Friday, September 21, 2012

Butterfly


“I am a happy camper so I guess I’m doing something right. Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.” 
- Henry David Thoreau
 
 

Friday, September 14, 2012

New Site Alert: Beauty Cirque


          I want to introduce everyone to a new online beauty shopping site - Beauty Cirque. Selling only natural, eco-friendly products, Beauty Cirque was born out of a desire to present independent beauty brands with great ingredients and stories to a larger consumer audience. The new site was kind enough to send me a few products to try!

          I'm basically obsessed with the shower gel they sent me, Juara Candlenut Hydrating Shower Gel. It smells like a softer cocoa butter, and left my legs so hydrated (probably because it is free of moisture-stripping sulfates) that I didn't need body lotion when I shaved with it this morning in a hurry, after deciding to wear a skirt at the last minute.

          The product selection at the moment is small, but there are plenty of tempting products. I'm especially intrigued by One Love Organics Chia Whip face wash, since I eat chia seeds in my oatmeal every morning and would love to see if they do as much good for my face as they do for my digestion.

          You can get the same products I tried in this fun sample box. Enjoy checking out the site!

Carine Roitfeld for MAC


           I have a horrible secret to admit: I don’t buy makeup. Well, I haven’t for the past few years. Interning at magazines, I got to take home so many new and amazing products that weren’t shot, and obviously, at tarte, I get whatever I may need. My kit is fully stocked and my drawers are overflowing. So something has to REALLY catch my eye for me to go out and buy it. And what was that something? Carine Roitfeld for MAC.
          Oh, Carine Roitfeld. The fabled former editor of French Vogue, she now has her own magazine, CR Fashion Book (with Kate Upton [!!] onthe cover  “mothering” baby chicks), and basically is the authority on all things cool – not just breasts and cigarettes. Her partner, Christian Restoin, started Equipment (a SoHo boutique is coming within the next month), so essentially, everything this woman gets involved with has an air of understated, I’m-not-trying-at-all perfection.
Perfect hair, perfect coat
          While Roitfeld’s style is obviously flawless, her beauty look is also of  note. I’m actually contemplating copying her current hairstyle (a sharp, shoulder grazing style with subtle shading to the ends), and in the meantime, actually copying her makeup. Her eyes are always shaded with matte, warm shades and lined to smoldering perfection with liner, almost like she slept in the makeup, but better. The rest of her face is softly contoured and finished with a sheer nude lip.

          As a former MAC whore (I used to buy every item from every limited edition collection), I now barely keep up with their releases, but somehow stumbled upon news of Carine’s collection just last week. And on a walk through the West Village, at the world’s tiniest MAC store on Bleecker Street, I took the plunge, buying both the lipstick and the Desert Camouflage Palette.

The Verdict?


          Tropical Mist Lipstick looked like the typical “goes well with smokey eyes opaque nude” upon first glance – something I have iteration after iteration of in my kit…from MAC’s famous Myth to Revlon’s ColorBurst inSoft Nude (an AMAZING budget pick) to Lancome’s Color Design in Pale Lip. Upon swatching, however, I realized this one is different. With its luster texture, it is super sheer and just gives lips a hint of pale peach color and shine, instead of wiping out the lips a la [new mama] Snooki. It would pair beautifully with almost any look, especially those with a deeper eye.

          Desert Camouflage is the perfect palette to create a matte, warm smokey eye and contoured cheek, much like Carine’s go-to look. The colors – Sahara Dust, Cactus Thorn, Desert, and Carbon – are all super neutral, allowing you to create a subtle day time look that can be kicked up a notch for evening by smoking it out a little. I’m also loving the cremeblend blush that is on the bottom of the palette, Sand Storm, as an eyeshadow as well as a contour color, putting a little on the lower lids for dimension and some sexy mystery. It’s also essential to mention that the layout and look of the palette is subtle and minimalist, making it a super-chic addition to any bathroom counter.

        It is safe to say that I am utterly obsessed with this palette and will be using it until I run out of the colors. While in-store, I also picked up the Dark Side lipstick, an amplified crème that is ideal for that gothic-y beauty look I’m loving for fall. AND, I think I’m going back for the Azealia Banks lipstick in Yung Repunxel, a super-deep purple that you can sheer out to create a berry stain. So unfortunately, I may be a MAC addict, once again.

 

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

A PSA: Vote tarte!

If you didn't already know, I am now working as the marketing coordinator for tarte cosmetics. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean I am biased towards the brand or anything, and I will of course, still be sharing my love of all different products all different brands. That being said, I have been a fan of tarte for a long time and I'm vocal about the products I love! tarte is up for an incredible SIX (!!) QVC Customer Choice Beauty Awards this year! Please help share your love of tarte and spread your knowlege of these amazing products by voting. Click either on the image or here!

Paraben-Free kisses!
Charlotte

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Freshman Faux Pas


          Fall is in the air (okay, not really, but just go with it) and that means one thing: school is about to start! While here in New York City we have yet to feel any sort of a fall breeze, students have certainly descended upon the city, quite visibly in their Jeffrey Campbell Litas for Fashions Night Out. For many freshman, it is their first time living away from home, and that means many new experiences to be had. Since freshman year was actually not all that long ago for me, yet seems like moons and moons ago, I feel only semi-qualified to dispense advice, but here it goes – my top tips for college freshman.

