Top 10 Bridal Beauty Tips

Today, Mr. Spoiled Pretty and I celebrate our third wedding anniversary. With our recent move and all of the craziness that's going on in our lives right now, we almost forgot. But after remembering, we booked reservations at Supper, an excellent restaurant in our new 'hood.

This year is particularly special, because we celebrate the occasion with our son. Though Westley isn't scheduled to make his grand entrance until August, he'll enjoy a delicious dinner.

In honor of my nuptials, I'm taking this opportunity to pass along some beauty knowledge to brides-to-be. Back in 2007, I stressed myself out something awful trying to make sure my makeup was perfection; I wish someone wiser had taken me under her wing and saved me some major frustration. So I'm hoping that this post will serve that purpose and help a new generation of brides vow to be beautiful on their wedding day.

Here are my top 10 tips:

1. Don't get too trendy with your makeup or hairstyle. You want to look like a knockout on your wedding day, but you should still look like you. Years from now, you don't want to look at your wedding photos and think, “Who is that?”

2. If you're planning a pre-wedding facial or similar treatment, make sure you schedule it at least a week before. The last thing you need to deal with is an allergic reaction or an extraction-happy esthetician that leaves your face a marked up mess days/hours before your nuptials.

3. If you can, hire someone to do your hair and makeup on your wedding day. I'm not doubting your abilities…you might be the second coming of Kevyn Aucoin, but having someone to help means that you'll have one (or two) less things to worry about on the day of. And it needn't cost a fortune, either. You don;t need to hire a celebrity makeup artist to look like supermodel. Find a local beauty school and ask if any of the students are available for special events. Or go to the mall and get a makeover at your favorite makeup counter. If the salesperson does a good job, ask him/her if she makes house calls. My longtime friend/mane man, Erik, did my hair at my parents' house…and then attended our wedding as a guest.

4. Whether you're paying someone to do your hair/makeup or you’re a DIY kind of bride, always do a trial run. And take photos – from different angles and in different lighting. You might love the reflection in the mirror, but the pictures might tell a different story. And better for you to figure out what works (and what doesn't) in the months/weeks leading up to your big day – when you actually have time and the means to fix problems.

5. Don't rush to remove your veil. If you decide to wear a veil on your wedding day, wear it for the entire day - from your walk down the aisle until the end of the reception. A veil is that one element that transforms you from a woman in a white dress into a bride. Looking back at my wedding photos, I wish I hadn't been in such a rush to take off my veil and show off my hair. I much prefer the photos of me wearing the veil; they have a much more romantic quality.

6. Invest in some waterproof mascara, even if you're not the emotional type. At some point, someone is going to make you cry and you'll be happy you dodged a Tammy Faye Baker bullet.

7. If your hair has behavioral issues, I would recommend not washing your hair on your wedding day. Freshly shampooed hair doesn't hold a style as well as second day hair. And if your hair has a serious case of ADD, invest in a can of Elnett.

8. If your skin is on the oily side and you're afraid of looking shiny in photos, make sure to have blot papers handy on your wedding day. Powder does cut down on shine, but it can also get cakey-looking and settle into lines. Blotting papers are a better bet. Or you can do like I do and just grab a bunch of Starbucks brown napkins next time you get a Frappuccino; those suckers work better than most blotting papers I've used – and when Starbucks charges you $4-5 for some coffee, milk and sugar, they owe you some damn napkins. So take a handful and put 'em in your purse.

9. Invest in good makeup primers to keep makeup from sliding off of your face. I'm partial to Laura Mercier Foundation Primer and Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

10. I wore Giorgio Armani Silk Lipstick topped with Armani Lip Shimmer on my wedding day (click here to find out what else I wore). I asked one of my bridesmaids to hold my gloss for me - but when I needed it for a mid-reception touch-up, she didn't know where it was. To this day, she still insists that I lost it. Um, as if! I would never misplace a brand new Armani lip gloss. Anyway...I digress. Though this was a minor snafu, I'm often reminded of my mistake when I look at my photos. My lips are almost the same color as my face, so in some of the pictures, my mouth kind of just disappears. It still irks me to this day. So do yourself a favor and use a lip stain (like CoverGirl Outlast Lipstains) before applying lipstick and/or lip gloss. And don't ask your flighty friends to hold nuthin'.

