I Saw Les Miserables and I LOVED It!!

SPOILERS!!!SPOILERS!!!SPOILERS!!!

And the Oscar goes to Anne Hathaway!  And the Oscar goes to Hugh Jackman!  The Oscar definitely does not go to Russell Crow.  The Oscar definitely does not go to Amanda Seyfried.

First, a little background.  Les Mis is my favorite book and my favorite musical.  My copy of the book literally doesn't have a cover anymore.  My expectations of this movie could not possibly have been lower.  I have sat through every modern movie musical and been devastated by the ruination of my favorite musicals by non-singers being cast in lead roles and directors who over-reached (I'm looking at you RENT and The Phantom of the Opera).  I was ready for Anne Hathaway to ruin the whole thing.  Just saying "Russell Crow has a background in musical theater" can mean he was in his middle school play...I know how you people work (turns out that one was probably true).

The short version...Les Miserables was AWESOME!!!!  It blew me away.  Visually stunning.  I was very concerned about the singing live rather than singing to playback but it worked, it really worked.  Made the movie much more intimate and it actually made the movie FEEL more like the experience of watching a live musical.  A few things added, a few things taken away...neither of which made that much difference to me.

The cast:

• Hugh Jackman (Jean Valjean): SO much better than I ever anticipated.  Having listened to his audible assault on the "Boy From OZ" soundtrack, I had no idea he was capable of this.  His performance blew me away.  It was definitely a challenge for him vocally but he handled it for the most part.  There was noticeable straining during "Bring Him Home" that could have been rectified with some different vocal technique.  But, and I can't believe I'm saying this, the overall performance and vocals were THAT good that I can deal with the small bits of bad.   
• Anne Hathaway (Fantine): Oscar.  I haven't ever seen a performance this amazing in my life.  Enough said.
• Russell Crow (Javert): I am embarrassed for him.  It is beyond me why he agreed to do this movie or why his agent or anyone with his interests in mind would allow him to do it.  This role was so amazingly far out of his league.  Not only were his vocals a complete joke, every Javert vocal was slowed because RC couldn't handle it, and he didn't even seem to be trying to act.  I have no idea what he was doing.  My theory is that he knew how badly he was sucking and was sulking because he signed a contract that he regretted during filming.  Horrible, horrible, horrible.  Bad, bad, bad.  Embarrassing.  They should revoke his SAG card for this. 
• Helena Bohnam Carter and Sasha Baron Cohen (Thenardiers): Amazing!  I needed a little more vocally from HBC, but I can overlook it because of the hilarity of the pair of them.  Super sad their  "Beggers at the Feast" number was cut from the wedding scene.  SBC has perfect comedic timing in this role.  HBC played it a little to subtle for my taste but was still perfectly acceptable.  
• Samantha Barks (Eponine): Eehhh...she was good, but I want my Eponines to be Lea Salonga or Lea Michelle, belting their heads off until water glasses are shattering.  But yes, she was good and touching.  She was set up for a loss bc a good bit of Eponine's character development pieces were cut so I don't know that an audience that isn't already obsessed with Les Mis would be as in love with her as they should be when she kicks it.
• Amanda Seyfried (Cosette): She raped my ears with her warbley, untrained bird voice.  However, I do have to give her more points that Russell Crow because at least she acted a little bit.  What was she doing in this movie?  HOLLYWOOD: STOP CASTING NON-SINGERS IN MUSICALS!!!!!!!!
• Eddie Redmayne (Marius), Aaron Tveit (Enjolras): Excellente!!!  These two, and all of the other students/rebels, get two thumbs up from me.  The rebellion sequence was perfection...PERFECTION.  Except, except..."Little People" was cut.  Oh, and Eponine didn't deliver the letter from Marius to Cosette.  But, again I can't believe I'm saying this, the rest of the sequence was so incredibly amazing, I can deal with that.

I am so unbelievably impressed with the overall presentation of Les Miserables, that I will just fast-forward through "Stars" and "Javert's Suicide" and just listen to Marius during "A Heart Full of Love, and watch the rest over and over again when the DVD comes out.

And finally, Colm Wilkinson.  

