Splurge vs. Steal

You know how the fashion magazines have their "Splurge vs. Steal" sections? Well, I've got one for you today!

When it comes to eyebrows, I am follicly-challenged. My dad has sparse eyebrows and my mom MAY have a couple of hairs framing each eye. Being a redhead, I am further challenged because what little brows I have are blonde.

So, over the years I've always had to pencil them in. I've hated using cream pencils because it just looks too ridiculous...too cartoony. So, I can remember when I came across Le Crayon Poudre for brows, by Lancôme, I was smitten. The pencil was a soft powder that could be blended easily and didn't look too harsh or cartoony. The downside was that the powder pencil lead broke frequently and at $24 a pop, I simply couldn't afford to keep using it.



Than I came across N.Y.C.'s Browblender Brow and Liner pencil and decided to give it a try. It is also a powder pencil, so it has all the benefits of Le Crayon Poudre. AND I find that it doesn't break as often...occasionally the tip breaks off after it is sharpened, but that's it. And seeing how I can pick it up at Walmart for around $3...you can't beat it.



My trick for making the brows look nice is to apply the pencil, then powder over it with loose or pressed powder. After that, go back and fill in any areas that need extra defining with the pencil.

Mother's Day Giveaway

With Mother's Day rapidly approaching, here in the US, I decided it was time to do my very first giveaway. Here's a little bit about the piece I am giving away:

The necklace is an organza ribbon necklace with some silver and stone accents. The vesuvianite (idocrase) drop and the lemon quartz rondelle are both beautifully faceted.

The necklace measures 16" and has a 1 1/2" extender chain.

**Please note: The findings on the organza necklace (the lobster claw clasp, extender chain)are NOT sterling silver.**

But all other metal work on the necklace IS sterling silver.


NOW...what do you have to do?

1.) Subscribe to my blog and refer 1 friend. (Have them leave a comment that you referred them. You can refer more and you will be entered again, for each person referred.)

2.) Follow me on Twitter: Glamourpuss15 and tweet/retweet about the giveaway.

3.) Check out my Etsy shop and tell me which piece of jewelry is your favorite and why.

The contest will end on April 30th to ensure I can get the piece to you or your mom in time for the big day.

Thanks so much! Spread the word!

Fun UK Finds!

Okay, so whenever I visit my in-laws in England, I know they all think I am totally insane because I always go and waste lots of time and money in the local drugstores. Boots used to be my favorite, but over the years, I have found Superdrug to be far more interesting. It's less pretentious and their brand of products are pretty good. (Tate only uses their sparkly strawberry and tutti frutti toothpastes! And their kids shampoos and bath products have scratch and sniff labels with cute illustrations of monsters on them!) This trip, after each trip to the shop, I have been given these cool vouchers to complete a survey online and get 25% off Superdrug brand items and 10% off everything else. I'm saving like CRAZY!

So far I've been to three locations of Superdrug...Loughton, Marble Arch and The Strand. The Strand location has been my favorite. I found some fabulous eyeshadow palettes. And despite dropping a tester and getting a death stare from the cosmetics sales associate who thought I was a weirdo looking at make-up for people with darker skin tones than mine, I found and purchased some cool things! (Take note, if you have a lighter complexion you should not rule out make-up designed for darker skin tones. The eyeshadows, blushes and lipsticks usually have more pigments in them than what you would get from Maybelline or some other drugstore brand.)

What I like about the drugstore cosmetics here is that it is risky...there are bright colors and lots of sparkles. I mean, just look at the gorgeous colors in the eyeshadow palettes by Sleek MakeUP! (Although I am not-so-secretly lusting for a grayscale palette they had called "Graphite", but it was limited edition, last year.) And while you run the risk of TONS of fashion "faux pas", it's really fun! Sure, I've seen plenty of people who could use a visit from the fashion police, but at least they are taking the chance. I find that many Americans are afraid of color. But the fact of the matter is that you can wear any color you like, it is all in how it is applied.

Anyway, here are some photos for you to feast your eyes upon! Sometimes the packaging is really fun too!

(Photos by Glamourpuss)

Beauty Tip #3

I was recently reminded of the phenomenon where women feel compelled to leave their mouths gaping open while applying eyeliner or mascara. I can only compare it to a tightrope walker holding his arms out for balance. And it really doesn't make our eyes wider, just our mouths! It is quite bizarre and one day I decided I was tired of looking silly so I put a plan into action to end the "o" face.

The easiest way to do this is to tilt your chin up, like you're looking down the end of your nose at someone. Hold your mirror up and go to work. Please note: a hands-free mirror makes this even easier!

The main reason I wanted to break the habit was that I found myself making THE face when I was applying make-up on other people. I felt it was seriously unprofessional to leave my mouth agape while working! What a no-no!

As always, make-up should be fun, so go play and enjoy it!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone