Red Lips with a New Trick!

I am a fan of lipstick! I like it pale and I love it dark! Realistically, I don't dress up my lips very often, but I was super excited when I read a trick (so simple and obvious) for red lips that made them sooo wearable. First I took my Bobbi Brown Kir Lipstick (a plummy brown) and swiped it on the top and bottom lip. Next I lined with Nars Salsa Lip Pencil (perfect reddish brown). Blot with tissue. Now here's the trick, I applied a brighter red, Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in True Red, to the center of my lips and pressed my lips together. Somehow the brightness in the center gave me the classic red lip, but the plum base kept it from looking garish. Plus with the layers the color lasted for several hours. Just don't put gloss over the top!

Smokey Eyes for Daytime

I was getting a little bored with black. Plus, I really wanted to wear red on my lips...or plum, or bright pink! But black, smokey eyes and colorful lips can be a little overwhelming. So I decided to pull out some of my old favorites and mix them together. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Chocolate Shimmer Ink is beautiful! I apply it close to the lash line (literally rest the brush on your lashes and drag along the line) with MAC angled brush #266. This brush is great for creating a wing-tip at the outer corner. Just lift towards your eyebrow at the end of your lash line. Then use the left over color on the brush to apply a little liner along the lower lash line. After the chocolate I applied a plum-raisin shade from Makeup Forever (Aqua Eyes pencil # 18L). The Aqua Eyes line is very long lasting. Waterproof and all :) The combination of chocolate and plum created a multi-dimensional smokey eye that was subtle and compliment worthy. I had several people tell me they loved whatever it was I did to my eyes (lol!). Funny thing, I loved my eyes so much I sorta skipped the bright pink lipstick!

RED!!!

Red for your eyes, of course! So I had to see how this worked. I've used the MAC eyeshadow Beauty Marked but it is mostly just black. This eyeshadow palette actually has a dark red eyeshadow. Granted, it is a cream, not a powder, but the effect was truly very cool! Basically I started my eye with the smoky charcoal (gloch) on the entire lid then added the silver (slayer) to the crease. After that I used my finger to "pat" the dark red cream (bloodletting) onto my lid over the charcoal. I used the dark purple (ace of spades) as a liner with a smudge brush. Unfortunately my camera takes away about 20% of the color so imagine that my makeup was a bit darker and smokier.....very hot! This is a great look for holiday parties! Possibly paired with a glossy nude lip (Nars Little Darling lipstick and MAC clear lip glass) and some super sexy heels!

Preparing your feet for Spring!

My all time favorite product for feet is Aveda's foot relief! I use this all winter long before bed and by the time spring rolls around, my feet are soft and pretty. ;) It has lavender and rosemary oils for a nice soft fragrance. The lotion softens and smooths out calluses and dry patches. It's is not greasy and it absorbs quickly, yet the next day you can tell a difference as if you had loaded up with tons of product. I highly recommend this product to everyone that loves to wear flip flops and heels!

Another Sexy Option!

I get my hair cut and colored (like almost every other girl in America) every 7 weeks or so at an Aveda salon. My hairstylist, Hollie, is the owner and THE MOST amazing hair stylist I've ever had! She rocks. She is also very good at recommending products that I love. This Volumizing tonic (Aveda) is one of my most favorites! I spray my roots when my hair is damp, flip my head down and blow dry. Once the roots are dry, I flip my hair back and continue drying with a paddle brush. After my fair is styled I can either back-comb the roots for extra volume, or rough up my roots with my fingers. There is no color deposited so it is much cleaner to mess with. Ingredients include organic aloe and wheat amino acids which help add body and shine. And the volume lasts well into the second day. I wake up, rough of the roots and head out the door....

Unsexy!

On the other hand, the TRESemme Dry Shampoo goes on white (see baby powder description) and leaves a dull cast to hair. The volume was decent, but not impressive. This product was promptly placed in my camping bag for next summer. Maybe in the woods, no one will notice dull hair? ;)

Sexy Bedhead

Every magazine recommends using a dry shampoo or baby powder to create volume and sexiness to everyday hair (or limp, unwashed hair). Obviously I had to try this. Baby powder and dark brown hair is absolutely the most ridiculous suggestion I have ever heard. Unless you want a grayish, dull cast to your hair, do not use baby powder! However, I love, love, love Bumble and Bumble Dry Shampoo Brown Hair Powder. It does deposit some color, so be careful where you spray(!) and it covers grey roots nicely. Then there is the volume, very Bridget Bardot! Just spray the powder on the roots, wait a couple of minutes and then rough up the top of your hair with your fingers. Gorgeous!

