Lincoln Park After Dark

I have been a nail-biter since I was a kid, so I have never been able to wear nail polish.   Since we always want what we can't have, I spend a lot of time fantasizing about moody blacks, blues and purples, never daring to imagine that I might be able to take part in this trend.  Before christmas, my mom said she had had enough of my stubby bleeding fingers, and marched me to a nail salon for a set of bio-gels.  The poor lady who was doing my nails had a big job on her hands, she actually gasped when she saw them.  This sounds silly, but that day really changed my life.  I didn't realize how much I hid behind my hands, and how much nail biting not only made me look bad, but affected my self-confidence.  Not having my fingers in my mouth all the time has made me feel more open and confidant, and my beautiful nails make me feel like a lady!

Anyways, so this weekend I got my gels filled and decided to go for a colour gel instead of my usual french manicure, when my technician decided to inform me that I can paint regular polish colours OVER my french gels!!! I can't believe she never told me before, I would have done it months ago!  Sooooo now I am obsessed with nail polish, and I can't wait to try all the colours that I have always wanted!   The OPI website is awesome, you can actually "try on" the colours on a virtual hand, and it even lets you adjust the nail length and skin tone to match your own hands.  Lincoln Park After Dark by OPI has become a beauty cult classic, and although it was discontinued a while ago it can still be found at some salons and malls until it sells out (heaven forbid.)  I bought it from my nail salon on the weekend, along with Baby it's Coal Outside, a smoky dark grey with silver glitter, and Koala Berry, a juicy melon hot pink. Who comes up with these polish names I wonder? They are so clever.

   My life is complete. 

Birthday Girl

I got a $50 Sephora gift card for my birthday from my amazing friends, and I have no idea what to buy!!! There is too much stuff that I want and I am over excited and overwhelmed!

I am thinking about the new O-Plump lip gloss from Smashbox. Described as the "first intuitive lip plumper," O-Plump goes on clear and then reacts with your unique skin chemistry to create a natural and complimentary pink colour, all while giving you a full pout that rivals Angelina's. Normally plumping glosses and I are not friends, they sting my lips like crazy and I go bright red, so we will have to see how I do with this one.

I also want to try the new Smashbox O-Bronze intuitive cheek bronzer, which claims to deliver the perfect tan colour that compliments each individual skin tone...say bye bye to tangerine cheeks!
Decisions, decisions. I hope Sephora is ready for me, I may be there all night.

Confession

My name is Lizzie and I am a mascaraholic.

Wednesday - Grocery shopping at Fortinos...hmmm my maybelline collossal mascara is running a little dry, maybe I will take a little stroll down the cosmetics aisle...ooo lash blast is on sale!.............sold.

Thursday - New lash stiletto ad on TV...need to try it! Buy it from shoppers after work, try it on.......ewwww spider lash alert. no no no.

Friday - At shoppers buying cotton pads on my break from work. ooo Lash stylist is on sale. I think I tried that one a couple of years ago...is that the one I always got compliments on? I think it is! Its only $6.99...........sold. Get home, try it on. Ok maybe this wasn't the one. Maybe if I layer it over the lash blast?

Saturday - Ugh my eyelashes suck. Should have stuck with the Collossal, it really is my fave. Maybe I will pick up another one tomorrow when I am at the mall...........Sold.

Monday - At the Bay...drooling over Lancome mascaras. They are so expensive...but ooo! This set of Hypnose mascara, eyeliner and eye make-up remover is only $30 for all 3? Thats a steal! Hypnose is my all time fave...and it is my birthday this weekend...I should be able to treat myself right? And I have to look hot for my birthday...........sold.

ooops.

Joe Fresh Face

I love Joe fresh style, so when I heard they were coming out with a new line of make-up, I was a little over exited.
Joe Fresh Face aims to be "chic, affordable and undeniably fresh," and just like their clothes, you can get a runway look for grocery store prices... all of the products are under $10! Joe Mimran, creative director of Joe Fresh, says, “The approach we’ve used with the fashion collection translates beautifully to cosmetics. We want to dress our customers from head to toe and that includes make-up. For us, it’s always about value, style and quality.”
I headed to Loblaws today to check out the make-up first hand, and I had mixed feelings. There were no testers for any of the products except the lipstick, so even though there were lots of things I wanted to try, I was reluctant to buy anything.
The eyeshadow singles are awesome, there are so many colours and they are only $4. I bought a dark purple colour called plum which I really like. I also love the lipstains, they are a great way to give your lips some natural colour that lasts all day, and you can top with a gloss to give juicy shine. The coolest product though is the brow pencil, it has a convenient brush on one end so you can blend and groom your eyebrows to perfection.
So next time you have to pick up some milk, check out Joe Fresh face and see what you think!

The fatsionista debate

I first came across Beth Ditto last summer when I was at the London College of Fashion doing a short course in fashion journalism. She was featured in a POP spread, which is an edgy British fashion mag edited by the extraordinary Katie Grand. It is the kind of magazine where the pages are so beautiful that you want to rip out every one and frame it. I was struck by the ugly beauty of Beth Ditto in these photos, where the lead singer of Gossip wears YSL, Marc Jacobs and Mulberry clothes that had to be specially made for the quirky size 20 model.

