I don't necessarily mean your go-to look, though they may be the same thing. But really, I'm talking about the combination of products you use that result in that "Aaahhhh, there it is!" feeling.
I have a comfort perfume that puts me in a great frame of mind, enjoy a certain spot on the couch wearing my favorite "cozy pants", drink a Guinness to settle into my happy place, and certainly have my favorite comfort foods!
When it comes to makeup, a taupe eye and soft pink lips and cheeks that glow are my happy place.
In case you didn't know, crackle topcoats are the new nail polish trend.
I tested three shades of China Glaze's new crackle topcoat called Crackle Glaze.
I have gone on record before saying I am not a fan of this trend. I did say I would give it a shot - I've been known to be wrong on occasion.
It's not that this cracked, contrasting colors lacquer look isn't cute.* It's not that it reminds me of the 80's.** It's not that I consider it too "young" of a look for me.***
It's just busier than I think is attractive. And it looks sloppy (hello, chips!).
That said, it's not as ugly as I thought it would be. You've gotta pick your colors well, and I think the white crackle looks too much like a Wite-Out Top Coat (read: yuck). But I kind of liked the pink over the black. And the purple over a shimmery teal looked great in person (but was a b*tch to photograph).
In all, kinda neat - on the right person.****
Of course, since it's China Glaze, the three shades of Crackle Glaze that I tested (Lightening Bolt, white; Fault Line, purple; Broken Hearted, pink) were easy to apply and wore fairly well (4 days).
What are your feeling about the crackled polish look?
Runway looks are hard to translate into Real Life, aren't they? They sometimes are just too wacky to give any thought, but sometimes there are some pretty looks and great ideas! But runway isn't quite what works at the office, the grocery store, or even over drinks.Let's talk about translating those trends to real life!
I've gotta admit, I'm loving the innovative use of color this Spring! At Preen, models sported a fresh look: baby blue shadow on the inner corner of the eye!
It's not as hard to pull-off as you might think. Keep reading to see how to adapt it From Runway to Real Way...
Runway looks are hard to translate into Real Life, aren't they? They sometimes are just too wacky to give any thought, but sometimes there are some pretty looks and great ideas! But runway isn't quite what works at the office, the grocery store, or even over drinks. Let's talk about translating those trends to real life!
Gorgeous glowy skin is never "out". Especially in Spring! And this fresh and youthful look needs little tweaking, which is nice.
Keep reading to see how to adapt it From Runway to Real Way...
Runway looks are hard to translate into Real Life, aren't they? They sometimes are just too wacky to give any thought, but sometimes there are some pretty looks and great ideas! But runway isn't quite what works at the office, the grocery store, or even over drinks. Let's talk about translating those trends to real life!
One of my absolute favorite trends for Spring and Summer looks so fresh and pretty and is EASY. Isn't that what we like here? Pretty. Simple. Simply Pretty!
Keep reading to see how to adapt it From Runway to Real Way...
Runway looks are hard to translate into Real Life, aren't they? They sometimes are just too wacky to give any thought, but sometimes there are some pretty looks and great ideas! But runway isn't quite what works at the office, the grocery store, or even over drinks. Let's talk about translating those trends to real life!
Spring/Summer '11 had some amazing looks. One of my favorites is the all-over strong eye color seen at Carolina Herrera. Keep reading to see how to adapt it From Runway to Real Way...
My feet. I probablytake them for granted. They're there for me when I need to chase after the kids. They're sporting when I go to the gym. They complain when I stand on them for hours on end doing makeup, but they still show up and pitch in. They squeeze into dress shoes whenever I need them too. And they never, ever bitch at me for having never met a Manolo Blahnik.
I should pamper my feet more. They deserve twice-monthly pedicures and pretty polish. They also deserve to be soft, smooth, and callus-free. Instead, I eschew the corner nail salon and in favor of hunting for vintage perfumes, spending money on the nose not the toes.
My feet are pissed. They are dry, calloused, cracking on the heels. There's no polish that makes that pretty. I have a few solutions that should placate pamper my feet.
Keep reading if you need to make things up to your sulky feet!
I don't wear green nail polish. It's Over The Top.
Um...
Except for this one...
It's called Starboard, and it's part of the Anchors Away collection from China Glaze.
As with most other CG polishes, Starboard applied smoothly, wears well, and looks great. It's a pretty midtone green cream with a touch of blue in it (but not at all a "teal").
Even if you aren't looking for The Perfect St. Pat's polish (and this should surely be a contender!), it's a great shot of Spring for the tips or toes.
More pics after the cut...
Note: shown with an Nfu-Oh glitter on the ring finger.
Happy Tuesday. I hope you got through Monday fairly unscathed! We were recovering from travel and took it pretty easy. To the right are the tulips my mother sent home with us. I love that shade of pink (need it in a lipstick!) and aren't they so pretty open, too?!
Despite being criminally lazy yesterday, I did paint my nails a pretty great color that really plays up my Springtime state of mind. I'll show you some pictures in a bit.
Meanwhile, here are a few things that I got to thinking about recently... Tell me what's on your mind in the comments!!
I'm still Team Aniston, even though there's no need to pick sides for any reason. I'm not totally clear why people make fun of her...? I think she's hysterical! Have you seen her "viral video" for SmartWater?
I'm always on the search for funnies. I thought this was a riot!
Are you an Amanda Seyfried fan? I am! I can't wait to see Red Riding Hood. Even if it sucks, it looks like it's going to be visually stunning. Here's a link to Amanda saying she's been told to get Botox. She's twenty-five years old, for goodness sake!! Hollywood is nuts.