Makeup Alley Love

Have you heard of Makeup Alley?  No?  Well, you should have heard of it because it's awesome.  You might be familiar with the more recent (and more popular) Beautylish, which has a much better app, but that's a post for another time. 

On a side note, I have been trying to upload two pictures to Instagram, for them to sell and not pay me for, for an hour and they WILL NOT LOAD.  I am going to scream.  It's Christmas Eve Eve and I'm going to scream at Instagram.  Next time you're sad, just imagine me screaming at my iPhone in front of the Christmas tree because Instagram refuses to cooperate and you are sure to feel better.  Moving on...

Makeup Alley was the first website that I ever used to look up consumer reviews of cosmetics, bath and body, and fragrance.  I love, love, love it!!  There are thousands of products reviewed on the site, with popular products having hundreds of reviews each.  I also love that the reviewer lists their age, skin type, eye and hair color next to their reviews so the reader can take this into account when considering the review.  Do I care what a ninety-five year old woman with extra-dry skin thinks about an oil-free moisturizer that is only designed to give a bit of hydration to normal/combo skin types?  Not so much.  The reviews have been particularly helpful to me when I'm looking to purchase a bigger ticket item like a Clarisonic or my Babyliss straightener.  I'm sure as heck not going to pay $150 for a hair straightener that half of the people who own them say doesn't heat after six months!  I also love to read the reviews to compare similar-ish products.  It really helps to make an educated guess as to which one will be the best for me.  I used this most recently when deciding which luminizer to buy to mix with my matte full-coverage foundations.  If you haven't been in the market lately for luminizers, there are plenty to choose from, let me tell you.  Stila, LORAC, Smashbox....just to name a few.  I ended up choosing the Artificial Light from Smashbox and love it, by the way. 

Obviously, there are a zillion places to find consumer reviews online...but wait, there's more at Makeup Alley!  There is also a swap section where you can swap with other beauty junkies!  No selling here, just swapping.  I reach point break every so often and go on a swapping binge to get rid of the overwhelming crap-ton of stuff I have AND I get new happies to play with.  Like now for instance...I want matte lipsticks and I want some warm tone blushes (there are WAY too many pink blushes in my life right now), um, and I want some Stella by Stella McCartney (this list could get really long if I let it so I'll stop there).  I recently swapped a Benefit Bad Gal Lash I had lying around for a "Pretty Sexy" MAC lippy and hubby is taking two other mascaras and a toner sample to the PO tomorrow to swap for a MAC blush and NARS lippy.  I LOVE this idea...love, love, love it.  My only word of warning is this: PLEASE be careful of germs and clean anything you swap like it is covered in AIDS.  Just assume it is.  And don't swap for used mascaras/other things that hold onto germs/things you can't clean...that's disgusting and not worth getting pregnant and dying over (Mean Girls anyone? no?  ok). 

You can also find message boards here where you can post questions and find answers to any beauty/health/fitness question you could possibly dream of.  I like just scrolling through these.  I always get great ideas, have a few giggles, and marvel at what other people actual use their brains for.  

Makeup Alley does have an app but it only has the consumer reviews on it.  I'm pretty apathetic about it honestly.  I guess if I was shopping and an emergency came up where I had to compare products this might be helpful, but I wish the app had all of the great features that the website does.  The app gets pretty crappy reviews and I'm sure it's because it doesn't sport all of the fancy features of the website.  

So come join me on Makeup Alley, I'm "efjones".  I have a few reviews on there and my swap list and wish list.  But guess what I still don't have...INSTAGRAM PICTURES!!

Hoarding: Lip Balm Edition

Lips: the entryway to the mouth.  Profound, wasn't it?  I love, love, love lip products.  Lip sticks, lip liners, lip gloss...I could go on, Bubba Gump style, all day, but I'll refrain.  Right now, I am using the mess out of lip balm.  My lips get so confused when it's getting cold and the weather can't decide what it's going to do.  They get dry, they crack, they flake, they look like crap.  It's just generally no good.  So, a few weeks ago I decided I needed some lip balm.  I started with one EOS and one Burt's Bees in my nightstand...I sort of wish I could still say the same.  But, in the interest of fun, I'm going to embrace the hoarding and share what's been happening on my lips lately. 

