You won’t find Pauly Shore inside (thank goodness).
Biodome!
Archives for April 2009
Under the Sea
I never really wanted an aquarium until I saw this one.
Do You Always Wear a Base Coat with Your Nail Polish?
Base coats, like the Essie First Base ($8) shown above, act like primer for nail polish, ensuring better adhesion of polish to the nail. Not only does that mean a more uniform application of color, but it means a longer lasting mani or pedi that’s slower to chip.
Other reasons to use a base coat
- Base coats with certain proteins, Aloe vera, vitamin E and/or calcium can strengthen nails that are brittle and dry and reduce splitting and peeling.
- Dark nail polishes like blues, blacks and bright reds can stain the nail and seep into the nail bed. Applying a base coat may prevent that from happening.
- A base coat provides a hint of shine, and when used properly (base coat, color coat, top coat), the shine lasts even longer.
Sounds good, right?
Then why don’t I use one all the time, LOL? I wish I could say that I always take the time to apply a base coat, but I don’t. It’s a step I’ll skip if I’m feeling lazy or rushed, which is about half the time.
As a matter of fact, before my visit to the Lippmann Nail Bar last year, where I got a rundown on base coats from an accomplished polish pro, I used to skip the step entirely.
When you do your nails, do you always take the time to use a base coat?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Laura Mercier Bohemia Collection: Swatches and First Impressions
After checking out the new MAC Dazzleglasses this morning, I swung by the Laura Mercier counter for a quick look at Bohemia, her new color collection for cheeks, eyes and lips.
It was rainy and gloomy outside, but Bohemia’s shimmery bronzes, blues and corals made my Thursday feel like a clear summer day.
The shades evoked memories of lazy days spent lounging on Waikiki Beach with El Hub. I could almost smell the salt water and suntan lotion in the air…
Laura Mercier Bohemia collection display
Mediterranean Sea Eye Mosaic
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MAC Doubledazzle Dazzleglass: Swatches and First Impressions
From top to bottom: Extra Amps, Utterly Posh
Hey, hey, MAC fans. Take a minute (I won’t tell your boss) to peep some pics of the Dazzleglass lipglosses from the Double Dazzle collection.
It features 18 shades of MAC’s most glittery lipgloss, Dazzleglass ($18 each). If you’re all about blinged-out lips like I am, something is bound to catch your eye.
MAC included a couple of re-promoted colors from last May’s Dazzle Glass release (here’s a complete listing of last year’s colors) along with some new shades.
My nearby MAC counter only had 13 of the 18 colors, but I took swatches of the ones they had on hand.
What do you think of these? Glitter much?
From top to bottom: Sugarrimmed, Goldyrocks, Smile
From top to bottom: Rags to Riches, Steppin’ Out, Love Alert
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Just Add Drum Set
Muppet Show flashback alert! This totally reminds me of Animal.
Do You Remember
The last time you saw a rainbow?
How Often Do You Clean Your Eyelash Curler?
I reach for my beloved Shu Uemura lash curler every day. Without it my lashes would disappear into thin air, *poof*.
But while my curler and I are practically inseparable, I probably don’t clean or replace it as often as I should…
Yesterday, I took a good, long look at my Shu curler and found HELLA eye makeup caked onto both the rubber strip and metal part that crimps the lashes.
Better late than never, I grabbed a Wet Ones wipe (click here for more on makeup wipes) and scrubbed it down really well.
It’s clean again, but EWW!
I’m usually not this lax when it comes to cleaning other makeup tools. I use soap to thoroughly clean my brushes every weekend and wipe them down with makeup wipes after I finish using ’em throughout the week.
But I always forget to clean that lash curler.
How often do you clean your lash curler? — occasionally, after every use, or do you just let it get crusty and fuhgetaboutit?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen