BSB: Beauty news, makeup swatches and pictures, nail polish articles, makeup tutorials, product reviews, and how-to's from a MAC-trained makeup artist.

Brow Pencil Death Match!

 

Brows are a key feature in a makeup look. I recently told you about one of my favorite brow products, Chanel's le Sourcil de Chanel - Perfect Brows, but I also love a good brow pencil!  Who needs more reason than that to conduct a Brow Pencil Death Match?

The combatants*: Clinique,  Kevyn Aucoin, Bobbi Brown, MAC, and Urban Decay. Let's see how they stack up!

*It's not clear who invited the sheep.

New or upcoming polish collections

Here's what's hitting stores now (or soon):

1. Essie: Art of Spring
   Already in stores
   
   
   
   
   
2. Misa: Mardis Gras
   Date: TBA
   
   
   
   
    
   
3. Orly: Bloom
   May already be in stores
   
   
   
   
4. OPI: Hong Kong
   In stores now
   

   
   
   
5. OPI: Alice in Wonderland
   In stores now (if not sold out!)
   

   
   
   
6. China Glaze: Up & Away
   In stores now
   

   
   

   
   
   

    
   
   

MAC: Tabloid Beauty / The real buzz on Pro Longwear Lipsticks!

Shockingly, MAC has another new collection. This one is called "Tabloid Beauty" and it's a collection of the uber-effective products that come with some nifty statistics and impressive wear. The collection is 100% repromoted items on-counter already.

In the collection: Prep + Prime Refined Zone (reduces pores by 37%, reduces clogged pores by 25%+), Prep + Prime Line Filler (78% of users saw skin firming, 83% saw lifting, 87% saw benefits in lines/wrinkles), Plush Lash Mascara (112% increase in volume, 125% increase in curl), Penultimate Liner (clinically proven to wear 12 hours), and Pro-Longwear Lipsticks in regular and lustre formulas (don't smudge or budge for 8 hours).

Keep reading to get the details on the collection.
PLUS: What they won't tell you about Pro-Longwear...

China Glaze Peachy Keen keeps the rain away.

Ok, not really. The Ninja is still surrounded by doom and gloom and o'ercast skies. But she's very much enjoying this China Glaze polish, Peachy Keen, from the Up & Away collection:

At least something in this corner of the world is bright!

April 1st is no laughing matter to The Ninja or to Essie

Why is it that whenever The Ninja tells people that her wedding anniversary is on April 1st, people invariably say "You would get married on April Fool's Day!" like it's a bad thing? I mean, c'mon: it's a day dedicated to levity and fun and pranks. While The Ninja takes her marriage quite seriously, life is supposed to be fun. And if you can't have fun with your spouse... why in the hell did you get married in the first place?!

This April 1st, in addition to celebrating her 4th Anniversary and setting out whoopie cushions, The Ninja will be splurging a bit on these babies...

The Essie Wedding Collection

• Petal Pink – a sweet and subtle creamy pink
• BBF Best Boyfriend – a classic creamy mauve
• Pillow Talk – a sheer and sultry nude
• Walk Down the Aisle – a fresh and creamy white
• Show Me the Ring – an iridescent pearl
• Main Squeeze – a shimmering lilac cream
  
  
  Yes... SHOCKING! Pale pastels and sheers. From Essie!  
  
  But The Ninja is interested in seeing BBF Best Boyfriend, Show Me the Ring, and Main Squeeze -- they could be interesting.
  

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Such a pretty palette!!!

What is it about these YSL face powders that makes me lust for them? The colors aren't original, and from what I read on The Non-Blonde, they are quite sheer/pale (perfect for me, though, as a Melanin-Deficient Human). Is it the way the circles of color are slightly off-center? I do like asymmetry. Is it the embossed letters? That's pretty, but not terribly rare. What is it, friends? And am I the only one?

#1, on left, is a highlight powder
#2, on right, is a "complexion-enhancer"

photo of #2 courtesy of The Non-Blonde

 

Happy Tuesday!

It's dreary here in Central Virginia, with off-and-on drizzle and lots of clouds. You know what that means, right? It's time for Jen to kick it into super-perky mode to chase away the gloom.

