Good reads for cold times!

Helloooo! Hope you're all having a great weekend. It's blustery and snowy right now, so I'm all cozied up inside with a cup of tea, and a stack of papers to mark. Oh what bliss!

So nothing too new to report from my end at the moment, but do enjoy these most fabulous posts from around the Beauty Blog Network this week.


Bionic Beauty reviews the new Milani Black Magic Eyeliner.

Christine at 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic discovers a quick way to moisturize her hands and feet.

Kyle at Face Candy, says YES to Carrots.

Jeni from Savvy Skin gives you an extensive Guide To Cure Acne.

A Touch of Blusher previews Anna Sui spring 2008 makeup collection.

Because it's nice to be a little naughty, Makeup Moxie taps into the Good Girl, Bad Girl Palette from Too Faced.

SugarShock has found the secret to looking fabulous in every photo: Smashbox Flawless Finish Skin Perfectors.

Beauty and Personality Grooming - Winter hair care.

Preview Chanel's Blue Satin Nail Polish before it releases on All Lacquered Up.

Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog lists 43 makeup and non-makeup things she's thankful for this year.

Makeup Loves Me finds the perfect holiday gift for mom!

MAC Nail Lacquer and Fluidline Giveaway at Mystical Beauty's Musings.

Beauty and Fashion Tech looks at Beauty Accessories for Holiday Gifts

Elke tries the new Loreal Infalliable Lipcolor, over Thanksgiving Dinner.

Stylish Opinion finds a chocolate body scrub, good enough to eat!

Beauty Anonymous roundups 2007 Holiday Makeup Collection

Temptalia reviews MAC's THE STYLISTICS with in-depth detail, product photos, and swatches.

The Muse's Christmas List Take Two!


And finally, take a look at this thought-provoking post that Meg over at Faking Good Breeding wrote. Who do you get all gussied up and polished for? (Me? The children. Musn't scare the children....)

Well, I'm out for now, see you again next week!

Product Review: Rimmel Vinyl Lip lipgloss

I have had a most exhausting week, and it's not close to being over yet. But it seems like everyone's in the same boat. Certainly those hard-working police officers who pulled me over on my way home from work yesterday were busy. Busy writing me a ticket for slowly rolling through a stop sign, 2 blocks from my house, at 5 in the frickin' morning*.

Seriously guys, I know you have a quota or whatever, but fuck off, ok? Way to take $100+ from a poor underfunded grad student** who wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed for a couple measly hours of sleep, before having to star it all over again. The only thing that puts any justice into the situation is that I was flying down the Gardiner at like 140 KM/H earlier that night. So I guess we'll just call this one karma. But they're still assholes.


Anyway, poor Kristen over at Beauty Addict has apparently also been having a hellish time at work, and recently wrote a post about the beauty routines that are the first to go when we're frantically busy. Me? Definitely the hair. Heck, even on a good day, I'll sometimes pull it up just to get it out of my face, so when I'm unshowered and un-conditioned? A big ol' un-glamorous bun it is. And let's not even talk about the eyebrows.

But even in my sleep deprivation, I need my lipgloss. One I have been reaching for a lot lately is Rimmel's Vinyl Lip in Snog.





Snog is the perfect shade for those brainless days. It's a medium goes-with-everything mauvey pink. Slightly on the cool side, but it's pretty neutral, and has only a whisper of shimmer. Just a shade deeper than my medium pigmented lips, this has enough colour to put some signs of life back on weary faces, but not so much that you have to, you know, match it with anything.

Texture wise, this is great. Really smooth and fluid with a medium thickness, and you could probably get by without using a lipbalm underneath. Lasting power leaves a little something to be desired, but hey, it's cheap enough at about $6 CAD. The only potentially off-putting thing would be the scent. It has this insanely candyish orange scent to it, as if you'd just licked an orange sucker and stuck it under your nose. Reminds me of Vicks Vitamin C Drops, or even a Mr. Sketch marker. Not a problem for me, as I love orange candy, and rather like the smell. It fades substantially as you wear it, but if you're not a fan of scented lip products, steer clear.

