The Best Dressed at the 2013 Met Gala. And a few words for Gwyneth Paltrow.

11 May

Okay, so, the Oscars are a big deal, right?  And the Golden Globes?  The whole awards season, in fact, from about January through the end of February, is when excitement over celebrities in fashion seems to climax in a parade of shows displaying the very best that the fashion world has to offer on some of the arguably best-looking people to wear it (and notice I’m saying “arguably” … because yes, you can certainly argue that Gwyneth Paltrow is the “world’s most beautiful woman”, but just because you argue does NOT mean that I’ll agree).  So it’s a total bummer once the whole parade is over, right?  Awards season is finished, and therefore we have to wait another entire year to see the celebrity fashion mish-mashapalooza extravaganza craziness happen all over again, aside from the various sightings at the Cannes Film Festival.  Right?

WWWRRRROOOOONNNNNGGGG!!!!!!

I don’t know how many people I’ve spoken with this past week who have literally not known what the Met Gala was.  They just straight-up hadn’t heard of it, and I just think that it is a testament to the travesties of our public education system.  Didn’t they teach you about the Met Ball in your freshmen health class?!  It’s definitely in the standards, somewhere, perhaps mixed in with the unit on how drugs affect the brain?  Or reproduction?  The sperm makes it’s way to the egg in the Fallopian tube, merging into one single cell called a zygote and then MET GALAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

So, let’s first take a moment to ensure that we’ve all been properly educated.  What, exactly, is the Met Gala?  Well, let’s start with this: You’ve heard of the Metropolitan Museum in New York City (and if not, you need to start reading From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler as if your life depended on it).  Each year, the Metropolitan Museum (also known as the “Met” for short) opens an annual fashion exhibit, complete with a new theme every time.  This exhibit is held in the particular gallery space of the Met called the Costume Institute.  To celebrate the annual fashion exhibit’s opening, the Met holds a ball called the Costume Institute Gala (or Costume Institute Ball, either works) and basically invites EVERYONE WHO IS ANYONE from the fashion, film, and music industries.  And Kim Kardashian.

The Met Ball is always hosted by Vogue magazine, can cost up to $15,000 for one ticket, and is the one, true opportunity for celebrities and society folk to really push the sartorial envelope without getting too much side-eye from fashion critics.  It’s basically prom for all your favorite people that you read about in magazines.  And Kim Kardashian.

Now, the theme for the Costume Institute exhibit stands as the theme for the Met Ball too, so the guests of the Ball are always expected and encouraged to dress up somewhat in line with that theme.  Some of the exhibit themes may be a little difficult to grasp if you’re not very familiar with the fashion industry (last year’s theme was Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations … I’ll let you research that one yourself), but this year’s theme was a little more straight-forward – Punk: From Chaos to Couture.  Yep.  We’re looking at punk’s influence on the fashion world.  Sid Vicious would not be proud.  So, no, you’re not going to see something as literal as Kate Beckinsale showing up in a Dead Kennedys t-shirt (though that would be hot), but this theme did seem to encourage lots of black, lots of pompadour hair, and lots of eyeliner.  Remember, we’re looking at folks’ interpretation of punk influence here, not literal punk garb.  Here are my picks for who looked the very best.

#5 Jessica Biel in Giambattista Valli

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Larry Busacca/Getty Images

This is good.  The hair is slicked back with an ever-so-slight mohawk feel, they’ve contoured thecrap out of her cheeks to give her an edgier, sharper look, she’s wearing a septum ring, and that dress is giving me weird feels.  This is a good thing for a punk-themed Met Ball.  If I had to choose one look to wear myself, from head to toe, I’d pick this one.

#4  Sienna Miller in head-to-toe Burberry

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Getty Images

If there’s anyone who attended the Met Ball this year that actually comes close to sometimes acting/dressing/behaving in line with a truly punk attitude, it’s Sienna Miller.  She’s that cool Brit kid that wears a top hat when she feels like it and probably smokes like a turn-of-the-century-London chimney and cusses like a Guy Ritchie movie.  But this is why the punk theme works for her.  Her nails even have little tiny gold spikes on them, along with  little skulls on her toes.  And that jacket is just a death-hug waiting to happen.  Love it.

#3  Diane Kruger in Chanel Haute Couture

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This picture actually irritates me because it looks like she’s wearing Tom Brady’s black bow-tie in her hair, and she is not.  So put your finger on that bow-tie and go from there.  Diane was actually one of the last to arrive at the Ball from what I could tell, and I was worried that she wasn’t coming at all which would’ve made me QUIT LIFE, I tell you!  But there she was, and the woman never disappoints.  The stars really hooked me with the small details of their looks for this year’s Gala, and in Diane’s case it was her pink ponytail that sealed the deal.  And get that clutch!  There are so many accessories here that could double as weapons!  I was waiting for Dakota Fanning to show up wearing brass knuckles!