Spoiled Pretty BOY!

My boy! This is his profile. He's facing up.

Who would have thought that a girly girl like me would start off my brood with a boy? I did!

Since very early in my pregnancy, I predicted I would have a little boy...and turns out my motherly intuition was right. Mr. Spoiled Pretty and I are expecting Westley in mid-August. We are so excited, there aren't even words.

This is his face and part of his torso (notice the ribs). His face is kinda blurry because he loves to move.

When he gets older, I'm sure he'll be embarassed that I posted his first pics on a beauty blog, but I'm a proud mama and I couldn't wait to introduce you to my beautiful son.

MAC Studio Talk Master Makeup Class Recap!

On Saturday, I attended the master makeup class I told y'all about. Mama Spoiled Pretty and I headed to Bloomingdale's at the Willow Grove Mall to participate in Studio Talk, "the easiest, most intuitive and entertaining way to discover key makeup applications used by MAC artists."

In this particular session, instructors Jesse (who has made up the fierce faces of Estelle and the Christina Aguilera as previous clients) and Jocelyn (who led my last Studio Talk class) taught us how to recreate this season's hottest makeup trends. Jesse demonstrated an 'on-trend eye' look, with blue smoky shadow and a pale lip - while Jocelyn demonstrated an 'on-trend lip' look - complete with a geometric bronze eye and red glossy lip. Mama Spoiled Pretty and I opted for the latter, and we had fantastic results - if I do say so myself.

Here's how it's done:

1) Mist the face with Fix+, an aqua-spritz of vitamin and minerals, infused with a calm-the-skin blend of green tea, chamomile, cucumber, topped off with the fresh, natural, energizing scent of Sugi.
2) Apply moisturizer using 190 Foundation Brush.
3) Using the 190 Foundation Brush, apply Prep + Prime Skin to entire face; this product acts like double stick tape for your face, so foundation lasts longer than a hot minute.
4) Using a synthetic eye shadow brush like the 242 Shader Brush, apply Paint Pot in Painterly to the eye - from lashline to brow bone. Paint Pots are an excellent shadow, but also do double duty by preventing creasing and acting as a lid primer to prevent shadow slippage.
5) Apply brown eye shadow to lid, from lash line to crease, with the same brush from step 4; I used Mulch Eye Shadow (red-brown w/bronze pearl), which I later purchased. It's that gorgeous.
6) Using the 219 Pencil Brush (another product I purchased post class), apply gold eye shadow to the lash line, starting at the inner corner and working your way half-way along the top and bottom lash line.
7) Line the eye - in short straight strokes - with Technakohl Liner in Graphblack (rich graphic black) along the entire top lash line.
8) Starting at the middle of the bottom lash line, line with Graphblack - and line outward.
9) Using the short stroke method, create a sideways V on the outer corner of the eye; so start at the outer corner, draw a few short strokes, horizontally - then continue the strokes upward and inward towards the crease of the eye.
10) Take the 219 Pencil Brush and blend the liner you applied in steps 7-9 and smudge them, softening the line.

11) Next, take a darker brown shadow (I used Embark Eye Shadow - an intense reddish brown) and, using the 219 Pencil Brush, apply in a sideways V to the outer corner of the eye - on top of where you created the sideways V with the Technakohl Liner.
12) Blend the entire eye using the 224 Tapered Blending Brush and circular motions - to avoid any harsh lines.
13) To create more depth, Jesse suggested I also apply a black shadow in the same manner as step 11 (I used Carbon - intense matte black). He was absolutely right, as it amped up the smokiness. Afterwards, use the 224 Tapered Blending Brush to blend again.
14) Next, apply foundation to the entire face, using the 190 Foundation Brush from steps 2 and 3. Make sure not to disturb your kick ass eye shadow.
15) Using the same brush, apply concealer directly underneath the eyes.
16) If your face is looking a little dry by this point (mine did), mist your face again with Fix+.

