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

Cozy. Pretty. Plus, some random thoughts. (Like: Baby, it's cold outside!!!!)

Brrrrr! It's a cold one here at the BSB campus! How are things where you are?

I'm bundled up in an oversized chenille sweater, velour sweats, and cozy socks. Please don't misunderstand: there will be no complaints from me. I adore the cold weather. It's the best time of year, and when it's unseasonably warm it just doesn't feel like the holidays, anyway. I just wish I could wrap the kids in wool and send them outside... They're stir-crazy and driving me NUTS! Later in the afternoon, when the sun has had a chance to do its thing for awhile, I'll bundle them up and send 'em out to burn off some energy. Besides, that's a great excuse for some hot chocolate!

The downside to the cozy thing is my pure laziness! I don't have the desire to do much but curl up with my family, a snuggly throw, and a good book.

I did manage to muster up the energy to try two of the new Aromaleigh shadows that showed up in the mail the other day. Amazing. She really has a gift! But just one question... I thought the brand had closed their (virtual) doors...?  (swatches and reviews coming soon... for what it's worth)

In search of coziness, even from my lip products, I grabbed an old blast from the past: Algorithm 3D-glass from MAC. Boy, did I love those! They wear so lushly, feel plump and look juicy, and had a semi-sheer wet look that I simply dig. Why on earth did these never become "perm"?

So many questions, so few answers.

Here are some more random thoughts...

• One of my other cold (or rainy) weather habits is to douse myself in a favorite scent. This morning, prior to my shower, I splashed on some Vanilliary (LUSH Gorilla). That wasn't cutting it for post-coffee, clean me, and I couldn't really pick another scent. So, I'm testing a classic: Jicky (Guerlain). Created in 1889, when all fragrances were "unisex", the scent is really working for me! It starts with citrus, has a vetiver + floral heart, and a simply stellar deep and rich base that seems to go on and on...
  
  
• The word "unisex" is bizarre.
  
  
• I got a press release urging me to share a grey roots touch-up product with you guys as "a stocking stuffer". Um... I have to say that if Santa were to leave that in my stocking, I'd be pissed and demoralized. Not how I prefer to start a holiday! You?
  
  
• This is possibly the best gift guide I've seen so far this season. I'm no chic hipster, but I'll still be checking out almost all of these places and products in the next few months, starting with some A Scent of Scandal candles! (PS: I can personally vouch for Man Glaze's polishes and Lipstick Queen's lipsticks.)
  
  
• I already put most of these 10 Secrets of the Happiest People in the World tips to use every day. In fact, they are blessedly easy to turn into rewarding habits! You can bet your root touch-up stocking stuffer that I'll be working on adding the rest into my personal philosophy. Do you have hints that weren't on the list?
  
  
• I am not at all interested in reading (or writing!) about Spring makeup collections. It's the holidays. I want WINTER and HOLIDAY. This retail push to get info and products out earlier and earlier and earlier is getting ridiculous. How 'bout you? Are you already thinking Spring?
  
  
• WWD reported, and MAC PR confirmed, that Lady Gaga was selected to be the next spokesperson for the line's Viva Glam product line. As always, I commend MAC for their initiative (100% of the proceeds for the VG products goes to help people impacted by HIV & AIDS). However, isn't Gaga just too obvious?! Been there, done that, too- she and Cyndi Lauper promoted the line the last go around. Couldn't you get someone less predictable, MAC? Like Adam Lambert or another male rocker?
  
  
• I swooned for Glee the other night. You? In case you missed it, below is Kurt singing Baby, It's Cold Outside with Blaine. Is it totally dorky that I want the Glee Xmas album, STAT?!
  
  

What's on your mind today? And what are your cozy go-to's? Do you have "comfort makeup"? Favorite cold weather clothes? Hobbies? Customs? Let's chat in the comments!

Bye bye Aromaleigh

No!!!!! My weeping can probably be heard from wherever you are. BSB favorite Aromaleigh has called it quits.

I'm really sad, because I love the owner, Miss K, and I think that the shadows she's been producing for the last 12 years are probably the most beautiful I've seen.

And that's saying a lot.

I wish Miss K the best in everything she does in the future. I know this wasn't an easy decision.

I also hope maybe one day she'll take a stab at this again-- or gives me her recipes! ;)

PS: use code ADIEU35 to receive 35% off of any purchases you make over the next two weeks as a "goodbye" offer from Miss K. 

Pop of color (blue!) with 2 shades from Aromaleigh's Victoria's Revenge collection

I love a bright splash of color, especially in the Summer. Don't you? One of the easiest ways to get the look is to put a neutral shade all over the lid and then sweep a bold color under the lower lashline. Minimal mascara tops it off. 

This looks nice on just about everyone, but is especially pleasant for small eyes, hooded eyes, or Asian-shaped eyes.

