Monday, April 20, 2009

The Beauty in Caring



While searching photos of Sephora locations in New York City I came across this photo of a Sephora associate volunteering her makeup artist skills for a Methodist charity.

Maybe its the wine I'm drinking right now, or its my PMS (or both) but immediately upon viewing this, tears started flowing down my cheeks! To me it speaks volumes. The woman may not have felt pretty in years (or maybe she has always felt pretty?) yet here she is, at least 80 years old getting a makeover. I wonder what her motivation was to go and have the makeover done. Does this photo make you think about our culture of beauty and how futile the pursuit of physical beauty is? What does this photo make you think about?

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Victoria Secret's Seasonal Makeup

Beauty Boo-Boo #2: Brow Neglect


"The eyes are the windows to our souls. The brows are the window treatments." Ah, nope, not exactly Wisdom of the Ancients, but poignant nonetheless. Brows truly are a central communication facial feature. Just think of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind. Boy did Miss Leigh convey a heck of a lot through that half-cocked eyebrow. Brows are the one feature women either tend to over emphasize or ignore completely. I suspect the former is due to women trying too hard to get them right and the latter is due to women too afraid to get them wrong.

Brow grooming is indeed a tricky enterprise. You could rely on someone at a salon to wax them (I recommend this at your own risk of peril) but only: 1.) when you have selected a truly talented pro and 2.) after you have allowed your brows to grow in for 3 weeks. This may be fine for your first attempt at ever shaping your brows but for general up-keep? Who wants nice brows for 3 days and furry ones while waiting for the next waxing appointment? Tweezing may be a a more practical and economical choice as this can be done daily ensuring your brows are consistently groomed. If you are a brow-grooming virgin and will be shaping from "scratch," either consult a professional to guide you or consider purchasing brow stencils. You can get these through a company called Anastasia, a Beverly Hills based company that only sells brow cosmetics. Her stencils come in 4 different shapes and will help you tweeze where you should and block where you shouldn't (available at Sephora).

Monday, March 16, 2009

I am now an official M.A.C. Pro Member. Yessir.



So it's finally here - my M.A.C. Pro card! Woo-hoo! I am so thrilled to get down there and buy some much needed tools before Saturday when I have a bridal party to gussy up. I think I may pick up some eyeshadow colors and concealers as well but that will depend on what fabulous colors I actually view in shop!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The Best Mascara EVER



And believe me I have tried them all. Alright, it may not be perfect for every living soul out there, but Benefit's Bad Gal Lash quickly became my favorite mascara for its lush application without clumping. I swear - No clumping. From the first time I open the tube till it is time to buy a new one (5 months later) the application is great. I will say that the newest tube isn't as juicy as the first 3 I bought which was a disappointment (I even exchanged it for a new one but still the same issue) but the application is still great. Each lash is defined and twice as long.

Benefit Cosmetics LLC