Manolo for the Beauty

I’m not really sure what that line means, I’ve just always wanted to use it in a blog title.

A couple of years ago, I volunteered to begin writing Manolo for the Beauty because I love makeup and perfume and hair products and all of that stuff.

Call me shallow, it’s all right.

But the time has come, my lovelies, for the Beauty blog to end.

I have had a wonderful time getting to know all of you, and I hope that I at least was able to cheer up a few of your mornings.

I’ve been writing stuff on various places on the intertubes since 2005, and my most favorite spot of all has been the Manolosphere.  The Manolo was gracious enough to invite an unknown mommyblogger to write for him, and I’ve had the privilege of being here since 2007.

Thank you for reading, thank you for your wit, thank you for your advice, and thanks for coming along for the ride.

It sure was grand.

If you are ever inclined, I write as my true self (gasp! my name isn’t really Glinda!) over here.

Well, let me clarify.  I think that the actual products themselves, which are completely vegan, are a great idea.  Because of their non-chemical construction, you can wear the color pretty much anywhere, whether on your body, your eyes, lips, cheeks, wherever.  That part I like.  You may not truly wish to wear neon-green lipstick but you CAN IF YOU WANT TO, and that is the point here. I’m always a fan of multi-tasking makeup, and this stuff fits the bill.

But, the presentation that I was semi-forced to listen to in the store was so new-agey, so hokey, that I had a difficult time not rolling my eyes at the poor salesgirl who was probably just trying to earn a commission for herself.  Which I totally understand.  However, I was told by a complete stranger what my personality was like based on the three colors that I chose off a color wheel.  Whatever.  I don’t know why Lush figures that an elaborate sales pitch would help move what seems to be an already fairly impressive product.

If she had just told me that I could use the makeup anywhere for anything, there was a fairly good chance that I would have bought one just to try it out.

But the high-pressure sales pitch that claimed to know all about my subconscious completely turned me off and had me running out the door at the nearest, polite-est opportunity.

Lush, you may want to rethink this.

If you want to experience the color-wheel experience but without the well-meaning but annoying sales person, click here.

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.

Thirty six years old and truly stunning on this cover of French Vogue.

And perhaps they Photoshopped her face a bit, but thank goodness her hands look like normal human hands, not creepy-smooth like a doll’s.

This is professional basketball player (and Olympic team member) Candace Parker.

She is obviously very beautiful and in fantastic shape.  She has even had a baby, which makes me look down at my own decidedly non-six pack belly and give a sigh.

And even though she is gorgeous and talented and could kick anyone’s butt at any time, I can’t help but dislike the cover. (Maybe she should just go to Joseph M’s and get a nice Alice by Temperley coverup.

Maybe I am a complete prude.  It’s OK if you tell me I am, I’ll pretty much agree with you.

When it comes to a nude woman on the cover of a mainstream magazine, I tend to flip flop.  I think that women should embrace their bodies and that nudity isn’t something to be ashamed of.  But then I wonder if women who pose this way are truly empowering themselves, or if they are simply cogs in the machine to sell magazines.

Discuss?

I must be totally out of touch, because I had no idea True Blood was popular enough to inspire an entire collection.

Deborah Lippmann created polishes inspired by different characters and her first ever lipstick in, of course, red.

There are also body creams, a perfume, home fragrance candles, and diffusers as well.

The blood starts dripping on August 9th on hsn.com.

Is it just me or does it seem like this should come out closer to Halloween?

I was very surprised, well shocked actually, to read that a full 61% of you do not use self tanner. To hear the beauty industry go on about self tanners, you would think everybody uses them. Well, what can I say, I don’t use them either. 29% carry on an illicit affair with self tanner, 6% have sworn never again, and only 2% describe your relationship with self tanner as wonderful. Wow. That says a lot about the state of self tanners, I think.

Today I want to know how you feel about the movie industry butting its head into the beauty world…

Patricia Schmid for Marie Claire China.

I am truly digging her hair color here.  Also, I wish I could do green eyeshadow.

I cannot for the life of me decide if this is cool or intensely stupid.

I like the music, though.

Vlada Roslyakova for Germany’s Tush magazine.