Obsession Du Jour 6.24.09

Nail Polish from Illamasqua in Rampage, this is the stock photo from their website. The color shown in Muse. Rampage is a rich hunter emerald green, shown below.

I love GREEN! Its my favorite color ever and on my nails it is no different. I have been on the hunt for a hunter green, har har har, pun intended. Seriously, I love rich jewel tones and Rampage by Illamasqua is a deep emerald color, with no shimmer. I absolutely ADORE it. The formula is creamy and very opaque, 2 coats and it is opaque as it gets! This is my new go to color. It is so unique, and a great alternative to black or OPI Lincoln Park after dark. It is unexpected and I love it!

Took this picture in a taxi to work today!

Close up.

A little bonus shot, of Stephy last night, we carried our salads home to eat in my apartment. Here she is with a salad with a blob of guacamole on top, what a happy pretty girl! Hi lovie.

What is your favorite nail polish color right now?

Cheek Obsession du Jour 6.24.09

All of a sudden I have a blush obsession. Wierd! I used to never even look twice at blush but all of a sudden BAM...LOVE IT! I have been amassing a quite large collection of blushes, and out of all of them around 30 or so, these two are by far my favorite. I picked them both up at a CCO not too long ago. They were released with the Neo-Sci Fi collection.

On the left we have X- Rocks and on the right we have Spaced out, they are both Sheertone Shimmer Blushes by MAC. Personally, Sheertones are the absolute best in quality!

X-Rocks is a shimmery plum that works on any skin tone, it gives a very natural flush. It looks dark but I rpomise once it hits your skin it transforms into a very wearable color. Spaced Out is a very unique color, it is a peach duochrome. Spaced out gives you a peach sunkissed look. These two are definitley HG status.


What is your HG blush?

Jewels Du Jour 6.23.09

I love this ring, it really speaks to me. It is based off the peace sign and wraps around the finger. I think I might need to get this...I will have no food and no clothes but a gorgeous ring! Designed by Kerri Wilder.


http://www.kerriwilderjewelry.com/jewelry.html

MIA du Jour 6.22.09

Hi All, so sorry that I have been MIA lately. I promise more beauty, fashion and beautiful things in general coming up. I have been with my family out on Long Island this weekend and bogged down with tons of work. The fashion industry can be grueling at times. This recession is pushing everyone to work harder and harder to keep it all moving forward. Anywho....

Posts to come:

- Giveaway

- Naked Honey

- Contouring Tutorial

- Gosh Darling 134 Lipstick Post

- By Terry Rose Baume

- Illamasqua review

- MizzWorthys Contest Entry- Hopefully, I have time to do this.

- Travel Makeup Bag

- Make Up Must haves

- Some jewelry posts

- and of course...more inspiration posts.

Anything else you want to see?

Inspiration Du Jour 6.18.09

LOVE

Celebrity Skin Secret Du Jour 6.17.09

One very lovely celebrity I came across at an event in LA last year told me about this skin saver and the celebrity was Cameron Diaz. While Cameron Diaz might not have the body or face of mortal, she sure has skin of a mortal, break outs and all. We got to talking and she told me about her skin secret Decleor. Decleor Ylang Ylang Night balm to be exact. She swears by its healing abilities, healing to moisturizing. She said that she gets A LOT of breakouts and this is the only thing to calm Anyway, being me and loving to try to new products I ran out and got it right away.


I have been trying this out for about 6 months now and I really love it. At first, I was very skeptical as it is a waxy feeling balm, I really didnt understand how this was supposed to clear up my skin, it look as if it was going to make a bloody mess out of it. I was wrong.

It really soothes stressed skin and calms down any flare ups or anything really. I love how soft the next morning my skin is after I use this. I also use this to de-gunk pores, which this is known to do. If I have any bumps under my skin I slather this on and the next morning then are on the way out. However, I never have has severe acne or even problematic skin. I get a few clogged pores here and there, a pimple around "that time of the month", so far severe acne problems I do not know how this would fair.



Let me comment on the smell, personally i LOVE it. Its an herbally, ylang ylang/ lavender smell. If you do not like that smell you will probably not like this product. I look forward to smelling this. Even when I do not use it, I open it up to have a whiff.

Give it a try...let me know what you think.

Killer Deal Du Jour 6.17.09

(Swatches done by Christine @ Temptalia.com)

Sephora is running a fantastic promo, the first 1500 people to order Stila's new Indian Summer Palette get it for the bargain price of $10, usually it is $28. This is a STEAL!

Order it here!
Use Promo Code URBANLAB for a free sample of Urban Decay Primer Potion.

Are you going to order it? I did!! What a great deal, a great palette and a sample size UDPP for $10.

MAC Collection News Du Jour 6.17.09

I know personally a bunch of specktrettes have been searching for new MAC information about new collections and I just got wind of this news from MAC_Whore @ Specktra.

"The black collection that we have been buzzing about is called 'Style Black'. It is said to contain:

+ A new type of gloss called Dazzlecream. It's creamy, has 3 different types of pearl pigment and sheer color. Sounds like Creemsheens and Dazzleglass melded into one. Yum.

