flawless

Hunny Bunny and I had engagement photos taken a couple days ago and I decided to have my makeup done at the MAC counter at Nordstrom.

I told the artist that I was having photos taken that day and that I didn't want anything to dramatic. She took it from there. And I'm so glad she did!

Normally, I prefer to either go barefaced or with just the sheerest of coverage. That's why I love using Smashbox's Halo. It's just the perfect everyday foundation/powder for me.

But it doesn't quite even out my skintone completely. I still get red and splotchy and who wants that to show up in photos?

That's where the MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation comes it. I couldn't believe how flawless and smooth my skin looked! I didn't even want to wash my face at the end of the day, it was that delicious...

I had sworn I would never be a fan of MAC foundations because my experience (10 years ago!) was that it was to heavy and cakey for me. Not this little guy. Maybe it's because I got better directions on how to apply it this time. I don't know. In any case, I went home with this amazing tube.

I love it so much that I plan to buy another one when my Hawaiian vacation tan fades.

smoke and mirrors

This is what happens when Hunny Bunny leaves me at home alone to watch QVC.


Once again, they were doing another Smashbox presentation and I got sucked in. I can't help it! I looooove infomercials in general.. Who doesn't love the Sham-Wow guy? *swoon*

Anysuckerformakeup, I bought the black plum shadow liner with brush. Holly Mordini did such a gorgeous and perfect smokey eye with one quick swish of the wrist. I had to have it!

And the fact that it's only available on QVC meant that I had to call in! Exclusivity is one of my many, many downfalls.

Can't wait to get it!

i'm not good at math.. but i'm good at sales!

I can figure out discounts super fast. Sad. I know.

Anyway, I made a random stop at the mothership, I mean the Rack, on Saturday and as soon as I walked in, I saw a giant table covered in Giorgio Armani and Trish McEvoy makeup!

Most of it was seasonal stuff like bright coral lippies and seafoam green eyeshadows.. But of course I managed to find a couple fun things. I picked up a Giorgio Armani high color cream lipstick in a punchy berry color. I'm more of a neutral lip kinda girl but lately I've been intrigued by the berries so what a great way to try it!

(That photo really isn't true to color. Stupid lighting... It's more purply-fuschia, less orangy-red.)

The funny thing is, no one was even looking on that table until I started rummaging. Then all of a sudden there were five or six other women digging for colors. Good thing I snagged a couple glosses too! Each was under $10.

Done!

Not really. After the makeup frenzy, I looked around the unusually crowded store and noticed signs that said nearly everything was an additional 35% off! (Including the items in my hot little hands!)


So I grabbed this too!

Hope you guys all had a lovely Easter with loads of chocolate bunnies and fake grass and baskets and plastic eggs that I can never open.

pays to wake up early on the weekend

I skipped my Saturday morning run with my dad so I could go to the Nordstrom Cosmetics Trend Show in downtown Seattle. (I didn't feel too guilty because it was raining/snowing anyway!)

This was my second time attending this event. It's bad because I'm always a sucker for makeovers and new products!

I may not know what I'm going to do with it, but I'm still gonna buy it.

Anysomuchforbeingarecessionista, the Trend Show is basically a fashion show for makeup. During the show, they also have several drawings for random prizes...

I wasn't expecting to win anything. In fact, I was in the middle of digging in my bag when my name was suddenly announced. I'm pretty sure my hand just flew up and I just yelled "ME!" (Think Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde when she found out she got the final internship spot... Ha! )

And I won what I felt was the best prize - a Chanel cosmetics gift bag! Other prizes were simply creams and lotions and mascaras. This is what was included in mine:

• a full size Ombre Essentielle eyeshadow in safari (gorg gray color)

• a full size Rouge Hydrabase lipstick in aura (sheer pink color)

• a deluxe sample of Precision Beaute Initiale Eye cream

• a deluxe sample fo Chanel No 5

• and a sample of Chanel No 5 fluid body gel

Even the lovelies sitting in front of me turned around to say how jealous they were!

long weekend part i

Thursday:
Made Hunny Bunny promise that we would stop at the Lululemon outlet on the way to Vancouver. Promised that I wouldn't take too long. *fingers crossed*

Friday:
Late start to a long drive. Went on a last minute morning run with my dad. Had a little breakfast with the folks and then went to pick HB up.

Can you guess what I was doing during the car ride? Texting Mango to order sale items from eLuxury on my behalf! It was an additional 50% off the sale price after all... Not to mention she had an additional 25% off discount too!

For under $60, don't you think the JBrand Lovestory jeans are a must have?

