentines look. Their suggestion for a bold cherry lip and soft sexy eyes is very pretty. So check out the sale... and remember, the free gifts are only available while supplies last... so get going!

Shop Lovely!

Friday Beauty Blog Reads

I am totally distracted at work today... probably because it is my last friday at this job and I just want it to be happy hour already... $3 Lemon Drops at VODA lounge! So excited, why can't it be 5pm NOW!

So what am I doing to kill time... reading Beauty Blogs of course! Here are some great reads for the week:

Yummy411 discovered Clarins Spring collection Colour Fizz... full of POPING color! Gorgeous. I'll be scoping it out for sure.

Beautiful Makeup Search covered the beauty looks of the SAG awards quite nicely. More or less it was all smokey eyes and nude lips... I can handle that!

The Beauty Addict found a great valentines gift for your guy... if you can bear to part with it! I really must get myself out to the 'burbs and into a Target soon!

Cupcakes Taste Nice went on a major Sephora shopping spree and picked up some favorites and surprizes. Can't wait to read her reviews, especially on CARGO's TexasLash Mascara! Wonder why she got that one... :)

Although not beauty related, The Daily Cookie reviewed the highly regarded and extremely expensive SF resturant Michael Mina. Warning, don't read if you are hungry... the pictures are just torture!

Mikaela's Jet Set Beauty found a hair spray (really a wax spray) that actually holds her waves all night! I am going to have to check this one out. I want Gossip Girl Hair too!

Link Lovely!

100th Post!

I just noticed that this will be my 100th post since I started my blog back in September! Wow exciting! So I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all my friends, bloggers and otherwise, for reading and commenting. It means the world to me. As I said yesterday in response to that nasty article, I do this out of sheer passion for the product and the desire to share it with those around me. I hope you have enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed writing. Please don't hestitate to send me comments or suggestions on what you would like to see. I love new ideas!

Here is to many more hundreds of posts! I don't see myself running out of subject material anytime soon... :-)

Read Lovely!