Archive for April, 2011

MAKE UP FOR EVER’s Uplight Face Luminizer Gel is one of those products that I never knew I needed until I tried it for the first time and now I’m totally in love with it.  It’s a liquid that you use as a highlighter anywhere you feel like you need it – you can put it everywhere from your eyelids to your lips to your cheeks – even on your collarbone if you so desire.  You can even mix it with your foundation or cream blush for an overall glow.  There are eight different shades, but they come in three different finishes – dewy, pearly and sparkling.  The dewy and pearly finishes are made with MUFE’s Star Powder, which gives them an iridescent effect, and the sparkling finish has their Diamond Powder in it to make it shimmer.

I tried out two different shades – #23 Pearly Golden Flesh and #32 Sparkling Golden Pink.  If you’re someone who likes glitter, I highly, highly recommend any of the sparkling finishes.  They’re chock-full of glitter – tons and tons of it – but it’s not teenage girl glitter, it’s more subtle than that because the pieces are tiny, so it’s perfect when you want to shimmer for a night out.  I really love the Sparkling Golden Pink – it’ll look great on when I’m tan this summer (faux, of course).  The Pearly Golden Flesh is also very pretty – it’s obviously not as sparkly, but it still reflects light amazingly well and brightens up my skin.  (I like using it on the top of my cheekbones and underneath my brow bone).  I probably won’t use these on a daily basis (mostly because I’m too lazy to luminize on a work day) but when I want to dress up at night and add a little something extra to my look, these’ll be the first thing I reach for.

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I’ve been obsessed with Benefit Cosmetics‘ Lip & Cheek Stains for awhile now.  In fact, even though I own them all in the regular sizes, I just bought the collection of miniature sized ones so that it would be easier to take them with me when I travel.  (That’s when you know you really love something – when you buy it twice!)  Now there’s a new addition to the line – Chachatint.

It’s a very different shade than the previous releases – it’s a mango-tinted liqui-gel formula that leaves behind the prettiest coral-orange flush on my cheeks and lips.  (Oddly enough, it shows up a lot more strongly on my lips than on my cheeks, but maybe it’s made to do that since it would kinda be too much color on cheeks, but the bolder shade is perfect for lips).  Like all the others, once you put it on, it’s not going anywhere for hours and hours.  (In fact, I tested it out on my hand when I first got it and it lasted until the NEXT day and I washed my hands probably 10 times before it finally faded away.  Crazy!)  You don’t have to put down your latte and rush out to the store right now though – I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview bottle, so it won’t officially be in stores until June.  Add it to your wish list now!

I’m always looking to add to my jewelry collection, but right now, I can’t afford to spend a lot of money to do that, so I’ve been keeping my eye out for some bargain pieces that I actually like.  During my search, I stumbled upon Emma Stine.  Here’s a few of my favorite pieces of theirs:  (more…)

Just a few months ago, I was telling a friend that I was dying to find a new perfume to break me out of my recent fragrance rut.  Well, wish granted!  In the past few weeks, I’ve tried out a bunch of new fragrances that will be in my rotation for the foreseeable future.  (more…)

Last night, I stopped by Kiehl’s unveiling of its environmental partnership with Golden Globe winners Michael C. Hall (“Dexter”) and Chloë Sevigny (“Big Love”) in support of the Waterkeeper Alliance, an organization dedicated to preserving and protecting water from polluters. As I’m someone who loves to hang out in the ocean and observe marine life off the coast of California, this is an issue that hits close to home, especially with the abundance of waste, plastic bags, oil pollution and nuclear disaster coverage that have unfortunately become part of our lives. But it’s not just the ocean that needs our attention, it’s the rivers, lakes, streams, even groundwater, that affect us and our health on a daily basis.

To show its support, Kiehl’s USA President Chris Salgardo presented the Waterkeeper Alliance with a giant check for $100,000 at Kiehl’s beautiful Santa Monica store while Sevigny, Hall and Santa Monica Baykeeper/Executive Liz Crosson look on smiling. Chloë’s brother, Paul Sevigny, DJ’d the event while guests sipped on cocktails and checked out stacks of Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque, featuring limited-edition label art designed by Sevigny and Hall (see Sevigny’s, left). One-hundred percent of the collection’s proceeds go to the Waterkeeper Alliance.

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The Fairmont Peace Hotel, located at the prestigious junction of Nanjing East Rd and The Bund in Shanghai was one of the most unique properties I’ve ever visited. Walking inside immediately transports you to the city’s most glamorous decades- the 1920s, 30s, and 40s where lavish galas were hosted almost every night at the hotel. The Peace Hotel recently underwent an extensive renovation before reopening in 2010 under the Fairmont brand. The renovations preserved much of the authentic charm of the original property, while incorporating modern touches and conveniences.  As someone who has always been very attracted to Shanghai’s old school glamour, I decided that the Peace hotel was a must visit! (more…)

Crop tops seem to be a trend this spring, and while we’re hesitant to invest in a look that we might regret a few years from now, we do love this Jet Beaded Embellished Crop Top by ASOS.

This sleeveless scoopneck top features an abstract swirly beaded design with a mesh underlay.  We love the vintage-inspired design and the scalloped edging on the bottom. You could wear this with a variety of styles that are already in your closet – with skinny black tuxedo pants and heels, with dark jeans and a blazer, with brightly colored shorts or even with a flouncy full skirt (like the model). Playing with accessories will create different effects…so you can make it as fashion-forward as you’d like, or play it a bit more classic. Any way you choose, this top is a nice way to try out the cropped top trend – but also has some staying power in your closet.

Retails for $64.76 at ASOS.com.