Gloss Addiction

Catch-Up

2011-11-06T11:38:00.000-08:00

Given my addiction to both gloss AND procrastination, we've got to play a little game of catch-up :) The fastest way to do that is to share a snapshot of my Winter (because it sure feels like Winter) faves:

Clockwise from the top: Buxom lipgloss in Jackie, Bare Minerals Prime Time shadow in Sandalwood, Pete's Coffee & Tea Xiao's Blend Tea, Bare Minerals Prime Time shadow in Bronzed Twig, Fusion Beauty cream blush in Bella.

The two cream shadows are part of the "Strike it Rich" 5-piece holiday set from Bare Escentuals. It's available exclusively at Macy's. Even though they're both shades of brown, I can't decide which one I like better. But if I had to make a distinction between the two, Sandalwood has more of a romantic light sparkle to it, while Bronzed Twig is a darker, more polished matte.

Here's Sandalwood up close and far:

Here's Bronzed Twig up close and far:

I'm still SUPER addicted to Buxom glosses. They're formulated so perfectly that they double as gloss and chap stick for me. My go-to Winter gloss for sure. "Jackie" is a cool pink shade with very subtle shimmer. My cheeks are dressed in "Bella," a pink-mauve shade, from Fuscion Beauty. This blush goes on smoothly and layers on top of foundation with no issues at all. It was also on sale at Nordstrom for the (almost painful!) price of $7.50. The line is going out of business and clearing out its inventory everywhere, so hop on this if you haven't already!

Here's a better look at my gloss, my blush and my puppy!

Give it to me Straight

2011-09-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

On the eve of yet another job transition, I thought I should freshen up my look to get into the spirit of "new beginnings." (And to make it so that peeps stop short and say, 'Wow, check out the hair on the new girl!') Thanks to a killer deal from Living Social, I got a Brazillian Blowout at Brandon Hair Studio in SF. I'm happy with the results, but the 48-hour wait before washing my hair is KILLING ME.

Anywho, here are my before & after shots. The before shots are pretty gnarly:

After! My ends still look a little frizzy in this shot, but I can assure you they've smoothed out. I don't even recongnize my own head. And the BF says it looks like I'm wearing a wig!

After my appointment, I went straight to Happy Hour to celebrate a good friend's birthday and my new 'do.

Blue Jean Lashes

2011-08-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

If there's anything I love as much as gloss, it's lashes (and highlighters and bronzers and serums and ...) On a recent trip to The Company Store in San Francisco, I discovered a set of lashes by MAC I've never tried before, #33's. I took one look at those badboys and knew they were the lash equivalent of a perfectly-fitting pair of jeans. There's nothing crazy about them, but they hang on you just right and pull your outfit together effortlessly and quickly.

To show you what these look like on, I had to take a series of those embarrassing self portraits a la the teeny boppers and wannabe strippers on MySpace ... don't you judge me!

Summer in the Hamptons

2011-07-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me, sunshine is your antidote to gloomy moods, too much work and general cranky pantsy-ness. But it's also an annoying source of heat rashes when coupled with gobs of thick, smelly sunblock.

Which is why I'm developing a mild obsession with Hampton Sun's line of products. They help you maintain standard levels of sun worship while protecting you under a silky-light, yummy-smelling SPF. Their spray on gel is the biz-nazz, and my second order of it just came in yesterday:

SPF gel on your right, their Privet Bloom fragrance on your left. All of their products have the same great fragrance (except for their face stuff, which is unscented), and I love it so much that I HAD to order the eau de toilette.

I will be sporting both products all summer long!

Still Addicted

2011-06-13T15:31:00.000-07:00

Feels like a lifetime since I've hit "new post!!" But between a little breathing room at work and inspiration from newbie blogging buddies, I've found some motivation. Whatever I lagged in blogging, I made up for in purchasing (shocking, I know). Below are a few of the goodies I acquired in my hiatus.

You'll be happy to know I'm still addicted to gloss, and lately, I'm addicted to a specific brand. Buxom has been rocking my world with their line of sheer, shimmery, minty lip polishes. Feels like they infuse my lips with actual superhero powers. The latest addition to my Buxom collection is the Fashion Show ... & Tell set. For $29, you get 7 mini tubes of the good stuff. All in wearable shades (and I know this word is relative, but trust me).

Just to prove how wearable they are, here's Sugar (it's the color on your far left, above).

Buxom also has a line of fun cream eyeshadows that are all named after dogs. I love cream shadows and I'm a crazy dog lady, so this one was a no-brainer. The shade below is "mutt." It's a super glittery taupe that clings to your lid all day long. Mutt is accompanied by Sonia Kashuk's eye liner palette, NARS blush in Angelica and Ecotool's blush brush.

To take it all off, I'm loving Yes to Cucumbers facial towelettes. They smell awesome and are excellent at removing stubborn mascara, cream shadows with staying power and layers of concealer, bronzer, highlighter and blush. AND they don't leave a weird residue on my skin like other towelettes do. I've also fallen back in love with Neutrogena's Deep Clean Invigorating foaming scrub. This is a blast from my 8th grade past, but since I'm older and wiser now, I don't use it on my face - I use it on my body. I go through like one a week. It feels that amazing!

I've sincerely missed this! Talk to you soon (:

NARS Pampa/Stolen Kisses Duo

2011-01-17T18:23:00.000-08:00

Knowing full-well that I shouldn't, I paid Sephora a visit over that crucial week before Christmas. I had all my presents pretty much bought, my beauty presents DEFINITELY bought, so me and my debit card were just askin' for trouble. Luckily, the store was in such a state of disarray that I manged to leave with just a few items, including this $10 steal from NARS - a Pampa/Stolen Kisses stain/gloss duo.

Isn't she gorgeous?!

Stolen Kisses is a beautiful nude gloss that matches perfectly with the color of my lips - so it's me to the max. Could be my imagination, but the gloss consistency in this duo feels thinner than your average NARS gloss, though it provides just as much color.

Pampa is a deep red-bronze stain that I'll save for outings that call for an edgier me. It's one step down from the brownish red that was crazy popular when I was in high school, so bonus points for nostalgia. It almost makes up for how drying this formula is.

Stolen Kisses.

Pampa.

Crepes, Cranes and Lashes

2011-01-13T09:50:00.000-08:00

Wish I could read this. I could be missing out on all sorts of lash tips!

Over the cozy Holiday Break, the BF and I took a trip to Japantown to shake up our "lounge on the coach all day long" routine. Living so close to San Francisco, you'd think this is something we've done a million times, but in the twelve years we've been together, we've NEVER done a day trip to JTown! So we lived it up - got a taste of Sophie's infamous crepes and ran around taking pictures like we were tourists. And I happened upon on a stash of lashes on sale for $1.50 each!! I bought 2 pairs of these 'half-type' lashes - one for me, and one for my sister. I like them so much I'm thinking about going back for more. Wish I could read what brand they are. The last two pics show you what they look like on - please pardon the red, chapped lips!

Heart of Haiti

2011-01-11T09:55:00.000-08:00

Once I had a legion of followers, my secret hope was to turn my blog into a platform for raising awareness around important causes. Now that I know that blog popularity is harder to achieve than it looks, I'll start by reaching out to the handful of you who read me :)

January 12 marks the year anniversary of the devastating 7.0 earthquake that left Haiti in ruins. The outpouring of help following the quake was unprecedented, but has since tapered off. Haiti can still use all the help it can get to rebuild and Macys.com is bringing you a new opportunity to reach out. Heart of Haiti is a collection of handmade home goods and jewelry created from recycled materials by Haitian artists. You can view the collection on macys.com here. Some of my favorite pieces include:

Jewelry Hanger, $35

Watermelon Bowl, $16

Agwe Mirror, $75

When you purchase an item from the collection, 22% of the retail price for each item goes directly to the artist who created it. Heart of Haiti gives Haitian artists a chance to share their beautiful work with the rest of the world and gain income to feed their families, get access to health care and improve their education. Heart of Haiti is helping the country through trade, not aid, and in many ways, that's more uplifting than a blind donation. For more information on the Heart of Haiti founder and Fairwinds Trading CEO Willa Shalit, check out her Wikipedia entry.

I love it when my dollar stands for something more than just a pretty new item I own, and I know I'm not alone on that, so help me spread the word!

I was selected for this very special “CleverHaiti” opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. All opinions are my own.

Glosses In Rotation

2011-01-06T10:41:00.000-08:00

My favorite lippies of the moment:

MAC Lip Gelee in Bubble Lounge (with no flash)

Bubble Lounge with flash

LipFusion Infatuation in Angelic

Buxom Lips in Violetta

35's

2011-01-04T21:19:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I feel like this blog should be called Lash Addiction. I've become just as obsessed with my lash line as I have with my lips. Inspired by my cousin who's a makeup artist at MAC, I strayed from my beloved 7's and tried out a new style for NYE - 35's. They are hard to put on, so I don't think I donned them to their full potential, but the fact of the matter is, they HAVE potential. They are so full and fluttery, I'd give butterfly kisses galore if I could only get them on right! I'll keep taking them out for test drives until I know how to work 'em.

In this pic, my friend on your left has on Ardell 102's (dead ringers for MAC 7's) and I have on MAC 35's.

Christmas 2010, pt 2: Beauty Bounty

2010-12-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

My obsession with makeup is no mystery to my family and friends, so I always get all sorts of beauty goodies as Chrsitmas presents. And I made out with a bonus this year (haven't gotten one of those in a while!), so I decided to add a few items to my stash. Behold this year's bounty:

MAC #35 lashes and lip gelee in Bubble Lounge, 3 Make Up For Ever aqua creams (shades 5, 14, 15), a Benefit creaseless cream shadow in Get Figgy, a set of 2 lip glosses and 2 nail polishes (including black polish, which I've been dying to try!) and to top it all off - a Sephora gift card. Am I loved, or am I loved?!

Today, I tried out a subtle eye look with the MUFE #15 aqua cream spread all over my lid, and up a little past the crease. I toped it off with a thin layer of Benefit's creaseless cream shadow in Get Figgy on my lid, patted gently into my lash line. I love how effortlessly these two formulas blend and fade into each other.

Christmas 2010, pt 1: A Family Feast & Grandma's Store

2010-12-27T15:57:00.000-08:00

The Holidays always go by much faster than I want them to. This morning, I had breakfast with my sister and new bro-in-law, shopped for roadtrip snacks with them at Ranch 99, then hugged them both goodbye before they drove back down to So Cal. After four fun-filled days with them and the rest of my family, I have serious family withdrawal. These pictures won't help with that, but a Holiday this fun deserves a photo diary for sure. Here's part one.

We went to visit my grandma, which was a special event because she met my sister's hubby for the first time. She busted out all of her favorite stories of us (some complete with accompanying baby pictures) and even showed off this gorgeous shot of herself as an eighteen-year-old (I'd do the same if I were this cute at 18!).

My grandma has a perpetual garage sale jam-packed with all kinds of goodies, and these are the stairs that lead to it...

I sort of feel like Ariel in her treasure trove as I make my way through all the items up for sale.

