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Topshop Cheeks in Luminescence Is Sticking It to MAC Nymphette

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Topshop Cheeks in Luminescence on cheeks

If you’ve spent sleepless nights (LOL! I almost typed “knights.” Yeah, someone’s been obsessed with Game of Thrones lately.) tossing and turning over the need to find a cream blush version of MAC Nymphette Lipglass, as bizarre as that might sound, you wouldn’t be the only one.

I’m right there with ya, babe! 🙂 But get this: Topshop might finally have a cure for what ails us.

The line recently introduced three new creamy, multi-purpose sticks called Cheeks, $20 blush/highlighters designed to add shimmery color to faces, lips, bodies and — you guessed it — cheeks.

If they look familiar, you’ve got a good eye. Luminescence, a peachy pink with golden pearl, must have a girl crush on MAC Nymphette Lipglass because it’s totally biting her style. It’s a pretty close reproduction of the color in stick blush form, and it glows on lips and cheeks. It and the other Cheeks are like thicker, creamier NARS Multiples that feel wetter to the touch and cost about half as much as their counterparts at NARS ($20 vs. $39 for a Multiple).


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My Lips and Eyes Glaze Over Topshop’s Sheer Glaze Lipgloss

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“Mmmmmm. Glaze.”

I mumbled that out loud while standing in line at Starbucks the other day, and with a slightly sleazy enthusiasm that would have made Homer Simpson proud. I was just staring off into space, thinking about Topshop’s three new Glaze lipgloss colors ($12 each).

I’m usually pretty good about keeping my inner voice, well, inside, but Glaze’s creamy finish, non-sticky texture and NOM-worthy vanilla flavor and scent (both fade after about 5 minutes) got the better of me. The gentleman standing in front of me turned around in line, raised an eyebrow and said, “Excuse me?”

I had no reply, except to smile nervously until he looked away. 🙂

Topshop, a British clothing retailer, also has a line of makeup, available exclusively at their stores and online, and along with their permanent collection products for eyes, face, lips and nails, they have some seasonal releases, too.

The Glazes live in Topshop’s permanent line, and these three new shades bring the color selection to five. I hope the company decides to add more, because from what I’ve seen so far, I think these are kinda great.


Laid Back (top) and Bubblegum (bottom)
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3 Lessons Learned: Summer Hair Mishaps

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Yesterday I came to the shockingly wonderful realization that the official start of summer is less than one week away, and judging by the rising temps and lack of rain in the 10-day forecast, it looks like the weather has finally gotten with the program.

Ah, summer… Such great memories, but when I think back to the summers of my youth, I’m surprised I remember them at all. There were no far-flung adventures backpacking through Europe or sailing trips around the world. Nope, my childhood summers were much more mundane. I spent most of them hanging out at the local Thrifty drugstore, where you could get a free ice cream for returning a shopping cart to the store, and watching videos on MTV (back when MTV actually played videos). For the most part, I spent my summers doing absolutely nothing.

Gawd, I miss those days!

Despite doing very little over those summers, I still managed to learn a few things, like these important lessons about hair…

1. Don’t make rash, heat-induced decisions

Resist the urgeIf the heat is getting to you and the sweat is trickling down from your scalp into your eyes, you might feel like your only relief is to cut off all or most of your hair, but resist the urge.

You don’t want to regret it later. Start by putting your hair up into a bun or ponytail, and give yourself a couple weeks to think it over.

One summer heatwave I showed up at my BFF Jen’s house to find her previously waist-length hair suddenly sitting at her shoulders. In an overheated state, she had cut her long locks herself, and it ended up looking like it had been cut by a three-year old wearing a blindfold.

We laugh about it now, but she felt pretty crappy at the time.

The lesson? No matter how hot it gets, step away from the scissors! Take time to think it over first.
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A Blast from the Past, L’Occitane Pivoine Flora Beauty Cream Blooms Like a Retro Rose

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Even though the scent of L’Occitane Pivoine Flora Beauty Cream ($36) reminds me of my ninang (the Tagalog word for godmother), I’m gonna assume the folks at L’Occitane weren’t shooting for eau de high maintenance Filipino godmother divas when they developed it. 🙂

I love the scent, which smells more to me like a mix of old school Oil of Olay (the one that came in the pink bottle), floral soaps and roses than the peonies it contains. I can picture something similar sitting on the dressing table of a young woman in the ’50s, or see it sitting on a shelf today in the home of an older woman who still remembers being that girl. While I think it suits girls of all ages, those who prefer scents on the mature side may like it more than, say, the fruity bubblegum body sprays that sparkle in most drugstores.


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The Lululemon Athletica 50 Rep Bra: The Best Damn Sports Bra I’ve Ever Worn

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Seeing as how I spent last weekend in Vancouver, the city where Lululemon Athletica was born, I figured I should give a shout-out to my favorite over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder, the 50 Rep Bra ($42).

I’ve tried gaggles of different sports bras over the years from more brands than I can remember — Champion, Nike, Adidas and Moving Comfort are a few that spring to mind — and by far my favorite so far has been the 50 Rep. It’s the most comfortable sports bra I’ve ever worn, for sure.

It comes in several prints (like the one I’m wearing here) and solid colors, from classic, sporty shades like black, white and gray, to spunkier shades like red and mint green.

The support this bra offers? Off. The. Chain. It easily tames my size 34D ta-tas, and this one (I wear a size 4), holds everything in place without that restrictive, binding, boob-squishing feel.

It’s actually so comfortable that I can even wear it to bed. The material, a fabric Lululemon created called Luon (a stretchy, durable, breathable fabric that feels like brushed cotton), never chafes my skin, not even after six miles on the treadmill. It also wicks, which comes in handy since I sweat buckets when I run.

I think the cut’s super cute, too. The neckline and arm holes are high enough to cover everything without showing too much cleavage/skin. Plus, the straps don’t dig into my shoulders, and I’m really pleased with the length from the top of my shoulders to my ribs.


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