Spring Wardrobe Staple from Deefinity Designs

Does your Spring Wardrobe need a lift but you don't want to inject another $100 into a new cami or skirt?

Accent your wardrobe with a beachy shell necklace like the one here from NYC based Deefinity Designs!
LTBB reader Deanne creates timeless pieces to add some flair to your wardrobe that needs a good kick sans the big budget spectacle.
All pieces are unique and handcrafted, much like my thistle necklace shown in the photo. Plus she does custom pieces too!

You can contact Deanne at deefinitydesigns@gmail.com or check out her etsy page at http://www.deefinitydesigns.etsy.com/

Skincare Review: Egyptian Magic

Have you ever glossed over a product in a magazine and then completely forgot about it, only for it to pop-up time and time again?
Egyptian Magic is my... this thing. Most recently I read about it on Into the Gloss as model Caroline Trentini  swears by this product but I first heard about this way back when Naomi Campbell was interviewed as swearing by this too, so what's up with this "magic" or as the bf would say "schmutz"?

Egyptian Magic is described as a 100% all-natural ingredient product containing olive oil, royal jelly, beeswax, propolis, honey and beeswax that can be used for all-purpose needs.
You can use it to moisturize lips and your skin, treat bruises and skin conditions and you can even use it to condition frizzy hair.
The consistancy is like a balm ( I liken it to a Queen Helene Cocoa Butter stick) that melts upon contact with heat. Plus, a little goes a long way.
With the research, I justified putting down $32 for 8 oz of this wonder cream that I bought at a pharmacy in the West Village and I immidately put it to work.
*First challange, The Dude takes a spill on his bike and has a HUGE bruise on his thigh, he put on Egyptian magic before bed time and in the morning, some of the discoloration was gone, the black and blue moved into a dark greenish territory.. so far ok for bruises.
*One Saturday I was out of leave-in conditioner for my weekend hair buns and decided to put a bit in my hair, the results were an A! There was no stickiness nor greasiness, it calmed my hair down much like my beloved new leave-in conditioner ( up for review very soon!).
This is a leave-in to believe in!
*Next challange, Dry Skin. I just finished with my Sunday Beauty Self -Pedi Party and was all out of lotion, I took a less-than generous scoop of the Egyptian Magic and both of my feet were coated in glory. Yay!
* Last, a night cream. The challange- success! Even with my oily skin, this did well. It didn't create a slick but it was gentle enough to help calm the two blemishes on my cheeks all night.

Overall the experiments with Egyptian Magic have been worth it. My only gripe is, where to find it. True, it is available on Amazon but sometimes you just want to test or try it out before committing to purchase.
Anyway, I think its the bee's knees thus far!

DIY: DOTW Clothing Tags

Aww yes, you are amidst " Spring Cleaning", juggling between extreme rain and 70 degree weather, deciding whether to toss that two-year old cargo jacket or keep the calve-length skinny black boots while putting your winter clothes in either the "Donate" or " Hybernate" pile.
It's taken me over a month to go through Spring Wardrobe cleaning just because of the fickle weather but, I have managed to sift through a majority of my wardrobe!
So what now? How do I make the closet a "fun" place to wake up and plan my wardrobe?
No fear, keep track of your daily outfits with Do-it-yourself Day of the week clothing tags!
The materials are bare-bones simple and it puts some pep into reaching for you clothing each day.

Materials:
- 3x5 Index cards ( 7-8 cards)
-Magazines ( old ones will do)
-Nail polish
-Ribbon ( 1/2 yard)
- Scissors
- Glue stick


Instructions:

1.To start, cut or rip pieces of inspiration from your magazine and glue it down to your index card. ( See Pic below!)

2. Next fold the center of the index card in half and cut a "V" at the top middle crease and thread through an approximate 3 inch piece of ribbon.

3. Choose a nail polish color, to paint on the Day of the week for each card. Below I chose OPI's You Don't Know Jacque for Monday.



4. Let the card dry in a well ventilated area for approximately 45 minutes.

Voila! you have your Day of the week tabs for Monday through Sunday and a G for Gentile and a D for Delicates!

Enjoy!