Crystal Renn in French Vogue
However, a similar feeding frenzy may be seen in the wee hours of weekend nights at colleges across America. 
Eat (and Drink) Healthy – If there is one thing you can do freshman year in college, it is to eat healthy. While your metabolism can probably still handle overly-doughy pizza and daily bacon cheeseburgers in the cafeteria, you will be setting yourself up for failure in the long run. Choose the salad, sushi, and hot meal stations instead of the quick, junky fixes. Drink water instead of soda. ALWAYS eat breakfast – keep instant steel cut oatmeal, Think Thin bars, Kind Bars (the new low sugar ginger or dark chocolate pecan are my personal faves) and eggs/egg whites (if you have a microwave) on hand in your dorm room. When you have 8:00am classes, breakfast is always a good idea, and will get your brain working far faster. Snacks like nuts, jerky, hummus, nut butters, fruits, veggies, and whole-grain organic snacks are great to keep in your fridge, and make a great late-night alternative to that greasy pizza that everyone seems to end up devouring by the pie. For nights out, obviously avoiding alcohol is the best way to skip the calories, but if you want a drink, mix unflavored (most flavors = 89378729829 grams of sugar) liquors (vodka, rum) mixed with plain soda water or if you have to, diet soda. There are even stevia-sweetened cocktail mixers sold all over the place now. Those Skinny Girl drinks? Not much skinnier, so don't be fooled - they have approximately the same calories per gram as regular alcohol, so don't start drinking them under the impression that they are guilt-free. Wine is also a good choice, but keep in mind that the sugar content may give you quite the hangover the next day.  Even a light beer is not too bad if you can stick to just one or two. The worst possible offender is that mysterious “jungle juice” that you will see in abundance in red Gatorade coolers at parties for the next four years. A mixture of Sprite, red Kool-Aid, vodka, rum, beer, and tequila doesn’t sound delicious, it sounds like a horrible hangover.

College-aged male favorite, the beloved Kate Upton, looks far sexier in this understated suit than in her typical overly-sexed up garb (although the aforementioned male population may beg to differ).
Pick One Tight Item of Clothing to Wear at a Time – College is often the first time you can wear something, well, basically almost nothing, without your parents telling you to immediately change into grandma’s floor-length night gown for a bit more modesty. But that doesn’t mean you should go all out – wearing uber-short, skin-tight, strapless dresses for nights at the local dive-bar. While it may seem like the only way to catch males attention, the truth is that they actually see far too many girls dressed a la Kardashian, and although my theory is not confirmed by straight males (yet), I think a girl showing a hint of leg or a flash of collar bone may actually be far more appealing and mysterious. While American Apparel may be kept in business by the girls who buy backless, just-below-the-butt mini dresses; you don’t have to be one of them. Show off one feature at a time  - perhaps it is your toned legs, your fabulous cleavage, or your muscular arms – and you’ll be far more intriguing than those who have it all on display. A perfect pairing is a curve-hugging mini with a looser blouse tucked in, paired with fabulous heels and of course, an empowered attitude.
Even if you are fortunate enough to own these frou-frou meets space age Alexander Wangs, please, please, please don't ever wear them to a grungy bar.  
Invest in “Bar Shoes” – Leave the Christian Louboutins (although I hope to god that at 18 you don’t yet own a pair) or any shoes you care about at home where they are safe from the evils of the dive bar scene. Freshman year is often the first time people have ever had a drink, which, in a few words, means lots and lots of spills. Expect your shoes to get trashed (hopefully, you won’t also be trashed).  Find a pair of comfortable, simple heels that you don’t mind getting a little dirty and are easy to clean. I can’t tell you the amount of times I have seen girls walking through the city barefoot (!!) because their feet hurt. Also, here is a novel idea: rock flats or sneakers. We are seeing loafers and platform sneakers everywhere now, and they look just as fashionable with skinny jeans as do those ankle-spraining spike stilettos. Plus, you’ll ACTUALLY be able to dance.
You don't actually HAVE to sleep in your makeup to get this look - smudge your fresh liner with a q-tip instead and spare your skin.
Always Wash your Face – Please, please, please. If there is one beauty lesson I try to bestow upon each and every person I know, it is to religiously take your makeup off before you fall asleep. Heck, I can’t even take a short nap in mascara.  I don’t think there is anything more disturbing than foundation and black mascara on a formerly clean pillowcase. While there is some sex appeal involved in second-day liner, the pimples are irreversible, so get that same look by smudging your fresh eye pencil instead. I religiously remove my makeup, and actually take pleasure in the routine. My favorite remover of all time is Kryolan’s Abschmike (yes, I have no idea what that means in German either). It is basically a tub of grease that gets absolutely everything (and I mean everything) off, and doesn’t irritate eyes. I actually bought it because I once saw a backstage shot of Pat McGrath’s kit and this was in the picture, so I was intrigued. The 11 oz. tub has lasted me the past five years, so it is basically dirt cheap per use. If you prefer non-greasy removers, Lancome and Vichy both make excellent ones that won’t sting eyes. If you often find yourself too exhausted, keep a pack of makeup wipes, like my favorites, Comodynes, or even baby wipes by your bed, and a cheap bottle of moisturizer, like Cetaphil, to slather on afterwards. Your skin (and pillowcase) will thank you the next day.
Typography by Matt Lyon 
Enjoy It – Freshman year was the best year I had in college. It was so easy to meet people – all you had to do to strike up a conversation was, “what dorm do you live in?” – and there was a real sense of community among classmates. It is also a time of self-discovery, where you can take a broad range of classes to find out what really interests you. Perhaps you never would have known you had an interest in Byzantine Art or the philosophy of Aristotle had you not taken a random course – a chance course could be the key to finding your destiny, as lame as that sounds. Meet as many different types of people as you can, and do as many out-of-the-box activities as possible, too. It’s a time for learning, not just in classes, but also about the world itself. 

Friday, September 7, 2012

Food for Thought

Oscar Wilde: fashion and beauty icon? Definently.

"There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it."

- Oscar Wilde