17) Using the 208 Angled Brow Brush, apply a shadow that is slightly darker than your brows to define them thicken them up. Mistakes are easily corrected with a Q-Tip.
18) Using the 129 Powder/Blush Brush, apply Mineralize SkinFinish in Cheeky Bronze (soft golden coral w/ bronze pearl) to cheekbones for a subtle glow that illuminates bone structure when it catches the light; it looks so amazing, I ended up buying this product. Jesse also recommended that you say "Bladow!" when applying it; saying this won't make it look any better, but it's hilariously fun.
19) Using the same brush, apply a light dusting of blush (I used Sincere Powder Blush, a muted beige/coral) to the apples of cheeks and blend outwards.
20) Line lips with Spice Lip Pencil (pink cinnamon stick) and fill them almost all the way in; leave the center of the bottom lip bare.
21) Using the 316 Lip Brush, apply Viva Glam VI Lipstick (terracotta-plum with pearl) to both lips.

22) Using the same brush, apply Viva Glam I Lipstick (intense brownish blue-red) to the center of lips - both top and bottom.
23) Using the 316 Lip Brush again, apply Dazzleglass in Love Alert (raspberry red with red pearl) to entire mouth.
24) Finish off the look by applying Prep + Prime Lash to lashes; and while it's still wet, top lashes off with two coats of Zoom Lash Mascara in Zoomblack (rich black).

I'd like to give a shout out to Spoiled Pretty readers/Twitter followers who I had the pleasure of meeting at the event: Felicia, Stephanie, Jackie, Sandy and Libby. You ladies looked ab fab after the class, and I hope you all had a fabulously fun time like me and Mama Spoiled Pretty!

Jesse and model

Jocelyn and model

Libby and Mama Spoiled Pretty

The finished product (I almost forgot to take an 'after' photo, so I snapped a few in the car)

Better view of the eyes

Another shot of the eyes - Bladow!

Birthday Cat Eye

I have been told my many a professional that my eyes were made for makeup. Not to sound cocky or anything, but I'm pretty sure that when God formed me in the womb, s/he said to her/himself, "Wow...when this girl grows up, she's gonna rock a fierce cat eye."

So to celebrate my third annual 29th birthday, Mr. Spoiled Pretty and I dined at Tinto, one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia - and I sported this ferosh feline eye.

Here's the recipe to replicate the look:

Apply Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion to entire eye, lashline up to brow bone.

Using MAC 242 Shader Brush, apply Stila Kitten Smudge Pot on the lid - from lashline to crease.

Using MAC 217 Blending Brush, lightly apply Stila Kitten Eye Shadow to the lid - from lashline to brow bone.

Using MAC 266 Small Angle Brush, line the eye with Stila Black Smudge Pot, flicking at the edge.

Prime lashes with Lancome Oscillation Powerbooster. Before it dries, layer Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara on top.

Finally, dip MAC 210 Precise Eye Liner Brush into Stila Kitten Eye Shadow and apply to inner corner of the eye, in a sideways V.

And here's a bonus - thanks to the products' staying power, your eye makeup will have nine lives. Meow!

A More Perfect Union: Gabrielle Graces Essence Magazine's September Cover

You know how they say magazines sell more issues based on which celeb is on the cover? Well, even though I know it's true, I never paid a cover much mind, to be honest. I'm a magazine nut - and if the pages are filled with beauty, fashion and star style, I'm buying it - regardless of who is on the front.

But the September 2009 issue of Essence is a rare exception. As soon as I spotted Gabrielle Union, sporting an espresso bob with side-swept bangs for her 5th Essence cover, I snatched the mag off the shelf and made a beeline for the register.

"She was mad for her new look with the sexy bangs and shoulder-length cut," recalls Beauty and Cover Director Mikki Taylor, who led the makeover team in creating this transformation.

When I brought the issue home, I showed Mr. Spoiled Pretty. "Isn't her hair to-die, Graham?" I asked. To which he replied, "Um...isn't that how you usually wear your hair when it's down?" Well, yeah...I am pretty handy with the flat iron and this is the look I'm going for. But Gabrielle's do is the gold standard, and my limited styling prowess has only achieved bronze status - at best.

But you best believe I'm going to tack this photo up and practice, practice, practice to perfect the look. Too bad there aren't any products to help replicate Gabrielle's flawless cocoa complexion and girl next door dimples.

