Category Archives: the Me stuff.

the Makeup stuff., the Me stuff.

My beautiful bride Michelle … or, my bride that looked like Ariel.

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Michelle (or Meesh, as I’ve known her for a few years now) has probably one of the greatest senses of humor you’ll ever encounter.  I’ve loved and known Meesh since high school, and the first thing I can remember doing around her is laughing.  Trust me- there’s nothing like finding a friend who can belt Duran Duran’s Rio at the top of your lungs together with you in high school, and my relationship with her has remained relatively similar all this time.  Meesh is resourceful and creative as a friend, and cheerful and outgoing in her nature.  It was a blessing to have her stand with me as a witness to my own wedding vows, and it was an honor to be there for hers.  But what concerns me here the most, of course, is the pleasure I had in doing her bridal makeup!

Meesh has some awesome facial features that I was so excited to highlight for her wedding.  She has huge blue eyes, adorable cheeks, and beautiful princess hair.  Meesh requested that we use a very bright blush I own for her day- NARS’ Exhibit A, which actually is the product that served as the inspiration for this blog’s title!  This blush was perfect for complementing Meesh’s beaming expression that she carried with her all day.  For her eyes, I used an ultra-flattering Chanel shadow in Taupe Grise’ and a MAC shadow in Embark for deeper contouring.  I applied some gel liner (Bobbi Brown‘s, of course) to her upper lids and on her inner-lower lids, and then applied some awesome false lashes (which Meesh is a huge fan of on a regular basis).  For lips, we kept it simple and I applied a basic, clear gloss from Chanel in Plaisir.  The right shade of Bare Minerals also perfected her overall complexion- I swear by that stuff for life, there’s no greater product that I’ve found for any skin type or tone.  You can trust it for your wedding day, without a doubt.

 Top it off with some MakeUpForEver HD Finishing powder (as I’ve used on every bride), and we’re good to go!  She looked like Ariel!  Stunning!!

Meesh and Justin’s wedding day was in August, and I’ll always remember it as one of the hottest days in which we’ve had to remain somewhat pretty throughout its entirety.  After dancing, sweating, and running around through all the excitement that weddings bring, I have to say that Meesh held up like a champ!  Her hair, her makeup, everything- it all hung in there, and I was really worried about the stability of  my makeup under such heat.  In fact, I’d say we all did pretty well!

Whitney, my April bride, was a bridesmaid for Meesh as well!  I kind of “coached” her in applying her own makeup so that I could keep my hands free for the bride, and Whit did a beautiful job on her own.  She’s really been picking it up!

I so appreciated Meesh’s thankfulness for my work.  She posted my very first review on weddingwire.com for me, and she made it so clear to me how beautiful she felt on that day.  Nothing could bless me more as an artist, and I could not agree more with how truly, truly beautiful she was and is!  xo, MR

All photography is credited to Amanda Doublin.  For more of her work and a full post on Meesh and Justin’s day, check her out at http://www.amandadoublin.com. 

the Makeup stuff., the Me stuff.

Who gets my vote for best eye makeup EVER?

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So, I kind of forgot to mention one particular muse of mine when I posted about celebrity beauty last time.  I’m not exactly sure how that happened, because she actually is the first one that comes to mind when I think of incredible eye makeup.  Honestly.  One of her looks even served as the inspiration for my own wedding makeup!  I don’t know how I managed to forget her.  Perhaps I had hair on the brain more than makeup that day I posted, but frankly, she deserves a post all her own.

Oh, Keira Knightley.  What can I say about Keira?  I admit that I relate to her brown hair, brown eyes, medium-toned skin and boyish figure, but her red carpet makeup for the past couple years has been out of this world and I’d kill to relate to that.  Her main go-to when it comes to makeup for big appearances is a smokey eye, which happens to be my favorite as well.  What makes her smokey eye looks so special is the beautiful blending of different shades of deep brown and gunmetal shadows, along with pearly shimmer on her inner and outer corner eyelids.  Top it off with some black eyeliner on the inner rims, and then just sit there for two hours applying fifty million coats of mascara.

Add a little flush to the cheeks and a light shade of whatever to the lips, and you’ve got something pretty close to perfection.  I just love how her warm, chestnut hair color complements the dramatic eyes, too.  I know she typically uses Kate Lee for her makeup, and lately I’ve been seeing a lot of Bobbi Brown references when searching for the products used on her.  It’s never a surprise to hear about Chanel products being used on her too, considering Keira’s been the long-time face of Chanel Mademoiselle.  Below is the exact makeup look I used as a reference for my wedding day.  It’s from one of Knightley’s premieres for her 2010 film Never Let Me Go.

The focus is obviously on the lashes here, and the shadow isn’t quite as dark.  There’s more of a mauve, metallic feel to it as opposed to sooty.  My own wedding makeup ended up consisting of a smokey eye using a deep eggplant shade and a rich espresso, along with Keira’s trademark shimmer in the corners of the eyes and on the places where light hits her face.  And of course, I can’t ever resist a full, well-groomed set of eyebrows.

I cannot wait to see how Knightley turns out on the red carpet for her upcoming premieres and press junkets for Anna Karenina.  And if she snags some nods during awards season, my (smokey) eyes will be glued to the telly!  xo, MR

the Fragrance stuff., the Me stuff.

The carrot.

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What do you do to motivate yourself through a Master’s course where you are composing the first parts of your thesis in education? What do you do to motivate yourself through a course that has caused you to miss two awesome birthday parties (one with a 1920s-40s theme … I can’t even think about it, I had my outfit all planned out and everything), as well as spend countless hours frying your brain in front of a computer screen doing …… research?

You employ the rewards system, of course!

When I’ve got such a task ahead of me, I’ve found that the easiest way to help myself through it is to put a little something at the finish line so that it’s waiting for me when I, um, finish. It could be anything. Sometimes it’s not even a thing, sometimes it’s just an event to look forward to. However, in this case my reward at the end of the finish line came in the form of the newest Lancome fragrance- La vie est belle

I bought this baby a couple months ago in a manner not unlike how most of my fragrance purchases go down. I smelled it at Ulta one day and I literally could not … get it … out of … my brain. It was just so warm and sweet, like a delicious vanilla musk. I instantly knew that this would be my scent of Fall 2012. “But so soon?!” I asked myself, in the sweltering heat of early August. It just seemed like a little too much instant gratification to have it right then, and I had two perfumes that I was trying to get through anyhow! So I made a deal with myself- finish your next course for your MA (by October), and then you can open it. And in the meantime, finish one of your other perfumes.

Well, the coursework is finished as of tonight (finished early!) and I’m aaaaalllmost done with my Givenchy Ange’ ou Demon Le Secret. So, I’m not quite ready for it yet, but the plan is to unleash The Beautiful Life at the commencement of October. So be warned- if you’re around me at all this week I’m likely to be drenched in Ange’. I gotta make room!

For now, here is the most extravagant, hilarious fragrance commercial ever created, just for this “groundbreaking” perfume I’m about to bathe in. Man, is there anything better than a ten-trillion-dollar fragrance commercial? Well, maybe this.


xo, MR

the Hair stuff., the Makeup stuff., the Me stuff.

Ooh dang, she look fine! … or, my celebrity beauty crushes.

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Everyone’s got a favorite celebrity when it comes to fashion. We follow their style, pin all their outfits on Pinterest, and are most excited to see them on the red carpet. Sometimes, we even like a somewhat questionable outfit on them because, well, it’s on them. But have you ever thought of who your favorite celebrities are when it comes to beauty? You always love their hair, or you know they use great products, or their makeup is always different and fun in every photo. Perhaps they aren’t your favorites for style (or vice versa: you love what they wear but their makeup is always the same), but from they neck up, they always seem to get it right. Here are my three that I’m always ecstatic to see a close-up shot of:

1. Diane Kruger

Diane’s hair and makeup change dramatically with nearly every appearance. The German beauty is reminiscent of Grace Kelly and is never easily predicted, and she’ll take risks that’ll keep you on your toes. Pin curls, fishtail braids, easy topknots, bright red lips, dramatic winged eyeliner- you never know what she’ll do. And the coolest thing is that Diane’s known for frequently doing her hair and makeup herself!

2. Olivia Wilde

It probably doesn’t hurt that she’s a Revlon spokesmodel, but Olivia always looks so chic in the beauty department. She had an incredible cut with bangs and beautiful ombre color for a while that I loved, but her new cut for 2012 (pictured above) served as one of the most inspirational looks for this year’s ever-popular long bob cut. Her stunning blue eyes are so easy to play up with colorful shadow, too.