#2  Jennifer Lawrence in Dior Haute Couture

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Now, does this make me think punk?  Not really.  But does that matter?  NOT REALLY.  I’d like to think that this is what would happen if Grace Kelly made a baby with Jack White.  You’d get something more along the lines of a devastatingly beautiful dark glamour as opposed to liberty spikes, and that’s okay.  And again, it’s all in the details- the blush veil, the makeup, and the shoes all add up to something breathtaking.  And Jennifer Lawrence clearly had the most fun out of all the guests there.  When you can make mah boo Marion laugh, you make me happy!

#1  Anne Hathaway in Valentino

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There are multiple reasons why this is the best thing.  THE VERY BEST THING.  Let me break down the glory for you:

Let’s go back to this year’s Academy Awards.  No no, let’s go way back to this, when Anne first showed up to the Oscars red carpet in 2007 wearing Valentino.  And then the next year she showed up again wearing Valentino.  And then she kept wearing Valentino for all sorts of occasions, along with becoming close with the designer himself all along.  And then she wore custom Valentino for her wedding.  So basically, Anne Hathaway has, for a long time, been Valentino’s muse.  She’s been his model, and he’s been her very tan fairy godfather.  So what would you expect Anne to wear to the 2013 Academy Awards, on the night when practically everyone is betting their mother’s fancy china that she will take home the gold for giving everyone the sads in Les Miserables?  Valentino, right?!

WRONG.

Anne showed up to the 2013 Academy Awards in THIS.  A funny pink apron dress, looking a little too perky in the nips, brought to you by none other than PRADA.  Prada?!  For WHY?!  Valentino’s 2013 Haute Couture collection, shown just weeks before the Oscars, seriously had Anne Hathaway written all over it.  I had literally made a bet with myself that this would be her dress, or one of the designs similar to it.  But this pink Prada thingy?!  With the nips?!  It made no sense!  And then I started picking up on the rumors.  Apparently, at the eleventh hour, Anne discovered that her Les Mis co-star Amanda Seyfried had plans to wear an Alexander McQueen gown that supposedly looked far too similar to the Valentino gown that Anne had planned on wearing.  She allegedly freaked (and honestly, I could see myself doing this if I was certain that this was going to be my winning night, too) and made a last-minute decision to change her dress.  Here’s a shot of Amanda’s McQueen gown next to the Valentino that Anne had planned on wearing.  Too similar?  You be the judge.  But I’ll be honest- I get it.  I really do.  And I even feel for Amanda Seyfried, who probably felt so awkward and frustrated, too.  It’s just a shame that apparently there were no other Valentino gowns available and that Anne had to go with Prada and not a creation of her fairy tan-father. I sense that there were many, many tears shed during that Oscar weekend by Anne.  Many ugly Fantine tears.

So flash forward to this past week’s Met Gala.  And what is this sassy number that we have here?!  Do I sense a little Valentino on Anne?  From the designer’s 1992 archives?!  Why yes!  Yes I do!  And does she look ridiculously AWESOME?!  WHY YES!  YES SHE DOES!  I’ll admit that I’m one of those people that’s always found Anne a little, I don’t know, annoying?  She’s come across as such a zealous overachiever, like the kid that sucked up to her teachers and always seemed like she was trying too hard.  But you know what I’ve realized?  THAT’S ME.  Aside from the fact that I wish she’d stop showing her bewbs in all her movies these days, Anne bugs me because she can remind me of me.  And I can really bug me sometimes.  So I’ve decided to get over myself, and award Anne the top spot on my list.

Anne’s look is my undeniable favorite from this year’s Met Gala.  It’s got just enough of the punk vibe going on to qualify as having tried to stick with theme, and yet it’s so elegant too.  Those sleeves!  AND THAT HAIR!  I’m usually never in favor of brunettes switching for the blonde team, but this just works.  The whole look is inspiring.  And here she is, at the Ball, with her fairy tan-father himself.  I’d say it looks like Anne’s atoned for her Prada-stained sins, and I’m here to praise her for it.

You know, there was someone else wearing Valentino that night, come to think of it.  The World’s Most Beautiful Woman came to this year’s Met Ball in a hot pink Valentino Haute Couture gown, but apparently Gwynnie didn’t have the greatest time.  What did she have to say about  her Met Ball experience?  ”I’m never going again.  It was so un-fun.  It was boiling.  It was too crowded.  I did not enjoy it at all.”  And as for her decidedly un-punk dress choice, “I think we’re all a bit old to dress up punk.  I just went as kind of normal.”