As I previously mentioned, I went from two lip balms...to this:

I really just bought three...three three packs:)  

I think I've previously posted about my undying love for EOS lip balms.  They rock my world, and my lips.  The Alice in Wonderland Edition is adorable and just plain enchanting.  Just look at the packaging!!  The babies in this one are Vanilla, Watermelon, and Blueberry...yummy!  These are nice b/c the flavors are soft, not overbearing, which I completely can't stand.  I don't want to feel like I've eaten a blueberry, just that a blueberry has kissed my lips while they are being moisturized.  Additionally, and maybe the best part, instead of just the circular indention in the crease to open the container...it has been added to to make a Mickey face!!  Sold and sold.
The Korres came second.  These amazing lip butters, the only tinted ones I've ever found that actually feel good on my  little lips, are $12 a pop, but Sephora had a Holiday set for $25 for 3.  How could I NOT buy them?!  That would have been ridiculous.  Also, they are tinted so they really shouldn't even count toward to total of "general lip balms owned." 

Last but not least are the Body Shop lip butters.  Yes, this brings me up to 6 lip butters, but these are not scented to it's totally different.  This is the fruit and nut set, which is hilarious, agreed?  Don't love sticking my finger in the pot, completely unsanitary and messy, but nothing a Q-tip can't fix.  The flavors of these are a little stronger than the EOS and the texture is less waxy.  One of these guys lives in the bathroom for use before bed and one lives in the car.  I think I already lost the other one...woops!  If I had to compare I would pick the EOS over The Body Shop but that's just like picking a favorite child, I think it's a sin or something.  

Disney: Cinderella Collection

Oh Sephora, how you delight me.  A Disney Collection?!  A Disney Cinderella Collection?!  A fancy, high quality, Disney Cinderella collection?!  Be still my heart!  

The new Disney Cinderella Collection at Sephora is amazing!  (some of it)  Lips, eyes, nails, fragrance and accessories right now but let's hope, hope with all your hearts, that there will be more.  

The centerpiece of this collection is the "So This is Love" fragrance, Swarovski Edition.  STIL is a very light scent that I wouldn't mind wearing...doesn't do much for or against me...but check out this bottle:

I would learn to LOVE STIL to have this bottle on my vanity!  And the Swarovski Edition is a STEAL for $175!  I can't even stand how gorgeous this is.  I want it in my hands...now.  Yes, I know that Sephora is preying on my natural born instinct and need to be a princess...and I appreciate that.  Who else is going to provide me with fragrance in Sworovski crystal bottles?  (besides Swarovski)  If the bottle weren't enough to convince EVERYONE that they need this, the writer of the description of STIL took it the rest of the way.  Seriously, where is this kid's Pulitzer?  

"Become spellbound by the mesmerizing scent of So This is Love and leave a lasting impression. At first breath, fresh aldehydes shine like glass as they dance with warm plumeria and dewy hyacinth to create a top that is delicate and youthful, yet vibrantly dazzling. A magical bouquet of elegant tuberose, sheer jasmine, and exotic tiare flower crafts a royal, shimmering heart— the perfect fit for the belle of the ball. A background of soft, supple musk accord wraps you in the arms of Prince Charming. Sensual peach skin and velvety woods shimmer with luscious texture for a sensation that lasts long after the stroke of midnight."

Tell me with a straight face you don't want that...YOU CAN'T!!

Honestly, I think I'm more intrigued with the idea of this collection than I am with the actual thing.  Yes, this bottle is amazing.  However, the other pieces are not blowing me away.  Here is a pic of the Collector's Set so you can see what's available.  This set is $125 and comes with a DVD, which is kind of fun.  Still doesn't make me any more excited about the ho-hum lippies (although those tubes are gorgeous) and nail polishes (that I can't wear anyway), or the overly-so-much-I-wouldn't-wear-some-of-the-colors-Disneyesque eye palette.  And don't get excited, that's a regular bottle of So This is Love...not made of crystals:(

 

Ulta Nail Polish: Kindred Sprits

In the interest of full disclosure, let me preface this post by letting everyone know that I am allergic to nail polish.  Yep, it's possible and devastating...much like learning that one's allergic to puppies or rainbows.  However, it does save me a TON of money because I imagine there is a fairly strong possibility that hoarding nail polish would be delightful.  I can't tell you how often I have to make myself not buy it...IT'S SO SPARKLY AN SHINY!!! 

