Monday manicure breakdown

First coat: guerlain la base protectrice

Second and third: Dior in Plaza

Topcoat: Dior gel topcoat

I love all of these. This is pretty much the best money can buy. But you can still see a little wear on the edges. This manicure is about 24 hours old. Plaza is amazing.  It's classy enough for work but fun enough for a summer pool party and goes great with the highlighter colors that are so popular now.  Again the Dior topcoat is super high shine and really elevates the look. Two people asked me if I had them done professionally and even when I said no one of them thought I had gotten an at-home shellac kit. Nope. This can be done easy peasy in a haf hour in front of the tube between putting kiddies to bed and packing their lunch for tomorrow. 

 

Foundation brush challenge: week in review

So the bottomline is that I like the brush.  I feel like I have just as much control and coverage for general application as I do with a sponge.  I still use a sponge for concealer though, the sponge is nice for problem areas cause it wraps around blemishes and stipples with such good coverage.  I don't even think the Shiseido Stippling Brush (this is my name henceforth for their Perfect Foundation Brush) could do concealer like I want concealer done.  So there will still be sponges in my bathroom, but fewer of them and they will be used less frequently and replaced more frequently.  Having spent a week with the brush and washing it daily (two rounds of cleanser each wash) I'm kind of disgusted that I would let sponges go as long as I did before - two weeks sometimes.  Gross.  The washing of course adds that extra step that I got rid of by not having to wash my hands a bunch of times, but it's not as bad for my hands and I've gotten it down to about a half a minute.  I also got a new brush holder from the container store that I'm in love with so not only are my brushes easier to reach for but they're easier to air dry (before this week I had kept them in a bathroom cupboard).  This is absolute genius - it can sit on your countertop for normal days and get easily hidden back away in the cupboard when company is over.  

And it matches the acrylic cosmetic organizers that are so trendy these days. 

I like my Target brush, it turns out.  I think it's made of synthetic hair so it doesn't get all fuzzed out when I wash it obsessively like I do.  I did order the Bobbi Brown Foundation Brush which arrived today so stay tuned for that review.  I will probably do it in tandem with my sponge vs. brush standoff.  As I've mentioned, the brush has nearly perfect reviews.  The complaints when they do arise are that the bristles dry out with too much washing (altho they claim to be high-end synthetic) and that it absorbs a lot of product.  We shall see. 

 

And the winner is....FALL!

I took a little trip to my local Nordstrom and got the black T-strap Beverly!  To be honest I liked the non-T-strap a little better.  It's SOOOO classy on.  But this is my first pair of Guccis and what I didn't know is that their heels are not for girls with narrow heels.  Sadly, my foot slipped right out of a 35.  And the shoe doesn't come in a 34.5.  When I see strappy shoes like mary janes, strappy sandles, and t-straps, I have to jump on them.  And Nordies had to call around to find the last 35 black t-strap in the company. 

This is going to be a little over the top, even in a law firm.  And yet it's not so over the top that I could resist them.  The heel is conservative and the better they stay on, the better and more natural the person wearing them looks.  They are extremely wearable. 

 

Incidentally, there was more than one winner.  Another was a Laboutin Piou Piou in dark metallic red, almost burgundy.  They are so special.  I can't find a picture of the red anywhere online so I'll have to wait until they arrive and take pictures.  Below is the shoe in black.  The dark red goes SO well with the red sole.  This is also my first pair of Laboutins.  I'm starting to build a collection of one shoe of each major designer (so far I have YSL, Manolo, and Christian Dior - and now Gucci and Laboutin) but I haven't been back to the same one twice.   One of these days I'll do a 'what's in your designer shoe collection' video. 

 

Again I'm hoping these are not choices that take me away in the store and then end up looking overdone in the office.  But I think the conservative design of the Piou Piou is classy enough and I've been looking for the perfect wine-colored heels for years.  Who knew that would be an "it" color this fall.  While we're on the topic I want to recommend Ann Taylor's double strap mary janes (Jessy), but they run big and unfortunately I ordered a 5.5 and by the time I tried to exchange them for a 5 the 5's were out.  Story of my life.  They are a cute and very comfortable shoe at a fraction of the price of the big guns above. 

Finally, and this might be old news, but have you tried the Cassidy Booty from Cole Haan?  I got the brown leather last year and tried to find black as well but again, my size (5.5 this time) had sold out.  I looked everywhere.  EVERYWHERE.  So you can imagine my delight when I walked in the store the other day thanks to their 25% off sign outside and found a whole new crop of Cassidys (in nubuck this year) waiting for me.  I tried them on with my new 'boysenberry' 7 for Mankind skinny jeans and the salesperson told me I should just walk out of the store like that - the looked so amazing. 

 

These are so versitile, so comfortable, and so flattering.  I don't own two of any other model of shoe.  That's how amazing they are.  Most of the colors they come in go with any color jeans, skinny or bootcut, work pants, even skirts if they're a little flouncy.  They can't replace a stilleto black bootie but they cover all the other bases.

 

Ok, I'm cut off of shoes for the year now (with the exception of a tall black boot that I might reward myself around review time).  But I will return to the subject when I review the Piou Pious and Beverlys once they arrive. 

Obsession of the moment: Gucci 'Beverly'

Are you kidding me?  It's patent leather, work-appropriate height, adorable, and comfortable.  What is a girl to do?

AnOther pair of patent black pumps (to go with my manolo camparis) with a maybe-too-sexy-for-work t-strap?  Or anOther neutral color patent pump to go with my copius other pairs of nude heels...I have to get one of them.  It would be a crime not to.  They are works of art.  Both pairs. 

When I buy shoes I buy them for work.  And the black looks like it's ready for a party.  I have the YSL Tributes in patent leather for that (check these out, my favorite party shoes ever but can be dressed down). The mauve is amazing but a) won't stay on as well if you have a narrow heel and b) may seem redundant when stacked up against the three other pairs of nude pointy-toe shoes I own.  .....         Any votes either way? 

It will probably come down to whether I can get either in a 35.  This must be the most universally popular size because I can rarely find it.  For those that are feeling a little crazy it comes in the on-trend leopard print and in a grey tweed too, both in a slightly higher heel height.  $595-$895...but who's checking when the shoes are this breathtaking? 

Foundation brush challenge: day 4: Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush review

As I mentioned earlier in the week, I like the compact design of this brush and was eager to try something so cutting edge.  But what it really is is a stippling brush.  The application is thus full-coverage, fully built, and while it does require less product than a sponge, it gives you a fully made up look.  It's hard to tell from the pictures online, including the one above, but if you're looking down at this brush from a bird's eye view the bristles are in a perfectly round formation, that is, it's a thick round collection of bristles razed off at a slight angle, like someone cut off a ponytail (I swear I will start posting videos soon, I'm realizing as I go that product reviews require either a lot more pictures or a video).  There are techniques for making the look a little more sheer that can be found on YouTube but I found these a little arduous and not very effective.  The technique requires you to move your wrist in a rotating motion as you glide the brush around.  The stroke is still pretty short and I can imagine getting carpal tunnel by the time I'm done with half my face.  The problem with this brush is not with the short strokes, it does a great job at that kind of stippling application, the problem is that you don't really have the option of doing longer strokes when you're working with the tips of the bristles rather than having some control over the angle you work at as you do with the typical flat and tapered foundation brushes.  The mandatory short strokes means not only a heavier look without the option of going more sheer but also that the whole process takes longer.  Even if I had been looking for a full-coverage look, I didn't like the lack of control.  The brush drags if you try to force the strokes and you feel a little trapped into short quick movements which, if you're covering your whole face, is tedious and time consuming. 

Pros:

• Soft, quality bristles, great resistance and concentration of bristles for stippling.
• Compact eye-catching design
• Doesn't absorb tons of product into the bristles so you don't waste product and it's easy to get the product out when you're cleaning.

Cons:

• Short stippling strokes are pretty much all you have the option of, even the rotating sheerer stroke technique doesn't give you the control you probably want for an every day foundation brush.
• Takes FOREVER to dry so if you're using liquid foundation and washing the brush every day this might not work for you.

Bottomline: Quality brush for what it does but not the every-day, all-over foundation brush I am looking for. 

Get to know me, and you.

 

This is brilliant, espeically for a new blogger.  It's a get-to-know-you (and your readers) Q&A from brilliant and hilarious makeup and beauty blogger Karen at Makeup and Beauty Blog.  Here goes, leave your answers in the comments or on your own blog!  And have fun.

