Fall - Spicy Oranges, Chocolate Browns

As summer gives way to the cooler months of fall, the inevitable shift in color palettes starts to come into full bloom.  The trees yield to the crisp of autumn and, ironically, don warmer hues of not only red, but also orange and brown.  Beauty and fashion tend to reflect this seasonal change, too.  These beautiful shades are really never out of season, however, tend to take center stage around this time.  So are you ready to "spice it up" this fall?  Yeah?  You are?  Ok, then let's look at a few items for inspiration.

Let's start with makeup:

NARS' Exhibit A

NARS' Exhibit A blush is a bold, blood orange red that could easily intimidate you upon first glance, but trust me... there's no reason to be scared.  NARS blushes are intensely pigmented, therefore, only a teeny, tiny touch of your brush is needed to yield enough color to add warmth to your cheeks.

The finish on this blush is matte, no shimmer at all.

And see?  Just a dab will do ya.  It is so pretty.  Just about anybody can rock this and it looks absolutely amazing on dark skin!  If you didn't know, now you know.  And if you did already know, but needed confirmation... yes, it is definitely worth the hype.

Inglot 108R

The eyeshadow above is Inglot's 108R.  It's one of their rainbow shadows where three shades of the same color come in one pan.  This shadow is matte in finish and robust in color.

MAC's Brown Script

Next eyeshadow is MAC's Brown Script (above).  It is a burnt orangey brown and is matte in finish.  It is one of my favorite go-to shadows because I not only use it as a blending shade, but I also sometimes use it as a blush.

CoverGirl's Tangerine Splash

I had to add this lip gloss (above) because I don't see a lot of them in this shade.  This is part of CoverGirl's Wet Slicks line and it's called Tangerine Splash.  It's not as sheer as other lipglosses and smells just like the name suggests. 

Prestige's Pudding

How about a nice, chocolate brown lipstick?  Well, Prestige has a pretty one appropriately called Pudding (above).  Prestige is a brand that can be found in some drug stores (CVS, RiteAid) and has a wide range of products.  Pudding is opaque in color and has a satin finish.

Maybelline's Passion Fire

Okay, this one's an oldie, but goodie.  I don't even know if they sell this shade anymore, but it fits our criteria so I had to include it.  It's Maybelline's Passion Fire - another aptly named product that delivers a frosty, sun-fire orange punch without being too obnoxious.  Absolutely lovely...

Okay, so the face has been addressed so let's tackle the fashion, shall we?

Cashmere NEVER gets old, dahling!  And this orange cashmere, V-neck sweater is soo the cat's MEE-oow!  Dress it up, dress it down... whatevs.  It works everytime.

And what about a chocolate brown corduroy blazer?  Love, love, LOVE!  So versatile, so cute!

No designer initials, no wild embellishments... just a simple, dark brown, slim hobo to carry the necessities.  Easy...breezy...classic.

So, I really hope you were able to gather inspiration from some of these items.  You already know my philosophy on color and trying new things.  Pick and choose what may work for you and step a little outside of your safety box.  Have fun!  Diversify your wardrobe!  Update your neutral makeup!  Spice up your fall with a little color!

Fall - Wines and Berries

Are you ready for the fall?  I absolutely love this time of year.  Not only does the weather change and the air become a little more crisp, but all around us color palettes are changing.  From the trees to our clothing and even our makeup, bright greens, pinks and yellows are being shed for darker and richer hues of oranges, browns and burgundy.  I love it.  And although I do not necessarily follow the seasonal trend of wearing darker makeup during fall/winter while leaving brights for summer (I wear what I want, when I want), I can definitely appreciate it when others do and have no problem going darker for the occasion myself.

Deep berries and wines have always been associated with autumn and this fall is no different.  So let's have some fun and take a look at a few items, shall we?  Let's start with makeup.

This CoverGirl quad would be a nice kickoff to your search for "wine and berries" if you wanted to start off small.  I chose this because of the pretty burgundy on the left and pretty pink (third color).

The burgundy (satin) and pink (frost) are the obvious standouts in this quad as they have the best payoff.  The other two colors are OK, but are a little "dusty" for my taste. 

