Category Archives: Beauty

Betty or Veronica?

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Archie's Girls MAC Cosmetics Spring 2013 CollectionAs a devoted MAC Cosmetic queen, I couldn’t go through the week without mentioning their new amazing line. When I was seven, I used to read the witty Betty and Veronica comics and became entangled myself in the love triangle between the blonde, the brunette and the red-head that this collection is so aptly named after – Archie. The Archie’s Girls collection has two different “moods”, if you will – one being the soft and sweet side of Betty while the other is the demure and mysterious side of Veronica. Betty’s collection captures the “girl-next-door” persona with peachy-pink lipstick shades that will give one an innocently sexy glow. However, the deep violets, reds and plums of Veronica’s collection could hypnotize anyone with these dangerously seductive tones.

Archie's Girls MAC Cosmetics Spring 2013 CollectionAs always, I have my favorites from the collection that I simply ogle over and covet until I can finally swipe my new “it” lipglass over my lips or powder my cheeks with what I think is the next fabulous blush. So, you ask, the items I couldn’t live without? Every girl could benefit from Betty’s Lipglass in Summer Sweetheart. This soft peach color will give you a sweet-as-pie complexion. By now, everyone knows how much of a fan I am of red lipstick, and Ronnie Red is another one that makes it on the list. Use it alone for a bold statement, or pair the Strawberry Malt lipglass on top for a more tempting look. And no guise is complete without a light dusting of blush – powder some of Betty’s Flatter Me Pearlmatte Face Powder over your cheeks, and even a little dab on your nose and forehead for an overall dewy look. For me, Betty has always been the apple of Archie’s eye, but the real question is, who’s collection will you choose?

Blonde Bombshell

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Marilyn Monroe MAC Cosmetics CollectionMAC never ceases to amaze me at its ability to keep me coming back for more and more after each fabulous collection – and their new release of the Marilyn Monroe Collection is no exception. Somehow, these highly skilled cosmetologists were able to encompass all that Marilyn stands for in an extensive make-up collection, that perfectly embodies the Hollywood Goddess. My favorites from the collection – which there are always many of! – are the penultimate eyeliner, and the powder blush in The Perfect Cheek. The deep carbon-black shade of the rich liquid eyeliner will give you that flawless line in one stroke, while the blush will create a radiant luster that Marilyn always seemed to wear.

Marilyn Monroe MAC Cosmetics CollectionWhen we get into the eyeshadow’s and lipstick’s, it is just much too hard for me to choose one of these rapturous and sensual colors. With the highly pigmented eyeshadow’s, I don’t think you could go wrong with pairing together Silver Screen and Showgirl to create an alluring, camera ready look. The true silver and dark blue grey of these ever infallible eyeshadow’s will keep the world staring all day long. Pair this eye-look with Pure Zen – a frosted warm, nude lipstick that will give you a fresh, glowing look. But, if you’re feeling a little bit more daring – as Marilyn always seemed to feel – try swiping on Deeply Adored – a deep, rich scarlet that will definitely keep the attention on you, and your lips. As an added boost to your look, paint your pretty pointers with Vintage Vamp – a rich, retro wine color inspired by the iconic beauty herself.

Marilyn Monroe MAC Cosmetics Collection

Marilyn stood for many things – sex symbol, icon and hollywood goddess. However, her luster and sex appeal will never fade, and with this distinctively Marilyn collection, one cannot possibly go wrong when trying to channel all that Marilyn represented and her pure hollywood glamour.

Getting Back to Work

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With school back in session, it’s time to get back to work – and what better way to do that than with MAC Cosmetics’s new Fall collection, “Office Hours.” The pink accentuated hues work for any glamourous go-getter. With the power pro-longwear formulas, your make-up will stay put all day long, and will even work overtime if need be. I have many favorites from this pink, 50′s inspired line, but here is just a short sampling of the cosmetics I admire most. To create an awe-inspiring office look, pair MAC’s blendable and buildable pro-longwear eyeshadow in Bloom On and Endless Passion, with MAC’s equally impressive pro-longwear blush in Rosy Outlook. This light-weight blush packs a lot of punch in its perfectly petite compact, and blends smoothly to provide a flawless, natural finish, and can easily be layered for a much more daring and dramatic look. For the final touch to your work-ready statement, add a swipe of the smooth and luscious pro-longwear lipglass in Boundless Beige, or Patience, Please (they were both so gorgeous and glamourous, I just couldn’t choose!). With all your pink hues organized and in order, you’re ready for the work day ahead, whatever that may entail!

Fancy Fingers

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Orange French ManiSo, I apologize once again for another lengthy hiatus from my blog, but after a much-needed recuperation from my trip to Italy I’m ready to get my freshly manicured fingers typing on my keyboard once again. Summer is one of the best times to play around with fun, bright and interesting color combinations (it’s one of those times that you can really get away with it!) – everything from your outfit to your nails are capable of carrying out these daring and bold experiments. I took my own color advice and decided to get a brightly hued manicure, not only in one brilliantly pigmented shade, but two. I got an “Orange French Manicure”, using Meet me at Sunset by essie for my entire nail, and a vibrant, sunshine yellow (it didn’t have a name unfortunately) for the thin line at the brim of my nails. The deep and peppy color of the orange complemented the yellow perfectly, giving my nails an overall bright and sunny complexion that is fun and perfect for the summer season. So don’t be afraid to be a little daring this season, and flaunt some fancy fingers!