And I kinda love these Y-3 flats. I need comfy shoes after buying all those high heels during the holidays! I'm all about balance.... D'oh.

Two hours later later we arrived at Lululemon heaven and I spend a short (or long depending on who you ask) hour deciding if I really need another yoga top and calling Mango to see if she also didn't need another yoga top. I finally concluded that no, I didn't need a new yoga top but that I did need a new running jacket, sports bra top and yoga pants!

All were 50% off or more. Natch.

Stopped at the Duty Free shop as we crossed the border to pick up some tax-free booze. That's when I realized they now carry Smashbox! I had to pick up their primer and fan brush.

We finally reached Richmond, B.C. for a comforting lunch of congee and noodle soup. I also grabbed some yummy snacks at the nearby bakery including my favorite pastry of them all - Hot Dog Buns!

I know, it sounds totally weird but it's sooooo good.

No more shopping for the rest of the drive because my iPhone doesn't work in the land of Canucks.

Oh Whistler, my dahling... Did you miss me? I missed you!

...to be continued...

cherry go pop

I am no longer a QVC-virgin.

Instead of watching the Grammys, I spent much of Sunday night being convinced that I absolutely need smashbox products to make my life better.

Twist my rubber arm and see what happens? I finally succumbed to buying the Halo Hydrating Perfecting Face Powder. The deal sealer was when they threw in a full size brush with it for a few bucks more.

I thought it was really neat because the product is actually solid and you have to turn the cover to shave off as much product as you need.

Gawd. I feel like trash because I even took advantage of their four month Easy-Pay. I pretty much just put the thing on lay-away.

LOOK AT ME. What have I become? Next thing you know, I'll be buying dolls and ordering jogging suits from them. The floodgates have been opened.

To be continued....

proud

Okay. This is actually really sad. Talk about shopaholic...

The reason why I'm proud of myself is because last week I only bought one thing. Dammit! I totally just lied to you. I actually bought two things, but both from the same category...

Makeup!

It all started when I got an email from Smashbox advertising glorious items that were marked down! When I saw the GlamBox set full of neutrals, I had to have it! Eye color, mascara, cheek color, gloss and brushes. Oh my!



And did you know that if you order during specific hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays you'll get a little something extra for free! I got a free full size lip gloss.

Then one day, I hopped over to my neighborhood Nordstrom and picked up a new Nars lipstick in Belle du Jour to replace my Giorgio Armani nude lipstick. So really, in this case, I really wasn't shopping. I was just replacing something that I had run out of.

You want to know what's really depressing? (Since I'm in the mood to confess, I might as well put it all out there.)

I've been watching a lot of HSN and QVC.. I love watching all the makeup sales. I saw this one called Ready-to-Wear and really, really, REALLY wanted to order this magic lash extender. After the demonstration, the models all had lashes that looked like spiders! MUST HAVE.

And then there are all the presentations by Tarte and Smashbox and Philosphy. I can go on and on.

So far I've been able to resist picking up the phone and actually ordering. As much as I enjoy my "research", I don't want to be one of those people.

Then again Tyler Florence was on the other night and he was selling his new fancy cookware. I was soooo close to calling in just so I could talk to him.

I need help. Because now I've also admitted to watching non-cosmetics presentations!

Oh the shame!

you got mail

Remember that Givenchy giveaway I told you about last month? I wasn't really sure how legit it was at first, but to my delight, the little package has arrived!

In fact, the speediness of the delivery was rather copacetic. I hate having to wait the usual 8-12 weeks for free stuff. Don't you?

Included in the Very Couture palette are an eyeshadow quad with purple-y pink colors, a pressed powder quad, a deluxe sample size sample mascara, sample-size lip gloss and a couple of mini brushes.

I'm not sure if the colors are really me but I'm sure if I play around with them, I can make it work. The nice thing about it though is that the tray of makeup can be removed from the pouch so I'll be able to use it for something else. I love the giant mirror.

I don't know if the promotion is still going so send in your request at your own risk. Good luck!

pretty girl

While perusing my latest copy of Elle magazine, I came across this amazing promotion by Givenchy.



All you have to do is buy any Givenchy product and send your receipt in to the address listed and Elle magazine will send you the Very Couture Palette!

I just bought another tube of Givenchy's Phenomen'Eyes mascara and sent in my receipt.

BTW, I totally adore the mascara! It took a couple days for me to get used to it, but now I just love the control I have. Have you tried it yet? A tad spendy, I know. But can you really put a price on your beauty??

Anypretty, I hope this promo is legit because there isn't a whole lot of detail on their site. Fingers crossed for a quick delivery!

and then there was dior..