+ Bat Pro CCB and one other new black based CCB

+ A black mattene, as well as other black, burgundy and greyish lipsticks.

'DSquared' is the Ungaro anniversary collection. There are a good amount of repromotes, but we can expect:

+ Another shot at picking up a Feline kohl Power for those who are desperately lemming.

+ At least 2 new lipsticks

+ The new grease paint stick, which is a water/smudge resistant black liner that has a glossy appearance.

I know you all have lusting over the idea of new palettes. Well, the word is we can see some in
a collection called 'Makeup Art Cosmetics'. This is a 3 person collaboration between an illustrator, painter and a photographer. Each one developed part of the collection. We can expect to see:

+ The painter developed the quads. One is blues/greens, one is purples/burgundies and the other is earthy neutrals.

+ The photographer helped develop the pigments. They are all bright colours like yellow, orange, turquoise, etc. Hmm....I wonder if this might be Miles Aldridge? He has collaborated with MAC before, shooting the promos of Dame Edna, Brunette Blonde Redhead, Naughty Nauticals, Naked Honey and a slew of others. Could this be his next offering? His work fits the bill? I could be wrong. I guess we shall see....

There will be a nail collection featuring 6 new shades designed by Jin Soon for MAC.

The last little tidbit I have is that there will be some new technakohls coming out. Some in bright shades. Hmmm..will a few be perm?" http://www.specktra.net

WHO IS EXCITED? I love black and that grease paint is calling out to me big time!

Contour Du Jour, I'm a Poet and I didn't Know It 6.17.09

I love to contour my face when I have more than 5 minutes to get ready. This blush from MAC in Taupe is a great shade to contour with. With my skin tone I need an ashy grey brown to mimic the natural shadows of my face. I usually find a lot of "contour powders" to run too warm for me. A dupe of this color would be MAC's blush in EMOTE. Anyway, I found this at a CCO for $10.75.

I think nothing is better than a good contour powder to bring your cheek bones from non-existent to POW.

Do any of you contour? Would you like to see a picture tutorial of how I contour or have you seen enough??

NUDE Du Jour 6.16.09

Everyone knows my love for a nude lip. It is my favorite look by far. Well I have officially found a new HG of all nude lipsticks. Too damn bad it is a limited edition color and no where to be found now to get a back up. I am going to have to search the CCO's High and Low for this. Anyway, the color is 2N. It is the most perfect, soft nude. I love it, it is soft and not cake-y or drying like myth and fleshpot. Wow, I need to buy every single one I see.

However, a great dupe for this is GOSH Darling 134. They are very similar in texture and color.

With flash.

Without flash.

Alone

With Nude LipLiner underneath.

Booties Du Jour 6.16.09

I love Alex, Alexander Mcqueen that is. What a great London import he is.
Alexander McQueen has been making me DROOL lately. He has been cranking out some HOT shoes, along with killer accessories.

Would cut off a pinky toe for these. $970 and no longer in stores :(

More....

Clearly we all need some booties for fall. I happen to be a bootie lover!

Lip Du Jour 6.15.09

Usually I would never ever gravitate towards a lip color that wasn't light pink or nude. But for some reason this lipstick was calling out to me... I am glad I have ventured outside my little comfort zone.

Purple Rite from the Style Warriors collection. I do not have anything like this color because well, I only own nudes and baby pinks. I quite like this, it almost looks like a raspberry stain. It warms up my face nicely. I like it! Plus you know me and my purples...gotta have them!

(sorry for the shoddy pic)

Have you gone outside your comfort zone lately?

Obsession Du Jour 6.15.09

My accessory shot for the day.

If you want a great accessory for a great cause, here it is The Ubuntu Bracelet Campaign.

The Ubuntu Bracelet.
“Ubuntu” comes from the Xhosa word meaning “humanity towards others” and refers to a belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity — “DO unto others as you would have them DO unto you.” Through Do Act Now’s Ubuntu Bracelet Campaign, you can live this philosophy.

DO something. DO Dream Out Loud. DO donate. DO save a mother’s life. DO help a child. DO wear a bracelet.To make a difference now, DO Ubuntu.

Your orphan bracelet is handcrafted by local South African woman living with HIV/AIDS using (lead free) copper, brass and aluminum wire. Now matter how many you wear, your Orphan bracelets, will not set off airport security alarms. DO UbuntuDO wear them in the shower.


http://www.orphanbracelet.com/buy.html
I bought 8, literally. I love them and love the cause...will you buy them?

Hair Du Jour 6.14.09

The one topic I get questions, comments and emails about the most is my HAIR.

