Tuesday, May 27, 2008

product crushes from the road!

you never know what you'll find on a roadtrip.

i'm on vacation, driving down the east coast, and i've run across a couple of items that i couldn't wait to tell you about.

-Vaseline Cocoa Butter Vitalizing Gel Body Oil. i love this stuff, from it's summery smell to it's unbelieveable moisturizing powers. if you are someone who hates greasy/slick creams, you won't like this. i don't mind it, and this one absorbs quickly anyway. it makes tanned legs look just like they are in a photoshoot, and it leaves your skin super soft.

-Styli-Style Flat Liner 24. i've never even heard of this brand. my smashbox jet set creme liner is drying out and i needed a long-lasting replacement, at least for the remainder of this trip. this intrigued me because it promised hours and hours of unbudging color. it delivered. the shape of the pencil is actually wide and flat, helping you get a better line. and, allegedly, it's self-sharpening. so far so good!

i found both of these at cvs.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

product crush....kat von d makeup


Kat Von D is so interesting to me. she has a confidence that is beautiful, and i admire that she never strays from her own personal style, which is a seamless blend of rocker and pinup.

and, finally, she has her own makeup line at sephora! see it here.

the line appears to be what you'd expect...mostly smokey neutral eyes and red lips. the prices aren't scary, either! i am anxious to see it in person!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

product lust....urban decay de-slick



urban decay must have some serious problem-solving geniuses on their staff. once again, they are helpin a girl out!

brand new and available at sephora is the urban decay de-slick mattifying powder. i am always on a hunt for a long lasting mattifier that doesn't make my face look chalky. it's lavender-tinted to counteract redness, so that's an added bonus. nobody wants to be red and shiny.

the qualities of my perfect mattifier are one that lasts all day, doesn't infere with my makeup (causing it to slide off or lose pigment), and blends well into my morning makeup routine.

mattifiers are finally making their way into the mass market, and i'm excited to give them a try. i'm a UD addict already, so i can't wait to try this. you can be sure that i'll report my findings.....

back in black....eyeshadow



you don't have to be a goth girl or a punk rocker to have black eyeshadow in your arsenal. in fact, it can be one of the most versatile shadows you own!!

one of my faves is "the new black" by lancome. it's a black shadow with black glitter in it, and i've been able to use it in a million ways. there is, of course, the obvious way...to have a dramatic, smokey evening eye.

but it's not just for a smokey look, and it's not just for evening. let your black eyeshadow see the light of day!

-it can be used as a liner. with your small, flat-bristled brush, you can make a thick or thin line, and it will smudge very nicely.

-it can be used to tone down a bright color! i have a blue-green eyeshadow that is practically neon. with a light sweeping of black shadow over it, it deepens into a
gorgeous teal. you can also do your whole lid in one shade and use black to contour your eye and create two or even three shades. it can create a marvelous "fading" effect that gets lighter as it approaches your brow bone.

-you get bragging rights by telling people you can successfully wear black eyeshadow to work, and that you DON'T work at hot topic.

blending is key with black eyeshadow. you can make it wearable for any place at any time!

Monday, May 19, 2008

put on a springy face!



i'm having a good time creating a good spring/summer face. i think this one works pretty well...

FACE: Benefit Dr. Feelgood
Urban Decay Surreal Skin in Illusion

CHEEKS: Sephora Rose Rebelle N1

EYES: Urban Decay Primer Potion
Lancome Color Design in Kitten Heel (on browbone)
Lancome Color Design in Guest List (in the crease and on the outer edge)
Jordana Easyliner in Eggplant (top and bottom lids and inner bottom rim)
Lancome Cils Booster XL
Diorshow Blackout

LIPS: Sephora Lip Pencil #132 (they don't have this on the site-what if it's disc?!)
Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips in Trixie

unrelated to the face, but tonight's look has been lavishly scented with Versace Crystal Noir ;)

Sunday, May 18, 2008

pushy product consultants....ugh

you know what really irritates me? when you are talking to a product consultant about skin care and anti-aging and you ask about the performance of a certain product. to this they reply, "well, i use it, so what do you think?"

it doesn't matter if their skin looks good or bad, you can't tell them if you don't think that product really worked on them. maybe they looked like a 90-year-old woman before and now they look fifty, but....selling a product that was seems a little pushy. i don't like it.

i don't mind hearing someone talk about their experience with a product, but to make me look at their skin as if that's the selling point makes me squirmy. unless i specifically comment on the luminosity of your skin or the fact that your skin radiates wonderfulness, don't put me in that position.

i will not be using that strategy when i'm selling product, for the record.

product confessional.....my lip glosses



i have my cosmetics divided by type in bags. one day i'm going to buy a massive trunk to house it all, but for now my bathroom counter is littered with a zillion bags.

i have so many lip products that i have one bag for lipsticks, and one bag for glosses. just for fun, i'm letting you invade my lip gloss bag and see what's inside.

disclaimer: i also use my lip gloss bag for my plumpers, stains and chapsticks. ready for the tour?

