Product Polygamy Week: Makeup

Me and my girl, Amber, are beauty addicts…which means that product monogamy is not within our nature. We need beauty options like our lungs need air.

So to celebrate product polygamy, we’ve decided to do another theme week…we know how you so enjoy when we get crazy creative. In honor of this Sunday’s season premiere of Big Love, Amber and I will be assigning our favorite products Barb, Nicki, and Margene status. In case you don’t watch the show or have HBO, here’s the 411:


Barb is the original. She’s your first love - the one everything else is measured against. Nicki is the newer, fiesty version that caused your eye to stray; the Nicki relationship is entertaining and dramatic, but short-lived. Margene is the shiny-new toy that you can‘t get enough of and sets your heart aflutter.

Read on to find out which makeup products get big love from Spoiled Pretty...

FOUNDATION
The Barb: Clinique Superfit Makeup
I’m a big fan of Clinique’s foundations, and I’ve been wearing Superfit for years. At $20, it’s reasonably priced and one bottle lasts a long time. Give this oil-free formula a try if you’ve got overactive sebaceous glands; it’s comfortable, breathable and keeps the shine gremlins at bay, all day. Superfit is basically the only foundation I’ll wear in the summertime.

The Nicki: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
Before my 2007 wedding, I searched long and hard for the foundation that would make my imperfect complexion look flawless. My skin tone is hard to match, my face is a grease bomb in the warmer months, and I have sensitive skin - and finding a foundation that would overcome all of those hurdles was proving as hopeless as searching for meaning in a Pauly Shore movie. Then I found Luminous Silk. It’s weightless and goes on like a dream, and made me look like I wasn’t wearing a thing. It’s pricey and it’s not sold in many stores (I had to trek to Saks to get my hands on a bottle) - but if you don’t mind putting in a little extra money and effort, Luminous Silk is a fab foundation.

The Margene: Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation
As far as I’m concerned, this is the end all - be all foundation. My skin is far from flawless, so I need a good base - or I’m not happy. When I’m wearing a good foundation, I feel more confident…kinda like when I wear my trusty Spanx under a form-fitting dress. From far away or up close, HD Invisible Cover Foundation looks like perfection on skin. It imparts this airbrushed look that you just don’t get with any other product. It also comes in a myriad of shades so, no matter your color, Make Up For Ever has you covered.


MASCARA
The Barb: CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara
Doe eyes from the drugstore - that’s Lash Blast, in a sentence. The big fatty wand does take some getting used to, and you need a little elbow grease getting it off at the end of the day. But if you want to pump up the volume while keeping your wallet fat, you can’t go wrong with the orange tube.

The Nicki: Exceptionnel de Chanel Intense Volume and Curl Mascara
Wanna take your lashes up, up and away? Well, let me introduce you to Exceptionnel de Chanel Intense Volume and Curl Mascara. I feel so brazen when I'm wearing this; the six sided brush delivers a voluptuous and dramatic lash - with no clumping whatsoever. Seriously, no clumps. Try to make it clump…I dare ya.

The Margene: Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes Mascara
The spiky round sphere on the tip of Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes Mascara is scary, even to a been-there-done-that beauty blogger like moi. But with a little practice, you’ll be amazed at the wand’s dexterity. It allows you to get into all of the nooks and crannies that typical brushes miss. It curls. It separates. It coats lashes in inky goodness, resulting in striking, fanned-out fringe.


EYELINER
The Barb: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil
You know how I love me some Urban Decay. The website bills these babies as “the best eye pencils ever, ever, ever.” It’s truth…every word of it. If you don’t own at least one of these liners by now, what are you doing? Are you just reading Spoiled Pretty for the hell of it? I’m trying to help you, people. In these trying economic times, a woman needs an eyeliner that she can depend on. And this one, my friends, is as good as it gets.

The Nicki: Redpoint StayPut Eyeliner in Conga
Last Spring, I was introduced to this delightful little liner at the Total Beauty Blog Community Summit. For a few months afterwards, it was my go-to eye pencil. You’ll love it too, thanks to the long-wearing, water-resistant, never-smudge formula. And the metallic mocha color is oh so flattering on everyone!

The Margene: MAC Pearlglide Eye Liner in Black Russian
Do yourself a favor and go buy MAC Pearlglide Eye Liner in Black Russian. It don’t get no better. This creamy, kohl-like liner has a heavy metal look with the perfect amount of sparkle. Black Russian, described as black with navy blue glitter, is so super chic that it - in the immortal words of Marvin Gaye - “makes me wanna holler, throw up both my hands.” Hallelujah, MAC!


