Buzzworthy News: Sephora Pulls Kim's Perfume

Beauty powerhouse, Sephora, has announced they are dropping socialite Kim Kardashian's signature scent from their stores. Sephora is also pulling all upcoming in-store appearances with Kardashian and is choosing not to renew her contract. The best selling scent had been a Sephora exclusive until recently, when Kardashian opted to mass market the scent to rival beauty retailers such as  Macy's and Target. I guess that is exactly ticked Sephora off- notice the text in the ad of the perfume that reads "AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVLEY AT SEPHORA". What do you think about all this? Is Kardashian greedy for going behind Sephora's back? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Weekend Haul

I was able to check out the Fabulous Felines collection at MAC this weekend and I'm sorry to say I wasn't impressed. The liquid liners were gorgeous, but since they are added to the permanent line I wasn't in any rush to pick them up. The mineralize blushes seemed lackluster and most of the lipsticks seemed like a glitterbomb mess. I did manage to pick up one lipglass in Spree and To Pamper lipstick. While i love the combo of these two, To Pamper would a hard color to wear alone and probably more difficult for some skintones to pull off because of its grey undertones. For me, though, it creates a really nice MLBB (my lips but better) shade. Also pictured are two nail polishes I bought from Avon; the green in Jade and the blue in Vintage Blue. Labor day is just around the corner which means it will be time to put away my pastel nail colors from summer!

To Pamper Lipstick and Spree Lipgloss

Dupe this Look: Rachel McAdams

This is a great look for blue eyes! To really bring out the icy blue in your eyes (if you are lucky enough to have them!), gold and bronze shadows really make the color stand out. Rachel's makeup is so subtly beautiful and the golden undertones of her shadow give her deep blue eyes a nice pop. I recreated this look on the beautiful Toni, since her eyes are a close match to Rachel's baby blues.

I kept her makeup pretty simple, and used Urban Decay's Half Baked all over her lid. I blended MAC's Tempting into the crease and Smut in the outer corners. I also dusted MAC's Retrospeck in the inner corners of her eye to give her that bright-eyed look and lined her lower lashline with Mulch. I gave her just a tiny line of MAC's Blacktrack fluid line for her top lid and used MAC's Raven (a glittery bronze) eyeliner along the lower waterline. Toni was blessed with extra long lashes so I skipped the falsies this time and finished her look with a matte Rock & Republic blush (Kinky) and MAC's pink lipstick in Bombshell.

Buzzoworthy: MAC Fabulous Felines

 

Today, MAC Cosmetics debuts its newest collection, Fabulous Felines. The new line is divided into three different collections, Palace Pedigreed, Leopard Luxe, and Burmese Beauty. I am particularly excited to pick up the Superslick Liquid Eyeliners (I want every color!), the pigments and the re-release of one of my favorite eyeshadows, Noteriety (in a quad for Leopard Luxe). What will you be picking up?

Beauty Deals of the Week

For all you budget babes out there, stop by these sales before they're over (or everything gets sold out)!

Urban Decay on Hautelook

• Skin Nutrition and Oscar Blandi on Beauty Story
• Smashbox kits and Laura Mercier on BeautyTicket
• Molton Brown on Gilt
• Urban Decay and Yes to Carrots on Hautelook

Dupe This Look: Gossip Girl

Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf

You know you love me! Since back to school is just around the corner, I thought I would do a look inspired by that other Queen B. The style and trends of Gossip Girl are so sophisticated and polished it's hard not fall in love with all the girls on the show. Blair Waldorf's style is a particular favorite of mine because while Queen B is quite dramatic her makeup has a subtle and soft beauty about it.  

I stuck to subtle bronze colors, as Blair's everyday look is understated but quite feminine. I swept MAC's Woodwinked all over the lid and used Moth Brown on the crease. I skipped the heavy black eyeliner I usually love wearing and opted for a Sephora bronze pencil and simply traced my lower lashline with it. Blair's doll-like features are played up with raspberry colors and jewel tones so I used Rock and Republic's X-Rated on the cheek (a beautiful matte berry color) and Revlon's Colorburst lipstick in Mauve. And of course, Blair's look is not complete without a headband to finish it off. Chuck Bass not included.

