Botox Anyone??

I went to my first Botox party last wednesday with Lianne. Now, I am not old enough to reap the benefits from Botox, but it was entertaining to watch. The women were so happy to go back to see the doctor and get all of their wrinkles (well not all, but a good bit of them) erased. I have never seen anyone so anxious to get poked and prodded. I can say that the Doctor (Dr. Ruff) and the nurse were quite knowledgeable about procedure, and I must say that I was very tempted to be next. It was a pleasant experience and it feels good that there is a procedure out there that allows women to feel good about maturing. Not everyone is blessed with a superior gene pool and access to expensive skin care...and no one is immune to wrinkles and crow's feet.

My Homegirl Trish

After a couple of months with my beloved Bobbi Brown mini brush set, I decided to give her a rest. I needed a set that had more brushes and a larger carrying case. So, after poking around in Blue Mercury, I immediately fell in love with the Trish McEvoy Essential Brush Collection. I had to have it, and the smile on my face as I walked out of the store with new brush set in hand was really worth 1000 words. If you would have passed me on the street, you would have wondered "what's she so happy about?"

The brush comes with Deluxe Blending Brush, Deluxe Tapered Blending brush, Deluxe eye contour, Deluxe Eye Definition Duo, Deluxe Eye Definition Duo, Deluxe Even Skin Correct & Blend Duo and Deluxe Lip. The faux leather, quilted case is so cute and chic. It fits snugly in my bag and looks great next to my Bobbi Mauve Palette. The brushes are nice and soft and offer excellent precision. I heart Trish!!!

From the Runways to the Streets

I know I maybe early on this one (not in the fashion world..but in real life), but I had a photo shoot in NY on Sunday for a magazine submission for the Big September fall issue (late I know). The looks were all inspired by German Expressionism painters, like Munch, Schiele, and Dix. I decided to go with a completely black, glossy lip (done with black eyeliner and clear gloss). Now you maybe wondering, who on earth would wear black lipstick (I've seen it done....don't act like you didn't wear black lipliner in the 90s)?? Well fortunately for you, Giorgio Armani has made it easy with his new Caffe Collection. The collection consist of 5 luxuriously, rich, and creamy lipsticks. Shade 62 is a great wearable interpretation of the black lip trend. Be sure to pair it with the accompanying liner to get a perfectly defined lip that is necessary when wearing such rich shades. It is a beautiful, rich brown that just screams fall and winter. The packaging is extremely chic and sophisticated. I am definitely gifting this to myself!!! I can't wait!!! Fall is among us!!


photo courtesy of www.style.com

To Powder or Not to Powder??

I only powder my face once a day. That's it!! After I apply my concealer, I apply powder on top to set it. That's it!! I don't apply it all over my face nor do I apply it on my nose. I don't like the matte look. Semi-matte. Sometimes. Matte....Never. When will women realize that matte skin does not look healthy nor does it look real.

I think many women hate having oily skin, so they powder themselves constantly throughout the day. They don't realize that powder DOES NOT control oil. I repeat..POWDER DOES NOT CONTROL OIL PRODUCTION!! There is no product out on the market that truly prevents sebum production. Now, there are products that TEMPORARILY do so like oil-control lotions, but it is TEMPORARY...like 2 hours temporary. Please ladies, let go of the constant reapplication of blot powder, loose powder, and studio fix and invest in oil absorbing sheets. please.....

Most celebrities that we see on TV and in magazines have been retouched and are being maintained by their makeup artist. Oil production is a natural function of your skin.

One more thing....if you have skin that isn't flawless (who does...but you know what I mean), don't look for a powder to do the job. That's like asking someone who is a size 12 to fit into a 2. It ain't gonna happen. There are claims of products giving full coverage, but do you really want full coverage from a powder?? Really?? Just imagine what that would look like....

I don't even like to use powder highlighters, unless it is just 200 degrees outside and the person's skin is like an oil slick.

This isn't to give powder a bad rep, but to those who really just sit and apply it all over ....stop it!!

To powder or not to powder....? NOT!!!

Weekend at the Beach

I just got back from a wedding this weekend at Virginia Beach. It was a lovely event. Is it me or do people not dress up for weddings anymore? They used to be such glamorous event, even for those in attendance. The wedding day is not only for the bride. It's a day that you can look your best too!! I just wanted to let you gals know what I wore ( I got sooo many compliments on my look):


Hair:

Side- parted chignon (photo courtesy of www.nexxus.com)
FYI: I have natural hair so to help with the frizzy edges, I apply Aveda Humectant, and tied hair up for about 10mins in satin scarf to smooth.


Make up:

Concealer only!! Too hot for alot of foundation

Queen collection Mineral Bronzer (review on that later this week)

Bobbi Brown Pink Raspberry Blush (from palette)

MAC Tinted Lipbalm spf 15 in Fuschia Fix

Dior Show Mascara

Chocolate Shimmer Eye Shadow (Bobbi Brown)

Espresso Gel Liner (Bobbi Brown)



Clothing:

Kelly Green Shift Dress(Banana Republic)
BCBG Girls Platform Slingbacks (sorry couldn't find a pic).



I got up and went to the beach this morning. Now, I am already a chocolatey girl, but I laid out in the sun(i even got a tan....I look so Chic and Coco Chanel...lol), made sandcastles, and played in the water with my younger cousins. It was such a nice get away!! I haven't been to the beach in years....was great to be a kid again!!