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"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing...kissing a lot. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls."
Audrey Hepburn


Thursday, June 25, 2009

More Inspiring Dresses for the Folder...

More dresses I'd love to see copied:



1. Esther Williams' Swimwear in Bathing Beauty. I had difficulty finding photos but the swimwear fashion show in the early part of this film, is just beautiful. All of it. There are retro-reproduction swimwear companies out right now (one even named after Esther herself) but none that hold a candle to the Irene Sharrif suits conceived in this film. The movie is forgettable, but the swimwear fashion show is a must see.



2. Grace Kelly's wedding dress in High Society. It's a gorgeously constructed piece. The design is by Helen Rose and is a lovely filmy number complete w/ billowy sheer sleeves and pale yellow embroidery in the flowers. The dress was worn w/ a 'crownless' hat which had a wide floppy brim and paired pefectly w/ the frock.



3. The boatnecked dress worn by Eva Marie Saint in North by Northwest has always been a favorite of mine. Boatnecks are universally flattering for most women and they present the height of modesty and class. This dress was constructed from a brocade floral and featured three quarter length sleeves and a full skirt.



4. I don't much care for the movie but there is no doubt that Natalie Wood looked phenomenal in this classy wiggle gown at the end of the film, 'Gypsy'. The embroidery and applique is gorgeous. The flawless figure also helps.


Tuesday, June 23, 2009

A Few Words About Coastal Scents


I first heard of Coastal Scents here:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/pinkh3arts/SP35gJP3wRI/AAAAAAAAAP4/r0dL0O1wX98/s576/coastal%20scents.jpg

Jodie's review is very succint and very appealing...since I was in the market for inexpensive makeup brushes, I immediate put it in my favorites.

Coastal Scents is an online makeup company that provides some wonderful and inexpensive products that also happen to be great quality! For my first purchase, I bought a few brushes...about five. Every one of them was excellent quality and has held up extremely well after multiple washings. My next purchase was the Coastal Scents 78 palette, which has a vast array of dime-sized colors and several larger sized blushes. There are also larger sized contour and highlighter shades in a neutral selection that would be difficult to use up very quickly. Some of the small colors are matte and some are shimmer but ALL are fabulous. They can be applied eityer wet or dry and the pigment is incredible. Unlike most drugstore eyeshadows (see prior entry), the texture is silky and smoothe; not chalky. The palettes are shiny or matte encased w/ a built in mirror and two crappy little sponge tipped applicators which will no doubt be quickly disposed of. However, the palette only runs about 20.00 plus shipping and is well worth every penny.

I have also ordered a few more things from the company. A lovely eye shadow sparkle dust called 'Lace' which provides the perfect 'cool' neutral and color base, a flat paddle foundation brush w/ synthetic bristles that is perfect for applying liquid foundation, and some cosmetic glitter that was rediculously inexpensive while still being excellent quality. My favorite items of all , however, HAVE to be the black gel liner I received and the angled eyeliner brush. Without those two items, my winged liner would be a joke.

I strongly recommend this company. The customer service is excellent (though some youtubers would beg to differ) and there is always a special little sample with your order. They also have a large variety of mineral products (foundations, bronzers, eye shadows etc.) that are universally pretty well received (makeup alley and youtube) and the new 'hot pot' eye shadow compacts are being compared to MAC by the experts.

*of note: Coastal Scents buys their palettes from overseas (China) and there has been some controversy about the price they ask since technically you can buy these same palettes on ebay for much less. I took advantage of this opportunity when I bought the 66 lip palette in March. The price ended up (after shipping)being about five to seven dollars cheaper than if I had bought the product from CS. That said, I would never do that again. Not only did it take over a month to receive the product, but the lipsticks were damaged during the journey. Coastal Scents would have been happy to make it right, I know, but since this product was sent from China, I wasnt about to bother. Just something to consider.

That's all for now.


Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Drugstore Eyeshadows...



This is just a quick blurb:

I bought this eyeshadow quad from Wal Mart last week since I needed a small neutral selection for everyday use...browns and pinks are my favorites.