And the names, the names of the polishes are just even more delightful than the shine and sparkle.  It's no secret that I want to be Tinkerbell and Glinda the Good all rolled into one.  Also Wicked: the Musical, everyone from Wicked, I want to be them as well.  Oh, and Dorothy...of the red shoes.  Whilst perusing the Ulta brand nail polishes I started noticing a very OZian/fairy-friendly theme and got super excited.  I must find out who names these polishes and become friends with them because we are obviously kindred spirits and they are awesome. 

Here are some examples, you can't tell me this person wasn't wearing pink on naming day!

• Ruby Slipper
• Tink-Her-Bell
• Wicked

Tink-Her-Bell, isn't that just a delight?!  If that doesn't put a smile on your face, I don't know what will.  Wear some fab nail polish for me today!

Sweet, Sweet Philosophy

Philosophy Snow Angel.  The End.

OK, that's not really the end of this post, but it would be if I knew all of you had experienced the Holiday wonderment that is Snow Angel.  My friend Daphne peeked my interest in this, then yesterday my friend Rachael and I smelled it, then smelled it again and again and decided that while it made our noses cold, it made our hearts warm.  

Then I started thinking..."this fragrance is only available seasonally.  Should I buy enough to last me until next Christmas season?"  My anxiety rose and rose until I thought I might have an anxiety attack in the store.  But then I thought, "what if I buy ten bottles and, for some odd reason, get sick of the scent?  Then I will be out a good deal of $ and I will be stuck with 9.5 bottles of Snow Angel."  More anxiety.  Then I spent forty-five more minutes in the store deep breathing, trying not to pass out, and trying to make a decision.  Eventually, a gift set with a shower gel and lotion came home with me and nine bottles of shower gel stayed at the store to go live and be happy at other homes.  But, I swear, if this stuff goes on clearance...

As I close this post, I would like to leave you with the beautiful affirmation found on the bottle of Snow Angel Shower Gel:

snow angels come to all, during the happiest season of all.  the warmth of their glow and joyful sound bring love and peace to those around.  snow angels sprinkle sweetly fallen snow from the night sky, as they hover in the clouds watching over you and i, their kiss so sweet, their hearts filled with joy, they bring holiday cheer to every girl and boy.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Hoarding: Shower Cream Edition

My hoarding goes in cycles,  I don't know how other people's hoarding works...I should probably watch the TV show to find out.  Sometimes it's a fixation on blushes, other times it's lip liners.  Recently, my hunting and gathering has headed in the direction of shower creams.  I like the moisturizey ones.  I like the yummy smelling ones.  I like the ones in bottles.  I'm making a commitment right now not to buy any more body washes until I have used the ones I currently have (unless one I really need comes out, but otherwise, definitely not).  And, obviously, if I make a commitment on the internets, I can not break it...it's a solemn vow.  Anyway, here are the friends living in my shower right now.  I love them and they are wonderful.

Philosophy Snow Angel

Philosophy Living Grace

Organix Cherry Blossom Rice Milk

c. Booth Milk Bath & Shower Cleanser

Nourish Organic Body Wash in Almond Vanilla and Wild Berry

The Body Shop Satsuma Body Polish

Fab Take: Palladio Herbal Foundation

Palladio is a mass cosmetics brand that many people haven't heard of but I wish it was more well know because it's kind of awesome!  I have a few of their products in my kit and enjoy them all.  If I recall, Sally Beauty used to be the sole distributor of Palladio, but it is now also available at Ulta and online at www.palladiobeauty.com, HERE. 

