Source: makeupandbeautyblog.com

More Holiday Wish List 2007 – Elizabeth Arden Mediterranean Perfume

It’s been months since I’ve gone surfing and I miss being in the ocean. Just looking at the blue packaging and bottle for Elizabeth Arden’s Mediterranean perfume makes me feel like I’m in Hawaii, sitting on my board and waiting for the next wave to come and carry me away.

Aside from the beautiful bottle and packaging, the best part about this perfume is that the scent isn’t too heavy or cloying. Mediterranean is described on the Elizabeth Arden Web site as a “radiant woody floral.” Imagine a hybrid between the best parts of Fresh’s Lemon Sugar perfume and Covet.

When I spray it on I get an initial burst that’s lemony and white floral. It then dries down to a light, black tea scent. On me Mediterranean smells gender neutral and not overly feminine or sweet.

If you have a girlfriend, sister or mom who likes perfumes that aren’t too sweet then she’ll love this. It would also be a great gift for a friend who loves beachy scents but doesn’t like strong “tropical” notes like pikake or tuberose.

The 1.7 fl oz bottle you see in the pic above is $47.50, but for the holidays Elizabeth Arden’s got a special set that includes the 1.7 fl oz Eau de Parfum Spray, Body Lotion and a wee Eau de Parfum replica for $52.00. Don’t you love the extra goodies in gifts sets? I sure do.

A Holiday 2007 Face of the Day with Clinique’s “Happy & Bright” Makeup

Here’s a face of the day I did with Clinique’s Holiday 2007 “Happy & Bright” makeup. What do you think?

I used the pink shade farthest on the left all over the lid, then the peach shade to highlight the browbone and inner eye. I put the lighter brown shade in the crease and used the darker brown on the far right to line the top and bottom. Then I finished it off with two coats of BECCA The Ultimate Mascara in Black.

On the cheeks I used the lightest touch of MAC’s Dollymix blush with Clinique Fresh Bloom Allover Colour in Peony layered on top.

I finished the look off with Raspberry Glace Different Lipstick and Camisole Full Potential Lipglass on the lips.

I really love these colors. They are buildable and pretty much mistake proof. My next Clinique Holiday 2007 mission: use the Pink Truffle quad to create a gentle smoky eye!

Weekend Reading Just For You

Your weekend isn’t over yet! Here’s the latest beauty buzz from The Beauty Blog Network.

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic – Christine Explains how Antioxidants Work
A Touch of Blusher – All About Japanese Cosmetics
All Lacquered Up - All Lacquered Up Reviews OPI’s Holiday in Hollywood Dazzling Darks & Neutrals
Beauty and Fashion Tech – Beauty and Fashion Tech Looks at the New MAC Holiday Collection and Provides Swatches
Beauty and Personality Grooming – Homemade rich nail cream
Etailers Mall – The Blog – PlumSmoke
Face Candy – Bridal Beauty
Makeup Moxie’s Beauty Blog - Makeup Moxie Reviews Cover Girl Lashblast Mascara
Musings of a Muse - The Muse’s First Look at the Sephora 2007 Catalog
Mystical Beauty’s Musings – How do you feel about your makeup talking to you?
Savvy Skin - Skimpy Thinning Eyebrows
SugarShock – Fragrance Notes: Factory Girl
Temptalia - MAC Curiositease Review, Swatches, and Photos!
Makeup Loves Me - Refreshing Facial at Fresh

And oooh girl, I know you didn’t miss Makeup and Beauty Blog’s MAC Holiday 2007 Curiositease Lip Sets: What to buy, What to pass up!

A Few More Random Thangs Currently Up in My Grill

Because the world is constantly moving toward randomness…here are few tidbits that have crossed my radar in the last few days.

In definance to all the laws of the universe, somehow Christian Bale came SECOND PLACE to Wentworth Miller in Entertainment Weekly’s Ultimate Hottie Poll, BOO!

That’s okay, I’ll comfort you, Chris

I saw this kid dancing on “The Soup” and I laughed for about 10 minutes straight. I kept rewinding and laughing, rewinding and laughing. He’s my hero.

Not that I need any more TV in my life, but Torchwood on BBC is FANTASTIC. Tivo it, yo!