Though I am a huge advocate of drugstore cosmetics (and drugstore priced brands, like Coastal Scents), I can't say I am a fan of most drugstore eyeshadows. All brands seem equally chalky and equally weak in pigmentation. This quad was no exception. After two uses it is now banished to the bottom drawer. Not only was the formula very powdery but the colors were almost completeley invisible. Even the dark brown shade comes off as a pale taupe on my lid. It gets a sad 2/10 rating from me.

Incidentally, the only eyeshadow I can unreservedly recommend from drugstores is NYX. The colors are strong and the formulas are silky...MAC comparable quality. However, NYX is only available at Target around here and those are few and far between in my neck o' the woods. So it's back to online shopping for me, when it comes to eyeshadows.

That's all for now...Cheerio!


Monday, June 8, 2009

Ode To Youtube!


A little over a year ago, I discovered Youtube's 'beauty community'. I am now a self proclaimed addict, principally when it comes to Cosmetic demonstration and product reviews. Looking back over my favorites and giving it some thought, I came up with a list of things that I may never have figured out if it werent for the 'Gurus' of Youtube 'Tutorialism'...heh heh. Feel free to include your own fun tips here in the comments.

1.From Amy B of Askmemakeup:Amy's channel is the first one I came accross in my attempt to find authentic Pin Up Girl makeup. Her tutorials are very fun to watch, her voice is like a glass of brandy, and the fun music just adds that touch of professionalism to every video. My favorite of Amys videos is the one from which the above still photo was taken...and the lovely Summer makes it even more appealing. I love the bright colors and flirty eyelashes, especially. Her application techniques for other looks of the past, such as the one for '1920's' makeup and the wonderful tutorial for a'Marie Antoinette' look, likewise show her skills to their best advantage. I can't wait for her next installment!

2.From Iris of Ilovegerardo:What a hottie! Her gorgeousness only makes her long-haired pin up tutorials more enthralling to watch. Those acres of black tresses are the envy of everyone, certainly, but the girl also has MAD skills! This is especially evident in the gentle way she guides you through her styles and the genuine desire to help that comes accross so easily in every one of her videos. Without Iris, I would never have known how to make a headband of flowers out of my own hair or how to make even long hair looks adorably 'flapper-esque' by simply using a few bobby pins...and her wonderful instructions for underpinning. The fact that she's a devoted wife also makes her all the more personable.

3.From Jody of MonroeMisfitMakeup: In my opinion, Jody is one of the strongest technical makeup artists on YT. Her videos are always succint and highly informative...never lingering too long with real time instruction but instead focusing on photo style tutorials that are usually coupled with peppy music befitting her user name. The 'Bubblegum Pink' and 'Glitter Gold Pinup Girl' makeup looks are downright STAPLES for my trips to Vegas, as are the homemade hot pink hair extensions she creates so effortlessly.. In addition, without Jody I would never have learned about Coastal Scents, one of my favorite makeup suppliers online.

4.From Tiffany of MakeupbyTiffanyD: Though all of Tiffany's tutorials are technically sound and super useful, the tip I will always appreciate most is in regards to the application of false eyelashes. In her 'All About False Lashes' video, she not only recommends the best quality lash brands and adhesive, but she also makes the very valid point that applying a thick line of liquid liner FIRST works wonders in preventing that 'gap' that can be such a telltale sign of the presence of said falsies. Simple but remarkably true.

5.From Leesha of XSparkage: To be so youthful, her prowess w/ a makeup brush (not to mention that AMAZING collection of MAC products) is uber impressive. In addition to a variety of rockin' looks suitable to young girls just starting out w/ their makeup application, she also has a great eye for classic style, as is evidenced by that wonderful Dorothy (Wizard of Oz)inspired tutorial, complete with 'ruby slipper' lips! Though the glitter lips proved to be more appealing in theory than in actuality (I did find myself chewing it off...heh heh), one can't deny the brilliant subtlety of such an idea. Speaking of red lips, her 'Perfect Red Lips' tutorial is the first one I watched on YT and the use of concealer around the lips to prevent bleeding and to make the lips stand out is one I had never seen before. It's a great tip I'll always use.


6.From Koren of Enkoremakeup:It's so nice to see professional makeup artists and performers taking time out of their busy schedule to help all of us out. Koren has always been a fountain of MA knowledge, whether it is a detailed product review or a tip on softening expression lines using strategically applied concealer. Without Koren I would still be in the dark about how to apply mascara easily to another person (always a challenge for me), which Coastal Scents Hot Pots are dupes for MAC shades, and how to make my own Sephora Inspired brush holder! I also am so impressed by the great series he has going with Eve Pearl.