 

Ahoy, Sailor!

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MAC Cosmetics Hey, Sailor!

I have been a huge supporter of the red lip for some time now, and was ecstatic when I discovered MAC Cosmetics’s collection “Hey, Sailor!” for the summer. The typical sailor look is centered around red, navy, white and gold – so what better way to show of some red lips? Some of my favorites from their collection are the highly pigmented powdered eyeshadows Jaunty (a yellow beige) and Nautical Blue (a bright, brilliant blue), as well as the Sail la Vie satin lipstick and the Riviera Life lipglass (you know how much I am a fan of orange!). The “Hey, Sailor!” pigment in Old Gold and the powder blush in Launch Away! are also some standouts from this nautical scenario. And of course, no make-up bag is complete without a tube of red lipstick! So grab your blue and white stripes and head out too the docks girls, it’s sailing time!

For tips on how to do the perfect red lip check out this past post here.

Let Me See That Body Shimmy

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With the weather hinting at summer, many of us are thinking about our pale bodies and the need to quickly get them tanned and beach ready. Being pale-natured myself, I have found a couple great options that will give you a slight tan and summery glow without rushing to the tanning beds. Although some love the tanning beds and make it a weekly chore, it actually damages your skin cells and makes them age much faster. So here are my favorite, sunless tan-glow options.

MAC Mineralize SkinfinishAmong many of my MAC Cosmetic products, their Minieralize Skinfinish is one of my favorites. It can be used as either a blush or as an all-over skin finisher – either way it adds the slightest bit of color while also giving your skin an overall shimmery glow. This velvet-soft powder with high-frost metallic finish glides on the skin easily and adds highlights to your cheeks and a sweeping ultra-deluxe polish to the face. My favorite is the peachy-bronze Soft and Gentle.

Hawaiian Tropic Shimmer Effect SunscreenIf you’re pale like me, you know how important it is to protect your skin from the sun’s UV rays, and the amount of sunscreen you need to keep your skin from looking like a freshly steamed lobster. I was stubborn to put sunscreen on during the summer until I found the miracle worker of all sunscreens. Hawaiian Tropics Shimmer Effect Sunscreen is one of my favorite products and summer body essentials. Not only does this lotion protect your skin from a broad spectrum of UVA and UVB rays, but it enhances and highlights your skin tone with the formula’s mixture of mica minerals which leaves a hypnotizing shimmery effect. With an exotic blend of flora and fruit extracts, your skin will have optimal sun coverage while also being nourished and smelling of sweet tropical coconut.

L'Oreal Paris Sublime Bronze Luminous BronzerMy last summer-shimmer must have is L’Oreal Paris’ Sublime Bronze Luminous Bronzer. This self-tanning lotion will take you from a pale beauty to glowing goddess within moments. Use it during the summer to get that beachy glow, or use it all year round to maintain your summer color. Either way, it will give you a natural-looking, long-lasting bronze glow that will force winter into submission. This fast-acting self tanner includes vitamin E, a powerful anti-oxident that will help replenish the skin as your sunless tan develops. With all these summer-glow options, you should have no problem making your body shimmy.

Beauty Basics

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Our faces go through so much daily drama – between the suns’ rays, harsh moisturizers and our regular make-up routines – they are, I believe, one of the most important parts of our body that we generally lack to take care of properly. Here are some of the essential beauty Do’s and Don’ts of taking care of your precious visage.

DO’S

  • Always apply moisturizer. Not only will a daily moisturizer prep your skin for even foundation and a balanced look before applying your make-up, but it makes your skin softer and pliable. Moisturizer is essential for increasing the skin’s hydration, and is still required even if you have oily skin.
  • Blend it till it’s gone. Take the time to really blend your make-up together in order to give it a chic, unified look. An uneven distribution of product is the automatic giveaway to poor make-up application, so blend it in until you can’t see it anymore. Arm yourself with face, eye, and cheek blending brushes to obtain a flawless look.
  • Pencil it in. This is a step that many women tend to forget when applying their lipstick. Always shade lips with lip pencil before applying your favorite pucker enhancer, whether it be lipstick or lip gloss. By applying lip pencil before hand, it will keep your lips looking shaped and on-point all day long.
  • Layer it on. This may be the one instance where I encourage you to layer on any type of make-up. Apply that third coat of mascara to really add drama and volume to your eyes. Wiggle the wand from side-to-side and watch how the volume and length of your lashes extends to the skies.

DON’TS

  • Fight on. Having extremely pale skin myself, I know how important it is to protect your beloved exterior. Never skip on the SPF, even if you don’t think you need it. In order to fight against the sun’s harsh rays, use a foundation or moisturizer that already has SPF in it for an easy way to incorporate it into your make-up routine.
  • What line? Yes, I’m talking about your brow line. This is part of your face ya’know, so therefore it needs to be another aspect of your daily routine. You want to keep a uniform look for your face, so touch up those brows a bit by adding any type of brush on gel that will groom and add shape to your brows. I find that clear mascara works just fine.
  • Wash it away. Never, EVER, go to bed without removing every last trace of make-up from your face. Not only are you removing the aged make-up from the long day, but also all the free radicals and loose oils that happened to make their way on to your lovely face. It is a much needed refreshment to your skin at the end of the day, and your face will certainly thank you for it in the morning.