My grandma is the sharpest 85-year-old out there -- she has a store to keep herself busy.

And we all go home with various knick-knacks after a visit to the store. My brother-in-law scored big time on his first trip!

For Christmas, my huge family packed itself into my auntie's cozy home. We ate, drank, played games and cooed over the cutest babies in the world, like our cousin Nathaniel. He hates socks like me!

Me and my sissies

Skyping with family in Germany

Nathaniel's "baby" twin brother Manuel modeled a new hat he got from my mama, and he loved it! It was a perfect note to end the party on.

Pajammy Jam Jam

2010-12-19T22:10:00.000-08:00

A week ago, the BF and I kicked off the holiday house party season with a Pajammy Jam with friends we've known since high school. As you can imagine - So. Much. Fun! I was a little torn about wearing makeup in my PJ's, but in the end, decided to wear bedtime-themed makeup: Too Faced cream eyeshadow in Bedroom Eyes, NARS blush in Super Orgasm (hahaha). I topped off the look with my MAC Blinking Cool lashes, because once I start putting on makeup, I can't stop!

We had a girls-only White Elephant gift exchange, which meant there was a crazy array of makeup up for grabs. And I totally scored - got the Urban Decay Eyshadow Ammo palette. Looking forward to strutting my showdowed self at all our upcoming parties!

Nice & cozy.

We played 'Face the Cookie' from A Minute to Win It. This game is even harder (damn near impossible!) with fake lashes on.

Can't remember why we started doing this, but I know this was the first of many attempts at "being cheerleaders" that night!

Expect multiple posts featuring this bad boy in the coming new year ...

Dancin' Days

2010-12-14T15:57:00.000-08:00

Learned a few lessons at my office holiday party:

1. If you spend the majority of every day running around like a crazy person IN FLATS, it's probably wise to avoid wearing 4 INCH HEELS to a party, especially if you plan to dance. (The feet/calves/shins/etc just don't bounce back like they used to!)
2. Hair sticks to shiny foreheads in a most gnarly (almost offensive) way. Bring Boscia blotting papers with you to any function that involves dancing like you mean it.
3. Just because you're a newbie doesn't mean you can't make friends at the party, or become even better friends with the ones you've already made (by having your own private parties in the photobooths or inappropriately sprawling out - as a group - on the couches framing the dance floor)

Standout Products -

Eyes: Bliss (formerly Red Cherry?) lashes, #42, Korres Eyeshadow in Dark Grey

Lips: MAC Dare to Wear lipgloss in Ban This
Face: NARS Blush in Sin

Pearl-iscious

2010-12-06T10:54:00.000-08:00

photo credit: maybelline.com

I'm digging the new ads for Maybelline's Color Sensational Pearls Lipstick. I'm thinking of picking up a few tubes to try out, but thought I could re-create the look with two of my favorites products. One's an oldie: Stila High Shine Lipcolor in Diane. The other's a newbie: Korres' Lip Butter Glaze in Pomegranate.

Both formulas are very moisturizing (a neccessity in this butt-freezing Bay Area weather) and both impart *just* the right touch of color to be be equally useful in daytime and nighttime scenarios.

I started my blending experiment by dabbing Diane on my whole lip -- not necessarily being neat about it, either. One thing I love about pearly, glossy color is that it can be applied haphazardly and it actually looks better that way. Then I applied a dot of the Lip Butter Glaze in the middle of my lower lip.

Then smeared the colors together with my fingertips. And voila! Pinky, pearly color. I'll compare the wear-time of this combo with a tube of Maybelline's Color Sensational Pearls, and will holla back!

My Sister's Wedding

2010-11-29T22:09:00.000-08:00

I had the honor of helping my little sister with her makeup on the biggest day of her life. Normally, this
would be an ENORMOUS pressure, but my sister was so far from bridezilla that at some points, I felt like geting all diva on everyone simply to fill the unnatural void that her happy-zen-ness left behind. My sis isn't big on heavy make-up, but she wanted to pop in her pictures. So we concentrated on her eyes, and on accenting the angles on her tiny face.

Here she is, au naturel and a little apprehensive (not of the wedding and the major committment she was about to make, but because of the amount of makeup I packed and spilled out in front of her).

Hard at work and havin fun. I'm so happy she trusted me to do this :)

Here she is with some of her eyes done. We used Urban Decay Sin Primer, Maybeline ColorStay Palette in Khaki, Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer, Maybeline Volum Express Mascara.

See how everyone around her is moving? And she's so calm and still? Happy-zen-ness.

Korres Eyeshadow in Plum, Ardell Lashes #102, NARS blush in Sin.

Buxom Lipgloss in Michelle.

The Love of her Life.

I'll never forget this day! I love my sis and my new brother in law so much ... hopefully they'll let me do their kid's makeup one day ...

The Casual Cat Eye

2010-11-27T23:08:00.000-08:00

I sported this look the Saturday before my family and I jetted off to Maui for my sister's beautiful island wedding. Her big day couldn't have been more perfect if we hand-picked everyone's moods and the weather ourselves. We spent eight glorious days there, so prepare to see a difference between this shot, and the ones in subsequent posts. I got DARK. I mean DRASTIC dark. I think a Hawaiian tan is the best souvenir there is. But let me stop there before I slip back into major Maui withdrawal.

I was experimenting with an everyday cat-eye here. Something I could wear if I felt like looking a little more edgy than my weekend mascara-and-cream-blush-self. It ended up feeling like too much eyeliner for errand-running.

But here's how I did it - I lined my eyes over and over with my Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer. Then I used my index finger to "smear up" the liner on the outter corner of each eye. It's a super easy technique that works well for those who aren't adept with liquid liner (like yours truly).

Close-up of the Casual Cat Eye.

Close-up of Precious Puppy Eyes.

Free99

2010-11-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

I loooooooove me some freebies. Especially makeup freebies. Last week at Nordstrom, I got the following glosses for being a ModCard holder - a Smashbox Reflection High Shine Lip Gloss, one Laura Mercier Lip Plumper in Mulberry and a Clinique Full Potential Lips in Cherry Bomb/Play-Full Plump.

Here are the lovely freebies atop my trusty Moleskine. I'm planning on giving the Clinique sample to my sister, so you won't see it included in the lip pictures below:

The Laura Mercier gloss is more pigmented than this picture suggests. Also has a light, non-sticky texture and it smells like the Holidays! It doesn't do much in the realm of plumping, but I've never found a "plumping gloss" that actually does what it's supposed to do.

Here's the Smashbox gloss (excuse my hair frizziness - it's been a rainy, rainy Sunday in the Bay Area!) . This has a thicker texture than the Laura Mercier gloss, but it's also non-sticky. I'm a fan of white-ish glosses, so I like this freebie the best out of the two. And because it's white/clear, I'm sure it'll mix lovely with a nude liner. Just dab it in the middle of your nude-lined lips and you're good to go.

Domino wanted his own lip shot, and I happily obliged. No lipgloss needed here :)

The Halloween Scene

2010-11-02T22:21:00.000-07:00

Love it when last-minute plans end up being the most fun ever. Thanks again for the invite, Jo!

Lips: Buxom Lipgloss in Violetta
Eyes: Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eye Colour in Burnished Copper, Ardell #102 eyeslashes
Location: Horizon, San Francisco
His Costume: RUFIO!!!
My Costume: Native American Princess Wants-to-Lose-Five-Pounds

49'er Red

2010-10-27T22:59:00.000-07:00

My stress levels at work build to a breaking point each week. So by the time I reach Friday all bleary-eyed and delirious, lots of "let loosing" ensues. And it continues through the weekend. I'll probably have to correct this behavior at some point, but for NOW, this is just the type of therapy I need. Two weekends ago, I indulged in an event thoroughly soaked in rain and a lil bit of alcohol - the San Francisco 49'er/Oakland Raider Tailgate. And in the spirit of super fandom, my tailgate outfit came complete with the perfect shade of deep 49'er red: Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Stick in "Fresno" layered with Buxom gloss in "Brandi." I also gave a nod to the gold by highlighting my cheeks with my favorite Stila powder seen here.

Thought these shades were good luck since my boys finally broke their losing streak that week ... but then they proceeded to lose the following Sunday. Guess ya can't win 'em all.

This pic doesn't exactly show the true color of the products, so I swatched them for you below.

Post-game Fantasy League'ing ... and Domino.

20's Party

2010-09-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

We work hard, and party harder. And sometimes we do both while dressed in 20's attire.

Eyes: MAC Blinking Cool lashes, Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer
Lips: LORAC Matte lipstick in Explore
Face: Nars Super Orgasm Blush

I whole-heartedly despise my expression in this shot, but it's not always about looking great in pictures. Sometimes it's about who you're lucky enough to get a picture with :)

Lash Out

2010-09-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, I went all crazy and got some uber expensive lash extensions for the hell of it. I remember being thrilled with how they looked, but not so thrilled with the maintenance behind looking that dreamy-eyed. You have to be very careful when you wash your face, and if you're an inner-rim eyeliner/thorough makeup cleaner, fuggetaboudit. Though I looked all cool and ready to go when I woke up each day, I felt all gross and eye gunky. So I vowed I'd never get them again.

And then I started this new job. Long hours, bossies, a daily "hurry-up and-wait" routine, all have left me with little time and even less motivation to "maintain." So I thought I'd give this procedure another shot. Now I can use the time I save on liner/mascara/lash curling on BARTnaps/praying/great escape plotting instead.

** These badboys come courtesy of Joann at LoAnn's in Sunvalley Mall, if anyone's interested :) **

Cheap, Stay-put Liner

2010-09-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

I'm just as much of an eyeliner freak as I am a lipgloss addict. Except I see eyeliner as a necessity and lipgloss as a pertually overstocked luxury. But if I was stranded on a deserted island and could only take one item with me, it'd be eyeliner. So now that we're clear on how much I like the stuff, I'm ecsatic to report that I've found a cheap stand-in for my Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes staple: Rimmel's Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer. I've only tried it in Noir, but it comes in 6 different colors, and at $5.99 each, I'm kind of consumed with the thought of trying all of them. Plus unlike MUFE's cult favorite, this is an auto-pencil so no sharpening necessary! Plus it comes with a smudger on the other side of the pencil to help you get a smokey look.

I've been working BEYOND late hours at my new job, and this stuff stands up to the challenge of staring at the computer for 11 hours straight in harsh flourescent lighting and in dry office air.

Here I am after a looooooooooooooooooooong day at work. No smudging at all! Get on it, addicts!

Angelic

2010-09-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

My test run with Lip Fusion's InFATuation glosses continues. This weekend, I took "Angelic" for a spin. It's an opaque pink with subtle gold shimmer -- very true to its name. If you're interested in this product, heed my head's up: due to its liquid consistency, InFATuation doesn't have a lot of lip-hugging staying power (for a point of reference, I'd say that the consistency of this gloss is the polar opposite of MAC Ban This, as seen in my previous post). But the soft, pretty color is perfect for a light weekend look.

In this shot, Angelic is on your left.