Faces by the Honey B: Stephanie

I had another makeup appointment with Stephanie this last Sunday because her husband was taking her out to the John Mayer concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Stephanie wanted something different and a little more glammed up from the last appointment we had so I felt it necessary to  up the drama with false eyelashes and heavy eyeliner.

I wanted to emphasize Stephanie's beautiful almond shaped eyes so I did a very dramatic smokey eye with MAC's Satin Taupe (my go-to dressy shadow), Smut, and Urban Decay's Oil Slick. I also winged out her eyeliner to extend her eye with MAC's fluidline in Blacktrack (my Holy Grail of all products!). I kept the rest of her makeup very subtle with NARS Gina on her cheek (the peach was perfect for her skintone) and MAC's Angel lipstick with NARS Turkish Delight lipgloss to finish it (this is Kim Kardashian's favorite lip combo!). The lovely as always Layla is wearing Johnson and Johnson Baby Powder and a headband her grandfather bought for her.

Blush Buzz: Rock and Republic Tease

What a great way to start off the weekend! The two Rock and Republic blushes I ordered from Beauty Story came in this morning and I got to break in my highly anticipated Tease blush. Tease is a soft matte lilac in the pan but goes on my warm skin as a pinky mauve. This blush is so different from anything else i own and even though I am warm toned the blush still works on my tan skin . I am especially excited to try Tease on cooler tones, as I think the lilac would come through a little more. It gives leaves such a soft and pretty color on the cheek with such little product on the brush. I cannot get enough of these Rock and Republic blushes! They are absolutely worth all the hype!

Beauty on a Budget: 10 under $10

This is for all you frugal honey bees out there! Everyone loves a bargain so here are my picks for some of the best beauty buys under $10!

Revlon A Floral Affair Blush in Pinking of You: This limited edition blush retailed for about $6 and creates such a cute baby pink flush!

NYX Chrome Eyeshadow in Space: The navy loose pigment is blendable, buildable and a steal at $6.

Pop Eye Cake in Mocha: I found this little gem on BeautyTicket.com for just $8. You get five flattering shades in one cake that's easy to store and fun to wear.

L'Oreal HiP Cream eyeliner in Midnight Blue: Okay so I'm cheating because this product is really $12 but with so much product with such good quality you are really getting a bang for your buck.

ELF Bronzing powder in Healthy Glow:  I love ELF products and this bronzing powder really does create a healthy glow! You can't really go wrong with $1 bronzer either.

Crown Flat Top Bronzing Brush: I was lucky enough to pick up this brush at IMATS for just $5! Not only is there little/no shedding, but this brush is so great at blending and buffing.

Rimmel Brow Pencil in Dark Brown: The perfect shade of brown for brunettes like me is at your local drugstore for around $3. It even comes with a blending brush on the top!

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara: My new favorite mascara has been compared to the $24 Diorshow in both brush AND formula. At $8 a tube you're practically getting it for free.

NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow pencil: I could own this jumbo pencil in every color! It works as a great base because of it's creamy formula. It's retails at just $4 a pencil, so don't miss out on great colors like Black, Pacific and Milk.

Milan Lipstick in Rose Hip: This has to be one of my favorite shades to wear out and if you don't want to shell out $24 for NARS Schiap, this is a great $5 alternative.

Dupe this Look: Mad Men

Christina Hendricks as Joan Holloway

I just love the look on popular AMC series Mad Men. The 1960's gave us two of beauty's greatest looks: the winged cat eye and the red lip. I wanted to recreate this look because of its Marilyn Monroe appeal and how much it's influenced the way women look today, decades after.
My copy cat of this Joan Holloway look was pretty simple: emphasize the eyes, keep everything matte and rock that red lip.  I used MAC eyeshadow in Blanc Type to cover my whole lid and drew on a very dramatic wing, only adding a very light and thin line of liner on my lower lashline. I skipped the bronzer for this look since women of that time kept their skin looking porcelain with just a dab of a cheek color (I used Rock & Republic's Kinky, a matte shocking pink). I finished my look by lining my lips entirely in MAC's best red lip liner, Brick and topped it off with a matte MAC lipstick Vegas Volt. Don't forget to apply a thick and full set of falsies!

