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Beauty Buzz: BB Queen

By |May 31st, 2012|Beauty Buzz|

bb creamSmashbox Camera Ready BB Cream

Remember last week when I schooled you on the beauty basic that is primer? And the best primers for mature skin.  Well, while doing my due diligence and rounding up the best primers on the market, I kept stumbling across this product called “BB cream.”  I had seen a couple of commercials also touting the unfamiliar name, but really thought nothing of it until, I noticed that Sephora had an entire product section devoted to this elusive beauty balm.

Being a total beauty junkie, I was utterly intrigued and hightailed it over to get myself some Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream.  BB Cream is supposed to be the secret to totally flawless skin when worn under your foundation.  The original BB creams (made popular in Asia) contain skin lighteners… not something I particularly need, seeing as I’m resembling Casper these days (can you say vitamin D deficiency?).  They have been mostly removed from the Western versions, but they have not skimped on the other benefits.  Most BB creams contain sunscreen, moisturizers, and anti-aging ingredients (much like primers).  The main difference I noticed with Smashbox’s version, at least, was the amazing coverage.  To be honest, I don’t actually wear foundation.  Usually just something tinted and a bit of powder.  This particular potion is the answer to all my complexion prayers.  It’s enough coverage to hide any unsightly blemishes (not that I ever have those), but not so heavy that I feel like I’m wearing an opera mask.  It stayed put all day and I got several compliments on what lovely skin I had all day.

There may be a bit of redundancy with primers and BB cream in my book.  I would, however, be more likely to trade my primer in for Smashbox’s Camera Ready, unless, of course, you have a primer that is made with water from the fountain of youth… and diamonds.  You don’t, do you?

xx,

WhyDid

Setting the Mood: Takes Two To Tango

By |March 12th, 2012|Setting the Mood|

pantone tangerine tangoDrum roll, please… In case you haven’t already heard, this year Pantone named Tangerine Tango the “color of the year.”  And it couldn’t be better timing.  What a perfect color for spring to offset your beautiful (faux) tan.  This shade caught on early from the switch of crimson to coral lips and even little ol’ me was seen sporting tangy tangerine.  The color is so big, in fact, that Sephora has even teamed up with Pantone to create a “crush” worthy collection of the citrus shade (which is available now).  So get your glow on and grab something to brighten up your mood and your wardrobe in this year’s color of the year, Tangerine Tango.

tangerine tango accessories

Sephora + Pantone Universe Color of the Year Nail Enamel Set, $24, Michael Michael Kors Ariana Wedge, $150, Proenza Schouler PS1 Pouch Leather, $1,225, Silence & Noise Knit Fitted Dress, $29.99

 

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: NY State of Mind

By |January 3rd, 2012|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

Nothing is stranger than returning to the city that you love as a tourist.  This past weekend, I was back in the Big Apple, but no longer as a resident of the best city in the world.  Though I did stay at The Standard only a stone’s throw away from my last apartment, it was so peculiar to be just another person visiting New York City.  I haven’t even been gone an entire year (I gave up my apartment last January), but things have already changed (there’s now a Sephora on the corner of 13th and 9th.  Do you KNOW how much better this would have made my life?).

As bittersweet as my visit was, I still love New York City unlike another other city.  There is something so magical, so indescribable, that one must experience it to truly understand it.  While it’s not for everyone, the people who it affects, will be affected forever.  There is just something that gets under your skin and you’ll never ever be able to shake it.  As much as you may tire of the hustle, bustle, and constant struggle, you’d miss it if you were to be transplanted elsewhere.  I can certainly attest to that.

So when spending the afternoon at a ballet in the city, what else should one don but basic black?  Now, we all know that black is the New York uniform, but how do you do it without being boring?  Try mixing different textures to add depth and definition.  Mix leather or coated denim with something sheer, shiny accessories and a fishtail braid for a truly city chic look.

1. Theyskens’ Theory Black Button Down Sheer Blouse, $385, 2. 7 For All Mankind The Skinny in Black Shiny Featherweight, $169, 3. J Weber Etched Starburst Locket, $475, 4. Alex & Ani Nile Expandable Wire Bangles, $158, 5. Steve Madden Outrrage Black Leather Bootie, $189.95

It’s up to you New York…

xx,

WhyDid

 

Guest Post: Why Don’t You Try It?

By |July 21st, 2011|Beauty Buzz, Guest Blogger|

They say good things come in small packages, but in a society where we’re always stressing bigger, better, more, more, more, sometimes it seems hard to believe.  Luckily, Stephie is here to remind us just how great the “little things” really can be.

