The Latest From Benefit

I can only presume that ad sponsorship from Ford brought along this most recent campaign, but the results are fabulous. Benefit’s new Curve Hugger ($22) palette is gorgeous. I’ve always been partial to metallic neutrals, so this baby is going to take up permanent residence in make-up bag. The colors are warm, but flattering. And they are the perfect accent for the fresher tones of Spring.

Bonus: Benefitcosmetics.com is offering free shipping on orders $45 or more. Just enter the code EFSC45 at checkout.

Some of my other favorites from the Benefit that I can’t wait to pair with the Curve Hugger Palette:

Gilded ($1

This gorgeous gold pencil won an Allure Award for being one of the best highlighters. I like to run it along the inner corners and lower waterline to brighten my eyes. It also works in a pinch for adding sparkle to your cheek bones. (Just blend the life out of it when using it on your face.)

Bad Gal ($1

I lusted after this pencil when it first came out, but didn’t think I could pull off its sexy boldness. Since then, I’ve happily been proved wrong. Yes, it’s bold and super pigmented, but the kohl is soft and blendable. I always, ALWAYS have this in my purse for social emergencies when I need an instant smokey look.

Dallas ($26)

*Sigh* Dallas, Dallas, Dallas… I was fully prepared to hate this product because of the constant blather about how it was the greatest bronzer/blush color that Benefit has ever made. Why? Because critics say that about EVERY blush Benefit releases. But then I was picking up a few odds and ends for Katie’s wedding and saw this little gem. The pictures had not done it justice. It’s an incredible blend of warm rose, berry, and a touch of true bronze. I love it! I dust a generous layer on my cheeks for a rosey, sun kissed glow, and I also love to wear it as an eyeshadow. Definitely a must have.

Pictures and Prices from: http://www.benefitcosmetics.com

Cheap Thrills and My Love for False Eyelashes

I just discovered two amazing things yesterday  

1. How to properly apply false eyelashes (I stumbled upon the greatest video ever and will post a link to it for you.)
2. The most phenomenal copies of Shu Uemura crystal/diamond false lashes. (Like the ones that were made for Madonna) 

For the last year, whenever I wanted to wear false lashes I had to go to MAC or Shu Uemura, pick a pair of lashes, and have the Make-Up Artist apply them to me. Since the entire process cost as much as a tube of my favorite mascara, this wasn’t a vice I could indulge in on a daily basis. I had tried countless times to apply false lashes to myself. But each attempt resulted in a humorous level of disaster. So you can imagine my delight at stumbling upon this little miracle:

http://www.koji-honpo.co.jp/makeup/movie/uematsuge_300.html

Though it’s not in English, it is still very easy to follow and makes the process appear ridiculously easy. I watched it intently for several revolutions until I felt confident that I could recreate what I had seen. It was amazing to just follow the steps I had memorized and apply the lashes perfectly. I wanted to shout and jump for joy, but was positive that Music Man would think I was insane. Instead, I drove to Sally Beauty Supply to buy a whole stock of Ardell Lashes in celebration of my new skill.

Ardell Lashes are the ultimate cheap thrill. There are a dozen different styles to choose from, each pair is well made and reusable, and they only cost $4. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a pair of each set. Now that I have mastered false eyelash application, I want to indulge myself and wear them every weekend.

Yesterday must have been my lucky eyelash day, because I had another surprise to fill me with glee. Ardell had revamped their line and released a collection of shimmery and/or bejeweled false lashes. They were absolutely exquisite. They looked so much like the Shu Uemura crystal lashes that I had been lusting after for a month. I could not locate my self control and bought tons of them. While the quality is not that great, I’ll upload the pictures I took to show off my find to the ladies of Make-Up Alley. 

 
    

 

The Beauty of Good Customer Service

One great thing about high-end make-up is that it follows retail pricing. Therefore a Chanel lipstick will cost the same at Nordstom, Barneys, Hects, and Bloomingdales. Since pricing is static, I purchase my make-up solely based on the customer service I receive.