Oh, okay Gwynnie.  I’m guessing you don’t like Disneyland when it’s a little too warm or fuzzy blankets that are too warm or macaroni and cheese (IT’S TOO HOT IT MAKES MY MOUTH SWEAT) or daffodils that are too yellow or snuggling with puppies because they’re too hot and they make you sweaty and they just want to crawl on you and cuddle with you like uggghhhh stop iiiiiiitttttt.  And we don’t dress up for fun here!  IT’S TIME TO GROW UP!  Didn’t you know that parties like the Met Gala are NOT about having FUN?!  They’re about staying cool and dry with the A/C cranked while quietly sipping overpriced white wine and staying at least two feet apart from everyone!  I’m sorry Gwynnie, but you DO NOT diss Anna Wintour’s party like this, even if you do get a little sweaty in the pits.  Your host is the editor in chief of Vogue, you dum dum!  So come back to Earth and get in touch with reality.  Now.  Poor commoners like myself would walk a flaming tightrope for a chance to even come near the Met on the eve of Gala, but Lady Gwyneth is just over it.

So hey, Miss World’s Most Beautiful, the next time you’re just not feeling the fashion event of the year, go ahead and give me your ticket.  I’ll haul my own butt over to the Met from California ON FOOT.  I might show up in nothing but toilet paper, but at least I’ll be bloody grateful to be there.    xo, MR

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Wut.

4 May

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Can I just say that I called the debut of this product?  I called it.  I knew it would happen.  This, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call a perfect example of a gimmick, or a trick or device used to attract attention, publicity, or business.  I literally laughed out loud when I first saw an ad for Pantene’s new Ultimate 10 BB Creme for hair (and I can’t remember exactly where I first read about it, but it was before it hit shelves, so I’ve been looking forward to this for a while).

So, if you know anything about current trends in the beauty world, you know that B.B. creams are huge right now in skincare (along with CC creams, and soon to come, DD creams … I’m not lying).  They’re do-it-all “beauty balms”, meant for hydrating, firming, soothing, providing sun protection, reducing the appearance of pores, fine lines, uneven skintone, and repairing damage.  The first B.B.’s we saw typically came in just one self-adjusting shade, and were meant to cover a bunch of skincare and makeup steps in one.  B.B.’s were unique in the fact that they were one of the first mass-marketed products that blended makeup and skincare into one item.  They made sense.

About one year ago, every big name brand came out with a B.B. of their own.  And so I remember thinking to myself, not too long ago, “Self, I don’t think it will be long before we see some other re-working of this B.B. phenomenon.  Maybe in the hair department?  Why not?  Someone, anyone really, could easily reinterpret this kind of product as one for hair, even though we have literally every product necessary to perfect our tresses by now.”  I mean it when I say that I just don’t know what they’ll think of next when it comes to hair.  We have everything to address every need for hair these days.  I mean come on, Blake Lively’s hair exists- we’ve achieved hair perfection as the human race!  Sure, everyone’s individual capability in maintaining their own hair may vary, but beyond that, hair perfection today is a potential reality, no matter what type of hair you have to begin with.

And this is just one of the reasons why, though I knew it would happen, the advent of the hair B.B. cream baffles me.  There is no need for it, like, at all.  We have products that de-frizz, give shine, repair damage, strengthen, and all the like.  We even have products that already claim, like a B.B., to do all those things at once (think items like It’s a 10, MoroccanOil, etc.).  And honestly, let’s go as bare-bones as, say, sunflower oil:  it strengthens, reduces frizz (like most any oil), imparts shine, and can ultimately prevent damage.  And what’s even better is that it’s sunflower oil, not some strange, indecipherable compilation of synthetic lab constituents that plays off the current of-the-moment B.B. trend.  Furthermore, a recent magazine review of Pantene’s B.B. that I read claimed that it was just too heavy for most hair types (and heavy products make hair very difficult to style or even air-dry nicely, despite Pantene claiming that their B.B. is a styling product, too).

So my verdict before even trying it?  Useless.  Forget about it.  Move on with your life.

HOWEVER, here’s something that you can trust as helpful to your hair, but it’s not exactly something new.

