i dont think so...

one of my favorite beauty sites is totalbeauty.com--it's so informative. however, yesterday i was looking at the fall 2008 beauty trends and i was a little bit shocked to see that black lips and yellow eye shadow were two of them.

i have a huge problem with this.

black lipstick isnt going to look good on anyone--ok, maybe on the runway because of the amazing lighting tricks, clothes and the fact that a professional applied it and probably did something to it. black lipstick on its own, on a real person, in the daylight isnt going to look good. i keep seeing this month's magazines hawking black lipstick and i think this is terrible. i repeat, black lipstick isnt going to look good on anyone. it's harsh, it's dense and it's going to look muddy. just say no to black lipstick.

yellow eyeshadow? REALLY? REALLY? REALLY? now, i love me some colored eyeshadow and i would never, ever even think to wear yellow. yellow can be a tough color to pull off and so near the eyes makes it even more difficult. and if you factor that the color will be reflecting on the whites of your eyes to make you look jaundiced, i am going to have to pass on that too.

it just goes to show you: some trends are not supposed to be followed.

not so exceptional in french or english...

i was so excited to try exceptionnel de chanel intense volume and curl mascara. not to be completely shallow, but there is something so decadent and luxurious about the unmistakable, interlocking "c"s. the innovative 6-sided brush promises dramatic results--and it delivered, but that being said, i really didnt like it. my problem in a nutshell was the brush. it has these tiny little combs that are supposed to--or at least, i think they are supposed to--brush lashes to coat the formula all over. i just had a really hard time with it. it felt goopy and clumpy and it took too many coats to achieve the look i desired. to be honest, while putting mascara on my first eye, part of me wanted to wash it off and start over. so for $28, i will absolutely not be purchasing this.

winning combos

so i've been trying to step out of my beauty rut. yesterday i wore purple eye shadow--i hadnt done that in a very long while. today i am back to a light-colored sparkly eye shadow (bare escentuals playful) in the interest of time, but i found a new lipstick combo that i am just loving (i've been trying to play with the stuff i do have). bare escentuals gelato lipstick (medium pink with a subtle shimmer) topped with lancôme juicy tube in fruity pop (a pretty super-light pink with pinkish sparkle). it's the perfect neutral-y, light pink color with a hint of sparkle.

glow to go

i got the best compliment yesterday. someone told me i was glowing--and i am sure i wasnt. i was running out to do errands, it was later on in the day and i hadnt touched my makeup since the am. i was a lot of things yesterday--and glowing wasnt one of them. i could attribute it to the face mask i did last night, but as i posted yesterday, i wasnt too impressed with the results. i think what my friend noticed was that i was wearing nars the multiple in copacabana. this is an old fave that i carry around with me every day, but had not worn in a long, long time. and i dont even know why because it is so very pretty. i am blaming it on the makeup rut i told you about yesterday--the one i am desperately trying to break out of. this handy-dandy secret weapon can be used all over, but i normally just put it on my cheeks for a subtle, shimmering pearly glow. and for the record now i am totally rethinking buying the orgasm multiple.

why is it tingling?

i was really excited to try fresh's new black tea instant perfecting mask--an intense hydrating mask. i dont always love fresh's products; i want to, but sometimes think the cost isnt worth the result, but there is something so quaint and lovely about the products that i want to be proven wrong. so as soon as i got home last night, i washed my face and slapped this mask on (because i love a good moisturizing mask). the good? the whipped, velvety texture seemed so decadent and luxurious. the bad? about 2 or 3 minutes in there was a tingling sensation that did not sit well with me; it made me immediately want to wash my face. why was it tingling? i've done my share of moisturizing masks and they never tingle. plus, after i washed it off, my skin didnt seem significantly moisturized or firm.

a beauty rut

I am in a beauty rut. i feel like i wear the same type of makeup day in and day out. there have even been days when i slap it on quickly just to get out of the house--and that is so not like me. i've only worn glitter twice this summer (i know a lot of experts frown on glitter, but whatever, i love it and it's fun!). i dont know what's come over me. lately, i've been sticking to the same kind of matte beige, sparkly beige, champagne, or sparkly champagne colored eyeshadow, pinky kind of blush and bright mouth. i'm using different colors, but they are all in the same color family. how boring. i still havent found my summer 2008 fragrance and summer 2008 is pretty much over. i have to get a hold of myself. yesterday i went trolling for my fall 2008 fragrance and after being chased out of bloomingdales by the overly solicitous staff--just because i sprayed it on doesnt mean i immediately want to buy it, so stop asking me if i want it; i need to let it set in to see if works on me so stop being so annoying!--i headed over to sephora for some peace, quiet and the freedom to try on fragrances. i want something strong, but pretty and sweet. i tried a bunch of the comptoir sud fragrances and really liked them, but felt like i smelled like i spent the day in the kitchen baking. pretty and vanilla-y, but i dont want to be confused for a pastry. my tastes tend to run on the sweet side so i was tempted by miss dior cherie, armani code and angel, which i love, but also wore in 2002--2003. i feel like i keep drifting to old favorites, but i really want to try something new. i was hopeful about the new ralph lauren and lancôme fragrances (notorious and magnifique, respectively) and while they are pretty, they just arent me. i guess, i will just have to keep my nose to the grindstone...

so disappointing

i have never been a fan of benefit's benetint, but i couldnt wait to check out their new posie tint (in the interest of fairness, i feel like i should tell you that i loved moonbeam for a really long time). i should have taken my time. it was so disappointing. it's easier to spread on and blend than benetint is--which is my gripe with this particular product--but the color immediately got absorbed into my skin so it was like i wasnt even wearing anything. well, at least now i know, i wont be using my sephora gift card on this! it made me really, really sad because i wanted to snatch it up and love it.