Beauty Tip

An Open Love Letter

January 19, 2011 by Jillian

Dear H & M,

I don’t always like your clothes.

Occasionally I like them on other people. Unfortunately, they usually don’t fit me that well.  I try not to take it personally since I know that you’re a Swedish retailer, and your clothing is likely made with tall Nordic types in mind – Not teeny tiny Puerto Rican girls with curves.  I also strongly dislike the fact that everything in your store comes in one of 8-10 colors.  I particularly hate the red that you use because I feel like it’s so highly identifiable, and I don’t need the world knowing for sure where I purchased something from.

This past weekend, I was really itching to shop.  I’ve been sick for a few weeks, and I really wanted to indulge in a little retail therapy to lift my spirits out of the shame of sickness.  Despite the fact that I walked all parts of 5th Avenue, as well as  the Bowery, I didn’t have much shopping success that weekend.

Just as I was about to throw in the towel and head home empty handed, I remembered that I always liked your hair ties.  I ducked in to the nearest location and as soon as I entered my eyes were immediately blinded by the “H & M red” that I dislike so much.  This almost made me leave, but I pressed on and made my way to the accessory section.

I didn’t see a single hair tie.  Not a one.  This was highly disappointing.

Discouraged, I grabbed a scarf.  I didn’t really need a scarf, but I told myself that it’s freezing in NYC and that helped me to justify the purchase.  The truth is that I just wanted to buy something – anything – So that my day wouldn’t feel like a complete waste.

Then I got on line behind a bunch of European tourists, and also a woman with a DOUBLE BABY CARRIAGE and also SCREAMING KIDS…And suddenly, one scarf did not seem like a substantial purchase.

Thankfully, you very conveniently place bins full of random things leading up to the checkout line.  That was the moment I began digging…

My efforts produced 2 lip glosses, a bracelet, and a nail polish.  The lip gloss was decent but nothing to write home about, and the bracelet was more of the same…

Now the nail polish?  OMG…Your nail polish is on point.  Not only is the color the prettiest shade of pink that I’ve seen in a long time, but it’s been 3 days and I don’t have any chips to speak of.

This is a really rare occurrence because my nail polish always chips after 3 minutes and I can’t remember the last time I went completely chip free for THREE DAYS.

Basically, I just wanted to let you know that I’m a fan.  I can’t wait to go back and buy it in every color that I can find – Except for H & M red.  Please don’t ever make it in that red.  If you do, I might have to get angry and I don’t want our relationship to turn volatile because I think we’re in a really good place right now.

Anyway, thanks for making ‘I’m A Saint.’

I am in love with it.

xx,

Jillian

NEW PRESS! Lifetime Launches New Site!

August 10, 2009 by Jillian

I was recently interviewed for beauty tips for the new Lifetime Moms website – which is a new site under the Lifetime Digital Network.  You know Lifetime…They run television for women and feature cult classics like ‘Anorexi Lexi’…

OK maybe that’s not the official name of the movie, but you all know the one I’m talking about. Anyway…yeah…THAT Lifetime.

Whether you’re a mom or not, I think you’ll find my beauty advice helpful as you transition from Summer to Fall.

Shakeup Your Routine: Beauty From Summer to Fall.

Special thanks to Erika Lehmann of Chic Shopper Chick for hooking this up!

P.S: Chic Shopper Chick was recently re-designed and looks really fabulous.  Check out the new layout here.

Blog Talk Radio – 5/1/09!

May 19, 2009 by Jillian

Earlier this month, Erika Lehmann of Chic Shopper Chick (she’s also one of the Walmart Elevenmoms) invited me to be a guest host on Blog Talk Radio!

It was a great experience, and I got to spend a half hour answering beauty questions from listeners all over the country.  Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to get to all of the questions – But, hopefully I’ll get to return to the show later this year to answer more questions and share more of my tips and tricks!

You can listen to an archive of the show, by clicking the banner below.

My Make-up: Public School. Jersey City, NJ.

April 29, 2009 by Jillian

I’ve been learning how to skateboard.

So far so good, although I must admit it’s definitely a slow process. I’m getting more comfortable with it every day, but I can’t go THAT fast yet and I can only turn to the left – And even my left turns are still a bit wonky. Don’t even get me started on my right side turns. That’s a disaster and I usually just jump off and kick the deck to the right and jump back on. Eh…Baby steps.

So anyway, I’m out skating around the other day and my roommate and I go right pass this super cute store called Public School. It’s full of crazy kicks and really dope t-shirts – Definitely my kind of store :)

Last night (sans skateboard) we stepped out for a little JC jumpie at the store and I copped the cutest pair of sneakers from Greedy Genius!  I love them so much that after I put them on for this photo, I wore them out of the store.