On a life note, the boyfriend was sort of in the dog house this past week for undisclosed reasons (sounds more serious than it actually is). So in an effort to get back in my good graces, he whipped up a fantastic meal of Louisiana-style crawfish and shrimp ... was friggin' delicious. This picture really doesn't do it any justice. Wish there was such thing as smell-o-vision.

... with this latest effort, he's *almost* in the clear ...

Ballerina Bombshell Bridesmaids

2010-09-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

...Holding Butterfly Bouquets! I had the honor of being in a 10-year wedding anniversary this past weekend (like I said...every other weekend) and I have to say, except for my yucky tanlines, I felt pretty freaken cool walking down the aisle looking like a ballerina bombshell. My personal style is very California casual, so when the bride asked for puffy skirts and vintage updo's, I was doubtful I'd be able to pull it off. But with help from a few friends with miracle hair powers, a skirt color that could do no wrong, and with my gloss addiction, everything came together very nicely. Seriously, everyone looked super cool -- I may have to do a part 2 post when the reception pictures are available.

On my eyes: TONS - Too Faced Lockdown base, MAC Eyeshadow quad (borrowed and don't know the colors...but they were all purple-centric), Korres Plum Eyeshadow and MAC Lashes #7
Face: Tarte Park Avenue Princess Bronzer, Stila All Over Shimmer #2, and NARS Super Orgasm Blush
Lips: MAC gloss in Ban This (we ALL used this :)

Neutralizer

2010-08-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

I'm at the point in my life where I'm attending a Wedding or a Baby Shower every other week. This week, I had two Baby Showers to party up. It's crazy (in a good way) that I have friends who are going to be PARENTS. Crazier yet is how skilled I've become at these shower games. I scored in a major way at both events. I'm not one to brag, but BOOYAH!:

(also won a digital photo frame which has mysteriously turned up missing)

Onto my makeup choices for the weekend. Baby showers don't warrant the same style of glamourama as a wedding, so I kept my look low-key and very neutral. On my eyes, I used Bobbi Brown's cream shadow in Suede. This stuff SAVED MY LIFE in Miami. If you want industrial-stength melt-proof shadow that applies delicately and beautifully, Bobbi has perfected the formula.

I layered the cream shadow with the 3rd and 4th colors of the Revlon Color Stay "Coffee Bean" palette. While the world continues to pine for this season's must have UD Naked Palette, I'm sitting pretty with a perfectly neutral quad that applies smooth and pigmented at 7x's less the price! I especially love this palette because it was a gift from my sister. She bought me one because I always used hers on my frequent trips home to visit the fam. The third color down is our mutual favorite. It is literally the perfect brown.

On my lips, I tried out a new gloss from Fusion Beauty - InFATuation in "In The Flesh." You know me and nude lips ... I'm constantly on the hunt for the perfect shade, even though I have 50 billion tubes at home. I didn't really notice a plumping effect from this product, but the color is nice. Apply a little at a time and go lightly where your lips come together. Otherwise, you'll get that weird white line in the middle of your mouth (there is no worse fate for a lip gloss lover than that gross line).

The result of all this is nice and light.

Staycation Scenery

2010-08-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

Started my new gig this week. Forgot how much it sucks to be the new kid, especially in advertising. Hopefully I can figure out a way to fast-track my adjustment period. I hate feeling disoriented!

Although I want to chronicle the 10-day weekend I had prior to starting my job, looking at these pictures almost makes it hard to focus at work. MAN, I didn't know how good I had it on my staycation. Here are a few highlights.

Bridal shows w/pesto-topped oysters + good friends = the realization that bridal shows can be really fun if you have good friends and pesto-topped oysters!

My favorites from the bridal gown fashion show ... not that I'm looking or anything ...

Cupcakes for my baby sisters's college send off dinner.

One of many, many naps with Domino.

He can't sit still when he naps.

Dropping my sis off at college, then driving away and watching her stand there. Everyone involved cried like babies ... even the ones conferenced in via cell phones. So this isn't exactly a happy highlight, but I am very proud of the fact that all of us made it to college. Mom and Dad definitely knew what they were doing most of the time :)

Also enjoyed multiple massages, but none of that is pictured here for obvious reasons. I seriously can't wait for my next staycation.

Orly Sparklies

2010-08-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

In preparation for my new gig, I decided to treat myself to a mani/pedi. Look good, feel good. I picked two colors from Orly to help me ring in this new chapter of my career - Cut the Cake for my hands and Saphire Dream for my toes. Not exactly symbolic names for the event that they're helping me celebrate, but check the sparkle. I'm poised to make an entrance.

goldenGrey Launch

2010-08-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

Back in April, I helped a friend with her vintage clothing website by modeling a few of the pieces she selected for her launch. We did an Egyptian Cateye look with pale lips. I only used a few items on my eyes to achieve this - details here.

While the final shots are a visual testiment to how much of a rookie I am at modeling (read: how much of a model I'm NOT), I am so excited to share the clothes with you! These pieces are WAY more photogenic than I am!

If you like what you see, go to goldengreysf.com to see more or to make a purchase. Jo Anne has a lot more up her sleeve, and she's releasing everything bit by bit (I remember taking oodles of pictures and everything was awesome!). Check back often, there's a lot more to come :)

Summer Highlights

2010-08-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

I'm currently taking a week to wash my brain before I start a new job next Monday. I'm in staycation mode, finally getting caught up on organizational projects around house, getting to the gym on a regular-ish basis, getting Domino used to his new "to-go" house and creating looks I can wow all my new co-workers with!

I've spent a lot of time experimenting with highlighting. My face is not angular by any means. It's sort of the polar opposite - anything that can be smoothed over, is smoothed over. This means I have to do my fair share of conturing and brightening to really pop in pictures. My favorite tool of the highlighting trade is Stila's "All Over Shimmer" powder in #2, coupled with a MAC eyeshadow blending brush (for me, less bristles make it easier to pinpoint what I want to highlight). The Stila powder is no longer available, but [this] Stila powder should be comprable, and looks even easier to use. I dust this down the bridge of my nose, then create a sideways "V" (looks like <) down my brow bones and across my cheek bones.

The pigment is pretty intense:

Here's a picture of me in a room with little natural light (you can still see the shimmers):

And here's the effect in a room fully-flooded with natural light (shimmer holds up well even when it's washed out):

If I piqued your interest in Dom's to-go house, here he is in it! My new office is pet-friendly so he'll be making the trek with me to San Francisco once in a while ... can't wait to have my little sidekick with me at work!

Party Polished

2010-08-10T16:23:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I had the honor of attending my friend Camille's wedding. She and her husband, Andrew, looked so beautiful together, and I felt so special joining their celebration. Camille is a lady of impeccable taste, but she also doesn't shy away from fun. So I knew I could get away with a party-girl makeup look without being controversial.

Eyes: Tarte Lock and Roll in Amethyst/MAC #7 lashes
Lips: MAC Ban This gloss (because yes, I'm still obsessed with it)
Face: Tarte Park Avenue Princess Bronzer (great formula. Obsessed with this, too)
Cheeks: NARS blush in Sin

I'm on your left. Please note the lighting in the venue was extra romantic, so it looks like I got a SUPER tan in Miami when in fact, I'm only slightly sun kissed. Regarding the coconuts, Camille knew she was playing with fire when she made the decision to have those props at her wedding!

Goooooooood times!

Been MIA ...

2010-08-02T21:17:00.000-07:00

...because I've been in MIA! Was in South Beach, Florida celebrating this crazy amazing year with my sisters. Marriage, graudations, new jobs and turning 30 all deserve a toast or two. South Beach was so much fun and it was the perfect place to commemorate all of the good things that have happened (or that will happen) this year. And now I miss my sisters and the Atlantic to pieces. Didn't wear a lot of makeup on my trip, but will do a post on the super-strength goods that kept me polished in the insane humidity.

For now, the pics below show off a new shade of gloss that I'm (currently) madly in love with - it's MAC's "Ban This" from the Dare to Wear collection. I totally would have brought this with me to Miami, but didn't buy it until after I got back on Saturday. Speaking of super-strength, this stuff has major staying power - it stuck with me through an uncharacteristic healthy eating binge on Sunday: large smoothie, peaches, berries, more smoothie...maybe that's why I look so happy in these pictures!

Delux Beauty: An Oldie But Goodie

2010-07-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

So I KNOW there are rules on how long you should keep your makeup, and the majority of my stuff is used up or thrown out well before their expiration date, but there are some products I just can't bear the thought of letting go of.

Do any of you remember Delux Beauty? It was the brainchild of Jillian Dempsey (yes, McDreamy's wifey) and also the brand that kicked off my addiction to lipglosses (McDAMN you!). Eight years ago, I stumbled on their pocket-sized glosses on my first trip to Sephora Times Square and fell madly in love with their portability and shineability. I had to have it in every shade, and pretty much succeeded with the endeavor. And though none of the glosses remain in my collection (I used 'em up!), I've managed to hold on to this little lip/cheek stain from the line:

I collected this on my first trip to Sephora Miami 4 years ago. It's funny how Sephora is always a point in my travel itineraries, even though I frequent the San Francisco stores like every other week...but I digress...what I love about this stuff is it's cute, compact and colorful. Plus it's a lip/cheek product so it's multi-talented. It's everything I want to be in makeup form!

And I'm really good at keeping the surface clean and anti-bacterialized. But to prove how old it is, check out the encrusted liner from sharpeners that have busted open in my makeup bags against my will through the years. Beauty battle scars, as I like to call them.

Anyway, I just can't let go of you, little one. You impart the perfect just-pinched glow from a perfect pint-sized package. And even though your line no longer exists, so you're technically extinct and that makes you a dinosaur in beauty terms, you'll always have a place in my heart (or rather, on my cheeks and sometimes on my lips).

Put A Ring On It

2010-07-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been on the lookout for cool turquoise rings. Along with my new-found openness to brighter hued glosses, I think it's just another side effect of severe summer fever. This weekend was a gorgeous one in the SF East Bay, and I felt especially inpsired. To embrace my inner sun goddess, I experimented with stacking these two rings (long one is vintage, teardrop is from Target) and trying on a new eyeliner look. This is Sephora's Nano liner in Silver Green, courtesy of their Birthday freebies for Beauty Insiders. Paired with my new rings, it has a cool, sea-breezy effect. I'm also still experimenting with my Stila Smile in Style set. In these pictures, I'm sporting the Fruit Punch color.

Beauty Steal of the Week

2010-07-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

As I've said before, I'm a sucker for 'variety' kits. So when I stumbled on this Stila set on SUPER sale at Urban Outfitters, I had to throw it in the bag. Stila is the Queen of buttery lip products and in this set, you get five perfectly textured lip glaze sticks and a sharpener for the price of less than one - $9.99 baby! (You have to buy it in stores to get it at this price...sells for $18 in their online store). The lip glaze sticks are wonderful for a hint of bright color, which makes them a great summer product.

Of the five colors, I immediately tried Berry, Plum and Peach. Here's pretty Berry:

And demure Plum (not really my style, but I'll keep this handy for backup):

And my personal favorite, Peach. I've always been a fan of this color ever since I bought it 5 years ago in lipglaze form. I think I like the glaze stick even better because I can control how much product is applied on my lips:

So now I'm feeling Peachy-keen in my glasses and am signing off so you addicts can run to UO to scoop this up, too!