A great gloss for on the go, or if you just want a pretty, natural lip look. I may even wear it to traffic court, in an attempt to charm the bastards into letting me off sans demerit points.


* Yes, I came home from work at 5am. Like I said: exhausting.

** The Finns have it right, I say. According to their formula, the police might have even ended up paying ME!

Things That Do Not Suck

Well now! I trust you have all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, if that's the kind of thing you and yours like to do around this time of year? Although we had our Canadian Thanksgiving way back in October, I took advantage of the occasion to have some Turducken. The only thing better than feasting on a bird at Thanksgiving? Feasting on THREE birds at once. And the only thing better than even that? OYSTER STUFFING. So yummy!


The only unfair thing is... while our friends south of the border get such marvellous things as Black Friday, I get... exams to mark. And essays. And presentations. And abstract submissions. This is going to be a crazy crazy week and a half, so I probably won't be around here much. But don't worry, I'll be back soon, and just in time to post a super-fab series on Perfect Presents, to get you all set for your holiday shopping!


Keeping with the theme of things that don't suck, I tried out a "recipe" for a white bean dip this weekend. I say "recipe" because it was mostly me throwing things together and hoping it would work, but it did, and it was super easy! Here is a photo of what it could look like, if I was a food blogger/artist:




What you'll need:

- 1 can White Kidney Beans (you could probably use any white bean, or dried beans if you want to go through all that soaking. Which I did not.)
- 1 TBS Olive Oil
- apx 3 strips of cooked bacon (I used the pre-cooked stuff, b/c this was all on a whim)
- 1 clove garlic, minced (If you don't love the bite of raw garlic, leave it out or use roasted garlic, or even garlic powder)
- 3 dashes of onion flakes
- Salt to taste

Throw all of that into a food processor, or my boyfriend's Magic Bullet in my case*, and whir until smooth. If you're trying to keep things low-fat, omit the olive oil and instead use a bit of water or chicken stock -- the point is just to thin the bean dip out a little until you get the consistency you like. And of course, you can omit the bacon if you want.

For being such a hack job, this turned out incredibly well. Really creamy and rich-tasting, but with relatively healthy ingredients, this is high fibre, high protein, and low in carbs and fat. Plus it took like, 10 minutes from start to finish**. If you have any fancy oils on hand, try blending them in for extra flavour goodness -- nutty, lemon, or cajun/tex-mex flavours would also be great. I can't wait to try this with a bottle of white truffle olive oil that I have sitting at home! Serve with pita chips, on baguette slices, crackers, or even spread on toast. By the end, you'll be just eating it by the spoonful like we were.


And finally, for things that are most definitely the opposite of sucky, the Weekly Beauty Read from the Beauty Blog Network!

Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog interviews Paris Hilton and gets her top 5 beauty tips.

Bionic Beauty shares her mineral makeup look of the day: "Rockin' the Glow".

Lipsticks are Like Men: Makeup Moxie Reviews Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick.

Beauty and Fashion Tech has a list of makeup palettes that are perfect for holiday gifts.

The Muse shares her collection and reviews of Be Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful Perfumes.

Savvy Skin covets all of Oprah's Favorite Things 2007

Temptalia reviews MAC's Metal-X Collection with swatches!

Elke reviews the ColorPro stick on eye shadow stencils, with somewhat iffy results.

Stylish Opinion finds a new 'green' beauty skincare line, "Green By Nature".

The Beauty Blog Network welcomes newest member Scandalous Beauty to it's team.

Beauty Banter muses about the hot new trend: Cat Eyes... Who is wearing it and how you can achieve the look too!

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic checks out Prescriptive's Holiday 2007 Sets

A Touch of Blusher can't live without this hand cream!

Beauty and Personality Grooming - Herbal after shampoo hair rinses

SugarShock finds a bath and shower gel that's worthy of Cleopatra.

Makeup Loves Me is seduced by sunsilk' get hairapy commercials, but not it's shampoos.

