Monday, August 30, 2010

Neutralizer

I'm at the point in my life where I'm attending a Wedding or a Baby Shower every other week.  This week, I had two Baby Showers to party up.  It's crazy (in a good way) that I have friends who are going to be PARENTS.  Crazier yet is how skilled I've become at these shower games.  I scored in a major way at both events.  I'm not one to brag, but BOOYAH!:

(also won a digital photo frame which has mysteriously turned up missing)
Onto my makeup choices for the weekend.  Baby showers don't warrant the same style of glamourama as a wedding, so I kept my look low-key and very neutral.  On my eyes, I used Bobbi Brown's cream shadow in Suede.  This stuff SAVED MY LIFE in Miami.  If you want industrial-stength melt-proof shadow that applies delicately and beautifully, Bobbi has perfected the formula.  

I layered the cream shadow with the 3rd and 4th colors of the Revlon Color Stay "Coffee Bean" palette. While the world continues to pine for this season's must have UD Naked Palette, I'm sitting pretty with a perfectly neutral quad that applies smooth and pigmented at 7x's less the price!  I especially love this palette because it was a gift from my sister.  She bought me one because I always used hers on my frequent trips home to visit the fam.  The third color down is our mutual favorite.  It is literally the perfect brown.  


On my lips, I tried out a new gloss from Fusion Beauty - InFATuation in "In The Flesh."  You know me and nude lips ... I'm constantly on the hunt for the perfect shade, even though I have 50 billion tubes at home.  I didn't really notice a plumping effect from this product, but the color is nice.  Apply a little at a time and go lightly where your lips come together.  Otherwise, you'll get that weird white line in the middle of your mouth (there is no worse fate for a lip gloss lover than that gross line).   


The result of all this is nice and light.  

Labels: , ,

Friday, August 27, 2010

Staycation Scenery

Started my new gig this week.  Forgot how much it sucks to be the new kid, especially in advertising.  Hopefully I can figure out a way to fast-track my adjustment period.  I hate feeling disoriented!  

Although I want to chronicle the 10-day weekend I had prior to starting my job, looking at these pictures almost makes it hard to focus at work.  MAN, I didn't know how good I had it on my staycation.  Here are a few highlights.

Bridal shows w/pesto-topped oysters + good friends = the realization that bridal shows can be really fun if you have good friends and pesto-topped oysters!

My favorites from the bridal gown fashion show ... not that I'm looking or anything ...


Cupcakes for my baby sisters's college send off dinner.

One of many, many naps with Domino.

He can't sit still when he naps.

Dropping my sis off at college, then driving away and watching her stand there.  Everyone involved cried like babies ... even the ones conferenced in via cell phones.  So this isn't exactly a happy highlight, but I am very proud of the fact that all of us made it to college.  Mom and Dad definitely knew what they were doing most of the time :)

Also enjoyed multiple massages, but none of that is pictured here for obvious reasons.  I seriously can't wait for my next staycation.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Orly Sparklies

In preparation for my new gig, I decided to treat myself to a mani/pedi.  Look good, feel good.  I picked two colors from Orly to help me ring in this new chapter of my career - Cut the Cake for my hands and Saphire Dream for my toes.  Not exactly symbolic names for the event that they're helping me celebrate, but check the sparkle.  I'm poised to make an entrance.


Labels:

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

goldenGrey Launch

Back in April, I helped a friend with her vintage clothing website by modeling a few of the pieces she selected for her launch.  We did an Egyptian Cateye look with pale lips.  I only used a few items on my eyes to achieve this - details here

While the final shots are a visual testiment to how much of a rookie I am at modeling (read: how much of a model I'm NOT), I am so excited to share the clothes with you!  These pieces are WAY more photogenic than I am!

If you like what you see, go to goldengreysf.com to see more or to make a purchase.  Jo Anne has a lot more up her sleeve, and she's releasing everything bit by bit (I remember taking oodles of pictures and everything was awesome!).  Check back often, there's a lot more to come :)




Monday, August 16, 2010

Summer Highlights

I'm currently taking a week to wash my brain before I start a new job next Monday.  I'm in staycation mode, finally getting caught up on organizational projects around house, getting to the gym on a regular-ish basis, getting Domino used to his new "to-go" house and creating looks I can wow all my new co-workers with!

I've spent a lot of time experimenting with highlighting.  My face is not angular by any means.  It's sort of the polar opposite - anything that can be smoothed over, is smoothed over.  This means I have to do my fair share of conturing and brightening to really pop in pictures.  My favorite tool of the highlighting trade is Stila's "All Over Shimmer" powder in #2, coupled with a MAC eyeshadow blending brush (for me, less bristles make it easier to pinpoint what I want to highlight).  The Stila powder is no longer available, but [this] Stila powder should be comprable, and looks even easier to use.  I dust this down the bridge of my nose, then create a sideways "V" (looks like <) down my brow bones and across my cheek bones. 
The pigment is pretty intense:


Here's a picture of me in a room with little natural light (you can still see the shimmers):
And here's the effect in a room fully-flooded with natural light (shimmer holds up well even when it's washed out):

If I piqued your interest in Dom's to-go house, here he is in it!  My new office is pet-friendly so he'll be making the trek with me to San Francisco once in a while ... can't wait to have my little sidekick with me at work!

Labels: ,

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Party Polished

This past weekend, I had the honor of attending my friend Camille's wedding.  She and her husband, Andrew, looked so beautiful together, and I felt so special joining their celebration.  Camille is a lady of impeccable taste, but she also doesn't shy away from fun.  So I knew I could get away with a party-girl makeup look without being controversial.

Eyes:  Tarte Lock and Roll in Amethyst/MAC #7 lashes
Lips: MAC Ban This gloss (because yes, I'm still obsessed with it)
Face:  Tarte Park Avenue Princess Bronzer (great formula.  Obsessed with this, too)
Cheeks:  NARS blush in Sin

I'm on your left.  Please note the lighting in the venue was extra romantic, so it looks like I got a SUPER tan in Miami when in fact, I'm only slightly sun kissed.  Regarding the coconuts, Camille knew she was playing with fire when she made the decision to have those props at her wedding!

Goooooooood times!



Labels: , ,

Monday, August 2, 2010

Been MIA ...

...because I've been in MIA!  Was in South Beach, Florida celebrating this crazy amazing year with my sisters.  Marriage, graudations, new jobs and turning 30 all deserve a toast or two.  South Beach was so much fun and it was the perfect place to commemorate all of the good things that have happened (or that will happen) this year.  And now I miss my sisters and the Atlantic to pieces.  Didn't wear a lot of makeup on my trip, but will do a post on the super-strength goods that kept me polished in the insane humidity. 

For now, the pics below show off a new shade of gloss that I'm (currently) madly in love with - it's MAC's "Ban This"  from the Dare to Wear collection.  I totally would have brought this with me to Miami, but didn't buy it until after I got back on Saturday.  Speaking of super-strength, this stuff has major staying power - it stuck with me through an uncharacteristic healthy eating binge on Sunday: large smoothie, peaches, berries, more smoothie...maybe that's why I look so happy in these pictures!

Labels: