Oscar Night Beauty

One of my Oscar predictions for make-up looks last night was radiant skin & soft lips. Here are 2 Hollywood Stars that captured that look flawlessly! Make-up Artist Stephen Sollitto created Amy's ethereal look using Hourglass Cosmetics. Her peaches and cream complexion became the perfect canvas with an application of Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. For a luminous glow, Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturizer in Ivory was applied all over the face. Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer in Fair was used under the eyes (she is a mom after all!) For contouring, the bronze shade from Hourglass Illume Creme-to-Powder Duo in Bronze Light was used. Hourglass Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Gypsy was applied to bring out Amy's baby blues. Hourglass Script Precision Liner along the lash line was topped with the deep purple shade from another Visionaire Duo, Exhibition to further enhance her eyes. Of course, lots of Houglass' Full Spectrum Mascara was a must!

Her whisper light lip color was created with Hourglass Femme Rouge Velvet Creme Lipstick in Grace followed by a swipe of Prodigy Hydrating Lip Gloss in Ingenue.I love me some Claire Danes, ever since My So Called Life right up to Homeland currently. Fresh off a vacation, celebrity artist Jen Streicher used Hourglass Cosmetics for the look & prepped Danes' skin with Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. Then a blend of two shades of Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation in Light Beige & Sand was applied to her skin. I must get my hands on this foundation, it looks like it's right up my alley!

To create a radiant glow to her skin Hourglass Illume Creme-to-Powder Bronzer Duo in Sunset was used, then topped with Superficial Waterproof Bronzer. Streicher also turned to Hourglass' Visionaire Shadow Duo in Gypsy to highlight Danes' gorgeous peepers. I'm going to have to pick up this shade for my kit as it seems so universal! The shell shade was applied to the lid, the coppery shade along the lash line. For intense lashes both Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara and Film Noir Lash Lacquer were applied. Hourglass Aura Lip Stain in Flush was the perfect choice to compliment Danes' dress. A coat of Hourglass Extreme Sheen Lip Gloss in Reflect completed the look.

I thought both of these actresses looked stunning! Who were your favorite looks of the night? Sandra Bullock was another of mine for sure!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Polish Pic{k}s

Though I usually favor dark polish for my manicures, they say variety is the spice of life. I spotted Zoya's Kennedy polish & looked like it could be a really great nude. Just like the perfect nude lip, shades can be tricky - they can wash you out. I've tried nudes in the past, that were so matching of my skintone that it looked like I had no fingernails. That's not a great look!

Zoya's Kennedy is a great hue that is that perfect 'greige' - a mix of grey & beige. However there's also a creamy pink tone that makes the color pop & keeps it fresh!

I will also say in the past when I've gone with light colors, I chase streaks the entire time I'm polishing my nails. I've given up on a cult favorite shade called Ballet Slippers from another brand since it never applied uniformly for me. Zoya's pale shades are so opaque you can almost get away with one coat. Rejoice!

Peace. Love. Polish. M

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter

During cold winter months, I often pass up my beloved lipgloss for Aquaphor instead. My lips get so chapped, that my beloved glosses seem to make the situation worse. When I spotted Revlon's ColorBurst Lip Butter, I thought- could it be? Something truly hydrating enough to reach for in the dead of winter? Packed with mango, shea & coconut butters, the product feels delicious on the lips.

Will I never reach for Aquaphor again? Well let's not think crazy, but this formula delivers a healthy dose of color while essentially being a lip treatment. I keep it in my car & apply it for an instantly more polished look.

Peace. Love. Lip Butter. M

GloMinerals Remedy Gel

I'm always on the look out for ways to fight off the aging process...even as an esthetician, sometimes that means I can over do it. A few weeks back I tried a peel that left my skin rather unhappy- don't worry Beauties it wasn't my beloved Skin Medica Peel! My normal go to products to rectify the situation just weren't cutting it. To finally calm my rather irritated skin I turned to GloMineral's Remedy Gel. I'm a big advocate of anti-inflammatory products in general as inflammation is never a good thing & can cause premature aging. This soothing gel contains Aloe, Hydrocortisone & Rosehips (which accounts for its divine smell.) It's perfect for after waxing, when you've over exfoliated or even a blemish- because of course what is a blemish? Inflammation. The texture is fabulous & light, not a bit greasy. It's so lovely I would want to use it every day, but since it contains Hydrocortisone it's not meant for extended use as it can thin out the skin. But it will become a staple in my medicine cabinet to reach for in times of skin duress.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Nate Berkus is My Valentine

So my friend Quinn & I had the pleasure of attending a taping of the Nate Berkus Show recently. May I say he is just about the cutest thing & yes in person, his hair is that fabulous. It's the Valentine's Show that airs today that we sat in the audience for! Real Housewives of Atlanta's Kandi Burruss was a guest on the episode. Oh how I love my Bravo TV!

On today's show Nate shares great little gift ideas for that special someone. It's probably perfect timing as men usually tend to be so last minute! The grocery store was packed yesterday with frantic looking men grabbing flowers & cards.

The set was decked out in all things Valentines- what else would you expect from such a great interior designer? I don't want to give away everything in today's episode, but be sure to check it out for tips on making your bedroom more romantic, cooking a fabulous meal for your special someone & an extra special romantic gesture!

