Cheap Beauty Thrills: The Ultimate Summer Makeup Remover

Beauty's natural MVP- Coconut oil!

I don't know about you but by the time I've applied my "face-of-the-day" (FOTD) and have been out and about in NYC's 75+ degree weather with a side of muggy 100% humidity for a few minutes let alone hours, it makes you want to carry face wipes at all times. Melting mid-day is only one of my problems, the other is that my one of my favorite mascara's is so hard to remove that I end up using multiple face wipes and a number eye makeup removers over the course of a few weeks.
Luckily, I was sharing my misfortune with a friend who suggested Coconut Oil.
Coconut Oil? Really? Yes. As an acne-prone, contact-lens wearer, I would highly suggest using Coconut oil as the cheapest solution for removing melty makeup and loveable-yet- unremovable mascara. I personally like Trader Joe's Organic Virgin Coconut oil because its $5.99 for 16 oz. but really any Coconut oil will do!  My word of caution, keep your jar/container directly out of the sunlight or heat its the oil liquifies quickly.

Still "Collection Hording"?

photo: ecrater.com

Has there ever been a time when you bought an entire collection?


I've been close to the brink in my hay-days with MAC, just 2-3 products shy of the WHOLE thing ( minus product dupes). My first brush with hoarding with MAC's Aquadisiac Collection in 2003, then the Diana Ross Collection ( just shy of the Eye Palettes) and then I kinda fallen out with 2007's Alexander McQueen for MAC being the last one ( skipped on the paint pots).


IMO, collections are now either 1. too big with 1/3 of the products either re-named or discontinued. 2. Dupes or 3. PRO products that I can get anytime at a PRO Store. Granted not everyone has access to a PRO Store, but you can acquire what you want. With that being said, new products, formulas and colors are pretty dismal. Its harder to covet newbies when every other week (seems like days) their is a new collection in your face. I digress, maybe I am slow to change with the 4-5 collection releases every 2-3 months.


What have been your recent collection hordes?

Weekend Beauty: Vanity from The Last Dragon

photo from:kozmikon.blogspot.com

I was so happy this past weekend to see Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon available to view instantly. The movie made my childhood! I thought Leroy Green ( Taimak) was so cute and I wanted to be Laura Charles (Vanity) and oh the 80's hair, poppin', lockin' at 7th Heaven and lets not forget Sho'nuff of Harlem.

Its been YEARS since I've seen this- I'm so glad it's available! All the memories of hanging out with my Aunt Pat and my cousins, having popcorn and cracking up at the campy-craziness of a martial arts culture, plus some classic 80's good-time music by Debarge.

Will we ever reclaim the joy of the 80's?

Laura's makeup was it! The big hair, fuchsia contoured chiseled cheeks, smokey black eyes and violet-pink lipstick- it was no wonder she was Prince's lady at the time.. though he could have helped her on some dance moves because that was another story.

Chanel Beauté Embassadors

Luxury is now merging with "IT" girls to bring us Beauty Embassadors. Dior has Harley Viera Newton and now Chanel has 5 ( yes, the magic number).

StyleFile reports that Jen Brill, Poppy Delevingne; Vanessa Traina; Leigh Lezark and Caroline Sieber are Chanel's New Beauty Embassadors. These women have been all over fashion for some time now, from DJing to working at top magazines and being the face for labels.

I hope to see them in a Chanel Beauty ad in the future or even store events, but more likely they will be the inspiration for us to look to for inspiration ( much like their current roles). Especially since Jenn Brill rocks the red lipstick on the daily.

More info here (Style.com's Style File Blog).

L’oreal Friends and Family Sale!

East coast beauties, go now!
L’oreal is having their friends and family sale from NOW until Sunday, May 10th at the Metropolitan Pavillion.
This friends and family sale ( from 50%- 90% off) includes the following brands:
*Yves Saint Laurent
* Kiehl’s
* Lancome
* Shu Uemura
* Vichy
* Giorgio Armani
* Ralph Lauren
* La Roche Posay
Location: Metropolitan Pavillion
125 West 18th St ( btwn 6th and 7th Aves).

Discount at this location only!

Dior Spring Makeover: Twilight

I loved the makeover I received at the Saks counter but as soon as the flash went off in my camera.. it was over. I looked like an ashy vampire, dare I say Twilight?

The DiorSkin Nude foundation must have a load of titanium dioxide in it, in daylight it looks great, but I'm afraid of taking another photo.

Products used:

DiorSkin Nude in Dark Sand 051

Dior Harmonie  Blush 001

Eyeshadow 5 colour in 559

Lipliner 436

Dior Creme de Gloss in Fig Nectar

FOTD: Sunday Spring Sweetness

I haven't done one of these in a while- but here was my ode to the beauty that was Sunday. 

60 degrees warm and sunny while strolling through Prospect Park.

