Friday, April 29, 2011

Weekend Haul: Lush Cosmetics

I had to stop by my local Lush Cosmetics when I heard they were distributing The Rising Sun Soap, in efforts to support those in need overseas in Japan. 100% of the Rising Sun Soap will go to Peace Boat, a Japan based non profit organization that has been tirelessly helping those affected by the recent tragedies. At $5.95 a bar, I picked up 2 of these gorgeous cherry and spice scented soaps, a smell that reminds me faintly of licorice (or Jaggermiester sometimes). Beauty and a good cause- two of my most favorite things! While I was there, I also picked up the Joy of Jelly scented shower jelly soap that is supposed to leave your skin and hair smelling sweet (like jasmine) all day long. The texture of this shower jelly is just like Jell-O and the scent is absolutely delicious. This is a great gift idea for the upcoming Mother's Day, since moms deserved to be pampered! Both products are available on the Lush Cosmetics website.


Monday, April 25, 2011

Buzzworthy: Prom 2011

It's Prom season! While it's been a long time since I was at my very own Senior Prom (2003- I'm so OLD!), I decided to post a look of what I would probably rock if I was going to prom this year. I won't recount the horrendous makeup I wore in high school since that was a very long time ago and it was very bad. I will, however, post this long lost Honey B moment from my senior prom. If you can't tell, I'm the shorty in the white lace! Below is a makeup look I might have worn if I was in high school today. This peacock-inspired look had me sticking to blues, teals and golds (MAC's Atlantic Blue and Urban Decay's Baked and Kiddie Pool). I also picked my most feathery, wispy Red Cherry false lashes in W001. I wanted to keep the rest of the look summery and tropical so I swept on MAC's Refined Golden Bronzer and Mineralize Skin Finish in Gold Deposit on the apples of my cheeks. I also kept the lips pretty simple with MAC's Marquis D'. What look were YOU rocking during your prom? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Dupe this Look: Jennifer Lopez

I am not a huge fan of American Idol, especially since they haven't had a good winner since Carrie Underwood. So if I'm tuning into the show for any reason these days, it's to scope out the beautiful Jennifer Lopez. Perfect clothes, perfect hair, perfect makeup, she is perfection at its finest. (She was just announced as People Magazine's Most Beautiful Woman!) Her green and silver look was a great look for spring! Sultry and sexy but fun and bright, just like Jennifer! To dupe this look, I used my favorite MAC greens (Greensmoke, Humid, and Sweet and Punchy) on the beautiful Karla, who requested this color for a fun springtime look. I also used a loose silver Cargo pigment on the inner corners of her eyes to brighten up the look. To keep it less dramatic and more carefree, I cut a set of false lashes in half and applied them on the ends of Karla's eyes. I finished with MAC's Coppertone blush on her cheeks and MAC's Bombshell lipstick and Mary lipgloss on her lips.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Buzzworthy: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick in Chance

If you've been a loyal blog follower of mine, you may or may have noticed my addiction to Chanel lipsticks. I can't help myself, I am obsessed. I was like a kid in a candy store when Chanel launched it's new line of Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks, a light and moisturizing lipstick that finishes with the shine of a gloss. I picked up Boy in early February when it was released as a preview for the line (review here) and grabbed Evasion once the line hit the shelves (seen here). Chance is the latest addition to my Rouge Coco Shine family. The color is a soft baby pink that takes a few swipes to really turn opaque on my lips. If I had to compare it to something else, I would say it's Viva Glam Gaga's softer and more gentle sister. The pictures do the shine no justice as this lipstick really does not need a gloss. For a really perfect lip, I paired it with NARS Jilter Love lipliner. My only gripe about these lipsticks is that the wear time is quite short (I'd be lucky if I got a whole 3 hours without having to reapply) Below is my LOTD (lip of the day) using Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Chance as well as the swatches of my other two Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks, Boy and Evasion. Have you picked up any of these lipsticks? Leave your thoughts in the comments.


Monday, April 11, 2011

Dupe this Look: Mila Kunis

As an up and coming rising star, Mila Kunis has been everywhere lately. Her cover of Cosmopolitain was downright inspirational! Her soft and smokey brown eye is a look that is perfect for a night on the town. The incomparable Nic Chapman of Pixiwoo has done a video on this look, so I decided to post my interpretation of this as well.  I obtained this look by using my trusty Urban Decay Naked palette (Virgin on the lid, Smog in the crease and Darkhorse in the outer V) and paired it with a thick winged eyeliner (MAC's Blacktrack fluidline) which I smudged on the bottom lashline as well (MAC's eye kohl in Feline). I kept the cheeks neutral with my go-to sexy blush Rock and Republic's Seduce and brushed MAC Refined Golden Bronze bronzer on my cheekbones. I got to whip out my new (and favorite) Chanel Rouge Coco Shine lipstick in Evasion which the perfect glossy pink. Finish with a set of false lashes. Now, if only I had those same sultry, killer hazel eyes!


Saturday, April 09, 2011

Buzzworthy: Cover Girl 50th Anniversary Clean Pressed Powder

For their 50th Anniversary, Cover Girl is releasing a limited edition pressed powder compact that come in brown leopard, green crocodile and teal zebra prints. Cute packaging aside, I just had to grab one of these as a portion of each compact sold will benefit the P&G Children's Safe Drinking Water Fund. In hopes to provide children all over the world with healthy and safe drinking water, Cover Girl is making the world more beautiful one compact at a time. The compact retails at just $7 and is exactly what I was looking for to throw in my purse as a mid afternoon powder touch up! The coverage is very light and leaves you with a matte finish. If you are looking for heavy coverage, skip this compact. This product is nothing to marvel at, but the cause is what really drew me to buy it. I'm a sucker for makeup with a mission (i.e. the Viva Glam MAC AIDS Fund). Will you be picking up these limited edition compacts? Leave your thoughts in the comments.


Monday, April 04, 2011

Beauty Dupes: Nars Schiap vs. Milani Rose Hip

After receiving a few questions on which lipstick I am wearing in my Laura Mercier Loose Powder post (Nars Schiap), I decided it would be the perfect time to rave about how much I love bright pink lipsticks! Nars Schiap has to be my Holy Grail of pink lipsticks, but as the Nars price tag can be a bit hefty for some ($26 at your local Sephora), Milani offers up a drug store duplicate that will make your wallet happy. Milani's Rose Hip is a steal retailing at around just $4 and while the differences are quite subtle, this is an awesome substitute for Schiap. While Nars Schiap may be just a touch pinker, while Rose Hip leans a little more purple (just by a hair though) I would say the biggest difference in these two lipsticks is the finish. Schiap packs a much more matte finish while Rose Hip is creamier with a slight sheen to it. I get a slightly longer weartime with Schiap, but Rose Hip is more moisturizing. For you honey bees dying to try out this bold lip trend without shelling out major bucks, I would suggest picking up Milani Rose Hip before committing to a more expensive brand like Nars. Below is a side by side swatch comparison as well as my FOTD featuring both lipsticks for you to see for yourself how close these two match up. Will you be splurging on Nars' famous Schiap? Or will you be saving your pennies with Milani's Rose Hip? Leave your thoughts in the comments.