Taupes You Can't Have #2, Shu Uemura ME Silver 945

Joeybunny and I are evil. A few weeks ago you all were treated to the first monthly installment of:

TAUPES YOU CAN’T HAVE!

We like to torture everyone by featuring a discontinued (DCed) and or hard-to-find (HTF) taupe eyeshadow at the end of each month. Why are we doing this? Because we are Sadists and we can! Joey and I have a sizable collection of DCed and HTF taupe eye shadows that we felt both deserved love and publicity. Now last month a few people were shocked that #1 shadow we reviewed was MAC Innuendo and not Shu Uemura ME Silver 945. Well I'm here to set the record straight. #1 in this series does not signify the "best" or the "top". It just means the first one we reviewed. They are all "The Best" in our eyes....so do not feel that we are not paying proper homage to the taupe featured today when the #2 is next to it's name.

When talking about Taupe eyeshadow one would be remiss if they overlooked Shu Uemura ME Silver 945. Long since discontinued Shu ME Silver is the epitome of Taupe eyeshadow. The quintessential taupe shadow is not without controversy. Some warmer toned individuals claim that this shadow "sucks" and is "horrible" (their rudimentary words, not mine). They "claim" that the shadow pulls purple on them instead of taupe. And to that I answer. SO WHAT? What's wrong with purple taupe? (<---Rhetorical question) But I wanted to get the issues of naysayers out of the way before I extolled the virtues of what is the ultimate taupe shadow.


Shu Uemura uses a series of abbreviations and color groups and numbers to name thier line of color makeup. ME = Metallic, Silver = Silver family, and 945 is the unique number for the shadow. Now, the reason they discontinued this shade (I think around 2006) I believe was because Shu reformulated their eye shadow line and with the reformulation, out went several shadows. But how would Shu know what a cult status that ME Silver 945 had gained? They obviously didn't or else they never would have gotten rid of it.


A silvery brownish taupe with a high metallic sheen this taupe looks beautiful as a wash or in a crease or paired with a darker brown, black or plum shadow. The formula is silky and soft. The metallic sheen almost changes color depending on the light that it catches. The pigmentation is glorious and long lasting.

Many have tried to dupe this shade but no one has ever been exact...not even Shu Uemura. They released ME Brown 850 when they reformulated the eye shadows but this inferior doppelganger was no match for the magic of ME Silver 945. There are some that say the Kose Addiction line of shadows in Flashback is a very close dupe, but since I have yet to procure that $30+ shadow I cannot say for sure that it is or isn't. BUT. You can check out Amy's post about it HERE on cafemakeup.com and see comparison swatches. I was fortunate enough to swap for Shu Uemura ME Silver 945. Used once by another makeup addict that obviously valued a Guerlain loose powder kohl over this perfect taupe. Her loss became my FORTUNE.

Thursday Poll

Procrastination. I am a HUGE procrastinator. I will put off doing almost anything...except sleep. I'm serious. I'll even put off going to pee if I can do it. I don't know why I procrastinate, maybe it's because there is always something else to do, or maybe it's because that last game of Spider Solitaire wasn't THE BEST game I ever played, maybe the NEXT one will be! OK. Maybe it's because I don't like tasks, chores, whatever..things YOU HAVE TO DO. they suck.. Kinda like writing Thank You notes. I suck at that. I mean I can write a good Thank You note but I hate sitting down and doing it. I wish typing thank you notes was socially acceptable. I would totally have all 15 of those damn notes from Darthypie's birthday party finished by now. But nooooooo. Miss Emily Post and her disdain for typewriters now makes a simple task more like a Sisyphean task because my handwriting kinda sucks and I misspell words when I'm in a hurry and then I have to start the note all over again, only to screw it up again and to the point where pushing a boulder up a hill sounds appealing almost. So as I sit here doing the Thursday Poll, the notes sit unwritten. The brightly colored Thank You cards mock me from the ottoman where they are sitting...waiting...
On To The Poll!

1. Blush Of The Day - Chanel JC in Narcisse. GAH. I JUST hit pan on this perfect light pink blush...thankfully I think I may have worked out a swap for a new one. This blush has sadly been discontinued for reasons too evil to comprehend....(I really don't know why I just like being dramatic)

2. Do you procrastinate? - Um yeah.

3. Thing you hate doing most in your beauty routine? - Aside from washing my face when I'm really tired? I will have to say applying foundation. I wish my skin was good enough to go without it, b/c getting the application right to where it looks like you aren't wearing foundation is a pain in the butt.

4. Most disliked household chore? - Washing dishes. I even hate putting dishes in the dishwasher. I don't mind unloading the dishwasher I just really have this weird thing about handling dirty dishes. It's not a phobia per se...it's just...I'm a princess and I shouldn't ever have to. HA! Thank goodness Mr. Sith loads the dishwasher and I unload it. He leaves the pots & pans for me to wash one he has rinsed them out. I'm not happy about it but hey, it's better than nothing!

5. Current beauty obsession? - Humm. Aside from purple nail polish. I guess it would have to be finding a decent shampoo & conditioner...because I really just need a hair cut but I figure I'll just buy new products to tame my unruly mane until I stop procrastinating and finally cut my hair.

