I realized this morning that my blog has lacked color lately.  I am all for neutrals and a hushed palette, but even I appreciate a pop of color sometimes.  Thankfully, inspiration hit via an email from Paul & Joe, a French design house that has both beautiful clothes and an equally beautiful beauty line.  It’s their 10th anniversary and they are celebrating it with the launch of a new collection called ‘A Love Story’.  If you have a soft spot for vintage in your heart, then their packaging will delight you to no end.  The round blush packaging wrapped with the storks/pelicans, uhm birds motif? So darling! They pay attention to every detail, from debossing their mark into the the cosmetics themselves (hello, script ‘PJ’ in the lipstick), to replicating authentic beauty packaging of yore with their molded nail polish wand and hourglass bottles.  You know I lean to the clean, but I can really appreciate the work that went into taking this line to market to create all these custom components. The word on the street is that this isn’t just a pretty face either, their products rate rave reviews. I see it as a very ‘gifty’ line, maybe not something you would buy for yourself but maybe your bridal party would love a kitten lipstick?  Just a lovely line, indeed.  Happy Friday everyone!

I often times feel like the internet is nirvana for my every whim + curiosity. If one day I am interested in classic book endpaper patterns or the next I am curious about Venetian glass pens I can very well find someone waxing poetic on those seemingly obscure subjects.  If I want to know the secrets of how a famous make-up artist makes my favorite models and starlets look flawless well that’s usually a little harder to find, until that is I discovered the fantastic+ talented Lisa Eldridge. Lisa has decided to share her over 20 years experience as a make-up artist with us mere mortals via video tutorials. She herself could have easily been one of the starlets she works on she is that captivating. I stayed up the previous evening watching every one of her videos until my computer decided to call it a night at around 3:00 a.m. This morning in an excited fervor to try out some of the techniques I learned I went a bit overboard. My cheeks were a little too rosy and I was a little heavy handed on the eye shadow (I never wear it so I suppose I need some practice).  When I was walking the girls with my husband this morning I saw him giving me quizzical side glances. “What?”, I asked, “Do you love my new make-up?” He scrunched up his nose and pushed his glasses higher on his bridge before he answered, “I think it’s a little much,” he answered matter-of-factly. Wherein he circled the area around my visage with his pointer finger to indicate exactly what he considered was ‘too much’. I ordinarily would have stormed off even though I know that he is often right about these things, but I just laughed.  I knew I was a little too enthusiastic with my new found beauty knowledge.  With any new skill, it takes time, although Lisa does make it look very simple. I think once I have come down off my internet high I will be able to actually re-create some of her ‘no make-up, make-up’ looks,  which is her signature and which I would like to be mine. I would love for people to think I have naturally flawless skin, long lashes, a pretty pout and a rosy glow, wouldn’t you?  My favorite part of the video series is she tells you exactly what cosmetics she uses to achieve the look and what tools she uses, she’ll even give you alternate options to make them easier to find. I am crazy for this resource and hope you will be too. Have a happy weekend!

I know the copy on my photo could be misconstrued so let me rectify any potential misunderstanding and let you know that ‘Falsies’ is the name of the mascara that I am loving.  I bought it prior and liked it, but that was when we were vacationing in San Francisco. Back in the City of Angels it didn’t work as well, but here in the deep country of the Carolinas it’s working mighty fine (and it is H-U-M-I-D here). I don’t have a need for extra long lashes in my remote corner of the world, unless of course to try to keep my shirtless husband attracted to me, but he actually likes me without mascara (go figure?). The truth is I like having Daddy long leg-like lashes, it makes me feel prettier and that has to count for something right? Now if I could only get rid of the back fat, I would be golden. I have recommended a lot of mascaras in my time and you may wonder what this one does that the others don’t, well it gives a little curve to the ends and it both thickens and lengthens. It’s super inexpensive for such a good mascara, horrible name (but gets the point across) and I could do without the purple and aqua packaging but it’s deep in my make-up drawer so no one has to see it but me and my long lashes.

Since I have moved to the South my skin hasn’t been as dry as it was in the City of Angels, Los Angeles afterall is a desert basin so not much moisture in the air. The flip side of my more hydrated skin is that my former foundation routine is now null and void.  The beautiful products I coveted formerly–Cover Girl NatureLuxe and Smashbox BB Cream melt off my face the minute I open the front door.  I think I mentioned that my husband even commented on my ‘different color skin’ and wondered why I would do that to myself. I previously really loved the Korres mineral foundation and it is what I wore when I eloped, but they have limited colors and it seems I am not as pale (read translucent) as I formerly was and thus there’s not a shade that fits my new skintone (off-translucent). My main criteria for foundation is that it doesn’t dry out my already dry skin, that it covers my hyper-pigmentation on my cheeks, has an SPF of atleast 20 and makes it look like I just have clean, fresh skin and no make-up.  I suppose you can sum it up as a ‘freshly scrubbed’ visage.  I used to love the Cargo OneBase concealer + foundation but it was discontinued from Sephora where I usually have a gift certificate from friends and family that know about my severe beauty addiction, so I never shop at any other beauty store. I did find it at Ulta the other day and against my better budget judgment I bought it.  My rationale was that a little goes a long way, my last one lasted me almost the entire year so if I amortized it, it would basically be pennies on the dollar. I had some Laura Mercier tinted foundation (another product that a little goes a long way), which I like to use when I am just running around doing errands, but it’s very sheer and doesn’t disguise the blotches of hyper-pigmentation on my cheeks, when I put the two together it became my new winning combination. How do I gauge this complexion perfection?  My husband looked at me the other day and said, “This is how I like you best no make-up”.  I just smiled, who am I to crush his delusional mind?

P.S. If you haven’t already don’t forget about the Stationery Stamp giveaway, lot’s of winners to be had!