The September 2009 issue of Essence is on newsstands now.

Zoya Truth and Dare Nail Polish Giveaway!

You know how Oprah gives away her favorite things? Well, of course you do - unless you've been living under a boulder. Anyway, this week, I'm giving away one of my favorite things...the Stamps ladies' favorite things, actually (my maiden name is Stamps, by the by).

My sister, Lauren, is a huge fan of Zoya's Color Lock System Kit. And as I write this, Mama Spoiled Pretty is sporting Zoya's Renee on her tips and I'm rocking Paz on my toes. So without further ado, I present this week's contest, sponsored by Zoya.

Three winners will receive Zoya's Truth and Dare Collections.

Truth Collection (above): classic, bright and straightforward
Penny - copper gold metallic
Kalmia - rose copper metallic
Salma - scarlet red metallic
Isla - venetian red metallic
Anaka - fuchsia metallic glimmer
Drew - mauve rose metallic

Dare Collection: edgy, dark and mysterious
Vanessa - blue red cream
Ciara - burgundy plum cream
Demi - purple mauve cream
Pinta - inky violet cream
Envy - gleaming Jade green
Ibiza - gleaming Sapphire blue (with a little shimmer too)

To enter the giveaway, send an email to spoiledprettycontests@gmail.com. Be sure to include your full name and mailing address. The subject line should read "Zoya Truth and Dare Giveaway." The contest ends at midnight (EST) on Sunday, August 16th. Three winners will be chosen at random from among the entrants. On Monday, August 17th, I'll announce the winners' names. Please, only one entry per person; duplicate entries will not increase your chances of winning. Contest is open to U.S. residents.

Good luck!

Pretty Dresses For Petites: Maggy London

If you're petite like me, you know the pain of returning from a day-long shopping excursion empty-handed because everything in your size is hideous. I can't, for the life of me, understand why designers seem to think we shorties ought to dress like we're six or sixty. Elastic-waisted jeans and tops fashioned out of doilies? No thank you.

Which is why I'm currently obsessed with Maggy London. I'm going through a phase where all I want to do is wear dresses, and Maggy London has some of the prettiest, petite-friendly styles around.

At Nordstrom two weeks ago, I tried on four Maggy London dresses and they all fit perfectly. I only had room in my budget for one, so I decided on this blue floral wrap dress because Mr. Spoiled Pretty said I looked "gorgeous" in it. Plus, it was on sale. Score!

So if any of my vertically challenged sisters are in the market for fashion-forward frocks made perfectly for your proportions, I highly suggest that you try Maggy London on for size.

Check me out in my Maggy London dress, tweeting it up at L'Occitane in NYC.

All American: Bath & Body Works American Grown Collection

A few months ago when our hand soap got low, I replaced them with some generic soap I bought at the drugstore. When he saw my purchase, Mr. Spoiled Pretty looked at me like I had two heads.

"What happened to the Bath & Body Works soap we always use? I like that stuff," he said.

So, the next day, I swung by my local Bath & Body Works store (holler at the Liberty Place location) on my lunch break and picked up two bottles of their Anti-bacterial Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Japanese Chinese Blossom and Warm Vanilla Sugar.

Now that our stock is almost depleted again and it's time for me to replenish the soap supply, Bath & Body Works fortuitously debuts a new line that I'm sure will satisfy my spoiled spouse.

American Grown is a collection of hand soaps and body gels inspired by great American destinations. Formulated with invigorating botanicals grown in the U.S., American Grown products condition, rejuvenate and stimulate the skin. Packaged in big, bold and colorful bottles, each hand soap and shower gel transports you to the American locale from which it draws its name.

In honor of my Libby, Montana-born/Spokane, Washington bred husband, I think I'll add the Montana Sky and Washington Apple hand soaps to my shopping list. Products are also available in Napa Grape (we honeymooned there), Siesta Key Lemon and Savannah Mint scents. American Grown hand soaps retail for $6.60 and shower gels will set you back a mere $12.50.

Graham, you're so vain...you probably think this blog post is about you.

Mirror Mirror: What Are Your Best & Worst Features?