Because of the shape of my eye (somewhat down-turned), I did place a bit of dark black-brown liner on the outer 1/3 of the top lid, angled slightly upwards, to give the impression the eye was not quite so droopy. I usually do this when I'm trying a lower-lashline emphasis. Again, that's particular to my eye shape and not necessary or even recommended for other eye shapes.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Products used:

Aromaleigh Infernal Chaos: Immaculate dove grey with the softest sheen and brown tones... to match the gloves you wear to ensure that you leave no fingerprints.
Yeah, well what I see is a very-close-to-skintone shade for me with the slightest touch of grey. In fact, it's more of an opalescent-nude. It would make a great highlight for people with darker skin than me, but I love it on the lid like this. Subtly brightening!

Aromaleigh Frigid Gloom: One glove lost, the snow and ice advances, along with the setting sun. Her delicate smile turns icy blue, yet ironically her bouquet of carnations and freesia are pink with life's essence. It's a cold night.
More gloves? LOL. This one is a soft cool blue with bits of pink and small multi-colored shimmer. It's quite an impressive color. It kind of reminds me of hydrangeas! Love this shade.

Both shadows were applied with a dampened brush. On the lid, I used a flat shadow brush; on the lower lashline, I used a pencil brush.

Other products used:

A skintone pencil for the lower waterline (actually a nude lip pencil I use exclusively for this purpose).
Mascara (black)
A black brown liner (optional) (I mixed two satin pencils with a liner brush, then applied: a dark brown and a black)

Aromaleigh look with Victoria's Revenge | Look 2

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

More from the new shadows I just got. This time purples.
See my post on Aromaleigh's new group of hot colors, Victoria's Revenge.

If you like MAC's Cinderfella (LE) and Young Punk (LE) and other shades of that ilk, you'll love Aromaleigh's Poison Utopia.
If you like MAC's Violet Pigment but also like a bit of sparkle, you'll love Aromaleigh's Mourning's Whimsy.

Here's how the look breaks down:
Eyes are MAC Bare Canvas Paint as primer; Aromaleigh Poison Utopia (deepest purple with gorgeous shimmer) on the outer half of the lid; Mourning's Whimsy (violet on fire) on the inner half of the lid; MAC Emote blush (muted taupe) in the crease as a bridge.

Also making an appearance: MAC Full Coverage foundation; MAC Dame blush on cheeks; Bobbi Brown Medium Bronzer; Clinique High Lengths Mascara; Givenchy Phenom'Eyes - the funky-looking brush one, in purple; Bobbi Brown Black Pearl gloss (grey-taupe), MAC Smolder on the top waterline.

Aromaleigh look with Victoria's Revenge | Look 1

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Love this collection! See my post on Aromaleigh's new group of hot colors, Victoria's Revenge.

If you like MAC's Sumptious Olive shadow and Golden Olive Pigment, you'll want to add Private Lunacy to your stash.

If you like unusual colors, collect yellows, or are seeking the perfect mustard shade, you'll love Airy Ethos.

If you hoard red-browns, chocolates, or like MAC's Embark, Folie, and Cut to Fit (LE), you'll love Perpetual Motion. 

If you dig oranges or coppers, have blue eyes(!), or like MAC's Coppering, you'll flip for Braze & Bitter.

Here's how the look breaks down:
Eyes are MAC Painterly Paint Pot as primer; Aromaleigh Airy Ethos (mustard gold with shimmer) on inner corner; Brazen & Bitter (rusted coral with shimmer) in the middle of the lid and crease; Perpetual Motion (burnt chocolate with a hint of rust and shimmer) on the outer 1/3; Private Lunacy (shimmery moss green) along the lower lashline.

Also making an appearance: MAC Full Coverage foundation; MAC Improper Copper Cream Color Base on cheeks; Clinique High Lengths Mascara; Chanel Creme Gloss Lumiere (color unknown and besides they don't make this stuff anymore). Oh, and I tossed MAC Blacktrack on the waterlines, top and bottom. Not that it stayed in place for long. ;)

Since this look reminded me of the retro shades I've been loving lately, I put on my tie-dye t-shirt and spritzed on some patchouli (ok... it was Tom Ford White Patchouli, so not really the same as the hippies wore, but the spirit was there).

Aromaleigh's new collection "Victoria's Revenge"

Look deeply into my eyes and listen while I tell you a tale
of Aromaleigh's new collection, "Victoria's Revenge".

A stunning collection of deep, rich shades that suite your Gothic Lolita steampunk Victorian esthetic. A little secret: even if that's not your thing you can still wear these amazing colors! You guys... this collection is AMAZING.

Stay tuned for some looks done with these colors. The first one is coming later today.

See the collection here. See swatches here. Buy tons of makeup from the collection here.
Keep reading for the color descriptions and insight into the inspiration for the collection.