What’s My Motivation?

Today I was in an infinitely better mood then yesterday because last night I slept twelve hours. No joke. Every moment of sleep was like manna from the heavens. Ahhhh!

In between working it out at the gym and watching the Colts and Patriots game (that Tom Brady is HAWT!) I thought of all the stuff I have to get done this week that I just don’t want to do.

“Hmmm,” I thought, “What’s the ultimate form of motivation? What’s gonna make me want to go the extra mile to get all this craptacular crapola done?”

The answer? C to the H to the A to the N to the E to the L.

The reward for finishing my first project…

And the second…

And the third…

The moral of this story? A little Chanel bribery goes a long, long way.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Source: makeupandbeautyblog.com

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I hate the Container Store. There is something fundamentally wrong with going to a store to buy more stuff to keep all of your present stuff in. Either 1.) get rid of some stuff or 2.) put that Container Store money (‘cause nothing in there is cheap) to better use and just buy more stuff!

Because of this philosophy, I have become a victim of my own personal hell. Dante shouldn’t have stopped at nine levels, because the 10th can be found in my apartment:

See those lovely bags perched precariously on the shelf? Of course they were filled to the brim with god-knows-what and of course they had to all succumb to gravity all at the same time and fall into the center of the closet, leaving a nice two foot layer o’ crap for me to swim through.

In case you were wondering: one DOES NOT feel like a pirate looting through buried treasure when doing this.

Speaking of pirates…

In addition to writing this blog, I freelance write for a living. I love my job for the most part, because there’s so much flexibility, I don’t have to work in a cube (which I did for many years…it sucked) and I’m constantly challenged. However lately I’ve been trying to think in terms of the big picture, and where I want to be in five years, yada yada yada, that kind of thing. Plus, NOBODY seems to understand what I really do. So while the closet was imploding, I also had a mini “What should I do with my life” freakout this weekend, too.

I’ve decided that instead of having to explain what I do for a living, I’m now going to start telling people that I’m a Pirate-ologist. And if you remember your Latin roots, that would be “Study of Pirates.”

While I was at Barnes & Noble this afternoon I actually told somebody in the magazine aisle that I was a Pirateologist, and that despite being completely landlocked, UC Davis had a great program!

What do you do for a living? And do you like your job? If you could do anything and not have to worry about paying bills, what would you do?

Despite all of the moments of temporary insanity this weekend, it was still really good. I spent lots of time with El Hub, downloaded a bunch of new music and did a lot of beauty product testing. This week expect to get the skinny on FUN stuff from bliss and DHC!

I hope that your weekend was fun and that you feel happy, sane (!), organized (!) and loved.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Your weekend isn’t done yet till you’ve checked out the best posts from the gals over at The Beauty Blog Network!

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic - Christine Tries an AMAZING 2 Minute Mask from Become!
A Touch of Blusher – First Thoughts After Seeing Some Holiday 2007 Collections in Store
All Lacquered Up – Check out All Lacquered Up’s Contest & Giveaway
Beauty and Fashion Tech - Beauty and Fashion Tech looks at Tropez, a great value cosmetics line!
Beauty and Personality Grooming – Correcting a gummy smile
Elke Von Freudenberg - Elke fondly remembers reviewing one of her all-time fav lip glosses. Ever.
Etailers Mall – What etailer products do you use?
Face Candy – Dior Holiday Romantic Collection 2007
Hello Dollface - You Dont Have to Spend a Fortune on Skin care…
Lipstick, Powder ‘n Paint – Lipstick, Powder ‘n Paint: Whole Foods Suggests that we Be Good To Our Whole Body
Makeup Moxie – Makeup Moxie reviews Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara
Savvy Skin - Savvy Skin’s Best of Summer 2007
Temptalia – Alexander McQueen Review, Product Photos, and Swatches
makeup loves me – mineral fusion kit contest at makeup loves me!

Source: makeupandbeautyblog.com

Amongst the cameras and extra batteries and gum that I carried in my bag during SF Fashion week last month, there was also this save-the-date-card and a ticket to Justin Timberlake’s concert that my good friend Chris sent me:

(Chris, you’ll be happy to know that several models and makeup artists thought your JT artistry was top notch.)