3. Jessica Biel

I’m mostly into Miss Biel for her locks. This exact picture served as inspiration for my hair leading up to my wedding, and I continue to obsess over every style and color Jessica tries with her crowning glory. Her mane just seems so healthy, and the health of my hair has taken priority over its everyday appearance partly in thanks to seeing incredible locks like Jessica’s. She’s commonly known as one of the most fit celebrities that maintains a stellar diet and exercise regimen, and dedication like that tends to manifest itself everywhere in your body, including your skin and hair.

There are, of course, other ladies that I’m crazy about including Kate Beckinsale, Jennifer Connelly, Thandie Newton, and Mila Kunis. The originally mentioned ones, however, seem to be the most consistent in impressing me both on the red carpet and sometimes off, too. And I love my listed three specifically for what they do with their hair and makeup, not because I simply think they’re the prettiest celebrities. For instance, Miss Connelly’s features are so striking that I enjoy her more for how she naturally looks rather than what’s done with her makeup (though that raven shade of hair is greatly complemented by those rose-colored lips). I appreciate it too when a celebrity’s hair and makeup is translatable and easy to relate to. My counterexample of this would be the 365-days-a-year goddess known as Miss Beckinsale. Kate always seems to look just a tad too perfect. There’s no ease to her beauty; it’s immaculate glamour all the time with no hair (or, ahem, hair extension) out of place. However glorious and coiffed she may always look, such beauty can be hard to relate to.

The three featured in this post are those that I look forward to seeing the most at every awards show, in every magazine, and on every website. Their beauty isn’t so other-worldly that I feel I can’t take inspiration from them, and they each try new ideas that any other girl can try. So tell me, who are your favorites?

the Makeup stuff., the Me stuff., the Skin stuff.

She sells sea smells by the seashore.

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I’d never been much of a girl for summer, but since my appreciation for fashion in all its seasons has grown, I’ve begun appreciating the varying climates and environments that inspire designers more and more. I’ve evolved into a woman for all seasons these past couple years, and now I can’t enough of whatever it is … sunshine, rain, crisp breezes, fog (just not wind).

My favorite times of summer consist of taking a drive to the beach by myself, packing a couple mags, and bringing a couple favorite beauty products of mine that tend to do simply two things: moisturize and smell like vacation. But other than that, I won’t wear a drop of makeup to the beach. Slather on the sunscreen, and brother that is it.

Monoi Tiki Tahiti Tiare is an oil product that smells nothing short of divine. I found it at a Mother’s Market and it’s a little escape in a bottle. I’ve only recently fallen in love with the idea of tropical places (because for so long I was strictly a forest girl), and now I can’t get enough of scents that transport me to pristine beaches of golden sand. You can put this stuff in your hair and all over your skin, and it solidifies under 68 degrees. Deeeee-lish.

I typically favor neutral nail colors, as seen here on my fingers (Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Honey Whip). I chose a similar color for my wedding day and just used it instead of French tips or acrylics. I don’t know why, but I just can’t get into what I call ‘add-ons’, like hair extensions or acrylic nails. I even had a hard time with false eyelashes at first, but I couldn’t argue with what they did for pictures.

I’ll go a little more dramatic on my toes for some pop. This one’s Chanel Le Vernis in Black Pearl, from the Spring 2011 collection. And that’s a picture of Jessica Alba with a faboosh topknot. Can’t get enough of those things. xo, MR

the Hair stuff., the Me stuff.

Hair today ……..

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This is me, waving a fond farewell to my long locks (the longest they’ve been, I believe, since high school). They’ve made for some of the greatest summer hair I’ve ever had, complete with ombre’ color, and they’ve not been cut since … February? Yup, February. They’ve maintained their health thanks to my regular routine consisting of washing just twice a week, cold rinses, deep conditioning with every third wash, air-drying almost 100% of the time, and a little miracle product from Kerastase called Fibre Architecte, which probably extended the life of my ends by at least two months.

However, it is now late August, and the children shall be returning to school which means that I’ll be returning with them. I’ve also begun my usual routine of incessantly picking at my split ends that probably weren’t as bad to begin with until I got my paranoid hands on them. And then there’s also the fact that I just love a good cut to transition into a new season (even though it’ll continue to seem like summer out here for at least two more months, probably).

And so, I bring you the long bob as styled by the great Justin Kamm over at Salon 9 in Orange:

Inspired by one of Anne Hathaway’s cuts from the not-quite-so-recent years, I decided to steer away from layers and go for a more blunt look. I love it unquestionably, but I also love how my hair was less than five hours ago. That’s a good thing though, right? I like it most any way these days, and that should be enough to shut me up and keep me pretty satisfied. Thanks Justin! xo, MR

the Hair stuff., the Makeup stuff., the Me stuff., the Skin stuff.