Now, as You may know – We’ve been having a really random heat wave around here.  90 degrees in April is really weird and not even close to normal, and it was hot last night.  Normally when it’s super hot I don’t like to wear too much makeup, but my skin is really angry at the heat that came on all fast and furious – And I have some weirdo prickly heat rash all over my face.  I love the heat, and usually I’m very pro inferno…But, I was feeling a little awkies stepping out with that kind of a face sitch last night – Especially since I knew Mel would be there taking photos (He took the one featured on the left).

Thank the make-up Gods for Bare Minerals…I did a heavy coating of that stuff all over my face (F the swirl, tap and buff instructions – I popped the top off of this baby and dunked my brush in until I covered it with product), and in pictures you cant even tell my face was a red bumpy mess.  The great thing about BE is that it’s an amazing product for sensitive skin and didn’t  further irritate my skin even when it was in a state of crisis.

I’m also wearing Benetint, with a bit of apricot blush from Rimmel on my cheeks;  Posie Tint on my lips with a Bonnie Bell Lip Smacker over it; BadGal Eyeliner applied with a really heavy hand and then smushed around to give a smudgy/smokey look on my eyes; Plus 3 or 4 coats of Avon Supershock Mascara (This stuff is good).

Awesome 80s by Debra

March 26, 2009 by Jillian

These images are courtesy of Debra:

I got Debrah these fabulous loose pigment shadows, at The Make-up Show two years ago.  They are from Naked Cosmetics and come in a little tower with 6 different colors.  Debra is wearing the “shock effect” collection.

The great thing about Naked powders, is that you can use them as shadow or liner.  They can even be added to clear lipgloss to create a custom blended color, or mixed with lotion for a subtle body shimmer.

I’ve mixed the colors into clear nail polish too.  While the polish LOOKS great, it does leave a funny taste on my hands which can transfer to food – So, I’ve stopped using the pigments in that way because it made everything taste weird.

Good job Debra – Thanks for sharing!

Chic Shopper Chick: 5 Minutes to Fabulous

March 24, 2009 by Jillian

I have a new post up at Chic Shopper Chick – A must read for anyone who thinks it’s impossible to squeeze a make-up routine into a hectic morning.  By incorporating 3 easy steps into your morning, I promise you’ll look pulled together in 5 minutes or less!

Here’s how!

Get the Look: Queen Latifah at the 2009 Academy Awards

February 25, 2009 by Jillian

I love Queen Latifah.  Her office is down the street from my apartment, and everytime I see a car parked out front with tinted windows I swear it must be her.  I even think I saw her once:  She was driving, it was kind of dark out and the windows were tinted so it was difficult to positively I.D. her.  But I’m 99.9% positive it was her.  Supposedly she has amazing skin.  One of these days I will get a peak at her to confirm this, but until then I’ll just say that allegedly she has great skin.  Allegedly.  The result (so she said in an article I read) of never using soap on her face, and never wearing make-up unless she’s going to be seen.

Well she was certainly visible on Sunday – with a face full of make-up that was gorge.

Make-up Artist Sam Fine is responsible for the subtle look that ‘complimented her gown, instead of overpowering it.’

TO GET THE LOOK:

Fine How To:
Sam started by shaping the eye with a golden brown shadow as well as a touch of burgundy shadow that complimented blue dress. “I focused on complimenting the skin tone, not matching the dress,” admits Sam. “Some may think to wear blue or gray shadow when doing a blue dress but I didn’t want the makeup to be wearing her. Browns enhance Queen’s complexion and the subtle shadowing brings out her features naturally.”
Next, Sam lined her eyes with a liquid liner and of course, applied false lashes, fusing them to her natural lashes with thick coats of mascara. “You can’t hit a red carpet event without a false lash,” states Sam.

To achieve this eye:

CoverGirl Eye Enhancers 4-Kit in Drama Eyes, $5.61 at drugstore.com

CoverGirl Eye Enhancers 1-Kit in Golden Sunrise, $3.47 at drugstore.com

CoverGirl LineExact Liquid Liner in Very Black, $6.88 at drugstore.com

CoverGirl LashBlast Luxe in Black Platinum, $7.99 at drugstore.com

For the face, Sam mixed bronzer with a bit of blush on the outer perimeter of Queen’s face – creating “a halo of glow,” says Sam. “Never apply bronzer and blush to the center, you want it all around the face.”

To create a halo of glow:

CoverGirl Queen Collection Natural Hue Minerals Bronzer in Brown Bronze 1, $8.18 at drugstore.com

CoverGirl TruBlend Microminerals Blush in Shimmering Sands, $10.99 at drugstore.com

For the lips – it was nude with gloss, nicely lined and shaped. After lining, Sam used a lipstick and topped it with shimmering gloss for definition.

To define your lip like Queen’s:

CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain in Cinnamon Smile, $7.29 at drugstore.com

CoverGirl Wetslicks AmazeMint in No Care Bare, $6.25 at drugstore.com

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