What do you consider to be your best and worst features?

Too shy shy? Hush hush...eye to eye? I'll go first:

Best: My saucer-sized peepers. I've been told by many beauty experts that my eyes were made for makeup. Is there a better compliment for a beauty blogger? I think not.

Worst: My tubby toes, an unfortunate genetic inheritance from Mama Spoiled Pretty. Ten years ago, a little girl I used to babysit informed me that my toes look like mini sausages. She was dead serious too. Every time I wear open-toed shoes, my self-confidence drops a couple of points. And I've spent years trying to figure out how to slim my fat phalanges.

Your turn...

Are You There Hair Weave? It's Me, Short Hair.

Have you ever been walking down the street and seen hair weave just discarded on the sidewalk? I don't know if this is something inherent to Philadelphia, or if there are rogue extensions littering the streets of America. But I just had to post these hilarious pics of weave remnants on the pavement near my apartment.

A few weeks ago while on a walk with Mr. Spoiled Pretty, we came across not one...not two...but three pieces of weave on the sidewalk. It was as if Hansel and Gretel left a trail of tracks so they could find their way back to the hair salon.

I'd love to know how these hair weaves end up homeless. Thoughts?

My Prettiest Day

Today, Mr. Spoiled Pretty and I celebrate our two year anniversary. I've never felt more beautiful than I did on my wedding day.

Click here for a list of beauty products I used on my special day.

Are You Singing Happy Birthday When You Wash Your Hands?

Earlier this week, Mama Spoiled Pretty called to check in...for the seventeenth time that day. I was just finishing washing my hands, and I told her so - as we have a TMI relationship. Then, she asked me what seemed like the most inane question ever...

"Did you sing 'Happy Birthday' while you washed your hands?"

Huh? What in the world does the Happy Birthday song have to do with hand-washing?

She explained that singing the song in your head ensures that you're spending an adequate amount of time sudsing up.

Just to make sure this wasn't some 'gang members are killing people in Walmart parking lots'-esque urban legend that's been debunked on snopes.com, I did a little investigative journalism. And it turns out that Mama Spoiled Pretty is a know-it-all, tough as it is to admit.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when washing your hands with soap and water:

• Wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap. Use warm water if it is available.
• Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all surfaces.
• Continue rubbing hands for 20 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing "Happy Birthday" twice through to a friend!
• Rinse hands well under running water
• Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet
  

The CDC also recommends hand-washing in the following situations:

• Before preparing or eating food
• After going to the bathroom
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has gone to the bathroom
• Before and after tending to someone who is sick
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After handling an animal or animal waste
• After handling garbage
• Before and after treating a cut or wound

If soap and water aren't available, use alcohol-based gel to clean hands.

Photo: Getty Images

Mr. Spoiled Pretty Challenges The Wonder Hanger

After watching an infomercial for the Wonder Hanger, Mr. Spoiled Pretty mutters under his breath, "Wonder Hanger, if you can organize my wife's closet, you deserve a Nobel Prize."

Protect Yourself From Swine Flu With A Giveaway!

Have you heard about this little thing called the Swine Flu? Well, Mama Spoiled Pretty sure has. Since the story first broke last week, she's been calling me constantly...scaring me with play by plays of the latest news reports. So finally, to allay her fears that her first born might become an incubus for the deadly virus, I decided to visit my local Bath & Body Works store and stock up on their Anti-Bacterial collection; because beauty products are so much chicer than a face mask, plastic bubble or haz-mat suit.

And now that I'm protected, I'm doing my civic duty by partnering with Bath & Body Works for a giveaway.

Three Spoiled Pretty readers will win Anti-Bacterial Gentle Foaming Soap, Foaming Sanitizer, and PocketBac Deep Cleansing Hand Gel in Coconut Lime Verbena (my favorite scent).

To enter, send an email to spoiledprettycontests@gmail.com. Be sure to include your full name and mailing address. The subject line should read "Bath & Body Works Giveaway." The contest ends at midnight (EST) on Tuesday, May 12th. Three winners will be chosen at random from among the entrants. On Wednesday, May 13th, I'll announce the winners' names. Please, only one entry per person; duplicate entries will not increase your chances of winning. Contest is open to U.S. residents.