LIPSTICK/GLOSS
The Barb: Stila Lip Glaze in Blackberry
I’ve bought more tubes of Stila Lip Glaze in Blackberry than any other lipgloss - and I own ten times more glosses than your most makeup obsessed friend. As I type this, I have a tube of Blackberry - still in the box - stashed away in my Sephora train case, just waiting in the wings until the current tube runs dry. That’s how dangerously sexy this product looks on my lips. But why should I have all the fun? Pick some up during your next Sephora shopping excursion.

The Nicki: MAC Plushglass in Oversexed
MAC makes a million lipglosses, and they’re all wonderful. But Plushglass in Oversexed is GD genius. I love the scandalous name, but I absolutely luvre the me-but-sexier look. In the tube, it looks like a dark wine. But don’t be afraid. On lips, it transforms into the most beautiful blush - with megawatt shine. It’s just so sexy on. It’s like the Scarlett Johansson of lippies.

The Margene: Lipstick Queen Saint Lipstick in Wine
My new shiny toy, these days, isn’t shiny at all. Lipstick Queen Saint Lipstick in Wine is my secret weapon for looking polished and pulled together, even when I’ve overslept and run out the door without a stitch of makeup. The sheer matte berry shade is effortless and flattering, but doesn’t dry the lips. It’s snow bunny in a tube.

The rest of the week, Amber and I will be covering Skin Care (Wednesday), Hair (Thursday), and Body products (Friday). So come back and see me sometime. I'll have some hot product recommendations waiting for you. In the meantime, check out Amber's picks. And tell me your faves in the comments section!

Everywhere in L.A. Takes Twenty Minutes

Cher, Tai, and Dionne.


Amber, me, and Marina.

This past weekend, I traveled to Los Angeles to attend the first ever Total Beauty Blog Community Summit, in partnership with Intelligent Beauty. Over 60 of the top beauty bloggers participated in workshops on editing beauty content, public relations, innovative online marketing strategies, cutting-edge technology tools and techniques, as well as beauty trend forecasting and new product launches.

Now that I’m back in Philly, I’m ready to dish. You’re nosey and I’m chatty, so here’s a recap of things seen and heard at the summit:


Dr. Alan Hirsch has created Sensa, a revolutionary weight-loss system that uses the science of taste and smell to turn off your hunger. Just sprinkle Sensa’s “tastants” on all of your meals and snacks to feel full faster, eat less and lose more weight. The beauty bloggers in attendance are the first to receive Sensa (besides those involved in the clinical trials), and you best believe we were sprinklin’ it on everything, child!


Kirsten Lambertson from Beauty Riot, Nadine Haobsh from Jolie Nadine, Anne Fritz from Jet Set Girls, Tia Williams from Shake Your Beauty and Annie Tomlin from BellaSugar presented a discussion on blogging as a career. I took copious notes, asked questions, and hardly breathed during the hour-long session. These ladies are blogging rock stars, people – and I was so in awe of their talent.


Over lunch, they announced the Total Beauty Awards. From the more than 120+ blogs in the blog community, Spoiled Pretty won for "Best Content." If greasiest face was a category, I probably would have taken that too.


Dusty Simington, award-winning hairstylist from Salon Gregorie's in Newport Beach, had this to say about being in a hair rut: "If you look at your Christmas pictures and your hair looks the same from year to year, you’re uninformed and your hairdresser is lazy and tired." Dusty also bemoaned Katie Holmes’ ubiquitous bob, remarking, "If you see it, kill it." I was rolling!


I received a makeover and got some professional headshots done. The makeup artist used products from RAW Natural Beauty and Redpoint Cosmetics – and ever since, I have been infatuated with RAW Minerals Foundation, Redpoint Rejuvenating Blush Duo in Barely Rose, and Redpoint Volumizing Lip Gloss in Cuddle.


On Saturday night, we attended a Venice Beach VIP Party at Air-Conditioned Lounge. But by 11:45pm, Amber, Marina, and I were all partied out and went outside in search of our ride.

Fortunately, the limo-bus was parked in the adjacent lot. Unfortunately, the driver was nowhere to be found. So we sat down on the curb and anxiously awaited his return.

Ten minutes before another bus finally showed up, a hoopdie full of teenagers drives by and one of the occupants asks us, “Are you guys coming from the prom?” Not knowing whether to be flattered or insulted, we simply said no. Then the girl adds, before driving off, “Well, you guys look good!” Ridic, right?

I brought home a ton of products that I can’t wait to review and knowledge that I can’t wait to implement. Many thanks to Total Beauty for affording me this amazing opportunity to better my blog and connect with the members of this incredible community!