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Didn’t think you’d ever give these a shot again, did you?  Now look, at least these scrunchies aren’t some awkward color or print that remind you of Jazzercise or your Osh-Kosh overalls that I seriously wore for way too long.  Oh, so it’s the shape that still scares you?  Or the fact that you can wrap one of these suckers around a ponytail on top of your head and swing your hair around like a helicopter and look like you’re straight out of a Paula Abdul music video?  Or straight out of an episode of Full House?  Did you know I’ve never even watched Full House? And that I’ve never seen more than maybe three episodes of Friends?  Yep.  That’s how relevant I am.

Anyhow, I digress.

So basically, these puppies are well on their way to becoming my new best friend in obsessing over my hair.  A lot of hair ties snag my hair (and everyone’s, I suppose), and I’ve never seemed to find one kind that I’m comfortable leaving in my hair overnight.  I put my hair up before bed frequently, but I just hate knowing that I’m rolling around in bed with a tight piece of elastic pulling and tugging at my strands.  So what’s an anxiety-riddled girl to do?  Well, the ideal hair tie is one that’s covered in soft fabric, like scrunchies!  They’re so much gentler on strands, and you can wrap your hair in one overnight and not have to worry about any tugging.  If your hair is thicker, use two!  I especially liked this set because they were still decently tight, as I recall some scrunchies just being too soft and loose (hence the falling-off-the-head side ponytail of the 80s … although that style was no accident on all too many an occasion).  Wear them to bed, wear them to the gym, wear them while running errands.  Honestly, no one’s looking at you like you’re some gymnast from the nineties.  They just look like extra-thick hair ties.  So do it.

Alright, that’s all I’ve got for now.  But come next week, I’ll be blogging about something super awesome- my birthday party!  It’s going to be fabulous.  I mean, I can’t quite tell you just how fabulous it’s going to be, but get ready to have your mind blown.  It’s pretty exclusive though, so, sorry, I can’t just make it some kind of free-for-all.  But don’t worry, I’ll give you the run-down.  You’ll see.  xo, MR

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What I’m Obsessing Over: This French woman telling you how to wash your face

29 Apr

So, this kind of post is basically just me drooling over someone else’s post.  Namely, Into The Gloss’s post.  This website, as I may have mentioned before, literally changed my approach to beauty over two years ago.  It carries an extreme insider perspective (with founder Emily Weiss being either a current or former Vogue fashion assistant, I’m not sure … Into The Gloss may be her full-time gig now), and it provides a thorough and luxurious look into beauty complete with inspiration boards, product reviews (both drugstore and high-end), interviews of fashion and beauty insiders peeking into their routines, and so much more.

I think ITG was the first source responsible for getting me to both calm down and obsess even more over beauty.  I’ve realized that wearing absolutely nothing but some NARS Dragon Girl on my lips is perfectly okay, and yet I am more particular now over what I use on my skin than ever before.  I’ve never felt more affirmed in my love for a throw-it-up-and-go topknot than I have since becoming a regular ITG reader, and yet I now use Rahua shampoo (but only once a week, since I wash twice a week and I switch off between two shampoos, with the other typically being Aveda’s Color Conserve).  My hair doesn’t always look great, but it’s undeniably healthy.  I credit the fact that I’m satisfied with healthy-but-not-always-pretty hair to ITG, along with my beauty philosophy in general over the past couple years.

Anyhow, ITG also manages to produce some amazeballs how-to videos, including Emily’s smokey eye makeup, a lovely tutorial on contouring and brightening, and this little number on how to wash your face.  And you thought you knew how to wash your face!  Nope, not until a super-chic skin care expert with a glorious French accent tells you how!  Now, behold and be amazed.  You’ll want to listen to her say “thermal water” over and over and over.  xo, MR

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Wedding season 2013 kick-off … or, my bride Janelle!

25 Apr

Wedding season is finally here, and what more appropriate way to usher it in than with A WEDDING!

I’d been looking forward to doing Janelle’s wedding makeup for months.  She and I became friends during her student-teaching internship when I subbed for her master teacher one day, and we continued to cross paths on various school campuses.  Things got even more awesome when she started dating a great guy my husband and I already knew named Adam.  Double yes.

Janelle is literally one of the most hard-working people I know, with one of the most helpful spirits I’ve ever encountered.  I remember one day when I, being so very me, didn’t pack a lunch for an emergency subbing job and decided that I’d basically just starve until the work day was done.  When Janelle found out I was on campus, she stopped by to visit me and then, assessing my foodless situation, proceeded to dash home and pack me a lunch.  Yeah.  Let’s see you go home and pack your teacher-friend a lunch next time you see them looking a little malnourished.

