Best Possible You

I love wedding season. I am hardly the romantic type but bridal beauty at its best makes me all giddy inside. A wise makeup artist once told me that the perfect bridal makeup is when the bride looks like the best possible version of herself. Even if you don't wear makeup on a daily basis you want to make sure that when you do YOU the makeup and the makeup does not wear YOU.

My friend Sarah, who's beauty regimen consists of chapstick and the occasional application of tinted moisturizer is a good example of this rule. For our faculty formal, we enhanced her high cheekbones and fair complexion with a combo of blush and bronzer and used eyeliner with champagne-coloured shadows and a generous coat of mascara to bring out her eyes. Finally, I polished her natural wayward waves with flat iron curls.

FITS: Bronzed & Beautiful

The warmer than normal temperatures are making me pull out my summer makeup regime earlier than expected. This is the first post of my FUN IN THE SUN series (FITS).  Although bronzer is something that some wear all year I like to save it for the warmer months. Here are a few of my faves:

1. CLINIQUE Blushwear Cream Stick in Glow Blush
Even though creamy makeup formulas are avoided in the hotter months, its cream-to-powder finish lasts all day. If your skin is extra oily just set it with a little translucent powder.

2.  URBAN DECAY Baked Bronzer in Gilded
For nighttime, the bronze effect would not be complete without a little shimmer. The golden flecks baked into this tan bronzer gives the perfect glow.  Because this formula is  baked it is highly pigmented-what does that mean? Use a light hand when applying it and you can use it an eyeshadow too (just moisten your brush with a little water).

3.  RIMMEL LONDON Natural Bronzer in SunBronze or SunLight
For every high end, 24-karat gold, diamond encrusted luxury product on the market there is always a thriftier alternative. You can find this gem in drugstores that carry the Rimmel brand. The finish is lives up to its name with its subtle formula. The best part? Its under $10.00.

WHAT ARE YOUR GO-TO BRONZERS?

Seeing Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! Right now, I'm sure many of you are sporting green tongues ( I know I am). Tonight, green makeup are going to be used and abused.  Show your Irish(ish) pride with a sweep of minty green eyeshadow. It's suttle, yet very fresh for spring. Using a fluffy brush wash a metallic pale green shadow over the entire lid. Add dark green or black liner to the lashline for definition. Don't forget a good coat of mascara.

The Oscars: Aging Young Hollywood

Any actress would be lying if they said they didn't want to win an academy award. However, someone needs to tell some young hollywood starlets that dressing like you're as old as Judi Dench isn't the best place to start. The upstyling and long trains on the painfully pale dresses of Miley Cyrus and Amanda Seyfried aged them at least five years. I keep forgetting that Miley Cyrus is only 18! Whatever happened to youthful toustled hairstyles?  I'm well aware that nude is the colour pallette of the season but while i'm still in my youth I'm going to embrace neons and other shockingly bright hues while its still age appropriate.

Split Ends

A haircut can be an emotional experience. For myself it is usually a monthly clean up to get rid of split ends because I am too chicken to part with my long layers and I am deathly afraid of blunt cuts. My dear friend, Stefannie Flannigan is fearless when it comes to her hair choices. Blonde, red, brown, long and short Stef has done it all. For the past two weeks, we have been filming a short film entitled, Split Ends. It showcases a woman's attempt to remove memories of her reckless past, regrets and a bad breakup with a drastic new haircut. In this short film, Stef goes from shoulder length hair to a Carey Mulligan inspired pixie cut.

This film is as low budget as they come, so rather than getting a pro to do it she trusted me with a pair of kitchen scissors--and I must say it turned out pretty sweet.

Fresh haircut hair without the haircut?

HerCut is a new product line being carried at Sephora stores and online. It promises specialized care for different types of haircuts. It also promises to enhance the longevity of your haircut and keep your hair feeling clean for up to 3 days after washing and using their products. If any of you have tried any thing from the HerCut line let me know.


I hope this does what it says it does.  I can't wait to try this out once I've finished with my never ending litres of Aveda's Clove Shampoo and Color Conserve Conditioner.

Viva Glam gets even more glam

Cyndi Lauper and Lady Gaga are the new faces of Viva Glam for M.A.C. Click here to check out the Lauper/Gaga inspired lipsticks. Simply gorgeous. All proceeds go to the M.A.C. AIDS FUND.
Happy Valentine's Day everyone! <3

Pretty Peeve: The Return of the Poof

This Jersey Shore thing is getting out of hand but when my friends asked if I could turn them into guidettes for a Jersey Shore party I couldn't resist. Kathryn and Alanna wanted to go as Sammie and Snookie. Kathryn already had Sammie's long straight brown hair so that wasn't as much of a challenge as making Alanna look like a dark, tanned, Italian girl with long black hair. But we made the best of it.