Mascara Madness

If I was only allowed one cosmetic item, it would be mascara. If I have to leave the house and I’m only wearing mascara, I don’t feel terrible. Actually, I leave the house a few days a week without any makeup on at all, on days that I’m doing pilates and working from home. I kind of like that I still have the balls to do that, since I know it probably isn’t so pretty, but whatever. I digress. The topic at hand is mascara. I have tried many over the years. Like every gal out there, I am on the hunt to find the perfect product to make my lashes longer and more voluminous.

I was at Nordstrom yesterday in need of a new tube. I’ve been using Benefit’s ‘They’re Real‘ ($23) for the past year and love it, but I’m always up for trying something new. Back in the day, when I was working for Nordstrom and rocking my 33% discount, I got addicted to YSL’s ‘Faux Cils’ ($30). This mascara is amazing and was YSL’s #1 mascara until ‘Baby Doll’ ($30) came out. I had to give it a try.

This was when the salesperson alerted to a little event called Mascara Madness on May 24.

But any 2 mascaras, get the 3rd one free! Mix and match any brand Nordstrom carries!

I feel like you should buy me a present or at least give me one really nice compliment for telling you about this. Cosmetics never go on sale. Do the math. You are saving yourself 33%. Pretty sweet. You don’t even need to shop on the actual day, you can call and do it over the phone or go in at any time prior and they will ring it and ship it to you after the event. I love Nordstrom.

I ended up buying Baby Doll and used it today. (Sorry for the scary eye shots.I am wearing Baby Doll with no other eye makeup) I am really liking it. The brush is very easy to apply with, it goes on smoothly and I applied a few coats. Not sure if I like it as much as ‘They’re Real’ or even ‘Faux Cils’, but I will definitely be stocking up for Mascara Madness. Now I just need to decide which 3 to choose!

Pink Pout

I am realizing that one of the reasons I have not been inspired to post as much is because I am on a shopping hiatus. For anything you would care about, that is. Unless you’d like to know what’s working for me in regards to toilets, knobs, flush mount ceiling lights, or grout. We could have a robust conversation about that shit.

I did come across something lately that I am in love with. YSL ‘Rouge Pur Couture – Vernis a Levres’ Glossy Stain ($34). I know I recently said I am over lip gloss, I lied. This is the creamiest, long wearing lip stain, it smells delish, feels great, not sticky at all. My friend Leslie gave me a sample of 3 colors and I had to buy one. I chose a bright, rosy-pink color and I am totally digging the change from the darker lipsticks I have been enjoying this winter, especially with spring right around the corner. I wore it on my birthday and it went perfectly with all of the black eyeliner I had going on.

YSL Glossy Stain in Rose Fourreau

Lynne in YSL Rose Fourreau

A nice little pick me up that makes me feel pretty and only costs $34? Sold.

Faves of 2013 – Here’s What Worked for Me

I’m back at work after what seemed like a very long, almost too long, break for Christmas and New Years. Oliver is also back in school this week, my routine is being revived, my weight will hopefully go back down, and I’m ready to conquer 2014. As we kick this year off, I have been doing some deep soul searching and reflecting on 2013, but I’ll save that for my therapist. For you, I present my list of what worked best in 2013!

Books – both on the heavier side, stories that completely immerse you and characters that are deep and layered. My kind of reading.

The Light Between Oceans

The Storyteller

Songs – Clearly, I like pop music. I swear, I have more depth in my musical repertoire than my selections show. For example, when my collection is on shuffle, you might hear Pearl Jam followed by Miley Cyrus followed by Led Zeppelin. But these are my fave jams of the year. Sorry not sorry.

Roar

Same Love

Story of My Life

TV Shows (New) – I know, I know, I had a really hard time narrowing down to 1 here, and this is limited to new shows only! Ray Donovan is really the top of my list, and not just because Liev Schreiber is the hunkiest man I’ve seen in a long time. Jon Voight is amazing, as is the rest of the supporting cast, it’s gritty and violent and funny and dark. Love it. The rest of the list are also must-watches. There is so much good TV to be seen! Get out there and do something about it!

