bag: emergency mascara pouch, $13

balm: 100% natural lip roll-on rose, $6

i love the simplicity of this month’s bag – and the cheeky silkscreen print?! so perfect. durable canvas in an ideal size (super slim with enough length for your favorite brushes) means you can really stuff it with beauty essentials and toss it in your tote for the ultimate in pretty portability.

the balm is really more of a gloss, but the roll-on is an irresistible throwback to the sweetness of bonne bell with the maturity of rose. the tiny tube leaves your lips with a moisturized shine and brings a welcome change from the boring vanilla scent everything else seems to don these days.

these lovelies stopped me dead in my tracks on friday. i fell hard for the sumptuous ombre dyed wool-silk speckled with silver foil and the surprisingly friendly price point. i had to separate myself from the situation before i snapped up all four on the spot. now that i’ve mulled it over, i’ve decided that i’m going for the green.

or maybe the orange.

aw, hell.

$58 at anthropologie.

stila’s new jewel eye shadow collection is really something. it’s catching rave reviews for smooth application, coverage, and staying power (since glittery shadows tend to fall to the undereyes) which does not surprise since stila has a long history of creating great shadows. for me, the crown jewel is rose quartz. the shade is a mauve pink with silver pearl which gives it serious shimmer but keeps it elegant (no chunky kesha glitter here). it’s definitely the most feminine of the bunch which is likely why it’s stolen my heart, but i’m finding that it makes a subtle and beautiful every day base shadow when applied with my finger.

now that it’s in my possession, i’m going to try and wear it daily – a major commitment for my always uninteresting little eyelids, but a shadow this pretty just can’t sit around in my beauty basket!

stila’s jewel eye shadows are $20 each at sephora and beauty.com.

and do tell: what do you wear on your eyelids everyday?

happy friday, beauties!

how about this awesome nail candy to send you into the weekend? essie has done it again with one incredible sixsome for spring. yes, the colors are killer, but the inspiration behind the collection is what i really love. dubbed “navigate her” these beautiful brights and powerful pastels represent essie’s tribute to the woman of action – the one who dreams big and puts her best self forward.

these colors mean business! and they represent some of the best and most important nail trends for 2012, including pistachio, blush, and tangerine. top row, from left to right: navigate her (subtle sorbet green), a crewed interest (delicate peach), to buy or not to buy (lilac shimmer). bottom row: tour de finance (rich iridescent fuchsia – so spring right!), ole caliente (bright red), orange, it’s obvious! (pretty much the best orange ever).

look for them in stores next month!

{a few lovely links}

• a great guide to the best dressed lips from the golden globes
• sneak peeks into real girl makeup bags might be my favorite thing, take a look-see at what sydney from the daybook has in her arsenal
• can i have my birthday party at blushington?
• one of my more popular pins this week – the stunning purple line bracelet
• headed to sephora today, on my short list: this brow pencil, this moisturizer, and this lip balm
  

we all suffer from the occasional spot(s) – whether they’re active pimples, acne scars, or pesky pink bumps in the process of healing and disappearing. because i’m fair, any pigmentation on my skin is so red and pronounced that it almost makes my spots look worse than they are. i’ve been feeling for a while like my current concealer wasn’t concealing a darn thing and just calling attention to the dreaded spots, so it’s off to the makeup counters i went.

the best spot concealers are sticks, by far. formulas are typically creamy to apply but then dry really nicely, disappearing into skin. like their coordinating foundations, though, most of them have a pink tint which is why they do nothing to conceal acne. this redness solutions targeted corrector from clinique is designed to truly target redness and zap it away (at least for the day).

i like to dot this on while i straighten my hair or do my eye makeup and then emulsify with my finger to blend spots away. sometimes i use it before foundation, sometimes after, depending on how my skin looks that day and how forgetful i am. it works great in both cases and it is the only thing i found that covers and counteracts the redness around my scars and pimples. it goes on soft and silky so it doesn’t aggravate my flare ups and it just kind of…cancels out my acne. it’s basically the closest thing i can find to a pimple eraser and it makes me feel flawless even though i’m hiding something.

clinique’s redness solutions targeted corrector is part of their larger redness solutions line (fantastic for people who suffer from rosacea or other facial redness) and is available online, at sephora, and at the counters for $19.50.

