The Pacific Coast Highway and an Antidote to SoCal Dryness: Sephora Rose Mask!

Long time no blog! We reached Los Angeles yesterday evening, after a two-day drive down the Pacific Coast Highway. On the first (and more scenic) day, we covered the PCH from San Francisco to San Luis Obispo. The drive included lots of opportunities to pose for windswept photos on sand dunes: And a breathtaking “historic”… Read More The Pacific Coast Highway and an Antidote to SoCal Dryness: Sephora Rose Mask!

La Vita è (Not Exactly) Bella: New Milani Eyeshadows in Bella Taupe and Bella Rouge

Damn it, Milani! You’ve done it again. Lured me in with the promise of a revolutionary makeup formula at an implausibly low price point, only to deliver mediocrity. Will I ever learn? (These containers remind me of portholes on a ship.) Look, Milani’s new Bella eyeshadow singles are perfectly decent. I’d give them a B… Read More La Vita è (Not Exactly) Bella: New Milani Eyeshadows in Bella Taupe and Bella Rouge

Pistols at Dawn: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla vs. My Dark Circles

Being a True and Compleat Account of a Recent Affair of Honour. Pistols at dawn, or swords, or concealer wands… I’ve had reddish-purple undereye circles since early childhood. Most of the time, I don’t even think about them. They’re not caused by diet choices or sleep habits, which means they’re not going anywhere; they’re as… Read More Pistols at Dawn: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla vs. My Dark Circles

NYX for Eyes and Lips: Slide On Pencil in Glitzy Gold and Matte Lipstick in Alabama

It’s Christmas in August! By which I mean, it’s been so gray and gloomy in San Francisco that wearing gold eyeliner and brick-red matte lipstick–together, even–seems perfectly appropriate in early August. These are both recent purchases: I bought the eyeliner at a CVS in New York and the lipstick at an Ulta in Birmingham. I… Read More NYX for Eyes and Lips: Slide On Pencil in Glitzy Gold and Matte Lipstick in Alabama

Lipstick Chronology #25: Maybelline Vivids, Pt. 1 (Vivid Rose and Brazen Berry)

Names: Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Lipstick in Vivid Rose (875) and Brazen Berry (905) Dates Purchased: May and June 2013 Grades: A, A- Notes: Since I don’t have all my lipsticks with me in San Francisco, I’m writing my Vivids reviews slightly out of chronological order. I bought one of my five Vivids, Fuchsia Flash,… Read More Lipstick Chronology #25: Maybelline Vivids, Pt. 1 (Vivid Rose and Brazen Berry)

The Only Tattoos I’ll Ever Have: Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows

All right, that title is a bit of an exaggeration. I’m not completely sure I’ll never get a tattoo. But given my indecisiveness, fear of commitment, and habitual buyer’s remorse, I can say the odds are very slim. I do, however, own five Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadows. I’m not the first person to consider the… Read More The Only Tattoos I’ll Ever Have: Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows

Lipstick Chronology #23: Milani Flamingo Pose and Sweet Nectar

Names: Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Flamingo Pose and Sweet Nectar Date Purchased: Spring 2013 Grade: B Notes: I wish I liked Milani more than I do. It’s one of the only cruelty-free American drugstore brands left, and I mean entirely cruelty-free: it hasn’t expanded into China or sold out to a larger company that… Read More Lipstick Chronology #23: Milani Flamingo Pose and Sweet Nectar

Beauty Abroad, Part 9: Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Zygomatic, and Some Thoughts on British Beauty

Finally! It’s humid, guys. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but when the humidity level is 94% at 7:30 am, I can be forgiven for mentioning it again. I don’t understand how those of you who live in hot climates with year-round humidity keep your makeup from sliding off your faces, but I need to… Read More Beauty Abroad, Part 9: Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Zygomatic, and Some Thoughts on British Beauty