The Glammies!

Happy New Year's Eve my beauties! Are my gorgeous girleens getting gussied up for this evening's festivities? What are your go to products for glamming it up? Welcome to the 1st annual Glammies, my glamour awards featuring products that I couldn't live without this year! I try a LOT of beauty products, I just can't stop myself! This year's top honors go to:

Urban Decay's 24/7 liners(above). At last count I had over a dozen of these lip & eyeliners known for their amazing staying power. Perfect for lining the inner rim or waterline of your eye, which I feel is a must in creating the perfect smokey eye.

J'adore Illamasqua's cake liner- it's rich & decadent. I get the most fabulous jet black cat eye ever from this line from the U.K. that recently made its debut stateside. I am tapping my foot impatiently waiting for the launch of new colors, as I have all 3.

Being True Mineral Foundation (above) for it's natural gorgeous coverage, SPF 17 & anti-aging anitoxidants that are infused with the minerals. My go to for each & every day!

Being True Blush in Apricot- this imparts the most perfect peachy glow, while the esthetician in me loves that it's mineral makeup & good for my skin!

I recently discovered this finishing powder due to its rave reviews across the board from fellow make-up artists. It glides on, reduces the appearance of your pores, fine line & wrinkles- all while leaving your skin touchably soft!

Don't let the bright yellow of the Correcteur shade fool you. This Lancome concealer is perfect for neutralizing the redness resulting from pimples or broken capillaries, while having the sheerest of texture. I always have a few tubes on hand.

After recently trying several shadow primers(stay tuned for my review), I am sold on Trish McEvoys. It leaves the lid smooth while offering enough coverage to use it without shadow. On my days off I throw this & mascara on...it makes such a difference.

This undereye concealer from Clinique packs a lot of coverage in a tiny tube. Even the most stubborn undereye circles are no match! Added bonus? It moisturizes while helping with puffiness. Woo hoo!

This lip lacquer from Paul & Joe is our latest obsession at the spa. It brightens the face instantly with a super glossy, yet sheer wash of color. It is delicious & a best seller.

The Matte side of this highlighting pencil is heaven. Use it on the brow bone to wake up your eyes or on the lid as a shadow base. I heart this pencil so! Tell me gals...what is your most favorite product? What deserves a Glammie in your book? Comment & be entered to win a mini brow kit from Anastasia that includes a mini of my beloved Camilla Highlighting Pencil. Have fun tonight Gorgeous Girls!

Peace. Love. Glammies. M

Wish List Wednesday

Look at this luxe launch of gorgeous products from Guerlain! The Collection Imperiale is simply divine!

Seriously, images of me in a silk nightgown with Veronica Lake inspired hair all while spritzing this sublime radiant powder are floating in my head. This is truly swoon worthy packaging! Though I scoured far & near, this powder is sold out *sigh*

Rounding out my picks from this collection is this vintage inspired lipstick. I'm usually a gloss kind of girl (what gave that away?!) ,but this lipstick is such a work of art that a gal would feel instantly glam pulling it out of her purse! Grab the rest while you can girleens!

Peace. Love. Glamour. M

Eau Yes!

Eau yes my beauties, it does appear that my addition to all things beauty extends to perfume! I have a very keen nose if I do say so myself! I love to wear fragrance according to my mood. Though I realized when taking pictures of my library of scents, I have enough to last several decades!

I tend to gravitate to clean crisp notes with citrus undertones. Verbena, lemongrass, orange blossom, linden- yes please!

Strong notes of the well known Michael Kors and Dolce & Gabban's The One are balanced with the more delicate fragrances of Aphrodisiac and Paul & Joe's Blanc on a bedroom shelf.

I still always am captivated with new launches. Yes I have my classic go tos, that I feel comfortable in, but I admit I'm always trying new ones...like Marc Jacob's Daisy in my quest to find my absolute signature. I have a feeling one day I'm going to have to get involved in hand creating a scent in order to know it's perfect! Right now I'm enjoying what Santa left in my stocking this year ,Versace's Bright Crystal. It's a fresh light blend of pomegranate, peony, lotus flower, musk, and amber. Tell me beauties- what's your signature scent as of late or what's on your wish list?

Peace. Love. Perfume. M

Merry Monday Must Haves

How are you my beautiful girleens? How was Christmas? Did Santa bring you everything your little heart desired? Alas I did not magically receive the thin thighs I requested, but nonetheless got treats galore! Out of many great gifts, here are a few of my favorites! First off, only Partner in Crime could have found a bejeweled eyelash curler- it's so cute I'm going to have to investigate carrying them at the spa!

