happy monday!
i’m over at connie’s chronicles of a beauty nerd today where we’re discussing back to school pretty. if connie’s blog isn’t already in your reader, it definitely should be. she brings brains to the business of beauty and i absolutely l-o-v-e her posts. when she asked me to partner up, i jumped at the chance and for today’s spotlight, i packed one fab pencil case with a half dozen of fall’s finest products.
i’ve been faithful to one brush for two years. in the world of cosmetic commitments, that’s like an eternity! it was a good run. but the most recently purchased model of said brush took a swim in the toilet a couple of weeks ago and it brought me to the black and white striped palace of pretty with intentions to replace it yet again, but also to find a smaller concealer brush to help me hide my pesky blemishes.
i hunted down and chatted up the apron’d lady with the most flawless skin and asked for her recommendation for the concealer solution. she said absolutely without a doubt, the sephora classic mineral powder brush. she took the bare escentuals brush from my hand and said i would only need one brush if i went with this one. she touted excellent coverage and a natural finish – what can i say? i’m an easy sell.
but after weeks of getting up close and personal with this brush each morning, i can tell you with full confidence that it’s a must for every powder foundation gal, regardless of how much or little coverage you like. the sephora.com reviews *almost* speak for themselves (709 total with an average review of 4.8/5) but i’ll give my two cents for good measure:
this brush is unbelievably soft. it grabs onto my mineral powder and blends perfectly. the bonus for me is that the denseness of the bristles allows it to cover blemishes which means i don’t need to invest in a second brush or a separate concealer. some people have said they wished it were larger, but the size is actually perfect for fitting inside mineral foundation caps – i’ve found other brushes to be too large and fluffy so the bristles get destroyed when i’m swirl-tap-buffing. all in all, it puts the product where you want it, you look like your natural self, but better and it doesn’t leave a stray hair behind.
it’s also an upgrade at a lower price and who can argue with that? the sephora collection classic mineral powder brush is $26 online and in stores.
this bangle is dazzling, no? red hued resin dons an art deco-inspired arrangement of turquoise stones and it all wants an invitation to my arm party. i’m sure i don’t need to tell you that lulu frost is doing amazing things for j.crew jewelry this season, but she is especially killing it in the bangle department and she has won my heart with this bold, bright, bracelet.
lulu frost for j.crew bangles range from $45 to $118; the turquoise stone version is $68.
{a few lovely links}
i know it’s only september but i already feel that the holidays are right around the corner. bring on the cocktail parties and tiny clutches because bobbi brown has quite possibly created the world’s smallest beauty kit to tuck inside.
party to go is just $25 (about the price i spend for a single lipstick, mascara or blush at sephora these days!) and packs everything you need for lip and eye touch ups on the fly. hazel-eyed gals will especially enjoy the violet purple shadows that create the perfectly subtle smoky eye (though the shades are so on trend, they will flatter us all!) and every lady will love the lip options. bobbi even included a mini tube of her new high shimmer lip gloss which i adore! it’s tons of shine without the sticky feeling we all hate in a gloss and the midnight violet shade offers up the high impact we’ve been seeing on the runways.
the whole thing barely measures 4 inches x 2.5 inches and, bottom line? (3 eye shadows + 2 lipsticks + 1 lip gloss + 1 mirror) x 1 sleek, sturdy, and practical little case = a whole lotta look for not a lotta cash.
(ps – any fall/winter brides to be, i can’t help but think that this would make the cutest gift for your ‘maids!)
i seriously don’t even care to learn one more thing about these shadows or how they might look on my eyes. they are too beautiful for words! has anyone seen these pretties in person? word on the street is that they’re not just perfection in the pan but blend to create wearable eye looks that will flatter us all.
i think i need them.
vincent longo pearl x eyeshadow is available online in five colors for $25. go grab your own!
(via bellasugar)
you might remember that i covered hair, makeup, and nails backstage for lela rose in february. while i had plans to do the same this past weekend, the opportunity to represent the glossarie at lucky fabb was too good to pass up and plans had to change. i’ve been waiting on pins and needles to peek at the pretty from this season’s runway show and getting a glimpse of the final look put together by ted gibson, deborah lippmann, and bare escentuals did not disappoint.
lela’s collection was inspired by old school sin city, and starting at the top, ted is calling that sweet braid-alternative the ‘nomad twist.’ lucky for us, it’s a cinch to recreate by just parting hair wide, twisting the front section, and pinning way down at the nape of the neck.
nails were done in deborah’s ‘believe’ – a metallic gold beige ($16). it’s a really beautiful alternative to all of the brights and bolds we’re seeing as of late. don’t get me wrong, i love to have fun with my nails, but there’s something so polished and sophisticated about a shimmery neutral. i guess lela agrees!
finally, it was all about the eyes (how ’bout them brows?!) and the everyday look was created using a new palette from bare escentuals out next month – the afterparty eyeshadow quad ($30). let’s all just shout a quiet hooray for new pressed shadows from the beloved be – these are getting rave reviews and i can’t wait to give them a try.