Drugstore Cowgirl

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Familiar sight?

Yes, I do frequently find myself perusing aimlessly through my local drugstore. In fact, I frequently find myself perusing aimlessly through the not-so-local ones as well. CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgreen’s, and whatever others there may be … I’ve wandered them all, near and far. However, I should add that it is especially awkward with the local stores because the check-out attendants see my face quite a bit. But that’s not really what makes it awkward, when I think about it … it’s the fact that nine times out of ten, I walk out of the store without buying anything. I literally … just … wander. And then I leave.

I’ll wander down the hair care aisle and open up maybe five bottles of shampoo or conditioner, smell them, and then shut them, put them back, and leave. Or I’ll stare at the L’Oreal eyeshadows, pick one up, walk around with it, and then put it back and leave. Or I’ll be staring at the skin care products and I’ll pick up the package of pre-moistened face towelettes and kind of squish them in their package, and then put them back and leave. Or sometimes … I just stare. And then leave.

Don’t ask me why I do any of this, or what it does for me when I do it. Believe me, I’m aware of how I may look as I engage in these behaviors. Shoplifter? Social disorder? Obsessive compulsions? Incurable boredom? Yeah, it could look like it (and trust me, I’m not kidding when I say that the cashier attendants know who I am … they give me the look every time).

Wandering through the drugstore beauty aisles will probably remain one of my favorite ways to kill time, though. Maybe it’s just the idea of being around the products of an industry I enjoy. But seriously- there’s enough to look at, there’s usually something new, I’m not too tempted to buy anything there because most of the products ain’t that great for your skin or hair (and if I do buy anything I probably won’t be spending too much). So if you see me creepin’ at Rite-Aid next week and sniffing a deep conditioner without any intent of purchasing, just keep your side-eye to yourself. You know you do it too, honey boo boo. xo, MR

the Magazine stuff., the Me stuff.

Holy September fatness.

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It may be the middle of August, and you may still be wiping that sweat off your sunburned brow, and you may still be pretending that it’s summer, but in reality … well, in fashion publication reality … we have officially turned the corner into FALL 2012. Where’s my evidence for this? Come Friday, all newsstands will have these lovelies happily perched on them, and they are the September issues.

These babies are the fattiest and most important issues of the year. People are frequently baffled as to why September issues are so ridiculously large. Your briefest answer lies in the fact that September ushers in the new season of fall fashion. We transition into a completely different way of dressing in the autumn, and designers often have had a lot of new and exciting ideas to showcase for it during the previous fashion week. Everyone is excited to show off the season’s best trends, all while coming together to see what’s lined up for the next spring. Spring brings a seasonal transition as well, but it’s never met with the same hype. Additionally, designers often take somewhat of a break over the summer, and so September is highly anticipated as a sort of ‘Back to Work! Let’s kick it into high gear!’ time. I like to think of it as the true ‘new year’ in the fashion and fashion publication world. In fact, you’ll notice that January issues are usually the slimmest of the year.

Folks working for any fashion publication will tell you that their goal is to always increase in page numbers from year to year, up from the page count of that same month during the previous year. In other words, Vogue (or any fashion pub.) always hopes that this year’s September issue is bigger than last year’s September issue, and because the September issue is always the biggest of the year anyhow, the ultimate goal is … for your September issue to be your very biggest yet. So in summary, fashion publications are graded based on the turnout of their September issues. If they’re bigger than the year prior, you’re right on the mark.

Here’s a picture of the fatty fat McFatterson September issue of Vogue for this year. I picked up the thing this afternoon and let me tell ya, it’s a beast. It is no joke. My arm shook as I held the thing up to take the stupid picture (and that’s silly Cosmo there placed on top just to give you a small reference for size). Lady Gaga is on the cover, which is a relatively safe choice considering she’s been on the cover of Vogue before and it was the year’s best-seller. No risks there.

I am personally looking forward to trying to pry the obese monster that is InStyle September 2012 out of my mailbox tomorrow, with Jennifer Lopez on the cover. It’s their biggest issue ever (fashion publication achievement unlocked). Seriously, anyone got a monkey wrench? My mailbox may choke to death; there’s no room for Jenny-from-the-block’s big booty in that mailbox!

the Fragrance stuff., the Me stuff., the Review stuff., the Skin stuff.