Janelle is ridiculously organized and meticulous, and yet she is incredibly down-to-Earth.  She’s had so much else going on in her life surrounding her upcoming nuptials that I barely know how such a great wedding came together at all in the end.  But it did!  And it was a reeeeeeal good one.

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Yup, I am pretty proud of this one.  Stupid proud.  Janelle and I were able to do a couple trials, but we nailed the whole look on the first go-round (which had me leaping with joy).  Janelle wears eyeliner on a regular basis, so I really just wanted to do a more dramatic version of that.  I decided to invest in a Dior 5 Couleurs eyeshadow palette in Grege 734 specifically for Janelle’s look (and because the colors merit everyday use and special occasion use).  I managed to incorporate just about every shade in the palette for her eye makeup, and I even used a couple shades on the mother-of-the-bride.

I added Bobbi Brown’s Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in black to Janelle’s upper lash line, lined her lower lash line in the plum-brown Dior shade, and lined her lower water line with MAC’s eye kohl in Smolder.  I added just one or two coats of long-wearing mascara, and we capped off her eyes with some false lashes from Ardell in 120 (I think … this the pair I believe I use every time, whether on brides or on myself).  I used my trusted MakeUpForEver HD Foundation for her skin along with BeneFit’s The Pore-Fessional as a smooting primer.  NARS bronzer in Laguna and just a few dots of their powder blush in Exhibit A worked for her cheeks, and I added small touches of a NARS cream shadow duo in Thebes to her cheekbones, cupid’s bow, chin, and right above her eyebrows (all being places where the light hits) for a luminous glow.  Lips consisted of CoverGirl’s Lip Perfection lipliner in Seduce, Lancome’s Colour Design lipstick in Natural Beauty, and just a dab of Chanel’s Glossimer in Plaisir.  Just a dusting of MakeUpForEver’s HD Microfinish Powder, and the job is complete.

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Honestly, the whole look was kind of a “best of” compilation for me as an artist.  I used many of the products that I trust the very most or find the most universally flattering.  I’d basically recommend everything I used on Janelle for anyone, with the obvious caveat that your foundation shade may not match hers.  But seriously, I loved this look, and some version of it will work on everyone.  I also loved that I got to team up with the fabulous Laura Licata as she and her assistant took charge of hair styling for Janelle and her bridesmaids’ hair.  It was a whirlwind of a morning, but it all turned out so beautifully.

Needless to say, I’m looking forward to more wedding awesomeness this summer, and I have the opportunity in a couple weeks to work on one of the most unique weddings you may ever lay witness to in a couple weeks.  I mean it.  Here’s a single hint- it’s on May the 4th.  I’ll let you figure it out from there.

Cheers to more beautiful nuptials with more beautiful makeup!  xo, MR

Both photos in this post are credited to Tracey Meyer Photography.

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InStyle’s Best Beauty Buys of 2013 … and what I think of ‘em.

21 Apr

So, May is one of my absolute favorite months for fashion magazines (I think I say that every month, right?) because this month tends to see the widest amount of beauty features in such publications.  People StyleWatch, Lucky, Marie Claire, and InStyle all proclaim their May issues as dedicated to beauty, and I’ll be honest- I’ll eye a magazine on the stand at a grocery store and I’ll quickly flip to the beauty section, and if it piques my interest in any way, I’ll buy it.  The beauty sections are always my favorite, teeming with hair how-to’s, reviews of new products and the like.  One close-up shot of Kerry Washington’s makeup at last month’s premiere complete with a break-down of what products were used, and I’m literally buying the magazine just for that one page.

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My May issue of InStyle magazine came yesterday in the mail and sure enough- 2013′s Best Beauty Buys can be found on page 297!  I like lists like these because I like comparing the magazines choices to what I already have and agree with, what I’m still curious about, and what products I hate.  Additionally, I’ve begun to take these “best of” lists more and more seriously because I’ve become increasingly interested in curating the best kit possible, even if it means a little extra investment here and there.  I trust InStyle for this and can tell that their choices are honest because a lot of the “winners” don’t change from year to year (whereas I feel some publication’s praises are simply based on what’s newest to hit the market).  Now, I won’t be mentioning my thoughts on every product that InStyle lauds, but there are a few I found to be worth commenting on.

1.  Best Inexpensive Lipstick- Cover Girl Lip Perfection  Yes.  The texture of these suckers does not feel cheap, despite the drugstore price (and the pigment lasts forever).  What’s great about this line is that the color range feels expensive and a little more edgy as well, whereas drugstore lipstick in the past seemed to just offer cute variations on frosty pink for the most part.  I still proudly proclaim their shade called Spellbound as the best shade of holy-crap-that-is-no-joke-magenta for under ten bucks.

