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?

For the sultry goddess ... (Holiday Gift Ideas '08)

If you're looking for a suitable gift for a sultry goddess in your life (or if you are a sultry goddess yourself), look no further than Global Goddess.  This line of cosmetics was created by Shalini Vadhera to suit the beauty of women of darker hues, particularly Asian and Middle Eastern.  I am intrigued by this line, both for its global beauty aesthetic, but also because of the lush packaging and fabulous names for the products.

For sultry lids, try the I Divine Eyeshadow.  Infused with white tea (an antioxidant), these shadows supposedly give a firming effect to the ey area and can be used for daytime or layered for night.  I found the shadows to feel silky upon application, but I did notice a bit of a powdery effect on the lid - however, if you are careful to tap off any excess powder before applying it, that can be mitigated.  I did love the polished effect it gave to my eyelids and I found, with pleasure, that the I Divine Eyeshadow in Darjeeling also serves as a wonderful wine-colored blush when applied to the cheeks.  In fact, I sported Darjeeling as blush all last weekend.

To finish off your eye look, add a swipe of Cairo Eyes Liquid Kohl Liner in your favorite shade.  Of course, you can never go wrong wtih a basic black (Cleopatra), but I got to try Nefertiti (soft burgundy plum) and I was in love!  In fact, I got a wonderful compliment while wearing it: I was told that my (in my opinion, basic brown) eyes looked like they had been sprinkled with paprika - apparently, the plum shade of the liner brought out the tiny reddish flecks in my eyes!  How awesome is that!

To finish off the global seductive look, add a pop of glossy color to your lips with a Moroccan Mystique Lip Veil.  This lip gloss comes in six rich colors, but my very favorite is Marrakech, a sheer seductive wine.  I think I spent the whole weekend puckering my lips at folks.  My lips looked so darn smooth and kissable and they felt great, too!  No tacky stickiness to the formula and when the shininess of the gloss wears off, the color doesn't wear off with it, which truly impressed me.  The color stains your lips so you're not left with naked lips and an otherwise made-up face.

I am hoping that Shalini has much success with this line, as I am loving these products and want them to stay around for a good long time, not to mention that I'd love to see the color ranges expanded.

You can get Global Goddess products on www.globalgoddessbeauty.com.

For the wallflower ... (Holiday '08)

 If you have a loved one or friend who wants to look beautiful, but isn't exactly the most outgoing person alive, consider making a gift of the Three Custom Color Specialists Watercolour in Wallflower.  This product is designed for use on both cheeks and lips and gives a shimmering touch of color to both.  I was worried that, as a brown-skinned woman, the Wallflower shade wouldn't work for me, as it's described as "shimmering beige", however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the product is beautifully buildable and, with a couple thin layers, I achieved a wonderfully bronzed look on my cheeks and a sexy nude lip.  It's a great way to look naturally beautiful in a matter of seconds.

Ideas for looking gorgeous during the holidays!

The holidays are upon us, y'all!  Can you believe it???  Now's the time to start thinking about how you're going to glam up your beauty wardrobe so that you look your fabulous, festive best during all the parties and celebrations to come!

Total Beauty has seven celebrity books you can totally rock this season!  Look at the gorgeous Ms. Jennifer Hudson's eyeshadow in this picture!  Whoo!

7 Ways to Look Gorgeous for the Holidays

From dramatic to glamorous, these celebrity makeup looks work for every festive occasion

As the invitations start rolling in for holiday parties and New Year's Eve bashes, you're probably dreading having to figure out the best way to glam up your look. Well, look no further -- we've got seven dazzling celebrity looks with step-by-step how-tos courtesy of American Idol chief makeup artist Mezhgan that will help you turn heads at every holiday soiree. See looks

Three Custom Color Specialists' Ballet Russe Lipstick

Three Custom Color Specialists' Ballet Russe Lipstick is phenomenal!  Packaged in the elegant but simple charcoal grey lipstick tube, you will find the perfect cherry red lip color.  It is the exact color of a cherry lollipop and it gives the same effect to your lips!  It is a sheer lipstick, but I think of it more as an extremely tinted lip balm, as the formulation of the lipstick is so creamy and moisturizing that it smoothes your lips without having to add a balm beforehand.  It leaves behind glistening color in a red that will knock your socks off.

This lipstick is fittingly named.  This time of year, I find myself getting so amped up to do all my usual holiday traditions.  One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to watch The Nutcracker.  I usually watch it on television - there are several different versions, danced by several different ballet companies - and have only been able to see it danced live twice in my life before.  I have to admit, the best I've seen is The Nutcracker danced by the Moscow Ballet.  Take a look at this still picture from their version of the ballet:

See!  The lipstick is the exact color of the prince's jacket!!!!  I rest my case!  This stuff rocks!  Ding!  Pick it up!