Peaceful Tarte Lips

2010-07-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

Today I needed a low maintenance lip look to help me ease my way back into the work-o-sphere. Sometimes when I take a mini break from wearing really obvious makeup (dark eyeliner & shadow, really structured and rosy cheeks, supershiny lips), anything beyond a subtle neutral is too jarring for me to put on my face.

Enter this lovely lipstain from Tarte, aptly named "peaceful." It compliments your natural lip shade and takes it up just a notch. The shine it imparts is more in line with a lip balm than a lip gloss. Perfect for a peaceful transition to whatever awaits me this week....

How Chinatown Does Hair

2010-07-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

So I know this is supposed to be a positive ad, but the second I saw it, I became obsessed with wanting to hack my hair off:

Luckily my friend Jen was in the same predicament, and she recommended a spot in SF Chinatown she had a great experience at - La Vii. It's a salon where the stylists "get" Asian hair, and cuts cost only $20! Needless to say, I showed up at the salon pretty anxious to get started.

Not even their pharmacy-style hair product displays or the dramatic Japanese game shows in rotation could calm my nerves (they distracted me just long enough to snap this picture).

"Dear God, please let them call my name SOOOOOOON .... "

"WHEN ARE THEY GONNA CALL MY NAME??!"

Anyway, the wait (which wasn't even really a wait, I was just antsy) was totally worth it. $20 bucks later, I felt like I had about 15 pounds taken off my head:

My hair will look like this for about two days, then go back to its wild and crazy ways, but at least there will be less of it for me to fight with every morning. Thank you Jen!!!!

Oh, and for those of you wondering, La Vii is located somewhere down this street :)

Hot Conture City

2010-06-27T21:54:00.000-07:00

Today it reached 106 degrees in my neck of the woods -- straight up SWELTERING. And there's nothing more that inspires me to wear less makeup than the Summer sun.

To avoid sweating my face off, I experimented with that no-makeup makeup look. To me, that's all about contouring and bronzing your face til kingdom come: defining cheekbones, highlighting brow bones and the nose line and adding a touch of shadow to perk up the eyes. Looking back at these, I could have used more bronzer, like everywhere.

I always sit shotgun.

Used a few products for today's look (clockwise from the top): Too Faced shadow in Shamrock Chic, Korres bronzer with a nifty angle blusher from LiLique, Benefit Highbeam, Smashbox Artificial Light liquid bronzer.

Smokey Step-by-Step

2010-06-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

A few posts back, I featured some pictures on the way I do a smokey eye and got a request from a reader for a step-by-step on how I achieve the look. I took a few shots over the weekend, and now have the utmost respect for bloggers who do the demo thing on every post. It requires some work, but I think it's actually helped me perfect my technique! So without further ado, to get to this:

You must do this:
Start out by spreading a rich brown colored cream eyeshadow as your base. I use Too Faced Lockdown in Dramarama.

Spread it evenly over the lid, but don't get too close to the brow bone.

Next, line your upper lash line with a rich black liner. As always, my go-to is Make Up Forever's Aqua Eyes.

Next, take a brown grey powder shadow and pat it over your lid, blend it slightly into your crease. I use Korres eyeshadows, which I think are being discontinued because they're on super sale on Sephora.com and KorresUSA.com.

Too add some depth and dimension to your lids, layer the brown grey shadow with a purple shadow. (again, I use Korres for this). The result should look something like this (color on my right eye is better blended):

Next, apply a Kohl liner to your lower lash & water line. Dip a flat liner brush into the grey brown shadow, and blend it with the liner to create a smudged line under your lashes. Here are the tools I use (hat snuck in there...it's not necessary to create this look :)

You can also use an actual smudging brush. I've had some recent success with Sonia Kashuk's.

Don't be afraid to create a thicker lower lashline than you normally would -- smudge, smudge, smudge! It's a key part of the smokey look!

Finish off with mascara & curl and you're good to go!

30, part 3: In The Heights

2010-06-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

For my final installation of the "30" series, we have to travel back to the event that kicked off the celebration: In The Heights. My chickies took me to go see it -- and if you love musicals, this is a MUST.

It had more than a few storylines I could identify with: finding love in familiar (but surprising) places, the pressure of answering to everyone's expectations (and being able to graciously re-set those expectations), lucky moments in life that come when you least expect them (and need them most), death/rebirth in its most obvious (then more subtle) forms. All of this is told against a backdrop of infectious songs with Latin beats. I couldn't think of a better way to set the tone for my bday week.

Since photography wasn't allowed in the theatre, we took a few shots in the lobby:

And in the BART station. I love this crazy picture because I look like I'm the mother, and all my friends are my little girls. Should have stooped like I did in the first pic.

And to bring this blog back to beauty, AND since I'm such a spoiled brat, I have all sorts of birthday booty to show you! The theme of the week was definitely "Tarte." I got some from my girls, some from by boyfriend, some via gift cards ... and here's a little sampling of it:

Cheek stain, bronzer, dual creme/loose powder shadow, inner rim eyeliner and 2 tubes of Lights, Camera, Lashes. DEE -- LISH! And that's just the start of it. More to share in future posts!

30, part 2: Graduation

2010-06-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

A big part of my birthday weekend was (thankfully) sharing the celebratory spotlight with my sister, who became the first person in our family (like, ENTIRE family) to graduate from grad school. Our family was ooooooozing pride the second we each set foot on the UCLA campus.

She's poised to rock the world -- she'll infuse the education industry with changes they never even knew they needed, but will never be able to live without! Oh, and did I mention she's also an accomplished belly dancer? The girl does it all.

Here's a shot of my mom (my first makeup mentor!) waiting patiently with my two youngest sisters for the ceremony to start.

Here's my beautiful, ecstatic sis, post-ceremony.

Her beeeee-dazzled cap and UCLA hood:

Thoroughly cracking up (I'm sure out of immense relief) next to the Bruin centerpiece on campus.

CONGRATULATIONS Miss B! YOU DID IT!

30, part 1

2010-06-18T23:09:00.000-07:00

A mini photo diary of me receiving my bday gift from the bfriend. Was a gooooooooooooood gift!

lashes: MAC

eyeshadow: Too Faced

License to Drive

2010-06-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

Didn't know this, but when you turn 30, you HAVE to go down to the DMV in person to take a new picture for your driver's license. I initially was dreading the trip and long lines/grumpy staff that I knew would await me, but then came around to seeing this as the opportunity it really was: to finally look my age in my picture! I sometimes get a sideways double-take when I flash my license (is this REALLY you?!), so I was expecting a drastic change between my old & new picture, but this is what I got instead:

Ummm ... I look EXACTLY the same, but with A LOT more makeup on! Which means the double-takes will ensue when I flash my license with no makeup on.

Oh well. On to today's face. I'm experimenting with a heavy lid look, given the fact that the Tarte emphasEYES clay shadow seems to lend itself well to this type of application. I smeared the Bronze shade all over my lid. Then I dabbed a bit of Clinique Quick Eyes cream shadow (Rock Violet) in the middle and along my upper lashline, then spread it out with my fingertips. What I really like about this look is I don't have to wear liner on my top lids, I can get away with only applying it on my bottom waterline. It's a bit "much" for work, but it's all in the name of experimenting!

Final Verdict on Tarte MultiplEYE Lash Enhancer

2010-06-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Thought it was finally time to really evaluate the results of my Tarte MultiplEYE test. Despite my initial enthusiasm (see post written 1 week after the first application here), I don't believe I actually got any length out of using this. However, that's not to say I'm walking away completely empty-handed after this hefty beauty investment. Where I don't see added length, I DO see added strength. And for thin, wimpy Asian lashes, that counts for a lot! I find I'm able to curl my lashes with a lot more ease, and that they hold their curl for a longer time.

Would I buy Tarte MultiplEYE again? Probably not. But I don't regret giving it a try, either.
Here are some before & after shots so you can see the true comparison -- sorry there's such a difference in the lighting!

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Cat-eyed Kate/goldenGrey pt. 2

2010-06-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

Think I finally found a dignified cause for the blond wig my co-worker lent me after my Gwen Stefani challenge. I love everything about this look because it's my basic recipe for sexy: super defined eyes, nude lips. How HAWT is Kate in this shot?! I can't wait to do my best impression of her.

Speaking of which, we had the second goldenGrey shoot last Saturday and it was just as fun as the first one. Kate's makeup look is actually what we were going for. Here's a preview of some of the things going up for sale - shiny blouses AND sparkly jackets. And as you can see, I'm not as comfortable as Kate when it comes to posing, but I'm working on it! Getting your picture taken to sell clothes is definitely harder than it looks - so PROPS to all you models out there. Don't know how you do it, but I had fun giving it my best shot!

More Fun with Bronzers

2010-05-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take a minute to explain my last post, in case it seemed random and more self-indulgent than usual. No, I haven't fallen in love with ginormous, close-up photos of myself! I had to employ the "extra large" option on Blogger to get a better quality shot of the everyday smokey eye that I do. I posted it on Sephora's blog because they were having a contest. Don't think I won, but it's all good!

So on to today's makeup adventure -- I'm still spending quality time with the Best in Bronze kit and the next item I experimented with was the Korres bronzer in sunglow light. I already own the darker shade, so I was curious to see how this compared. I like this lighter shade better. To give you an idea of how the color applies, here's a before and after.

All pasty w/no bronzer, but w/earphones. (Sarah & Vinnie on 97.3 are my favorite morning show right now! Can't go a day without tuning in ... thank God for the Nano radio!)

And here I am with the bronzer on:

It just adds a touch of warmth and does a great job of reducing my pinkiness. Nothing overdone, perfect for work. Plus this powder formula is actually moisturizing. I've never broken out from using the darker shade, so as far as I'm concerned, this stuff is awesome.

Here's hoping mother nature will take a break from crying over the Bay Area soon so I can get an ACTUAL tan on! I'm off to LA in two weeks, and I want to look like I belong!

Smokey for Sephora!

2010-05-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

I do a smokey eye with greys and plums that's heavier on the lids/lighter on the lower lashline than a traditional smokey eye. Instead of heavy shadows for the lower lashline, I use a kohl liner. The result is polished enough for a big meeeting, but edgy enough to stand out. I use Korres and Too Faced shadows, plus Make Up For Ever liners for this look.

tools of the smokey trade:

Dearest Korres,

2010-05-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

First, I want to fully disclose that I loooooooooove your products and admire what you stand for (I've even been responsible for a few Korres converts), but I've run across a recurring problem with your lipgloss packaging. This always happens:

The cap that covers your inside cap comes off. Now, most of the time, this isn't a big deal. I throw the cap cover away, and I'm left with a shorter lipgloss that's a little easier to squirrel away in my bags and pockets. But sometimes the inside cap is made of super-puny plastic, and it splits into lots of pieces when I twist my gloss shut. I don't have a picture of this because I'm forced to throw the gloss away at that point -- otherwise, it just oozes out and gets all over the place. (NOTE: this doesn't happen because I'm super strong. On the contrary, I have a weak grip and am pretty wimpy in general).