R. I. P. Dirk

This beautiful artwork is by Jay Willoughby

Nathan Norman Smiler III - AKA - Dirk
2/21/1972 to 2/15/2010

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

-W. H. Auden

Kevyn Aucoin The Liquid Lipstick in Ondine

For those that are not familiar with Kevyn Aucoin as a makeup artist I highly suggest you get the book Making Faces. Mr. Aucoin, who has since passed away, created some stunning looks with current celebrities and you wouldn't even recognize some of them if you were told who they were. he was a genius. His makeup line, which was created before he died still lives on today and new products are being introduced all the time. I recently had an opportunity to purchase several lip products on a website called Hautelook which is a "members only" shopping for discounted luxury brands. But you can purchase Kevyn Aucoin products directly from the Kevyn Aucoin website as well as from beauty.com. One of the products I purchased was The Liquid Lipstick in Ondine

The Kevyn Aucoin site claims that The Liquid Lipstick has...

• The coverage of a lipstick with the shine of a gloss.
• Designed to tint and wear like a lipstick while shining like a lip gloss
• Delicate and moist formula stays put for long-lasting wear
• Perfect for any occasion
• Packaged in a lip gloss-like tube with application brush
• Ondine is a stunning poppy red shade

OK. Let's break it down:

• The coverage of a lipstick with the shine of a gloss. - WIN! Hell yeah! Shine like you wouldn't believe and opaque coverage from first swipe.

• Designed to tint and wear like a lipstick while shining like a lip gloss - WIN! Didn't I just answer this above. Kinda redundant...but yes. all very true.

• Delicate and moist formula stays put for long-lasting wear - WIN! no dry lips here and the formula is sort of sticky and heavily pigmented so I only need to re-apply one or twice a day...depending on how much I eat. yeah. It's that nice.

• Perfect for any occasion - Win-ish? How do they know ANY occasion? Maybe I'm attending a Buffalo Wings eating competition. Do YOU think lipstick is "perfect" for this event? No. Of course not. It will only get in the way when you are eating. Maybe I'm going to enter a Convent. I don't think Nuns wear much, if any, makeup (hence reason 7,548,723 why I'm not a nun)..so no on THAT "occasion" don't think it's appropriate. Jeesh. These "Know it Alls" and their "predictions" or perfect "Occasions"..almost as "annoying" as unnecessary quotation marks!

• Packaged in a lip gloss-like tube with application brush - FAIL-ISH OK. I got the lip gloss style tube but the one I received came with a sponge tip applicator...which I believe is the old packaging. I'm perfectly OK with this. So it's not really a Fail. I mean look at the brush in the promo picture. It looks like a damn crime scene. All splayed and srcagelly...no thank you.

image from kevynaucoin.com

• Ondine is a stunning poppy red shade - WIN! It is a vibrant COOL toned blue based red. This is a lovely compliment to cooler or neutral skin tones.


The Liquid Lipstick from Kevyn Aucoin in Ondine retails for $27 USD on the beauty.com and Kevyn Aucoin websites. I was fortunate enough to purchase this for only $6.75 from the Hautelook sale!! Would I buy this at full price? I would have to say yes. The color is pretty, it's long lasting and feel very comfortable on my lips. I might even get more colors...they have 4 other colors.

Do you NEED this? Well let's put it this way. If you found Dior Creme de Gloss too creamy and not long lasting, and you found Chanel Rouge Allure Laques too watery and thin, Kevyn Aucoin The Liquid Lipstick is the perfect in between for those products....so yes. you need it.

p.s. if you want to join hautelook you don't need an invitation to join, just go to the site and click on the "become a member" link....however if you are feeling generous and want to join though my invitation click HERE you will get nothing extra, you will not be special in any way and nothing special will happen to you... but I will get $10 credit if you buy something MUWAHAHAHA ...it's all about me after all.

Review by Joeybunny - Serge Lutens Serge Noire and Creed Himalaya

Ah, my lovelies, I fear that today’s post is not going to be the most terribly thrilling article I’ve ever written. Or maybe it might be. It’s not about makeup today, since I still have not managed to walk my lazy ass to Best Buy for a new digital camera. Hopefully I do so shortly, because I feel as if I have a lot of pretties I need to show you all (like my small Sleek palette collection, for example!).

I digress - I tend to treat this blog as a sort of really cheap therapist, I admit. I write something witty and clever and colorful, you all respond with “Oh Joey hi this was fun!” and you make me feel great for a day. That’s also how I treat Bergdorf Goodman, although I can argue that a visit to Bergdorf costs as much as a therapist does. Whatever, a therapist won’t make me smell nice and look pretty, but Bergdorf does! And sometimes, I can do this cheaply (believe it or not!). Over the past two weeks I have accumulated a nice pile of Serge Lutens and Creed fragrance samples from Bergdorf that I received either in the mail or at the store when I was paying for an item. I have to tell you, I have smelled damn good lately because of this.

