The Life of A Ladybug

Three Custom Color Specialists' Marry Me Collection

 

Dum, dum, duh, dum!  The season for weddings is upon us!  I remember, as a little girl, how many times I played "bride" and how much I thought of my wedding day.  It is the chance to be a pretty, pretty princess and be the center of attention, which was the dream of my young heart (and still, is, really).  As a makeup artist, I've had the fortune of beautifying quite a few brides for their Big Day.  What I've found is that almost all of them say they want to look their best on that day - like themselves, only prettier than usual.  Natural beauty is in!  What better way to look your naturally bridely beautiful best than through using one of my favorite products - the lip/cheek stain?  And, of those stains, my faves are Three Custom Color's Lip/Cheek Stains. They have come out with a new one called "Marry Me" in both cool and warm options.  The Marry Me Lip/Cheek Stain is part of an entire "Marry Me" collection which also includes lip liner and lip gloss.  I love it.  It gives a wonderful pop of red to the lips and cheeks, which, when paired with a bronzer, a lined eye and some banging mascara, will have you looking elegant, classy and sex-ay!  And what bride wouldn't want that?

Guest blogger Wendi reviews Proactiv

 

This is my friend Wendi, also known as Jahzaal.  When I got the chance to review Proactiv, I gave it a try, but quickly realized it was a mite too harsh for my skin.  Wendi expressed interest in trying it for herself, so I passed on the products to her.  Here's her feedback:

I am not as impressed as I thought I would be with Proactiv.  Maybe because I don't have really acne-prone skin. I have oily skin, but it's pretty clear.   Since I was not suffering as bad as the people they advertise about, I used this every other day or night, I should say, due to the directions warning on the label that read "If going outside use a sunscreen."  Most of the time I forget to apply sunscreen to my face on a daily basis like I should.  It was easier to use this before I went to bed.

 

The most I can say about this is:

• The first day of use my face was completely clear - it worked like a charm.  BUT  this seems to happen the first time I use any new product on my face.
• I used the mask when two pimples popped up on my face during my use of Proactiv. The mask did not get rid of them, but it did bring them down. They weren't as noticeable. They were still there. I like to dry my pimples completely out so that they are gone the next day. When they linger they leave marks on my face. In this case they were chillin' and I am still trying to get rid of the marks.

This is way too time consuming for me. If my face was really bad. I would spend the time. My face isn't that bad for 3 or 4 different applications a night. On top of that, you have to wait for one to naturally dry on your face before you apply the next. I am not saying that this is a bad product. It's just not for me.

So, what say you guys?  Do you agree with Wendi or have you had a different experience?  Let me know in the comments!

Beauty news: Serena Williams announces her new beauty line

Serena Williams has announced her very own beauty line - MISSION Skincare.  On July 23rd and 24th, Serena, a MISSION Skincare co-founder, will appear on HSN to launch the new line, the complete name of which is MISSION Skincare Active-Beauty Line: Featuring Serena Williams. 

The signature product is the Oxygen-Active Daily Facial Cleanser.  It also includes: Honey Sugar Sugar Body Scrub, Honey Sugar Restorative Body Butter, and Lip Balmer SPF 15 in Pomegranate and Pink Lemonade.  The line has been developed with Dr. Bryan Adams, Chairman for the American Academy of Dermatology, which seems to bode well for the product line.

If any of you tune in to HSN and get some of the products, please let me know what you think!

Ladybug Loves, 07/03/09

 

Urban Decay Get Baked Eyeshadow Palette

Bobbi Brown Golden Orange Pressed Powder

CoverGirl Lash Exact and Volume Exact mascaras

Bobbi Brown blush in Brown Berry

Talk to me about Vibrating Mascaras!

 
Okay, I admit it.  I may be the only beauty blogger worth her salt who has yet to try any of the what seems like eleventy billion vibrating mascaras now on the market.  I have heard some raves and some mehs, but I have not tried them myself.  Sorry, but I'm not a huge fan of pointing a vibrating implement at my eye.  Now, other places ... well, ahem.  That's neither here nor there.

So, Talk To Me!  Tell me if I should try vibrating mascaras.  Why or why not?

MAC Colour Craft collection

Oooh, y'all!  The MAC Colour Craft collection will be on counters and in stores on July 9th and I WANT!  Looka here, looka here!  (My lemmings in bold!)

Lipstick

Madly Creative: pink neutral with white pearl

Ever Embellish: plum brown with red pearl

Made With Love: bright coral pink

Colour Crafted: milky pink

Trimming Talk: bright fuschia

Most Popular: purple with yellow undertone

Lipglass (three shades swirled together to create a one-of-a-kind marble finish

Pretty Pattern: warm dirty beige

Crazy Haute: blue pink

Nice Mix Up: burnt ginger

Funky Fusion: pink coral

Eclectic Edge: cool violet

Miss Marble: muted pink

More on Mineralize Shadows, Blushes, and Skinfinishes after the cut!

Urban Decay Get Baked Eyeshadow Palette

 

Y'all, it is summer, summer, summertime!  And in the summer, I am all about the bronze and the metallic.  And, if you ask me, nobody does the metallic effect better than Urban Decay!  This Urban Decay Get Baked Eyeshadow Palette is the business, do you hear me?

Pacifica Solid Perfume

 

For the last couple of months, I have been enjoying the Pacifica shower gels - I have Tuscan Blood Orange and Hawaiian Ruby Guava.  They are equally yummy.  So, imagine my excitement when, walking through Wegman's with the troupe after a meeting, Lotus spotted a Pacifica display and on it ... the entire Pacifica line, including Solid Perfume!

Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant

 

So everything beautiful isn't about makeup, y'all!  It is totally not beautiful to be funky.  LOL!

As a fan of Lavanila scents, I was keen to try Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant.  I am not one of those girls who searches for organic or healthy beauty products, but it can never hurt when you know that you can get the beautification you need without doing any undue damage to your body or the environment, right?

Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eyeliner

 

I am a huge lover of a good gel eyeliner.  They give you the oomph of a liquid liner, but I find them easier to apply and less mistake-prone.  I have fallen head over heels for both MAC's Fluidline and Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner, so when I got the chance to try Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eyeliner, I went for it, to see if I needed to make this a permanent part of my gel liner wardrobe.