2.  Best Inexpensive Mascara- L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Original  Is it just me or has this stuff sucked every time I’ve tried to give it another chance?  I’ve probably purchased this formula a total of three or four times over the years, just on the basis of knowing it’s reputation and thinking that it’ll perhaps work out differently this time.  But like Maybelline’s Great Lash (which I’ve consistently detested), this stuff is just goopy and can’t handle the pressure of a second coat (which is a bloody shame since I tend to cap things off at five coats).

3.  Best Overall Mascara- Dior Diorshow  I’ve purchased this stuff twice in my lifetime, which, in conjunction with my comments on the previous product, proves that I am certifiably insane in that I think if I do the same thing over and over I’ll somehow, at some point, land on different results.  In my little library of thoughts, Diorshow is categorized as the most overrated beauty product in existence.  The brush is too big to the point where you can’t control the product easily or put as many coats on without things getting into Shelob territory very quickly.  And what’s more, there’s fragrance in it.  For why?!

4.  Best Powder Blush- NARS  Always and forever, yes and yes.  I have three shades of NARS powder blush, and they are just the happiest, most exciting colors to wear.  Your mood just changes when you dot on one of the shades on to your cheeks.  While I love wearing their cream version in Lokoum on a regular basis, I took a dare last year in purchasing their powder formula in Exhibit A, an absolutely terrifying shade of vermilion at first glance (and I’m pretty sure the bride I most recently used it on hyperventilated when I first showed it to her).  But just a couple dots on the cheekbones and BAM!  You look like you’re glowing from the inside-out.

5.  Best Inexpensive Shampoo and Conditioner- Pantene Pro-V Classic  Just deal with my rant for a moment:  When you’re paying four bucks for a ginormous bottle of shampoo, this should tell you something- that apparently there’s nothing in that bottle worth any money to raise the price over four bucks.  Seriously, read the label on the back of your Pantene shampoo or conditioner bottle and tell me if you can identify any of the ingredients other than water.  The first ingredient of Pantene’s shampoo is water, the next two are detergents that strip your hair, the next is sodium chloride (table salt), and the next is dimethicone (which, while being toted as great for reducing frizz, also saps your hair of moisture).  The list goes on, but nothing in these products can be considered nutritious for your hair.  It’ll clean, but it’ll strip.  If you’re going for a cheaper shampoo and conditioner, at least go for a sulfate-free brand.  I also find shower products like these more worrisome too because we rinse a lot of this stuff down our drains and it gets swept up into our oceans and water systems, and I can’t see dumping gallons and gallons of synthetically-derived Pantene as ultimately good for our water supply and ecosystems.

6.  Best Lipstick- Tom Ford  I honestly wouldn’t know if I agree with this choice or not, because I’ve never tried Tom Ford’s lipsticks.  My life just isn’t at the point yet where I can justify fifty dollars for one tube of lipstick.  You read that right- fifty dollars. I feel like I could possibly justify such a price for face makeup (if you were to wear it everyday) or something that would last you a very long time, but I don’t wear lipstick everyday (rarely, actually) and lipstick isn’t even meant to last for an extremely long time.  So I’d either feel compelled to use it every single day (which I wouldn’t) or make the tube last at least two years (at which point it would’ve expired anyhow).  No win.  And what’s more, I’m just convinced that there are too many quality lip colors out there for twenty and under.

7.  Best Concealer- Cle’ de Peau Beaute’  See above.  Seventy bucks for concealer?  There’s no way.  Well, then again, I at least know I probably would use this everyday, and just a little bit each time.  I’d get my money’s worth!  And it is supposed to be an absolute miracle worker on all flaws and blemishes, and … you know what … no … I can’t keep talking like this.  Just slap me.

8.  Best Curling Iron- Hot Tools Spring Iron  Yep, this is the one.  I have the 1.25″ and I love it.  I just wrap sections of my hair around it (and I skip the clamp; I just wrap and hold) and nothing works better at creating easy waves.  Don’t pay more than fifty bucks for a curling iron or curling rod.  Save your biggest hunk of change for a high-tech flat iron.

