Tag Archives: beauty blog

Hair Tie Upgrade

I love these hair ties! They come in so many fun styles–glitter, camouflage, zigzag, brights, embellished with sparkly beads or rivets, animal prints, even mustaches–and are perfect for my tween-age daughter.

She likes the cool designs and the fact that they double as bracelets, I like that they don’t pull, tangle or crease her hair. And though I’m always found with a basic black ponytail holder on my wrist…I just might have to “borrow” from her for a change!

Available online at www.maddyloo.com, prices start at $1.

 

I’ve Got a Secret…

I would like to preface this post by saying “I love my home”…It’s a 1911 Victorian with Colonial leanings. I have shades-of-white walls throughout, cozy off-white couches, lots of  wood, crystal chandeliers and gilded elements as well as a few pops of color here and there to keep it from looking too precious. Magazine editors and photographers like it–it’s chosen as a location for photo shoots every now and then.

Here comes the part where I “share”…Have you ever seen the episode of Friends where it comes to light that neatnik Monica has a locked closet filled to the brim with overflowing “crap”? Well…I’ve got a whole room like that!

It started innocently enough. I was cleaning the house before a party and realized I didn’t have time to sort through everything and put it in its proper place. I remembered a story I’d read that said if you’re short on time you should just scoop up everything, put it in a spare pillowcase, tuck it away and sort through it later when you have some free time. FYI, worked like a charm, except the free time never came and that pillowcase full of “stuff” wasn’t alone for long. Over time, I added stacks of books, magazines and bags of clothing I’m still meaning to bring to the consignment shop. Also, mirrors and paintings and lamps and even a toy chest we no longer use. Add some mistake purchases and other items I plan to sell at an upcoming (and not yet in my datebook) yard sale and the extra bedroom that was pegged as my home office had definitively turned into a junk room!

I’m sharing this info. with you because I need to make myself accountable. I hope to make this room as beautiful and inviting as the rest of my home and I’m giving myself two weeks to do it. In fourteen days I’ll show you the before and after shots and by then I expect to have a pretty home office to write my posts in.

Reader Challenge: What’s your big secret? It might be something you’re hiding from yourself or someone else, it might be a habit you’d like to change or a project you want to start. It might be work related or have something to do with a relationship. Please post a comment below or send me a private e-mail (nancy@thebeautywall.com) and let me be the incentive you need to get your act in gear. xoxoNancy

Great New Makeup Line!

Product Review: MAKE Cosmetics

This new line comes with a very nice pedigree–Mana Products is the world’s leading private label manufacturer of beauty products. Ever heard of a little company called NARS? That’s from Mana…along with many, many other great brands.

Their latest is MAKE Cosmetics…with a philosophy I can definitely get on board with! MAKE donates one-third of all sales to women-led, worker-owned, start-up co-ops in the U.S. and they pair artists from different backgrounds to create their seasonal color collections. Their first collaboration is with London-based interior/furniture designer, Faye Toogood and makeup artist Ayami Nishimura.

Their Medieval Palette, $25, (photo above) contains 4 very wearable matte shadows in shades of moody grays (nice for a smoky eye) plus a cool blue (if you’d prefer a pop of color) and 4 matte lipsticks, in everyday neutrals (love these shades!) and a bright coral. The eyeshadows are soft, powdery and blend well. I like them as a sheer wash of color but you can also layer them or use them to line your eyes. Also,the lipsticks are creamy, go on smoothly and wear well.

When testing this line, I went straight for their gold eyeshadow–my go-to color for eyes (it’s a shade that works for all skin tones and all eye colors). MAKE’s Satin Finish Eyeshadow in Gilded, $18,  doesn’t disappoint! It applies evenly, looks luminous and stays put. Apply dry for a sheer wash of color or wet to amp up the drama.

MAKE is available at www.weseebeauty.com. Besides makeup, I highly recommend you also check out the unique products for sale in their design gallery.

 

Natural Beauty

I have a friend who I’ve known for years. She’s smart, funny, down to earth, focused on career and family and great fun to hang with. She’s confident and comfortable in her own skin and was never concerned with her looks…in fact, so unconcerned that she didn’t wear a drop of makeup!

