Paul & Joe Beaute Summer 2010 Launch

Seeing as how it will be 90 degrees over the weekend- I get's it's officially summer time! That means it's also time for Paul & Joe Beaute's Summer 2010 launch! Paul & Joe actually is also a fashion line with talented designer Sophie Albou at the helm. Just like when their clothing collections launch each season, the beaute division creates a limited edition collection to go with it. My pick of this season? Their lipsticks! Gorgeous, fresh, soft and very wearable! From left 001, 002, 003

These translucent setting powders are perfect for holding your make-up in place during hot summer days. Their containers remind me of vintage Coty make-up from the 1950's a bit.

Moracco and the desert was an inspiration for this collection & I can't help but imagine all the girls from Sex And The City using the products in the desert scene from the movie preview! Corals 004, Bronzes 005 and a flash of crisp Blue 006 round out the polish shades. Everything about Paul & Joe Beaute pieces are a work of art- with their limited edition pieces truly becoming collectable items. What's your favorite?

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Summer Accessories

We are slowly digging out from under boxes at the boutique! How I would love to get a shipment once a week, it keeps everything fresh & new. But I swear all the vendors conspire to send their packages all at once! First up? Accessories galore!

I love these earring's delicate, vintage vibe. About the size of a penny- they are so romantic!

These dainty studs have a classic Chanel vibe & who doesn't love Chanel?! Smaller than a dime, they're the perfect feminine touch!

When I saw these rings, I immediately thought of Nicole Richie's House of Harlow jewelry line. I love the entire feel of her designs, but our costume rings are so much more affordable than hers at $15!

Stay tuned for more sneak peeks at what has arrived at the boutique as we clean up all the packing peanuts!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

SmashBox's Brow Tech To Go

Me thinky me needy! The Brow Whisperer in me is a 24/7 thing. There is no turning it off. I can be in a meeting or at Target & become slightly fixated on someone's brows. I, of course, bite my tongue since I never want to make people feel self conscious. My powers are meant for good, but sometimes I just wish I had free reign over everyone's brows (& chin hairs dear lady at McDonald's drive thru...) Filling in brows is an absolute must for me. It takes your established shape & pumps it up a notch in terms of lifting and making them look groomed. The original Brow Tech has been a staple in most make-up artists' kits forever. Now they've launched an angled brow pencil(why has no one thought of this before) + a clear gel combo= perfect in its portability. Can't wait to try it out! Tell me beauties- do you fill in your brows on a regular basis?

Peace. Love. Brow Whisper. M

Paul & Joe Prom Beauties

With Leah being in last weekend for Paul & Joe, I thought I would post my own glam-over using their products! One of our fabulous clients, the naturally gorgeous Blake, popped into the spa for prom make-up this weekend. See how I got her glam below!

How to achieve Blake's look? First I applied Paul & Joe's UV primer all over since I knew her make-up needed to last close to 12 hours(it was going to be a long night of dancing!). Then I evened her china doll like complexion out with Paul & Joe's Light Cream Foundation 10 focusing on neutralizing the redness in her cheeks. To fake naturally flawless skin- apply foundation only where needed & not all over the face, it gives a less 'made' up look. Further concealing around her nose & under her eyes with Paul & Joe's Stick concealer in 02 was then set with their pressed powder in 02. For her eyes, I applied Paul & Joe Eye Primer 02 over the lid, then layered with the shimmering peach of Palette 001. In the crease I applied the medium brown shade from that same Palette 001 in a windshield wiper motion. I used my favorite dual liner from Being True to line the upper & lower lash line eyes(the black side), then used the light side to brighten around the inner corner of the eyes. Limited Edition Bronzer 01 was lightly dusted over cheeks, with lip laquer in 03 finishing off her flawless look! She looked & felt like Cinderella and I hope she had an amazing time at the ball!(ahem prom)

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

The Hills Returns!

Is it sad that I'm so stoked for Monday?! Though the Hills really fell apart after LC left, it's still such a guilty pleasure of mine. Will we get a look into Heidi's level of sanity? Hopefully, they pull out all of the stops since this will be its final season (with rumored appearances from the always classy LC!)