 
NARS' Love Joy (above) is a beautiful dusty rose with slight gold shimmer.  The shimmer does not overwhelm the face and the blush itself is buildable.  The color payoff is excellent, as with all of NARS blushes, and a little goes a long way. 

Inglot 452

This beauty of an eyeshadow (above) is Inglot's 452 and it is the prettiest cranberry color!  It has a pearl finish and excellent color payoff.

OMG, just look at that color.  Do you see it?  Wow...

Now this little palette here (above) is Making Faces by famous makeup artist, Kevyn Aucoin.  It is styled like a book and not only has eyeshadows, but also lip gloss, cream blush and a mini brush.

When you first open it, there's a guide showing you how to re-create the look the model is wearing.

And when you turn the "page", you find the eye, lip and cheek products.

All the colors are very pretty, but that Aubergine is what we're after right now.  Isn't it pretty?

For the lips, let's look at MAC's Dark Deed.  This is a dark berry that was limited edition via its Disney Villains collection, but I know that there are many comparable offerings out there.

What about the nails, Dolce?  Well, let's have a look at OPI's Midnight In Moscow, a beautiful black cherry color laced with gold pearl.

I had to take a pic of this in the sunlight so you could absorb the true magnificence of this color.  Now for some of you this may be old news, but for those that didn't get the memo - Moscow is absolutely gorgeous!

Ok, so we've got the face and nails together, but what to wear?  Let's take a quick look-see, shall we?

How about a nice wine-colored blouse and/or a fabulous pair of burgundy-brown shoes?

This lovely sheer blouse would be perfect under a wool blazer or indoor/outdoor leather jacket.  How about pairing it with dark washed, boot flared jeans or gabardine, wide-legged wool pants?

And these patent leather shoes are a lovely updated version of the loafer.  Okay, they may not be five-inch heels, but they're perfect for the office or casual date.  (Ladies, you don't have to wear sky high pumps all the time!  Give your feet a break once in a while.)

Whew!  Well, I know this post was a little long, but I got a tad bit excited about the various options available to get more "berry-fied" for the fall.  I promise that the oranges and browns will not be as long.  But in the meantime, have fun with this and don't be afraid to experiment and go dark.  If dark lips aren't your style then go for a pair of shoes or a top.  You only live once so don't sit on the sidelines... participate and live life out loud in COLOR!

Color Series - Taupes: Don't Let This Sand Slip Through Your Fingers

It's Friday, so it must be time for our next installment of taupetastic goodness!  And here I offer you LA Splash's Sand Taupe.  It is a loose mineral shadow that I would describe as a chocolaty brown with a touch of gray and a pinch of goldy shimmer.  It is finely milled, soft and delivers full-on color that is very easy to blend.   This would make a beautiful brown smoky eye with virtually no effort at all.  I do not have any other color in my collection quite like this one.

I bought Sand Taupe along with a few other LA Splash mineral shadows from Ulta on a whim.  Hadn't really heard a lot about them, but liked the colors and wanted to try something new.  Another gamble that paid off handsomely.  And the price point for their products across the board is pretty low; I believe the shadows cost maybe $4, no more than $5?  (I tried to confirm the cost via Ulta's website, but the search didn't yield any results so they may only sell them at their brick and mortars.)  I DO know that they were very cheap - cheap in cost, but not in quality.  Let's say "wallet friendly".  That sounds better.

*Next up: A Make UP cream that will last FOREVER...

Wish All Moths Were This Pretty

A little while ago I was on the hunt for a new lip liner... something I could really rock with red lipstick as well as the pinks and purples I have.  I have two lip liners that are my staples and they're both shades of brown: MAC's Mahogany (dark reddish brown) and Cork (light brown).  And then I have a couple of other miscellaneous ones, but I really wanted something different.  Something deep in color that would be versatile.  Enter MAC's Nightmoth.

