A Gorgeous Sunrise

I've been pushing a lot of color over the past few weeks because, well, I really enjoy it.  I figure if you're going to wear makeup, why be plain?  But I also realize that neutral makeup can be just as exciting and pretty.  And I know that there are a lot of makeup wearers that would rather enhance with a neutral than augment and exaggerate with a bold color.  I get it.  So, besides the mention of the ubiquitous neutral palettes out there (e.g. Naked/Naked2), I would like to show you one that hasn't really gotten a lot of hype.  It's by Stila and it's called Sunrise.

Maybe Sunrise hasn't been talked up as much because the quad is made up of shadows that are already sold individually, but for anyone that has never tried Stila (such was the case with me), it is the perfect introduction to some of their products.  Sunrise is actually a set of products that, besides the four shadows, includes a waterproof eyeliner and dual-sided brush.  This is a Beauty.com exclusive.

Retractable eyeliner Koi.

Koi is a smudgeproof, beautiful gold.

Sunrise, the quad, consists of four complementary colors: Oasis, Java, Wheat and Barefoot Contessa.  The shadows are so soft and smooth, and highly pigmented.  And they can be used wet or dry.  The full-sized eyeshadows are sent as singles that can easily be housed in the simple, but sturdy, magnetic palette they provide.  The palette has small holes in the back so you can "poke" the shadows out for removal later (I, myself, just used a small magnet to remove the shadows).

Pinholes in back to pop eyeshadows out.

I genuinely love this palette.  It's neutral, but not boring.  No over-the-top frosts, just pearls and a matte.  It's highly versatile and the colors are gorgeous.  Barefoot Contessa is just so fetching, with her cranberry-brown self!  She's my fave.  And with the Sunrise set consisting of four full-sized Stila shadows (normally priced at $18/ea.), a full-sized eyeliner (normally $20), a Stila magnetic palette and a double ended brush (normally $32), you are getting a king sized bounty of treats for a pauper's price - $35.  How can you beat that?

It's truly the perfect Sunrise for any neutral lover to start their day with.

A Pearly Purple For Your Pucker

At heart, I am a lipstick girl.  I can comfortably walk out the house with absolutely nothing on the face, but I MUST have something on my lips, even if it's lip gloss.  But I prefer lipstick.  And now that the weather is changing, I am determined to wear some of my darker colors more consistently.  Especially this one, Make Up For Ever's Rouge Artist Intense #14.

Make Up For Ever describes the color as a "pearly, dark violet".  It is a beautiful, smoky purple with silver shimmer.  The shimmer is very fine and does not translate as grittiness on the lips.  It has a satin finish.  I do not find this shade to be particularly moisturizing, however, with a lip balm underneath, I am totally fine.  After a full day of wear, it barely faded and stayed true to color.  I was very impressed!

Rouge Artist Intense #14 is my first and only lippie from MUFE so far, but I am anxious to try more from the line because of the quality of the product and the shades they offer.  (There's a gorgeous 14k gold shade I just can't wait to get my hands on!)  

Anywho, until then I'll be rocking the smoky #14 along with my other darks.  It really is a wearable deep violet that doesn't O.D. on the vamp, but rather exudes a sedated sexiness.  Quite a lovely color! 

This lipstick, along with other MUFE's products, can be found at Sephora and retails for about $19.

Color Series - Taupes: Meet Ingrid from China... Glaze, That Is!

Hey, guys!  Hope you're all having a tauperrific Friday!  I know I am, courtesy of the lovely Ingrid from China Glaze.

Ingrid is a perfect mix of brown-gray with a smidgen of green and a dash of gold pearl.  It sometimes acts like it wants to lean towards army green, but it's not.  It really is a wonderful shade of taupe for your nails.  The nail polish itself goes on without clumping, bubbling or streaking and two coats will bring you up to opaque level in no time.  I happened to stumble upon this color when I was at my local Ulta and have rocked it non-stop this past summer.

Ingrid in direct sunlight

I really haven't seen another nail lacquer quite this taupe-y.  Usually they're brown, or a variation thereof, or a cement gray, but not a combo of the two.  So, China Glaze really captured my heart with this one.

