5 lippies i'm loving right now...

you may have noticed that it's all about the lips right now. no matter your preference, it's summer, so experimenting is completely allowed. bright, glossy, bold, matte; neutral, pink, purple, orange, red…

the following lippies are fabulous and i think you would love them as well. take a look...

City Lips
these lippies are a gloss-but-better {each is actually a treatment for your lips that you can wear anytime ~ including to bed ~ for added lip-pampering benefits}! they offer high shine without stickiness and a fuller-lip look without sting. i already have naturally full lips, so i don't really see much of a difference in the plumping department, but the high shine does offer a fabulous illusion. the smell and texture are truly beautiful and, unlike some glosses, these beauties never leave my pout dried out hours later.

Palladio Herbal Lip Lacquer
these bold, bright shades you see are amazing both in color and finish. the creamy texture keeps my lips smooth, glossy and they blend beautifully with other lip products. vitamin E helps to hydrate and protect from free-radical damage while coconut and sunflower oils aid in nourishing by forming a protective layer to prevent water loss in the delicate lip area.

NYC City Proof Twistable Intense Lip Color
not quite a lipstick, not quite a gloss, these creamy lippies have a pleasant, slightly vanilla scent that delivers a gorgeous color payoff. while these aren't super long-wearing, they last longer than typical glosses. i love that the color is buildable and the crayon form makes it easy to line the lips a bit before filling them in. 

Lacqa & Co Fat Lip Pencil

this smooth, buttery lip pencil is called Lambchop {pictured with one of the brand's nail polishes called Bobby Dazzler} and  it's an overachiever! it coats lips in stunning color like a lipstick and the finish is slightly matte; it's long-wearing and is the perfect pink to suits many skintones. i love the packaging, too. fyi, all LAQA & Co's packages are designed by up and coming designers, with a percentage of the product profits going directly to the artist. love it!

Essence Longlasting Lipstick

bright shades are definitely hot for summer, but i love a low-key look year round. these shades, Dare to Be Nude and Wear Berries! are great for grab-and-go application {no mirror required!}, feel fabulous and have been uber-pampering on my lips.


what lipsticks and glosses are you loving right now?

my latest drugstore buys from CoverGirl, NYC, Wet 'n' Wild and more!

i've been quite enamored with the current offerings from drugstore brands these days. suffice it to say, i've had to make quite the effort to keep myself from buying everything i see!

you understand, right?

in any case, over the past couple of weeks i've purchased goodies from Cover Girl {nail polishes}, NYC {lip balms, eye liners}, Wet N Wild {a palette and lip liner}...

ok, you get it...

let's take a look at what i've hauled!

Cover Girl glosstini polishes from the limited edition Capital collection in Pyro Pink, Seared Bronze and Scalding Emerald ~ all so incredibly cute in size and so fabulous in color. these will definitely be worn a lot this season!

NYC Applelicious lip balms have stolen my heart; they're so yummy smelling {Caramel Apple, Apple Blueberry Pie and Apple Blossom}, highly moisturizing and just fun to wear {swoon}. i also picked up 2 eye/brow liners, in dark brown and taupe.

along with a lip liner {Chestnut}, i bought a Wet N Wild Color Icon palette {in the very fitting name, Comfort Zone}, an amazingly convenient collection of easy-to-wear, highly pigmented shades; they're already labeled for where-to-apply-in-case-you're-not-sure, which is perfect for young users {like my daughter, 13} or the makeup novice, but still work well enough for the more-than-experienced-beauty-gal who wants to add quality shadows to her collection without breaking the bank.

housed in sleek little compacts are the e.l.f. contouring blush & bronzing powder. i seriously don't know what rock i've been living under, but i just discovered them ~ they're amazing! the three i bought {Turks and Caicaos, Antigua and St. Lucia} are beyond fabulous, not to mention so affordable. for the price, you get two cheek-enhancing shades that will help create gorgeous makeup looks to take you from day to night...

 the brand i held out on simply because of my personal store snobbery is Flower Beauty. i'm a huge Drew Barrymore fan, so learning that she had created a beauty line was fantastic, exciting news to me. but, i confess, it's because it's sold exclusively at Walmart that i stayed away for as long as i did {i'm not going to lie, i'm not a fan}. it was all the positive buzz that finally changed my mind. i had to {had to!!} try the products for out myself. i decided on the Stick Foundation {shade SF7}, Lip Butter {Princess and the Peony} and On Your Mark Liquid Eye Liner {LL1 black}. the consequence for my caving in? i'm now a fan {!!!} and there are still other products in the range i want to try {nail polishes, blushes, eyeshadows, etc}. so now not only will i have to go back when i run out of those things {insert whiny voice here}, i'll have to go back to get the other things i want...oh, beauty girl problems.

