I got to take part in a fab event last weekend, the 5th annual On the Go Beauty hosted by the fine folks at Pivotal PR. Since it was the day before Mother’s Day, it was absolutely lovely to see so many guests there with their mamas! Since my Mom is on the east coast, I brought the equally lovely Sherri, shown above getting her hair did.
We lounged in the sun, took in the view from the gorgeous rooftop of the Thompson Hotel and enjoyed pampering like proper beauty blogger G’s. We got hair services by Joico (we both left with super cute braids), manicures by Q Salon and Bellacures, and sipped delicious cocktails by Owl’s Brew (tea + booze, woo hoo!) And though we didn’t partake, makeup was provided by STILA cosmetics and eyebrow threading and mendi by Ziba Beauty.
Plus, Olay Skincare introduced their brand new Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Eye Cream & Lash Duo with a fun campaign where you got your photo taken and then it was broadcast on a billboard in Times Square!
Is it too early to be already looking forward to the 6th annual?
On to the League…
First, we’d like to take a moment to congratulate our very own Phyrra for five years of beauty blogging! To commemorate the event, she’s hosting a mega-givewaway here that you don’t want to miss.
Question of the Week: Tell us about a funny makeup/beauty mistake you have made…or care to admit to?
Answer: Over-plucking eyebrows, don’t do it people! You will curse the day you started, just like I do.
It’s the end of another week! Over the last few days we learned some eyelining tips from makeup artist Elle Leary, salivated over MAC’s Baking Beauties collection and were spellbound by L’Oreal’s Magic De-Crease Eyelid Primer. But life is about more than beauty products, here are a few links that made us happy this week:
• Our image this week comes from a fascinating collection of screenshots culled from Google’s omniscient cameras. Canadian artist Jon Rafman searches Google Street View and collects screenshots of his most amazing discoveries. – 30 Shocking and Unexpected Google Street View Photos
• While you might be looking for an easy beach read right now, why not go for something with a little more depth? Real Simple has compiled a list of must-reads by asking renowned authors from every genre to share a book that profoundly moved them. How many have you read? – 50 Great Books That Will Change Your Life
• Speaking of profound, last week marked the 20th year anniversary of the seminal “Donna Martin Graduates” episode of ‘Beverly Hills 90210.’ (You know which episode I mean!) To celebrate, Vulture caught up with Tori Spelling to get the scoop on the well-loved (and mocked) episode. – Tori Spelling on the 20th Anniversary of 90210’s ‘Donna Martin Graduates’ Episode
• A decade later, and we are still mourning the passing of ‘Freaks and Geeks.’ If you are as well, here’s a little something to add some groove to your afternoon: Bill Haverchick, ladies
Readers – what were reading on the internet this week?
Tyna, co-founder and co-editor of wht, worries about becoming a crazy cat lady, reads at least a book a week, checks in at a Flyers fan forum every morning and is forever (some say obsessively) organizing her closets and drawers.
One of the best things about going to makeup shows like The Makeup Show and IMATS is the pros you get to meet and mingle with, like the fabulous Elle Leary. I met Elle while getting some lashes applied and we instantly clicked.
Maybe that’s because she gave me some tips that totally changed my falsie application process. Or because she’s incredibly talented. Or because she’s beautiful and sweet – but I have a total girl crush on her! Watch this tutorial, how to to apply cat eyeliner, and tell me you don’t too.
We’re cooking up some ways to work together, so don’t be surprised to see more of her here. Until then, check out her blog The Lash Effect.
A late but very pretty review of MAC 2013 Fashion Sets
Do you remember the 2012 MAC Fashion Sets launch? The release created matching sets based on their best-selling products. It’s notable in my mind because it gave me Russian Red lipglass and nail lacquer to pair with my lipstick. (Thanks MAC!) It did the same for Spice lipliner and many other products, 16 sets in total.
MAC’s brought back the concept.(And could we have a yearly Fashion sets launch, pretty please?) This time on a much smaller scale with only 4 sets, but they added eye shadows to the mix. And they have another hit on their hands, because the collection is almost entirely sold out. In fact, most of the lips products were gone within a few hours. (You can still find the nail lacquers and eye shadows.)
So, why do we tease you with a post about products that you can’t purchase? Because we’re mean? No, simply because we see so many of MAC’s limited edition products repromoted. So, you could consider us late with this post or SUPER early for the next time these shades come around!