Good luck...and stay healthy!

Mr. Spoiled Pretty's Review of Clinique Face Scrub For Men

A few weeks ago, Mr. Spoiled Pretty told me he was in the market for a new face scrub. So I told him that I’d do some research and get him anew scrub to try, with one small condition…he had to pinky swear that he would provide a product review for Spoiled Pretty. But after a few feeble attempts to get him to write a formal review - to which he gave me one word answers or sentence fragments - I just sat him down for an interview.

So without further ado, here is a Q&A with Mr. Spoiled Pretty about his experience with Clinique Skin Supplies For Men Face Scrub.

DB: How do you use Clinique’s face scrub?
MSP: You put it on your face.

DB: No, I mean do you use it in the shower or at the sink?
MSP: In the shower. I don’t do anything at the sink except brush my teeth, wash my hands, or shave.

DB: Okay. So how do you apply it?
MSP: You smear it on your face and rub it in?

DB: You mean, like, massage it into your skin in a circular motion?
MSP: Yeah.

DB: Okay, so what does it feel like?
MSP: Like 160 grit sand paper, which is a good thing. I feels really, really good. It scraped off my face and made me feel like a new man.

DB: How would you compare it to other face scrubs that you’ve used in the past?
MSP: I used to use the Nivea face scrub and that was pretty good. But it’s not as high-quality as the Clinique face scrub. With the Clinique stuff you can tell that it’s actually doing something to your face.

DB: Is that it?
MSP: The only thing bad about it is that you can’t use it every day because it would hurt too much. It might scrape your face clean off.

DB: But you’re not supposed to use it every day, Graham. With a serious face scrub like that, you should probably only use it a couple of times a week, max.
MSP: Says who?

DB: Says me. I’m a beauty expert, remember?

Clinique Skin Supplies For Men Face Scrub is available at Macy's, Nordstrom, Sephora, Clinique counters and clinique.com.

Meet the Spoiled Pretty Family

I talk about my family pretty often, so I figured it was time for you to meet them face-to-face.

From left to right:
Sister Spoiled Pretty, aka Lauren
Papa Spoiled Pretty, aka Spoiled Pretty's #1 Fan
Mama Spoiled Pretty, aka "Sticky Fingers" (Mom takes full advantage of my beauty swag)
Mr. Spoiled Pretty, aka Graham

Mama Spoiled Pretty Don’t Like It…Rock The Rat Tail

Remember that clip-in extensions video I posted last week? Recall how I braided one of the extensions and mixed it in amongst my curls? Well…later that day, I took it out and dared my sister, Lauren, to wear it as a rat tail on a trip to the mall. Mama Pretty was completely against it, which only served to up the proverbial ante.

To our mother’s chagrin, Lauren pulled her hair back in a bun and clipped the extension above the nape of her neck. My sister proudly rocked the rat tail at Banana Republic, Bloomingdale’s, Forever 21, the Willow Grove Mall food court and Walmart; she was the main attraction everywhere we went. Every time the rat tail would elicit a befuddled stare from passersby, Lauren and I howled with laughter.

My stylish sis has a habit of starting nonsensical trends (when she was nine, she made up a word that - thanks to my BFF Kristen - became part of the Princeton University vernacular). So if there is a resurrection of the rat tail, you know who to blame for raising this hair don’t from the dead.

By the time I took this pic, Lauren's hair was more deconstructed. You should have seen when the rat tail was in full effect. It was classic.

Recessionista's Fabuless Pick of the Week: Claw Clip That Won't Give You a Headache

Mama Spoiled Pretty kidnapped me on Saturday. Well - not for real, for real. Kidnapping is the term my sister and I use to describe my mom’s habit of holding us hostage during an otherwise enjoyable shopping excursion. This is usually how it goes down…

Mom proposes a shopping trip to one of our favorite destinations: Banana Republic, Bloomingdale’s, DSW, Forever 21, Lord & Taylor, Marshall’s, Nordstrom, Sephora, or TJ Maxx. So we get in Mom’s car and drive off, hoping that whatever we’re hunting for will be waiting for us at the store, in our size, perched on the sale rack. After a few hours of retail therapy, our dogs start barking and we get into the car to drive back to my parents’ house…or so Lauren and I think.

