Make-Up Must Have Monday: Make Up For Ever Black Tango

I first spotted Make Up For Ever's Black Tango Palette when I was in Italy a few weeks ago. They were sold out of it & I panicked that it wouldn't be available in the U.S.  Luckily it is. The palette includes 4 Aqua Cream shadows- which is are so creamy & delicious they easily apply as liners. Here I sport the emerald hue on my top lash line & the navy on my bottom lash line.

I was a bit apprehensive of the reddish hue- since I feel pinks & reds near the eye can make them appear bloodshot.  But the shade is a deep black plum that's very wearable.  I covered my entire lid with it while playing with Halloween looks. Make-Up For Ever is such a great brand in that they offer truly theatrical grade coverage & colors without the heavy feel. This shade reminds me a bit of my beloved go to nail color- OPI's Midnight In Moscow.  I used the white shade in the palette as a highlighter.

All of the shades sparkle like jewels on the skin.  Since the deeper shades are all blended with black- it's a great palette to step out of your comfort zone a bit from basic blacks & browns.

The compact itself is a work of art, like a Japanese paint box.  It states on the compact to close each pot tightly, which I make sure to do since I noticed the tester on display at Sephora had dried out a little.  The textures & intensity make this palette a must have. It's also a great value at $45, when individual Aqua Creams (though larger) retail for $23 each.  I say put it on your holiday wish list!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.

Fabulous Finds Friday: Maybelline

With a coupon burning a hole in my pocket, I scooped up this Maybelline Eyestudio compact recently at Ulta. I had high hopes after the girl at checkout said, "Ohhh I love these."

The compact didn't disappoint- high payoff in terms of color vibrancy with the exception being the highlighter (on top) coming in beautifully sheer with specks of gold glitter.

 I applied the darkest to the lightest shadows working from the outside in & then blended for a gradient look. I also used the darkest shade wet as my liner. This compact is a steal of a deal even regularly priced at $10.99. I played it safe with this selection of nudes called Caffeine Rush, but there are tons of funky shades that will be perfect for creating Halloween looks!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.

Must Have Make-Up Monday:Tarte Holiday

The holiday make-up collections release such a lovely giddiness in me, it almost squelches the panic that then follows due to the fact that the holidays are indeed under 8 weeks away. Cue the Cathy comics, 'Ahhhh!!!" After a particularly crazy work week last week, coming home to some Tarte treats had a more stress relieving effect than a large glass of vino! 

I've been using Tarte's LipSurgence Stick in Exposed almost every morning this past year. It is the perfect lazy woman's beauty tool for those of us time crunched in the a.m. It's a gorgeous matte nude that's a great building block for any lip look.  A lip pencil, lip stick, lip stain & hydrator is shoved into one jumbo pencil!

  So imagine my delight at Tarte's holiday collection Statement Lips ($34) boasting 5 shades! There are 2 lip tints, 2 lip lusters & my beloved Exposed matte lip tint included. One for every mood & day of the work week to help us cope! 

Tarte's other fabulous lip kit- Girl Meets Gloss ($34.50 exclusively at QVC) has 5 delicious coordinating Maracuja Divine Shine Lipglosses. 

 To die for packaging aside, the easy push button applicator dispenses that nourishing maracuja goodness in such pretty shades.

  My trick for easy & affordable gift giving for all those great gals in your life? Buy both kits & break them up. Pair the coordinating gloss & LipSurgence together with cute ribbon + a candy cane. Voila! You have 5 fabulous gifts (ones that your girlfriends actually want) coming in at under $15 a piece- that is, if you can part with any!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.

Aloxxi Dry Shampoo

To prevent damage to your hair, I know it's always suggested that you not shampoo every day. That's super hard when you have oily skin, thus an oily scalp.  More often than not, if I skip a night of shampooing (which I would love to do with long hair) my hair looks like it has been licked down by a cat.  Not a good look. All the classic dry shampoos I've tried in the past have left me looking like Cruella De Ville, as I'm a brunette.  Most left my hair looking gray in patches & quite dull- then brown colored powders to avoid looking ashy left me looking like pig pen! Nothing really was a good fit. But brunettes rejoice! Recently I tried Aloxxi's new Dry Shampoo & I think I've finally found a winner! It's the least powdery spray version I've found- the trick is to shake the bottle just a little, not a lot. It's got a highly addictive unisex smell & leaves a cooling, tingly sensation on your scalp- as an added bonus. My hair is quite thrilled I've discovered it.

Peace. Love. product.

Files From The Brow Whisperer

Often clients with sparse brows hold on to every single hair they can! But undefined brows aren't doing anyone any favors.  Remember your brows are the frame of your face & when properly shaped can open & lift the entire eye area.

See how much more youthful the eye area looks after waxing? You can actually see her eye, because a great brow shape highlights & features your eyes!  A quick tutorial on filling in her brows with powder helped this client further enhance the lifting appearance of her new shape.

Peace. Love. Brow Whisperer.

Beauty Deals

I'm back from my travels abroad Beauties & oh how I have missed you! I can't wait to tell you all about it, but first I had to let you know of 2 great beauty deals happening today. First it's Urban Decay's Friends & Family Event. The holidays are closer than you think (I hate to be the bearer of bad news.) Get a head start with 20% off all purchases & be sure to take advantage of the free shipping with purchases over $50 with coupon code: FFHolday12 .

Second, have you all heard of Coterie?  It's like my beloved Gilt & Rue La La shopping sites, but dedicated to all things BEAUTY! *Swoon* Today starting at noon, this Stila collection is up for grabs for $60. This collection which has four full sized products & retails for $100 includes: One Step Bronze, Prime Pot Eye Shadow Primer, Stay All Day Liquid Liner and Coconut Crush Lip & Cheek Stain. It will help you keep your glow as we head into colder months. Hop over to the site to check it out. It's causing quite a stir in Beauty Bloggerland! I'm always here to get you the scoop on the latest & greatest deals!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.