I die for beauty product samples and recently Sephora has been on a tear!  A number of very exciting minis have overhauled my usual summer skincare and makeup routine. A Beauty Insider VIP-sized sample of DDF Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew is my new defacto nighttime summer moisturizer. During the winter, I opt for a thicker formula, but this one is truly hydrating without leaving my face an oil slick. It’s heavy duty moisture without the weight. For seriously sticky days, I turn to Elemis Daily Shine Control, a treatment moisturizer for oily to combination skin that fights shine while it moisturizes.  Two birds, one sample.

Of course, all of this goes under Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20, or what many beauty buffs would call the best all-around light coverage product on the market.  Speaking of SPF, a facialist recently told me not to use SPF 15, but  rather 50 on my face, neck, décolleté and hands every day to prevent aging. I took SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 for a test drive.  Not only does it not stink, but it also goes on (YES, girls) in a strangely accurate human skin color not that creepy pasty white.  SkinCeuticals avers it a “universal tint.”  Somehow I believe it.

Sephora hit a sour note with a Father’s Day promotion giving samples of men’s products. Who gifts dad three tiny tubes of random skincare? Awkward.  Rather than waste these samples, I selected a few men’s cleansers I could test myself and compared them with a Kiehl’s specimen stolen from my husband’s drawer (he only gets one). The test confirmed that although men’s cleansers can be truly awesomely gritty (Clinique Skin Supplies for Men Face Scrub) and wonderfully experientially tabacco-y (Kiehl’s Energizing Facial Fuel Skin Buffer for Men) or energizing and brightening (Anthony Logistics for Men Facial Scrub), there are simply no men’s cleansers that can remove eye makeup- ya hear that Adam Lambert?

Forget a chihuahua in your handbag: Fresh Soy Face Cleanser is an eyeliner-wearing lady’s best friend. It is also somehow gentle enough that if you left a smidge on, it would be good for your complexion. It has a lovely scent and a famous gelatinous texture (if you tapped a bowlful, it would jiggle). It’s better than anything the boys have got, trust me.

Summer means light and fresh for color on the face too.  Guerlain Terracotta Skin Healthy Glow Foundation is the only bronzer that doesn’t look dirty on my very fair pink-undertoned skin and a Sephora sample is what introduced me to it, (kinda makes up for the father’s day weirdness). Fear not: this gel formula did not make me look like I walked into a dusty clay factory, like some powder bronzers – it actually made me look tan (what a concept)! Smashbox O-GLOSS
Intuitive Lip Gloss provides a pretty pink counterpoint. The O-GLOW (cheek version) will not work if you pile on hydrators, sunscreens and tinted moisturizers like I recommend above, because it needs to come in contact with both bare skin and air to work. But, O-GLOSS provides that magical same out-of-thin air magical fuschia branded just for you – it works with your lip chemistry to create a shiny, entirely non-sticky “custom shade of pink” (usually in the hello-kitty cuteness category).

Now get your summer sampling on and don’t forget to wear your sunnies!

xx,

Stephie

 

Beauty Buzz: Why Is My Face Melting Off?

By |June 9th, 2011|Beauty Buzz|


Now that the weather is finally starting to cooperate, we have a whole new set of beauty issues to deal with.  My pals in New York told me the thermometer reached a sweat inducing 100 degrees this week.  Ah… I remember those days.  The days of getting ready in the morning only to have your face melt off before you’ve even reached the subway station.  By the time you get to work (or wherever your final destination may be) you look as if you’ve just completed a marathon- only no one’s going to hand you a medal.  Maybe a towel- but definitely not a medal.

Well, here’s a little assistance from a woman who’s been in your sweaty shoes.  I learned quickly not to bother with heavy amounts of makeup and to not even attempt to fight the east coast humidity.  Instead, I picked a few makeup bag essentials that will hold up to even the most sweltering heat.

1. Rebecca Minkoff Made Up Studded Cosmetic Case, $53.99, 2. NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Carthage, $25, 3. Trish McEvoy Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 15, $35, 4. Benefit Cosmetics Girl Meets Pearl Luminizer, $30, 5. Diorshow Waterproof Mascara, $24.50, 6. Goody Ouchless Hair Elastics, $2.99,  7. Sephora Matte Blotting Papers, $8

By keeping your face gunk free and focusing mainly on your pout, you can win the battle against summer weather.  A light powder (especially with SPF!) is a great way to get coverage while fighting shine.  Now- I’m going to go ahead and contradict myself here: You’re going to be shiny.  So, you may as well work with your given situation by corralling the shine to where you want it. Your cheekbones.  Swiping a matte pink (the color of the season) across your lips and topping it all off with a coat of waterproof mascara will having you looking hot (figuratively, not literally).  Don’t forget to keep blotting papers and some metal free rubber bands handy!

Hot has a whole new meaning.

xx,

WhyDid