You can find China Glaze at Ulta or Sally's Beauty Supply and their polishes usually retail for about $6.99.

I think next week will be the last installment of the taupe series. I mean, I could go on and on, but I know that there are other colors in the world besides taupe.  I can admit as much.  I'm still trying to decide what the final selection will be... Hmm... Oh!  I think I'll do... Naah.  Not that. 

Ok, I think I got it.  How about a little mushroom to feast your eyes and lips on?  You say you don't like mushrooms?  Well, don't worry.  It's not to eat.  Besides, if you love taupe like I do, you'll love this Shitaki.

By Request - My Hair, My Regimen

In previous posts, I have listed some of the hair products I love and use.  Since I have been requested to list my full hair regimen, I am now going to list all of my HG (holy grail) products from start to finish.

First off, my hair:

I do not know what "grade" my hair is (4a, 4b, 4c, etc.).  I used to know when I was subscribed to a hair forum, but I have long since forgotten.  I can say this: my hair does NOT curl up all nice and shiny and soft when it rains; it kinks.  LOL.  And I'm fine with that.  I would say that my hair is the same texture as Oprah's - thick and somewhat coarse, but retains a shine in its natural state.  Also, like Oprah, I have a perm, which means my hair is chemically straightened.  I was a "natural" for years, but switched to perms for convenience (it would take me HOURS to do my natural hair).  I refuse to get caught up in the politics of black hair because for me, natural or chemically treated, I think it's all BEAUTIFUL.

Oh, and I do not wear a weave - not that there's anything wrong with that!  All the hair you see is home grown right out of my own scalp.

Okay, now that we've gotten that out the way, here is my regimen:

I wash my hair once a week.  If I feel that my hair is limp from a build up of products and dirt, I will wash my hair with the three shampoos listed above.  If not, then I will just use the two: Fresh Soy Shampoo and Keracare Hydrating shampoo. 

• Nature's Gate Herbal poo gently rids your hair and scalp of product build up without stripping

• Fresh Soy poo leaves my hair shiny and clean

• Keracare Hydrating poo gives my hair the "slip" it needs in order for me to detangle it, especially when I am weeks post relaxer and have new growth.  I cannot tell you how this product has changed the way my hair acts and feels.  I will NOT go without this!  EVER!

Next up, I condition my hair with Fresh Pomegranate conditioner.  I squeeze out about a quarter sized dollop, work it through, then put on a shower cap for about 3-5mins., shower then rinse it out.  I then squeeze out about a dime size of Lacio Lacio, a Dominican leave-in conditioner, and work that through my hair.  I like Lacio Lacio because, again, it leaves my hair shiny and soft. 

I do NOT towel dry my hair at all.  Instead, I leave it wet and add WrapNTap setting lotion, just a drizzle.  This helps with styling and promotes shine as well.  Then I blow dry with a rubber, NOT bristled, brush and a regular blow dryer until it is straight.  At this point, I look a lot like Chaka Khan.  My hair, anyway.

My next step is to flat iron.  I only flat iron once a week.  I use a ceramic iron with manual heat settings and use Paul Mitchell's Skinny Serum as a heat protectant.  I like PM's serum because it is very light, does not weigh hair down and gets my hair straight.

After I have flat ironed my hair, I put another light serum on it - Bain de Terre's Recovery Complex.  This serum imparts shine as well as protects from humidity.  I recently stumbled upon Biolage's Shine Endure Spritz, which I'm really digging.  It's both a shine and hold spray in one.  I spray this on my hands to avoid using too much product, and then work my fingers through my hair.

My last step is to spray Nexxus' Comb Thru hairspray.  I spray both sides and the back of my hair and that's it.  I like this spray because it doesn't make my hair crunchy or hard.  Good stuff.

Outside of that, I perm my hair and trim it about every 6 to 8 weeks.  Trimming is VERY important.  Split ends sabotage growth and steal you hair of its overall health.  Can't stress that enough...

It took me a little while to find the perfect hair combo, but now that I have I am completely satisfied with the results. If you're still on the look out for your HG products, I hope this helped some.  And don't be afraid to try new items.  I, personally, think that's part of the fun.  At the end of the day, it's your hair; pay attention to it, listen to it and do what works for you.