I just want you to take my little fragrance reviews with a grain of salt. First off, I’m no Gaia, The Non-Blonde. That woman has a true talent when it comes to reviewing fragrances, and her ability to break down notes and really explain the feelings one experiences while wearing a given scent is jealousy-inducing. Also, I have a preference for strong, heady, masculine scents. What I wear, Elvira would shudder to place on her skin (she’s a delicate flower whose scent wafts down a river on a dewy Spring morning, and I’m the stinky armpit of that guy from high school that wore Axe and Hollister sweatshirts...). Fragrance is so relative, and so personal. I just happen to be entirely too smitten by the following two fragrances and I wanted to share them with you!

Serge Lutens and Creed are two of the big names in niche, high-end fragrances. The eponymous Serge Lutens line has been around since 2000, while the House of Creed has been around since 1760. Both lines are expensive but entirely worth the money spent on them; you really pay for the artistry that goes behind the scents - they are luxurious, long-lasting, and truly works of art. Also, both lines have such a large range of choices that you are bound to find at least one scent that you really love. Serge Lutens Chergui and Creed Tabarome are my Holy Grail scents, but I’m pleased to have found two new favorites - Serge Lutens Serge Noir and Creed Himalaya.

Now, I love me some masculine fragrances. I love a strong patchouli or tobacco note, and sandalwood makes me deliriously happy. I feel as if I’m being embraced by a strong, sexy man (like Clive Owen, for example) when I wear a scent with these notes.

(Oh Clive, are those flowers for me? You shouldn't have! All you had to do was take off your shirt!...)

They comfort me, and I also find something seductive about a woman who can pull off strong, heady fragrances. Serge Noire and Himalaya fall under this category.

(Image from www.beautyhabit.com)

Serge Noire ($140) is spicy and woody: it has patchouli, cinnamon, amber, and a note called “black woods”, whatever the hell that is. When I spray it on myself, the cinnamon and patchouli mingle and dance on my skin. It is the scent I imagined filled the air in a desert - warm, sharp, biting, sexual. There’s a quality of incense to it, but I don’t get reminded of being in church when I wear it. Instead, I feel like I should be draped in silk and lounging on a featherbed while Clive Owen talks dirty to me as he shuts the lights off. I’m only partially joking; this scent screams sex, night, stars, sand, wind. I am not entirely convinced I’m hot enough to be wearing it, actually, but I do so anyway. It’s femininely masculine, if that makes sense.

(Image from creedperfumes.us)

On the other hand, Creed Himalaya ($190) is the tamer, equally as hot but dresses down because he doesn’t need to prove his hotness, thank you very much! fragrance. The sandalwood and wood notes in Himalaya are clear when you apply it, but there’s a more playful quality to the fragrance. There’s a clear musk note, and a hint of a citrus - grapefruit, I’m sure - that make you think of the outdoors, of mountains, of maybe having a stiff drink with Clive Owen after taking a brisk hike in the mid-afternoon: the smell of alcohol on his breath mingling with his post-hike sweat and the smell of the mountains and the grass. This is rugged, outdoorsy, and smells like something my father would love. This is definitely a man’s fragrance, but I like it on myself because my body chemistry tones down the citrus and musky notes and really amplifies that sandalwood. It’s truly delicious.

These scents aren’t cheap, and I was incredibly fortunate to obtain samples of them from the lovely staff at Bergdorf. If you can find decants or samples of any Serge or Creed fragrances either in a store or online, I highly recommend you try any and all of the scents. Is there any scent you’re particularly in love with right now? Do you think I’m insane, like Elvira does, for wanting to smell like a guy? Let me know!

MAC Viva Glam Lipsticks in Cyndi and Gaga

MAC Viva Glam lipsticks were established in 1994 in order to support men, women and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Viva Glam has released 6 lipstick shades that are part of the permanent line (I, II, III, IV, V and VI) For Spring 2010 MAC Launched two new Limited edition shades to stay for only 12 months in stores. Which Celebrity names and lips are behind the new shades? Well you all know that by now so it's not a spoiler, but the ever fantastic, super adorable Cyndi Lauper and The Monster herself, Lady Gaga! Every purchase of a VG lip product MAC will donate money to the MAC AIDS fund. So not only are you making yourself beautiful you are doing a beautiful act by contributing to research and support to men, women and children with HIV/AIDS around the world. For more information on the MAC AIDS fund click HERE.

MAC Viva Glam Cyndi

Of course I had to get both lipsticks. First of all Cyndi Lauper is the most awesomness female singer ever. her songs are woven into the fabric of my youth. They make up the soundtrack of my life, how could I not indulge in this pretty coral red color?


MAC Viva Glam Gaga
Then there's Lady Gaga. I will admit, when I first hear about her I thought she was a hot mess. I didn't really like her music and I thought she was a big fraud. But when she released the album Monster I really gave it a listen and as much as the hard core Goth/(not emo)/Punk Stuck in the 90's kinda gal that I am doesn't want to admit it, I really like her now. I especially ADORE her video for Bad Romance as I love looking at the fashion, hair and makeup. But sadly Lady Gaga's cool opaque pink lipstick is a hot mess on me. With the possibility of offending some people I doubt there are many people this looks good on. Some women are walking around right now with this shade and they look like a Hot Mess and don't even know it. Just my opinion. I will say that the lipstick can look OK if you apply it with a lip brush or if you use a colored or pink gloss over top...but honestly I tried those methods and it still looked like poo on me.