Weekend Haul

I love the postman! He dropped off my online order this weekend and I am so excited to try everything! Pictured below is the Stila Smudge Pot set (which includes Black, Starry Night, Violet and Kitten), MAC lipstick in Shy Girl, and Red Cherry Lashes!

Buzzworthy: Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain in Passion

I had to try this product despite the cheesy Twilight-esque marketing. The new Just Bitten lipstains from Revlon are supposed to leave your lips stained with rich color. The double sided lipstains look like a marker on one side and packs a balm on the other side. I love the way lipstains are meant to look (a simple, sheer wash of color) but done wrong and you end up looking like you've been sipping on Kool-Aid all day. I've had a pretty sour experience with the Cover Girl lipstains, which were poor in pigment, drying on the lips, and tasted like a Sharpie marker, so I approached this product with a bit of cynicism.
I applied the Revlon lipstain in Passion on exfoiliated lips and was surprised at its rich color. Without the balm applied, the lipstain gave me a great matte finish of color on my lips and the balm added just a small bit of shine. I like the lipstain more than I thought I would, but to be honest, I'd rather put on some lipstick or lipgloss. If an affordable lipstain is what you are looking for then this is a great one to start out with. Be warned though- the darker colors are very pigmented and will stain your lips for hours!

Buzzworthy News: MAC Pulls Rodarte Collection

For those of you unfamiliar with the controversy surrounding MAC Cosmetic's collaboration with fashion brand Rodarte, let me give you a quick rundown. The designers behind Rodarte were inspired by factory workers in Mexico and decided to incorporate these themes in their collection with MAC Costmetics. After a few names of the pieces had been criticized as tasteless, MAC decided to donate global proceeds to inernational groups that help the women of Juarez (to read more of the controversial names, here is a link to NY Mag's the CUT). In a surprise move, MAC announced this morning they are pulling the entire collection but is still going to donate the projected global proceeds of this line.

It's good to see  MAC and Rodarte taking responsibility for their actions but things like this are easily avoided. It's too bad this line never came to fruition since MAC has had such good results with former designer collections (like McQueen and Ungaro). What do you all think of this? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

The Traveling Honey B

Today I am flying out for a mini vacation to San Fransisco to visit my best friend. Since it's summer and everyone seems to be traveling, I thought tips on packing makeup would be helpful. If you're anything like me, you're probably tempted to take your whole stash, but realistically we all know that's not going to work!
Pack your must-haves, of course, like your skin care regime, makeup remover and other things you don't go a day without using (mascara, foundation, etc.) Everything else can get edited down to one or two of each item. I like bring with me a day time blush (NARS Gina) and a blush more appropriate for going out (Rock & Republic Kinky) and likewise for lipsticks and lipgloss. 
It's not nessacary to bring every eyeshadow pot you own, so edit down to two of your favorite small palettes (I like my MAC Noteriety quad and my Croc Lorac neutrals palettes) and one or two fun shades you think you might use at night. Try to avoid bringing a lot of single pots in the case that you may accidentally leave one behind. If you have a travel brush set, take it along! They are not always as good as your everyday brushes but the definitely serve the purpose. I love this bamboo Sonia Kashuk brush set, available at Target.

Safe travels, Honey bees!

Dupe this Look: the Jersey Shore

Fist pump! In honor of the new season of the Jersey Shore airing on MTV, I thought I would duplicate the signature look of the "Guidette". Whether it's your taste or not, these girls definitely have a distinct look. Their makeup is as bold as their personalities and you have to admire them for that.
This look is more makeup than I would usually wear (even on a night out) but I love that these girls embrace their "Guidette" lifestyle and translate that through their makeup.
 As you can see here on Jenni "JWOWW" Farley, these guidettes love their smokey eyes, heavy on the brow filling and dark eyeliner. More is more when it comes to bronzer and of course, they love the pale pink pout.
To duplicate this look, I filled my shadow in from lashline to browline with silvers, golds and blacks (MAC's mineralize eyeshadow in Under Your Spell, eyeshadow in Knight to highlight and Urban Decay's Oil Slick).  I also drew a heavier arch in my brow (Jersey girls gotta look tough!) and contoured my cheeks with a MAC's Refined Golden Bronzer and Mineralize Skin Finish in Gold Deposit. I also got to break in my new Myth lipstick and topped it off with MAC's Wildly Lush plushglass. Excuse the silly face, it was my attempt at looking tough!