When we’re almost back home, my mother veers off course - and next thing you know, we’re somewhere not fun, like Walmart. And it’s never a quick trip either. Mom will spend 45 minutes pushing her cart up and down aisles before she even starts looking for what's on her list. And Lauren and I revert to preschool-ish behavior - like whining or saying we have to go to the bathroom - to encourage Mom to move faster than molasses.

But I have to admit that being kidnapped this past weekend wasn’t too bad. While my sister occupied herself carrying out her signature prank (Lauren likes to throw a couple of random items into Mom’s shopping cart, just to watch her hilarious reaction at the register), I killed time in the beauty aisle. I was in desperate need of a hair clip, so I perused the selection from Goody. Goody has never let me down before, so I picked up their new Ouchless Flexible Claw Clip. Not only did this clip not disappoint, I was pretty impressed - because it holds your hair in place without the annoying inconveniences of other claw clips.

First, the clip has covered hinges, which eliminates snags. Second, the teeth are curved in a way that prevents them from digging into your scalp - love that! Finally, the teeth are flexible - so go ahead and lean back, lean back, lean back, lean back. The people at Goody are a bunch of Albert Einsteins, I’ll tell you what.

For less than $4, you get two medium-sized clips…plus motivation to throw out all of those inferior claw clips that have been a pain in your cranium all of these years.

My Latest MAC Acquisition: Plushglass in Fulfilled

When it comes to a MAC products, my sister and I are drawn to them like moths to a flame. So when we visited the Willow Grove Mall a few days ago with Mama Spoiled Pretty, it was no surprise that we couldn’t escape without a visit to the MAC counter at Bloomingdale’s. What was supposed to be swift stopover ended up being a half-hour spending spree.

While Lauren let the makeup artist paint her eyes in hues of blue, I made a beeline for the lip glosses - swatching at least a dozen on my inner arm. And my low-maintenance mom looked on in awe, wondering how she birthed such product-addicted daughters. When Lauren’s makeover was complete, she joined me in playing with the glosses. I asked for her opinion of MAC Plushglass in Fulfilled, which I was seriously considering adding to my collection. “It’s sick,” she exclaimed. So I decided to buy it...and so did she.

Though it’s described as ‘full-blush creamy pink,’ I think that cantaloupe-y cream pink would be more accurate. As you can see in the photo, it wears super sheer - and inflates the lips without the burning sting that accompanies many lip plumpers.

I love this formula and adore this shade. And while my lip gloss collection is incalculable, I definitely feel like a void has been filled by Fulfilled. It will be my go-to non-shimmery gloss when I’m playing up my eyes, but I still want a come-hither kisser.

Mr. Spoiled Pretty Is A Chanel Convert

Mr. Spoiled Pretty is a trip...

A few days ago, I gifted him with two new men’s products Chanel sent me to review, Chanel Allure Homme Edition Blanche Eau de Toilette and Anti-Shine Moisturizing After Shave. Being the macho-man minimalist that he is, Graham gladly accepted the aftershave but handed back the fragrance.

“I already have enough colognes, so maybe you should give this away on your blog,” he said. Now, for the record, Graham only has two (maybe three) other colognes - and the fact that he would deny himself of free Chanel blew my product-loving mind.

But once Graham got a whiff of the aftershave - with its notes of lemon, bergamot, cedar, sandalwood, tonka bean, white musk, vetiver, ginger, amber, vanilla, white and pink pepper - my unassuming hubby changed his tune. “Mmmmm, this smells awesome,” he said. “Maybe I should hold on to the cologne.”

Yesterday morning, when Graham emerged from the bathroom, he smelled fantastic - and I told him as much. “I used that new Chanel stuff you gave me, and I really like it,” he said - leaning in so that I could better appreciate his fresh scent. When I pressed him for a more comprehensive review so that I could write this very post, he replied, “What I like most about it is that it makes me smell wealthy.”

Well, there you have it, ladies. Mr. Spoiled Pretty, a pretty difficult man to please, is a Chanel convert. Maybe I am rubbing off on him after all.