Barbie: Diahann Carroll's Julia

I was wandering through a discount store a while ago and imagine my surprise when I saw this little goody sitting demurely on a shelf.  A Barbie doll based on the groundbreaking sitcom Julia?  My mouth flew open with surprise, my heart fluttered with excitement.  I quickly grabbed one of the few boxes left and perused the item.  The packaging was intact, no obvious damage or flaws... Why was this being sold here?  Then again, why ask why?  I made a bee-line to the front of the store, paid for the doll and quickly left, absconding with my prize like a thief in the night just in case there was an error in price.  I just couldn't believe my fortune!

Although I love and collect Barbie dolls, I wouldn't call myself a fanatic.  Meaning, I do not follow Barbie blogs or subscribe to Barbie newsletters or wear Barbie clothes and such.  I'm more of the casual collector, I guess.  So, I really had no idea that such a doll existed, let alone that it was a reproduction of a doll originally released in 1968.  A black Barbie fashioned after a black movie star/singer based on a black TV character?  Wow!

I was not yet born when Julia first aired on TV, but I have heard of it before.  It featured the beautiful, incomparable Diahann Carroll - star of movies like Carmen Jones and Claudine, and TV show Dynasty - in the title role that broke rigid stereotypes of African-Americans at that time.  Julia was a strong, intelligent black woman that balanced her career as a nurse with raising a young son in Los Angeles.  The show was an instant hit, much to Ms. Carroll's surprise, and ran for three seasons before coming to an end in 1971.  Although embraced by many viewers, success also attracted criticism.  Much like 90's hit The Cosby Show, some thought the show too "unrealistic" in its depiction of black life while other blacks scoffed at the portrayal of a single, black female raising a son alone, albeit she was widowed.   Despite the rumblings, the sitcom Julia had a strong run and inspired various merchandise, including dolls and lunchboxes.

I'm loving Julia's brown smoky eye and perfectly arched eyebrows!  LOL!  Hair perfectly coiffed...

 

And did you peep the eyelashes?  Do you see how long they are?  Fabulous!

You know, I can't imagine the honor one must feel to be immortalized in such a way.  Especially an African-American star?  It really doesn't happen too often.  To have your likeness commissioned by Mattel for their collectors' line of Barbie dolls must be mind blowing!  I know it blew my mind to see it.  And I really respect and love Mattel for it.  And that's why I had to have this Barbie to add to my collection.  A collection that I'm rebuilding slowly, doll by doll.

Color Series - Taupes: The Dream Cream, #15!

 
Do you know what time it is?  Yes, it's taupe time!!  Yay!  So please allow me to introduce to you a lovely eye product from Make Up For Ever.  It is their Aqua Cream #15 and it is fabulous!

Aqua Creams are cream eyeshadows that can be worn alone or as a base under powder shadows.  They are waterproof, crease-proof and come in a variety of colors from bright and bold to neutral.  Aqua Cream #15 is a gray-brown frost with just a hint of warmth (red).  It's creamy, yet firm in texture, can be easily applied with your finger or a synthetic brush and will not budge once it sets.  Now everybody's eyelids are different, but I can personally co-sign this claim; with a primer underneath (I use a primer under nearly every eye product), this cream shadow does not crease at all on my oily lids for up to eight hours.   Although crease-proof/waterproof, I have not found Aqua Creams to be difficult to remove with regular makeup remover or a little soap and water.

Whether it's a wash of color you're after or a more opaque application, this buildable cream shadow is a wonderful product to have on hand.  I've had my Aqua Creams for over a year now and have not experienced them drying out yet.  But I'm also careful to keep the hard plastic jars closed tight when not in use, as you should with most cream, water- and gel-based products.

Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams, as well as their other cosmetic products, can be found at Sephora stores or Sephora.com and retail for about $23.

So, yes, MUFE's #15 is a dream cream that you should add to your team, it'll make you scream and cause a scene... and make ya feel like a queen... And... and, umm...well... *sigh*  Ok, I'll stop now.

*Next up: How about a taupe Glaze for your fingertips?