Fifty-cent Head

I HEART CLARINS - Clarins Holiday sets ‘07

 

I adore Clarins skincare, and consider it (and genetics, I'll admit) the reason people think I'm younger than I am. After I started using Clarins, I was hearing "you have perfect skin". I give credit where credit is due and point folks towards the closest Clarins counter.

Made with natural botanical ingredients, this is such a wonderful smelling product line that it would almost be worth purchasing just for the way it feels and smells!

But enough gushing... on to Clarins' holiday offerings.

Clinique - Customize your bottle of fragrance!

Guys and girls, even if you don't like the smell of Happy, Clinique's signature fragrance, you may want to pick up a bottle online this holiday season. Hell, it's worth it for the novelty and the impact on your vanity stand, even if you never spray the stuff!

MAC - The Stylistics - November 29, 2007

(image courtesy of Temptalia.com)

Oh my. This collection is only at MAC Stores and Saks and a few designer Nordstroms. That's depressing.

(image courtesy of http://nose4beauty.wordpress.com/)

2007's Couture collection: that's how I think of Stylistics. The promo pics have Alex Wek in it, wearing a gorgeous top weighed down with ginormous pearls. In some photos, she's got what looks a lot like a martini in one hand, as does the dude behind her. She looks gorgeous in all of the pics, of course. The theme is explained below:

The cultivated new cool of 21st century hepcats. When it comes to style, design, and hip, they're in the know.... they're the true jazz, culture's rarest and richest pearls. Act smooth, be soft but diamond sharp... super cool. Their paradox is the mystery. There's glamour in the je ne sais quoi.

Sigh...

Coming next…

...info on the upcoming collections for MAC (Sculpt and Shape, The Originals, and the repackaged accessories), Clarins holiday, Laura Mercier's newest offering that has me knocked off my feet, Clinique customizable perfumes, other holiday finds...

Fergie is MAC’s new Viva Glam spokeswoman

(photo courtesy of http://www.welovecelebs.com)

Yay.

I say that with a bit of sarcasm, because I'm not really a fan. I'm trying to look on the bright side while keeping an eye on the bigger picture. Having Fergie as the newest face of Viva Glam may draw in a whole new group of folks - and the more folks that buy the Viva Glam lipsticks and glosses, the more money that is raised and the more help that is channeled to help folks affected and infected with HIV and AIDS.

MAC - Metal-X - November 21st, 2007

Metal-X.

Metal-X!

Doesn't that sound hot, already!? I mean, really. METAL-X. Oh, yeah!

A simple trace metal elevated into the richest, most opulent extreme found in the creamy, colour-rich Metal-X Cream Shadow. An amalgam of pigment, shine and dimension that, through its intensity, forges an unforgettable mélange. Some will wear it on its own, but MAC metal heads will wear it as it's intended with a sophisticated fine line of glitter.

Read on for more...

MAC - Of Beauty - Nov. 15, 2007

Beauty has its form. And its mediums. The light, play and dimensional harmony of two reflective sources: new Beauty Powder/Loose. Shade-coordinated with the creamy soft ambient highlights provided by a new array of five Studio Lights. The essential tools: 183 Flat Face Buffer Brush, the 188 Small Duo-Fibre Brush, and the 222 Tapered Blending Brush to create the radiant sculpturesque look of beauty.

That's what MAC has to say about the Of Beauty collection.

MAC - Curiositease - Nov 15, 2007

MAC Curiositease is coming!

 

I'm so excited about this collection, too. Sigh... MAC is doing well this fall in my personal opinion. This is the Winter collection we all wait for: pigments and lipglasses and glitter pencils... OH MY!

Here's what's shakin' with Curiositease...

MAC - Signature bags - Nov 15th ‘07

Coming soon to a counter near you, MAC Signature bags! This is crucial, 'cause I need somewhere to store all the crap I'm buying this holiday season!

On Nov. 15, we get Matt Murphy-designed bags, of course (he's formerly of Prada), with a new black-on-black repeat logo. It's a "patchwork logo" meaning the MAC name appears in different sizes throughout. The bags are black (natch) and have the satin-finished grosgrain ribbed-cotton trim. We've got 4 sizes, too: medium, small, mini-petite and mini.

Just one of the cooler things coming out on 11/15/07...

MAC Antiquitease - Keepsake (Nordstrom Exclusive)

Okay, I'm obsessed with this portion of the Antiquitease collection.

It's in that sketchy tweed-esque bag that the rest of the collection is in, but this one is shaped differently (I really don't care for these, but to each her own! Lots of folks are lovin' 'em) and it holds some of the prettiest colors this year!

Inside, in white cases instead of MAC-black, are:

1. Shimmertime pigment, which originally came out in She Shines (2006). This is a promotional size pigment, not the full-size and is a beautiful light pink with a great sheen!