Do you NEED these lipsticks. Well I think Cyndi is a total winner and is a beautiful shade for this spring AND summer. Even if these 2 colors don't appeal to you, there are 6 other shades that might work for you in the permanent collection. So why not give it a go? It's for a good cause, if nothing else.


Both shades are in the lustre formula of MAC lipsticks. These are on the sheer side, but can be built up well. I personally find MAC lipstick drying on my lips, but I sacrifice for the sake of fashion or a put on lip balm. either way, it works. Each lipstick retails for $14 USD. (At the time of this post VG Gaga is sold out on the MAC website, but was still available at other retail outlets that sell MAC cosmetics)

Here is my lame attempt at airbrushing some color onto my skin. I call it the Jersey Shore Edition.

Thursday Poll

for about $500 USD you can sleep in a room made out of ice and snow on a bed of ice and snow covered with reindeer hides and a thermal sleeping blanket. The entire hotel (including your room) is kept at a temperature between 17 and 23 degrees Fahrenheit (-8 to -5 Celsius). What? You don't want that? Well thousands of people for the past 20 seasons have done this and it's apparently supposed to be AWESOME! It's called The Ice Hotel and it is located 125 miles (200km) NORTH of the Arctic Circle in Lapland, Sweden. Yes THAT Lapland. Where Santa is from. Why am I talking about ice and snow and staying near the arctic circle in the middle of February? Because the 10 foot high snow mountains that are on every corner and the 4 foot high snow walls that line all the roads remind me that I probably won't see any of this snow melt until MAY! I don't think I'm gonna see my sidewalk until late April at this rate. However if I did have $500 to spend I might consider staying at the Ice Hotel...then again.. Maybe not. Maybe I will spend it on makeup. Yeah. That's what I will most likely do. Makeup and a Birthday Card for my friend PAM! Happy Birthday Pam! You don't look a day over 30..and I mean that! On To The Poll!

1. Lip Of The Day? - Guerlain Rouge G Lipstick in Gracia # 66. I just love this color and the formula is perfect!

2. What exotic location would you like to spend one night? - Well Aside from the Ice Hotel? Because let's face it. More than one night of 17 degrees it enough. I think it would be cool to stay at the Poseidon Undersea Resort in Fiji. OMG staying in a pod under the ocean with 360 degree views of the sea? It sounds awesome! Don't ask how much is costs. You don't want to know.

3. What item have you recently seen (on a blog or in a store) that has you transfixed, lemming, etc.? Believe it or not. The Yves St. Laurent Rouge Volupté lipsticks. I walked by a display at Nordstrom the other day and found myself drooling over them. They have some really pretty nude ones...but at $34 each I think I'll wait until I can find one on ebay.

4. What is the most unique or best hotel you have ever stayed? - On our Honeymoon Mr. Sith and I toured the California Coast. We stayed at The Madonna Inn...which has a great history and an awesome steakhouse! We stayed in the Rock Bottom room which is underground-ish, has rock walls and floors and a waterfall shower. Tres tacky and cool all at the same time!

5. What has come in the mail or what are you waiting for? - Oh boy. I'm on my purple nail polish kick again. So I got some Nubar polishes. I also picked up the 2 new MAC Viva Glam shades. I'll do a post soon. I promise!

Rimmel Lash Maxxx Mascara

Several weeks ago I suffered my second eye infection in one year. It was time to face the music. buying expensive mascara while Darthypie continued in daycare among the unwashed masses and pink eye carriers was no longer an option. As I sadly and ruefully tossed my $27.50 Shu Uemura mascara into the trash I vowed to try new, less expensive, brands once my infection cleared up.
Enter Stage Left Rimmel Lash Maxxx mascara. I guess it must be extra special because of the extra X' on the label...right?

Rimmel Lash Maxxx mascara claims to do the following:
* Dramatic 3x Lash Multiplying Effect
* Micro-fine bristles capture and maximize every lash
* Zero Clump Applicator
* Ophthalmologically tested
* Suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers
Let's break it down shall we?

SPOILER ALERT! My lashes were NOT multiplied by 3X. They were more defined and seems to be a tad longer than usual but in no way did a see an increase in my lashes by 3X. Sorry. But I knew this wasn't going to happen anyway. Notice how they don't say HOW your lashes are multiplied. Is it Length or Volume? Either way, I did not find Rimmel Lash Maxxx volumizing at all.

No Mascara (duh) My lashes are fairly light so the change to mascara seems more dramatic than it really is.
With Rimmel Lash Maxxx mascara. Longer lashes, not 3X longer but longer none the less.

Microfine Bristles capture every lash. Well as you can see with pictures of the brush with and without mascara the bristles are very fine. It's basically a glorified comb...which I found I liked very much. It easily went through my lashes. it covered every lash and defined my lashes very very well. WIN!