You’ll notice that the card says September 12th. Unfortunately JT cancelled that concert date, but tonight is the rescheduled concert date, so WOO HOO! I’m going with a bunch of girl friends, so I won’t be the only over-30 woman in hizzy and admiring JT’s sexy back!

These days, we all know JT for his closely cropped hair. (And I have to admit that like my girl Toya over at Life of a Lady Bug, I am an admirer of the shaved head look.) But does anybody remember Justin during his curly haired days?

How do you feel about this version of Justin? More hot? Less hot? Honestly, I can’t really blame the boy for shaving all his Adonis curls off. I have wavy hair, and even though I love it sometimes it’s a big pain in the ass.

Sometimes I get tired of my hair too, girl, but you have to step away from the sheers until it passes

For many curly/wavy haired girls and guys, the mission to find holy grail hair products is unending. I have a few products that I am loving on at the moment, like Clairol Herbal Essences Set Me Up Gel, but I’m always game to try more because you just never know what your curly/wavy hair will like.

So when I got the chance to try a few products from the Curls line I was really excited. The line is formulated for curly haired, multi-ethnic customers. The products are made from natural oils, butters and botanicals. They also have a cute line for kids called Curly Q’s, which tugged at my heart a ‘lil bit because the information booklet included several pictures of cherubic looking multi-ethnic children of various shades of brown in their before and after pictures, awwww.

Anyway, here’s the skinny on three of the products I tested: Pure Curls Clarifying Shampoo, Curls Milkshake and Champagne Curls & Kaviar Kinks.

Pure Curls Clarifying Shampoo, $12.00 for an 8oz bottle
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B-

What it does:
- Clarifies product build up
- Infused with pineapple and grapefruit extracts

What I liked about it:
- Light citrus smell
- Nice texture

What I didn’t like about it:
- Felt like it clarified almost too well
- Had to use a lot to build up a good lather
- Cap on bottle is a screw cap, which I felt made me use too much product; wish it was a flip-top cap instead

You might like it if:
- You have thick curly or wavy hair that you don’t color
- You use lots of products on a daily basis

This shampoo smells yummy, and I like that it’s not too expensive. Plus, it’s silicone-free.

It does a great job of clarifying – almost too great! My hair felt super-squeaky clean, but I swear my highlights looked like they were stripped of some color afterwards. I won’t be using this shampoo again because of this.

I think for my hair clarifying shampoos in general are just too harsh. Right now I only shampoo once or twice a week and I only use gentle, moisturizing formulas.

However, you may like this is you use a lot of product – and for many of us curly/wavy haired girls that’s simply our reality- and need a uber-clarifier to remove it all. And if your hair is thick and doesn’t have any color then you may also like this as well.

Curls Milkshake, $17.00 for a huge 8oz jar
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: C

What it does:
- Styling product that softens, hydrates, defines curls and defrizzes all curly hair textures
- Made from coconut milk and organic aloe leaf juice

What I liked about it:
- Delicious coconut smell
- Does a fantastic job of weighing hair down
- Didn’t leave my hair feeling crunchy
- You can really make this go the distance because you get a lot of product for the price and don’t have to use that much
- Thick texture that isn’t sticky

What I didn’t like about it:
- Delicious coconut smell became extremely overwhelming after a few hours
- After I washed it out I got a few pimples on my back and shoulders (but this could’ve also been because I started using a new medication)

You might like it if:
- You have very thick, unruly, hard to tame curls that need to be weighed down
- You like smelling like a coconut

I really wanted to fall in love with this stuff because at first whiff it’s delicious! I love tropical smells, so I happily applied it to my hair with thoughts of Hawaii and all the great memories I have associated with surfing and the beach.

Unfortunately the coconut scent stays strong and doesn’t fade at all. After a few hours I couldn’t smell anything else but coconut, and it made me nauseous. My nose is very sensitive though, so it might not bother you as much as it bothered me.

Two big plusses with this product: does a great job of taming unruly hair and doesn’t leave it feeling sticky or crunchy. These two factors unfortunately don’t outweigh the fact that shortly after I washed this out of my hair I got a few pimples on my back and my shoulders, and I NEVER break out in the those areas. I have to acknowledge that at the time I started a new medication so it could’ve also been that as well, but I didn’t love this product enough to take that chance again.