The Embrace Me set gives us a beautiful hot fuchsia pink, and is the set that did the best in terms of matching.
lipstick – hot fuchsia pink with a matte finish eye shadow – dirty hot pink with a satin finish lipglass – bright fuchsia pink with a fuchsia shimmer nail lacquer – fuchsia pink creme, great coverage in 2 coats
MAC’s got the recipe for scrumptious color this season!
Artfully decorated cakes are still one of the hottest thing going in the foodie world. Leave it to MAC, always inspired by the latest in pop culture, to create a collection, Baking Beauties, with these sweet confections in mind.
And MAC once again delivers with a line of “so pretty you could eat them up” colors in a delectable range of flattering products. We’ve shared a few of the goodies for eyes and lips, so now let’s take a mouth-watering gander at the items for cheeks and nails.
Pearlmatte Face Powder ($30) – MAC’s face powders are my newest obsession, and these two beauties shot to the top of my must-have list. Depending on your complexion, these velvety soft powders work as a blush and/or highlighter, offering an ethereal glow and soft flush to the face. Add in the flower and leaf design that is embossed in the powder and you can see why these beauties make this girl squeal with glee.
Pink Buttercream
Pink Buttercream – the white edge is an overspray over a light cool pink base with medium cool pink buds and periwinkle leaves. Swirled, it’s a shimmery cool pink.
After much hemming and hawing (how to choose just one?!), I tested Pink Buttercream. This oh-so-soft and very flattering pink adds a hint of color to the apples of my cheeks and does an amazing job highlighting cheek bones, the forehead and decolletage. The shimmering powder adds a soft, very natural looking glow that I plan on wearing all summer long.
In for a Treat
In for a Treat – Just like Pink Buttercream, the white edge is an overspray with a shimmery nude base, warm medium pink flowers and mint green leaves. Swirled, it’s a light shimmery coral.
MAC’s baking up a storm with this cake inspired launch, and there’s still time to get a piece…
I am a sucker for baked goods, and cupcakes are one of my favorites, so when MAC’s latest launch Baking Beauties arrived for testing one word instantly came to mind…YUM!
Inspired by the artistry of cake decoration, MAC Baking Beauties is filled with decadent confections for the eyes, face, lips and nails. Today, we’ll take a look at what they have baking for eyes and lips.
Pro Longwear Paint Pots ($18.50) – this MAC favorite is available in 5 new and dazzling shades that are fun, flirty and whimsical. Housed in the standard MAC glass pot, these paints are super creamy and glide on easily, but then dry quickly to hold their coverage. They are highly pigmented, with a strong shimmer and glittery finish.
We tested two new shades and I found Mooncake to be very light and airy and Dangerous Cuvee to be a beautiful, shimmering grey. These colors definitely dare to dazzle so while they’re not something I might wear to work, they are perfect to add sparkle for a fun night out or a summer party.
Lipsticks ($15) – Baking Beauties also showcases 4 shades of their classic lipsticks in a yummy array of colors. We tested two of these MAC staples, and as always these lipsticks glide on creamy and stay put.
The season of gardening and flowers is upon us! Looking for a striking DIY garden project that you can whip up in an afternoon? Add some height and visual drama to your landscape with this easy-peasy, topsy-turvy planter.
Supplies: • rebar – about 6 feet • Sledge hammer or mallet • 1 large clay pot for base • 4 or 5 medium size clay pots for middle • 1 small clay pot for top • Potting soil • A variety of flowers and/or herbs
Tip: Rebar is easily found in large home improvement stores, or hardware shops for approximately $10.
With a wave of this wand, eye makeup magically stay put!
L’Oreal Paris has always been my go-to line for drugstore cosmetics. I love the way I can almost always find L’Oreal dupes of products featured in their parent company’s pricey department store brands (think Lancôme, Urban Decay, and YSL Beauté). Like many of their products, the new L’Oreal Magic De-Crease Eyelid Primer is a product that holds its own with high-end counterparts.
Magic Decrease Eyelid Primer ($8.95) is designed to prevent creasing on eyelids, and extend eyeshadow wear up to eight hours without fading. It’s compatible with any form of shadow – powder, cream or gloss.