Ah the City... How I love NYC & Whitney! For the record MTV doesn't budget for hair & make-up, so she does her own on the show. Kudos to her for rocking out the flawless skin & wavy hair!Whitney seems so nice & normal. The supporting cast on the other hand has made this show juicier than the Hills. I'm really interested to see her fashion week debut & if she has what it takes to be a designer. I worry she's not cut throat enough! So yes this thirty year old will be joining the throngs of teenage girls glued to the screen Monday night! Will you be watching? Happy Friday!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Make-Up Search

So I've been debating about bringing in a new make-up line at the spa. Don't get me wrong- I love the lines we have, but this gal never can have enough! Is it wrong to want to spice it up a bit?(she says guiltily).

The Goldilocks in me wants an established brand, but one that isn't saturated in the market place - which means it can't be at Sephora & Ulta. My interest has been piqued by lines created by my beloved Kevyn Aucoin (may he rest in peace) and Sue Devitt. Are there any that my beauties out there would recommend? Ones that you've stumbled upon and now can live without? What do you look for when buying your prestige beauty products? I'll be headed to The Makeup Show to browse other lines next month, but would love to hear your thoughts!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Paul & Joe Beauties

Fellow beauty blogger Gouldylox also came in to have her make-up done with Leah. If you're a reader of her blog, you know we've been working extremely hard at La Papillon to treat her hyperpigmentation with a series of chemical peels. I must say, without a shred of make-up on, her skin looks amazing!

Again Leah spends time priming the face before applying Paul & Joe's new launch for summer-Protective Fluid Foundation with an SPF 25 to the face.

Voila! A beautiful natural complexion with softly smoked eyes & nude glossy lips completed the look. Perfectly sun kissed, just in time for summer.

Peace. Love. Paul & Joe Beaute. M

Paul & Joe Beauties

Another one of my amazing clients, Brennan popped in for some easy make-up tricks when Leah was in town. Brennan is the heart behind Baltimore Dog, an amazing dog walking service that puts my four legged baby in her hands 5 days a week(she's so good- sometimes I worry Bailey loves her more than me!). Brennan has that naturally gorgeous J. Crew model vibe going on, but wanted help creating a look for when she wasn't with canines!

Leah gave her a peaches n cream complexion using Light Cream Foundation in 31, then filled in her brows with Paul & Joe's best selling Eyebrow Pencil 04. Look at what a difference filling in your brows makes! A quick swipe of my favorite peach Lipgloss 05 completed the look. The result was beautiful & easy to achieve for Brennan's active lifestyle.

Leah also softly smoked her eyes with soft bronzes & golds. She patted a little of my favorite Eye Gloss 01 in the center of the lid to brighten the eyes & make them sparkle. There's nothing better than making girls feel gorgeous!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Paul & Joe Beauties

Our much adored Leah Dean, national make-up artist for Paul & Joe Beaute, flew in for our event this past weekend. We can't say enough about her, she's super sweet & super talented! Here she is rocking out a headband from our latest new shipment of Medusa's Heirlooms, she immediately scooped up two fabulous pieces while I was still unpacking the box!

One of our fabulous clients, Jodi popped in for a Spring Make-Over with Leah. Jodi is the genius behind The Business of Life, her own company that provides business & life coaching. As a business owner & busy mom- she wanted an easy, polished, yet professional look.

Leah is a huge fan of properly priming skin & is known for making the skin appear flawless. Her primer of choice? Paul & Joe Beaute's Protective Foundation Primer UV 02. It evens out the complexion while prepping the skin for color & providing an SPF of 40.

The result? Radiant, glowing skin! Jodi loved how well rested she looked & felt like a million bucks! What can I say- at the spa we always aim to please & make all of all clients feel gorgeous!
Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Paul & Joe Beaute

How lucky am I that I get to be playing with make-up all day?! I am blessed to love what I do!

My favorite fellow make-up artist Leah Dean from Paul & Joe Beaute will be at the spa today & tomorrow making our clients become even more gorgeous gals!

She is so talented, I will be posting some before & after pics next week after I catch my breath!