you can find all these beauties at your local drug and mass retailers. so, what have you hauled recently? share in the comments!

i purchased all products featured; pics taken by me :)

NY Fashion Week Spring 2011: Aveda Backstage at Christian Siriano

let the beautiful madness begin-- fashion week for the spring/summer season is underway, beauties! so much is going on, but i will do my best to bring you the best hair and beauty as the week progresses. so, here we go...




Aveda lead stylist Antoinette Beenders (pictured above with Christian Siriano) created an amazing, textured bun at the Christian Siriano spring/summer 2011 show. using a lot of Aveda Control Force Firm Hold Hair Spray, Antoinette explains, "the Christian Siriano hair look for this season is all about different cultures mixing and blending together. the style is a modern bun—full of attitude—with sections of crimped hair cascading over it for texture. it's a strong, contemporary twist on the classic bun."

here's how she created the look:

1. brush hair with a Mason Pearson brush. pull the top section of hair — from the hairline to the crown — and clip it out of the way.

2. comb the remaining hair back into a tight, high ponytail and secure with a bungee elastic. spray with Aveda Control Force Firm Hold Hair Spray for hold.

3. spray Aveda Brilliant Spray-On Shine directly onto the bristles of a kabuki-style Aveda Uruku Bronzing Brush. "paint" the sides of hair with the Uruku Bronzing Brush for shine.



4. take the ponytail and braid it. then twist the braid into a bun, securing to the head with bobby pins. spray with Aveda Control Force Firm Hold Hair Spray for ultra-strong hold.



5. remove the clip from the remaining top section of hair and comb to the crown. working with small portions of hair (approximately one inch) at a time, use a micro-crimping iron to add texture from the crown to ends.

6. brush the hair with a Mason Pearson brush to loosen the crimp. gently pull the hair over the bun and secure at the base with hair pins. spray with Aveda Control Force Firm Hold Hair Spray.



7. pull a few pieces of hair out of the bun with fingers for extra texture. set the look with Aveda Control Force Firm Hold Hair Spray.



visit aveda.com for more info about the styling products used.

xo
all images courtesy of Aveda

Beyonce to 'Heat' Up NYC

if you're a fan of Beyonce and you're going to be in the nyc area, you need to pay attention to this!

the multi-talented artist herself will be in union square and herald square next week to promote her new fragrance, Beyonce Heat. described as a captivating scent that exudes passion and unleashes a spirited fire within; embodies the trendsetting vision and effortless chic of pop culture's most emulated icon.

so, if you can make it, be at union square tuesday february 2nd from 6pm till midnight or Macy's herald square on february 3rd to celebrate the launch of this debut fragrance.




as far as the scent itself, i think it sounds great, but it's always best to let your nose be the decision maker: feminine and irresistible, the floral, fruity, woody scent features rare, sensual flowers. Beyonce Heat opens with a radiant floral bouquet of magnolia, neroli and red vanilla orchid balanced with a kiss of luscious blush peach. at its heart, almond macaroon, sweet honeysuckle nectar and creme de musk combine to create an exquisitely sensual experience. finally, warm and sexy notes of giant sequoia milkwood, tonka bean and amber linger to seduce the senses.


if you attend this event, have fun! also, if you smell the fragrance before i post my review, leave a comment here and let me know what you think.

xo

Tonight I'll Be at Fashion's Night Out

tonight is the much-anticipated Fashion's Night Out, and yours truly will be there! seriously, i feel as though it isn't real. i can't believe it. me. actually in nyc when a global event is taking place. bananas.

what is FNO? it's a global initiative to promote retail, restore consumer confidence, and celebrate fashion with the american and international editions of Vogue coordinating evening extravaganzas in their respective world fashion capitals.

i'm not quite sure what stores i'm going to hit, but i'm thinking about it and planning it as i type. :)



visit FashionsNightOut.com for more information

xo

What I Wore: NYC Day 1

yesterday, september 8th, i wore a fun DKNY Jeans dress that i found at Macy's-- 50% off when i found it!-- a comfy New York and Company sweater and some flats (yes, flats!) i found at Ross back home (wow...that's weird to say, LOL!). i love this ensemble...