Again, I LOVE your products. I feel like a Greek goddess everytime I treat my lips to your cherry oil gloss or lip butter and I've created my most sexy smokey eye with your shadows and your tinted moisturizer illuminates my skin like no other. This is merely a packaging issue that I wanted to bring to your attention, because I CARE. Because I want to see you succeed. Because if another cap splits on me, I don't know what I'll do!!

With the utmost respect & admiration,
e_b
p.s.
Here I am with your Rose 22 gloss on - great color!

and a close up:

Sephora's Bronzer Buffet

2010-05-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

I love it when it feels like a product was designed specifically with me in mind. Sephora's Best in Bronze Deluxe Sampler is the embodiment of the EXACT way I like to consume makeup: in small, affordable batches. Unless I'm madly in love with a product (like I am with Too Faced Lock Down), I never go through an entire thing. I'd rather sample a whole bunch of products, it's just more fun that way. And while we're on this subject, this is basically how I like to go about consuming life in general: I like to get a sampling taste of everything, keeps things fresh. This will all make sense in September :)

But more on that later. Take a look at all the goodies housed in this Bronzer Buffet:

On Saturday, I tested out two of the items and they lasted all day long on a tourista-inspired excursion through San Francisco with my sis. Will post more on that as soon as I get her pictures. Here's the Tarte EmphasEYES Waterproof Clay Shadow Liner in Bronze. I put it all over my lid for a heavy liner look:

Like I said, it lasted all day running around in SF, with alternate windy/misty/muggy/down-right HOT weather, depending on what part of the city we were in (gotta love our microclimates)

Here's the Too Faced Pink Leopard Bronzing Powder, with little Domino peeking out from behind it. He is a curious little soul:

I thought this was pretty on first application (it has a gorgeous luminous effect), but it settled into my fine lines by the end of the day. Also, warning to all the sensitive gals out there, this has a rose fragrance, so if you're allergic, steer clear! The Pink tones in this product were pretty pronounced on my face, so I would peg this as more of a deep blush than a bronzer:

I'm excited to try out the rest of the kit -- and you'll see it all documented here in case you were wondering about getting it.

Sister Nature

2010-05-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

OK, how beautiful is my sister in this shot? She was asked to pose for a makeup portfolio because she has awesome bone structure and she's down to be dolled in any style. She's a makeup artist's dream! This was a Mother Nature/Garden of Eden inspired look. I just literally grabbed this picture from her FB profile, so I don't have more details, but when I do, I'll divulge them. I was just so excited to share this with all you beauty aficionados!

2010-05-10T12:41:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day Sunday was all about listening to stories of my grandma's days as a quality controller in the Alaskan food canneries (to this day, she still can't eat fish) and watching my mom transition to a state of controlled panic after my sister told her that "there's another delivery ... on the way." I guess we could have come up with a better way to hint at the 3 months of flowers following-up the tunic & pendant necklace we gave her as a present. For all her talk and badgering, it sounds like my mom IS NOT ready to be a grandma after all!

On a makeup note, I kept it very simple with Urban Decay's cream shadow in Rehab (loving this), and gobs and gobs of Rimmel's Glam'Eyes mascara. Thanks to the gobs, no liner was necessary:

Lips were done up equally as simple in Korres' Nude 33 gloss.

Makeup Randomness

2010-05-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

The Back 2 MAC trade-in program has become a permanent fixture in my weekend plans. Saturday mornings are now all about sifting through my stash and uncovering MAC goods that are either A) too old to come within a 10-foot radius of my face or B) too late to be returned. Sundays are about the trade-in! Last weekend, I got another gloss: Dazzleglass in Smile. I don't love it as much as Soft Dazzle (I favor creamier opaque glosses), but it's very wearable, and free's free!

In the shot above, I'm also sporting a new Rimmel mascara with my new gloss: Glam'Eyes Lash Flirt. After reading the haiku review on this product on makeupandbeautyblog, I had to try it out. And it's on sale at Walgreens right now (buy one, get the 2nd one half off). Homegirl got two mascaras for $12 - get on it, addicts!

And I can't really think of a creative way to end this random post ... so ...

~ FIN ~

Clarisonic: To Trash or Stash?

2010-05-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

So, I won't actually TRASH this if I don't end up using it, but I really need your opinion on whether or not I should buy this new Mia from one of my friends. Regular price is $145, but I can get it for about $90. Is this deal too good to pass up? Or is this thing gonna sit in my dresser and never see the light of day?

UD's Pony Palette: Perfect for Prom

2010-05-03T22:07:00.000-07:00

Say that three times fast! And it's the truth. This palette from Urban Decay was perfect for my little sister's prom makeover. It comes with an eyeliner and a sample size of their primer potion, so we had 80% of what we needed all in this small package! Check out this cuteness:

I used three colors on her eyes: Painkiller (turquoise shimmer), Mildew (deep green) and Flash (electric purple) ... mostly Mildew :) I topped it off with Ardell Lashes, #102. they're a dead knockoff for Mac #7's.

It was sort of surreal helping her get dolled up for the night. Hard to believe that this little glamazon was the same little terror that bugged me relentlessly while I struggled through homework (in the 7th - 12th grades!!!), who I caught fearlessly experimenting with my eyelash curler at age 5 (I didn't muster up the courage to really try one until I was like 20) and who went around the house routinely replacing pictures of me with pictures of herself in any photo frame she could get her hands on (I guess in retrospect, this DOES sound like a glamazon in-the-making).

The point is, she's all grown up. And even though she's little miss thang in her senior class, I hope that Saturday's makeup lesson was as special for her, as it was for me.

Love You Back

2010-04-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

I know I've talked the whole 'OMG I'm turning 30' thing to the ground on this blog, but as each of my friends turns 30 one by one, I get a little emotional and puffed up with pride. Last weekend, my friends and I got together to celebrate another 30th and I remember looking around the table at all these smart & vibrant individuals thinking - we have seriously got it going on! None of us are severely rich, so I don't mean this in a monetary sense, I mean that we've all managed to grow up into responsible, respectful, hard-working adults and every one's positive transformation was contagious. We've had a positive influence on one another for sure.

One of my dearest friends (the nail savvy one I mentioned two posts ago, actually) shared a link to her latest photo album of pictures taken this weekend at the latest dirty30. Lots of fun. Lots of good makeup, too. Excuse the shine, as most of these were taken post-party!

Check those nails!

PLEASE NOTE: I took the picture below like this on purpose so you could see my eyeshadow. I LOOOOOOVE this shade. and I was NOOOOOOOOOOOOOT this faded!

Eyes: Too Faced eyeshadow, Label Whore // MAC#7 lashes
Face: NARS blush, Sin
Friend's Eyes: Stila Smudge Pot
Friend's Nails: OPI X Sephora, Le Beau

Bold As Love

2010-04-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

My baby sister is super sassy and has no doubts about the things she likes, and the things she doesn't like. She's also a billion times more bold than I was as a highschooler, so it came as no surprise to me when she asked me to do her makeup for prom (it's this Saturday) and sent me this image for inspiration:

That's pretty much as bold and as colorful as it gets, and since I'm so monochromatic, I'm a little intimidated.

As soon as I got home yesterday, I pulled out a few colors in my collection that I thought I could use to emulate the look. I don't have a lot of vibrant colors, and I was playing on top of the taupes/browns that I already had on, so that skewed the outcome, but I kind of like the more subdued version that I came up with:

Still, I think I'll need to go a lot brighter, given my sister's original request. I'm thinking of getting her a little Urban Decay palette as a "have fun at prom"/ happy early birthday present (she turns 18 mid-May and I can hardly believe it). And just so she keeps her wits about her, I was gonna send her off with one of the CLEAN mini rollerballs that I mentioned in this post. You know, to remind her to have good CLEAN fun on prom night.

This eye was crafted by MAC and Too Faced.

My Annual Mani/Pedi

2010-04-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

ugh ... I feel like a total trend whore admitting this, but the color I chose for my mani/pedi on Saturday was OPI's You Don't Know Jacques. GAH!!! I wanted something that would photograph well and my very nail-savvy friend advised me to go dark. I'm embarrassed I succumbed to the "it" status of this shade ... but my friend's right, this DOES photograph quite well:

goldenGrey Sunday

2010-04-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

How did you spend your Sunday? I spent mine hamming it up in front of a camera trying on piece after piece of cool-ass vintage picked out by my most stylish friend -- it was pretty much girl heaven. You can see some behind-the-scenes pics from the shoot here on Jo Anne's blog .

She asked me to help with makeup, so I brought a few (hundred) of my most essential products:

We started the day around 1:30, then 800 shots later, we were done! Think it was around 8:30 when we wrapped, and it was honestly the fastest 7 hour time lapse of my life. Time flies when you're checking things off your 'things to do before I turn 30' list!

As far as makeup went, she asked for cat eyes and pale lips. This is me after I got home, so my makeup isn't the freshest in this shot, but it'll give you an idea of where we were going with it --

On my eyes: MAC eyeshadow in Carbon as liner, layered over Make Up Forever Kohl Pencil, 1K. MAC #7 lashes.

Nervous but excited to see the final shots!!

Weekend Prep

2010-04-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend I get to help my friend with a SUPER exciting new project. She asked me to model (so flattered!!!) for a vintage clothing website she's launching in a few weeks. You can get a sneak peak at a few of the items and close-ups of patterns here: http://goldengrey.tumblr.com/

And though I'm digging the non-retouched trend taking over the glossies (a la Jessica Simpson's Marie Claire cover & spread), I'm planning to beg her to photoshop the hell out of my stomach. Unless I can figure out a solution by the photoshoot on Sunday. Akkkkk! Do you sassy ladies know of any de-bloating tricks?

On a lighter note, I might consider getting a mani/pedi in preparation for the shoot. The last one I had was in August of last year, so it's been a while. It's probably necessary at this point. Currently, my tosies are done up in OPI x Sephora's Under My Trenchcoat, wonder if this color is too dark for the shoot? Shoot, shoot, shoot - I can't say that word enough! I'm so excited!

On another lighter note, I finally saved up enough MAC to do a trade-in. I chose a Dazzleglass Creme - Soft Dazzle. What do you think? Since gloss tends to get everywhere fast, I probably won't bring this to the ... shoot ... but it just seemed like a color that needed to become a part of my collection.

Is Tarte MultiplEYE Actually Working?!

2010-04-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

This could be a case of wishful thinking, but this Tarte stuff *might* actually be working. It's been a week since I started using MultiplEYE (haul memo here) and my lashes may not be longer, but they seem fuller and stronger. Check out how they curled yesterday. They don't usually cooperate like this. Makes me feel like the mom who knows something is up when her crazy kids inexplicably start behaving. Something is fishy here ...

Is Tarte the answer to my fervent prayers for lashes of Kardashian proportions? I hope, I hope, I hope so! But I'll be keeping my expectations for this in check. The curl power I experienced yesterday could also be a result of the perfect storm as it relates to lashes: careful primer application + getting to the point in my mascara tube where just the right amount of product is picked up by the wand. Makeup addicts, you know what I'm talking about!

Gloss Giveaway 1: Stila High Shine Lip Color

2010-04-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of spring cleaning, I've decided to give away a tube of my favorite gloss ever -- Stila's High Shine Lipstick in Diane - shimmery champagne. Thanks to the panic-induced shopping spree I went on when this product was discontinued, I still have 4 unused tubes of it. I think I can probably make-do with 3, so I'm giving one away!

Here's a shot of me with it on:

And a close-up of the actual product:

And a close-up on my lips:

First one to leave a comment on what my next Lyrics & Lipgloss challenge should be, wins! It can't be something that I've already attempted. So sorry, but I have to limit this to residents in the US :(

Lyrics and Lipgloss: Rihanna

2010-04-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

First things first: I looooooooooooooove Prince. I am obsessed with him on a scary level and will probably do a lyrics and lipgloss feature on him soon. As mentioned in my earlier post, the illustration you see here comes curtesy of my talented artist of a sister. Guess you can say she supports my *other* addiction.

But back to the task at hand....so not *quite* a sucess, but I had a lot of fun trying Rihanna's color combo out. Here's my recipe for this look:
Eyes - Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes liner in Purple 11L, Blue 3L and Shu Uemura's Eye Light Pencil for highlighting the brow bone and inner corners.
Lips - Korres Lip Butter in Quince layered with Givenchy Lip Gloss in Fuscia
Cheeks - Benefit Creaseless Cream shadow in Samba-dy Loves Me as contour blush
On my Head - Snake Chain headband from Forever 21 - this one is grey, the one available online is silver

I got the colors down pat, but I need to work on my face swagger. Rihanna is too fierce for me to keep up with!!! Here's a closeup of my eye tools for this look. From top to bottom, it's Purple, Eye Light and Blue.

Sephora VIB/Makeup Madness Haul - with scary, scary pictures

2010-04-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

Shooooooooot ... so, part of my Makeup Madness haul includes a gorgeous NARS blush (Sin) . This is my first NARS blush - I was pretty excited to test it out, but I'm not used to how pigmented this stuff is and .... well, I'll let this picture speak for itself:

I couldn't walk around with only one heavy blushed side, so now I'll spend the rest of the day looking like one of those scary porcelain clown dolls with painted on cheeks. No matter, I sill love it and since I'm slowly getting back into powder products, this probably won't be my last NARS blush purchase. It will just take some practice to get it right.

My second haul item of note is the Tarte MultiplEye Lash Enhancer . The only way to gauge how effective this stuff is to actually compare my lashes before and after a few weeks of 'treatment.' I'm skeptical but hopeful that this could work without making me go blind! Here are a few before shots for us to reference - excuse my tired, tired eyes. Haven't gotten a lot of rest in the last few days:

That's enough scary pictures for one day.

Cupcake Nation

2010-04-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

Whilst testing out color combos for my Rihanna challenge and paying homage to this illustration of Prince (a special gift from my little sister), I was suddenly seized with a craving for something sweet.

So I was MORE than stoked to discover a newly-opened cupcake joint in our neighborhood while picking up a weekend ritual coffee from Pete's. The BF and I helped ourselves to half a dozen: Key Lime Pie, Chai Tea, Vanilla, Coconut/Pineapple (got two of these) and Banana Chocolate Chip.

Banana Chocolate Chip and Coconut/Pineapple (numbers 1 and 2 in the first row below) were my favorite. Mmmmmmmmm ...

Here's a closeup of the Key Lime Pie and Chai Tea cupcakes. Even though these weren't my fave, I liked their colors :)

Sweet Tart isn't Kara's, but they've got all the makings of a cupcake joint with a cult following: unique flavors, pretty packaging, friendly staff. If they keep at it, their creations will be MORE than sufficient to satisfy my random cravings (which are actually becoming less and less "random" as I age ...)

on a side note, Rihanna pics will be posted soon!

My Sephora VIB Wish List

2010-04-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

Awwwww yeah!!! Look what came in the mail yesterday. Guess someone's going shopping this weekend.

It's dangerous for me to step foot into a Sephora without a set agenda, so I'm making this a premeditated shopping trip. Observe le liste:
- NARS So Famous set
- NARS Lipgloss set ... been eyeing this since last Holiday
- Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine - one of my staples
- Tarte MultiplEYE Lash Enhancer
- More colors of Benefit's Creaseless Cream Shadows. During Easter weekend, I bought my first color, Get Figgy (kept calling it 'Get Figgy With It' at Macy's). I'm using it as both an eyeshadow and a contouring blush today.

Obviously, my wish list needs some editing. And after it's been edited, my list will need a fat reality check. I can realistically afford 1 - 2 things on here ... I'm open to suggestions on what to pick up and what to forget, my lovelies.

Easter Weekend

2010-04-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

A little photo summary of the weekend leading up to Easter. I spent it at "home, home" (mamma's house) with my Mom, Dad and two of my sisters.

Me and the youngest sis show off some MAC: mineralize blush in Gentle on me a limited edition pale pink nail lacquer on her.

Domino celebrates his first birthday with a gift from his Auntie. He's puttin on the ritz with those sideways lips (and scary eyes which I could not photoshop out)!

My sisters capitalize on an irrisistable opportunity at the theater before settling down to see Clash of the Titans (an enjoyable cheese-fest, as long as you don't go in expecting too much)

Mamma celebrates her birthday with a smashing chocolate mousse cake.

I got mobbed with kisses from my Hercules.

Sis converts my necklace into a headpiece. And also shows off some MAC Viva Glam lips.

Instead of chocolates, the Easter Bunny left us shirts and shirts and shirts ... my mom loves to spoil us rotten when we're at home.

Lyrics & Lipgloss: Rihanna

2010-04-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

Even though Rihanna's latest album didn't sell, her look has launched a thousand makeup copycats, and I hope to be one of them. She has quite the catalogue of bold and fearless looks to choose from, but I've decided to take on the following challenge:

This will be a fun way to spend the weekend!

Get to Work!!!

2010-04-05T13:34:00.001-07:00

It's seldom that I let my work & home life overlap, but this time, there's good reason for it. My agency is doing some research on the subtleties of women and beauty (though as my company president puts it, there's nothing subtle about women & beauty), and put together this quick 10 question survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GXDPWBC

If you need a break from your day, take it take it take it! I'll love you forever!

On a closing note, check out the cute nail polish I scooped up from Forever 21 over the weekend - simply named Purple. After making an exchange, I was left with a .30cent store credit and quickly grabbed this bottle from one of the little bins so manipulatively placed by the cash register. Lucky for me, it ended up being a very wearable color, and perfect for Easter.

In Rotation

2010-04-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

I've got a new set of lippies in action this month. I shopped my own stash for a nice mix of pinks and browns. I like to use the browns at work and the pinks for going out on weekends.

Since I'm such a fan of the pale lip, my favorite of the bunch is LORAC Couture Shine in Haute. This stuff is actually penned as liquid lipstick because it has a rich pigment to it:

Here's Givenchy Gloss Interdit in Fuscia. I REALLY didn't intend to make fish lips. I've been told I wear my heart on my lips, and this is oddly one of my pensive faces, so I must've been obsessing over something at this exact moment:

MAC lustre lipstick in Fresh Brew. I really like the "finished" look this lipstick lends):

First Runner Up

2010-03-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

Fussin over our little queen:

Close-up of her MAC/Smashbox combo:

Had to take the ubiquitous elevator shot. The world isn't ready for all these smart, sassy, beautiful girls:

Miracle palette:

LOVE my sisters :)

So my lil sis got first runner up! Which means if the winner can't fulfil her duties, my sister will get to rep California in the national competition. She looked absolutely gorgeous in her gown and when she had to answer an impromptu question, she was so poised and quick on her toes that I had to do a double-take. I just can't believe how much she's grown up :) They asked if she had to make a presentation to her student body, what would it be of and why. Her answer: optimism. Because they'll need to keep their heads held high as their high school is shut down next year due to the ridiculous budget challenges in California. She said she would speak about being optimistic in the face of this challenge, because that's the kind of legacy that the school/city needs in order to move forward. WHAT!!! I was super proud of her. And oh, I didn't end up being as much of a stage mom as I thought I'd be. All the girls were so sweet and non-pageantry about the whole thing...dangit

Regardless, I had so much fun cheering her on with my other two sisters. It's been way too long since we've been reunited, and this was the perfect event to bring us together. The three older sisters fussed over getting our lil queen ready in that turquoise MAC color I mentioned here, and with a few colors in my sisters Smashbox palette (you can see us playing with it while waiting through a delay at the airport in the 5th pic above).

Wish it were still the weekend!!

Queen for a Day

2010-03-26T10:20:00.000-07:00

This is where I'll be spending my weekend, helping my little sister compete for the take-all title!

This isn't a traditional pageant because it's supposed to showcase brains over what you look like in a swimsuit, but I'll be doing my best impression of a stage mom, just to spice up the weekend a little. Wish her luck and TRUST there will be tons of beauty blogger fodder I'll be capturing and posting for everyone's enjoyment!

Onto today's face. Since I'm traveling to the pageant today, and don't want to tote too many things in my carryon, Korres Lip Butter in Quince is working double-duty: I've got it on my lips & cheeks.

I'm also sporting a new scent. Right now, Sephora has a special deal on CLEAN - 3 mini rollerball fragrances for $10. It includes the original scent (CLEAN), Simply Soap (which is what I have on) and Provence. I thought this deal was too good to pass up, so I scooped it up without thinking (happens a lot). Thankfully, it worked out! I'm liking this set a lot.

Permanent Makeup

2010-03-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I accompanied the boyfriend on a trip to get his ENTIRE RIGHT ARM covered in a tattoo. This was the first of several sessions, so he's not out of the woods yet. I honestly wasn't a fan of him getting a tool-tat, but he did his research on artists who take this seriously and this thing is gonna be an amazing work of art when it's completely colored and defined. Here's a bare arm commemorative shot, followed up with a few after shots. He was 'playing' piano to control his nerves before leaving for his appointment.

I'll spare you the during shots ... because I was shopping and wasn't there myself! But here he is, pretty much immediately after. A saranwrap-tat:

He removed the plastic cover before taking his first after-tat-shower:

And because it's super hard to leave without any form of actual makeup documentation, here's the look I sported that day. Geek-chic. Sorta.

So Not Schooled in Shadows

2010-03-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Eye Makeup isn't my greatest strength, and I'm always sort of shy to post anything shadow-related on this blog. I'm not a master blender, and am happy to have 1 color on my lid, if it gets the job done. But I have to say that since starting up this blog, I've flipped through countless others for inspiration, and it's encouraged me to play with all the disregarded shadows hiding in the ... shadows of my stash. (COULD NOT resist that, and am pretty sure I could have come up with something better were in not for my current stabbing hunger pains). One such shadow is Bobbi Brown's Long Wear cream in Galaxy. I bought this a while back and first flaunted it in this post. I've finally figured out that the formula goes on WAAAAAY better when you use a brush like this one from Stila. The pic below shows how pigmented this can get. I applied about 2 strokes of it on my lids using the brush. Here, I've layered it over Too Faced Lockdown in Dramarama. And at the encouragement of Diane, I'm also sporting the Rimmel East End Snob gloss -- which is growing on me.