So Nordstrom had a Dior cosmetics event last week and of course I got talked into making an appointment to have a makeover. What girl doesn't love to be beautified??

I promised myself that I wouldn't buy anything but when push comes to, well, mostly it was just a nudge, I'm a sucker for all things pretty - especially me!

As soon as I sat down, my makeup artist took control without even asking what I wanted done. I do like to be dominated once in a while! I have to hand it to her though. Her enthusiasm for the product was intoxicating. If Mango wasn't there to rein me in, I'd probably buy everything!

Who am I kidding? I'm planning to buy everything eventually. I'm just being somewhat good about waiting until I finish what I have at home first!

For this occasion though, I decided it would be okay for me to purchase only the colors and none of skincare*. I'd been lusting after the Gaucho palette since the Anniversary Sale but I hadn't tried it yet. But when the artist showed me to achieve both a simple day look and a sexy smoky eye, I was sold!

I also picked up the Lip Maximizer. It's supposed to plump up your lips by bringing the collagen up to the surface. I don't know if that's actually happening, but I do know that I love the way my lips feel. It's not that burning sensation that I get with the Lip Injection stuff and my lips feel moisturized instead of irritated.

And finally, I got this eye liner brush. I love how the bristles are really short so I can get super close to my lashes. It just fills in all the extra space between my sparse lashes to make the look my lush.

Oh! I almost forgot to mention that I got a neat little makeup case too! I'll try to remember to post a pic as soon as I take one!

I'm just about ready to send in for another of the Dior VIP rewards!

*For Seattle-area Dior-fiends: Did you know that the duty-free shop on the way up to Vancouver, BC carries nearly all the Dior skincare at a discounted price?? And of course you don't have to pay tax! Just be sure to take the exit to the truck border. I'm waiting for someone to go so I can send them on a mission for me to pick up some Capture Totale!

i want to try this

But daaayaaam! Givenchy's Phenomen'Eyes mascara is $27!

You there! Reading the blog. Yeah you! Buy it for me. Thanks!

I've read some good reviews and am rather curious about that little knobby wand. But do I want to drop that much cheddah on mascara? Heck no. Will I buy it? Probably. I'll just wait until I have a bad day and need a pick-me-up.

shiny pretty

I think I'm a little bit in love with these Chanel Camellia earrings..

I wonder if daddy's goldsmith can make me a pair of inspired-by Chanel earrings. *laughs*

They are pretty though, aren't they?

And the fall eyeshadow palette and gold polish that I've been patiently waiting for have finally arrived! My gal at Nordies is holding it for me until the Anniversary sale so I can get double points.

Yay for double points! Boo for shopping when I'm not supposed to..

dior delivers

A while back I posted about the DiorDiva VIP program that rewards people for purchasing Dior cosmetics.

Well, I finally accumulated enough points to redeem some goodies. I sent in my receipts and waited patiently for my surprise. And what a surprise it was!

I got a mini-DiorShow Black Out mascara, a mini lipgloss, a deluxe sample of Capture Totale eye treatment and a deluxe sample of j'adore perfume. How fun is that!

I heart free stuff!

m-m-m-maniac for mac!

Unless you have a Pro-card, most of us can never get a break at MAC Cosmetics.. But now's your chance! It's Friends & Family time at stand-alone MAC stores. Save 15% when you use this coupon! It's valid between June 11-June 16.

If there isn't a stand-alone store near you, the online store will have the sale on June 16 only. I don't have a coupon code yet, but I'll post it as soon as it's available!

solid gold

Did you ever watch that show? It was awesome.

Anyway, I took a long lunch today (kinda by accident.. kinda not. *wink*) and ended up at the Chanel counter looking at nail polish. I was mainly inquiring about the limited edition bright L.A. colors. They're not in yet, but she said any day now. I kinda like that yellow one. I need to try it on first.

Being a good salesperson, she wisely told me about the upcoming Fall collection. Like, O-M-G. Forget the brights! Bring on the gold, sistah! The gold polish was to die for! And you better believe that I would be willing to have a good ol' fashioned knife fight in the name Chanel. Bring it on PazzoKev. Bring it!

Ahem.

She had a sample of the Fall eyeshadow quad palette with consisted of these luscious colors: gold, coffee, ivory and dark green. Of course I had to have her put me on the list for when these glorious shades arrive!

I feel prettier just thinking about it.

Oh and while I was at Nordstrom I also pre-saled this Vince jacket.

nuh uh.. not me

I know I said I wasn't going to buy any more makeup for a while, and I'm not going to! But this is such a good deal I couldn't resist passing it on to my girls!

Look at what you'll be saving at Stila! Don't forget to use the code LOOK to get free shipping too.

have you heard?

