Wednesday, October 29, 2008

mmm the smell of men.......


my favorite smell in the entire world is the smell of freshly washed guy. i love that wonderful, crisp, soapy smell wrapped in freshly laundered clothes. i love walking into a recently exited bathroom that is still foggy with the remnants of a masculine shower.

still, there are bottled smells that do the trick, too. many men's fragrances are too sweet, too immature, too lacking in character to draw me in. i like my guys to smell like men, and that's a hit-or-miss process. some fragrances try so hard to be masculine that they end up reeking like rarely washed red flannel frolicking in an overgrown shrubbery, enshrouded in unkempt facial hair and deer scent.

for better or worse, i can't get past Cool Water for Men. Yes, it's been worn by nearly every guy on the planet, often in appalling excess. in the right amounts, it pelts me with pleasant memories of high school and breathless kisses and laughter. i know you can buy it in any drugstore. i still love it. the notes are: Lavender, Rosemary, Mint, Coriander, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Geranium, Sandalwood, Moss, Ambergris, and Musk.

Burberry for Men is a classic that i adore. it's probably still my favorite fragrance for men, because it's woody and comfortable and irresistibly masculine. it works in a suit and it works in jeans. it's what a knight in shining armor would wear while he rides up on his white horse.the ntoes are: Lavender, Bergamot, Thyme, Mint, Moss, Cedar, Amber, and Tonka Bean.

can i say that i like the Abercrombie colognes without sounding like a pedophile? i know they are worn by the younger crowd. but i swear, when i walk by that store and i see those huge black and white pictures and i smell that vapor that trickles out of it's doors, my heart skips a beat.

Burberry London for Men begs to be worn on crisp fall days. it's like being at a bonfire...with a mix of crackling wood a sweetness hanging in the air. the notes are: Bergamot, Lavender, Cinnamon Leaves, Black Pepper, Mimosa, Leather, Port Wine, Guaiac Wood, Oakmoss, Tobacco, and Opopanax.

you know that any guy of mine will be well-stocked with fragrance if i have anything to do with it....guess i better give Prince Charming's fragrance wardrobe a little kick start!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

the glamourista should be put in time out

i keep telling myself that it could happen to the best of us. since july, i have been a very, very bad glamourista. i've committed the most heinous of beauty crimes-i've been lazy.

it's not a good excuse, but a new relationship has put my head into the clouds and put a kink in my beauty routine. i lacked the motivation to kick start it again. my grooming rituals have been replaced with talking to and texting him, or catching up on sleep i've missed because i've been talking to or texting him. even worse, i've reverted (on some days) to actually look slovenly, and that's not acceptable at all!!

this isn't how i thought i'd behave when i had finally ensnared a worthy suitor. i thought for sure that it would kick me into overdrive, and i'd be a constantly breathtaking creation that was always in process of impressing her man. i'd promised myself that i'd maintain, or even over-maintain.

i haven't had my hair done since july. my roots creep down my head as a disappointing reminder that i wasn't naturally born with those blonde streaks. my fingers and toes that were once weekly habits now glare at me, chipped and in need of some VERY potent lotion. i can't believe i'm admitting this, but i've been going to bed with my makeup on. and my legs aren't as frequently shaved as they ought to be.

i don't like to see me like this. i don't want HIM to see me like this, either (he's long distance, so i try to fool him when i do see him).

this fresh relationship is great for my heart, but terrible for my outward appearance and my blogging. my interest in beauty products hasn't waned (nor has my nasty habit of collecting them)...it's the investment of time and use that seems to struggle.

i think enough is enough.

i didn't get this way overnight, so i can't fix it overnight. i'm taking baby steps to return to the glamourista you knew and loved three months ago...and i'm starting with box coloring (gasp!!) my hair tonight. i'll let you know how that goes.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

product lust......floral fragrances!

i wish i could explain it, but it's a phenomenon that has taken me by complete surprise. out of all the fragrances that i love, very few are florals. i've never much been a floral girl. i was always a spicy/musky/herby/sweet skin scent and sometimes citrus gal.

imagine my surprise that the fragrances that i've been lusting and crushing after lately are ALL floral. i'm having an out-of-body experience!



loving Stella was a surprise. there's something so unapologetically feminine about it. i wouldn't call it proper, because there's a hidden amber note in there that promises mischief in foggy whispers. Stella is my go-to flirty/clubbing/date scent. it makes me feel girly, yet mysterious. the notes are: rose, peony flower, mandarin, rose absolute, and amber. i love this fragrance so much that i also nabbed some Stella Rose Absolute, which is a more potent rose scent.