9.  Best Lip Balm- Smith’s Rosebud Salve  Sure, the tin is chic in a French-apothecary-kind of way, but there’s a little too much petrolatum in this stuff for my taste.  Petrolatum, derived from petrochemicals, is known for ultimately disabling your lips from being able to remain moist on their own (hence the legend of “ChapStick addiction”).  Petrolatum merely acts as a barrier on your skin’s surface (not an actual moisturizer), and it simply traps whatever moisture is already on your lips in place.  Your lips, over time, basically un-learn how to replenish their own moisture.  Rub a petrolatum-based product all over your body and over time, this kind of barrier will prohibit toxins in the form of sweat and sebum from escaping the skin’s surface like they’re supposed to.  This is why I try to stay away from most drugstore lotions and “moisturizers”, because they’re laden with petrochemicals that can, in a worst-case scenario, really mess up your endocrine system.  I am forever loyal to Burt’s Bees Beeswax lip balm because I only find myself needing to apply it perhaps twice a day, and it is free of petrochemicals.

10.  Best Eyeliner Pencil- MAC Eye Kohl  Could the name “Smolder” be more appropriate?  This stuff is black magic.  Devilish, delicious, I-am-Jack-Sparrow’s-wickedly-awesome-pirate-girlfriend magic.

So seriously, let me know what you think.  Pick up the magazine (with Emily Blunt on the cover), flip through their lists, and give me your thoughts.  But I’m convinced there is no eyeliner better than my Jack Sparrow pirate eyeliner.  xo, MR

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Spring Blahs: What’s exciting, what’s frustrating, and what Ben Affleck did for my beauty routine.

13 Apr

It’s been a while since I posted last- over two weeks!  It’s hard to write about something like beauty and hair and the latest trends when you’re not feeling particularly inspired, and I haven’t been so much lately.  I’ve been dealing with a lot of what we’ll just call blah these days, and that’s okay.  Beauty and fashion are constant and probably won’t ever really “go away” so to speak, but sometimes I peek into the lives of people in these industries and it’s like they try to rely on these things to keep calm, stay happy and escape from the reality that life deals them … and that’s called self-medicating.  I don’t want to fall into that cycle, and so I’ve been allowing myself to accept the fact that there are times when I will feel “meh” about hairstyles, colored eyeliner, and CC creams.  There will be times when the things I typically enjoy won’t bring me joy, and that’s okay.  It’s a season, and the joy will come back.

This doesn’t mean, however, that I cannot practice joy in makeup, beauty, and hair.  I still see the goodness in identifying something that I really, really like and expressing how much I like it, even if it feels functional and not as interesting as other times.  And so here, in the midst of blah, I’m listing what I’m currently excited about (or perhaps what I’m not excited about) in beauty.

1.  Early one morning before taking off for teaching, I attempted to do this seemingly easy slicked-back hairstyle.  I thought I had the right product for it, and I had planned to wash my hair that afternoon so it seemed like a good chance to use plenty of gel.  I ended up looking more like a wet Pekingese than anything, or like a cow got really friendly with me and decided to lick me and just not stop until the cow’s tongue turned to sand.  I’ll try it again later when I’m not planning on standing in front of teenagers all day, susceptible to their scathing criticism and underappreciation for the avant-garde in the classroom.  Such peasants, they are.

2.  I’m excited for these.

greene2

Every year, InStyle comes out with an issue that’s just about hair (awesome) and People StyleWatch‘s May issue always features a big beauty section covering skin, makeup, hair, and the works (awesome).  InStyle‘s main edition also features a “Best Beauty Buys” section in it’s May issue (more awesome).  I think I just like pouring over up-close shots of celebrities with inspiring hairstyles and makeup shown in hi-def, and issues like these are loaded with them.  I swear my hair gets healthier and prettier during the week after reading a new magazine like this.  I also swear that the longer you stare at a picture of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s hair, the more likely you are to grab a curling rod and get to work on your own.  It’s this thing I call “envy”.

3.  I got through my whole bottle of Lancome’s La Vie Est Belle!  It’s a miracle, I tell you!  I never get through a whole bottle of perfume in just one season (because I frequently forget to put it on, in the first place), and I am so proud of myself for finally doing it.  I can officially call that my Fall/Winter 2012/2013 scent and I can now move on to bona fide summer fragrances, like my beloved D&G 3 L’Imperatrice, so I can smell like an unmistakably rich juicebox.

4.  I acquired the supposed shade of lipstick that was used on Jessica Alba in my post here (Avon’s Totally Kissable Lipstick in Lovey Dovey Pink, as my reputable resources tell me), but I proceeded to find that the shade was in fact a frosty pink that had me feeling more like this than anything.  I’ll be needing to do a little more research on that shade of Jessica’s.  I’m not convinced.

