Things I Love: Makeup Must-Haves

Okay, so since we are now in the dredges of winter, and have endured yet another ice/snow storm, I thought it was time to share with you my secrets for flawless (ha ha) winter skin. These are two products which keep my face moisturized, give it some color, and keep me from getting that wonderful mid-winter dry-face peel going on.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel:

This stuff is great. I apply a couple of squirts any time I rinse or wash off my face (any time I start to get that “tight” feeling), and right after I get out of the shower. It soaks right in, but leaves my sking feeling hydrated and refreshed. I love it!

Clinique Moisture Sheer Tint SPF 15:

This tinted moisturizer is so light, I usually forget I have it on. I apply it after the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, and let it set while I dry my hair. It’s just enough coverage to even out my skin, without letting on that I have on foundation. Follow that with a swipe of mascara, and I’m good for the day! And speaking of mascara…

Dior DiorShow Iconic Mascara:

I know I’ve featured this in other posts, but I can’t tell you enough how amazing it is. It’s jet-black, and it lengthens and curls my lashes better than anything I’ve tried. It’s great for any time of day or night – wear a single swipe for your day look, and put on several coats, with some black eyeliner and copper eyeshadow for a dramatic night look! Also, it’s waterproof, and lasts all day (and sometimes well into the next!).

What are your favorite products to get you through the winter?

-C-

Product Alert: OPI Alice in Wonderland Collection

Sorry I have been absent during the holiday season, but I have some great new posts to share with you. I wanted to start off with my latest love: The Alice in Wonderland Collection by OPI. I’m sure you all know, OPI is one of the world’s most well-known nail polish producers, and I am a big fan of their latest collection, which includes these four colors:

And they all have cute little names that allude to different parts of the book. So last weekend I ventured over to The Makeup Bar (my favorite little cosmetics shop, ESPECIALLY when I don’t want to fight the mall crowds) and took a look at these new colors and fell in looove with “Mad As A Hatter.”

Isn’t it fun? It’s like a little party on your fingertips. I really wish it had been released in time for New Year’s Eve. But the best part? You can change the look of the polish by wearing it on it’s own or layering it over different shades! All the girls at The Makeup Bar showed me their nails. They had layered it over lilac, plum, gunmetal, and a light pink – all of them gave it a different look! So I picked up a bottle, along with Essie’s “Rock Candy”:

On a side note: I adore this color, because it’s so sheer, it makes it appear as if you have a French manicure, without all the work! I also ordered OPI’s “My Private Jet” – a fun gunmetal color that I haven’t been able to find anywhere.

I’m excited to try all my new colors and combinations! What are your favorite nail colors right now?

-C-

Aww, She's All Growed Up!

Can I just say that married life has been great for Fergie? I mean, look how awesome she looks – natural makeup, clear face sans eyebrow piercing, and luscious dark locks (no more brassiness!). Now, if only “My Humps” didn’t pop into my head every time I see her…

She got that Boom Boom Pow!

Definitely Fergalicious (come on, I had to).

Have you been iidentified? The "Where" for Hair in Tulsa

Okay so since I live here, I am constantly in search of the biggest and best and brightest things to do in Tulsa. So every once in a while, I will post some of my local findings – good bars, good food, fun stores, and most importantly, the best places for a girl to get prettified.

I got my hair done last Saturday and although I am always impressed and happy with the results, this particular shade left me feelin’ super sassy, so I decided to push the place to get your hair done in Tulsa: iidentity salon.

 

I first went to iidentity a year ago in May, having tried several different salons (including several Aveda salons, which are reputed to be the best, but I didn’t like what their color did to my hair). I had also tried a Goldwell salon, because Goldwell color is what my stylist in OKC always used, and it is so shiny and takes forever to fade. However, that salon was, IMO, WAY over-priced (for Oklahoma, anyway). So, I went to iidentity to try it out, because I needed to secure a Tulsa stylist to keep my hair beautiful in the months leading up to my wedding. How do I test out a stylist? Well of course I can’t just get a trim! I met Brooke and had her cut 7 INCHES off of my hair, into the original Katie Holmes bob. She freaked out a little, having just met me, but she did an amazing job, and not long after, she started doing my color as well.

I love Brooke and iidentity because, even though Brooke has been there forever and is one of their instructors (iidentity is a teaching salon, so you are always learning new techniques), she has chosen to remain a level 1 stylist so she can keep her prices down for her customers. Also, iidentity is a Bumble&Bumble salon, so all of their products are made for color-treated hair, and they smell delicious! And finally, their color system is computerized, so you get a perfect mix every time. I have had brown, red, and blonde put in my hair in the past year, and it hasn’t had to be adjusted or anything, and I am always satisfied with my results. My opinion of iidentity has been solidified by the fact that I see a little bit of everyone in there; the stylists are all hip and fresh, but the clientele range from young punky emo kids to the wealthy Utica residents.

Verdict: if you want something fun, fresh, up to date, and sure to please, stop by iidentity on 37th & Peoria.

Crush of the Week: Elnett Hairspray

I’ve been reading about this hairspray for some time, and apparently forever it was only available in Europe because it released too many CFCs for the FDA’s approval. Well, now the formula and dispenser have been tweaked and are now USA-friendly! Elnett, by Loreal, is supposed to be the BEST hairspray known to (wo)mankind. It is only available at Target for now (contrary to first reports stating it would be available at Walgreen’s), and yesterday I picked up the “Extra-Strong Hold for Colored Hair.” It claims to protect hair from UV rays, hold like it’s freshly styled, and prevent nasty frizzies and fallout from humidity. I was super-excited about the UV-blocker, since I just got my highlights done on Saturday (yay summer color!). It was $14.99 which I usually refuse to pay for drugstore hair products, but I figured that 1) I usually pay upwards of $25 for my Bumble & Bumble products, and 2) Target will let me return it IF I keep my receipt.

Well, I’m going on hour 5 with the Elnett, and I am happy to report that my hair feels silky smooth – it lived up to the claim that it “disappears with the stroke of a brush” – and it is one of the hottest, most humid days we have had so far in 2009 (it rained at 5:00 this morning and is now in the 90s), and my hair is still perfectly in place. My vote? Elnett is a definite MUST-BUY!

Elnett Extra StrongHold

New Faves: Makeup Must-Haves

So since summer is officially here, I began my annual hunt for the “perfect summer foundation.” My requirements are that it must be light but provide moderate coverage, it can’t get streaky or melt off, easy to apply, minimum SPF 15, and natural-looking. With the wonderful humidity in Tulsa, I usually forego makeup all-together in the summer, since any makeup I wear sweats off by about noon. Over the winter I used Smashbox’s cream-to-powder foundation, and it was great. However, it seemed a bit thick for what I like in the summer, and I know it wouldn’t last on me. SO this weekend I stopped by my old faithful and trust-worthy Bobbi Brown counter in Dillard’s, and I found some new staples:

Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener: I had heard/read about eye brightener but never really thought I had under-eye circles or needed any help. This stuff is a MIRACLE. It made my eyes pop and made me look completely refreshed!

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF 15: so weightless and easy to apply! It seriously feels as if I have nothing on my face, but makes my skin look completely flawless. If you buy no other cosmetics for the summer, BUY THIS!

My day look is completed with a swipe of MAC Shadestick in “Shimmersand” and Dior Iconic Mascara in Black (the only color it comes in – people on the street ask me about my lashes when I wear it!).

What are your summer makeup must-haves??