I never said anything about it until I went to her home and caught a glimpse of her in her wedding photo…she looked gorgeous. Like 1,000 times better gorgeous!!! She has the most beautiful blue eyes, but because her lashes are light you didn’t  notice just how special they are. Now, I might have been a little out of line (maybe even a lot!), but I made her promise me she’d try to wear concealer to even out her skin tone and mascara to make her eyes pop.

Her husband didn’t want her to change–he said he prefers her “au natural” and he asked me why I was pushing makeup on her when I didn’t wear any myself. Ha!!! Us beauty girls know everyone looks better with a little makeup. Done right, you look like your best self–skin more glow-y, eyes a bit brighter, lips more alluring. When I see my friend now, she’s usually wearing a little something…and she looks great!

For my usual “no-makeup” look  I wear:

  • under-eye concealer
  • beauty balm or strategically applied concealer
  • cream blush
  • eye liner
  • mascara
  • clear lip balm

Ella Poe Jewelry at 80% Off!

blogshot - Ella Poe

Creator and designer, Danielle Birrittella strives to make every piece of Ella Poe jewelry meaningful and eco-conscious.  Worn by celebs (including Cindy Crawford and January Jones) and recently featured on the TODAY show, Ella Poe Jewelry is offering their beautiful gold vermeil and diamond necklaces from their Mantra collection for only $49 (they’re regularly $240!).

To get this deal click here and enter the password “today”…but act fast,  this deal ends Monday!

Tarte Glamazon Lipstick

 

Product Review: Tarte Glamazon 12-Hour Lipstick

I was at a beauty event recently when I bumped into a friend of mine whom I hadn’t seen in a while. She’s always been pretty, but, she looked better than ever…it was her smile! She was wearing Tarte Glamazon Lipstick in Playful. She said she’d applied it that morning and still…it lingered. Her plummy-pink lips were the perfect shade for her Zooey Deschanel coloring–they actually look a lot alike!–so I didn’t know if it would quite work for my warmer-toned skin and hair but I had to give it a try!

I ran right to Sephora and tested it in the store. Since I don’t normally wear lipstick–clear or tinted balms are usually my thing–I used my fingertip to rub it in and create a stain, a look I prefer on myself. It goes on as a wonderful plum shade, not too dark, not too light, not too bright. After six hours which included a cup of tea, an apple and even dinner,  it was still on!  The color had changed a bit, going from that original plum to a raspberry-ish tone, one I loved just as much.

This is one lipstick destined to have a cult following!

Tarte Glamazon 12-Hour Lipstick in Playful, $26 at www.sephora.com

Lemon Love!

Product Review: Korres Basil Lemon Showergel and Body Butter

I’ve always had a thing for lemons! It might have started when I was little and given the big responsibility of being allowed to dust with lemon fresh Pledge. As a tween, when my friends were all over Love’s Baby Soft I was taken with Love’s Fresh Lemon fragrance, which morphed into Annick Goutal’s Eau de Hadrien as I got older. But, without a doubt, my lemon-love was cemented on my honeymoon when my husband and I traveled throughout Italy. While on the island of Capri we discovered Ristorante Paolino (www.paolinocapri.com) where we got drunk on limoncello and dined under a thick canopy of lemon trees, the air filled with their citrusy scent. Pure magic!

Fast forward to this week when I received a package of products to review. Inside was Korres Shower Gel in Basil Lemon along with its’ complementary Basil Lemon Body Butter. Chances were high that the scent alone would have me at hello, but these products proved to be so much more than that! Both the shower gel and the body butter contain healing aloe vera, protective shea butter and anti-inflammatory quince extract, along with other natural ingredients.

In the shower I was enveloped in a fresh, lemony scent and my skin felt silky soft after toweling off. It was hydrated enough that I didn’t need to use a body cream afterwards but because I love the light, fresh scent so much I did use the butter on my extra-dry areas, knees, elbows, heels and hands.

True, it’s not Italy…but if I close my eyes and breathe deeply, it could be!

Korres Basil Lemon Showergel, $19.50

Korres Basil Lemon Body Butter, $29.00

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