Zero Clump Applicator. Well to tell the truth. I never really have a problem with mascaras clumping on me....so I guess this one is like the others. I do find I don't need to use my lash comb when using this mascara alone on my eyes. WIN

Ophthalmologically tested and Suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers: Well my Ophthalmologist does not like me wearing ANY eye makeup so he wasn't the tester, but I can safely say that since I do wear contacts that this mascara did not irritate my eyes at all.

As for performance? The mascara held a curl relatively well. Not as well as my beloved Shu Uemura, but well enough. The mascara does not flake on me and did not smudge. The comb like applicator made it incredibly easy to apply and NOT get mascara on my eyelids which is a big WIN for me. All in all I'm very pleased with this mascara! Not bad for the first one I try huh? Plus at the low price of $7.50 And being that it is a drugstore brand I might be able to get a BOGO or coupon I'm thinking this is a winner in my book.

I am not going to say if you NEED this or not, as I really believe that a good mascara is so subjective. What may work for me may not work for you. Our lashes are all so different...and that's why there are so many different brands and types of mascara out there.

Nfu-oh Holographic Nail polish in #061 and #064

I am currently in awe.
It is amazing how transfixed I am by simple nail polish. It's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. If I weren't married I would ask this brand of nail polish to marry me. Yes. I like it that much. What am I talking about?
Nfu-oh
Yes. That's the name of the brand.

Created by Enfu Oh, a Korean Nail Artist since 1996, she found that her unique style of nail art needed its own company to support it. Granted, to the every day person some of the nail designs that Ms. Oh comes up with are extremely elaborate and almost impossible to go about daily tasks without breaking the works of art on your fingernails, theyare still beautiful to look at. (Check them out HERE on the nfuoh blog) Ms. Oh may have an extensive list of products to make show room quality nails, she also had hundreds of polishes for "us regular folk" who just like a pretty color on their nails.

While Nfu-oh has many creams, I think they are especially well known for their flakey polishes and holographic polishes. I'll do a post later on with the flake polishes but for today I'm focusing on the holographic.

The two holographic colors I purchsed are #061 and #064.

#061 is a silver hologram


and #064 is a cool toned pinkish purple color.

These holographic colors are so itense and so reflective it postively looks like I have stickers on my nails. The finish is so shiney and reflective that I find myself starung at my nails and showing them off as much as possible. Trust me. Mr Sith and Darthypie are tired of seeing my nails right now. Even the MAC sales Associates who are hardly ever in pressed with anyone but themselves, all gathered around to fawn over my Nfu-oh #061 silver hologram manicure. (cheap shot. Most of the MAC SAs I have met have been very nice and super helpful.) It even took me longer to type this review as I found myself mesmerized by the silver holo as my nails hit the keys on the keyboard. I must have been a crow in my former life as I'm attracted to anything shiny!



The Nfu-oh polishes have the most adoreable bottle design. The bottle is shaped like an old time Victorian era skirt and the brush top is modeled after a corset. It's just to cute for words and quite easy to handle.

The application can be a tad tricky for first time holo-users. The holographic polishes dry quickly so you need to use a fairly thick coast and move quicjkly to avoid streaks. Nfu-oh suggests using the Aqua Base for holographic polishes and while some may argue with me, I really did find the aqua base gave the best base for using the holographic polishes. When applied over a bare natural nail and my Creative Nail Designs Stickey Base coat I found that the holographic polishes streaked a bit more than over the Nfu-oh Aqua base.

Do you need these holographic polishes? Does a bear shit in the woods? Is the Pope Catholic? Do I like the Star Wars Triliogy? YES! These are the holy grail of holographic polishes as far as I'm concerned. Now if they would only make a black one and a deep purple one I would be in 7th heaven.

I purchased these polishes from Fabuloustreet.com. The shipping was incredibly fast, the customer service was excellent, and everything was well packaged. These polishes retail for $12.50 each.

Lise Watier Eye Shine Eyeliners

In keeping with the Olympic Spirit I bring you Eyeliner.
Huh?
Yes.
Not just some random run of the mill eyeliner.
No. I bring you CANADIAN eyeliner.
Ya!
See. The Winter Olympics are taking place in Vancouver Canada and my eyeliner is from a prominent Canadian brand so ya see? Olympic Eyeliner!

OK. In all honesty, my friend over at the Mighty J Blog sent these Lise Watier Eye Shine Pencil Eyeliners as a gift. I had admired her Lise Watier eye shadow quad on a few occasions and she was kind enough to send me 2 liners from this cosmetics company. Lise Waiter is ANOTHER Canadian cosmetics company that I could easily rant about (see my post about Annabelle HERE), but thankfully they do have some way for us Americans to purchase the products. If you happen to be in Asheville, NC you can pick up a few items at a Biltmore boutique or you can go to a website called naimies.com. I have never shopped with this website so I cannot say how good or bad that are. Buy at your own risk. Regardless, the reason I talk about purchasing these pencils at the beginning of this post is because I was so incredibly impressed with the quality and color.

I was sent 2 colors: Marine and Smokey Brown. Marine is a classic Navy Blue and Smokey Brown is more of a Goldish Brownish Olive...It reminds me slightly of Dress Khaki liquidlast liner from MAC and somewhat like Clinique Egyptian gel liner...only not sucky, like Clinique. Oh. Did I type that out loud?