Champagne Curls & Kaviar Kinks – $22.00 for a 2oz bottle
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B-/C+

What it does:
- A hair restoration treatment that encourages growth replaces lost keratin
- Improves elasticity, flexibility and shine

What I liked about it:
- Light citrus smell
- Good texture that isn’t too heavy or oily
- Full of natural ingredients

What I didn’t like about it:
- Can’t really say if it helped my hair grow or if it improved its elasticity and flexibility

You might like it if:
- You need something to make your hair glossier

Like the other two products, the light citrus scent from Champagne Curls & Kaviar Kinks initially drew me in. The natural ingredient list also impressed me. The first three ingredients are Tahitian Coconut Oil, Sweet Almont Oil and Olive Oil.

I can’t really attest to this products’ claims of hair growth because I have thick hair to start with.

It does give hair a nice shine though. For me, this really isn’t a “must have” product, but if you want a silicone-free glosser then you might like this.

Unfortunately being a beauty blogger does not earn one a backstage pass Justin Timberlake concerts (DAMN!), and I’m pretty sure our seats are of the nosebleed variety for tonight’s show. I’m bringing my uber SRL camera though, so I’ll try my best to work the zoom lens to my JT-admiring advantage. Hopefully I’ll snap a few drool-worthy pictures, which you an admire for your, ahem, own personal use.

Have a fantastic rest of your weekend!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. You know that your weekend isn’t complete without the Weekend Beauty Roundup!

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic – Christine reviews the beauty of the Emmy Awards
A Touch of Blusher – Fall 2007 Makeup Roundup
All Lacquered Up – Check out All Lacquered Up’s Emmy Nail Coverage
Beauty and Fashion Tech – Beauty and Fashion Tech’s Review of the Thermaclear Acne Device
Beautynomics – Watsons Transforms Into the Ultimate Health & Beauty Wonderland
Face Candy – Diesel Fuel For Life
Hello Dollface – Beauty Interview with Jean Godfrey-June of Lucky Magazine!
Lipstick, Powder ‘n Paint – At Lipstick, Powder ‘n Paint it’s all about the boys this week. Check out this article on how to keep your man’s hands baby soft.
Makeup Moxie’s Beauty Blog - Endless Summer: Makeup Moxie reviews Fake Bake The Face Anti-Aging Self-Tanner
Musings of a Muse - Too Faced The Gift of Glam Holiday Collection
Shades Of U – On MAC Brushes
Temptalia – Temptalia’s Dita Von Teese Interview Podcast

And in case you missed it (say it ain’t so!) – My interview with Viva Glam Spokesperson Dita Von Teese

Source: makeupandbeautyblog.com

Rise and shine Morning Glory!

I know you’re tired because you had a good ole’ time last night at the club (was that you dancing in the cage?) or at the sideshow ghost riding your whip or whatever your bad self does on Friday nights! But now it’s time to wake up, pour yourself a cup of coffee and get to this week’s round up of the best beauty blogs around from the Beauty Blog Network.

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic reviews Revlon 3D Extreme Mascara.

A Touch of Blusher gives the lowdown with the Fall 2007 Makeup Trend Report.

All Lacquered Up swatches the OPI Russian collection just for you.

Beauty and Fashion Tech checks out Everyday Minerals.

Beauty and Personality Grooming breaks the cycle of dry hair with these DIY conditioners

Elke Von Freudenberg gives tips on how to be a bronze goddess.

The Mineral Makeup Blog shows off her beautiful Eye of the Night.

Will gamble for MAC! I’m visiting Lake Tahoe right now and at this very moment hopefully winning some cash so I can buy myself some Fix+, MAC Wipes, Other Worldly Blush and Viva Glam Lipglass. Who am I fooling? I’m really hoping that right now I’m winning enough to also liberate myself from the chains of earthly monetary concerns, aka, TAKING HOME THE JACKPOT. You gotta pay to play, baby. Or so they say. *sigh*

My friend Bernadette and I were talking the other day about obsessing over lashes, so I hope that on this Saturday your lashes are full and curled to perfection. Have a good one!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen