Text Files: MAC Lipstick in…Reel?

Marfa: I bought a bright fuschia lipstick today

Me: Cool.  From where?

Marfa: MAC – It is called Reel.  I channeled my inner Jilly and went for something a little radical.

Me:  Good for you!  It’s good to try new things with makeup.  It’s temporary so if you don’t like it you can change it easily!

Marfa:  Very true.  I look like one of the girls off European Vogue.

(A few hours later…)

Me:  Girl I can’t find this MAC lipstick. You’re sure it’s called Reel?

Marfa:  Sorry I meant rebel.  Obviously I can’t read.

Me:  OMG that was my first MAC lipstick ever when I was 16!  I love it!

Marfa:  I told you I channeled you.

I swear that this exchange really happened today and that these text messages are verbatim.  I guess my friends really do know me too well!  Get MAC lipstick in REBEL, here.

Tags: Lipstick, MAC, Marfa, Ridiculous Text Messages, True Life

Urban Decay: Friends & Family Event – Save 30%!

At UrbanDecay.com, from August 10th thru August 20th get 30% OFF your order by entering code FNFF1 at checkout.

Some products that you might want to try:

Cream Eyeshadow in Delinquent.

Liquid Liner in Oil Slick.

Lipstick in Jilted.

Baked Bronzer.

De-Slick Mattifying Powder.

Tags: Discount, Friends & Family, Urban Decay

I (not so) Secretly (anymore) Heart Selena Gomez

I think Selena Gomez is cute as a button.  I know many of you probably think she’s just another Disney tart-lette (If you even know who she is), but, I think she’s totally adorbs.  PLUS she’s allegedly (and by allegedly I mean according to Wikipedia) named after the singer Selena – Which makes me love her even more.

Anyway, here she is at last nights Teen Choice Awards.  I don’t love the hair – A bit too prom-ish for me…But since she’s only 17 I suppose that makes her hair completely age appropriate, and so I’ll give it a pass.

But I love (and I mean LOVE) her make-up.  It’s fresh, it’s flirty…It’s perfect.

She happens to be wearing Dew Drenched Moisturlicous Lip Color in Skinny Dip from Mark.  If you like it, cop it (It’s only 6 bucks!).

Tags: Disney, Lip color, Mark, Selena Gomez, Teen Choice Awards

Stila Loves the LA Lakers…Seriously?

Hmmm…

I can’t sleep, so I’m perusing the web and visiting all my favorite sites…

I go to the Stila website, and this GIANT image pops up:

I immediately think this is weird (Although I suppose it’s a great marketing idea, even if it seems like a rather strange collaboration), and I am dying to know if they actually wear this set.

Since I still can’t sleep, I did a little google search and came across this next picture:

OK…I will resist the urge to comment on their outfits, even though the outfits are even more of a quandary to me than the fact that Stila gave them their own cosmetic set.

Now about that make-up…

I am completely positive that they are not all wearing the ‘Stila Loves the Lakers‘ set.  This just isn’t possible.  However, what is possible is that they are in fact all wearing Stila cosmetics since it seems that Stila is the official 2009 make-up sponsor.

In any case, even though they might not all be wearing the colors and products featured in the set – It retails for only $36.00 and does have some great items (I love Stila smudge pots and convertible color) – So, maybe you should try it out anyway.

Tags: Lakers, Stila, Strange Collabo, Value Set

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

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).

Tags: Avon, Bare Minerals, Benefit, Greedy Genius, kicks, Mel D. Cole, Public School, Skateboarding, Skin Disaster

More Nathaline @ Wilhelmina

Here are a few more pictures of Nathaline @ Wilhelmina.

For this shoot I created a look for her, using boot black liquid liner applied in the crease with a dusting of black shadow applied with an angled liner brush to set.  Nude lips were created using Bare Venus (limited edition and no longer available), and her cheeks were contoured using powder blush in Blushbaby.  All from MAC.