Today let's look at the Palladio Herbal Foundation.  It is an oil-free, light-medium coverage, matte liquid that is buildable and leaves a nice pretty finish.  BUT, the fun doesn't stop there!  No, this foundation has great skin benefits too!  Ginseng and Ginko extracts, along with Vitamins A & E provide anti-aging benefits, reducing the look of fine-lines...score.  Cucumber, Aloe Vera, and Chamomile help to soothe the skin, which my ridiculously sensitive and reactive skin LOVES!  I can use this several days in a row without swelling eyes whereas I have to change up with other foundations to prevent overload and reactivity...score again!

The shade range is limited, only 8 to choose from but I'm OK because the lightest color, Ivory, suits my just fine.  And, here's the most ridiculous, best part...Palladio Herbal Foundation is ONLY $10!!!!!!!!!

The Fab Take: Give it a try!  It's oil-free and suitable for all skin types.  And, at $10, it can't hurt!!

I Went on a Makeup Binge

Like bulimics, sometimes you just have to gorge yourself (on makeup).  Unlike bulimics, however, you don't have to throw your makeup in the toilet out of guilt...thank goodness!  Yesterday was one of those days for me.  It was a bad day, a very, very bad day.  I shopped.  I shopped a lot.  I shopped a lot to feel better.  I admit it, I shopped a lot to make myself feel better and it did, I felt better after spending money...don't hate.  I wasn't buying crack:)  I did bring home some lovely new additions to my makeup family.  I would like to officially welcome these newbies and hope they feel the warmth and love of living in my bathroom.

First up, The Vice Palette by Urban Decay.  Obviously, I've been lusting over this since it came out and yesterday was definitely the day to embrace the Vice into my life.  Twenty exclusive, triple-pigmented shades...yes, please.  UD is one of my top three favorite eye shadow brands (can you guess what the other two are?) and I just need this palette like, um, well, like an alcoholic needs liquor.  The Vice sells for $59 and is worth every penny.  If you're a hoarder, like a certain blogger you might be familiar with the gem and, obviously, you need it.  If you are looking for an exceptionally high quality palette with neutrals as well as play colors, this is one to shoot for.  It's gaaaarrgeous!!!!!!!  If there were an eyeshadow museum (is there an eyeshadow museum?  There should be.  Maybe I'll start an eyeshadow museum) this would be the featured exhibit.

It's easier for me to drop $ on makeup than hair appliances because #1, good hair appliances are not cheap and, #2, I'm MUCH better with makeup than hair...MUCH.  So, it hurt me a bit to buy the BaByliss Nano Titanium 1" Ultra-Thin Straightening Iron.  However, I've been using a craptastic straightener for years and I might as well have been running a brush through my coarse thick hair for all the straightening it did.  A few weeks ago a stylist friend used a Brocato Straightening Iron on my hair and it did to my hair in 45 seconds what I had been trying to do for 15 years.  It was amazing...I was amazed!  My decision to invest in an amazeballs straightener was made then but the actual commitment to one didn't come until yesterday.  Honestly, I was going to get the Brocato but there wasn't one in store, so I chose the BaByliss instead.  It gets great consumer reviews and, you guys, my hair this morning!!!!  Straight, shiny...not my hair at all!!!  

Dare I embrace the possibility that I might have makeup and hair that I like at the same time?!

Gypsy Rose Lee

After starring in GYPSY this summer as the second tree from the left, I became a total fangirl of Gypsy Rose Lee.  Just finished reading American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare, The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee by Karen Abbott.  Why is the title so long?  I can't handle it.  This book gave me a but of what I wanted, info on Gypsy (Louise), but there was a lot of info on the Minsky brothers, which I think was intended to illustrate the greater goings-on of the 1930s and 40s in NYC, but I really didn't feel like this was accomplished, it just watered down the story of Gypsy and made the read a bit convoluted.  The author doesn't tell the story chronologically, the chapters jump from both time and place, and this made the read a bit hard to get into for me.  I wanted to read a biography before reading Gypsy's autobiography because I know it is full of her own creationism and I hoped to get more of the "true" story before reading the skewed version.    

If you haven't seen the musical GYPSY, well, that's your own fault.  Homework: get on it.  There are at least two different cast versions available on DVD if there isn't a local production running within driving distance of you, which I bet there is...at all times...everywhere.  What is really fascinating to me is the revisionism that GYPSY created of her own childhood and history to create the character of GRL.  This history steals a great deal from the actuality of her sister June's past, glamorizes it, and creates a perfect background for the character of GRL.  Outwardly, she projected this character, while inwardly, she remained Louise, the talentless, ugly, living-in-the-shadow-of her-younger-sister, daughter of Rose.