Face: NARS Balanced foundation in New Guinea with NARS loose powder in Mountain

Eyes: NARS Multiple in Mustique with Fez eyeshadow, Dior Iconic Mascara

Cheeks: Mustique Multiple with Casino Bronzer

Lips: NARS Dolce Vita lipstick

Jean Paul Gaultier's Complexion Enhancers

Jean Paul Gaultier, one of my favorite designers is just too future forward- Make up for Men.
While girls discreetly give guys skin and brow shaping tips, JPG created a whole line dedicated to the boys we love and now loathe... yes, I'm jealous!

Although, this isn't the first time I've seen his line- it's been at Nordies in Fashion Valley for over 2 years but I haven't seen the product, more-less testers because it was always sold out. 

 I did enjoy the dandy campaign image.

Now Sephora, my 5th meal of the day sells JPG's Complexion Enhancers- Bronzer, Tinted Lip balm and Concealer.

Have you seen these in the flesh?

Makeover+Videogame= where do I sign up?

On Beauty and the Blog, they feature the Shisedo and Sega created a Nintendo game ( wha? you mean no dream cast?) called Project Beauty!

Link Here

We here in the states will probably see it in about 20 years as it is out in Japan now.
But maybe it can be a Wii game, can you imagine?

Lacroix is featured on whateverishly.com

Here

Gotta love those Coco B and Stella Glass

Lacroix's Best of Beauty- Powder

In this new world of HD flawlessness, powder is often forgotten. Whether it's used as a highlighter or to "powder your nose"..in my case, since I'm a natural oil slick, I chose the latter. My Faves:




1. MAC Select Sheer loose powder- Sheer and buildable in a variety of colors.perfecto! What's even cooler has been the different mixes and matches MAC has Incorporated, such as the loose beauty powder last year with shimmer. If you prefer the classic, stick to the original.

2. NARS Loose Powder- this is a fave for all obvious reasons but the selection is quite dismal. Though Mountain can work for chocolate brown skins...that's pretty much it! As Heat and Soleil are not available in loose powder format...bummer.

3. Clinique Stay Matte Pressed Powder- my first, Stay Amber ( which I believe is now discontinued?). Perfect for setting in the cute green compact and great for your skin too!

Photo:maccosmetics.com

My Makeup bag bust..and redux

Currently I lug my wares in a Marc Jacobs  tote bag that contains a bathing suit, tank, planner, mints , phone and 5 free range lippies.

Within my luggage is my makeup bag, an Aveda linen thin sac that looks like it wants to cry.

Why? because its contents are massive, here is the rundown in no particular order:

• Smashbox Photo finish UVA/ UVB SPF 15- the best primer since...
  
• Shisedo Ultimate Sun protection cream SPF 55- I heard Naomi uses this, it must work wonders
• YSL Golden Gloss #9- Loove this fuchsia gloss with..
• YSL Bronzing Powder #2
• YSL Rouge Personnel #8- Why is this discontinued.. how I love thee
• NARS Casino Bronzer ( yes, I'm a bronzatic)
• NARS Mustique Multiple- purfect apricot color for cheeks and lips
• NARS Damage Lipstick- great for transition to night lippie
• Dior Capsule Total Creme- smooth moisturizer that smells heavenly.
• MAC 213SE Brush- the best applicator for lips, ie the new lipbrush whether I want a subtle lip or a structured lip. Works wonders
• MAC Architype lipstick- Gold and loving it.
• MAC Smolder Eye Khol- nighty- nite cat eyes
• MAC 181SE Brush- my bronzer applicator
• Lacroix Lippie!- perfect violet confection :)
• Stella McCartney perfume

now granted about half of these are minis but still, I lug a lot of product.

Today I decided to redux, but I can guarantee you by tomorrow, I will be re-stuffing the makeup bag for emergency purposes.

So to test, I decided to use 3, yes 3 product on my face today and in my bag.. lets see how well I fare.

Up to the challenge are:

• YSL Touche Eclat #4- THE BEST HIGHLIGHTER/CONCEALOR!
• YSL Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils #1
• Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Pink Beige

Here I am in all my morning glory:

I do have a dinner tonight and will be itching for damage , my golden gloss and casino...

YSL Matte Touche Foundation Review

As you know, I have oily skin and living in warm conditions where within 15 minutes of me cleaning my face, I already have an oil slick on my nose- I need something to help me do dewy instead of gooey.

I cruised to my Nordies in Fashion Valley and checked out some new foundation formulas but since I am partial to YSL, I decided to journey to the counter first.

Their new foundation is the YSL Matte Touche. A slim tube that comes in 12 shades.
Here is the rundown:

- The texture is that of Maybelline's Dream Matte Mousse sans the ashiness.
- The color range is bizarre, the jump from 11 to 12 is about 3 shades, but once it settles on skin it looks great.
- When testing color and wiping my hand with a tissue, the titanium dioxide shows- there were streaks of color residue ( moisturize before applying product).