7.From Pursebuzz :One of the most popular beauty girls on YT is also one of the most prolific. Her videos range from Celebrity Interviews to Hair /Makup Tutorials, style insight, and extremely detailed product reviews. Without her videos, I wouldnt have discovered the wonder of Vanilla Pigment, how to thread my own eyebrows, or the best 'looks' for Asian eyes.

8. From Aya of Strawberrykoivintage: My partner in vintage crime! (Wait, 'vintage' and 'crime' are NOT synonomous! haha) Aya does something no one else on YT has done, that I've seen. She takes you vintage shopping and even performs a fashion show to give you ideas on how best to pair retro reproduction or vintage pieces w/ modern ones! She saves you money AND time....and she's super cute to boot!

9.From Julia of MissChievous: Another very technical artist, Julia is remarkably adept and inventive. My favorite of her videos (and the ones I watch repeatedly) are her eyebrow tutorial (Julia's eyebrows are always perfectly groomed and darkened to just the right shade for the look she creates), her tips for exfoliating skin using aspirin tablets, and her very interesting costume makeup creations.

10.HONORABLE MENTIONS:In addition to the above Honchos of How-To, I must make mention of several other contributors...ones I've recently discovered and ones whose videos just astonish me in general. To Trashyfag and her incredibly quirky (sometimes disturbing) awesomeness, EmilyNoel83 and her ability to talk coherently and do makeup at the same time, HollywoodNoirMakeup's amazing artistry and gorgeous eyes, Svetlana of BeautyARTStudio and her wonderful talents, and (relative) newcomer Siobhan (sp?) of Letzmakeup whose winged liner and brilliant colors are fast propelling her to the head of my 'must see more' list....CHEERS!!


Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Product Review: LashBlast Vs Clean Definition Telescopic Mascaras

Lately I've becomed a bit obsessed w/ eyelashes. Falsies, conditioners, mascaras, etc...I love to 'bat' with the best of them. However, when my trusty 'Great Lash' ran out recently, I decided to put some research into my next tube and try something new. Since I was having trouble choosing between two drugstore favorites,'Clean Definition Telescopic' by Loreal and 'Lash Blast' by Cover Girl, I opted to buy them both. This is my opinion of the pair:


COVER GIRL LASH BLAST: At first glance, the tube is obviously a fat one. This speaks volumes (pun intended) about what's inside. The brush is very large...too large to grab some of the inner and outter lashes, certainly. I also wouldnt attempt to get the bottom lashes with it since it can be difficult to maneuver. That said, the brush does do a great job of giving lots of volume to those important center lashes and lending almost a 'false eylash' effect to them. With a slight wiggle at the base, the lashes will 'magically' seperate and 'fluff' making your eye instantly appear more 'awake'. It is also a very 'buildable' mascara which means it responds well to repeated coats w/out clumping. The formula I bought is a waterproof one so therefore it's a great option for sad movies and weddings...*wink wink*. I noticed no flaking or smudging at all and the price is reasonable at anywhere from 6 to 8 dollars.

I give it a score of 8/10, the only negatives being the difficulty of the large brush and the size of the tube which is somewhat bulky in the makeup bag.





LOREAL CLEAN DEFINITION TELESCOPIC MASCARA: I'll just go ahead and start by saying this is the best mascara I've ever used! I didnt even know such marvelous stuff existed in the realm of lash defining. The tube is a very sleek telescope design, rather long for a mascara, but slim enough to fit into any pocket w/out difficulty. The brush is very thin with fine and flexible bristles that LITERALLY coat every single lash w/out a hitch. I was able to not only noticeably lengthen my lashes w/ each stroke but I discovered eyelashes I never even knew I had! Turned sideways, the brush also gets those reclusive bottom lashes easily. The formula is similar to other Loreal mascaras with no smudging or clumping to speak of while the price is only slightly higher than Lash Blast, at between 8 and 9 dollars a tube...worth every penny! Needless to say I strongly recommend this product and feel very confident in my rating of 10/10!!