Versace is the designer's signature scent, and it's powerful. not because it's strong, but that it's overwhelmingly pleasant. this is how i wish Kenzo Parfum D'Ete smelled on me, but it turns too green on me. What i love about this fragrance on me is that is doesn't seem to change, no matter how long i wear it. i love it when i first put it on, and i'm loving it for the same reasons eight hours later. this fragrance is, literally, happy. wearing it makes me smile. it's hard to pick out a single floral, but they all work together so well. the notes are: Living Dew Drops, Icy Black Currant, Purple Wisteria, White Lilac, Lotus Flower, Living Orchid, Angel White Jasmine, White Lights Azalea, Snowbird Azalea, Musks, Cedar, Cashmirwood, Amberwoods.



then there's Prada Infusion D'Iris. i didn't like the other Prada's. This one is breathtaking in a good way. It's soft and ladylike, and so proper i'd almost feel blasphemous wearing it. it's not stuffy, but it's very composed. This is a fantastic wedding fragrance, or any other occasion where you want to smell universally appropriate. it doesn't make you common. if anything, you'd get applauded for having amazing taste. sephora.com says it contains Iris Padilla and Sicilian Mandarin. even the bottle is elegant!

Monday, October 20, 2008

untanned


i finally had to break down and do it, people. i didn't want to. i've fought it for a long time, but i guess i have to cave in and do what i know is best.

i'm going to quit going to the tanning bed.

no, i didn't have a cancer scare. i didn't wake up with a sun spot the size of a gnome on my forehead. i didn't even get a really bad burn that made me yelp when i walked.

it's economical, mostly. even though i work in a skincare industry part-time and i see regretful clients who are trying to undo their own skin damage all the time, i wasn't swayed. i like the way i look tanned. my skin behaves better tanned. i feel like i look thinner when i'm tanned. and i despise self tanner.

i've been a tanner since high school. not always faithfully, but it's been a long time since i've actually let myself pale out. already i feel pasty and my skin has staged a revolt against me. i fight off the urge to flop myself on that glass and let the lights work their magic.

i know that i'm taking a big step in the anti-aging process. i know it'll be better for me in the long run. however, i'm gonna be more reluctant to show my legs and arms every summer. i'm going to miss that sun-kissed glow that makes me look healthy and fools everyone into thinking i actually get outdoors sometimes.

yes, tanning bed, you and i are having a messy split. we can't get together for one last hurrah. it's just too difficult. i'm going to have to go cold turkey.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

product crush.....Buxom Babes Diamond Lips


i have the biggest crush on Buxom Lips. They are the perfect gloss for every mood. if i had a boatload of money, i'd have every single one. i'm working on it.

in the meantime, they keep coming out with more to choose from.

Buxom Babes Diamond Lips are versatile and portable, and perfect for the holidays because they are sparkly! like the other Buxoms, they make your lips look full while tasting and smelling good.

they come in four festive colors: April (pink kiss), Starr (raspberry ice), Celeste (soft peach), and Clair (moonlit mauve). these are beautiful alone or over lipstick or stain!

as far as i know, these lil beauties are not available individually or in a larger size, so get 'em while you can!

product lust.....Bare Escentuals Ruby Collection


i love kits. the ones that really impress me give you a variety of products you'll actually use.

a lot of lines are guilty of having kits that have just a couple of gotta-have-it products, and a few others that i'm not in love with. it's even more vexing when the products come only in the kit and aren't available "a la carte".

Bare Escentuals is notorious for this with both brushes and eyeshadow colors.

However, Bare Escentuals Ruby Collection is at the top of my lust list. i wanted it just by reading about it on sephora.com, but i've also seen it in person. it is gorgeous!!!

the website says, "This Sephora-exclusive collection includes bareMinerals Ruby Radiance All-Over Face Color (pink rose) infused with ruby, bareMinerals Golden Ruby Eye Color (peach gold) infused with ruby, bareMinerals Vintage Ruby Eye Color (rose fawn) infused with ruby, bareMinerals Wild Ruby Liner Shadow (plum chocolate) infused with ruby, Double-Ended Classic Black Mascara & Ruby Beautifully Luminous Lashes, Ruby Buxom Big & Healthy Full Color Lip Polish (jeweled mauve), a Soft Sweep Cheek Brush with custom handle, a Double-Ended Tapered Shadow & Eyeliner Brush with custom handle, and a stylish faux-crocodile Ruby Clutch."

i really do like the shadows in this line. they have great pigmentation, and i love the sparkle. my favorite parts of this kit are the double-ended mascara (particularly the ruby lashes end-it's red glitter for your lashes!!) and the brush, which has tiny bristles that are perfect for precision work. you can't go wrong with Buxom Lips, and the clutch is cute.

for $54.00, this is a gift worth asking santa for!!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

product crush...benefit erase paste


not all of us are blessed to wake up looking well-rested. it takes vitamins and a good concealer!

i didn't seek out Erase Paste because i was unhappy with my other concealer. my old one was doing it's job...basically even out the dark circles. little did i know that there was a concealer out there that would not only conceal, but brighten as well!

i admit, in the tiny jar, it looks scary. it's undeniably pink. furthermore, it's obscenely thick. the upside to that is that you only need a tiny bit at a time, and a jar will last you until you are eighty.

you shouldn't use this on your blemishes, because it brightens. keep your other concealer around for that! you want to conceal your zits so that they are barely noticeable, not put a product on them that makes the light reflect nicely off of them.

erase paste is the ultimate smoke-and-mirrors for your eyes...my face actually looks lifted when my dark circles disappear.

this is definitely a must-have!!