Since her debut in POP, Ditto has become a fashion icon in Britain, hounded by the paparazzi at fashion week as people attempt to capture her coveted look.
She is allegedly best friends with Kate Moss, and designers are falling over themselves to create dresses and looks especially for her. Ditto has recently agreed to design her own line of clothing for British plus-size retail chain Evans, after turning down an offer from fashion giant Topshop because they do not cater to fuller figured women. Hailing herself as a size hero not a size zero, the"fatshionista" blames gay men for making women feel like they need to be thin. Ditto argues that the fashion industry is dominated by men who want women to look like perfect dolls that they can dress up, rather than real people. She makes a good point, but Ditto has sparked yet another debate about healthy body images. When googling Beth Ditto's name, the words "disgusting" and "ugly" were most frequently associated with her. But it is precisely this ugliness that is what appeals to designers...she is one of kind, a real life ugly betty that allows the world to see a different kind of beauty than what we are spoon-fed every day.

How long will this fascination last? Sadly I don't think that plus-size goth lesbian sheek is here to stay, Ditto is probably just another passing fad in the fickle fashion world.

A perfect lie

My graphic design teacher used to work at Wedding Bells, and today during our photoshop lesson she was explaining how at the magazine they used to stretch out photos of models to make them look slimmer and taller. My sister is a model, so I know a thing or two about airbrushing. There have been countless times when my 5ft 10" size 2 sister has come home crying from a casting because they told her that her boobs were too big, or too small, her hair was too blonde, or not blonde enough, she was "too pretty," or not pretty enough...she has even been told that her eyelashes are too long and look fake. ummm?? wtf.

This inspired me to post some pictures of celebrities without make-up on, just so us normal girls can point and laugh and feel mildly better about ourselves.

The "C" word

It is the dirty word no woman wants to hear.

Cellulite.

The good news is that 90% of women over the age of 18 have cellulite, no matter how skinny or curvy you are, so you are not alone. The bad news is that is nearly impossible to get rid of.

Even celebrities have cellulite. Poor Mischa Barton was scrutinized last year by the paparazzi for having cellulite, and painfully close-up pictures of her butt and thighs were splashed all over the tabloids. Clearly there is no magic cure for cellulite, otherwise celebrities would have cottoned on years ago, but there are some steps women can take to reduce the problem.

Dry brushing is a technique that is very cheap and easy to do, but has many benefits. Cellulite is a non-scientific term defined as toxic deposits of subcutaneous fat material and fibrous tissue that are not able to be eliminated and which cause a dimpling effect on the overlying skin.
Dry brushing boosts circulation and helps to drain the lymphatic system in the body, which breaks down fatty deposits in the skin and eliminates cellulite-causing toxins. Dry brushing also helps to boost your immune system and improves your digestive system, while exfoliating the skin at the same time. Even better, dry brushing tightens skin, tones muscles, and is said to be the equivalent of 20 minutes of pilates!

How does this dry brushing thing work?

You can use any natural fibre bath or body brush, just make sure the bristles are not too rough.
I use the Round Body Brush, $12 from The Body Shop, and it is awesome because it has an easy grip handle and the round shape is designed for optimum massage benefits.

Before you get into the bath or shower, use the body brush to massage your skin in a circular motion starting from the feet and moving up towards the head. Pay extra attention to areas where there is cellulite, and always massage towards your heart, not away from it. The process should last about 10/15 mins for best results, so take your time, relax and enjoy the invigorating massage! Always shower after dry brushing to wash away toxins from the skin.

I tried dry brushing for the first time yesterday, and it felt fantastic. My skin feels much softer and smoother already! This is something that I really want to stick to, so watch this space for an update.

Rock Princess

Do you ever wish you could be someone else, just for one day? Do you have a secret desire that bubbles up inside you and makes you want to break out of your shell and do something crazy?

I think that my alter ego is Kat Von D from LA Ink. I love this girl and I am so in awe of her, probably because she is the opposite of me in every single way. I love pink, she loves black. She has a million tattoos, and I am scared of needles. She rides a motorcycle and I (rarely) drive a family van. She is on tv and I break out in hives when I even smell a camera. She is "rad," I am "cute." She is wild, I am safe. She is everything I wish I was, but everything I am glad I am not.

bye bye Princess...hello Rock Princess!!!!

Is there a way to embrace my inner Kat Von D without getting a tattoo or dying my hair black? There is now! I am taking a walk on the wildside and trading in my Vera Wang Princess for the new Vera Wang Rock Princess.

"Poetic, Original, Dramatic, and Sultry. Vera Wang Rock Princess is a dark, fruity floral with sultry rock star attitude and hip, modern style." - Vera Wang

Not only that, but Kat Von D also has her own make-up collection exclusively at Sephora, and I love love love the eyeshadow palettes, they are so wicked!

My faves are the True Romance Eyeshadow palettes in Metal Orchestra and Beethoven. They come with 8 rich, sexy, smoky colours, all for $34 so they are great value for money and very versatile. Visit Sephora.com for more details.

From Twilight to Midnight

Not only are vampires taking over hollywood, penetrating bookshelves and dominating the minds of tweens everywhere, they have now invaded the fashion world. The goth look is back with a vengeance on runways, and make-up is quickly following suit.

It all began when Lacome released their new lipgloss shade "Phia Black" on the same day as the movie release of Twilight. Coincidence? I think not. It seems that everyone is cashing in on this vampire craze.

Dior designed an eye shadow palette called "Twilight" in honour of the movie, and Kristen Stewart actually wore the sultry mixture of blues, greys and blacks at the premiere.

My favourite look so far though was seen at the spring 2009 YSL show. Their limited edition "pur black" lipgloss looks like patent leather, it is so shiny and rich.
Wear if you dare.