These soft and creamy liners have a metallic sheen to them that is evident upon first application. The pencils are waterproof and budgeproof, but they take a moment to set so one could smudge them slightly before they set to make a nice smokey look.

The pencils are incredibly pigmented and I found a little goes a long way. They are as soft as Urban Decay 24/7 liners, but not as smudgy. They are softy like Sephora Flashy Liners but with WAY more staying power.

What's better than non smudge and great pigmentation? Well if you wanted to, you could use these pencils as an eyeshadow base. Yes. That's right a base! Some shadows pop even more when applied over a dark base. The Marine color really is gorgeous when applied all over the lower lid and smudged softly into the crease, then apply a pretty shadow on top and you are good to go for a dramatic eye!


Do you NEED these? Well I would say that I'm not one to run out and buy pencil liners. I prefer cake liners, but I will say that I plan to use these liners until they are tiny little nubs. I have no need to find a "better" navy or brown liner because these work perfect for me. No transfer to my lids once applied, they last all day long and the metallic sheen really makes them extra special. There liners are $16 CAD and USD.

Is it considered patriotic to buy makeup? Whatever, Go USA!

Alexander McQueen

People are going to spend a lot of time in the next few days and weeks talking about Alexander McQueen. He died yesterday at the age of 40. He committed suicide. What people will be talking about is what a genius he was with fashion. There will be discussions as to why he was loved so much by the fashion world and discussions about how much people didn't like his designs. You either love his fashion or hate it. They will talk about the stars that he dressed, Sara Jessica Parker and Lady Gaga, to name a few, and discuss how sad they must be now that he is gone. People will muse as to who, if anyone, can replace him on the runways of Paris and Milan. They will all wax poetic about his talent and his contribution to the fashion world.
They may be saying all these wonderful things about him, but they will be ignoring the proverbial Elephant In The Room.

Suicide.

Mr. McQueen didn't have a terminal illness. He wasn't killed in a plane crash. He took his own life. As sad and selfish as that is, it's the one thing that many fashionistas will ignore when commenting on his legacy. Suicide not only affects the person that kills themselves but it affects everyone associated with that person. From the best friend to the guy that says "Good Morning" to you every dat on your way to work, they will all be affected if you die. You may think you are alone, but you aren't. There is help.

Some people are embarrassed to talk about depression. They refuse to seek help because they don't know where to get it, or don't know how to get it. Here is ONE step in the right direction go to the The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website or call 1-800-273-TALK

Suicide is a major, preventable public health problem. In 2006, it was the eleventh leading cause of death in the U.S., accounting for 33,300 deaths. The overall rate was 10.9 suicide deaths per 100,000 people. An estimated 12 to 25 attempted suicides occur per every suicide death.

If you are feeling depressed or know someone who is, seek help. Call the Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK. Don't become another statistic...because when all is said and done that's just what will happen.

For Bob S., Sean T. and Adam Y. You all are missed more than you ever could have imagined.

What's in my Purse?

I'm snowed in and not feeling too well since I took it upon myself to shovel out my car. Mr. Sith was napping and I decided to be "helpful" by trying to shovel out my car. I learned a few things yesterday. a) Shoveling almost 3 feet of snow is HARD. 2) I am not in good shape and iii) Shoveling almost 3 feet of snow is HARD. Also I stayed up watching the Superbowl and didn't get a post ready for today so I thought I would "cop-out" and just show you all the crap I carry around in my purse. It's shameful how much lipstick I have in my purse. Honestly I see this an a self intervention. I plan to take my lipstick out of my purse every night rather than let it pile up.

OK. So my purse above is one I got at Nordstrom. It's plum and leather and drawstring. I love it. You may not like it. That's OK. but I do and that's what matters. Plus it isn't a fake or knockoff. I didn't bothering photographing the time of the month essentials I carry, my checkbook, and my keys. I have a ridiculous amount of keys and key chains all stuck together and every time someone sees it they make fun of me. I need to cut down on all the crap I carry with me. But having such a large purse is like a magnet for carrying around junk.

So anyway. Here we go.

1. LORAC Makeup back which holds items 15, 16, & 17
2. Kate Spade punk & green wallet. I'm a preppy trapped in a goth's body.
3. Note pad & pen
4. Random makeup bag which holds items 21-30
5. My Handy Dandy Sharpie and gel ink pen. my 2 fave things to write with
6. My ancient Razor cell phone. I'm waiting until the iPhone comes to Verizon or until The Droid is in it's 2nd year of production. Which ever comes first
7. Key chain photo of Darthypie visiting w/ Santa. We was miserable (Santa, not Darthypie)
8. My shame. All those lipsticks, glosses, lip pencils, and lip stains were in my purse.
9. Kose Secret Rose Hand Emulsion. Smells divine!
10. Emergency binky for Darthypie
11. Perfume samples. I tend to collect these. I believe this was a rose scent.
12. Kate Spade mirror. (Preppy I know)
13. My secure ID for logging into work when I'm not in the office...like on snow days!
14. Truvia sweetener. This tastes better than Splenda and is natural stevia.
15. Perfume samples, a mini compact with creme blush, concealer & lipstick, lip balm and MORE lipstick all held in the Lorac bag.
16. Nail glue..just in case
17. Hand sanitizer
18. tissues with lipsticks on them...I obviously have problems
19. Tiffany & co suede bag in which I keep Excedrin, Aleve and Advil in.
20. Dental Floss
21. Another lip liner
22. Tide pen
23. More perfume
24. Collapsing hairbrush
25. Pressed Powder
26. Ecotools powder brush
27. GUM!
28. Hair tie
29. Rosebud shea butter hand cream (LOVE)
30. Boscia blotting linens (green tea b/c they were sold out of the rose scented one)