Have you gotten into the Green Smoothie routine, yet? I have mentioned them before; they're so healthy and really tasty! Today's was mango-spinach, and DELISH.
Keira Knightly's new ad for Chanel is out (or maybe just leaked). Some of the images are really nice, in my opinion (love that haircut), but, um, what is she doing to that perfume bottle in the first picture?
Happy Birthday to James Van Der Beek. I'm not sure why, but I'm completely amused by this:
If I hadn't told you this was Kate Winslet (on the cover of Vogue UK), would you have recognized her?
And last but very much not least, another set of pics that cheer me up - Alex O'Loughlin of Hawaii Five-0 doin' his broody thang for GQ Style Australia.
Despite being criminally lazy yesterday, I did paint my nails a pretty great color that really plays up my Springtime state of mind. I'll show you some pictures in a bit.
Meanwhile, here are a few things that I got to thinking about recently... Tell me what's on your mind in the comments!!
Hi, everybody! Happy Thursday. It's sunny but cold here in Virginia, and Spring is almost here. Daffodils are starting to peek up through the ground and I saw three small woodpeckers, a Piliated woodpecker (like Woody), and some amorous American robins in the yard.
It's my birthday today, and Spring is a great present! In celebration of turning The Big Four-Oh, I thought I'd share pictures of my absolute favorite makeup and nail polishes with you. It put me in such a good mood playing with these today, and it's a lot less fattening than cake. ;)
The makeup is after the cut. Here are some pictures of me when (as my daughter puts it) I wasn't old, I was new.
Remember the other day when I showed you the new Make-up Designory kit called Love at First Sight? I've been playing with it a bit and I have some swatches to show you, and a review.
Overall, I'm more impressed than I thought I'd be. The pictures in the press release looked lovely, but when I got the kit in the mail I misjudged the lipgloss and underestimated some of the shadows. The blush, which I thought I'd like, wasn't my favorite. To find out which piece of this kit was, keep reading!
With all due respect, I thinks it's time to let the putty/mushroom polish thing go. Everyone has made at least one now, right? Don't get me wrong: it's one of my favorite colors to wear on my nails, but damn! It's everywhere.
This one is a good one, though. Below Deck. It's part ofChina Glaze's Anchors Away collection. It reminds me of driftwood.
It's different from others I own in similar colors thanks to miniscule blue shimmer that isn't at all apparent once topped with topcoat, but helps give the polish a nice glow.
Wear is fantastic (it's China Glaze, after all) and while just a tad on the thick side, it applied smoothly.
Now, can we all stock up on these shades and give the new mushroom releases a rest, please? At least for a little while?
In case you were wondering how similar Below Deck is to other putty polishes, I have some comparisons after the cut. To summarize, though: they're all pretty damn similar unless you're a collector, in which case none are dupes.
Just because they make skintight neon leggings doesn't mean people should buy or wear them. And just because cosmetic companies make certain products doesn't mean they should take up residence in your makeup bag.
I'm mixing social media metaphors here, but in 140 characters or less (per item) I'll tell you why you should "unfriend" these products:
Waterproof mascara is drying and can make lashes brittle; try tubular (AKA "thermally activated") mascara instead. #lashbacklash
Waxy lipbalm seals lips locking OUT moisture. Balms with butters and oils actually nourish and hydrate. #savethelips
Astringents strip the skin, confusing it and maybe even encouraging more oil production. Use oil-free toners or skip it. #poreawareness
Pressed powders are old fashioned and so is flat, matte. No need to set makeup, so skip it. Use MAC Blot on oilies instead. #Shineprevention
Rough scrubs make microtears on the skin. Look for gentle, rounded granules or uses AHAs or glycolic products. #smoothoperator
This past weekend I worked for Bobbi Brown. I had a great time, as always. I mean, how could you not enjoy playing with those products?! I thought I'd share my impressions of a few of the makeup items that are new from the brand...
TIBI case: a pretty pinky-purple peony and python pattern in a lovely material that looks like it will hold-up well.
Peony & Python Palette: covered with the bright pattern also seen on the case; it's very fool-proof and easy-to-use; very versatile; love the zipper closure. There are six amazing shades of eyeshadow: the matte stone grey (Cool Ivory) is my favorite; soft shimmery Opal is a lovely shimmery grey; Plum Orchid (deep plum) and Eclipse (black) are the perfect liners or darken creases and corners nicely; Cobra is a fab midtone grey; Lavender is an on-trend shimmer that's really lovely. The downside: it's a pretty cool-toned palette, so many warmer gals may not love it.
Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening Mascara: was rich and dark; lashes appeared longer; the brush was easy-to-manage. A full review is pending.
Rich Lip Color SPF 12: 13 new shades of pigment-rich lipstick; really pigmented, as in easily opaque; long wearing and didn't bleed. I wore Guava, which is a "hot pink coral" that will be coming to my home soon! Noteworthy shades: Old Hollywood is a lovely, beautiful red, Cosmic Raspberry is a hawt purple-pink, and Bikini Pink is a mod white-pink. The nuetrals and rose-toned shades were pretty but maybe not terribly rare, colorwise (of course neither is vhe red). Lilac disappointed me a bit because, while it was very pretty on my lips, it wasn't as purpley as I had hoped. Reviews on a few shades are pending.
Disclaimer: I am a freelance makeup artist who sometimes works for Bobbi Brown. Any comments I make about the line are freely made and reflect onlymmy opinions & experiences... And any positive comments are made soley of my own volition and not because I work for them or because they paid me to speak about their products (which they have not).