Scandalous Beauty delivers an exclusive interview with Celebrity Make-Up Artist Sam Fine!

Face Candy gets a new holiday look and reviews Marc Jacob's newest scent- Daisy.




*Good LORD does that ever sound sketchy. I promise you that link is totally SFW.
** Including the time it took to whack the blender cup in an attempt to get all the ingredients to reach the blade... stupid lying infomercials...

The THINGS THAT SUCK!!!! post

Internets! I am feeling all sorts of spiteful and frustrated and vengeful as of late. Not cool! So instead of binge-drinking and making other dubious life choices, I have decided to try this sublimation thing and use this opportunity to rag on things I hate. Read on! Rant with me! (Or at me!) Scream into your pillow! It does a body good.



Maybelline Great Lash. WHY do people still use this? WHY? It's sloppy and wet and smears and feels heavy and doesn't even do much. WHY????



Patchouli. So many a scent has been ruined by the heavy patch. Like the new YSL Elle, with Coco Rocha looking so amazing in the ads. Wanted to love it, but can't! Same thing with all of the Pleasures perfumes, sooo nice on everyone else, but on me? Stinging dirty head-achy patchouli is all I smell after 15 mins. Arrgh!




Razors. You are telling me that in this day and age, when they can put monkeys on Mars and real boobies on burly men... you are telling me you can't make a frickin' razor blade that stays sharp for more than 2 weeks? This is a marketing scam to get us to buy more ridiculously priced refills, and there is nothing I can do about it unless I want to go all hippy and unshaven (um, no). Gah!



Scarlett Johansson. I know, you all love her. WELL I DON'T. Aside from her fame, she is a slightly mannish girl at whom I wouldn't look twice on the street, except maybe at her admittedly nice rack. Slapping on some bleach and red lipstick doesn't make you "Old Hollywood" -- news flash, those women were actually handsome. And didn't have moustaches. ScoJo's gotta go! My lovely Josh Hartnett has figured it out, Rihanna is much much hotter (even if the age difference is a bit creepy).



Silicon-based "mousse" foundations. What the hell is the point of giving me airbrushed-looking skin, just to break me out after 2 days? Why taunt me???



So-called "perfect for all skintones" lip liners. Mac Spice, Body Shop Beech, Rimmel Clover... I'm looking at all of you. You all turn completely muddy and/or orange on me, while everyone else clamours on about your perfection. Go on and make my lips feel like freak rejects, will you!




Jockey's strapless push-up bra. This devil left red welts on my skin after I accidentally wore it to bed. I'm not kidding, it scarred and took weeks to heal. I'd hate to imagine what their jock-straps do...



Overly smokey eyes on Asian girls. Okay, this is an odd one. But I really abhor when Asian (well, Oriental) girls try to do the full-on smokey eyes, with the black eyeliner all the way around the bottom and top lash lines. Ladies, most of us don't have much surface area to work with, and blending all that colour up to your eyebrows is a bad idea. Restraint is the key. Plus the super-duper eyeliner just makes you look trend-whorey and ... well, mean. Like how I am being right now. Har. Check it out:







Just... NO! I feel kind of bad posting these... some of them are real women, who I'm sure are just awesome people. But the eyes! Are dirty and smutty, and not in a good way. I even asked for an impartial guy's opinion about the girl on the top right (she's a model, so I didn't feel quite so bad), and while he neither agreed with "hot" nor "brothel girl from those Suzy Wong days", his diagnosis was "It looks like she has a black eye on the right". Attractive.

It's not entirely their fault... I've read dozens of articles, blogs, and books telling Asian women that we should use lots of dark smokey jewel tones and black eyeliner to enhance their "exotic shaped eyes". But have any of these advice-givers actually looked at girls in Asia? Those who actually do it right?







Okay, granted, these girls are movie stars or models or various other celebs. And maybe they didn't do their own makeup. But they look HOT. Their eyes are dramatic and sultry, but still clean.