Photos: Marley Kate.  Hair: Billy Keith.  Styling: Contessa.

Tags: Billy Keith, Contessa, MAC, Marley Kate, Test, Wilhelmina

You, Me & 5 Bucks

I’ve been under the weather this past week.  Living like a recluse, curled up on the couch watching way too much T.V. just waiting for the worst to pass.  Antibiotics are such a drag – All I’ve wanted to do is sleep.

You know you’re really sick when after 3 days you’ve watched everything of interest on DVR and on Demand.  By Thursday night I’d really run out of options, and had begun scrapping the bottom of the T.V. barrel, watching things like ‘Dress My Nest‘ and ‘Snapped.’

But I was desperate for entertainment.  I mean, what else do you do when you’re sick?  I guess I could have read a book or something, but when I’m not feeling well I really do prefer to be mindlessly entertained.  So, I’m home…With my ass planted firmly on the couch…And ‘Reality Bites’ comes on.  My first instinct was to change the channel.  I HATED this movie when my sister took me to see it in the theater in 1994.  I just didn’t get it.

Now, post H.S. and college…I swear I thought I was watching a different movie.  Suddenly it all made sense, and I was sitting on the couch nodding my head in firm agreement that reality does in fact, sometimes, bite.

If you don’t remember this movie, here’s the trailer:

What I loved most about this flick were all the varying shades of red lipstick worn by Winona Ryder and Janeane Garofalo.  I especially LOVE the matte red color on Winona Ryder in the bar scene when Ethan Hawke’s character does a horrific cover of the Violent Femme’s ‘Add It Up.’  Her lips are 90s matte, grunge perfection.

Here are my favorite shades of red lipstick – All under 5 bucks

Wet ‘n’ Wild Silk Finish Lipstick, Hot Red ($1.29)

Wet ‘n’ Wild MegaSlicks Lip Color, Passion Fruit Pink

($2.99)

Milani Velvet Lips Lipstick, Red Carpet 214 ($4.49)

Disney Red Apple Lip Balm SPF 15 ($5.00)

Tags: Budget, Ethan Hawke, Janeane Garofalo, Reality Bites, Red Lipstick, Winona Ryder

Shhh!

I’ve been keeping this one to myself for a while.  As a makeup artist, and a blogger I do feel a certain responsibility to let my clients and readers in on the latest and greatest in all things beauty.  Then, sometimes I stumble upon something that is such a find, that I just want to keep it to myself.

I am totally the product of my mother in that way.  For example:  I once had this AMAZING colorist.  I mean…AMAZING.  He moved to another country, so now no one in the U.S can have him.  But before he moved, he made me all sorts of shades of blonde that were all equally fabulous.  My hair was so perfectly colored that women would stop me on the street daily, desperate to know the genius behind my luscious locks.  Whenever they would ask, I would respond with ‘Oh this, this is just some box color.  My friend did it for me.’

LIES.  And all of the curious women who asked totally knew that I was lying.  But, my mother always said ‘DON’T GO TELLING TOO MANY PEOPLE ABOUT AMAZING THINGS JILLIAN, BECAUSE THEN EVERYONE WILL HAVE IT AND THEN IT WON’T BE AMAZING ANYMORE.’

I sort of agree.  I also feel kind of guilty for holding out on all of you.

It’s just that now I’m torn.  I WANT to tell you about this amazing beauty find, because it’s what girlfriends do – They share information on beauty and other girly stuff.  Then there is a part of me that wants to keep this to myself, so as not to ruin it.  Once this catches on it’s going to be huge…Like…Sephora…Only, NEXT LEVEL.

Ugh.  Ok. (Let me catch my breath).  Here it is. (I can’t believe I’m sharing this – God, I am SO GOOD TO YOU ALL).  It’s called…

SASA.