As mentioned in “GWP Whore,” I participated in Barneys’ Beauty Week. When it finally arrived, I tore into my parcel, breathless to see what GWP wonder was in store.

Barneys GWP did not disappoint. It was all that I hoped. But my beloved Shu Cleansing Oil Light… Somehow the bottle’s pump unscrewed and leaked in transit. Thought I was lucky that the spill was contained by the protective bubble wrap, I was disappointed by the less than perfect condition of my order. The pump was completely broken and would squirt product from the base rather than the spout.

I called Barneys this morning to see if they could offer a solution. Without question or hesitation, they immediately offered to replace the defective product and agreed to let me keep the bottle I had received. I was very impressed with the way my issue was addressed. Russ at Shu Uemura was sympathetic and offered an immediate solution. I felt truly taken care of.

This experience has propelled Barneys to the top of my list as a retailer. Their phenomenal customer service has one my buyer loyalty.

http://www.barneys.com

The Importance of Proper Skin Care

THE PROBLEM: As I got ready for the wedding and was dabbing concealor on a few imperfections I wanted to hide, all I could think was, “There has to be a better way.”

THE OH SO OBVIOUS SOLUTION: While I love make-up, I’m not a fan of foundation or concealor. I feel that they hide the natural radiance of bare skin. Granted, if I had taken better care of my skin, I would not have had as many spots to cover. That’s when common sense kicked me in the head. Prevention! Prevention is the perfect substitute for cover-up.

SKIN TYPE: To start with, my skin is bipolar. It is hyper sensitive and fluctuates between normal, combo, and oily depending on the weather. I’m also prone to hormone induced cystic pimples around that time of the month. Everytime I have a pimple, it leaves behind hyperpigmentation that takes months to fade.

THE CULPRITS: Although the hormonal breakouts are not my fault, I have not been taking great care of my skin. The biggest no-no is going to sleep without washing my face. I know that it’s terrible for my skin and yet I’ll do it anyway. I also need to start using the right products that suit my skin.

SKIN REHAB: So now I resolve to start taking serious care of my skin. I will find the perfect cleansers for my skin’s many moods and solemnly swear to wash my face every night before bed. I will find a topical treatment to fade the hyperpigmentation and the perfect moisturizer to rehydrate my dry patches.

My “MOH FOTD”

MOH: Maid of Honor

FOTD: Face of the Day. A breakdown of the make-up used to create a particular look.

 

The Dress: A gorgeous, silvered taupe, Vera Wang gown. It was A-line, floor length, and made of the most incredible satin.

BASE:

• MAC Prep and Prime Face
• MAC Select Cover Up Concealor
• MAC Studio Fix (Applied with a loose powder brush)
• NARS Mata Hari Powder Blush

EYES:

• MAC Gingersoft foiled on to the inner corners with MAC Mixing Medium
• MAC Coco Pigment foiled over the outer 2/3 with MAC Mixing Medium
• MAC False Lashes in Set #7
• MAC Blacktrack Fluidline
• Diorshow Waterproof Black Mascara

LIPS:

• MAC Lipliner in Whirl
• MAC Sophisto Lustre Lipstick

I’ve Missed You!!

Wow! It feels like it’s been so long since my last post. I can’t believe how addicted I’ve become blogging.

So the wedding, baby shower, and birthday party have all passed in a blur. My head is positively spinning from all the activity that’s transpired in a matter of days. Throughout all the preparation and ceremony I’ve learned a number of things that I can’t wait to share with you.