so, what do you think? would you take this look from runway to real world?
so i think we’ve discussed ad nauseum the fact that my skin is problematic. in a desperate attempt to get a handle on the insanity, i reached out to SIRCUIT for a free personal skin consultation. they asked me a bunch of questions to diagnose the underlying issues and put together a pack of samples designed to work together and treat my skin. i was thrilled!
i’ve been using the triple threat you see above to reduce hormonal breakouts and also combat early signs of aging ever since. i wash twice a day with x-trap daily gentle facial wash, followed by a spritz of immaculate mist (a hydrating toner for problem skin) and finish up with a layer of sircuit agent (an anti-aging serum for blemished skin). i top it all off with my favorite spf and my face has never been happier.
i am so impressed with these products and can really feel them working with one another to visibly improve my skin. my face actually feels better which is an amazing accomplishment on its own – no more tightness, no more oiliness. it’s balanced and clearing up before my eyes which i was starting to think wasn’t possible!
now, skincare is obviously a personal thing so if you’re curious to find which SIRCUIT products might work for you, i highly recommend taking a spin on their website and calling for a consultation. you can order all items in deluxe sample sizes which last for two weeks on average, plenty of time to notice the positive change that i’m certain you will.
i’m on a lipstick kick and loving playing with shades from nude to bold. while my new favorite accessory is cool in so many ways, it’s also a tricky little devil. it wanders, it fades, it dries out my lips. it’s a love-hate relationship but this new invisible lip pencil has saved the day.
it prevents dreaded feathering, locks in color, and even plumps lips slightly to keep any and all sheer, matte, or creamy formulas from settling into my quietly deepening lip lines. brilliance! the lip fusion xl pencil is nice and chubby so its glides on easily and has a soothing feel when it hits your lips. it’s more than just a primer in that it makes any lipstick look its absolute best – kind of like shapewear – doing for your mouth what spanx do for your derriere. this stuff takes care of all the work to improve the look of your lips and the staying power of your product so your lipstick will look like a million bucks, whether it was a department store splurge or drugstore bargain!
bottom line: the lipfusion xl pencil is pure pout perfection at $28.
{ann / cult of pretty, natalie / natalie off duty, brandon holley / eic lucky, moi}
omgoodness, where to begin.
the day featured panels, presentations and face time with some of the biggest people in the fashion, beauty, and digital industries but what i loved most was the chance to chat and connect with fellow bloggers. meeting so many of my digi-friends in person was ultra rewarding and being surrounded by that much talent was incredibly uplifting.
starstruck moments included quality one-on-one chats with jean godfrey-june (beauty director for lucky), stephanie johnson, and leslie blodgett of bare escentuals. it’s so amazing to know that the geniuses behind your favorite things are the rockstar women you hoped they’d be!
the day wrapped up with a cocktail hour and (drumroll, please!) the fabb awards. lucky’s editor in chief, brandon holley, opened the ceremony noting that bloggers are connecting with women in a different way from anyone else out there and that the fabb awards are lucky’s way of calling out bloggers who are doing a spectacular job. i know it was a validating and special moment for all the writers in the room.
while ‘best beauty voice’ went deservedly to emily and into the gloss, i am still on cloud nine from seeing my name and the glossarie on the big screen last night. the nomination was more than i ever imagined for this little blog and having lucky recognize me as anything near beauty blog upper crust continues to feel amazingly good.
so, endless thanks yet again for all the love and support! we’ll be back to beauty as usual tomorrow, and for all consecutive days into the foreseeable future :)
it has been a long week of harsh and expensive reminders that perfect, i am not. well, mainly just perfect driver, i am not – but that is neither here nor there. i am willing to accept and learn from all of said reminders if they are in any way karmic-ally balancing out the exciting news of my lucky magazine fabb award nomination.
you guys, i am so unbelievably honored and humbled that lucky, my shopping bible, has somehow stumbled upon this little beauty-inspired spot on the web and nominated me for ‘best beauty voice’. the company in which my name reads on the nominee page is insane. emily weiss of into the gloss is basically my blogging idol and to be in an award category with her is beyond anything i could have ever imagined for the glossarie, so it’s safe to say i’m over the moon.
i’m headed up to nyc on tuesday to participate in the lucky fabb conference and awards ceremony. i am excited (and slightly intimidated) to meet and soak in the presence of so many blogstresses and icons, but i’m most looking forward to meeting my fellow fabb award nominees who i have long looked up to and admired. please click over to pay them a visit if they’re not already on your reader radar, they are a wealth of style inspiration and pure enjoyment:
i even discovered a few new to me blogs on the list:
as i navigate my own wardrobe (and also likely the mall) and try to compile an outfit worthy of meeting fashion icons and one’s blogging inspirations, i want to offer up a little berry and wildflower ice-cubed toast to all of you. if you didn’t visit this blog and leave your lovely little comments, i would have no motivation to continue sharing the pretty. your encouragement keeps the product testing, blog scouring, post writing process on the move, and i love you so much for it. so, cheers to you! and have a wonderful week – i will have lots to share with you when i’m back from new york.