Let me tell you about my hair, it is SUPER dry, prone to frizz and very thick. With that being said, I love my hair. I really think hair is super important and my shining feature. I have tried every shampoo and conditioner. For years I have been using Kerastase, it is a great line, very expensive but worth it, BUT I stopped using it when L'Oreal popped up on the list of companies that might use animal testing on hair care products and that is a no go for me. I was recommended Kerastase after my year in college that I thought for some reason it looked good and it was cool to fry/ flat iron your hair... EW! It really helped to bounce my hair back into shape. Since then I have learned to say NO to the iron. My personal style is sorta beachy/ messy. I hate when my hair looks too neat or flat. Now I let it air dry and usually put hot rollers in it for a few minutes a few times a week on very low gentle heat. I really never blow dry it and tend to stay far away from putting heat on my hair. Since I have changed this I have noticed a big change in my hair health and Length!

Recently, well, for the past 5 months I have found a new love in a very unlikely place... The Body Shop. Kinda weird, I know, but it  came recommended highly to me by a model I met a while back. Anyway, I have been using the Honey Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner.  I really am loving it because:

• Good Price point, $15 for the HUGE bottle and $11 for a good sized one.
• Smells AWESOME, I love Honey, but its more of an almond/ marizpan smell which is my fave all time smell
• Super moisturizing and softening
• Makes my hair very manageble
• As always the body shop is animal cruelty free which I LOVE!

From the website:

Best if you want to: Soothe stressed tresses with a moisturizing conditioner that quenches dry hair to restore softness and shine.

Best for: dry, damaged or chemically-treated hair

How it works:

• Community Trade organic honey moisturizes and conditions hair and adds shine.
• Community Trade bananas from Ecuador, Community Trade Brazil nut oil, Community Trade organic olive oil and Community Trade sesame seed oil moisturize, condition and soften hair.
• Wheat and Brazil nut amino acids add moisture, softness and manageability.

What shampoo and conditioning secrets do you use?

Illamasqua News Du Jour 6.13.09

Hope you all are having a nice weekend, I am NOT because it is not sunny. It is gray and overcast. I was thinking about going over to MAC and picking up some items from the new Naked Honey collection as I finally received my MACPRO card but I am not feeling motivated so I will sit on my couch with my puppy and watch TV and drink some green tea. FUN!

Anyway, I wanted to mention a great honor I have received in the past week. I have been featured on the brand new Illamasqua blog as one of their "Illamasqua Blogger Icons", check it out on their brand spankin' new website http://illamasqua.blogspot.com/. I also have some more exciting Illamasqua news and FOTD's coming up for you soon! Stay Tuned...

I will even be putting an Illamasqua product in as part of my giveaway so one of you all can try it out!

I can't wait to go to the UK and get to test out and swatch every sing product and see if everything in their range is as good as my liquid metal in Solstice (You can read my review on that in a previous blog post). I am very much looking forward to trying a quad, a blush, their gray nail polish, some lipsticks...basically everything! I will be reporting back in August on the full entire range.

Have any of you tried Illamasqua yet? Which products?

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!

This picture was inspired by MizzWorthys Contest for your Inner Myth or Legend. I think I might enter as one of the Greek gods!

Let's all pray for warmth and sunshine for the weekend to get out tans on!!

What are all of your plans this weekend?

Obsession Du Jour 6.12.09

You all know how much I love EZ Baby Tendertone, and well Mac Tendertones in general. This is a new one I picked up at the CCO a few weeks ago. This is Softnote Tendertone. I love this color. It is a light lilac with almost a slight blue duochrome. It gives a nice sheer lilac glaze on your lips. Again, with all tendertones, its smooth, moisturizing and smells like heaven (a strawberry- kiwi- ish smell).
I really wish MAC would re- release these babies!!!

Note to self: Must pick up an arsenal of these next time at the CCO. Steph remind me we need to go to the outlets in Cali when we are there. Thank you.

OOTD Du Jour 6.11.09

Casual Day at work, I had no meetings with outside clients or vendors.

Close up of my bracelets, Forever 21 bangles! I love them. $5 each, my boyfriend calls them lego bracelets.  Perfect example of mixing high and low, cartier and vintage diamond ring and forever 21 bracelets.

Do you guys like these OOTD posts?

Liners Du Jour 6.11.09

One of my CCO Haul Reviews. Liquid Last Liners Trip 3 pack. The three colors are Point Black, coco bar and Aqualine (my favorite!). I got these for $21.95. Great Deal. Let me mention, I LOVE liquid eyeliner and wear a cat eye almost every day. I feel naked without my little flick!

The box the three liners came in.

Onto the review, I know many people have mixed feelings about these. Why I love them? Once on, they. do. not. budge. I mean I could swim, cry, water underneath a waterfall and they would stay put. Now the downside of that? Removal, you need to use an oil based makeup remover to get them off and a good bit of elbow grease.

I quite like the application of these, I like the brush applicator instead of the felt tip as it allows for more precision. The colors are so rich and pigmented. Aqualine is the most gorgeous multi faceted color. The one downside to these gorgeous liners is that they can be a bit goopy, you need to brush off the excess of it on the rim of the little bottle. They run more on the side of a gel like consistency more than a thin liquid. For me, that isnt too much of a downside but I thought it might be worth mentioning.


Do you own any liquist lasts? What is your favorite liquid eyeliner?