-<2> C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine
-Benefit Lipscription (Buffing Lip Beads/Silky Lip Balm)
-Caboodles lip gloss in strawberry cream
-Smackers Lip Frosting in strawberry
-Sephora lip gloss in rosy glow
-Maybelline Shinylicious in sugarplum
-Maybelline Shinylicious in raiz'n razzle
-Squeezy Lip Smacker in Strawberry Limeade
-Victoria's Secret Sweet Talk in sensual strawberry (disc)
-Cinnabon Lip Balm
-Smackers Lip Frosting in buttercream
-Lancome Juicy Tubes Cherie Ultra Shiny Lip Gloss in Coral Rush
-Temptations Cooling Lip Gloss in Tropical Colada
-Temptations Cooling Lip Gloss in Frozen Daquiri
-Lancome Juicy Tubes in tickled pink
-Cargo Lip Gloss Duo in chattanooga
-Dior GlossShow in 715
-Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips in trixie
-DuWop Lip Venom lip plumper
-Patricia Wexler No-Injection Lip Plumper
-Urban Decay Big Fatty Lip Plumper
-Bubble Yum Lip Balm in cotton candy
-American Girl Conditioning Lip Shine in sheer strawberry (lol it was a gift)
-<2> Bourjois Lip Stain Pen in framboise bonheur
-Chanel Glossimer in constellation
-Victoria's Secret Sweet Talk in very cherry vanilla (disc)

whew! not enough days in the year to wear them all, but i try. and there are so many mroe that i want. what's in your arsenal?

product crush........Sterilite storage containers!!



sadly, not all gorgeous shoes come in boxes.

if you frequently buy at places like t.j. maxx, or you delight in discovering vintage shoes in antique stores and garage sales, there's a good chance they didn't come with a box.

i have a TON of shoes without boxes, and they sit in various piles at the bottom of my closet. it looked like a trainwreck, but i didn't really see the need to find containers for them.

...until yesterday. i bought 3 Sterilite 6-quart boxes at the grocery store, because they were only $2.99. i assumed that if i didn't end up using them for shoes i could surely use them for something (i like storage boxes). up til now, the biggest solution i had come up with was to pile the loose shoes in a box all together, but this is a much better way. this glamourista likes variety, but she doesn't have all the time in the world to hunt down a specific pair of shoes hiding in the recesses of her closet.

i may have created an obsession, because i plan on buying these now for all of my boxless shoes (i may have to buy in shifts, since i have so many pairs). not only are the shoes easier to store, but it protects them. these boxes fit even the bulkier and higher-heeled shoes. just by purchasing these boxes, i made my shoes more accessible and freed up my closet floor. probably for more shoes, but i don't mind ;).

(Sterilite boxes are available everywhere in every single size you can think of).

Saturday, May 17, 2008

product lust.....victoria's secret shoes!!!




i heart these shoes!!!! i can't afford them right this minute, so i'll just lust. i hate to lust alone, so do some lusting of your own by checkin them out at here.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

product test drive....Cargo Eye Shimmer Collection



i have a weakness for tiny bottles and sparkly eyeshadow. this was a no-brainer, because it's both.

Cargo's Eye Shimmer Collection is six pretty shades (sparkling white, champagne rose, vibrant tangerine, shimmering lilac, aquamarine blue, and coppered green )that are versatile and portable. i purchased the set for "coppered green", which is a fabulous iridescent shade that makes me look like a modern day mermaid.

they are sheer, but they are very pretty worn alone. because i like to cocktail my products, they also wear really well on top of other shadows. they also make excellent browbone highlighters.

the tiny bottles have a sponge applicator wand inside.

like other sparkly shadows, you will get fallout (when the shadow/glitter gets under your eyes and on your cheeks). however, the shimmer is so fine that it's pretty enough to leave. it adds to the glow. the way this is packaged, i usually end up with the shimmer on my eyes and cheeks and fingers (just from taking the wand out of the bottle).

there is also a liquid shadow set available with 6 shades. the applicator and bottles are the same. i just preferred the colors and shimmer in this set.

the set is $25 at sephora...highly recommended for a shimmery new spring look or to vamp up some of your older shadows!

