VS Limited Edition Diamonds Collection!!!

If you haven't figured it out by now, you've been hiding under a rock. I love makeup. I own more makeup than is socially acceptable and I actually hide a lot of it from my boyfriend (don't tell him!)--in fact, I have so much that I have to rotate it. Some makeup goes into "storage" and others come out for a week or so and then the cycle begins again!

Anyway, Victoria's Secret is one of my all-time fave stores. I can buy everything I need there (other than jeans)--bras, panties, perfume, tops, makeup...the list is endless! VS has a great new Limited Edition Diamonds Collection. The Limited-edition Diamond Eye Duo holds two gorgey diamond-infused shades--one for intense luster, another for soft sparkle. Both shades capture and reflect light and make your eyes glow! It comes in a few different colors, but Black Diamond is my fave. The cost of one of these fab compacts is $14. The shadow lasts for a while, so it is well worth the money.

Another product in the collection is the Limited-edition Diamond Lip Glimmer. The tube looks so pretty with the gradual shades blended. Mixed together, each gloss makes a unique, flattering color for everyone. The shimmer in the gloss is perfect--shimmery, but not crazy glitter either. This lovely little lippy is $12.

Garden Party Soap Trilogy

With Mother's Day right around the corner, I've been on the lookout for a fab gift for my mom and my grandma--conveniently, my mom's birthday is 4 days before Mother's day. It's a pretty busy time of year gift-wise for me. but i actually don't mind because I love to buy pretty things!

Every single mother I know loves to be pampered. Anthropoligie's Garden Party Soap Trilogy ($24) does just that. The soaps are made with shea butter, cocoa butter and vitamin E. Plus the box is gorgey and is ready just the way it is to give as a gift! (Or, fine. You can keep a set for yourself!)

Get a Little Designer in You!

Cheesy, I know. And maybe a little sleazy too. But I can't help but love the fact that Marc Jacobs sells his own "brand" of condoms!

You can only get 'em at Marc by Marc Jacobs stores, but they're only $1.50 each--not bad for a hilarious find. This is great for a gag gift for a girlfriend, or even just to keep in your purse.

Glad to see that Marc supports safe sex!

Tweeze with Flair

How cute are these tweezers?!?

I've never seen anything like them. I think that I am in love. They are almost too cute to use.

Grab a pair for $20 at Pylones.

Fool-proof Eye Shadow

Even though I love applying my own makeup, there are definitely some days when I just don't have the time to get everything perfect. Blending eye shadow is usually what takes me the longest amount of time.

Innovative ColorOn Professional Instant Eye Shadow Applicators make eye shadow ridiculously simple for everyone. They are little oval strips of shadow that come in a huge range of colors. Personally, I like the Smokey Classics collection.

To apply, peel back the applicator from the card, and center the pad on your closed eyelid. Hold in place at each corner of the eye, making a "peace sign," and gently rub the back of the applicator with the index finger of your free hand. Remove and dispose. Each kit also comes with setting powder to apply on top for extra staying power.

This process literally takes about 5 seconds and many of the shades look very natural--other than the unfortunate animal print shadows (yes, they have Leopard and Zebra printed shadow for the fearless). Each applicator does both eyes.

The kits cost between $18-$30 and includes 10-20 applications, as well as the setting powder.

Fashion Faux Pas: the Lowest of the Low-rise

Okay. This is beyond a fashion faux pas. I can't even believe that anyone has created a pair of pants like this. I stumbled upon this picture

on Daily Mail and I thought it was a joke. But no.

Here's the story: Sandra Tanimura, designer for Sanna's Brazil Fashion, got a lot of requests for low-rise jeans. She tried making them as low as possible, but it was tricky as they didn't really stay up (Hint: that's when you know not to wear a pair of jeans). So she added a bedazzled bikini bottom that is actually attached to the pants. The most ridiculous thing is that the jeans are held up by a mere string tie.

If I ever see anyone wearing these, I will be forced to arrest them for looking horrible. Why would anyone think this is a good idea?!?

