Monday, December 22, 2008

Turnaround...every now and then I get a little (less flakey)






Clinique has a Turnaround line of products that I am completely obsessed with. Turnaround Concentrate Visible Skin Renewer, Turnaround Body Smoothing Cream, Turnaround Instant Facial, and Turnaround Radiance Peel Once-a-Week System. I have used Turnaround Concentrate for over a year now and it is perfection. On the face it makes your skin feel like silk, the feeling is unreal and addictive. It has salicylic acid in it which is perfect for my oilier skin. I put this on after my three step in the morning and I rarely have to touch up my makeup during the day whereas before using this, I would have to use oil blotting sheets and pressed powder several times a day.

All the Turnaround products, save the peel, continuously exfoliate your skin, that's what gives the radiant look. These products, again save the peel, are great for all skin types. Continuous exfoliation keeps breakouts at bay, keeps flakies at bay, and gives the skin an amazing glowing look. The Instant Facial is replacing the Turnaround 15-minute facial, I guess 15 minutes was just too long to wait, and it mimics in-office microdermabrasion. This stuff is amazing...it takes off any dead skin cell that every thought of being on your face; but surprisingly, not in a harsh way. The Instant Facial leaves your skin looking radiant (again!) and fresh, it's addictive too. The Body Smoother and Peel just came out. I haven't used the Peel yet but I hear it's perfect for those addicted to exfoliation, like me. It's a bit pricey at $55 but I'm going to use my Belk rewards dollars towards the kit after Christmas! Merry Christmas to me! The Body Smoother is so yummy. It's a blessing for feet but I also love it on my hands and arms at night. I can't wait until summer when short sleeves and sleeveless are more realistic....my arms are going to be glowing!

Thanks Clinique for making me glow like a Cullen (without those nasty other "side-effects" required to glow like a Cullen!)

Friday, December 19, 2008

Rum Cake Disaster or Failed Southern Belle

It's my husbands birthday today and, for the second year running, he wanted a rum cake (FYI, do not use candles on Rum Cake!). Last years cake was a complete disaster. I followed the recipe exactly and ended up with a bundt cake with the better part of a bottle of liquor poured over it, completely disgusting, like taking shots of too moist cake, gross. But Husband loves me and ate it nonetheless. I don't think it was to make me feel better, I think he was drunk (from the cake...I made my husband drunk from cake!).

It's 2008, time to make a fresh start with the rum cake idea. Why, oh why can't he want a Funfetti cake with matching icing, that I can make?! I searched online for the best recipe and found one that had been reviewed 507 times with either 4 or 5 stars and every reviewer said it was the best cake they ever had...blah, blah, blah. "This will be the perfect run cake for my wonderful husband's birthday," I though. Ha, ha. We just ate it for dinner. My tongue is numb from the high alcohol content and I feel a little queasy. Just like last year I followed the recipe to a T, basically. I didn't have any vegetable oil so I used peanut oil. Bad idea. It tasted like what I would imagine a Thai rum cake tasting like...not good. Secondly, I didn't have butter for the glaze so I used margarine...again, bad idea. The glaze had no buttery flavor but, AGAIN DANG IT, it tasted like shooting rubbing alcohol.

Why can't I make a rum cake? If Scarlett O'hara can make one of the greatest dresses of all time out of stupid curtains I should be able to make a rum cake! What does this debacle say about me as a person, as a Southern Belle? Failure I'm afraid...this is v. depressing.

Eva Mendes Has Amazing Style, or Stylist More Likely)

Calvin Klein

Jenni Kayne

Calvin Klein


Michael Kors

Bill Blass

I'm not sure if I could name a movie or television show Eva Mendes has been in but I'll tell you where she has been...in my fashion magazines! This girls got it going on. Her style is amazing and her stylist (I'm assuming) has recently picked out some of the most gorgeous red carpet dresses I have seen in a long time. How fortunate for Eva they all appear on her body! I find it very interesting that her stylist Estee Stanly is also the stylist for the Olsen twins, Demi Moore, Jessica Biel considering that most of them look trashy most of the time. Do I really have to go there with the Olsens? Yes, yes, homeless bag lady couture, we get it. No, seriously, we get it. It wasn't cute then, isn't cute now, but they occasionally pull off the upset gorgeous outfit, you can't deny they are gorgeous girls...the end. Jessica Biel on the other hand is incredibly unfortunate looking and seems to be the dress up doll for Stanley. Even with a great body and, I suppose some would say, hot boyfriend (JT), some people just aren't made for couture. She looks like Barbie trying to wear Chanel, it just doesn't work. Demi Moore, another homely specimen, does tend to pull it out on the red carpet but her casual "I'm married to Ashton Kutcher" look is horrid.

But way to go Estee Stanley...you've hit the nail on the head with Eva Mendez...keep the great looks coming!

Friday, December 5, 2008

Shoes Ugglier Than Uggs???

Is it possible? YES, I've found them unfortunately. Imagine this horror, a combination of fuzzy UGG-ish boots and CROCS...AAAHHH!! I am so horrified by these "shoes" (it hurts me to even legitimize these monstrosities by calling them shoes) that I, again, will have to let pictures speak louder than words. I've got to go throw up from looking at these pictures anyway.