I would give this product a 6/10. Its lovely for the warm temperatures but kinda reminds me of the 90's matte fixation.

YSL's Summer '08

Warm, exotic, African summer shades..that I can't wait to get my hands on!
Every collection brings a new trinket that is filled with a limited edition shade that gets me hooked. This season brings the Soleil D'Afrique, a 30th anniversary collector jewel made of exotic natural wood.

This summer YSL's Summer beats most of the collections out there with the introduction of their new Palette Couleurs D'Afrique in blatant complementary shades.

Gloss Repulpant ( Glossy Lip Plumper in SPF 10 ) comes in 2 new shades: Glossy Nude and Glossy Candy

I love YSL's lip plumper, color, consistency and the smell is great, can't wait to try the new shades.
Plus I am a huge fan of YSL's color range and how it favors my skin tone.

Visit:www.yslbeautyus.com

Et Vous Spring?

No, I didn't forget about you.. I know my post haven't been as fast and furious as they have earlier this year but the GMAT is killing me!

I know.. excuses excuses.. not really. But I do have some new loves.

A few weekends ago I peeped Bath and Body works looking for my good 'ol Smith's Rosebud Salve and came across their new Spring Launches. The fragrance that caught my nose ( and is now currently brewing in my diffuser is their Enchanted Orchid home fragrance oil. The scent is the best intro to spring since khaki's.
What's cool is my Dior Ultra sheer lipstick has the same scent.. loves it all the way.

I also peeped BBW's C.O Bigelow Mentha liptint in Violet Mint and mixed it with my Sephora violet lip pencil for a Louis Vuitton/Richard Prince look.

cK Calvin Klein Makeup Launches!

It's finally here! cK's revamped makeup line is now at Sephora.com.
Contrary to the line that we were introduced to a few years ago that featured neutral and muted tones, the re-vamp has bolder colors that have extras to help the skin.

While in France I had the chance to try the Delicious Pout Flavored Lipgloss in Pastel Gold and was pleasantly surprised! The texture was not as sticky as expected and the packaging makes for great application. Its nice because the gloss doesn't stick to a fuzzy or doefoot applicator.

Though I still haven't seen the line in the Sephora stores yet, it's great that its now available online.


Photo: Sephora.com

Prescriptives- Technotropics Spring'08

Can we say Juicy!

Prescriptives's spring makeup collection, Technotropics connects brights with wearability, unlike some spring collections I have seen where your eyes and lips are the same vibrant colors.

What I'm liking so far is the Blush More or Less cheek color colours. Extremely portable, easy to use and in beautiful shades.
Thai Orchid will be mine!

Photos:Prescriptives.com

Revlon Custom Creations Foundation

Ted Gibson created a shampoo and conditioner that you can customize. Now you can customize your foundation!
Revlon's Custom Creations Foundation allows you to "dial" your prefect shade by just a swivel of the top.
I am curious to try after seeing this in my local target because I haven't tried Revlon's foundations due to the fact that they are in-between shades.

Photo:walmart.com

So Stylistic!

Yes, I know it has been since last week that I have posted but, I have some good news for BOC's out there!
MAC's Stylistics collection is the one for us! I'm so happy I held on to B-day change to get the goodies from here.
So what am I wearing?
*Sheer Mystery Powder in Dark Secret. The coverage is a step up from their Blot Powder and more in line with their Sheer Select powder. I was extremely happy that the undertones in these ones are a lot warmer than the SMP that came with the Couture collection last year- they just didn't work. Though one thing to take away,like last year, these baby's come with a refill!

*Sheerspark Pressed Powder in Fashionette. I love this! I would decribe the color as "pink berry". The color really pops and MAC doesn't make one like this- a vivid "pink berry" but subtle sparkles. Love it on the apples of my cheeks.

* Lipglass in Hyper-Chic. LOVES IT!! The texture is smooth, the color - I covet, a nice pink that is great for day and doesn't make you look like you are trying to hard to sport pink during the day.

Aww, Stylistics how I love thee.. let me count the ways.

The Angels have landed!

Yes, The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2007 is actually filming today but will air on December 4th. I'm also excited to watch.
Why? Because:
1.I love all the remixed catwalk music.
2. The great holiday ideas for your lingerie ( who knew that you can revive so things in your boudoir with some ribbons and extra lace.
3. The fact that this year I have counted ( so far) 4 beauties of color! Selita and Oluchi ( from 2005 and 2006) and now we have our Beauté du Jour Noemi Lenoir and Maybelline's new spokesmodel Jessica White! I'm over the moon.
4. MAKEUP, MAKEUP, MAKEUP!
Can't wait to recreate the looks!

Photo: NY Post