Revisited: MAC for Alexander McQueen and the Savage Beauty Experience

MAC for Alexander McQueen Fall 2007. Clockwise: New Vegas Mineralized Skinfinish, Pagan Eyeshadow, Haunting Eyeshadow, Nile Eyeshadow and Archetype lipstick

Swatches from top to bottom: Pagan,Haunting, Nile, New Vegas and Archetype

Pieces from Alexander McQueen's Savage Beauty Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This weekend I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty exhibition and was totally emasculated by all of works that were shared from his collections.
Last week, upon hearing that the exhibition would be opening a few days after the Met Ball hosted by Vogue and Anna Wintour, I started going through my makeup stash, revisiting my MAC for Alexander McQueen collection from October 2007. The MAC for Alexander McQueen collection was inspired by the Salem Witch trials, with which he had a familial connection and Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra. The makeup look was from Taylor's role as Cleopatra, strong eyebrows, heavy eyeshadow with extended cat-eye and glowing skin.
I remember my initial thoughts of the collection of vibrant yellow-greens, sea-foam teal and golden as too out there, but they worked well once applied, whether it was everyday subtle with a "wash" of color on the lid and a dab of lipstick or applied heavy and dramatic.
This collection was ahead of its time just like its co-creator, Alexander McQueen.
Savage Beauty brought you some of his pieces from his famed Central Saint Martins thesis collection and some pieces he created in the early late 1990's while he worked for Givenchy up until his last runway collection shown Plato's Atlantis.
My favorite was his fall 2005 collection which was displayed on a chess board, with each model being moving chess pieces and the inspiration ranged from a pucci-esque swimsuit with football pads to overly curvy silhouette's with horsehair trim and Gemma Ward having a carved bonsai tree as a headpiece. The color palette featured camel, lilac and a melting pot of colors in between.

The Savage Beauty Exhibit at the Met is open until July 31st and I definitely plan to revisit in the next month or so. I loved it all, the videos, the collections, the thoughts and the clothing. So moving and theatrical, there is and will be nothing else like it.

Happy Mother's Day!

A special "Thank you" and Happy Mother's Day to all those dedicated Mom's out there.
We wouldn't be who we are without you!

Win it!: Mother's Day Giveaway!

How to Enter the Mother's Day Give away:

Leave a comment in this post or send an email to Lacroixthebeautyblog at gmail.com .

One (1) lucky winner will be chosen at random from the entries/comments in this post to receive one (1) Pureology Color Stylist Antisplit Blowdry Styling Cream, one (1) Sinfully Colors Professional Nail Color in Daddy's Girl (deep glittery purple) , one (1) Everyday Minerals Cheek Blush in Opening Day (lavender) and one (1) Susan Ciminelli Calming Cream.

Special Thanks to Pretty City.com for the products.

Giveaway Starts: Thursday, May 5, 2011 – Now
Giveaway Ends: Tuesday, May 10, 2011 – 11:59pm EST
Winner will be announced via email on Thursday, May 12, 2011

Topshop Spring 2011 Nail Color: Cyclone

With all the new Spring nail collections debuting soft, pastel mint's, yellow's and lavender's, its nice to know that there is a new definition of the spring nail that incorporates metallic silver like Topshop's Cyclone Nail Varnish from the Sandstorm Collection.
The Sandstorm Collection is inspired by the beauty of the desert music festivals and includes metallic eyeliners, a blush and fuchsia and orange toned glosses.
So if you need a quick escape from a painfully cute and toxic spring, get hip to some road tripping shades.

Skincare on the go: Purederm Mask

Masked!

A lesson learned from skincare and time constraint, is that we must compromise! And if that means putting on my mask while cleaning the bathroom, checking email and doing research on products, then so be it!
When I was a teen, I was doing a beauty night but had to run an errand with my mom. I ended up going out at night with my Queen Helen Mint Julep mask on and completely forgot that it was on my face! Needless to say, I got tons of stares by drivers and their passengers. Another lesson, never wear a mask too long! After the hour journey, in washing my face, my skin was beyond dry, it was saharan desert.
Fast forward to a beauty party hosted by my friends Thy and Soda, a fete that included cookies, wine and Purederm masks that we picked up at Forever 21 for $1.80!
The peel-away aloe masks are made with cloth like fiber and have enough solution to instantly cool your skin and you only need 20 minutes for your skin to feel smooth. No messing with rinsing or worrying about covering your sink with clay or oatmeal.

You can find these at Forever21 stores. Unfortunately, they are not available on their website.