My favorite colors are teal and green. When I am shopping for a new nail color I am automatically drawn to these colors, throw in the occasional pink, chocolate and nude and I am set! For fall I am loving the new shades that vary from bright aqua to a dark teal. MAC came out with a fabulous, sparkly blue, Ming Blue, that works great with casual denim (pictured on thumb). Sephora OPI released a shade called Go My Own Way that reminds me of the dark teal ocean water, very flattering for all skin tones (pointer finger). Sally Hansen has a new line of polishes that don't require a top coat, aptly named Complete Salon Manicure. The brush is wider than most and tapered in the center, the color Fairy Teal is great for any one who likes a little brighter polish (middle finger), and I have several other shades from this line that are great! My favorite green is by Zoya, called Shawn (ring finger), I get so many compliments when I wear this color! It is fun for work because it looks great with all of the chocolates and grays we are seeing for fall. Currently, on my toes, is OPI's Ski Teal We Drop (also on my pinkie finger). This one looks great on everyone. It doesn't have sparkles which makes it more accessible for casual and dressy. It's a very classic dark teal.

There are tons of great shades out there for fall! Also, a quick dry top coat is a must for those of us with a life. Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat takes about 2 minutes to dry and complete any manicure or pedicure. My nail polish lasts a little over a week without chipping when I use this product.

Have fun picking out your new favorite!

Looking Younger

My family has good genes. I remember being 10 years old, shopping with my mom, when she was carded for purchasing beer. I thought to myself, "do they think I am her younger sister?" As an adult, when I am out with my mother, we are still sometimes asked if we are sisters. If I am not carded at a restaurant, I am slightly offended. And there is an ongoing competition with my sister to see who is perceived as the youngest.

I wear sunscreen daily. Not only to prevent skin cancer, but to prevent all of my freckles from jumping to the surface of my skin only to make me look too young....In my 30's I decided to start using anti-aging products on my face, neck and decollete (neckline). Enter Olay Regenerist products.

A few weeks ago, I purchased the cleanser, serum and night recovery cream. (I can't part with my favorite day time lotion, Eucerin Everyday Protection Face Lotion with SPF 30). I use the cleanser morning and night, it has little beads that exfoliate the skin without stripping it. My face feels clean but not tight. At night I apply the serum, which really leaves my skin feeling like silk, and then the recovery cream, a purple moisturizer that sinks right it.

Last night I answered the door, with my 7 year old son, to a solicitor who politely asked if our mom or dad was home. Do I credit my genes (thanks mom!) or Olay? All I'm saying is that between my sister and I, I win this round! ;)

Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion

On a recent camping trip I noticed that one of my friends had a glowing quality to her skin that didn't come from the 98 degree sun....Enter Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion. This earth-friendly lotion includes tiny flecks of mica that distribute evenly on skin to create that non-sparkly glow. You know the pictures of celebrities or magazine advertisements where the model's legs look toned and sexy? This lotion creates that look! As soon as I returned home from camping (and showered), I went straight to the drugstore and purchased this lotion. One of the ingredients is royal jelly, which comes from honey bees and is used for numerous benefits including anti aging and reducing inflammation. The fragrance is very light and fresh. It is one of my new favorites!

Everyday Look

Here is an easy look to wear for every day. I like to think of it as a Jennifer Aniston inspired look ;)

On my eyes I always start with MAC eye paint in Untitled (this is a perfect nude color for lighter skin) and Laura Mercier eye liner in Black Ebony (it is a cake eyeliner best applied with a damp

straight edged brush and I apply it on the top, under my eyelashes). Today I usedmy new Chanel eyeshadow duo in Taupe Delicat. The lighter color as a wash on the entire lid and the darker color "swished" back and forth in the crease. Under my lower lashes I used MAC greasepaint stick in Dirty (my favorite!). It is a slightly shimmery dark brownish color applied like a pencil and then smudged with Sephora's rounded smudge brush.

Then I used the brush to smudge leftover color on the top outer corner of my eyes. Finish with lash curler and MAC Opulash mascara in Bad, Bad Black.

My current favorite blush is Sugarbomb by Benefit. It has four colors that I swirl together and apply to the "apples" of my cheeks. I used to never wear blush because, truly, I am so pale it looked a little crazy! I have in the last few years found severalblushes that compliment and actually improve the look of pale skin! Yay!

Last are my lips! Lips are my favorite although I wouldn't say they are my best feature. It could be that I am such atalker I want mylips to be noticed ;) So, this summer I fell in LOVE with Chanel's lipliner in Beige, Rouge Allure lipstick in Incognito and my VERY, most favorite Glossimer in Futile.....