 Topics of discussion:

• An overview of the wedding
• A review of the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa
• My vow to get serious about skin care
• A break down of my different Face of the Days for these events

I will be posting these commentaries in between:

• Cooking Dinner
• Laundry
• Dry Cleaning
• Straightening up my bedroom and bathroom (I feel unruly when both these rooms aren’t immaculate

Stay tuned…

10 Things I Love About Valentine’s Day

• 10 - My best friend from high school was born on Valentine’s Day.
• 9 - Conversation Hearts!
• 8 - My favorite color is everywhere. (PIIIIIINK!)
• 7 - Baking pink cupcakes for friends and co-workers.
• 6 - It’s 3 days until Katie’s wedding. (I’m the maid of honor)
• 5 - My lunch came with a white rose.
• 4 - Cooking a romantic meal for my significant other.
• 3 - Getting dressed up for the romantic dinner.
• 2 - Chocolate!! (Oh, like you didn’t know that was coming)
• 1 - My Music Man and I met 3 years ago on Valentine’s Day.

Cargo GlossBox

$15 From Sephora.com: “Fourteen shimmering and sheer lip glosses, packaged together in a convenient travel case, and dispense from application wands, are making it ultra easy to carry seven colors on-the-go. Each GlossBox(tm) contains a total of seven shades, two wands of each shade. The gloss is dispensed through a playful and unique wand with sponge tip applicator and each gloss includes the benefits of the antioxidant rosemary extract and vitamin E.”       

This Sephora exclusive comes with glosses in pink shimmer, raspberry, golden apricot, sheer nude, sheer shimmering green, grape glimmer, and peach. 

Cargo glosses are thin, sheer, slippery veils of color that enhance your lips’ natural color rather than redefining it. I adore them because every color is wearable and each tube comes with enough gloss for 3 applications.

The only downfall is that they are not as portable as the other Cargo monodoses. Unless you want to carry the entire case or put a wand in a plastic baggie, there really isn’t a sanitary way to keep them handy.  I’ve found that the snack size Ziploc bags are the perfect size for toting each gloss while you’re on the go.

Photo and product information from www.sephora.com 

 

GWP Whore

GWP: “Gift with Purchase.” The set of products a line will offer as an incentive for patrons to purchase a certain dollar value.

So I love GWPs. I’m a sucker for them. Especially when they come from a line that typically does not offer them. My recent addiction: Shu Uemura.

Today I got the Barneys Beauty Week GWP as well as the Shu Uemura step-up GWP for ordering over $150 from their line. I ordered Light and Balancing Cleansing oils in the limited edition 450ml Ai Bottles. These little gems are literally works of art. I also picked up IR White 900Y eyeshadow, ME Black Drawing Pencil, and 2 Drawing Pencils as gifts (ME Blue and Purple.) I’m not 100% sure what comes in the GWPs, but I can’t wait to find out.

I also finalized a Custom Purchase for Shu Uemura’s Sakura Cleansing Oil. (Can you tell that I’m collecting them?) It’s not available here, so the amazing Jan on MUA agreed to purchase it for me in Singapore. Since they were also having a GWP, I ordered the ME Brown Drawing Pencil as well.

I’m excited about all the Cleasing Oils. I can’t wait to line them up in my bathroom because the bottles really are quite beautiful. And with all the GWP, I’ll have plenty of new products to review for you

 Photo from http://www.barneys.com

Hello world!

This was a default entry, but I’m keeping it because I like the title.

Once upon a time I had a beauty blog on msn, but it was too hard to navigate. Hopefully this platform will be a lot easier for you and I to follow.

I’m a bit overwhelmed at this clean slate, but promise to fast-forward the awkwards ramblings that filled my first few pages on the old blog.

 So here’s a little about me:

My name is Amandine. I’m in my mid-20’s and live in the fantastic Washington, DC Metropolitan area. I’ve travelled the world, but this is the only place that could ever feel like home.

I just got engaged to a charming, sexy, scruffy, diamond-in-the rough who rocks my world. We are in the midst’s of ring shopping and hunting for the perfect reception location to house an “intimate” party of 200 “close” family and friends.

I’m obsessed with make-up, perfume, skin care, bath and body products, and gossip.

I promise to update this blog on a regular basis. There is nothing I hate more then getting wrapped up in someone’s webpage and then having them disappear.