Have a great weekend beauties!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Steals & Deals Week

It has been a blur of a week, the kind where you keep forgetting what day it is! All week is our Steals & Deals Week at the spa where you can treat yourself to heavily discounted spa services. Who wouldn't love to pamper themselves at great prices-right? It has been crazy busy & of course it's Murphy's law that a huge amount of shipments arrived at the boutique, as well! We have been slowly digging ourselves out of the mound of shipping peanuts. This girl has been running(figuratively speaking- I don't run unless someone is chasing me!) My favorite girl & make-up artist Leah Dean from Paul & Joe Beaute is also headed into town for this weekend's festivities! So I must scoot so I can can finish tidying up the house for her arrival & ice the red velvet cupcakes!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Electricity Boosting Skincare

Yes I know. I too want to say "It's electric -boogey woogey woogey." Two new products have been launched this month that are based on the concept that increasing electrical activity in your skin can increase collagen and elastin. It kind of makes sense to give a 'charge' to your body to help it behave & think like younger skin. Both Neutrogena Clinical Facial Lifting Wrinkle Treatment & Aveeno Ageless Vitality Elasticity Recharging System involve a two step regimen that work together to create that reaction for smoother, more lifted skin. As dermatologist Leslie Bauman explains it "triggers your skin cells to make elastin, leading to decreased sagging." What do you think my beauties? Will you try it- does it spark some curiosity? I couldn't resist!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Make-Up Must Have Monday

I am powerless to resist (and my friends were not aiding in the willpower department, either!) Three of us picked up this limited edition kit from Trish McEvoy during a recent Nordstrom's event.

The light blue shadow initially looked a little scary, but the rest of the kit is packed with incredibly wearable colors. The two center powders are definite winners- on the left is a brightening powder & on the right is a gorgeous shadow called Diamond. This gal loves diamonds in any form! A very light nude gloss & a travel size of my beloved Trish shadow primer in Bare rounded out the package.

Here I did a very soft look using all of the shadows. I used the Diamond shadow in almost a rainbow shape in the crease & brought it down into the corner of the eye. That intimidating bright blue? I applied it in a sheer wash across the lid, which actually really brightened the whites of the eyes. I then softly smudged the navy liner on the top lashes & followed with several coats of mascara. All in all, especially when considering the price of individual Trish products, this was a steal of a deal at $95. Sometimes with kits, you end up with half of it being colors you wouldn't use- which is definitely not the case here. Speaking of cases, isn't the turquoise snake organizer deliciously fun? Perfect for quick little summer get aways!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

How 'Bout Them O's!

I'm taking a much needed day off and headed to Orioles' Opening Day with Partner in Crime! So excited to have a girls day amidst over priced hotdogs & beer:) Any big plans for you guys over the weekend? Hope you have a great one!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Hourglass Prodigy Hydrating Lipgloss

I'm a sucker for packaging. I know, I know. One shouldn't judge a book by its cover-blah, blah. We all do it. I'm also no wine connoisseur, but when giving a bottle for a gift I usually look for a cute label (but I can actually pronounce Gewurztraminer & it makes me sound like I know a thing or two & it's just fun saying it, but I digress.) There's just something about pulling a gorgeous product from your purse. It makes you feel glam. Hourglass' new Prodigy Hydrating Lipgloss is just plain hot. The tube is sleek and one of a kind. Whenever I pull it out of my purse to put on, a girlfriend's interest is piqued. The shade I picked, Eden is a soft, sheer nude enhanced with vitamin E to hydrate my pucker. What's good to know? The light texture glides on without being tacky(great for car windows being down in the summer) and is paraben, sulfate & fragrance free! Get your gloss on!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Prep For Colour

The MAC elves have been working feverishly overtime again! Prep For Colour is their latest launch & it's right off the runway and on par with what's hot for Summer!

The esthetician in me gets giddy for SPF! (I know I'm a dork, but I always say I'm going to be one hot 50 year old...) Their Prep & Prime Face primer packs a whollop of an SPF 50 while being oil free. This I must try since I'm such a Goldilocks- nothing can touch my Jan Marini SPF 30.