Friday, May 9, 2008

the glamourista's guide to theclosestshaveever



this isn't a time-saver. however, you will be astonished at how close a shave you can actually get when you use the right tools.

you will need:
*a gritty, grainy exfoliator
*a new razor
*gillette fusion hydroglide shave gel
*a thick, good smellin' lotion

first, exfoliate. this is actually the most important step. i used to think that it was best to exfoliate afterward, but exfoliation removes dead skin cells. so, logically, it would also expose even more of a hair's length, would it not? this way, when you shave afterwards, you are shaving right down to the newly exposed layer of skin. exfoliating after you shave could cause some teeny hairs that were hiding to crop up right away. scrub your legs down!!

second, use your new razor and the shave gel. yes, it is a man's shave gel. it's completely unfair that men's shave products work better, but if you can lick 'em, join 'em. these products for men not only give a closer shave with less nicks, but also are better at preventing ingrowns and razor bumps. i rather enjoy their scent myself. the gillette products just impress me every time i use them.

third (and after drying off!), saturate your bald gams with some lotion to make them touchably soft. even you probably won't be able to stop touching your own legs, it will be that great of a shave.

this process works on any part of your body you want a better shave, not just the legs. here's to a stubble-free summer....

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

beauty survey...you've been tagged!

i have a survey addiction. i get most of my relief on myspace, much to the angst of the people on my friends list. but i found this one and it's all about beauty products, so it's perfect for this blog! feel free to use it for yourself...consider yourself tagged!

My Foundation: Urban Decay Surreal Skin on top of Smashbox Primer Light or Benefit Dr. Feelgood

My Mascara: Diorshow Blackout and Clinique High Impact on top of Lancome Cils Booster

My Blush: i only actually own 2 blushes (though i use other things for blush that aren't classified as blush)...1 Sephora brand and 1 Lancome

My Eye Shadow: i own a LOT of eyeshadow, probably mostly from Lancome and Elizabeth Arden. i have a few from Victoria's Secret, Clinique, Smashbox, and Estee Lauder. i love NARS, Urbay Decay, and Two Faced, but i don't own any of them.

My Day Cream: Lancome High Resolution

My Lipstick: i wear much more gloss than lipstick, but Lancome Taffy is a fave

My Beauty Product Brand: sooo hard to choose. Lancome and Urban Decay, most recently. but that's subject to change!

My Essential Beauty Product: mascara...i look like a corpse without it

My Favorite Makeup Product: i feel most "done" when i have lipgloss on. lately i've been slicking Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips on top of everything.

My Perfume: impossible to pick a fave. i have over 30 at this point.

My Nails: OPI! currently i have WnW Denim Chrome on my toes and my fingers are naked, but that's rare.

My Feet: BBW Heel of Approval and the Kiss foot file

My Hands: Curel

Three Products to bring on a deserted island:
1) Lancome skin care, so i don't look like a leathery beast after leaving the island

2) Matrix Curl Life Spray Gel

3) a REALLY big bottle of perfume

Woman I Admire for their Beauty: Angelina Jolie, Leighton Meester, Drew Barrymore, Rachel Brice, Isla Fischer and Halle Berry have exceptional faces

Woman with the Best Sense of Style: Angelina never looks like a bum, and she's usually wearing something black, so i relate to that. She's not overdone, but she's done.

My Ultimate Dream: to be the nose for a perfume house.

How Do I Define Womanhood: being confident and content makes you beautiful. being a person you can be proud of. dressing for yourself first, wearing what you love.

My Favorite Fashion Publication: in style, glamour, allure, and cosmo

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

product test drive...mall run!!



i was in a department store looking for a mother's day gift. what kind of glamourista would i be if i didn't stop by the fragrance counter and sniff a few things??

first, Lacoste Dream of Pink. the notes are: ice tea, red berries, lotus, rose, sandalwood and musk. it's definitely related to Touch of Pink, and although i have to give props for the ice tea note, it's not enough to make this fragrance memorable. it lacks depth, and to me, that makes a fragrance smell "thin". it sits on your skin pleasantly enough, but washing your hands with a nice soap will do the same thing. it's not a bad smell, it's just typical.

then, Sean John Unforgivable Woman Black. i don't make a secret of my loathing for celebrity fragrances. they are usually so predictable and on the neck of every teenage girl...blech. the notes of this fragrance are: piña colada, sheer jasmine, ylang ylang, bergamot, fresh apple skin, dewy white cyclamen petals, cassis, pomarose, iris, coconut milk and Seychelles coco de mer. i'm just glad it doesn't reek of overly ripe fruit. actually, i don't hate this one, and i think it settles into the skin nicely. i don't see it as a dressy fragrance, but would probably suit for a lazy evening indoors. it's warm and breatheable, pleasantly sweet and light but has good staying power. however, if i ever buy this, i don't think i'd admit it.