Ray Donovan

Masters of Sex

Orange is the New Black

House of Cards

Binge TV Show – I couldn’t not mention this show. If you are a human being with a heart and a family, you should watch this show because you will love it. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t cry every single episode. Note, I do not recommend watching multiple episodes during Christmas when you don’t celebrate and your son is with his dad. Just sayin.

Denim – Jeans are my favorite article of clothing and I never seem to have too many pairs. I am lucky enough to dress casually for work, which only makes my habit worse. These were my fave pair of the year. Love the light rinse after all of my dark denim. Skinny, not too skinny. Can wear with Nikes or booties or heels.

Restaurant – I had 2 of my best meals here this year with friends. One sitting outside in the summertime on their lovely patio and one with a larger group of ladies inside. Both fantastic. The Roasted Chicken and the Filet are both musts as entrees, they are staples on the menu.

Recipe – Kale & Brussels Sprout Salad – I discovered this Bon Appetit salad via my friend Jenny and it has been such a hit, it has been all over Pinterest lately too. I made it for the Pi Phi Christmas party and several of my friends ended up making for their Christmas dinners. This salad impresses and even makes for good leftovers! NOTE – I subbed toasted hazelnuts for the almonds and highly recommend.

Accessory – I’m not gonna lie, this bag has brought me some legitimate happiness and I have no regrets about the splurge.

Movie – I. loved. this. movie. I watched it twice in 48 hours, it’s that good. It might have something to do with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and that he is ridiculously hot/adorable and talented to boot. He wrote, directed, starred. Impressive. The story ends up being a really sweet love story and it got me.

Beauty – This has been the year of Laura Mercier. Skin, lips, eyes – all my new fave beauty products are Laura.

Illuminator in Spellbound

Smooth Finish Foundation Powder

Caviar Stick in Amethyst

Foundation Primer – Radiance

Tightliner Cake Eyeliner in Bleu Marine

Flat Eyeliner Brush

Matte Eye Shadow in Frsco

Weightless Lip Color in Mod

I am so excited to see what works in 2014 and hope you will be coming along for the ride!

Red Lipstick for Days

When it comes to my lips, 2013 has been the year of lipstick revival. I am so bored with lipgloss. These days my look doesn’t feel complete without lipstick. This was also my introductory year to the timeless trend of red lips. I don’t know what has taken me so long to get on board, because I love, love, love the look. It makes me feel sexy and chic, totally put together. You definitely need to try several shades to see what works best for your coloring, if you like matte or creamy or glossy. You also don’t need to pick just one! You can have daytime red, evening red, party red….the red possibilities are endless (ok, endless may be an overstatement, but certainly not limited to 1 or 2).

My foray into red lips began with a trip to Sephora last spring where I settled on a very deep red, Stila Color Balm Lipstick in Natasha ($22). A creamy lip color with the full pigment-load of a lipstick, the nourishing properties of a balm, and the shine of a gloss. I love this red and have not since found anything as deep. What I don’t love is the shape and I find it difficult to apply. It is imprecise and I noticed it got into the little cracks of skin above my lips, which makes me feel like an old lady. So as much as I dig the color, I think this one is getting benched.

I have since picked up two more reds. The first is Dior – Rouge Zinnia ($34), a luxurious, full-coverage lip color that I like for daytime and evening. Love it. Bright, but not too bright, wears really well, feels good.

I also splurged on Tom Ford Lip Color in Scarlet Rouge ($49 – yes, that is correct, I said $49 for one tube of lipstick). But with “Rare and exotic ingredients, including soja seed extract, Brazilian murumuru butter and chamomilla flower oil, create an ultra-creamy texture with an incredibly smooth application. Specially treated pigments are blended to deliver pure color with just the right balance of luminosity.” Mmm hmm, ok then, that’s how we arrive at $49. Got it. I have been hearing this stuff is the shit, so I decided to just go for it. Results after one day of wear – this might be my favorite red of the bunch.