cute cases from petunia pickle bottom2

for those of you that have been reading for awhile, it’s no secret that i love a pretty place to keep my products just as much as the products themselves. well, talk about pretty! these powder room cosmetics cases from petunia pickle bottom are just the sweetest. the expressive prints are only the beginning for these medium sized bags. they hold more of your goodies than you might think plus they boast a divided interior to keep things organized. they’re also waterproof in coated canvas so product spills are no worry and all for just $28.

but, back to the pretty…

(sigh) do you love?! to see eight more prints and to get your own, hop on over to layla grayce.

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Posted in bags, tools | Tagged | 2 Comments

shades of spring4

i am obsessing over victoria justice’s gorgeous spring hair and makeup here. her lavender lids are so on trend and i love that she paired a poppy pink cheek with a bright pink lip without looking clownish. her natural, pretty arches and what i can only pray are false lashes (no one is that lucky, right?) are completely stunning and that soft, slightly messy updo is the perfect finishing touch.

want to recreate victoria’s pretty on your own? see my list of suggested products below.

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Posted in another pretty face, blush, brows, cheeks, eyes, lashes, lids, lips | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

cleaning up my brush act with parian spirit4

you’re probably wondering if i’ve lost my head. that image up above is so industrial looking, so un-pretty it feels out of place. but it’s time that i fess up to one major bad beauty habit and discuss the importance of keeping it clean. and by it, i mean makeup brushes.

so here it is: i don’t clean my makeup brushes. guilty as charged, i’d sooner buy a new one then spend time washing those suckers in baby shampoo, taking forever to rinse them out and then leaving them for days to dry so that they are basically never ever the same. thus, i continue to contribute to the beauty economy and invest in new brushes on a long and constant rotation.

until now.

you see, i’ve met parian spirit brush cleaner and it has changed my world for the much, much better. parian spirit requires no water, no shampooing, and no rinsing forever then drying for days. it’s kind of a miracle. for reasons unbeknownst to my science challenged brain, to clean brushes with parian, all you do is poor a little in a shallow dish, dip and swirl, dissolving all traces of makeup and grossness and then wipe with a paper towel. the brushes will be almost dry instantly and completely dry in a couple of hours. it works on synthetic and natural brushes (even the lightly colored ones that seem to take on the color of every blush and shadow that they pass through!) of all sizes and it’s antibacterial. i can feel my pores breathing a sigh of clean relief, already.

the secret must be out on this stuff because parian spirit brush cleaner is only available in limited quantities from beauty collection. i will continue to seek out other sources, but if you spy it somewhere, please let me know!

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looks good for your guy: bulldog natural grooming0

make some room on that shower caddy, ladies. bulldog grooming products have landed in the states from across the pond and the whole line of natural skincare for your guy is delightfully unfussy. the product range starts with manfriendly, clean packaging and continues on with hassle-free ingredients. all in all, these tubes house creams, gels, and lotions that are all sans chemicals but still manage to deliver superb grooming results. in other words, they get the job done.

my favorite thing about the bulldog lineup is that it includes one of every product that guys should be using (imho) – nothing more, nothing less, and five products total. if any man in your life could use a boost in the skincare department, i can only encourage you to grab the bull(dog) by the horns and give him a natural grooming product makeover. and if you think five products will freak him out, start with the shave gel because it’s incredible.

bulldog natural grooming products are available at whole foods and abe’s market as well as online.

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pretty displays from pottery barn4

you might have noticed, but i have a love affair with accessories. i’m a big fan of using my favorite pieces as an element of decor so i was pretty pleased to see these gorgeous and design-y storage options  for jewelry and shoes from pottery barn!

a greek goddess keeps your necklaces organized and on display for $129.

a vintage jelly cupboard is the perfect place for your favorite jewels and accessories! with double-sided mirrored doors, hooks inside and hooks below, i can’t get enough of this pretty cabinet for $129.

and quite possibly my favorite – an anthro-esque handcrafted display ladder that holds six pairs of heels!

so what do you think? do you display your shoes and jewels? would you invest in any of these pieces?

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Posted in keep it pretty | Tagged | 4 Comments

pixi lip twin vs. korres lip butter glaze3

in stark contrast to last weekend’s peek inside the glamorous life, this weekend holds hours of schoolwork and babysitting while the husband hosts a bachelor party in atlantic city. to add a little shine to this humdrum weekend of mine, i’m thinking about picking up a new wallet-friendly gloss and i’ve narrowed it down to two:

pixi succulent lip twin cheek and lip color duo
$18 at target and online

a multitasker! the tube houses a fruity, satin-y balm with light pigment. the dome is a semimatte cheek / lip tint in a matching shade.

korres lip butter glaze
$14 at sephora

vanilla scented, crazy moisturizing, nonsticky, sheer, shiny goodness in an application-friendly tube.

i love how clever and cutesy the pixi is but i’m also a longtime fan of korres and love to see the famous butter in shinier, more vibrant hues. decisions! your votes and opinions are much appreciated. here’s hoping a new gloss makes my weekend! and now, a few things that have already made my week:

happy friday!

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Posted in link roundups, lips | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

thursday purseday: emberskye cameron clutch4


i am in lust-from-afar with the cameron clutch from emberskye. part of the “reckless embellishment” collection and named for cameron diaz, this satchel is bold and unafraid to stand out with its oversized frame and gorgeous exposed zippers. at $375 it’s out of my immediate price range, however some may argue that it’s a great price for lambskin leather, gold hardware, and ultrasuede lining. for those who like variety, it comes in black, nude, white, pink and pebble. you can visit the cameron online at emberskye and get 20% off with the code “instyle” at checkout.