Faces by the Honey B: Stephanie and Layla

I had the pleasure of doing makeup for the beautiful Stephanie, who was on her way to her husband's baseball game. Stephanie has warm skin with a hint of yellow so I used Benefit's You Rebel tinted moisturizer for sheer and even coverage and used concealer around her nose, under her eyes and around the sides of her mouth. I stuck to neutrals and browns for her eyeshadow starting with MAC's Smut on her lid and going for a golden Honey Lust on her crease. I finished off with my Anastasia brow kit to fill in her natural brow line, then highlighted the brow bone with Blanc Type. I lined her top lid with MAC's fluidline in Blacktrack and since Stephanie is not used to wearing liner on her lower lashline because as the mommy of a 2 year old (and with one more on the way) running around all day can cause her liner to smudge. I opted for brushing on Urban Decay's Oil Slick with a MAC 266 angle brush. The powder is less dramatic but still defines the eye and won't smudge.

We finished the look with MAC bronzer in Golden Brown and Rock and Repbulic's Call me blush, which was stunning on her skin (this blush is universally flattering, in my opinion). To plump up her lips, I lined them with NARS lipliner in Bonero and filled in her lips with Viva Glam V lipstick and Nymphette lipgloss.

Layla is wearing a light dusting of Rock and Republic Bedroom on her cheeks (courtesy of her Auntie). No eyelash extensions were applied, those are her real (and really long) eyelashes :) !

Weekend Haul

Happy Monday, Honey Bees! I thought I would share a few items i picked up from the MAC Cosmetics store on Hollywood and Highland. I picked up an empty 15 pan eyeshadow palette, eyeshadow palette pots in Bamboo and Woodwinked, Myth lipstick and Atlantic Blue eyeshadow from their new Dare to Wear collection. I am SO excited to try that one out!

Dupe this Look: Wedding Makeup

One of my favorite things about summer is that it's wedding season!!! This gorgeous time of the year seems to be a favorite time for many to get hitched. I thought posting a few tips on wedding makeup would inspire some of you attending weddings this season.

For my cousin Julie's daytime wedding, I kept most of my makeup clean with only one or two things only slightly dramatic. It's a good idea to keep makeup basic when attending a weddings for a few reasons. Gaudy and garish makeup tends to be too much at a wedding. Plus, you would not want to wear anything that draws attention away from the bride. Keep it simple and classy by playing up one of your features and keeping the rest of your look clean and simple.

For this look, I used my Bare Escentuals mineral makeup for even and light skin coverage. It is summer after all, so keep your skin fresh and airy by cutting out the heavy liquid foundation. I chose to accentuate my eyes with smokey colors that would transition well from a daytime ceremony to dancing all night at the reception. I am wearing Knight silver eyeshadow on my lid, Club on my crease, Blanc Type on my brow bone, and Carbon on the outer V of my eye (all MAC Cosmetics eyeshadows). I finished  the look by lining my eyes with MAC's fluid line in Blacktrack and a strip of Ardell's false eyelashes to add volume.
I kept the rest of my face neutral, going for MAC's Garb blush on the apples of my cheeks and finished the look with Viva Glam V lipstick and lipgloss.

I always like to keep my lipgloss in my clutch along with some mints and spare tissues or hanky. Keep it simple and pretty and stay classy when trying to catch that bouquet!

Drug Store Standout: Revlon Colorburst, Soft Nude and Mauve

I love a deal when I can get one and Revlon's Colorburst Lipstick is a great one. Revlon has to be one of my favorite drugstore brands because the outstanding quality of its products could rival any high end brand. These lipsticks retail at a mere $8.99 at your local drugstore. Soft Nude is a great color to try out if you want to get a feel for the quality of this line lipsticks. The texture is creamy, with a slight shine, the color goes on quite thick and if you want to compare it to another shade it is very similar to MAC's Myth or Creme d'Nude ( a great "my lips but better" shade). Mauve is another great shade for darker toned girls like me. It has a small bit of sheen to it and definitely leans more purple than pink. The color can look great on both warm and cool toned girls. The lipstick stays on for a good 3 hours without reapplying. Packaged in a cute quilted square tube, I would definitely reccomend this at $8.99.