Fashion Faux Pas: Muffin Top

It's almost Summer, so I feel the need to remind everyone that wearing way too tight clothing is not flattering on anyone. For those of you who don't know, a muffin top is the overhanging of flesh that spills over the waistline of too tight pants. I'm not really sure why this is still going on. Maybe people just don't want to buy new clothes, or go up a size so they squeeze into pants they wore in elementary school. Or perhaps they are hot and want to wear as little as possible. The most terrifying possibility of all is that these people actually think they look good hanging out of their pants.

The saddest thing of all is that many of the people who walk around like this are not fat. In an outfit that fits properly, they would look amazing. That is the real tragedy. I mean, even the skinniest of gals can't fit into the same pants they wore when they were kids.

So, ladies--please stop clinging to your past and go up a size if need be. It's more humiliating to walk around with a muffin top; not to mention the constant pain of your pants cutting into your waist. Thanks.

Green is the New Pink!

Earth Day is tomorrow, ladies! Not that I usually do too much for it (I'm embarrassed to say). But when you mix saving the Earth with something fabulous, it's a winner for sure.

Walmart has a great line of organic cotton totes that are 13" by 15"--small enough to use as a purse (for people like me who carry around practically everything they own constantly), but it's large enough to use for picking up a few things at the grocery store (no plastic!)

When I first saw this bag, I was really surprised that Walmart carried it. The other ones that they have are great too. Every once in a while they really do awesome stuff.

So support your planet and look fabulous--it only costs $9.96. What a steal!

For Your Wild Side...

No matter what, great flip flops will always be in style. They can dress down a fancy dress, peek out under a pair of jeans, or even be worn purely for comfort (and they're much more acceptable than those ridiculous crocs).

Rather than just throw on a pair of black or brown flops, I like to opt for something unexpected for a bit of flair. These animal print sandals by Express ($29.50) do just the trick. In addition to the great animal prints that just barely can be seen when you wear 'em, the thong portion of the sandal is metallic--a trend that we'll still be seeing this season in moderation.

Beach-Ready Lips

With Summer rapidly approaching, I've been on the lookout for sheer, natural-looking makeup. No one wants to look overdone at the beach--especially when it's hot and your makeup will basically melt off anyway.

Subtle lip gloss is definitely the way to go. Swipe on some waterproof mascara and some light pink gloss, and you're good to go. Mark's new Caribbean Shine Lip Gloss in the Kiss On The Beach shade is the perfect natural pink, slightly shimmery gloss. It goes well with virtually ever skin tone (But there are two other fab colors to try), and it is super moisturizing. Plus the tube is fabulously cute.

The gloss retails for $6 at meetmark.com.

Wake up, Eyes!

A great tip for looking wide-eyed and awake, even when you haven't slept the night before, is applying a shimmery white eye shadow.

Only a little is needed and it makes a huge difference--it has now become part of my everyday makeup routine. Dip a small eye shadow brush into whatever shadow you choose and brush it onto the inside corners of your eyes. Make sure to blend, otherwise the result is not natural at all. Sometimes I even apply a little tinted moisturizer on top of the shadow. This creates an even more natural look and the shimmery shadow looks gorgey just barely peeking out.

I have two superb shadows that I use and love. The first is from The Body Shop (a great unexpected place to buy makeup, by the way). It's simply called Eye Shimmer ($11) and the best shade for this is Silver. It is not really silver, more of a shimmery white. .

My other pick is by FLIRT! and can be found at Kohls. The I'M WHIPPED Eyeshadow Mousse ($12) glides on smoothly and even acts as a great base for other shadows. The Snow Angel shade is a perfect shimmery color for highlighting.

Both of these are highly pigmented, so a little goes a long way. Now no one will know you went out clubbing last night!

Cheer for Cheer Up!

good skin is a brand of makeup and skincare that is fragrance free and is actually good for your skin (hence the name). Everything in the line is of great quality and doesn't seem to affect my skin at all--even if I'm having a huge eczema outbreak like today.

The best product I've found so far is the "Cheer Up" all-over healthy color. It comes in one fabulous hue, "one shade fits all" and from what i can tell, it is flattering on most skin tones including my practically transparent skin. it adds just enough color and a bit of shimmer without looking unnatural. It really lives up to it's name and makes skin look very healthy and alive.

You can get "Cheer Up" for $16.