I signed up for the DiorDiva VIP last year. (I know! I totally forgot about it until my recent Dior cosmetics shopping spree!)

All you have to do is save your receipts whenever you purchase Dior cosmetics. Each dollar you spend equals one point and you can earn free samples, or even full size products! I'm sending in my receipts right now because I have 100 points. In 6-8 weeks, I'll be getting a bunch of deluxe samples! It'll be like Christmas in July!

about face

Once again, I've been hypnotized by a gay man - this time, he was a not-particularly-attractive, tubby redhead. But he was selling makeup! And as I've said before, if a gay is selling, LRB is buying!

Here's how it went down:

My cousin and I had appointments at Sephora for their Too Faced anniversary event. (There in lies my problem... Actually booking an appointment with a gay man! I should just give him my money.) Anyway, it included a boxed breakfast and a makeover with Too Faced products. I swear, in 20 minutes, my whole face was transformed and I was glowing! My skin looked amazing and the brushes he used were fabulous!

The Magic Wand Illuminating Foundation is so smooth and sheer on my skin. It blended away any discoloration and just disappeared into my skin. I couldn't believe how even and smooth my face looked and felt. It didn't even feel like I was wearing any makeup. I don't always wear foundation, but some days, when I feel exceptionally heinous, I'll put some on and voila! Beauty from a beast! No wonder it's called magic.

I'm usually a MAC brush girl and was actually about to pick up a few new brushes. But when this gay man applied all the shadows and bronzer and blush, I had to ask about the brushes he was using. They were unbelievably soft on my skin - not to mention cute! To my surprise, all the brushes are synthetic thus animal cruelty-free!
I also picked up the bronzer kit that included the fab kabuki brush. I really meant to just get the brush, but when he said it was a better deal to get the set, my ears perked up. The set was $39.50 which included the full size bronzer (I got it in Sun Bunny) and a mini mascara. The brush by itself is $29.50 so for $10 more I'd get the other two items.

I'm not usually crazy about bronzer either. I like looking tanned but I hate how a lot of bronzers are so shimmery. Sun Bunny only has a hint of shimmer in it so I don't look like a tranny. Yay!

I wanted to pick up a bottle of Lash Injection Antidote gel-based makeup remover too, but got caught up in the frenzy and forgot about it. We tested it on some eyeliner and it took every bit of color off the skin sans any pulling and tugging. I may need to stop at Sephora some time this week since I do have that new Dior eyeliner that I've been wearing that's left me with some hard to remove raccoon eyes.

*sigh* It was barely 9:30 am and I'd already spent some cheese.

No thanks to Karen!

caught up

I always get caught up in the frenzy of shopping whenever there's a crowd. I was at the Nordstrom event last night (10 points!) and while I wasn't as lucky as Miss TamPham, I still went a little crazy.

As soon as I arrived, I ran into my devilish cousin who knows how I'm a sucker for anything free. She immediately tells me about all the cosmetics lines with gifts with purchase! I hurry over to to the Dior counter and find that with the purchase of two items, I get this little carrying case with a mini eyeshadow palette, face wash and a mini DiorShow Black Out mascara. SOLD!

I picked up a full size of the mascara and also the Dior Waterproof eye liner. I'm always on the hunt for a liner that I can use on my waterline without having it run down my face within a couple hours - my goal is to look like one of the Kardashian sisters with the black rimmed eyes. *wink*

I thought I was done, but nooooo.. That damn little cousin of mine comes traipsing over with her little bag of goodies, this time from Clarins! Buy two items and get two deluxe samples! I've never even used Clarins, but the size of those freebies sucked me in and next thing you know, I'm clambering through the crowds with a friend buying random products! I'd post pictures, except I seriously don't remember what I bought. Oh the shame.. But I'm sure, whatever magical potion I bought, I'll love since they totally tested it on my hands. Errr... Riiiight.

I hadn't even made it up to the second floor to look at clothes! I didn't find anything really. I think I was already feeling a bit of buyer's remorse. Gawd, I wasn't even drunk.


But hark! Who goes there?! Tory Burch? How cute are these thong sandals? I had to have them! But now I don't know. They're not particularly comfortable. Maybe I should return them and finally get those Phillip Lim Birks once and for all.

No thanks to Karen!

excuse my beauty

So after watching that tranny mess in my previous post, I found a couple youtube videos with girls giving makeup lessons on doing the smokey eye. Granted, the looks were on the verge of being tranny makeup, I think I learned a few new tricks.

Part I


Part II


I tried it this morning using my new Stila colors. I think I toned it down a bit e.g. didn't put on any false lashes.

It was fun!