Manolo for the Beauty

25% of you have broken my heart by saying that you do not have a positive self-image.  I obviously cannot speak to the experiences that have placed you in that mindset, but I want you to know that I truly believe that each of us in our humanity is impossibly and breathtakingly beautiful.  It has nothing to do with the shininess of our hair or the trendiness of our lip color.  It has everything to do with the way we reflect ourselves and our attitudes to the outside world.  I mean, I don’t even know you, and I think you are fantastic!  And if a complete stranger on the internet thinks you’ve got it, then you have got it going on!

59% stated that they mostly do have a positive self-image, and you go, girls! I think it is safe to say that everyone has their off days.  Re-read above.

3% of you say that you absolutely do, and you are my people.  There is nothing to be gained by beating ourselves up, is there?

For your consideration, I present Boris Kodjoe.  The Austrian-born model/actor’s namesake is Russian writer Boris Pasternak.  Swoon.

OK, fine, maybe it is a micro-trend.

But is it just me or is the fuzziness/unkempt nature of the braids kind of wrong?

To me, the best thing about braids is the smooth, shiny quality of them.

I especially loathe Blake Lively’s fishtail braid, which looks like someone combed it with a pasta grabber.

I know, I know.  It’s just me.

OK, OK, so it isn’t really called that, rather it is the ‘Devoted To Fans #1’  palette, which actually sounds a even more awkward.

I’ve spoken before about beauty and commercialism, and even though I understand the palette will only be available to YSL Facebook fans, (thus the color scheme) it still seems a bit crass.  Of all the things in the world for a beauty product to be inspired by, Facebook would be the last thing on my list.

I do like the colors, and I’m sure my dislike of the product is completely irrational.  Perhaps my toddler’s brand of logic has been rubbing off on me.

It’s just that I like my luxury brands to at least attempt to maintain the illusion of classiness, and this one doesn’t quite cut it.

51% of you would choose clothes, if given the choice between clothes, shoes, and makeup.  30% chose shoes, and the remainder fell into the makeup category.  Surprisingly, I was among those who chose shoes.  If I was a betting woman, I would have bet on makeup, but recently I’ve been on a mini shoe-buying binge. 

Clothes aren’t holding much for me lately, as my hormone therapy for my missing thyroid isn’t going all that well and an unpredictably ballooning waistline isn’t making me all that enthusiastic about shopping for clothes.  Now, if I knew what weight I was going to be from month to month, I’d be fine, but I never know exactly where I’m going to be due to the meds.

Speaking of bodies and the changing of, I’ve got a self-esteem question for you today.

Fangirl that I am.

I like to check out Sephora’s sale pages from time to time, as they can feature some pretty good deals.  Here are some products that tickled my fancy, and trust me, my fancy is hard to tickle.

Sephora Collection Classic Double-Ended Brow Sculpting Brush

Rave reviews and over 50% off!

Hello Kitty Shimmering Powder and Eyeshadow Palette

Again, lots of glowing reviews and for those holding back on any of the Hello Kitty products, this might be a good one to go for.

benefit Cabana Glama

Just the thing to keep that summer glow going at sixteen bucks off the original price.

philosophy Candy Cane™ Body Scrub

Christmas in July for a steal!

I know that The Boss just expressed his displeasure at the whole Instagram thing, but this photo?

This photo totally kills it.

Oh, I’m so proud of you, 50% knew exactly what a BB cream is!  Not that I’m disappointed in the other 50%, because I was recently one of you.  A BB cream stands for “Blemish Balm” or “Blemish Base” or a couple of other similar alliterative terms.  You can go here to read more details, but many BB creams have soothing properties, along with light coverage.

Today, I’ve got a question that might be a toughie.  And, know that with this question, money (or lack thereof) is not an issue.  A total hypothetical, if you will.

I’m just in that sort of mood today, what can I say?