If you so dare, you can click on the photo to enlarge...although I don't know why you would want to.

Review (more like rambling!) by Joeybunny - Holy hell, I decided to use up some of my stash!

I was having a really hard time thinking about what to write this week. I haven’t bought much of anything lately since I’ve been trying to be a good little bunny and focus on paying off my student loans and whatnot. Also, not much has entirely interested me. Not only that, I still have not replaced my dead digital camera so I needed an article that didn’t require swatches. I apologize.

But then it hit me - I could tell you all about one of my little personal projects!

What I have been doing (in both the interests of saving money and remembering what the hell I own) is challenging myself to complete a “Project (insert number here) Pan” of a sort. Any of you familiar with MakeupAlley should be familiar with Project 5 Pan, for example. For those of you who aren’t sick makeup addicts, please go to a different webpage. Haha, joking! - Project 5 Pan is when someone challenges herself to finish or “hit pan” on 5 different items before buying anything new. It’s a way to save some cash and to not be as wasteful: why buy some new stuff when you have perfectly fine stuff at home that needs to be used but hasn’t been used because you’re too busy collecting Paul and Joe and Edward Bess, Joey!...I digress.

However, I can freely admit that going on a total no-buy would not work for me. First off, as a blogger, it is inconvenient. Secondly, to hell with not shopping! What I decided to do was to just be more judicious than normal whenever I was lemming an item and went to check it out, and at the same time, I would make the conscious effort to focus on finishing a bunch of items. Despite my monstrous makeup (and skincare) collection, a good amount of it is actually either well-loved or almost finished. I decided to use these items up and then decide if they are worth repurchasing (or if an item is something I’m not going to repurchase, then why?).

Since January 1, 2010 I have barely bought any makeup. Whatever I have bought since that time has been reviewed on this blog minus a Paul and Joe eyeshadow that I *WAS* going to review before my damn camera decided to die. I promise you’ll see that review soon.

What’s amazing is that in this short time period I have used up an extraordinary amount of products! I’ve hit pan/used up three foundations, a loose powder, a bunch of face washes, a huge tub of face cream, a mascara, a brow pencil, an eyeliner, a bottle of perfume, a facial exfoliator, two shower gels...and there might have been other products but this is what I can remember so far. That’s a lot of stuff, no?

Here’s a couple of short reviews on a few of the things I’ve used:

Paul and Joe Creamy Powder Compact in shade 40 (image from Dermstore.com):

This is my HG foundation. I have finally found a perfect shade match! The creamy formula dries to a satiny powder finish. It has SPF 15, it covers well enough that I barely need concealer, and hello - cutest compact ever! The price is right at $38USD, too. I’m picking up a new one next week as I refuse to be without this foundation. The downside? It isn’t the easiest foundation to get a hold of, and since the only counter is in NYC (although there is a boutique in California that sells the line too), finding a color match would be hard to do because we all know online swatches aren’t the most accurate.

Clinique 7 Day Scrub (image from Sephora.com):

It’s cheap enough at $18 USD and gets the job done, but I almost find it to be a little too drying for my sensitive, dry skin. I have instead started using the Paul and Joe Facial Gommage as it is more moisturizing. However, I know many people who love this stuff and I do recommend it if you’re in the market for an effective exfoliator.

NYC Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Black (image from Polyvore.com):

At $3.99USD, you really can’t go wrong with this. Granted, the Armani #4 eyeliner is my HG black pencil liner, but it’s $26 and not everyone can or is willing to pay that much for such a staple makeup product. If you can get your hand on this pencil, I highly recommend it. It’s waterproof but you have enough time to smudge the liner before it sets (about 30 seconds), and once it sets, it STAYS. Awesome. It also comes in a bunch of other shades, including a bronzey-brown I’m quite fond of.

DDF Advanced Moisture Defense UV Cream SPF 15:

I was given this as a PR sample by a work client who works for DDF/Olay. Never noticed a huge difference in my skin besides some decent brightening properties but this was a very nice daytime cream. Not sure if I would repurchase though, as it costs a whopping $105USD and I used it up really quickly (the 1.7oz jar lasted me less than 6 weeks). Slightly funky smell (tumeric!) but it did do its job.

So, are any of you fine readers out there doing something similar? Let me know how Project 5/10/Kabillion Pan is going for you! And if you’re not currently on a use-up, why not?