The formula is thicker than some primers, and I was heavy-handed the first time I used it, which actually created creasing. However, my second attempt, with a much lighter application, did the trick. My makeup lasted all day and didn’t crease or fade at all. Even soft pencil eyeliner stayed put long after I’d expect it to fade away or migrate.
Mad Men is back! If you’re a fan, join us regularly for Mad Men Musings – a space to discuss selected highlights, low points, or just plain water-cooler worthy moments of each episode.
Change continues to sweep through the newly merged office of…well, we still don’t have a name for the new mash-up of SDCP and Cutler, Gleason and Chaough, do we?
This whole episode made me feel vaguely nervous – movers swarming around like worker bees, the imminent threat of lay-offs and firings, and the generally turbulent atmosphere kept me on edge. The power paradigms are shifting, leaving lovers, family members, and co-workers struggling to find their place in the new order.
The award for most desperate to assert their authority and find their footing goes to Mr. Don Draper, of course. Don’s need for control and dominance rears its ugly head in both the office and the bedroom. At work, he wants things to stay the way they are; he’s comfortable napping, drinking, and pulling pure magic out of the air at the very last minute.
But Ted doesn’t work that way – as Don’s foil, Ted is engaged, personable and professional. He’s the anti-Don, really, (except for that little echo of the extramarital kiss) and an enjoyable part of this episode was watching the power struggle betwixt the two.
Ted and Peggy ready to face the day…
Don won the first round. Ostensibly making a mea culpa for his lateness to the margarine meeting, Don plies Ted with a liquid “olive branch.” This leads to a rumpled, red-cheeked Ted comparing different margarine brands to Gilligan’s Island characters and generally acting the fool. Peggy, for one, is not amused. In a brief but powerful scene, she calls Don on his crap, “Move forward,” she tells him. Peggy will always be grateful to Don, but part of what makes her such a strong character is that she’s not afraid to confront him when he needs it.
Poor Ted, after his liquid meeting with Don
Sylvia, too, is finally able to set Don straight, but it takes her quite a while to reach that point. Mr. Draper is transparent as glass here — Don needs to re-assert that he has total power and control over something in his life, and an unhappy housewife is just the ticket. Now, this might be an unpopular opinion, but I didn’t find Don sensual or powerful or remotely enticing in this context. Rather, he seemed desperate, almost pathetic. His commands to Sylvia, the whole sordid little game of master and slave, struck me as hollow and cold. (Aside: I did, however, squeal “oh my gosh, Adam and Natalia from ‘Girls’!” when Don told Sylvia to crawl on her hands and knees. Was that just me?)
Dominant Don faltered, though, once he stepped onto Ted’s plane. He was physically shaken (just looking at that tiny cockpit shuddering and banging through the storm was terrifying, right?) but his confidence, his essential Don Draper-ness, was shaken up too. Ted, wearing a bomber jacket and classic Ray-Bans, won this round — flying your private plane to meet your client? Check and mate, Ted, check and mate.
Readers of we heart this should be familiar with this classic photo of Stef and I rocking the ‘new wave’ look back in high school. We recently shared it for Throwback Thursday on our Facebook page and it got me thinking about hair dye.
While I’ve dyed my hair many different colors, for the last few years I’ve been sticking with my natural dark brown shade. But I think I’ve grown bored with the natural look and am ready to start dying again.
So this week, let’s play a round of 3 things – the hair dye edition:
Is your hair currently dyed or natural? Right now my hair is a fairly boring and an all natural dark brown.
When you color your hair, do you visit a salon or do it yourself? Both! In high school I wasn’t afraid to add color to my hair using anything I could find (peroxide, Sun In, jello, magic markers). When I was adding highlights to my hair, I dropped way too much money getting it done in a salon. But these days I mostly rely on boxed color when dying my hair.
What shades/colors have you dyed your hair? I’ve gone blond, auburn, gothic black and everything in between. I’ve also added color not seen naturally in hair including the fire engine red tips above, and had some artfully applied chunky blond streaks in the 90′s.
Your turn – cut and past the following into the comments and join us in playing 3 things!
Is your hair currently dyed or natural? When you color your hair, do you visit a salon or do it yourself? What shades/colors have you dyed your hair?
Tyna, co-founder and co-editor of wht, worries about becoming a crazy cat lady, reads at least a book a week, checks in at a Flyers fan forum every morning and is forever (some say obsessively) organizing her closets and drawers.