{via}

i can’t get my mind off of michelle’s pretty pixie and classically chic makeup from sunday’s golden globes red carpet. she was all done up in chanel from lashes to lips, but i’ve recreated her look for you with some of my favorite products.

start off with an ultra light and luminous makeup base like jouer’s luminizing moisture tint. it evens out skintone and light-reflecting pigments give off a gorgeous glow.

on the eyes, use a silver gray shadow like revlon diamond lust in night sky (don’t forget to smudge some underneath the bottom lash line) and at least two coats of cover girl lash blast 24 hour mascara for lots of long, almost spidery lash. if you’ll look up, you’ll notice that michelle’s brows are subtly perfect without being too pronounced. dash a little too faced brownies in blonde-y (even if you’re dark haired) throughout the arch in upward strokes, finishing with the spoolie brush to blend.

for cheeks, dust on some maybelline dream bouncy blush in orchid hush and swipe chanel perle rouge coco lipstick (this is the actual shade she wore – sometimes there is just no duplicate for perfection) on lips to polish everything off.

oh, and that vintage fred leighton headband? dying. when i find  replacement for that beautiful bauble, i’ll let ya know.

let’s get right to the point: the new maracuja divine shine lip gloss from tarte is wearing the most fabulous outfit i’ve seen on a product in a long while.

if you’re not one to judge a book by its cover alone, let me assure you that beyond all the pretty packaging, you get lots of color, lots of shine, and none of that dried out weirdness some other glosses leave behind.

the hydrating and nourishing gloss comes in ten shades named for the current line of amazonian clay blushes. (if you’re a fan of the blushes, the gloss shades are complimentary without being matchy and, needless to say, they are beautiful.) the shade range is spot on with a red, a hot pink, a nude, a baby pink, a berry, and a coral, along with a few other options. the gloss itself is great for your lips and feels really moisturizing thanks to a little sunflower seed oil, but it’s also highly pigmented and is tacky enough to stick around for more than one drink.

besides, just imagine how great you’ll look whipping all of this floral print and click-pen goodness out of your clutch this spring!

tarte maracuja divine shine lip gloss is available at sephora for $21.

happy golden globes sunday, all! do you love a red carpet day as much as i do? i can’t wait to lay eyes on the beauty, the dresses, and the jewels.

oh! the jewels.

in celebration, i’m treating myself to this little beauty today. the two-tone beads and chandelier chain combo has wedged itself into my heart and won’t let go. it’s extra perfect because i’ve been wanting a spike the punch necklace but wasn’t 100% confident that it would flow with the rest of my wardrobe. this softer interpretation will make itself right at home!

the art deco necklace is available at j.crew factory online for $29.99.

you’re probably thinking that’s a lot of name and a bunch of big, bold claims for one little blush – and not that i blame you, i was skeptical as well. while i can’t really comment on its mood boosting super powers, suffice to say, i heart this blush.

physicians formula happy booster glow & mood boosting blush in ‘natural’ is a drugstore wonder. the multi-hued hearts and slight shimmer add dimension and create the prettiest glow. i instantly ditched the flimsy brush that came with and have been using a big fluffy powder brush to dabble in the bright pink and bronzed areas for what might be the best blush to ever grace my face. it blends easily over powder or liquid foundations, the resulting shade is vibrant and healthy and it really stays put. it’s exactly what the doctor ordered on this pale winter skin.

physicians formula claims that the powder blush is infused with natural plant extracts which have been shown to promote a feeling of happiness by mimicking the effect of endorphins as well as a violet scent that provides a feeling of joy each time you apply.

i’m not sure about all that, but does its adorableness make me smile every time i pull it out of my beauty basket? yup. and does the prettiness it provides give me a happy glowy confidence that i adore? double yup.

physicians formula happy booster glow & mood boosting blush is available at ulta and in drugstores for $8 – $12.

oh em gee, it’s friday and i am just loving these real sweet hair clips from (who else?) anthropologie. they’re very vintage woodland fairy, and wouldn’t they be completely perfect for pinning back your nomad twist? it’s here, by the way – so get to rolling those tresses!

{a few lovely links}

• sweating this entire dinner date ensemble in dc’s refinery 29
• beauty in miniature is so practical – snag four bare escentuals pretty amazing lippies for $14.40
• a new use for dry shampoo? watch oscar blandi work his magic using just two products
• do you know about the girls with glasses? well, you do now and their red lip tutorial is a must see! (i was a huge brooke white fan when she was on idol – could she be any cuter?!)
• i’m no cat lady, but i’m kind of digging this little alternative to the neutral eye palette by paul & joe