I tried to look for swatches and pics online of what the color really looked like because on MAC's website Nightmoth, Vino and Currant seemed to all look so much alike, but couldn't really find any.  I wanted something more eggplant than burgundy and really couldn't tell by the descriptions listed nor the swatch boxes on MAC's website which one would aptly fit my criteria.  I did remember a while back swatching both Vino and Currant at my sister's house and not being too impressed by either.  My sister warned that if I got one I definitely didn't need the other.  So I decided to totally go out on a limb and get Nightmoth and I'm so glad I did.

MAC describes the color as being a "blackened plum", but when I got it I got a little nervous because the color swatch on both the box and the actual pencil looked a little more brownish-burgundy to me.  But oh, honey, when I tell you that the color is exactly what the doctor ordered and then some... Yes!  I love it.  It's so pretty and I can already see how well it's going to complement my deep berries and hot pinks this fall.  Whoa!  And my reds?  Please, stop playin'.  Nightmoth is what I've been looking for.

Even though I have not used it yet, I have never had a problem with MAC's lip pencils; they go on without an issue, they're opaque in color and feel smooth in application.  I do not anticipate Nightmoth being any different.   The retail for their lip pencils is $15.

I really love this color.  It's such a deep, rich blackberry.  Very versatile.  Very pretty.

Rain On Your Parade

Ever met someone who just loved to argue?   What about a friend who just seemed to sap the life out of you every time you were around them due to their incessant complaining, moaning and criticizing?   Have you ever gone somewhere feeling great only to have your attitude totally twisted by the time you left?

I know we all have had days that started off with the greatest of intentions only to have it sour after an incident or bad encounter with someone.  There are many, MANY people that really get off on stealing your joy.  They love it.  They can't wait to turn that smile of yours upside down and make you the recipient of their misery.  It's like a virus.  And some people go out of their way to infect others.

Some of those carrying the virus you can see coming from a mile away - the scowl, the knitted brow, the crossed arms, they're chomping at the bit to infect someone.  In others the misery lies dormant, just waiting for the right environment, the right word, the right person who just seems "too happy to be true" to come along and trigger an outbreak.

I once had someone tell me at a food store that I frequented that I was "silly".  Taken aback by his comment, I asked him, "Why would you say that?"  He said, "Because every time you come in here you're always smiling."  Excuse me?  Are you serious? 

I quickly responded, "That's not being silly.  I'm a very happy person - I'm alive, God is good, I'm having a good day... I mean, am I not supposed to smile?"

He said something that I honestly don't remember... He may have said something like, 'but you smile all the time' or something like that.  But I do remember driving the point home that I was NOT silly for smiling.

That sat with me for a little while before I finally let it go later that day, but that wasn't the last time someone used that word on me.  After buying a Barbie doll and talking about it with my young niece and my ex's daughter, I was called silly by the girl's aunt, my ex's sister.  She couldn't understand why I would be so happy about buying a doll.  What?!  What difference does it make to you?  And why would my being happy make you upset?  That's when I knew I definitely couldn't be around her.  Anyone who can't stand to see you happy is someone you should NOT be around at all.

So, as we start the week off today, I just felt compelled to share this with you guys.  Who knows what or who you may encounter this week that will just try your patience and nip at your resolve to have a great day/week.  Don't let ANYONE or ANY CIRCUMSTANCE steal your joy!  Don't allow ANYONE to rent space in your head or your heart!  Don't you let these infected people unload their misery on you because, trust me, unloading on you is the quick salve that makes them feel better (at least for that moment).  Meanwhile, now YOU'RE the one walking around upset, infected by someone else's misery.  You're the one replaying the offense, talking about how you should have said this or that, or done this or that... and back at the ranch, they're not even thinking about you.  Not even paying you one ounce of thought.  (Or maybe they are and they're pleased, having made your attitude do a full 180.)

Don't get me wrong, everybody gets upset and a lot of things can catch you off guard, but don't let it LIVE with you.  Walk away, sing a song out loud, go to the bathroom and shadow box - heck, treat yourself to some ice-cream, or a cheesesteak (wink, wink).  Do something to purge yourself of that poison.  Laugh louder!  Smile harder!  Life is way too short too let anyone rain on your parade!