Brows for the Win

Recently brows have become my favorite thing on my face.  Forget the eyes, nose, or lips, brows are where it's at.  Hollywood has given us some amazing examples of Brow Divas over the years: Katherine, Liz, and Audrey being my personal favorites...am I right??

Recently, brows have begun to make a comeback and I couldn't be more thrilled!!  New Brow Divas like Megan Fox and Kate Upton are giving us some brows to keep our eyes on!

Let's start with the shape of the brow.  The rule used to be that the brow should start directly up from the inside corner of the eye and should stop at a 45 degree angle away from the outside corner.  But brows are getting longer...slightly.  Don't get crazy, I'm not backing a uni-brow here, just saying that keeping the brow a little longer on the outside gives the face a softer, more romantic look.  Also, a soft arch is a gorgeous shape...mimicking, but just short of the arch of the ocular bone.  Lastly, don't get those babies too thin, we don't want to look like we're from south Texas.  

Once you have your shape down, it's time to define.  It's amazing what a difference defining the brow makes in the overall appearance of the face.  Get thee to a retailer of fine eyebrow pencils.  My two favorites are the Anastasia Brow Wiz because it has an incredibly fine point and has a large selection of colors and the Smashbox Brow Tech to Go because, although it only comes in two colors, it has an angled roll-up tip and setting gel.  There are other brow products on the market, powders and gels, but I prefer a pencil to get the Megan Fox/Kate Upton brow.  Choose a color the shade of your natural brow or slightly darker...again, we're not aiming for south Texas brows.

Anastasia Brow Wiz...note the spoolie on the bottom

Start by outlining the top and bottom  on the inner half of the brow, literally draw a line on the top and bottom, now fill in between those lines with short, hair like strokes.  Now draw a line enclosing the inside of the brown.  None of this should be harsh...light lines but enough to give you definition, you can go a little heavy here if you want to, we're going to lighten it up later.  Quick tip: stand back from the mirror when you're doing this, if not, when you do step back you're more likely than not going to have two giant caterpillars drawn on your face.  Next, take your pencil and, with those same short hair-like strokes, fill in the outer half of the brow.  This part doesn't have to be as rigidly defined but does need to be well filled in.  Finally, take a spoolie (the brush that looks like a mascara wand) and brush through the brow, from the inside-out.  This not only keeps the hairs in place, if you bear down on it it will distribute the product and give your amazing brows the perfect finishing touch.

Voila, you now have perfect brows.  Wear them with fabulosity!! 

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!!