Of course, staying happy ain't hard when you've got these little cuties around. Lulu is, despite her terrible headcold, "cruising". It makes me sad and proud at the same time when I see those chubby little legs holding up that sweet baby. She's not going to be my baby forever, and it breaks my heart just the right amount. Look at her little tummy peeking out! ;)

And Ara is feeling much better, thank you very much, and gearing up to her (postponed due to illness) Valentine's party this weekend. Here's recent artwork she gave me. I love that the second word she learned to write (after her name, of course) was Mom. You can see her name on the bottom and "Mom" on the left. AWWW...

Meanwhile, I have some amazing Twitter friends! Mad props to them for keeping it upbeat. It helps more than they realize, and I'm sure it keeps other people they touch cheerful, too. 

If you're on Twitter, ya gotta come play with me! @jen_bsb

What the Twitter gang is up to lately...

• Have you seen Nando's Crazy Beauty Confession? It's inspired and hysterical at the same time, just like Nando himself. ;)   Make sure you're following the King of Nandoism.com on Twitter: @Nandoism.

• InspiratioNail is always upbeat, and also keeps me entertained with great posts like this one about makeup artist and body painter, Gaelle Mouster. Twitter handle: @Inspirationail

• I adore the positive celeb gossip of I'm Not Obsessed. Who needs mudslinging when they get their dirt? Most recently: Robert Pattinson admits to dating someone whose name you'll recognize! OOOooooOOOh! Tweet with Vera: @imnotobsessed.

• Another astonishingly upbeat and talented woman, Miss K, is not only running her fab cosmetics company Aromaleigh, she's keeping us all inspired by her product, blog posts, tumblr pretties, and lovely conversation. Tweet with Miss K: @aromaleigh_MMU.

• Poor Dani  is battling some germs, which has interrupted her amazing New York Fashion Week coverage over at FerOHHsh. Send her a get well Tweet: @coutortured.

• My fabulous friend ShivaQueen, another positive vibes Tweeter, has started a new YouTube channel: The Shiva Queen Show. Go! Subscribe! Comment! Enjoy! And then Tweet: @ShivaQueen
  
  
  

And here are some pretties to sparkle up your world. I'm off to cuddle a baby, pick up a preschooler, then write some blog posts. Happy Tuesday, everybody!

I know, I know: I'm weird. Skeletons make me happy, though! :)
What makes YOU happy!?

More on the blue polish trend...

My current "Lemmings List"

Those of you who aren't addled and addicted Makeup Whores may not be familiar with the term "lemmings." Those of us with more makeup than Sephora use the term to refer to "stuff we really want".

Speaking of Sephora, that's where I was this weekend when a lot of these lemmings were born. The stroll through Macy's didn't help...

More after the jump.

Milani Avatar collection...

Has anyone picked up up some of the Milani Avatar collection? It's apparently a "3D collection" inspired by the movie, and it was supposed to be out on Feb. 1 at CVS. "A lip loss is available in eight colors and the nail polish comes in six, including blue for serious Avatar fans. Of course, there's also a blue shade of eyeshadow."

Seen it? Hauled it?

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Saturday Surfin' with The Ninja

• Yummy greys from Nubar, swatched for your viewing pleasure! PSST: They're one-coaters!
  - Getcha Nails Did
  
  
  

• Yummy black polish with iridescent glitter bits light up the Starry Night. Also shown another Diamond polish: Concrete Jungle. 
  - Polish or Perish
  
  
  
  
  
• When it's good to have an Attitude.
  -The Edge of Sanity
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The Ninja loves the Misa formulation. Next up from the line:  Mardis Gras.
  -Misa Polish
  
  
  
  
  
• Jessica makes some pretty polishes. The new collection is called Daydream, and you can see swatches here.
  -Vampy Varnish
  
  
  
  
  
• News from one of my favorite British bloggers: MAC and Jin Soon Choi are up to some more monkey business. Expect another collaboration this Fall. Read more here.
  -British Beauty Blogger
  
  
  
• Oh, take a look at another scoop from the same blogger: The next Strange Beautiful collection!
  -British Beauty Blogger
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Look at these great purple butterflies!
  -Never To Much Glitter
  

  
  
  
  
• Love these polka dot nails! LOVE 'EM!
  -Getcha Nails Did
  
  

  
  
  
  
• Yes, The Ninja will attempt this manicure. You betcha!
  -Beaut.ie
  
  