To Trash or Stash?

2010-03-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

If you have access to a BX, you're familiar with the kind of trouble I got into a few weeks ago on my last trip to Travis Air Force Base. Not only are the products slightly cheaper than stores on the 'outside,' there's also NO SALES TAX on anything! Needless to say, I went a little crazy. And now I'm in a predicament about one item I bought there, a gloss from Rimmel called East End Snob. I love how this looks in the tube, but on me, it's hinging on blah. Or rather, hinging on so many things I already have. Not sure whether to trash it or stash it.

Then there's this gloss I just picked up from Target. It's a Neutrogena MoistureShine gloss in Vital Violet. I actually like this color a lot, but it makes my lips a little itchy. Not sure if I should risk the allergy and keep playing around with it. I need to start paying closer attention to the ingredients in these things ...

Moving on to yet another beauty predicament -- this blush. In last month's edition of Glamour (the one with Posh Spice carrying a puppy on her shoulders), I read that orange blush is going to be all the rage this Spring. The most orange blush I have is MAC Blushcreme in Pleasureful. I'm on the fence with this product too -- trash it (cuz it's like 3 years old) or stash it, since it's going to be en vogue come Spring?

Decisions, decisions.

Gwen Stefani & The Underwonders

2010-03-11T22:48:00.000-08:00

I ended up tackling two challenges in one - the underlash & Gwen Stefani. I'm sure Gwen's no stranger to the underlash, given the way she always POPS on stage. You can clearly see what she looks like a mile away (I've been to her concerts and can attest to this).

In short, I liked the effect, but it wasn't the most comfortable to wear. I think I'll look for shorter & less dense underlashes next time. Plus I was so excited to try this out, I applied both the uppers & lowers before letting either dry completely ... felt like my eyes were a set of stubborn clams.

Eyes: Clinique Cream Shadow in Rock Violet (how perfect is that name for a Gwen challenge?), MAC under lashes #31, Red Cherry upper lashes #110, lips: MAC lipstick in Doubonet.

With Flash:

Damn, I wish I had a blonde wig:

Without flash:

By the piano, in the name of Gwen:

Hunting For Under Lashes/Having the Guts to Wear Them

2010-03-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the top shot in the picture above, I was going to sport underlashes for the festivities this past weekend, but I chickened out/ran out of time. I made the trip out to MAC and everything! Was surprised to learn that MAC doesn't carry lashes specific for under-use, but they recommended a set that would work well for it (#31's). I ended up buying them -- just didn't get around to putting them on! -- so I promise to give them a try and post them soon. If all goes well, I may make a purchase on BeautyShopOC.com soon. They have a nice array of Red Cherry underlashes you can see here.

On another note, I'm still in love with my blue MUFE Aqua Eyes liner. I'm using it as regular liner today -- can you tell I have it on?

Here it is, close up.

Party Time

2010-03-07T21:13:00.000-08:00

Had such a fun time celebrating the BF's FlirtyDirtyThirty this weekend! So many people came out to show him love, I think it put those freakout sessions to rest. Here's a little photo summary of the weekend:

They put guests w/pets on the highest floor at this hotel, which made for a few mad dashes to the bottom floor with a very impatient little Domino!

Since he loved them so much on Valentine's Day, I got him a lifetime supply of Kara's Passionfruit cupcakes for his Birthday.

And of course, there was party MAKEUP! I LOOOVED my pratically-sister-in-law's magenta lipstick. She paired it perfectly with violet eye shadow.

I introduced my friend to NARS' Bloodwork, and she was totally WORKIN it!

Here's one of my most makeup-talented friends. She was being uncharacteristically shy at this moment, but expect to see her in a makeup profile soon.

Good times indeed~

Happy Birthday Baby

2010-03-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

No Makeup in this post, consider yourself forewarned! I just felt compelled to document this very special Birthday - the boyfriend's 30th :) He's freaking out a little, which I totally understand. That's actually part of the reason I started this blog - to control my freakouts by documenting key parts of the last year of MY twenties.

But to help with HIS freakouts, I'm going to dedicate today (& this weekend) to showing him how loved he is. Because no matter where you're at in life, if you're loved and you love, you're exactly where you need to be. By watching people I admire who just seem to be on top of their game, I've come to believe that if you focus your time & energy on cultivating the things that you love, everything will fall in place.

He's a very smart man and a very passionate man and he gives himself completely to the things that matter to him, so he's further down this road than he thinks he is. :)

Much LOVE to my Puppy Daddy on his very special day! Here's a shot of Domino rubbing his face on the Birthday Boy's foot. Domino NEVER does this. I think he knows it's a special day.

Misty Blue

2010-03-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

For some reason, I've been craving to wear blue in any capacity lately, face included. Maybe I miss the blue skies in all this rain! Make Up For Ever's array of colors and famous Aqua Eyes formula is helping me big time with this. There are three blues to choose from, not including the blue-greens. I settled on Majorelle Blue 15L (metallic royal blue) and love how easy it is to apply on the entire lid. The pigment in this is just killer. I'm on the hunt for a sexy, fun look to sport for the BF's 30th birthday which is coming up this week, and the blue stuff is in the running.

Wearing My Heart On My ... Chest

2010-02-28T18:50:00.000-08:00

While getting ready for a family party today, I realized I was wearing the perfect shirt to shoot a profile pic for this blog. I got this as a birthday present last year from my friend in this post, and it fits me in more ways than one.

In Rotation: Lips

2010-02-25T11:06:00.001-08:00

While I love to sport reds when going out, my 'everyday' glosses & lipsticks tend to be nude or pink-toned. I have at least eight of these colors in rotation right now:

My ABSOLUTE fave of the bunch is Stila's High Shine Lip Color in Diane. It has a buttery non-sticky texture and the color is a pretty gold champagne.

As with all the gorgeous little things I fall in love with, Stila has discontinued this (rest assured I scooped up 6 tubes when I found this out), but I think their Long Wear Lip Color in "Darling" is a pretty close match.

Another light-textured gloss is from Korres - their Cherry Lip Gloss in Light Purple 23 is a girly, fun color. Plus this stuff is SO moisturizing, I can actually use it as a substitute for lipbalm.

My go-to nude lipstick is MAC's Satin lipstick in Siss. While this definitely can NOT be a substitute for lipbalm, its sexy matte finish is unrivaled to anything I've tried (and I've tried enough nude lipsticks to open a store).

Just Right

2010-02-21T21:18:00.000-08:00

On some Sundays, I read at Church and am always experimenting to find a look that is just right for the occassion. I never want to overdo it, so I've tried everything from no makeup at all to my standard office look, but somehow, all those looks have felt inapproproate. I'm happy to report that today, I found a combo that's just right.

On my eyes, it's MAC Paint Pots in Quite Natural on lids, layered with Korres shadow in Grey Brown and Shu Uemura's Eye Light Pencil to highlight my brow bone. I add mascara and a little bit of liner on my bottom waterline, and also on the outside corners.

I dust a bit of bronzer to sculpt my cheekbones, jawline and forehead, pat MAC cremeblend blush in So Easy on the apples of my cheeks then top everything off with LORAC's lip polish in Delicious.

The tools for my "Church" look:

Lil' Angel

2010-02-21T11:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I scooped up my THIRD bottle of Harajuku Lover's "Lil' Angel." I love this little girl fragrance so much, it's kinda shameful. But with notes like Raspberry, Cranberry, Blackberry, Pineapple, Pear Blossom, Violet, Rose, Lollipop Accord, Hinoki Wood, and Crystal Amber and compliments like "You smell YUMMY!" and "Wow, what fragrance is THAT?" this creamy scent is pretty addicting to wear.

Since the doll on top of the bottle makes it too bulky to tote around in my purse, I bought an atomizer like this this one (hand is holding it in the picture) so I can smell good on the go. I also bought the solid perfume, but that doesn't really emit a scent, it's more useful as an aromatherapy pick-me-up.

Lots of people like to keep their scents a secret, so no one else smells like them. But I'd love it if the entire world smelled like this, so have at it gals!

Under My Trenchcoat

2010-02-16T20:04:00.000-08:00

On Valentine's Day, I picked up my first bottle of OPI x Sephora polish in Under My Trenchcoat. It's a shame that I don't actually own a trenchcoat, because this post could've been A LOT more fun, if ya catch my drift ;) Instead you'll have to settle for these attempts to take UNDERcover pictures of my nails ...

while in a meeting.

en route to the gym.

and on the platform waiting for my train.

It's a cool khaki grey color with little bits of gold shimmer. Kinda fun, but I think I'd like it better on my toes. Given that open-toe shoe season feels months and months away, I'll have to save that for another post.

RAW-r!

2010-02-14T21:51:00.000-08:00

I am fresh from an Oxygen facial at Changes Spa, courtesy of the most awesome boyfriend ever. I felt so super clean that my face was a makeup-FREE zone the whole day and I craved nothing but greens, veggies and fruits right after the facial. I wanted to feel good from the inside out.

Raw face:

In light of my healthy cravings, I was surprised with a dinner at a restaurant we never tried before (told you the guy's awesome). Planet RAW was so unbelievably delicious. Chefs who specialize in raw foods are magicians! I had the Maki Roll Sushi ("salmon" was made of walnut pumpkin pate) and the BF had Pasta Fresco ("noodles" made of zucchini!).

We started with this Guacamole appetizer. My regular diet is so bad that I can't even ID all the veggies they sliced up for "chips":

Here is my scrumptious "salmon" roll. It's supposed to look like a fire-breathing dragon:

It's funny that I have to put everything in quotes :)

...so just because I didn't WEAR makeup today doesn't mean that I didn't BUY any...expect a post on OPI x Sephora "Under My Trenchcoat" nail color soon.

V-day Red

2010-02-13T13:00:00.000-08:00

Happy V-day Eve! Last night I did some 'research' on the perfect red lip to wear for my valentine. I tested out three options: Neutrogena Pinch of Cinn, Vincent Longo Fellini Red and NARS Bloodwork. I evaluated each color against 1) its' closeness to Gwen Steffani's red (still working on that challenge), 2) the ability to stay put while I downed multiple "Sweet Leilani's" at John Collins and 3) the ability to withstand a taste test of these PASSION FRUIT dreams from Kara's Cupcakes - for the record, this was the BEST research project EVER!:

Neutrogena Pinch of Cinn:

Vincent Longo Fellini Red:

NARS Bloodwork:

Think NARS is the winner! But all three failed the cupcake test, so I let this guy eat most of them:

Super (Bowl) Nails

2010-02-07T21:33:00.000-08:00

How can it possibly be Monday already? Weekends always fly by but this one went by even quicker with Super Bowl Sunday in the mix. I should have done my nails in black & gold in honor of the winning team (my fellow Trojan Reggie & the Saints won New Orlean's first Super Bowl ever!). But truth be told, these nails were done well before the bowl game was underway.