1. One makeup or beauty product that you can't stop hoarding.  La mer.  I have TEN products of theirs that I use EVERY DAY.  Also, on the other end of the expenditure spectrum, I've been hoarding samples of Living Proof's Prime styling lotion and Fresh's SUGAR Lip Treatment every time those come up as 100 point perks on Sephora.com. 
2. What did you have for breakfast this morning?
   Water.  On my way out the door.  This is as a result of lack of time and dehydration, not calorie counting.  I eventually concocted a make-it-yourself mocha using the starbucks machine at my office.  This is a typical routine for me on weekdays. 
3. I’m happiest when ______.  I don't have work hanging over my head.  Pretty much everything is more fun when I can just put it away and stop thinking about it for a while.  My favorite things to do are playing with my kids - pretty much everything is fun when we're hanging out, and of course, shopping. 
4. Don’t be afraid of ______.
   Trying something new.  Don't be a slave to routine, I used to be because I thought it gave me control over the future, but then I realized how mundane and ridiculous that is. 
5. What’s one of your mantras?
   You get what you pay for.  This is true in more facets of life than I ever imagined.  It doesn't mean you have to be a big spender or very wealthy, it just means that you should balance the qualities you are looking for with the amount you are willing to spend and be very critical about making sure your purchases are worth what you're paying.  Indulge in areas that make you happy, be cheap in areas that you don't care much about.  For example, I have 6 Louis Vuitton pieces, a Tag watch, and buy only high-end makeup but I never eat out unless my work is paying for it.  And (confession) I don't love to travel.  So it all works out.  
6. Something that inspires you?
   People who are excited about their jobs.  I'm really happy for people who love their jobs, it's certainly not the majority of us.  It gives me hope that it's possible for the rest of us. 
7. What’s your secret passion?
   This is it.  I'd go to cosmetology school and do a career change right now if I had the resources. 
8. You’d be surprised if you saw my _______.
   Wardrobe and makeup collection in high school.  I was totally out of touch fashion-wise, even for the time.  WAAAY off.  And the weirdest thing was that I just didn't care.  I didn't think about it.  I didn't really become a student of the game until I had money to spend - in other words when I was finally finished with school and got a job.  So you don't have to be born with it apparently.  My little girl though, she's obsessed right out of the womb.  Shoes especially.  It's amazing, she's one and a half.  When I get home from work she toddles over and demands that I take off whatever pumps I'm wearing so she can put them on.  Then she finds some sunglasses and wa-la, instant stylist.    
9. One thing you love about your job?
   ....the paycheck.  I think that's about it.  Also my office is nice, I have door that closes and an outside window. 
10. Something you have to do this week?
    Clean out the garage.  Seriously, it's time. Also, I always have returns that I have to do.  I have a reputation among my friends for being a big returner of things.  I spend a lot of money on things (and make a lot of online purchases) and if it's not just right it goes back.  This goes to my point in #4.  I am very, very loyal to companies with good return and customer service policies.  That goes a long way with me.  On my return schedule for this week is the Shiseido perfect foundation brush and a pair of 7 for mankind boysenberry jeans (I ordered two sizes). 

Foundation brush challenge day 2: Bobbi Brown pulls ahead on a technicality

I purchased the Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush yesterday.  It is a work of art.  It has the silky-yet-firm quality you want in a foundation brush and I like how compact it is, though this is a problem for some reviewers.  Despite it's high marks the one flaw reviewers have pointed out might be prohibitive for me since I'm using it with liquid foundation.  I unboxed it last night and gave it an initial rince with the Clinique brush cleaner and stuck it upright in a brush cup overnight and by morning...still wet.  And not just a little damp, really wet.  The density of the design makes it such that this brush may never dry if you're cleaning it every day.  Which, for liquid foundation, is kind of a must.  This is a dealbreaker for me.  I am liking the foundation brush concept so far, even with the daily cleaning.  I've adopted a technique that leaves even less waste and less product to clean out of the brush (this isn't groundbreaking - dispense the foundation on the back of your hand and dip the brush into the product).  But the brush needs to dry between uses to guard against bacteria buildup and keep the foundation application consistent.  So either this is getting returned or I will have to switch it out with another brush every other day.  Given my lack of tolerance for clutter I am fairly fixed on returning it. 

Coming soon: after my week long brush challenge I will use one day to test the amount of pumps of product I have been using with a brush against the amount I would have to use with a sponge to answer forever the question of the net waste using a sponge produces vs a brush.  This will be very scientific and exciting so stay-tuned.