Sasa is kind of like Sephora, but they only have standing locations throughout Asia.  Thankfully, they have a website, and they do ship internationally.  The thing that makes Sasa the next level Sephora is that they have things you have never heard of in the U.S.  Products that are rare and amazing…

Looking for Bird’s Nest Eye Mask?  Yeah.  They’ve got it. (P.S.: It’s edible.  Not sure why you’d want to eat it, but just in case you feel compelled to do so – It’s safe).

Or, maybe you’d like to try hairspray for your EYELASHES.

Dying to try Bai Cheong Lung pills?  They have them!  Don’t know what Bai Cheong Lung pills are?  No problem!  Apparently they moisturize the body, give you energy, help with absent mindedness, and post-partum!  Seriously, why isn’t everyone taking this???

Desperate for that wide eye’d doll look?  Try Sasa’s Super Dolly Powerful Mascara guaranteed to give you dolly eyes that will be the center of attention everywhere you go!

I could go on and on…But I think you get the idea.  Basically Sasa has EVERYTHING.  Things that you can’t even imagine.  Things that you would never know that you needed or even wanted until you realized they were realistic options.  Sasa is all the brands that you already know (Olay, Loreal, Dior etc.), PLUS hundreds of foreign brands that you never even knew existed.

The best part is that they always have sales! I’ve even found products that are carried at Sephora on the Sasa website – FOR A DISCOUNTED PRICE! Before you let international shipping turn you off from trying them out, you should know that you get free shipping on orders over $75.00.

What are you waiting for?  Explore Sasa today!

Tags: Discounts, Mascara, Sasa, Sephora

Beauty That Gives Back: Trees for The Future

I know there are lots of people out there who think the beauty industry is shallow and meaningless and only for those that embrace their narcissistic side.

I completely disagree. Beauty is a powerful thing, and it does have the power to effect change.  Just ask the good people at Smashbox.  To celebrate Earth Day 2009, they’ve come up with a limited edition eco- friendly palette available exclusively at Sephora stores nation wide.  The palette contains 4 shadows and a blush – All of which are certified organic (organic makeup = simple, healthful, and as close to nature as beauty gets). Plus, everything is housed in a recyclable compact and carton made from sustainable materials and printed with eco-friendly ink!

The color ways are suitable for all skin tones, with the neutral tangerine hued blush being a must have for everyone! Additionally, all the shadows are super blend-able so you can mix and match the perfect shades for you.

Bonus: With each purchase, a tree will be planted by Trees for the Future, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating sustainable environments through forestation throughout the world.

This is organic beauty at it’s best – Beauty that gives back!

Get yours for $45.00 just in time for Earth Day on April 22nd at Sephora.

Tags: Earth Day, Eco-friendly, Palette, Sephora, Smashbox

R.I.P: Mac Blush in Prism

I killed this blush.  KILLED IT.

I don’t do this very often.  Mostly because I have so much makeup (and I’m not talking about my professional kit, I’m referring to my own personal collection), AND I’m obsessed with new product.  Usually my ADD kicks in after I use something a few times which keeps me constantly trying something new.

Products hardly ever die by my own hand.  Except for mascara.  I go through mascara like water – Probably a tube every 3 weeks.  But, that’s about the only product I’m killin’ on a regular basis…So when I finish something, it’s MAJOR.

I loved this blush.  Not initially though – It was not love at first swipe AT ALL.  This blush sat at the bottom of a drawer for a year before I touched it after using it one time. Then one day I felt like changing things up, and re-discovered it, and suddenly it had a new life.

And it’s been love ever since.  It’s really obvious if you look at the remains:

I even busted the clear part of the top off.  It’s THAT deep.

Prism blush from MAC was my every day staple.  I used it constantly.  And when I had to go somewhere at night, I would dress it up with a shimmer highlight, or use it as a contour blush by pairing it with another color.

I would buy it again, but there are so many products out there, and life is too short for me to only wear one blush.

Prism, you will be missed.  You gave great face.  Thank you.

What was the last product you completely emptied out???

Tags: Blush, MAC