Thursday Poll

I DON'T hate snow. It seems like everyone complains when it snows. Not me. I love it. Half of the time it snows so much that I get to stay home instead of go into work, and hey let's face it. It just adds to the days where I can wear sweaters and jeans and big cozy socks. Well. I had an epiphany yesterday. I realized that the reason I love snow so much is because I never really had to shovel it. I had to shovel the driveway yesterday. It sucked. The snow was wet and heavy...not powdery like last week...and we have a big driveway. Then half way through shoveling I realized I had not cleaned off my car yet and that meant that all my shoveling would have to be done over because the snow coming off my car would end up in the driveway...oh yeah...and my gloves were in the snow covered car. So not only did I have to shovel twice I didn't wear my gloves so my hands were cold and I got a blister. I freakin HATE snow. Now the next time Mr. Sith is shoveling the driveway for the one millionth time this winter I'll remember what a total pain in the butt it is to shovel snow and I will do something nice for him...like not make him watch Project Runway with me...or not have a conversation involving taupe eye shadow or something thoughtful like that.
On To The Poll!

1. Lip Of The Day? - Paul & Joe Lipstick in Reckless #63. You can read my post about it HERE and see swatch pics.

2. What is your favorite blush for that "Just in from frolicking in the snow" flush? - Right now I would have to say it is Pout in Cherie Tarte...but I should be receiving Chanel JC in Turbulent soon and that might be my new fave!

3. Do you partake in any winter sports? (e.g. Skiing, Ice Skating, Snow Shoeing, Curling, etc.) No. I tried skiing once...once. It was a disaster. I sucked at it and almost hit a tree. plus I hate snow pants. I had a red pair of down filled snow pants and a red ski jacket and I felt like the Michelin Tire Man covered in blood. (Now there's an image for ya!) I used to ice skate when I was younger. That was fun. I do enjoy watching Hockey. Does that count? LET'S GO CAPS!

4. What is your favorite dry, cold weather body lotion, hand cream, face cream? - Humm. I would have to say Nivea Lotion is super for me and Nivea cream in the blue tin (made in Germany) is the most wonderful hand cream that I have ever used. Lastly, Fresh Soy Face Cream is my favorite cold weather face treatment. It smells like lemon grass and moisturizes without breaking me out or feeling greasy.

5. When was the last time you built a snowman? - Ah ha! I have a little kid so my last snowman was recent! but before Darthypie came along, the last snowman I built was in the Blizzard of 1996 which hit the East Coast with over 4 feet of snow. My friends all hung out at one house the night before, watched movies, mad a ton of food, drank and made a snow man on the front lawn. Ahh good times...I didn't see my car for 2 weeks...seriously. It was covered. Thankfully I lived in walking distance to work and the Metro.

Soap & Glory - Clean Mary Cleanser

image from soapandglory.com

I think it's no secret that I'm a fan of Soap & Glory products. I gushed about several products in my post HERE. Well Soap & Glory has since evolved and even more products grace the shelves of my local Target promising clean skin, smaller pores, and other beauty buzzwords. So did I fall victim to the marketing hype? OF COURSE? Who do you think I am. Some level headed, "buy only what I need" type of person? Sha! I think not. Let's face it. If I walk by a product claiming to shrink pores, deep clean and it has some sort of pink on the packaging, I'm most likely going to purchase it, if it's under $40. You have to promise me eternal youth if I'm gonna spend more than $40. You will have to provide Daniel Craig if you want me to spend more than $100. Those are my rules. You don't have to follow them.
Clean Mary comes in an opaque, white, plastic bottle with a pump at the top to dispense the cleanser. The bottle has a kitchy retro photograph on the front...typical of all Soap & Glory products..and is $12 for 6.1 oz. The cleanser is very creamy and two pumps removes most of my makeup, but I prefer to use my Shu Uemura Cleansing oil to remove makeup. One pump and it's a perfect cream cleanser followup to my cleansing oil. The scent is hard to describe. It's light, with somewhat of a cucumber and mint scent to it. It doesn't smell like the other Soap & Glory products but it seems to be in the same scent family. Does that make sense?

What I like is that the cleanser is very very creamy and does not irritate my skin. It also does not break me out. Despite the non-foaming properties of this cleanser, it does feel like it really cleans my skin. Most important my skin does not feel dry and tight after rinsing. The cleanser rinses cleanly and does not leave a residue on my skin.

What I don't like is that it does not do as good of a job as I would like removing makeup. I really need my Oil cleanser to get all my eye makeup off. I guess if you don't wear that much makeup this cleanser might work for you, but I never felt like my skin was fully clean until I used the oil based cleanser. I also don't like the price. For almost $14 I was hoping to get a few more ounces out of this cleanser...say 8 or 10 ounces would be better than the measly six. This cleanser only lasted me 3 months when used twice a day, three pumps a day.

Do you NEED this? Well if you like cream cleansers, if you like a light, fresh scent and if you like not having dry or irritated skin after rinsing (who doesn't?) I think you would like this cleanser. Like I said. It could come in a bigger size, but since I have changed my skincare routine I only use it once a day so it might last me a bit longer than 3 months.