Jessica Simpson Has Lost Her Ever Loving Mind




I know there are a lot of ways I could go with the title of this post, but I'm referring this time to her latest collection of shoes. I have formerly found some of her shoes to be fairly cute but the following examples I just can't tolerate. Seeing them in print is bad enough, I'm not sure what I would be forced to do should I encounter someone wearing them in person. Here are some of the worst offenders, pictures are worth a thousand words.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Eye Cream From Heaven!


OK, this is gross but I know I'm not the only one out there with this problem: sometimes my eyes get goopy. Yes, I said it, goopy. I am absolutely fabulous but I get goopy eyes...oh, the humanity! Let me explain lest you misinterpret my use of the word goopy. At first I thought it was certain eye shadow colors but I have determined it is not eyeshadow but mascara that leaves me with the goop. When I have the goopy eyes my lids and under eye area swells, turns red, and itches like I've put on a poison ivy eye mask. There is actual goop coming out of the eye as well, it's completely disgusting but fun if you want to scare people by making them think you have pink eye. The technical term is, surprisingly, not goopy eyes, but contact dermatitis, and it sucks. Some people can develop sensitivities to cosmetics, skin care products, or even laundry detergent from what I understand. From my own research it seem that people can develop contact dermatitis in reaction to almost anything. Mascara in my case. Despite my love for Clinique, I've got to call them out on this one. I have tried and tried to convince myself and my eyes that it is not Clinique mascara that is the culprit but there really is no question anymore. Whenever I wear a Clinique mascara, doesn't matter the kind: high intensity, high impact, lash doubling, long pretty lashes, I get the goop and it just doesn't happen with my Lancome mascaras. Thank you Lancome for not attempting to blind me!

However, it is Clinique eye cream that saves the day. Hmmm, maybe that's the plan, give you eye goop then make the best de-goopifier out there. The miracle I'm referring to is All About Eyes. All About Eyes addresses dark circles and puffiness and is SO soothing to my goopy eyes. I use it every day for the dark circles and puffiness issues but when I've got the goop it makes my upset eyes calm down like nothing else. Thank you Clinique for making my eyes swell then soothing them like a dope fiend who has just scored another, desperately needed, hit. In dire emergencies I have also resorted to Clinique's Urgent Relief Cream from the Redness Solutions line. It's dermatologist tested hydrocortisone cream, basically, but it helps "get the red out" when I've got the goop and don't have the luxury of hiding in my house all day. I figure if it is dermatologist tested it probably won't blind me...

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

The Best Nude Lips


















I am a huge fan of a well done nude lip, a la Gweneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez. I recently purchased MAC's Adoring Carmine: 3 Neutral Lips set and I am totally in love! In the set are two gorgeous nude lipsticks in Soft Spot and Real Treasure and a mini Lipglass in My Dear. The biggest problem I've faced in my quest for the perfect nude lip is that all the ones I've tried (hundreds of liner/lipstick/gloss combos) over the years have always had too much color. They are either rosy or peach and I want a true nude. I have blond hair and incredibly fair skin and I was afraid the gig was up until I found these goodies from MAC. I also got a lip pencil in Oak which is incredibly perfect too! This is like finding the perfect black Gucci pumps or that sample sale where everything you want fits (HA!).

I do have some other recommendations for nude lips. I have not personally tried these but I have it on good authority they create a gorgeous lip also.

Lipsticks: Giorgio Armani Armani Silk No. 31, YSL Rouge Pur lipstick No. 132 in rosy beige, NARS Honolulu Honey, Stilla Emily, NARS Belle de Jour

Glosses: Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector 02, Estee Lauder High Gloss in Ivory

Monday, December 1, 2008

Brandy/Moesha...Remember Her? Anyone? No, OK.

I hate to even legitimize this celebutard (does she even qualify anymore?) by writing about her but she gave an interview to US Weekly that killed me and I had to share!

Here's the background, in 2001 she got knocked up by her then boyfriend...seems pretty par for the course these days, but anyway she said that they had been secretly married in July of 2001 so this baby wasn't a bastard, it was completely legit...how convenient. On a side note, Brandy was 22 at the time, I know it's hard to believe but were not talking about the actions of a 16 year old here. She even did a "documentary" for MTV about the birth of her totally legitimate child called Brandy: A Special Delivery...HA! Turns out that the two were never married, she made it all up! She did say they had a "spiritual union," yes, you are right Brandy, that is the same thing. Wink, wink.

Here are some of my favorite moments from this riotously funny article. When asked what her reaction was when she found out she was pregnant she replied, "I was afraid of the labor...it's gonna hurt so bad!" Commenting on why she lied she lets everyone know how sorry she is, "truly, truly sorry - like, a little bit of tears now." I am less concerned that she was unmarried and pregnant and more concerned with the state of her grammar, how disturbing! She went on to add, "our relationship was very real, but we weren't just legally married." Apparently she hasn't dated in over three years...at least her dating pool seems on to the fact that she is a mildly-retarded nut job! I am not making these things up, these are direct quotes from the article, I don't think I could make up such ridiculouness if I tried.