oh, two thousand four

last week i finally had time to flip through some magazines (this is the part where the crowd cheers for sleep training). i stumbled upon an ad for some new covergirl lipsticks. the shades looked uber pigmented, nars style. i didn't buy into it right away because usually drugstore lipsticks all have that frosty look, you know what i mean, but i did make it a point to track these suckers down and question them in person.

and so.... can i tell you about my new favorite, absolutely amazing lipsticks?!?! i mean, shut the front door, you guys. eight bucks!

not all of the colors are great- there are certainly some frosties in there, but with a good eye, any lipstick junkie could pick out one or two aces. i mean these babies hold up to- and beyond- nars, which is really saying something, because i don't let nobody talk s$%# about my nars.

here are my top picks:

spellbound                                         flame

fairytale                                                 delish

i've collected two so far, spellbound and delish. 

spellbound is not that purple in real life. it's bright and berryish with a purple zing. i love it.

delish was not what i had hoped (i'll spend my entire life looking for a lipstick to match up to this shade), but i still like it. i have super pigmented lips naturally, so it just punches 'em up a bit. they look like i just really kissed someone. like high school 'i hope no one notices, that makeout session was way too steamy for broad daylight' lips. right? was that just me? well, shoot. 

p. s. even through a meal and a lot of water intake, this lipstick did not budge! it wasn't even on my glass. it did however make it all over graham's cheeks. 2 for 3 isn't bad!

elusive

the last time i was in new york, i popped in the nars shop. you know, for this and that and a few other things.

i was attempting to squeeze in one last lipstick try-on, while carrying on a conversation and wrangling a baby, when i noticed one of the nars makeup artists dabbing something shimmery on joanna's cheekbones. in the midst of all the chaos, i finished up my purchase as joanna and i headed to the park for our scheduled playdate with the wee ones.

we were sitting on the benches swapping stories about our motherhood experiences, when i couldn't help but become mesmerized by this fantastic highlight stretching from her temple to just above the apple of her cheek. it's just my luck that i got distracted by a protest or a spill from graham before i remembered to ask what that magic highlighter was.

so distracted in fact, it took me approximately one and one half months to remember that i had to have whatever that magic highlighting stick was. so i went on a journey to department stores near and far. and here's what i've come up with.

nars, the multiple in maldives.

there are two other options i haven't seen in person to test out (luxor and copacabana), so i could be wrong about the shade. but my guess is, as long as you stick to one of these three, those brilliant cheekbones i was swooning over will be yours (barring certain genetic components, you know).

p.s. the other thing i have to pick up on my next trip!

image via polyvore

henley regatta

here's what i do when the husband figure leaves me alone at night and the babe sleeps soundly.

 

i mean, same thing. right?

eat pretzels with chocolate frosting. the shame! we ran out of nutella. what can i say?

watch house hunters on hgtv. there's not a huge difference between the houses that cost 150,000 and the houses that cost 250,000 is what i've learned. and what's the big deal with granite countertops?

 read lady blogs for as many hours as i can stand before my eyes twitch.

imagine what life would be like if i had enough energy to paint my toenails. bliss. alas, that energy does not belong to me.

what do you do in your single time? do tell.

image via little cakes

let's talk about lips, baby.

the new-ish kate spade lipsticks.

who's tried these? what are your thoughts?

i'm dying to know.

image via glamour

cinnamon is becoming a theme here

buns are having a moment in my house right now. what with mine disappearing after the birth of my son (hey-o!) to the buns in my hair. seriously, it's all i've been wearing lately.

luckily i'm not alone. check out these tutorials! here and here!

and then, just for fun, everytime you pass a girl with a bun in her hair make sure you say, "whoa, check out that bun!" bonus points if there's more than one person with a bun and then you get to say, "check out those buns!" which would be more satisfactory.

image via a cup of jo

every boy and every girl

there's this south african rap group, die antwoord. i don't know if you've heard of them or not. they're bizarre and well, sometimes pretty vulgar, but that's not the point.

this is.

 

a member of die antwoord

do you see those eyelids?!?! ok, so part of it has to be that i grew up with the spice girl generation, but whatever. those lids are bangin'. i have to have them!

glitter shadow gets everywhere, but growing up when i did, i've learned tricks. here's what knowledge i have to offer for the look. plus, an alternative for the more faint of heart.

1. you have to do the eye makeup first. this way it's easier to clean up the mess, and you don't overdo the rest of your face.

2. eyeshadow primer. any time that you're dealing with a heavy glitter, you have to find something to stick it to. this one is awesome (the original shade is a great neutral, but bonus points for using sin, which has a glitzy, metallic tint).

3. if you're adventurous, a cream shadow in your chosen glitter shade. like this. it adds pigment (a fancy word for color), and the cream helps the glitter stick.

4. quality glitter. check it, we're not in the minor leagues here anymore, people. make up for ever has awesome products for serious face projects. when applying the glitter, try an ombre effect. placing glitter densely along the lash line an then easing up as you bring it toward the crease.

5. finally, invisible tape. no, really. scotch tape. you tear off a little piece and use it to pick up all the extra glitter mess you've created on your face. it's magical.

tah dah!

footnote 1: if you have super sensitive skin and the sticking/pulling of tape will irritate it, then tissue is your answer. take a piece of tissue and use two teeny tiny pieces of tape to adhere it under your eye to catch all the glitter that falls (if you prefer this method, do it before you start).

footnote 2: for the more modest readers, this is your answer! midnight cowboy rides again is a great metallic shade with glitter galore. it gives a more mild finish with the same punch. applying it with fingers helps reduce mess. use the invisible tape trick and you're good to go!

my saving grace

two things:

1. makeup is supposed to look like you only better, right? right.

2. women are supposed to support each other due to some birth right that's ingrained in the foundation of humankind. no?  yes.

that being said, can i tell you about something near and dear to my 'beauty-product-obsessed' heart? ok, good.

one decade. at least ten years. a fifth grader. that's how long i searched for this product! it's like a miracle in a bottle. it's tarte smooth operator tinted moisturizer.

you know how every foundation that has ever debuted in history promises to look like your skin only flawless? well, this stuff actually does. just one light layer and it's you- when you happen to wake up luminous after 10 hours of sleep, and you just did the master cleanse for a month. yes, i'm serious.

but don't be turned off by it's label as a tinted moisturizer if you're a foundation kind of girl. layer this baby up and you've got yourself a full coverage type foundation that won't clog your pores or make you look like an old magnolia bakery cupcake that's been dried out from sitting in the shop window all day.

really. you'll look awesome. this stuff is my not-so-secret weapon.

what's your weapon of choice? i have to know.

photo via we heart this

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR

a first look at j. crew's september catalog via refinery29. plus, beauty tips.

i know. you can thank me later.

image via refinery29