2. Sunbasque blush, a sheertone shimmer in a gold-peach. This is a full-size blush.


3. Glamourspun lipglass (full-size) which originally came out with Sundressing (2007). It's so gorgeous I can't get enough! It's a pinky-peachy-gold. I think it's like a pink (rather than peach) Nymphette.


4. Nightsky Soft Sparkle eye pencil has been out this year (Balloonacy) and back in '06 in Sweetie Cake. It's a very black pencil with silver shimmer.

I love this set. 'Nuff said.

Artist Tips - How to “design a look”

I often get asked about how to choose a full face look so that everything is flattering, and everything "goes". In other words, folks want a cohesive look, but may not be really sure how to go about it. Here are some tips...

1. Start somewhere. You can pick either an overall look (for example "bronze-y" or "focus on the eyes") or select another starting spot. Maybe you know you want to wear that perfect brown shadow or a magenta lipstick? You need to start somewhere!


2. Work with colors that flatter you, not necessarily colors that match your outfit. The aquamarine sweater may look nice, but do you really need that color on your eyes? Choices you make for your clothing or accessories aren't always the best choices for your makeup.


3. Analyze the makeup colors or "look" you picked out. Figure out what colors will coordinate and complete the look. One trick is to decipher whether your choices are warm, neutral or cool colors. If you're using a red-orange lipstick as your focus, you will want to consider warm tones for cheeks and eyes (browns with yellow undertones, oranges, golds, tans, etc...); if you are using a pink on the eye, consider cool tones for cheeks and lips (berries, pinks, roses, etc...).


4. Once you have the colors picked out, you want to think about what types of finishes to choose. For example, if you are using a matte lipstick, you may want to consider a shimmer somewhere else- on the eyes, on the cheeks? If you have a heavy shimmery or glittery eye, you may want to tone down the cheeks and lips and make them matte. If you want a very dressy or high-fashion type of look gloss on the lips and shimmer on the eyes will get you there, but I don't advise shimmer everywhere on the face. It looks a bit dated...


5. The last thing to really think about is intensity of shade. Part of that plays into where your focus will be. For example, if your eyes are heavily done (think blacks and greys adding up to a very smoky eye) you will probably want to downplay the intensity of the lips and cheeks so as to avoid looking like you learned about makeup in the 80's (hence the nude lip trend right now). If you want a very bright red (and trendy!) lip, keep the eyes muted or even nude, with just a bit of liner.

Those are the basics on how to get a balanced look! Keep the questions coming...

Up next in Artist Tips: understanding the basics of the color wheel when selecting makeup colors.

Philosophy Charity Products

Get your karma straight by buying some of these philosophy products, designed to inspire and to please the senses while also saving the world, one cause (and bath) at a time!

Laura Mercier Holiday

Holy Crap! Have you seen the Laura Mercier holiday offerings!?

I don't even know where to start! It's phenomenal. The makeup is pretty and of course the great quality we expect from Laura Mercier, and the soaps and candles and lotions smell decadent (probably the best on the market). If you can't find a gift for someone here, you're simply not looking hard enough. More likely, you will no know how to narrow it down. If that's the case, you can always just shop for yourself and get your friends and family Laura Mercier eGift cards!

 

Let's wade through the selection...

The Best Product in the Beauty Industry - No lie

Hey, I don't know if ya'll know about this product or not, but it's the best, most ingenious, most useful, most inspired product in the beauty industry at this time. Thought I'd tell you about it, 'cause it's just that good!

Is this what you look like after a rough night? Or maybe every morning!?

(photo courtesy of media.lawrence.com)

Girl (or fella), you've got to get your tush over to the Bobbi Brown counter....

MAC: Kids Helping Kids!

The MAC AIDS Fund is amazing. That a company would take a product and donate 100% of the proceeds to a charity is impressive. That a company would do this with multiple products every single day of the year is heartwarming. That's exactly what MAC does with their Viva Glam products (6 lipsticks and 2 lipglasses - all fairly neutral in tone so they go on just about anyone. There's a Viva Glam product for you!).

Another thing the MAC AIDS Fund does is the Kids Helping Kids greeting cards they sell each year. These cards are created by children whose lives are impacted by HIV and AIDS (either directly or via family members with the disease). MAC literally goes to the children with art supplies like paper, pens, glitter and paints and asks them to create cards. With the permission of the children (and their parents), MAC selects 6 cards to sell for the Fund.

You can buy the Kids Helping Kids giftcards at any MAC counter or MAC store after October 25th for only $6 (for 6 cards). What a steal!

Also available are 6 gift tags for $6 and new this year three different patterns of giftwrap for $8 a roll. The wrapping paper comes in a red, a white and a black pattern which are only available at MAC Stores.

Tell everyone you know about these products and encourage them to make a thoughtful selection when choosing their holiday cards!

Learn more about the MAC AIDS Fund here.