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Archives for May 2009

Lippmann’s Dynamic Duo: New Nail Colors for Summer

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OMG! This rain is drivin’ Tabs cat-batty. We’re getting May showers out here in the Bay Area, and whenever it rains Tabs goes full-on CRAZY.

At four in the morning he leapt up on the bed like a cat possessed, climbing all over my bladder like it was Mount Everest. Then, pleased with himself for almost giving me a heart attack, he shifted into lovies mode, purring with his face in the crook of my neck.

He’s always this way when it rains.

So, what’s a beauty addict to do when she’s startled awake by her cat a couple hours before dawn? Why, drink a pot of coffee (WHEEE!) and paint her nails, of course. 🙂

Say hello to both of the colors from Lippmann’s iddy biddy collection for Summer 2009 ($15 each).

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It’s Raining Men is my favorite of the two. It’s a creamy tomato red — a classic color that conjures thoughts of 1940s bombshell babes in red lipstick, fishnets, rolled hair, peep-toe shoes and immaculate red nails.

I’ve searched high and low for a timeless, elegant red like It’s Raining Men. I’m so glad it’s here! Can’t wait to try it with a pearl bracelet or some gold bangles.

Texture-wise, It’s Raining Men applies evenly (nary a streak), and I love the shine when it dries. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A
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21 Makeup Tutorials

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21 Makeup Tutorials

Hi, ladies (and gents!). Here are 21 makeup tutorials and guides showing some of my favorite application techniques.

My favorite tutorials aren’t necessarily the ones with the highest production value, aka the sharpest looking videos and pictures. I like tutorials that stand out for some reason because that helps me remember the material.

When I find a particularly helpful new makeup tutorial, I’ll copy/paste some of the pictures (or take screenshots if it’s a video, or save pics to my phone) into Word or something and print them out with notes.

A BIG thanks to the people who put these tutorials together. Keep up the great work!

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like…

  1. Undereye Concealer Tutorial: Raquel13 has a lot to offer (like a great smokey eye tutorial, a sultry red lip tutorial and a tutorial that shows how to tightline your eyes), including this pictorial tutorial showing how to banish those dreaded raccoon eyes. No one has to be the wiser!

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  2. How to: An All-Day Flawless Finish: Armed with these tips, your makeup won’t give up on you before the end of the day.

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  3. The Sophisticated Eye Look: Got a dinner date or an important meeting at work? Wear this eye look and show ’em who’s boss!

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  4. Elegant, Dramatic Eyes: Make the kind of entrance no one forgets with the help of this show-stopping eye look.

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  5. Natural Looking Eyeliner: Sometimes all it takes is a single finishing touch to bring an entire makeup look together.

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  6. Eyebrow Shaping and Shading: Never struggle with angry eyebrows again with the help of this tutorial.

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  7. A Simple Guide to Applying Red Lips: POP! This fantastic red lip how-to really breaks it down for beginners.

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Philosophy Unconditional Love Firming Body Lotion: When Blackberries, Britney Spears and Bomb-Arse Hydration Collide

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Dagnabbit, Philosophy! It’s bad enough you got me addicted to your yummilicious shower gels and Purity Made Simple cleanser, but you couldn’t stop there, could you? No, you had to release Unconditional Love Firming Body Emulsion lotion ($34), too?

Some nerve!
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Smashbox Untamed Swatches and Pictures

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Smashbox is breaking away from the summer pack with the new Untamed collection (on sale now), ditching their teal, bronze and gold competitors (hello, Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess, Laura Mercier Mediterranean Sea and Urban Decay Get Baked) with a palette of tan, reddish brown, taupe, purple and green.

The six-piece collection…

  • Untamed Waterproof Shadow Liner Trio in Exotic ($29): shimmery tan, eggplant and taupe cream eyeliners
  • Untamed Waterproof Shadow Liner Trio in Savage ($29): shimmery peach, shimmery green and shimmery brown cream eyeliners
  • Double-Ended Eye Brightener ($22): two products in one — a shimmery gold eye pencil on one end; shimmery peachy pink on the other
  • Untamed Creamy Cheek Color in Terracotta ($24): a warm, reddish brown cream blush
  • Untamed Lipgloss in Raw ($18): a creamy, deep brownish red gloss
  • Untamed Lipgloss in Flesh ($18): a creamy, golden nude gloss

It’s a relatively small collection with a minimalist vibe, yet there’s enough color among the blend of creamy and shimmery finishes to create some interesting looks. 🙂

Pictures and swatches

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Everything except Untamed Waterproof Shadow Liner Trio in Savage

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Untamed Waterproof Shadow Liner Trio in Exotic

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Untamed Creamy Cheek Color in Terracotta

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Double-Ended Eye Brightener
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Aquis Hair Towel: A Hair Do

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While having dinner with a couple of my BFFs last month, my girl J-Money surprised me with a gift — the Aquis Microfiber Hair Towel ($18).

With the care one reserves for items of great value and importance, she looked me dead in the eyes, placed the package in my hands and said, “You’ll understand its power soon enough.”

The Aquis Hair Towel is made from a special microfiber fabric supposedly able to absorb far more water than a regular cotton towel. Awesome, because my hair retains a lot of water and takes forever to dry.

After two weeks with the Aquis, I think I understand why J-Money treated it with such reverence — the thing really works!

Normally, I wrap my hair up with a towel when I step out of the shower and leave it on for about 15 minutes before taking it off to air dry. The process takes about three hours to thoroughly dry my hair.
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