So what's the difference? Keep the dark colours very close to the lashes! In the HOT photos, the darkness ends at the eyelid fold. Just like how you wouldn't blend past the crease and up the bottom of the browbone for Caucasian eyes, bringing dark colours past the fold is asking for trouble, unless you have a really large or round eye area.

That doesn't mean you can't use colour higher than the fold... just keep it light and sheer. You can go a bit bolder if the bottom lids are minimal, without heavy liner all the way around. However, if you're going to be doing a thicker or smudgier line on the bottom lashes, consider keeping the area above the fold as clean and naked-looking as possible. For an awesome guide on how to do an attractive smokey eye, check out this post from Makeup For Life, from whom I stole 2 of the above (hot) pics.

Of course, I have seen Asian girls look amazing in a whoppingly dark and gorgeous smokey eye. And yes, I'm very jealous. But generally, they are model-like (if not actual models), or performers of some sort for whom these larger-than-life looks are appropriate. For real life, please, please, don't cover up your natural gorgeousness with trashy eye makeup. Please!



Anyway. Finally... Gossip Girl Re-Runs. Fuckin' hell. Can't a girl get a break already?


Whew! That was quite the bitch-fest. I feel much better now. How about you? Agree? Incensed? Let it all out!

Product Review: Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil

With the Christmas Season fast approaching, we're starting to see all sorts of holiday-flavoured items on store shelves. From Cranberry to Spiced Vanilla to scents ominously named "Christmas"*, it seems retailers are doing everything it takes to get us in the festive spirit, whether they have to cram it down our throats or up our noses!

Still, I can't say it doesn't work. All it takes is a whiff of cinnamon here, a nip of chocolate and oranges there... and before you know it, my bells too are a-jingling**.


Proof of this not-so-subtle influence at work? I was in the market for a new lipbalm the other day (because I lost that Palmer's one that I am most recently addicted to), and instead of going for the tried-and-true, I picked up a tube of Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm. What really got me was the promise of "pomegranate oil", and the pretty packaging. It seemed so cheerful and seasonal!

Well, despite its aesthetic merits, I'm afraid this lipbalm alone can't carry me through the holidays. Its glide is pretty smooth (none of that godawful grittiness that was in the Burt's Bees Honey lipbalm), but it feels a little bit waxy, and doesn't really sink in to dry skin as much as I'd like. It'll be ok to keep lips from getting dry, but if they're already dry, this balm won't do much. I certainly wouldn't call it "replenishing".

On the plus side, it has a very unique scent -- a sweet-tangy flavour, mixed with something spicy over top. Not quite cinnamon... anise maybe? Cloves? It was a bit strange at first, but after a few uses, I started to really like it. It's kind of refreshing in a slightly herbal, cider-y way... definitely a winter scent. The balm also imparts a slight rosy pink tinge to the lips -- not so noticeable that it looks like you're wearing gloss, but it does add a kick and sheen to your natural lip colour.


So if you're looking for a deep lush lipbalm to take away the winter flakes, keep lookin'. However, if you just want a basic, cheery holiday balm that isn't the peppermint/chocolate stuff that everyone else is hawking, give Burt's Bees pomegranate lipbalm a try.


* What does Christmas smell like anyway? Surprise puppies on Boxing Day? Reindeer hooves clicking on rooftop shingles? Accumulation of credit card debt?

** I have no idea what that's supposed to mean. I thought it might come to me after I finished the post, but... nope, still nothing.

The Weekend Beauty Read

Were you super busy last week and missed reading the dish from the best of the beauty blogs? Here's what the Beauty Blog Network has been up to. Happy Monday!


15 Minute Beauty Fanatic kicks off a week of reviewing Dr. Brandt's Skin Care!

All Lacquered Up's Nail Tip Of The Week - Pedi Socks

Bionic Beauty covers the freebies offered by Jergens Skincare and Lotions.

Does the LeSportsac Tokidoki Bag stand up to the rigorous testing of a day in the life of Makeup and Beauty Blog?

A Touch of Blusher declares, "This is the ONLY eyelash curler I ever need!"

Makeup Moxie reviews Shiseido Lip Gloss...and loves it!