after exploring the city, i went back to my friend's apartment to give my tired and sore feet a rest. later that evening, i met up with Henna and Cailin for some sushi somewhere in midtown-- wish i could remember the name of the place , but it was really good!

xo

Exploring NYC...

i ventured down to Battery Park today so i could finally see the Statue of Liberty in person. i didn't get on a boat, but rather took pics from where i could, then decided to "explore" downtown.

since i'm staying in midtown, bordering the upper west side of manhattan, i had to take the subway-- yep, that's right! i bought myself a metrocard, and that was it, i was off-- woo-hoo! i was alone, and i'm not from ny, so i was slightly nervous at first-- mostly about getting on the wrong train, LOL! thankfully, my friend told me which train to take and the system is very well organized-- there isn't anything to worry about in terms of getting lost. if you do need help, believe it or not, people are willing to help you find the right trains to get you where you need to go if you ask (i did it, twice!! ). one thing about going on the subway, though, is that it is hot underground. the trains inside themselves are cool-- unless they're seriously crowded-- so that's good.


somewhere downtown



on my adventure, i found my way to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum-- talk about emotional! i couldn't help but start to cry looking at all of the faces and reading the names of those who were lost on that tragic day. there are audio tracks of phone calls made, video showing the search and clean-up, guided tours from people who lived through it and/or lost loved ones, and all of the plans for the memorial park. i highly recommend visiting it!

needless to say, i did a ton of walking today! it isn't over, though, i still have until saturday, and i plan to go out again later meet up with some blogger gal pals who are just getting into town. stay tuned for more from nyc...

xo

I'm off to NYC!

the day has finally arrived my beauties: i'm going to new york! i admit, i'm excited, anxious, hopeful, unsure, and any other emotion that is related to those. i think it's simply because it will be my first time venturing out past nevada to the east. actually, now that i think about it, the only places i've traveled to have only been on this side of the continent...

in any case, i'm planning to see the sites (aka, be a tourist), attend fabulous events (including Total Beauty's second beauty blogger summit, Fashion's Night Out and enjoy a couple of "bites" of NY Fashion Week's backstage goings on), and you're going to come right along with me, of course!

so, just to let you know, i have some posts pre-scheduled for each day, so no need to worry about that, and i'll be adding in little tidbits here and there as my trip unfolds. it may be a bunch all at once, it may be little short bits at a time, just bare with me, please, because i don't even know, LOL! :)

xo

Do You Have Questions About At-Home Hair Color?

i'm so excited! i get to go to nyc next month (!!!), and among my many adventures, i will be visiting L'Oreal's Technical Center which will include a session on at-home hair color. since this subject is very important to so many women (and men), i would love to get answers to your questions about at-home hair color so i can share with you the answers following my visit.

so, let me know your questions concerning at-home hair color! do you want to color your hair at home to save money, but don't know what to do first? have you colored your hair at home in the past, but it didn't turn out and want to know why?

there are no dumb questions-- ask away!

xo

Make Up Forever Hosting Open Casting Call Tomorrow, 5.2.09

listen up nyc ladies! i just received word that Make Up Forever is having an open casting call tomorrow, saturday, may 2nd 2009.

here are the details...

high-end professional make up brand looking for stylish new york city women between the ages of 20-30 to be a part of our next advertising campaign. we are searching for 25 attractive women with a cool attitude and great skin.

open real person casting call
date: saturday, may 2nd, 2009
location: 8 east 12th street, nyc
time: 11am-7pm
please arrive with a clean face, no make up.
this is a non- union affiliated production. sorry, no SAG or AFTRA talent please.

25 women will be selected to have their photos featured in the ad campaign and will receive $250 and a make up kit with a retail value of $250.

5 of those 25 will then be chosen to be featured in an online advertising video and will receive an additional $250 and another $250 in make up.

all applicants must be available for photo shoots and videos in the manhattan area on the following dates:

*friday, may 8th, 2009- photo shoot
*tuesday, may 12th, 2009- video shoot

to reserve a time slot at the casting call, please email your first and last name and preferred time slot to rsvp@makeupforeverusa.com. choice of 11am-1pm; 1pm-3pm; 3pm-5pm; or 5pm-7pm.

if selected, you will be asked to sign a standard talent release. no one under the age of 18 will be considered.

if you go-- have fun and good luck!

xo