Where's the sunshine?

MAC “Give Me Sun” Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Bronzer/Powder

Perfect for adding a little bit of glow without any unnecessary sparkle or shimmer.  This mineral powder is super light weight, blends effortlessly and because the powder is so finely milled, the finish is very natural.  I think this is probably best suited to those with light to medium skin.  I’m on the light end of light right now but usually like a little more color in spring & summer so this was an ideal choice for me as even right now, with very pale skin, it looks lovely and not the least bit orange or harsh.  Use a light touch though – it’s definitely highly pigmented!

http://www.maccosmetics.com/products/spp/shaded.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT159&PRODUCT_ID=PROD1343&SKU_ID=SKU32041

MAC Blush/contour brush #168

Dare I say… this is the best brush in the world!  It is perfect for creating a light sun kissed look with the bronzer mentioned above and I love that the bristles are white.  I’m so over spending $$ on expensive brushes and getting to my office only to realize I have a 2 inch black brush bristle pressed to my forehead.  Lovely!!

The fan shape of this brush is ideal for contouring on the cheeks/cheekbones, nose, and around the hairline to add a little light with bronzer.  It picks up the perfect amount of powder and distributes precise and evenly over the places of your face that need shading or bronzing.  I have been adding a little depth to my cheeks, shading the sides of my nose to create a slimming effect & feathering some bronzer on my hairline and neck to keep me looking even.  This brush is equally ideal to clean up stray shadow under the eye area.  

http://www1.bloomingdales.com/shop/product/mac-large-angled-contour-brush?ID=96040&cm_mmc=Froogle_pla_pe-_-adtype-pla-_-target-21882504424-_-kw-&gclid=CNDR6Nag864CFZNV7AodCBHvHg

There MAC, don't say I never gave you any love!  

Happy Monday everyone -- it's been a tough one -- thank god the day is drawing to a close.

Goodbye for now...

On Sunday my world came to an end.  My heart is still beating but the heart of what I loved and treasured the most in this world is not.  My sweet, loving, angel of an animal, Teddie, passed away and I am beyond lost without him.  Please excuse my absence while I try to gather myself and get my bearings.  I don’t know when I’ll be back but I know some day I will.

Please pray for me, my angel, and my husband as we go through the worst time in our lives and try to go on while feeling pain and heart ache that can be only described as intolerable and unbearable.

Teddie Bear, your Mama loves and misses you so much and just doesn’t know how to go on with you….

I will see you again some day, my love... & I know you're watching over me.  For now, my heart is broken.

Armani 5 -0 (1)

Giorgio Armani Gloss D’Armani “pink 501”

The whole 500 series from Armani seems to feature wearable neutral/natural pinks that are universally flattering.  I have given a couple out to girlfriends as gifts as they are always a hit.  I’m using 501 right now which is a super sheer light baby pale pink.  It is perfect for layering or on its own.  I actually have naturally very dark lips so I like glosses such as this because they help me achieve that nude look that wears so well with bronzed cheeks and minimal other makeup.  Armani’s glosses are my favorite because they’re so long lasting – they’re also super hydrating.  They really do stay put for hours (no joke) and give lips a glossy, plump finish.  Another major selling point – these glosses aren’t sticky at all.  Muah!!

**Image credit via http://www.thebeautylookbook.com/2011/06/gloss-darmani-lip-gloss.html

Here is a link to buy the gloss at Nordstrom:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/giorgio-armani-gloss-darmani-lip-gloss/3193343?cm_cat=datafeed&cm_ite=giorgio_armani_%27gloss_d%27armani%27_lip_gloss:370521&cm_pla=makeup:women:lip&cm_ven=Froogle&mr:referralID=NA&mr:trackingCode=2A252F22-7106-E111-8116-001517B1882A

She’s Got the Look

I am taking a break from the dark, super smoky eye look.  (Gasp!!)  My new inspiration came from Lisa Eldridge’s “Kristen Stewart” look.  In this look you rock a relatively bare face (moisturizer, concealer, foundation where needed, & a little bronzer on the cheeks/temples) then, you line the eye with smudgy black liner (use your black liner of choice) which you soften with eye gloss (Vaseline works too) and a touch of taupe shadow for the crease.  Here are the products I’m using to create this look:

MAC Paint Pot in “Groundwork”

http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/154/1573/Paint-Pot/index.tmpl

MAC “Chenman” Clear Gloss

http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/793/21076/Chenman-Love-and-Water-Gloss/index.tmpl

& here is a link to the Youtube video that shows you how you can replicate this look on your own.  I love Lisa Aldridge and visit her site regularly.  This look feels really simple, fresh & fun – plus it takes all of 5 minutes!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv74Y8QGYng&feature=related

Whatever happens in Vegas...

Deborah Lippman “Waking Up in Vegas” Nail Lacquer

My Spring/Summer neutral.  Love this.  The pics really don’t do it justice.  I’m sporting this on my fingers and a classic red on my toes and the color combo is perfect.  So elegant and chic!

Lippman polishes are fabulous (So fabulous in fact that she actually creates shades specifically and personally for some of her celebrity clientele).  I have read Katy Perry is a fan of this one (she probably pairs it with neon polka dots)! Lippman’s polishes are long lasting, dry ultra glossy and never streak or bubble.  This color is a light grey beige that would flatter any skin tone and will never clash with an outfit or toenail polish.  It is the perfect complementary tone to pale, olive or bronzed skin – any skin.  I’m obsessed and will drain this bottle throughout the next few months, I’m sure.  If you like OPI’s “You Don’t know Jacques” – retire it, and give this one a whirl!  It’s so much prettier and more natural.

http://lippmanncollection.stores.yahoo.net/allproducts.html

Next On My List

Dying to try…

How reasonable are these prices, right??

http://www.strivectin.com/get-even-brightening-serum.html

http://www.skindinavia.com/products/Makeup-Finishing-Spray.html

http://www.amazon.com/Josie-Maran-Argan-Balm-4-6/dp/B006Z76WWC

Shu Uemura Extreme Urushi

Shu Uemura Extreme Urushi

Say that three times fast.  Hahaha.  Ok, so this is one of those products you’d probably never buy unless someone told you to do so.  Thank you Jenna of Fruition!  Although the website and makers claim this sappy like balm is for “hold” – it really just made my hair sleek and manageable and kept my flyaways at bay.  We applied this to my towel dried hair then blew out my hair using basically fingers and maybe a stroke or two of a paddle brush and it was uncharacteristically straight and sleek and EASY.  (I did this again w/o the help of a professional and also achieved fab results!!)

I will say that I think the trick is to dilute the lacquer with some sort of treatment oil, you could probably use any hair oil but I used Shu’s Essence Absolue (see my 3/25/11 post).  When you first squeeze this concoction out of the tube you can’t believe you’re going to put it in your hair (let alone anywhere on your body) as it honestly looks like maple syrup but mixed with a little oil it works wonders.  In addition, it gives hair a gorgeous, multi-dimensional gloss of shine.  Here’s the best part – it’s the least expensive hair product I’ve encountered in a LONG time especially for this brand -- $38 for a huge bottle.  Go buy it.

http://www.shuuemuraartofhair-usa.com/styling/extreme-urushi.htm