Bath and Body Works now has a way to roll your stress away-Instant Aromatherapy Stress Relief. as you might expect, it's heavy on the eucalyptus, but when it dries, it's a crisp, clean smell that i really liked. i can't say that my stress lessened, but i did smell good all through my chemistry test.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

double duty beauty when you're broke



i'm trying out lighter, sheerer looks for summer. this pic is really only noteworthy because the color on my lips (clinique long last soft shine lipstick in watermelon) is a color i'd never, ever choose. but i think i like it! anyway, back to the post at hand.....

there's nothing like new makeup and a new look to lift a girl's spirits.

but what if you don't have the funds?

look for new ways to use what you already have! it will be like you have a whole new cosmetic wardrobe!! for instance:

*your bronzer or blush can double as eyeshadow. this is especially pretty when it has shimmer in it. it makes a great browbone highlighter!

*your lipstick makes a good blush....but go sparingly with your reds. start minimally, and build. flushed cheeks are so pretty in warm weather!

*your eyeshadow can be eyeliner-just use a short-bristled angled brush. that's also a great way to introduce the trendy brights (and blues!) into your eye makeup. try it as a liner if you aren't ready to commit to your lid.

*lipstick can be gloss, if you put it over vaseline or a slick existing clear gloss. it makes it sheer, which can tone down a neon red, orange or pink lipstick and make it more wearable.

*brown eyeshadows and eyeliners can fill in your eyebrows.

*shimmery neutral eyeshadows can give your lipstick added shimmer, and it can also tone down a loud color. just make sure you apply it with something other than your eyeshadow applicator (like your finger!), because the next time you use that applicator, it might be kinda sticky. plus, you could end up with loud lipstick on your eyelid, and that's no good.

do you have any double duty tricks?

Friday, May 2, 2008

product crush.....burberry brit red



lately i've been exploring older scents, because none of the new releases have blown me away.

i have a respect for scents that intrigue me. i like a fragrance that makes a statement, but i also like when they aren't straightforward with their intent. i have this issue with tom ford's black orchid, but i also have this puzzlement with burberry brit red. it's a floral, but it's not. it's a gourmand, but it's not. it's a...flourmand? so many things about the notes of this fragrance surprise me. you never know what to expect when you smell it.

Top Notes:
Fresh jasmine (i whole-heartedly admit i don't care for jasmine AT ALL), Mandarin orange, Rhubarb (uh...what??)
Middle Notes:
Intense red rose (there's your floral), Gingerbread (who knew you could mix gingerbread with roses?!), Patchouli (i like a well done patchouli, it dirties things up and keeps them from being sickly sweet)
Base Notes:
Benzoin, Sandalwood (i'm a fan of the woodsy fragrances anyway), Vanilla bean

what ends up happening (on me, at least) is that is wears all day long and it's a spicy, sweet smell. and it changes on me throughout the day, so i'll smell something and think, "somebody or something smells good!" and realize that it's me.

to my knowledge, there isn't anything else out there that smells remotely like this, which totally feeds my desire not to smell like anybody else.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

product copycat.....wet 'n wild denim chrome




it's not secret that blue is the "it" nail color this season. however, before you go and drop $25.00 on dior, stop by your neighborhood drug store and get yourself some Wet 'N Wild Denim Chrome. You can buy yourself a burrito with the extra money you save!

product test drive.....dr. feelgood



when i heard that this was a balm for your face, i almost steered clear. to me, the word "balm" implies greasy or waxy, neither of which an oily-skinned girl wants on her face.

Benefit's Dr. Feelgood has a reputation for disguising shine, so i had to give it a go.

i've owned this for awhile, and at first i used it alone. it has the strange feel of a chapstick when you put it on, and it's transparent on your skin. it minimized pores and served as an excellent mattifier. i did find that it works best when you have exfoliated, though, because flakey patches seemed more evident with this on (at least around the nose).

under makeup, it smooths the skin and makes a good, long-lasting base. it contains vitamins to nourish your skin, too. it doesn't feel greasy, so skin looks and feels soft.

it's totally portable in it's adorable little tin, so you can touch-up your t-zone through the day, if you like.

i give it an A! this is one doctor you'll like to see!

a beautiful blog-over!

a big glossy kiss to the fabulously talented JESS, who made my blog a work of art (thanks, sis, you are the salsa on my burrito!). any artistic change you see now or later is her doing. let me know what you think of the new look!