I smell so good all the time. And no, I’m not wearing ‘Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend’.

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I have used a lot of fragrances in my lifetime. Those folks that have their “signature scent” and can stick to just one fragrance … yeah, I don’t get them. I wish I could do that, but I’m a smell-aholic. Or a smell-ophrenic. Or whatever.

I remember Roxy’s Hula being the scent of ‘hot female’ in middle school. Seriously, girl walks by on campus and you smell the Hula on her … you got jealous. The guys thought she was a babe and she’d probably blazed passed all us other girls in the puberty department. In other words, she was a true woman, tube top and all. I tried wearing Hula in middle school … it just didn’t work the same. I just couldn’t understand why no one wanted me as I stood there covered in my butterfly clips and wearing my Osh-Kosh holdovers from fourth grade (yes, things fit me for a very long time) on the black-top. As I picked my nose.

And then came high school, and I don’t quite remember what scents I wore then because all I can remember as far as the olfactory sensations go is a haze of fruit. That’s when you discovered Bath and Body Works and boy, did we all go to town. We were all trying to discover our inner sexiness, and apparently ‘sexy’ in high school smells like being shoved head-first into a can of fruit cocktail laced with sugar, marinaded in sugar, and paired with … hmm, brown sugar and Fruit Loops? Heck, my senior year I even started wearing a perfume called Pink Sugar. Man, that was the stuff. That’s the first scent I remember wearing and feeling like it was mine. I wore it strictly throughout my senior year, and was thus able to associate it with all the memories that came with those days. Even when I get a whiff of that stuff these days, Aquolina Pink Sugar is a potent memory-trigger.

Throughout college and up until today, I’ve had a hard time nailing down a favorite fragrance. I can’t pick just one. If I go to Sephora, I smell twenty and I like them all. I like the weird ones, the overly-saccharine ones, the musky, masculine ones, and the lighter, clean ones. I’m just as happy to smell like a forest as I am to smell like a Funfetti cake. And so, I’ve acquired a few over the years.

The Givenchy one (pronounced zhe-von-SHEE, to the best of my description) on the right is one I fell for as a result of … shocker … advertising. Uma Thurman was the model used for the Ange ou Demon Le Secret ads, and I smelled it in a magazine and couldn’t get over it. I’d never appreciated a scent that was more founded in tea notes rather than fruit notes, as this one is. I think of a blush wine mixed with white tea; it’s unique. The gold bottle, Gucci Guilty, I can’t say I really love. It’s a floral-oriental but it’s a bit too “rich, daring, powerful woman’ for me … and I am a poor, cautious, hesitant woman.

The D&G L’Imperatrice is a friend-favorite. It’s inspired some purchasing among my acquaintances (more on that in a minute), and I will say that it is pretty delicious. It’s lighter because it’s an eau de toilette (not an eau de parfum), but it still has plenty of fruity notes such as watermelon and kiwi accord. Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gioia is my newest, and it reminds me of the water. It’s a scent that makes me fantasize about places I’ve never been, places that are misty, cool, and clean. Rather than the beach, which one may usually think of with such a zesty fragrance, I think of the fjords in Norway. No joke. Calgon take me away!!!!!!

And here, we find the fragrances I carry with me when I’m teaching at high schools. Victoria’s Secret Bombshell keeps me feeling like a sophisticated woman in an arena so devastatingly dominated by Justin Bieber Someday, and Bath and Body Works’ Secret Wonderland so I can fit in with the sixteen-year-olds just a little bit (and it makes me think of Christmas!).

And so, that wraps up the current smelling sauces I’m drenching myself in these days. I should warn you though … I don’t do well with those that wear the same fragrance as myself (which, unfortunately, could eliminate perhaps five of your options at a time). Scent is one of the heaviest identifying factors that I associate with a person, and having anyone else smell like me is a huge pet-peeve of mine. I have a friend who wore Thierry Mugler’s Angel for years, and I refuse to wear it despite the fact that I could funnel that stuff straight down into my nostrils (because it smells that good). Why? Because that’s her scent. I want you to like how I smell, but I don’t want you to buy it. And sure, I may have used five scents within the past year, but, well, that’s just too bad for you. You can’t smell like me. My dad bought my mom my same fragrance one year for Christmas because he’d liked it so much on me. Just … no.