Temptalia Reviews MAC's Of Beauty Collection with swatches and product photos!

Celebrity Makeup Artist Brett Freedman talks to Hello Dollface!

The Muse's First Impressions of Bare Minerals bareGold Pure Luxury Color Collection.

Savvy Skin says My Body Wash Clogged My Pores.

Beauty and Personality Grooming:Sandalwood as beauty aid.

SugarShock scores a flawless face with per-fekt skin perfecting gel.

Scandalous Beauty unveils a Smoky Eye Tutorial on location at the Make Up For Ever Boutique and Studio!

Makeup Loves Me meets her perfect red lipstick.

Product Review: MAC Fast Play Amplified Creme Lipstick

AKA: I AM SO FRIGGIN' IRRITATED!!!

They* say that MAC is like the gateway drug for department store cosmetics. Nestled next to all the other shiny, exclusive-looking counters, the salespeople (*ahem*, make up artists) know what they're doing, and people rave about the colours/quality/packaging. Yet, the price points are low enough that it doesn't feel like a giant leap from your plebian drug store buys.

And then you get addicted to the helpful MA's who give real opinions (ever tried asking the stock-boy at Shopper's which shade of lipstick he prefers on you??), the neat, clean, and available testers, and the (in some cases) genuinely better products. All of a sudden, $20, $25, even $30+ dollars doesn't seem that much to spend for a good lipstick anymore.


Well believe it or not, friends, I have NEVER owned any MAC lip products, other than a way-too-sticky tube of clear Lipglass back in the 90's, when it was all the rage. That is, never, until last Friday. But this Friday? Back to being MAC-less! Lemme explain...


I had this professional-type wine and cheese thing to go to, and I wanted a subdued but polished look. Red lips were out because they were too attention-grabbing, and gloss wouldn't do because it wouldn't last 3 minutes with all that wining and cheesing going on. All the other lipsticks I had on hand just weren't right... too cool, too bright, too shimmery... arrgh!


And so I decided I'd stop by at a MAC counter on the way, to pick out the perfect colour. I mean, with apx. 13-bajillion shades to choose from, one HAD to work, right? After some deliberation and assistance from said helpful MA's, I settled on Fast Play, in the Amplified Creme formula.



       




Looking at the swatch, I'd never think to try that, as it is rather warmer than I go for. But in person, it was a subdued and neutral plummy-pinky-brown (the most infuriatingly meaningless shade description of all!). This seems like it would go with almost every skintone, save for the palest of the pale. It's a weird shade in a sense -- it looks so different in the tube than it does on my lips, which also looks different than on paper when I blot it off. But it worked!

I happily wore it to the wine & cheese, and I can report that it did a decent job of standing up to all those wine glasses. The amplified creme formula is gorgeous, soft and smooth, and with a very gentle shine that is one step above a matte, but less than a normal creme lipstick. Really a perfect finish for winter and fall.


So why am I so irritated? Because the day right after I bought it, I spewed the contents of my purse all over a parkade when getting out of my car. I thought I had picked up everything. But clearly I did not, as my very first and very lovely tube of MAC lipstick is now nowhere to be found. I can only imagine that some lucky soul happened upon it and is now enjoying** it as much as I did.


They also say that first loves are fleeting, but come on, I didn't even get a chance to fall in love before it was lost to me. How maudlin! So yeah, I'm pretty pissed, irrationally more so than if I had just dropped a $20 somewhere (which is more than the lipstick actually cost). It was a week a go, and I'm STILL ruminating over it. The only thing that brings any solace is the fact that at least I didn't lose the P.S. Kiss! (Well, that and the fact that I might just go back to MAC and buy another one. Or 5. Because they had the Mattenes out and they feel SO much nicer and plusher than one might expect, and... See what I mean? Gateway drug!)


So yes, hope you all enjoy your weekends, and don't be surprised if I come back next week broke in money, but rich in MAC!


[EDIT: DARN you, Karen, and your amazing and photo-licious review of the Mattenes. Now I must own Rougette, and maybe also Composure. So yum!]



* The voices in my head.