My Sugah Mama, in true form, went overboard & got me the fabulous Vintage Metallic Zip Continental wallet by Tory Burch. It's quite delish & very roomy which is helpful since I tend to stock pile business receipts... now I can do it in style.

How funny is this? I was cracking up at my older sister's elation over getting the Dyson Ball Vacuum...seriously I would never get that excited about a cleaning apparatus, but there was some intense joy going on!

I've been wanting a Kindle for a while- now it's in hand! Hopefully this technologically challenged girl will be able to figure out how to use this little gem! I also got a Wii & Wii fitness board, which Patient One is obsessed with. It's what started her love affair with yoga, which I know would be great for my back.

My middle sister brought these fabulous monogrammed vases for us all the way up from Charlotte. I love fresh flowers & the shape of this will hold really nice arrangements.

I guess I was really nice this year since everyone went overboard for little old moi:) Of course I had to round out my picks with a lipgloss set- it's my mantra you know!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Merry Merry

As my niece's delightfully plump little behind states "Ho Ho Ho!"

I wish you rosy cheeks from freshly fallen snow. I wish you warm memories in the making with friends and family. I wish for you amazing things in the New Year that can't be wrapped. I wish that you savor all of the little things on this most special of days. I wish you a Merry Christmas. God Bless.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Magic in the Air

'Twas the night or rather the day before Christmas and I am scurrying around like a crazed little mouse. Last minute presents to wrap & cards to write, need I mention my house is quite a fright? So I will remind myself to take a moment to breathe...that in the blink of any eye it will be tomorrow night- and that this most magical of seasons will be fading from sight. So I will cherish the holiday music, a cup of hot cocoa, the twinkling of the Christmas tree lights & wish you all a very good night!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

It's the Most Wonderful Thyme of the Year

Alright, so I might officially have a candle addiction. As previously mentioned (and acknowledging is the first step-yes?), I could have entire store dedicated entirely to candles. I think they make the perfect gift and make a house feel more like a home.

In just a few days, Christmas will be here! What's the first sign of the season? When our shipment of Frasier Fir arrives. Every year when La Papillon brings it in, it has a cult following- myself included. I sniffed countless holiday scented candles when trying to find the perfect fit for the boutique. When I discovered Frasier Fir I knew it was the one. It's blend of crisp Siberian Fir needles, heartening cedarwood and relaxing sandalwood just smells like the season to me. I'm a bit of a scrooge this year because I didn't get my tree up, but every time I walk in my house it still feels so Christmasy because of the fragrance. I light my candle, add a cup of hot cocoa and curl up on the couch with a good book. Heaven. What's your favorite holiday scent?
Peace. Love. Holidays. M

Ho Ho Ho Holidays

We had our Steals & Deals VIP holiday party for all of our local La Papillon Beauties! I wish all of my blog beauties could have been there! We started out the evening with Poinsettias. (champagne+cranberry juice) I went with cranberry juice since we were doing cranberry peels, too & I love a good theme!

Mulled cider blended with a little Captain Morgan(my absolute favorite for cold nights!) was kept warm by tealights in our Snowman decanter. Our guests could pick from a bevy of beauty services offered at only $10!

My beloved Christmas shoe cake plate held cheesecake nibbles in original, raspberry & turtle flavors. I use cake plates year round for decorating...I use them to display food, as well as make-up and must have baubles at the spa.

The cupcake topiary tree was a bit of a bust! Martha Stewart makes everything look so easy! My mini cupcakes were just too moist and delicious to cooperate with staying on the floral form. Thanks to our massage therapist Lindsay's quick thinking though, we improvised with brownie bites. A great time was had by all & every gal left fresh faced & giddy into the night.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Blizzard Boredorm

So what does a girl do during a blizzard? With over 22 inches of snow trapping me inside, I had visions of cleaning out both of my closets & wrapping all of my Christmas presents. Did I do that?

Nope. What did I do? I made a batch of my favorite soup- Illinois Prairie Corn Chowder.

I painted my nails OPI's Smitten with Mittens, a Santa inspired ruby red slippers color.

I made a batch of mini poppy seed bundt cakes for gifts....started panicking that if I gave myself salmonella poisoning due to eating half of afore mentioned cake batter that no one would be able to get thru the snow to take me to the hospital... figured a glass of wine would help kill possible salmonella bacteria. After deciding I was safe, licked the bowl with remaining batter.

Played with a wild shadow palette from Coastal Scents & tried a different color on each eye....

Showered & got in a new clean pair of pj's! Whewww- a day in the life! What did you guys do?

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Fabulous Find Friday

I'm not going to lie. I rarely associate the word 'Heifer' with anything remotely positive. Until I stumbled upon this little gem of an organization last year called Heifer International. Its aim is to create world peace by ending world hunger. Lofty goals-yes? Let's face it though, this time of year we're all scrambling to find the perfect gift for our loved ones while traipsing through malls & leaving empty handed, as well as grumpy!

Through this organization you can give the gift of livestock to an impoverished family in honor or remembrance of your loved ones. I don't know about you, but I have people in my life who really have all the 'stuff'' they need. My father even has an electric pepper grinder with a flashlight attached(in case he's craving the condiment when it's pitch black!) This holiday season donate sheep, goats, chickens- whatever your fancy & change someone's life. Last year I donated a bunch of chicks in honor of all the cool chicks in my life. This year- do some good, while feeling good about it.
Peace. Love. Livestock. M

Klum Collection

Alright so Heidi Klum can sometimes get on moi's nerves. Maybe it's her voice, but it's probably more so that after popping out 4 kids she still has a better body than I could ever dream of! I will give her this though, she's building quite a little empire.

What's her latest venture? A line of holiday make-up for Victoria's Secret. Rocking a Moroccan vibe, each piece is like a work of art on the outside and would look just so gorgeous on my bathroom counter! This is a good thing since I'm always in a rush in the morning & products are left scattered every which way...

The eye palette features shades of violet, which as a make-up artist I've found to be really versatile & wearable on every eye color. The black shade can be used to line or smoke out the eye. The collection also features a glitter liquid liner- yes please!

In the past, I've found Victoria's Secret's cosmetics to be affordably priced and be of nice quality. Heidi's collection ranges from $12-$24. Here's hoping that Santa sticks a few of these limited edition pieces in my stocking!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Wish List Wednesday

It's like fragrance bon bon style! You girls know how much I adore perfume- it can lift a gal's spirits so! This season, Bond No. 9 compiled a glorious collection of their scents. Each of their scents is named after a NYC neighborhood, like No. 9's Little Italy - a citrusy blend. Did I mention said compilation is so scrumptuously packaged, it looks good enough to eat? Twelve of the perfume house's downtown eaux de parfums are presented in 1.7 oz flacons, then arranged in a lush white keepsake box. This luxurious treat would bring a smile to any girl's face, especially her nose!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Available here for $1600

Stay tuned for an update today on who won the bevy of beauty products from my 200th post giveaway!

If You Like It, You Should Put a Ring On It

I'm speaking of a wreath of course! I found the cutest wreath from a local garden club that I just had to snatch up when the boutique participated in a holiday bazaar recently. Even better? A portion of the proceeds from my purchase went to children's cancer charities. I love it's whimsy and that I'm giving back while treating myself.

I also adore this lush citrus wreath. Very classic and elegant, it's timeless & would fit so many different types of decor.

This unusual succulent wreath will live on after the holidays! I think this would be such a neat centerpiece when placed on a coffee or dining room table with a candle in the center.

I think this last one is absolute genius! Perfect for any budding chef, all of the ingredients used in this wreath are edible! You can literally break off a piece to add flavor to any culinary creation you're whipping up! What a great gift.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Bottom 2 wreaths available here , Citrus wreath available here

Make-Up Must Have Monday

Tis the season to Let it Glow, Let it Glow, Let it Glow! Your skin, that is. This time of year, most of us are feeling...how shall I say? Pasty. Put some radiance back into your skin with highlighting products!

I know people with oily skin (moi included!) are sometimes hesitant to add more shine to their face, but fear not. I prefer a powder form like Paul & Joe Beaute's for that reason. Pick 1 or 2 places you want to brighten(no more or you will look like a disco ball!) Let's get started.

Liquid highlighters like Benefit's High Beam are good for placing on the cheeks or dabbing on the bridge of the nose to elongate it's appearance. If you want to take baby steps, you can mix a drop in your moisturizer or lotion to give a subtle all over glow.

Powders like this Dior product you can place just about anywhere. I also feel like I have more control with them. Inner corner of the eye, the brow bone, right above the center of your upper lip- pick your poison! Put it wherever you want to draw attention on your face. A favorite trick of mine? After I've done my eye make-up, I dab a smidge of highlighter smack in the middle of the lid. It really brightens the area & makes me look well rested- which let's face it, I'm not! What are your favorite places to highlight & what are your favorite products?

Peace. Love. Get Your Glow On. M

Today's the last day to enter my 200th post giveaway! The top highlighter is one of the goodies included! Hop over to the Bon Bon Girls to enter- good luck!