I thought I was pretty clever with this self-mani because I did my left hand late Saturday night, let it dry, then did my right hand when I woke up Sunday morning. This meant my left hand was completely dry before I even attempted to paint my right hand. And now that I'm saying this out loud, it doesn't seem like quite the ground-breaking technique I thought it was, but still, it made for an easier application with my weaker hand.

I got this polish as a free gift with purchase at Forever 21 a few months ago. As you can see, it looks drastically different in daylight, flourescent lights, bathroom lights, aquarium lights and barely any light.

Gilded

2010-02-03T21:47:00.000-08:00

Despite me going on & on about saving in my last post, I have completely lost my mind on this LORAC sale. I simly can't stop shopping it. (There's most definitely a reason this blog is called what it's called). This time, I picked up their 3's a Crowd Kit: 3 glosses, 3 lipsticks and 3 mettalic pigments for $19.50!! I played around with the metallic pigments for these shots. I think they're pretty paired with a nude lip color. Domino likes 'em, too.

The Green Stuff

2010-01-31T20:56:00.000-08:00

I'm not really a superstitious person, but if you hail from a Filipino family you can't help it if a little of the rituals and 'omens' rub off on you. So when my palms were super itchy last week, it came as no surpise to me when the president of my company announced that our paycuts were being reversed.

You see, Itchy palms = Influx of mula in Filipino Superstition Land. Now, just because I'm getting my money back doesn't mean that I'm on a one-way track to Splurge City. In the 6 months the paycut has been in effect, I learned a thing or two about saving, and those are lessons I won't soon forget. So in honor of the green stuff, I did a few looks (one on me, one on my lil sis) with green shadows and liners.

I used Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes in Bronze Green 5L, the green color in the Too Faced Glamour to Go 2 palette and a SUPER old limited edition turquoise shadow from MAC....can't tell what the name is anymore, but even the little case it comes in is turquoise.

Lyrics and Lipgloss: Gwen Stefani

2010-01-27T11:54:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna have to do it to it. She's just TOO freakin cool:

No Pharcyde for Us

2010-01-24T15:23:00.000-08:00

This is a weird angle, but I liked how it showed the wispiness of these lashes.

Though we didn't actually get the chance to see Pharcyde at Yoshi's SF (show was sold out when we got there), I had a great time dining out with friends who were ALL smart enough to get advance tickets. The BF and I were the only shmucks who had to leave at show time. Still, the food was great (the Spicy Geisha roll was actually kinda CRUCIAL) and it's always nice to get a lil dolled up for a change in scenery when there's finally a break in the rain.

And by dolled up, I mean more fun with smoky eyes! I busted out only the grey shades in the Korres kit this time. And lined my bottom waterline with loads of Aqua Eyes. I also used my Blinking Cool MAC lashes, and pushed them down for a sleepy/dreamy effect. These lashes are great, but beware the bright camera flash - it washes them out completely, as evidenced in the pic below. I love them for their natural, fluttery effect but would go for thicker lashes at a photo-heavy event.

Lyrics & Lipgloss: Nicole Scherzinger - need LOTS of shadow for this look!

2010-01-21T13:53:00.000-08:00

So here's what I came up with in an attempt to rock it out like Miss Scherzinger. I have five eyeshadows piled on my lids (the four Korres shadows I posted here, plus my Too Faced creme shadow in Bedroom Eyes). Inspired by the name of my creme shadow, I took to my bedroom and stiffled laughs as the camera snapped away.

I also used Vincent Longo's bronze Hydro Stick to define my cheeks/jawline and patted on MAC Siss lipstick to pay homage to this look:

My shadow is more purpl-y (there I go again), but I quite like how it turned out. Am way more comfortable in purple shades than in heavy grey or black shades.

Lyrics & Lipgloss: Nicole Scherzinger

2010-01-19T20:58:00.001-08:00

I'm a little gay for the Queen of the Pussycat Dolls, so I had to include her in my string of challenges. Given the fact that miss thaaang weighs about 50 pounds and I weigh ... more than that ... this is gonna take some major contour work. I just love her take on the smoky eye and nude lip, though.

I'm entrusting the success of this challenge to Korres. Right now, they have an awesome Smoky Eyes Collection on sale at Sephora. This kit is seriously ridic. It includes the four shadows snapped below + a liner + a mascara + a nude lipgloss AND a step-by-step guide on how to achieve the look. All for under 40 bucks. I'm gay AND straight for you, Korres.

The shadow colors are great: plum, dark shimmering grey, grey brown and white. Just lovely. Let's see what damage we can do with them.

Cat Eyes and Sleepy Dogs

2010-01-18T09:50:00.000-08:00

It's supposed to rain all week, and because the rain disorients me, I've planned out my to-do list to get me to Friday without any distractions. This week, I'm committed to: napping/cuddling with the puppy, rediscovering old CD's and watching as many movies my eyes can take. I got a jump-start on the movie thing on Sunday - inhaled Yes Man, I Love You Man and the Hangover in one glorious sitting. Then I ransacked our CD collection to get my playlists updated while my two lazies languished on the couch:

The rain also means that I have an excuse to stay in and play around with the LORAC liquid liner I scored last week. It's true what they say -- this thing is super pigmented, it draws a rich, black line, which I love. And the tube itself is nearly as thin as a pencil liner, so it's easy to handle. But either I'm attempting to use the stuff while I'm sky-high on caffeine (which is OFTEN throughout any given day) so my hands are shaking uncontrollably or I just have really unsteady hands. Either way, I feel like I can't get my line quite 'right.' Think it'll just take some practice though. One of the cool things about this product is you can pile it on top of a pencil liner for rimmed eyes that really pop. That's what I did to create this cat eye -

Or, because the tip is so fine, you can create a super natural line, like so:

I think this item will quickly become my best friend as we head into fake lash season ...

LORAC Attack

2010-01-13T11:27:00.000-08:00

A week ago, I was tipped off to a major sale happening on LORACCosmetics.com. I spent about $40 for four items, ridiculous shipping charge included. And my package came in today!!!

Because it felt like fate, (I had been lamenting the discontinuation of LORAC's Lip Polishes just a few days before my purchase) I scooped up 2 bottles of my favorite lip polish color, Bliss. A nudy-silvery-shimmery beauty. I also bought 2 tubes of their Front of the Line liquid liner. I have a bad habit of buying makeup in multiples for fear of discontinuation and/or in celebration of makeup that's actually on sale (this never really happens on the good stuff!).
Anyways, gimme a Bliss kiss:

I've never used LORAC's liquid liner before, but am looking forward to giving it a go. Reviews say it's more pigmented and easy to apply than most. We shall see about that!

On another note, the Bay Area is positively fogged-out at the moment. Here's the boyfriend & Coit Tower shrouded in it....

Holidayin' with the Homies

2010-01-12T19:59:00.000-08:00

Every year, my oldest friends (as in, the ones I've known the longest) and I get together for a post-Holiday-Holiday celebration. We plan this smugly knowing that a) everyone will FINALLY have some free time and no party obligations b) after-Christmas sales are OFF THE HOOK and c) caterers will be free as a bird.

Thus, we celebrate with food galore. (Note: this was taken after we had already tore through half of it. Plus I stupidly neglected to take a picture of our dessert table, which was heaped with red velvet, vanilla bean and chocolate mini cupcakes AND Boston Creme pies )

We hold a White Elephant gift battle ... err.. exchange. This year, we randomly played a gamblin' game called Left Center Right. It was so much fun stealing each others cash that this will probably become a tradition.

And of course, I don a FIERCE face. That would be Too Faced's Label Whore on the lids and that red Tarte gloss from this post on my lips. Label Whore is cool because it's two colors in one. Under a camera flash, it's mostly a shimmery maroon while the heavier-applied portion imparts a turquoise-black sheen. It's pretty baddass. And pretty enough for a celebration with my oldies but goodies :)

Ode to the Truth

2010-01-11T10:50:00.000-08:00

For about a month now, I've been using Ole Henriksen's Truth Serum, and I'm seeing fantastical results. At first the consistency was strange to me -- felt like I was putting a glop of oil on my face, but after perfecting the amount that I actually need to use (just one pump for me, please) I've found that the serum is absorbed very quickly and it immediately gives way to a smoother, more even-toned, pore-less-looking face.

Also, I don't HAVE to plug it into the every day, AM/PM rigmarole. But when I do use it on a regular basis, I'm glowing like it's my job. I'm feeling more & more confident leaving the house with (gasp!) NO MAKE UP ON. That's the truth sisters, sans le maquillage. Needless to say, this wonder has worked its way into my facial arsenal:

I like it so much that I've actually started preaching its praises to my friends. One of my bravest ones came over on the weekend and I armed her with a 4 day supply. Here's her before shot -- she's going to send me an after one as soon as she's through with it. She has great skin, her only complaint about it is the size of her pores and a few random and inexplicable bumps (a common complaint of my own). And though these things aren't too visible in this shot here, I'll still give you the low-down on her experience with The Truth.

By the way ...

2010-01-06T11:14:00.000-08:00

I think the reason I've been obsessed with purple things lately (purple eyeliner, purple nail polish ...) is because I MISS PRINCE. Where is he? Why hasn't he given his fanclub any love lately? When is he coming back to the Bay Area?! These are the questions that keep me up at night. Perhaps in sharing this cool image (gifted to me by a friend who appreciates and feeds my obsession) I can will the KING OF ALL THINGS FUNKY to come out and play ....

Lyrics & Lipgloss: Alicia Keys, Done!

2010-01-05T19:34:00.000-08:00

Using a little bit of Too Faced, MAC and LORAC, I gave Alicia's look a go. I've got Too Faced on my eyes and MAC/LORAC on me lips!
In my book, the liner was the real star of Alicia's look, so that's what I tried first. My eye liner ended up looking more like shadow since my eyes aren't deep set, but I still liked the outcome. I mixed the purple and the black in the Too Faced "Word Domination Tour" set, and I think the color I came up with is quirky cool.

Below are the Tools of the Trade - Too Faced World Domination box set, MAC lipstick in California Dreamin and LORAC Couture Shine in Haute. Couldn't resist a self-portrait opp via the tiny mirror :)

What do you think?

New Year Nails

2010-01-02T20:33:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010 ya'll! Alas, I haven't had any success with my lyrics and lipgloss Alicia Keys challenge (YET) but let me entertain you with my polish of choice for the New Year - Rimmel's 60 Seconds Nail Color in Night Before. It's just about the naughtiest shade of purple out there. I sported it with my favorite serpent ring, and that's actually my sister's face. She did her makeup WICKED that night!

My toes came to play, too.

We partied in downtown Walnut Creek (NO LIE!) and consequently were the rowdiest in the club. We even befriended a random couple and started our own countdown when we realized the CLUB FAILED TO DO ONE. Everyone ended up joining in, so it turned out being the perfect way to ring in the new year. Just for the hell of it, my New Year's resolutions are to: spend & procrastinate less, cook & drive more. Bring it on, 2010! I'm READY!