  
  
  
• Would you wear these "shrapnel nails"?
  -Trend de la Creme
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
• Good golly! Holiday '10 sneak peeks already!? This one from China Glaze.
  -Lushious Beauty and Neglekkmani
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
• Super pretty Valentine's Day mani! Oh- more here, and a bunch here.
  -Polish Hoarder Disorder
  
  
  
  
• Did The Ninja already link to this review of the Orly foils?
  -All Lacquered Up
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
• The Playboy Collection. Kinda what you'd expect...
  -Getcha Nails Did
  
  
  
  
  
• YSL Beige Chiffon. Wow! Sooooooo pretty!
  -Nail of the Week
  
  

  
  
  
  
• Sinful Colors Spring '10.
  -Lacquer Laine
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
• The Ninja is dying over pictures of China Glaze's Poolside collection! She CAN NOT WAIT to see these neon beauties (and pop her neon cherry!).
  -China Glaze
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

Let's play "Guess My Age"!!!

Jump for the answer

Do you have any crazy beauty stories?

This recent Tweet from Taylor Swift had me chuckling...

Have you ever done anything nutty in the pursuit of beauty?

I have, but not on purpose. I thought I was using Illamasqua's Sealing Gel on my brows (why is it always the brows!?) and realized too late that it was actually a splash of Tom Ford Black Orchid. What? They were both in tiny little black vials. *blushes*

Things that tickled my fancy today

Hope all of you are doing well and enjoying the weekend? I'm not feeling well today, so I spent some time catching up on my reading. Got a few laughs, and found a few head-scratchers. Take a look...

Jennifer Hudson's got milk

I love Jennifer Hudson. Really. She's beautiful, and she's extremely talented.

I do not love this ad.

Read more and see more by takin' that jump!

Illamasqua contest promises one winner his/her name in lights! Or on people's fingers and toes, at least.

This is your chance to dream-up a nail polish shade. Always loved that particular sweater ("jumper", Brits)? Want to immortalize the exact shade of your favorite rose? Have you seen something else that inspired you to say "I wish I could paint that on my nails!?" Now's your chance...

Illamasqua's latest contest is your shot at polish fame! Submit your idea for a polish shade, and if yours is chosen it will be sold by the company. AMAZING.


You get one shot, so think carefully! Keep reading for details...

Ever want to design your own nail polish color? Want Illamasqua to sell it for you!?

This is your chance to dream-up a nail polish shade. Always loved that particular sweater ("jumper", Brits)? Want to immortalize the exact shade of your favorite rose? Have you seen something else that inspired you to say "I wish I could paint that on my nails!?" Now's your chance...

Illamasqua's latest contest is your shot at polish fame! Submit your idea for a polish shade, and if yours is chosen it will be sold by the company. AMAZING.


You get one shot, so think carefully! Keep reading for details...

Polish My Ride (<-- see how that's a play on "Pimp My Ride?" Ah... whatever.)

The Ninja finds herself puzzled as to how to file this story. 3-D Nail Art?

Anyway, a bit of an unusual nail polish story for ya here. But at least there's some hot dudes and nail lacquer!

Hottie model, soccer player ("footballer" for you Brits), David Sheath, broke up with his girlfriend lately. Yes, let's hear a collective "Awwwwwwww..." from the crowd! Anyway, to help himself get famous over it, he decided the logical thing to do after a break-up is to paint a Fiat 500 with nail polish.

Right.

Also: he let Guinness know about it. The World's Record folk, not the beer folk.

Let's take a look at poor David, before going on:

Why does The Ninja think he won't be single for long?

More story (and pics!) after the jump...

Givenchy + Me = Love

OMG.

Givenchy toys!

Swatches on the way soon. First I have to french kiss these babies...

See a sneak peek of Summer '10 here.

MAC for Rodarte?

MAC, RODARTE TEAM UP FOR COLOR: MAC Cosmetics and Rodarte will collaborate in the fall to produce a limited edition color cosmetics collection. Due in September, the line is inspired by Rodarte’s fall 2010 show and is expected to be available in all MAC doors globally. MAC has provided makeup artistry support to Rodarte’s runway shows since 2006, including today’s show.

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Keep reading to see the looks from Fall '10 runway...