** But, ew, who wears lipstick that they found in a parking lot?!?! Even if it looks brand spanking new. WHICH IT WAS.

PSA: Body Shop Body Butters, 2 for $30!

Hello internet! Just a quick post to let you know that there's a sale going on for all the Body Shop Body Butters. 2 for $30! A huge savings, if you consider that they normally sell at $22 a pop. (Which is RIDICULOUS. They've upped the price like $6 in 4 years.)

But 2 for $30 isn't so bad, and they make great gifts because everyone loves them. I'm definitely going to grab a Pink Grapefruit butter, and maybe a Strawberry or a Nut. Or an Olive. Or all 4. (Hey, a girl's gotta stock up, especially if they keep raising the effing price all the time!)



The always popular Cranberry butters are now in stock, plus they have 3 new Holiday ones on the US website that I didn't see in my local store Pomegranate , Rich Plum, and Vanilla Spice. Pomegranate looks like it might only be available in the US, but the other 2 look like they'll be in stores soon, if not now. You can also mix and match with the body scrubs if you like. The sale is on until November 18th in stores and online. So hop to it, before it's too late!

So many thoughts, so little time. Or coherence.

OMG. So I'm sitting here watching Dancing With the Stars (simply because it's on after Gossip Girl) and Leanne Rimes is performing. I generally have pretty good feelings towards her -- she has a great voice, stays largely scandal free and does not to my knowledge have an obnoxious perfume named after her.


But good Lord lady, pluck those brows!!! I get that a strong brow is in or whatever, but the big brows and smokey eyes age her like 15 years.

To her credit, she looked slammin' in her little black mini-dress, and the performance was swell.

But the brows, Leanne! The brows! Don't do this to yourself, you're too cute for this.


Leanne, in happier eye-makeup days.


In other news, everyone wants an appointment with Dr. Quinn, because she is the hottest doc in the house:



Speaking of Jane. While doing an image search for that pic above (oh yes, this is real-time blogging, coming straight at ya!), I noticed something eery -- Jane Seymour not only burns up the dance floor on Dancing With the Stars, she is also hot in a high school way on Gossip Girl. Twice! Look!

Jane is Jenny Humphrey!




Jane is Serena Van der Woodsen!



Jane is taking over my brain!

But this brings me conveniently back to Gossip Girl. If you haven't seen this week's episode, stop reading now, because this is a spoiler...

+

=

TLF!!


Seriously, how hot is the union of these 2? So hot. So so hot. It's awesome, especially because that Nate character is basically just a gorgeous lump of a guy, and while pretty things are nice to look at, stupid characters are largely boring. Besides, he had better skin and/or makeup than the female cast... one can only take so much prettiness from a boy before it becomes ridiculous.

Alright, I think I've put off doing real work long enough, and oh look, they just gave Jane Seymour the boot. Bummer. Oh well, toodles!

Product Review: Revlon Colorstay Sheer Overtime Lip color

aka: How to look like Blair Waldorf.

Ack! I promised I'd post days ago, but totally didn't. Since the Canadian dollar is sky high right now, I took a somewhat impromptu trip to Pennsylvania to do some serious outlet shopping. Can I just say that I love America?

But anyway, the promised review. There comes a day in every girl's life when she has to stand up and admit to the people she cares most about her deepest and darkest secrets. That day is not today, because it is no secret that my guilty pleasure is watching Gossip Girl. The sole fact that Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars!) is the narrator is enough to make me watch the show*.

But aside from Kristen, the show is just plain addictive. You get the eye candy of the boys and men (Helloooo Rufus Humphrey!), the cattiness and wit of Clueless, and the clothes, good Lord the clothes, that deck out our Upper East Side elite.

Very quickly, I have become enamoured with Blair Waldorf's character. Gotta love that whole tragic-bitch thing (see also: Sara Michelle Gellar in Cruel Intentions). And of course she always looks immaculate.




And while I can't tell you how to get her cheekbones or chic Manhattan wardrobe without spending thousands of shopping-and-surgery dollars, I can tell you how to get her perfectly pouty lip look.