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Posted in accessories | Tagged | 4 Comments

flyaways fear this: john frieda full repair2

the shortest month can be such a tease. a few warm and sunny days sprinkled throughout make me feel like spring is right around the corner, but then the vicious cold comes back and the  wind reappears and it’s back to frigid february reality. it can be impossible to combat the drying effect of winter air on hair, especially  when i use two heat tools to smooth and straighten each morning. i hate to over condition because it leaves my fine locks limp and heavy and i hate to use a lot of product for the same reason. anyone else out there in this sad little predicament with me?

i’ve recently discovered this mascara-sized shine booster from john frieda. it’s under $10 and fights frizz like a “spot treatment” to tame flyaways as they pop up throughout the day. you can use the wand to touch up strays along the hairline or at the part or you can also swipe a little bit on your palm, rub your hands together and then gloss lightly over your mane for pretty sleekness. i will warn you to use it sparingly!

if you’re at your wits’ end with winter, you need this  purse-sized problem solver designed specifically to be a quick fix for damage caused by cold weather and heat styling. john frieda full repair touch-up flyaway tamer is available in drugstores and online for $9.99.

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Posted in hair | Tagged | 2 Comments

big blingy bangle4

(sigh) being back in dc isn’t nearly as much fun as trotting around fashion week in nyc and reading tweets from fellow beauty blogstresses who are city-based and don’t have to take buses, time off work, and hotel costs into account are making me way jealous. alas, not much i can do about that! so fashion week, we had our fun. but now i’ve turned my sights towards the oscars.

by the by, is it every girl’s dream to walk a red carpet, or just mine? i’d be curious to hear if other ladies have that little gem of a goal on their bucket list, but in the meantime i’ve got an idea to get us all a little closer to the academy awards: this stunning isabel harvey hinged bangle.

isn’t she lovely? it’s the exact right touch of glamor at under $90 and i for one can’t wait to wear it whilst i watch the big show in a couple of weeks (and walk the … carpet between my couch and the bedroom). the gold and crystal with touches of black is too pretty for words and as much as i would love to have neil lane deck me out in diamonds, my budget and i are big fans of faux. if you’re not hip to isabel’s coolness you should definitely check her out. this “a night at the oscars” bracelet is available online for $88. happy awards season!

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Posted in jewels | Tagged | 4 Comments

backstage beauty at lela rose9

hi pretties! i am back from my whirlwind fashion week(end) adventure. it was such an incredible 24 hours and i absolutely loved covering beauty backstage for the lela rose show. i’ve totally caught the fashion week bug and can’t wait to return this fall for a longer stint. for now, i am so excited to share the amazing beauty for lela rose ready-to-wear fall 2011 from ted gibson, stila, and deborah lippmann with you.

{hair in progress via wwd}

hair: hollywood glam by ted gibson

devin toth (who has chopped my locks before!) was leading hair for ted gibson and walked us through the hollywoood glam look with a ponytail twist. each girl rocked a long, low pony with big, barrel rolled curls pinned up with dramatic french bobbies. they looked stunning. the keys to the look were tame it lotion for shine and beautiful hold  spray to keep the curl.

{finished makeup via wwd}

makeup: sultry, sexy siren by stila

next, i chatted with sarah lucero (who is a complete DOLL – i could have talked to her all day) about the makeup look by stila. the goal was a vintage feeling focused on a powerful merlot lip. the lip was created in combination with stila long wear lip color in daring and stila smudge pot in brown to get the rich, dense, opaque look remnant of the 20’s and 30’s. the models’ perfect skin is what made the bold lip stand out. sarah accomplished a natural, satin finish using stila sheer color tinted moisturizer. cheeks were a bright burst of coral (convertible color in gladiola) and the dreamy, hazy eye was put together with some of my favorite shadows – beigey kitten and romantic, rosy eden so that the models appeared lit from within. lastly, lela wanted a beautiful, long fluttery and full lash so the look was curled with tons of majorlash mascara.

{close up via wwd}

nails: “keeping it real” by deborah lippmann

i spoke with jude lippmann, deborah’s husband about the nails for the show. lela is one of the first designers to really include nail color as part of her overall look and she chose billionaire, a new-for-fall smoky forest green that grounded her girly collection just perfectly. you can get a good peek at it in the shot up above and i loved that she did something beyond the pretty pinks and nudes that we’ve been seeing so much of lately. so often at shows, the nails are an afterthought, either naked or sheer, so for lela to make a bold leap is completely inspiring.

{the finished look via style.com}

the three brands tied the whole look together so nicely, i instantly wanted to recreate it! in talking with devin, sarah, and jude they all echo that with the right product, you can accomplish anything. here’s a rundown of the beauty must-haves from lela rose fall 2011:

be sure to keep your eyes peeled for new “forever your curl” curling memory mascara from stila this summer (per sarah, it’s designed for those of us with straight lashes who want to skip a step and is still in development) and deborah lippmann’s billionaire and brickhouse (a rusty brick shade perfect for those of us with fair tones) later this fall.

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Posted in eyes, face, lashes, lips, nails | Tagged , , | 9 Comments