bonjour beauties...

hope you've been enjoying your summer! it has been a fabulous one for me, i have to say...

with all the fun and busyness going on, i chose to take some time away, as you may have noticed. :)

i realize this is something i've done before-- reevaluating my purpose for blogging and allowing myself time away from it-- and i will be honest: it could quite possibly happen again.

the truth is, sitting down everyday to post isn't the easiest thing for me to do. it was my personal choice to step away and just allow myself to not worry about it. i love sharing beauty reviews, news and goodies with you, please don't get me wrong-- but priorities have to be established, you know?


that said, i am still here! in my hiatus, i've stayed connected, working with fabulous pr darlings, and plan to continue to share my thoughts on this beautiful life with you. i can't say how happy i am to see that you continue to visit here, to check in-- it makes me so happy to see!-- but i encourage you to subscribe via email or feed reader, so when i do post, you'll get it sent right to your inbox.

also, if you're not already, please follow me on twitter to go along with me through my day {i tweet everything from beauty and style to my family, food and fitness lifestyle}, and check out my tumblr {yes, i jumped on that bandwagon, lol} for fun, girly fashion, lifestyle and of course, beauty, goodness that i update very frequently {it's so easy to do from my iphone!}.

thank you for being so incredibly fabulous...stay tuned!


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Chat with NARS National Makeup Artist Francelle

how can i keep my skin glowing in the dead of winter?... what are your favorite trends from fashion week?...what's your celebrity must-have product?...what's your emergency product at a photo shoot?...

if you've ever wanted to pick the brain of a pro makeup artist, you'll have a fabulous chance to do so this wednesday, october 27, when NARS national makeup artist extraordinaire, Francelle, will be participating in her first "Virtual PA" on twitter & facebook!

you can currently submit your q's via twitter, with the special #FrancellePA hashtag, then at 12pm est on wednesday, she'll answer the questions submitted. more of a facebook gal? log on to the social network from 1-1:30pm est and ask questions live!

here are all the details...

when: wednesday, october 27th

twitter: 12 – 1pm est. follow @NARSissist and be sure to include the special hashtag #FrancellePA to ensure she sees your questions!

facebook: 1 - 1:30pm est. the live chat is open to fans of NARS on facebook – join today

as a makeup artist who has worked with top celebrities, models, editors and photographers, Francelle has the insider scoop to streamline your fall and holiday beauty routines! find out more about her at artandcommerce.com/FCL

xo
info and image courtesy of NARS

Ciara's New Cropped 'Do

singer Ciara debuted a new, shorter...umm, very short...haircut via her Twitter page a little over a week ago. i personally think she looks amazing. of course, there's another side of me that just wonders what's up with all the chopping and buzzing going on lately...


xo

What Products Do You Find Overrated?

it's not a surprise that i use a lot of beauty products. i do it in order to bring you what i think is worth spending your hard-earned money on. but these are just my opinions, and you may even find yourself disagreeing with me from time to time. not everyone agrees on what products are amazing. in fact, there are a plethora of products that are surrounded in hype and have just as many people loving them as those who don't share the same sentiment.

i asked my fellow beauty-lovers via Twitter to answer this question for me: what product(s) do you find to be over-rated? see if you can spot the pattern...

@sugarshock: Creme de la Mer!

@ReneeRouleau I second Creme de la Mer! It's loaded with Mineral Oil...the cheapest quality oil on the market.

@fourniercomm I have to agree Creme de la mer

@BeautyBlogger Maybelline GreatLash Mascara. Have no idea why so many gals love it.

@WLCO Eve Lom Cleanser, Creme de la Mer, Strivectin

@BeautyITBag Did anyone already mention Hylexin?

@BeautyChick101 Definitely Creme de la Mer. I've never seen the amazingness behind it!



did you see it? yep, an overwhelming 5 out of 7 of these beauty-loving gals said Creme de la Mer! i admit, i actually like it, although i did prefer the gel over the original.

here are some other products i found while surfing the 'net that have been deemed "over-rated" by people who used them:

Bare Minerals
Philosophy Hope In a Jar
Benefit BadGal Mascara
Smashbox Lipgloss
Proactiv Skincare


out of the above products, i definitely think Proactiv is over-rated. it dried out my skin so much i literally started to get wrinkles around my eyes and forehead, and it did nothing to clear up my skin-- not good! in any case, tell me...

what product(s) do you find to be over-rated? tell me in the comments!

xo
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Compliment Your Eye Color with a New Eyeliner

Beauty.com's Beauty Advisor posted some great picks of eye liners via Twitter the other day, and i had to share them with you! these picks are different than the typical choices, so try them out if you get the chance...






for you green-eyed beauties, try Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Bourbon, a shimmery bronze-brown.



for your gorgeous brown eyes, the Beauty Advisor recommended Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil in Bangalore, a pretty khaki green.




blue-eyed ladies, try Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner Duo in Goddess, a silver taupe shimmer/deep purple shimmer combination.


what color are your eyes and what is your favorite eye liner color to wear?

xo