Make sure you keep an eye out for us in the audience- Quinn is wearing a bright orange top & we're in the third row! At the end of the taping, we left with some goodies including Godiva chocolates- so I'm really not fibbing in saying that Nate Berkus is my Valentine!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Happy Galentine's Day

Happy Galentine's Day Beauties! What is Galentine's Day? It's the day before Valentine's in which you celebrate the awesome gals in your life! It seems people either love or hate V day. I would say I'm not a fan of an obligatory day of forced romance, but that's just me. What would make me smile more so than an assorted box of overpriced chocolate on either day? This Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Lipstick from Physicians Formula. This cutie joins it's sister blush that I presented last Valentine's Day. It too contains Euphoryl, natural plants extracts to help lift one's mood. One swipe delivers sheer pink color & hydrating peptides to your pucker. It's the perfect little treat to say MWAH to whomever you love!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Fabulous Finds Friday: ELF Cosmetics

Most beauty lovers have heard of the big 'O' from Nars- Orgasm blush, that is. It's been a cult favorite for ages, and launched an entire collection within the line. This Highlighting & Bronzing Duo from Nars containing the famed Orgasm Blush & much loved Laguna Bronzer retails for $41. It's a great staple to have in your vanity or professional kit.

Now feast your eyes on ELF Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder Duo coming in at a whooping $3! ELF stands for Eyes, Lips & Face and is found at drugstores nationwide. Though the blush in this duo is a little lighter & packs less pigment than the Nars' duo- it's pretty much a dead ringer!

My current favorite blush from Nars is Deep Throat, featured on the right. Though you can see I love Orgasm, too as I've hit pan on the left. The two shades are very similar, however Deep Throat has less gold shimmer- making it an even more universal option. It's entertaining when having a conversation with a client about these shade names, often they 'blush' & I giggle.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow

I was ecstatic the moment I saw L'Oreal's Infallible Eye Shadow, because it reminded me of Chanel's Illusion D'Ombre Eye Shadow & I immediately justified that I could have 4 for the price of 1 of Chanel's! Yes, that's how I truly think- I kind of want one of every make-up product out there in the world. I know...issues.

From the start, the medium of this product just didn't work for me very well. Not a cream & not a powder, it proved to be a crumbly hot mess when trying to use it as an eyeliner. You can get a feel for how crumbly it was, by spotting the fall out beneath my eye. Normally I do my foundation first & then my eyes, while some artists do the exact opposite. For this I would do the eyes first, as I had to use make-up remover several times & had to reapply my concealer. I would also recommend using your fingers to apply or at least a short synthetic brush to really grab the product & minimize the mess.

Since L'Oreal's Infallible was being so uncooperative & I was running late for work I ended up with an intense blue lid with the remnant of my wing from just trying to use it as an eyeliner! Even more frustrating is that you can see, within minutes the shadow had smudged into my crease- not so much Infallible in my eyes. I had to set it with navy shadow. The color garnered oohhhs from co-workers, but at that point I was exasperated. The product offers intense pigment & shine, but with all the additional steps I had to take with it- this is not the shadow I'll reach for when I'm time crunched in the morning.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Laura Mercier's Eye Canvas

Oh how I love an eyeshadow primer! Or a good one that is. I wear a shadow primer each & every day, whether I'm wearing shadow or not. A good primer with smooth & even out skin tone in one fail swoop. My tried & true Trish McEvoy brightens & wakes up my eye area like none other. That is, until maybe now. There's a new contender in town: I'm quite excited for Laura Mercier's new Eye Canvas. Pot container aside(boo!), it promises to neutralize discoloration with a foundation like coverage while being smudge & crease proof. It also is specifically for oily skinned gals like moi- rejoice! It goes one step further in saying it will help smooth those pesky little fine lines to create, yup- you guessed it: the perfect canvas for make-up application. Pretty tall order, but coming from the creator of the Secret Camouflage Concealer- I have high hopes! It comes in five shade selections & is available now for $26.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

$500 Visa Card Valentine's Giveaway

The Beauty Blogger Coalition is back with another $500 Visa card giveaway! To enter, please allow the Rafflecopter widget to load below. All Terms and Conditions may also be found in the widget. Please visit the following Beauty Blogger Coalition members who are bringing this to you! You may enter using Rafflecopter from any of the below blogs but your entry will only count one time. You may, however, tweet about the giveaway (the last option) once a day for the duration of the giveaway.

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Beauty Blogger Coalition
Beauty and Fashion Tech
Beauty Info Zone
Beauty Swatches
BlushingNoir
Gems in a Bottle
Madame B Fatale
Moxie Reviews
My Beauty Bunny
PeaceLoveLipgloss
Perilously Pale
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Polarbelle
polish insomniac
PolishGalore
Pretty in Dayton
Prime Beauty
The Beauty Delicacy
The Plastic Diaries

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck Beauties!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Lip Gloss

As you girls know, I am truly powerless to walk through a cosmetic department & not take something home with me! I'm the same way at an animal shelter- yes I have fears that one day I will be featured on Hoarders... So when I spotted Bobbi Brown's High Shimmer Lip Gloss in Naked Plum out on display recently, it beckoned & yes you guessed it- I made it mine.

Plum Nude is the perfect little pick me up & just the thing to have for a beautiful Valentine's pucker! Though I was probably one of the only Bobbi Brown customers that was sad when they got rid of their lipgloss brush applicators in favor of sponge applicators, this applicator delivers a good amount of product. I tend to prefer brush applicators in general for more precise application. But I will say I like pretty much everything about this gloss- it's refreshingly minty, not sticky & doesn't tingle which can irritate my sensitive skin. Mwah!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M