A Shock of Color for your Lashes

Bright, colorful eye makeup is hot this season, but for those of you who are hesitant to layer on bright teal shadows (or for gals who just want a change), colored mascara is a great alternative. Urban Decay has a line called Big Fatty Colored Mascara the comes in indigo, black cherry, purple haze and electric blue. They give your eyes a burst of color in an unexpected way. It's a great change from basic black.

An added plus is that the mascara itself works very well; it lengthens and plumps up lashes without clumps. Each color retails for $17.

Virtual Makeover

I recently stumbled across an awesome virtual makeover website--Taaz.com. I'm not sure if it only recently came out, or if I've just been missing it for all these years, but the makeover program is honestly the best I've ever seen.

A few years ago, a few different websites tried to make their own virtual makeover programs, but it was tricky to do because the makeup never lined up perfectly with your face. Taaz somehow automatically picks up on where your eyes, lips, head, cheeks, and everything else is in the picture. For best results, upload a picture of yourself with your hair pulled back facing the camera head on. I actually tested the website and uploaded a photo of myself with my head tilted to the side just to see what would happen and the program still found my eyes and everything!

If, for some reason, the program doesn't correctly select your features, you can actually move the makeup around. The best part? There are oodles of makeup colors to try and the site has the brands and shades listed of what you are using. The possibilities are endless. This is also a good place to try different hair styles before you do something drastic to avoid looking like a fool. Hooray!

SPINLASH!

Oh lordy, mascara has come so far over the years. The newest most awesome mascara is Akasha's new SPINLASH. There’s been huge buzz about it in oodles of mags lately. It’s an innovative idea in mascara technology. The basic idea is that the brush spins while putting on your mascara to comb through your lashes. this prevents clumping and creates a natural yet electrifying look.

The best part is that you can either use the mascara that comes with this brush (which comes in either black or brownish black), or you can use your own mascara--any brand will do. This mascara brush pretty much makes your fave mascara work even better (can you believe it???). Also, because it constantly spins, you can skip the eyelash curler when using it; the brush alone gives you quite an uplifting set of lashes.

I'm actually kind of surprised that no one has come up with this until now. it seems so simple and it makes such a difference. The SPINLASH costs $14.95 and can be purchased at spinlash.com.

Fluttering Butterfly Accessories

Nothing screams "Spring" more than butterflies. And what better way to welcome Spring than a new pair of fluttering earrings? Forever 21 is well-known for having great accessories that you don't have to break the bank to get. These butterfly earrings are no exception. At $4.90, these pretty danglers are a bargain and a style must-have.

Butterflies are big for Spring, and these little beauties go with almost any outfit. They have a great antique look to them, and the detail is fabbity fabulous. Wear 'em with a pretty Spring dress, a pair of strappy sandals, and be prepared to look absolutely divine!

Feeling Cheeky?

A lot of people really underestimate the magic that a good blush can do. If you are the type of gal who doesn't wear much makeup, you really only need some mascara and blush to look put together.

My new love is Mark's Just Pinched Instant Blush Tint. I like the "Cheeky" shade because it looks quite natural against my so-pale-it-is-almost-transparent skin. There are three other shades to pick from for peeps who have normal skin tones, too.

The great thing is that this blush is so blendable, yet stays in place all day. That is a rare find. For $6 it's worth a try!

Greece is the Word

Every time I think of Greece, I think of elegant glamour.

My new favorite makeup company, Korres, (with roots in Athens, Greece) definitely rocks at combining organically-grown, botanical ingredients with gorgey colors that are flattering on everyone.

I bought the Korres Color Discovery Kit (for only $35!) to give some of the products a try. The set includes Provitamin B5 & Rice Bran Mascara in Black, Cherry Lip Gloss in Nude, Shimmering Eye Shadow in Sheer Gold, Soft Eyeliner Pencils in Black and Gold Shimmer, and a funky makeup bag.

All of the products work great, but my faves are the lip gloss and the mascara. The lip gloss is very pretty and sheer with just enough color to enhance your natural lip color. It is quite moisturizing as well and works for all seasons. The mascara is the most natural-looking mascara that I have ever used that still really gives my lashes a boost. Another plus? No flaking off or smudging--it stays put all day.

All of the makeup just feels so good on the skin and looks really natural. This makeup line gets about a million thumbs up from me.