5.  I’m not at Coachella looking so impressed with myself that my eyes are rolled into the back of my head.

6.  But I WAS impressed enough with myself AND my hair one night to shamelessly Instagram this selfie.

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But come on, cut me some slack.  My hair was behaving like a voluptuous attention hog, I’d had an extra twenty minutes that evening to do a perfect smoky eye, and my bathroom lighting can get weird to the point where you can leave some photos unfiltered and they’ll still have a nice, flaw-concealing sheen to them.  And lest you believe this is a common occurrence, here I am, as I exist, right now:

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No filter, IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING.  Now if you’d excuse me, IMG Models is calling and I’m replacing Miranda Kerr in the Victoria’s Secret Angels lineup.  This is the face that will crush Gisele.

7.  I had my hair color refreshed recently, and I’ve found that since then my hair texture has slightly changed.  It dries much straighter, and each strand seems, I don’t know, perhaps a bit more wire-y or thick.  My friend said she’s seen it happen particularly with dark shades, and so I’m not really worried.  But I am prepping myself for going lighter in less than a month, I’d say.  I have relatively no layers in my hair at this point (what I’ve wanted- mission accomplished).  It’s weird though, I’ve had layers basically for the last ten years up until now.  I’ve finally grown them all out (and had them cut to one length) and now I’m now sure how I feel about it.

8.  I watched Argo the other night and proceeded to bite off all of my nails until each finger started to burn with pain.  No nail polish now for nearly a month.  Thanks, Ben Affleck.  You and your movies make a crap manicurist.

Alright, I’m done.  Time to go sleep on a satin pillowcase to keep my hair and skin smooth and to prevent split ends and breakage.  Yes, I obsess over breakage even in my sleep.  xo, MR

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Easily my favorite makeup look of 2013. So far.

27 Mar

So, by now most of you know how I’m often bothered by how difficult it is to find out what products celebrity makeup artists actually use on their clients. I don’t want to know how to “get the look”, or what I could “try” to “achieve so-and-so’s look” (all these phrases typically code for “This ain’t the real deal, but buy this stuff anyway cuz yer dumb”).  I want a run-down of the actual goods.

Well, I scored big-time when it came to this stunning look on Jessica Alba at the 2013 Kids Choice Awards.  Leave it to the awesome folks at People StyleWatch to get back to me immediately when I asked them if they could locate the items used on her.  People StyleWatch also credits this gorgeous look to the talents of fabulous Avon Global celebrity makeup artist Lauren Anderson.

jessica-alba-makeup-2013-kids-choice-awards

I’ve loved a couple things about Jessica’s makeup these days, with the number one thing being her flawless under-eye area (and yes, I get how obscure that is but you begin to appreciate these things after years of obsessing).  The area fanning out from the inner corners of her eyes always looks luminous and even, as also seen here at the 2013 Golden Globes.  I love that her skin doesn’t just look corrected of whatever flaws there may be; it looks beyond corrected.  Her face is highlighted and contoured in all the right places to the point where she looks lit from within or part of a Renaissance painting.  I also love a dewy, glowing finish much more than a matte finish (which I need to get over though, because I’ve learned that some brides don’t want to look glowy; they’d rather look matte and shine-less, which I can respect).  And that teal eyeliner is so fresh and it makes her eyes sparkle!  The nude lip color looks clean and beautiful too, making this my favorite makeup look so far for 2013.

So what exactly did Lauren use to achieve this perfect look for spring?  All of the following, as reported to me by PSW, are the exact products used:

Avon Ideal Flawless Foundation

Lorac Baked Bronzer

Chanel blush in Tumulte

Cle de Peau concealer

Votre Vu Brow Wax

Avon Glimmersticks in Aqua Flash

Ardell Individual Lashes (in short black)

Avon SuperExtend Infinitize Mascara

Avon Totally Kissable Lipstick in Lovey Dovey

Of course it’s the seventy-dollar Cle de Peau concealer- of cooouuurrrrrrse!  I mean, it had to be, right?  It couldn’t have been my dang L’Oreal True Match!  But then again, Cle de Peau’s concealer does have the top-of-the-line reputation for being the absolute best you can get in concealer, bar none.  So, I suppose I should’ve expected a product of that caliber to be responsible for Jessica’s holy undereyes.  But the real good news to me is the fact that the wicked awesome teal eyeliner is Avon!  Seriously?!  Not, like, ten thousand dollar Dior eyeliner?!  Woohoo!  Those Avon Glimmerstick things cost just seven bucks a pop!  Even the foundation costs just eleven bucks, and the lipstick goes for eight (though currently on sale for five).

My order is currently in for the eyeliner and lipstick.  Let me know if you’ve ever tried any Avon products that you love, OR if you’re an Avon lady!  I’ve always wanted my very own Avon lady to feed and keep in a cage all for myself!  xo, MR

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