A soft pink look with Aromaleigh (Valentine's '09) and Smashbox

I wanted to play around with Aromaleigh's Valentine's 2009 Collection, which features a lot of soft, romantic colors. The end result wasn't as pink as I'd intended, but it's certainly a really good work-friendly pink look. And bonus: no lab mouse eyes from the pink shadow!

 

Eyes

• 

  Prep eye with primer of choice. (MAC Painterly Paint Pot)
• Lay down a soft pink-nude color from lashline to brow. (Aromaleigh Pillowtalk)
  Technique: Pat/press it on, rather than sweeping it on.
  Brush: a flat eyeshadow brush is best.
• Place a slightly deeper pink with a metallic tone up above the crease, as appropriate for your eye shape. (Aromaleigh First Kiss)
  Technique: I swept back and forth in a windshield wiper motion.
  Brush: the same brush as above.
• Contour the eye as appropriate for your eye shape; use a chocolate brown . (Aromaleigh Intrigued)
  Technique: I pressed the color on. Feel free to dampen the brush slightly to deepen the color if desired.
  Brush: Same.
• Apply a dark bronze shade as liner, top lashline only. (Aromaleigh Lovelorn)
  Technique: I dampened a round, pointed liner brush and applied it while holding the brush at a 40 degree angle.
  Brush: See above.
• Use a soft golden color into the area around the tear duct and under the brow bone as highlight.
  Technique: I pressed the shadow onto the skin.
  Brush: Flat eyeshadow brush.
• Line top and bottom waterlines for extra definition, if desired. (new product I'm testing)
• Mascara (new product I'm testing)
• Brows (new product I'm testing)

Face

• Foundation (Armani LSF)
• Cheeks (Aromaleigh Soulmate buffed in w/ a MAC 188)
• Highlight (Aromaleigh Be Mine) 

Lips

• Smashbox Photo Finish Lipstick in Sweet
• Smashbox Limitless-Long Wear Lip Gloss SPF 15 in Boundless

Above, just the lipstick
Below, lipstick w/ gloss on top

Aromaleigh Cosmetics is more than just a mineral makeup brand

Aromaleigh

I do so love an independent woman's-owned-and-run company. If it's makeup-oriented all the better. And if a cult of feverish devotees has surrounded it like a bunch of bedazzled buzzards over a glittery prize on the side of the yellow brick road, well, there's nothing that can beat that.

I haven't been this intrigued by a indie company since I met BPAL (and we all know how that turned out!). I recently was exposed to mineral makeup experience Aromaleigh, and I'm hooked. I've really labored over this post, because I want to do Aromaleigh justice without being overwhelming (their arsenal of products is large!).

By the way, there's a whole Cult-following thing going on with the brand. You can dive into their forum, Aromaleigh Aficionados, and enthuse with everyone else by clicking on this link here.

 
 

About the Queen of the Sparkle: Miss K

Where would a woman-owned and woman-run company be without the woman behind the desk? Or, in this case, behind the sparkle machine? 

Aromaleigh founder Kristen Leigh Bell is also the CEO and Creative Director for the brand. Kristen also goes by "Miss K" which she refers to as her fashion alter ego.

From the research I've done and from a few chats with Kristen it's obvious she has that "something". She's got a spark from within and what seems to be boundless energy and is somehow always positive and upbeat.

Looks and smells like success!

A woman after my own heart, Kristen seems to have taken many different paths to get to the road she walks on now.

The colorful and well-designed collections should come as no surprise, as Kristen has an education in art (An AAS in Fine Art Photography, a BFA in Advertising Photography, and an MFA in Visual Arts/Graphic Design from Rochester Institute of Technology/RIT).

The fragrances she sells and the fact that she started a makeup company based on natural ingredients will shock no one who knows she trained with Kurt Schnaubelt  and the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy. She's a published author in that field, with her book Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals doubling as her Master's Thesis.

Add wife and mother, and this woman is a modern day marvel!

To top it all off, she's a savvy social media maven who spends a good deal of time online talking to customers and fans and sharing her thoughts, answering questions, and the things that tickle her fancy.

Please read more by making the sparkly jump!

As pretty as a butterfly! Thank you Aromaleigh.

I have a write-up coming on a new favorite brand, Aromaleigh, but before that comes I wanted to show you some major awesomeness from one of their collections.

The thing about this collection is this: it's being retired on December 31st! Yikes! So if you like what you see, hustle over to Aromaleigh and pick some up immediately.

I promise you there's some great information coming on the brand, including some amazing product pics and swatches and looks, but for now let's just look at...

Les Papillons!

"Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued,
is always just beyond your grasp, but which,
if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you."
~Nathaniel Hawthorne

(swatches are directly from the Aromaleigh site)

See more pics after the jump