Revlon Colorstay Sheer Overtime Lip Colour in Sheer Pomegranate is the way to go, my friends.





This colour is a pinkish medium red that manages to be vibrant and rich, but casual. In the I'm-fabulous-but-I'm-not-trying style. Perfect for a candy-red pout with a hint of fuschia and shiny gloss to keep it modern and young.

But there are a gadzillion red glosses out there, why this one? Well, maybe rich socialites don't need to worry about things such as practicality, but I hate how red lip colours get over everything**. So, a long-wearing formula is a must. But long-wearing formulas tend to be drying and opaque, giving you crusty, flat lips circa 1980's, and that is no one's party.

Revlon Sheer Overtime lip colours are the only long-wearing products I've tried that actually feel kind of comfortable on the lips. This is no cushy Estée gloss or Clinique moisturizing lipstick, but it goes on smooth, and lets you play with it a bit before it dries into stuck-on matte-ness. The shiny gloss that goes over it is much less sticky that those in other long-lasting lip products (Maybelline, I'm lookin' at YOU), and the shimmer in it helps add depth to the colour. Although, since the base colour actually goes on relatively sheer, you're already getting some dimension there.

As for wearability, it's great. Yes, you will see some colour come off on your coffee mug, and no, it doesn't last for 8 hours perfectly (it does last though, it's just not bulletproof). When it does wear off, it does so gracefully, coming off in tiny specks, which means that the colour that does stay on your lips is not patchy or weird.





Let's face it, if you're going to look like a preppy New York social queen, it's going to take some effort. But these Revlon lippies help make things a bit easier, so you have time left over to focus on things like, you know, work, school, or being able to feed yourself. I have them in 2 other more easygoing shades -- Sheer Plumite (a cool pale lilac), and Sheer Rosette (a neutral light-medium rose) -- and I love them all.

As for the rest of Blair Waldorf's look? Keep the eyes soft with a slightly shimmery taupe shadow and feathery mascara, and swirl some neutral rosy blush on your cheeks. Pop on a headband, wear your most polished and preppy clothes, and maybe you too can be the queen bee of everything!


*If Kristen Bell did voice-overs for C-SPAN, I would watch that too.

** In fact, if the show were about real New Yorkers, we'd be seeing red smears all over coffee cups and deli sandwiches, instead of pristine and sparkling martini glasses.

Happiness!

Hi folks!

You know what happiness is? It is sitting around in my living room with not one single test or essay to grade. It is nibbling on some cheese while sipping a nice single malt*. and watching stupid, brainless TV. It is doing all of this, while wearing the most sumptuous, rich burgundy red lipstick... for no other reason than just because I can**.

And it's not just any lipstick, my friends. It is the coveted PS Kiss by Lancome. I miraculously managed to snag a tube through a most accommodating and considerate fellow beauty-obsessor in the US, and I'm so giddy and grateful it's a bit ridiculous. It's definitely a strong, statement-shade. The slight purple-y, almost grey tinge to it gives it a slightly ... bruised... look that is very modern, but not fussy. LOVE!

For a look at this lipstick in action, hop on over to MakeUp Bag -- Erika wears the shade so well. Plus she did this nifty series on red lipsticks that has been keeping me sane over the past week of sleepless nights and endless piles of undergrad writing.

And after all that, come back tomorrow where I will tell you how to look like the pretty shiny people on TV.


Pouty gorgeous scotch-scented kisses!
~G


*Lest you go off thinking that I live some hoity-toity glamourous lifestyle, let me assure you that I was wearing jeans and a floppy sweater and strewn across a futon. And I live in a basement that is barely taller than me. And the cheese was Cracker Barrel. So no, no glamour... I just like scotch is all.

** Let us consider this my official "F-OFF" to Maddox. (Pretty darn offensive link, read at your own caution) Even if he sort of has a point about the Crocs. (Sorry, Croc-lovers. But it's true, you will probably have much better chances of scoring if you wear real shoes.) [Ducks as various objects are hurled towards her]