Bold lips are in for Summer & it has my clients a little fearful. There's no need to be afraid my beauties! You can add a pop of color with a sheer texture that gives it a fresh approach. Try the sheer fuchsia pink of Just Add Colour Tinted Lipglass or my favorite Paul & Joe Beaute Lipgloss 05, which is a sheer peachy color(I'll post a swatch). That shade is my go to color for brides.

Go get your glam on!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Files From The Brow Whisperer

Oh Girleens is this happening to you? Are you walking around hiding your gorgeous peepers under a mountain of hair?! I know as women we're running around nonstop, but don't you owe it to yourself to put your best face forward? In under fifteen minutes, you can feel like a new woman! I call that instant gratification!

Look at how different my client looks! Yes, it's the same woman. We still kept nice fullness to her brow- but everything looks brighter & lifted! She did a happy dance, which in turn made me do a happy dance. It's time for your Spring Cleaning Gals!

Peace. Love. Brow Whisperer. M

Make-Up Must Have Monday

I'm like a mad scientist when I work (ahem & play) with make-up. When applying my every day look you can find a hodge podge of varying concealers & powders covering my hand. For a wedding or a shoot- the products start to travel down to my arm! Mally's new Liquid Light is the perfect new ingredient for my concoctions! It's almost like I'm cooking up a new look & this is my secret spice. Just a little sprinkle in the cap & you're whipping up a glam look.

There is a magical feel to this eyeshadow & it does remind me a little of Prescriptive's Magic powder in terms of sensation when you put it on. It goes on like cool silk against the lid. The powder transforms into almost a liquid when you apply it, then it dries back down to a powder offering great staying power.

It really is such fun to play with & offers buildable intensity- you can start off sheer, then add more & head for smokey town! Here is the plum shade, but it also comes in mint green & brown shades (the brown has my name all over it!)

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Fabulous Finds Friday

It's a good thing I love you girls- it helps me cope...For when I find myself in situations like this.
(L) Charlotte Russe Sunglasses $6.50 (R) Michael Kors Sunglasses $235

I treated myself to these Michael Kors Sunglasses last year. I loved their unusual chain link design. I have been a huge fan of them, with the exception that occasionally you can find clumps of my hair in that cute little gold circle detail. Note to self, next time I buy sunglasses- I will try them on with my hair down. Do men designers not think of things like hair & how we want to keep it? At least on our head? But I digress. Surfing the internet, I stumbled upon these copies, that save for a smidge of a cheesy design on one of the links, are identical! So again while I rock myself back & forth trying to console myself, I take comfort that at least my beauties will be saving some money! Happy Easter!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Quite Apeeling - V. I. Peel Diaries

Let me preface this post by saying that I had the V.I. Peel, the strongest peel we currently offer at the spa. That might not be the one for everyone. There are many different peels in terms of strength- so I don't want anyone to be deterred due to the amount of peeling I had. If you are looking into to getting one, speak with your specialist to find one that meets your needs, as well as your lifestyle. Tuesday afternoon my face started to peel around my mouth. That is usually where you first start to peel due to the movement of the mouth(especially mine!)

By Wednesday, the peeling traveled up towards my cheeks. The most important thing & the hardest to resist is pulling at the dead skin. That could result in tearing the skin. You have to be honest with yourself as to if you're a picker, because you can do more harm than good if you can't leave things alone.

What can help speed the process along is gently rolling the skin with some mild cleanser after you've been in the shower for a couple of minutes.

By Thursday the majority of the peeling was done, aside from a few stubborn patches high on my cheekbones. These were where my main issues of concern were - where I had the most hyperpigmentation. The majority of the peel was done by Friday morning, though there was still some slight flakes here & there. I was incredibly impressed with this peel in terms of results, and the fact that there was very little irritation during the sloughing process. With some other peels I have tried, my skin had been very sensitive. But besides the annoying peeling aspect(which is par for the course, since it's a peel)- my skin felt fine. My skin is noticeably smoother & brighter- so I couldn't be happier. I've got my glow on!

Peace. Love. Peels. M

If you're looking to try a peel in your area, feel free to ask me any questions- I'd be happy to help!