You can buy Ballet Russe lipstick at www.threecustom.com for $18.50.

Proud member of Total Beauty, The Beauty Blog Network, and Glam.

For the Harajuku Girl (or the lover thereof) ...

If you're looking for a good holiday gift for the Harajuku Girl in your life (or the Gwen Stefani impersonator or whatever), there's nothing better than picking up one of the Harajuku Lovers fragrances.  My personal favorites are Love, Music and Baby, but the collection also includes G and Lil' Angel.  Or, you can be really generous and get the whole set!  They are all yummilicious-smelling fragrances.

You can find the Harajuku Lovers fragrances at your local Sephora or on www.sephora.com.

For the Glamourpuss: Honeycat Cosmetics Meow Mojo Magic

It's that time of year again!  The Christmas commercials have started flooding the airwaves and all the local malls are sporting bright holiday decorations.  It's time to start thinking of the people on your list!  In these tough economic times, I'm going to try to give you some good ideas of great holiday gifts that won't bust your pocketbook.

First up: Honeycat Cosmetics' Meow Mojo Magic!  I am loving this stuff and I'm so glad I was introduced to Honeycat Cosmetics.  I recommed getting Meow Mojo Magic for the Glamourpuss in your life.  Meow Mojo Magic is a foot/bath soak of pink Bolivian sea salt, sweet almond oil, macadamia nut oil, grapeseed oil, rose and lemongrass fragrances, with real rose petals, and pink and red glitter!  The yummy rose and lemongrass scents spread throughout the bathroom as you soak and the oils leave your skin feeling smooth and supple.  The glitter isn't huge and chunky - it is, instead, very fine and gives a shimmery effect to the skin.  Yes, it will leave a bit of an oily mess in your tub, but it's worth it, in my opinion.  It is an ultimate girly pleasure.  Sprinkle Meow Mojo Magic in a tub of hot water, light a candle or two, place a rolled towel behind your head and off you go to GirlyLand.  Seriously, it's awesome stuff.

You can buy Honeycat Cosmetics' Meow Mojo Magic at www.honeycatcosmetics.com for $20.

Stila Holiday Palettes

Well, you know the holidays are coming when the beauty brands start rolling out their holiday collections!  If you're a girl who loves a good, basic palette, look no further than Stila for your holiday beauty needs! (Pictured at left: Stila Smoky Eye Palette in Platinum)

Adding to their fabulous, innovative Talking Palettes collection, Stila introduces the Paint Your Pout Red Palette, which includes a lip smoother, three tones of red lip color and a lip brush; The Purr-fect Cat Eye Palette, which includes a Ecru for the base, Kitten for the lids, Eden for the crease, and Black Cat to line, along with a slanted brush and liquid liner; The Complete Day to Night Look Palette, which includes base, crease, contour and lid shades, as well as a Convertible Color for lips and cheeks; and the Smoky Eye Palettes in Sapphire Collection & Platinum Collection, which include shades of either deep blues or shimmering platinums - they have base, lid, crease and liner shadows for creating a smoky eye look.  All these palettes give you audio and visual instruction to teach you how to look like a professional has done you rmakeup!  I have the Paint Your Pout Red Palette and Smoky Eye Palette in Platinum Collection and they are both fabulous.

If you're looking to share the fun and fabulousness of Stila with a friend, consider the Stila Surprise & Shine Record a Message Palette.  This palette allows you to record a message that can then be played back by the receiver.  If you're feeling all "ho, ho, ho, and mistletoe", you can wish the recipient a "Merry Christmas", "Happy Kwanzaa", or what-have-you.  If you are just a weirdo like my friend Wendi, you can record something crazy like "I am the Batman!" - I still have no idea what that exactly means, but it makes me howl with laughter, nonetheless.  (It's better than her previous message: "You suck!")

All the palettes are available at a variety of locations, including www.stilacosmetics.com, Sephora, www.sephora.com, etc.

My 3 year anniversary - I totally missed it!

I CANNOT believe that I missed my own blogiversary!  I started this blog three years ago in July.  We must do something to celebrate!  I have to come up with some amazing contest.  Lemme think ...

Vacation blogging!

In three days, my family leaves for Florida and I can't wait!  I plan to do much vegging out, along with squealing with glee at the theme parks, introducing my baby girl to several princesses, and imbibing pitchers full of mojitos!

But, never let it be said that I left you without beauty!  I will be taking my laptop and camera along and the house we're renting has wireless internet access, so I'm good to go!  I don't promise that I'll post every day, but I will post at least a couple of times during the week, with my vacation beauty tips, any beauty-fied things that I find there and stories of our vacation.

I'll be blogging from B'more 'til Friday and then ... off to Florida!