The story is so complex, her self-identification is so completely shaped by her mothers abuse and control.  Rose most likely murdered, at a minimum, two people and covered these murders up with Gypsy's help, speaking of control.  It's hard to be a star with a murderess for a mother.  As an adult there were times when Gypsy would only communicate to both her mother and her sister, June, through an attorney, and other times when they were living together.  A functioning alcoholic and chain smoker, plastic surgery lover, glamour seeker, sophisticate (pretend or real?)...who was she?  I am not any closer to the answer to this question after reading this book than I was before I began.  I don't fault the book, however, for this.  Gypsy kept meticulous journals and scrapbooks throughout her life and the author gained unprecedented access to interviews with June that are referenced throughout the book.  I think the reason that I can't figure out who Gypsy was is because she didn't know herself.  June didn't know.  Rose didn't know.  The public persona, the private persona, became enmeshed to a point where the "real" GRL ceased to exist.

A Story of Three Foundations

Good evening everybody!  At the moment I have three foundations on my face.  Yes, three foundations on my face, at once.  I recently decided to find a foundation that covers my face like no foundation has covered any ones face before.  Then I got lazy so now I am wearing three, one on each cheek and one on my forehead, to see which one I like best.  Um, I may or may not (may) have already bought two of them so it's more of a "who do I like better" contest at this point.  

On the left cheek:  Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Hydrating Foundation.  This was my first choice and the first lucky lady to be slathered all over 1/3 of my face.  I have used Studio Skin on hundreds of clients who wanted medium/full coverage and I have loved it.  On me, it was slightly less perfect than I wanted...but just slightly.  1.1, the lightest color was great on my white-as-a-sheet-of-paper skin and I love the texture, it feels the creamiest and the lightest of the three...but the coverage, while good, is still not as hard core as I am looking for.  I want to have to peel this foundation off with a putty knife.

On the right cheek: Stila Stay All Day Foundation.  Now we're talkin'.  This foundation looks scary, it dispenses with a spatula (I kid you not) and looks SO thick but you don't need very much to go a LONG way.  BONUS...there is a coordinating concealer hiding in the cap of this little gem.  It also comes with a tiny, weird foundation brush that I anticipate never using.  I will through it in my freelance kit immediately, for emergencies.  When I first put this on, it looked so similar to the Smashbox, but then I put a bit more on and let them both set...get to know my skin a little bit.  While the Smashbox seemed to sheer out a tad, the Stila covered like a champ, without looking cakey.  Word of warning...this sucker dries FAST!  In-store, I used my fingers to blend on one cheek and it was drying before I could un-streakify it.  We got the problem solved by touching up and working in smaller areas but holy moley, work quick kids.  After getting a few opinions about which cheek looked better, since I can't make up my mind, I decided to go with the Stila and am excited to welcome it into my home and my makeup family.

On the forehead: Revlon Colorstay (I had an unopened bottle in my kit).  Once home from the store I realized I didn't have any foundation on my forehead and I wanted to slather on some Colorstay anyway so, well, I did.  It feels similar to the Stila, heavier, but has a dewier finish, which I don't seek out.  I definitely wouldn't say it has a true dewy finish, just not as matte as the Stila.  (I am doing a weird side-by-side, this would never happen in the real world, comparison here)  After a couple hours of wear, the feel of the Revlon is lighter than the Stila, but nothing I would base a purchasing decision on.  Coverage is still nice on both. 

The Fab Take:  Going in to this experiment, I knew I was dealing with some industry heavy hitters so none of them would be awful.  Definitely true.  If you want a true full coverage liquid, I recommend trying either the Revlon Colorstay or the Stila Stay All Day, whichever fits your budget.  Don't forget about the concealer that comes with the Stila!  Smashbox Studio Skin is a beautiful foundation, but I would not put it in the full-coverage foundation category, definitely medium-full...whatever floats your boat.