Manolo for the Beauty

Patricia Schmid for Marie Claire China.

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

Limited edition gold compact to commemorate the Year of the Dragon.  It is also inscribed with the Chinese characters for Happy New Year.

I don’t know. I do not have any Chinese ancestry, so I’m not sure if this would be a cool cultural thing, or a cultural misappropriation thing.  I’m leaning toward misappropriation?

Although I do know that it is not the year of the Golden Dragon, so I’m not sure why the compact is gold. It’s a water dragon year, so silver probably would have been better.

I thought this cover was absolutely stunning.

Until I noticed she only has one leg.

In so many ways…

Nusja Jone-Our Bride from Kosovo 2.0 on Vimeo.

Have you been feeling a little evil lately?  How about judgemental?  Or maybe your ego is getting to be the size of a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon.

Then have I got the makeup for you.

Introducing Karl Lagerfeld for Sephora.

Because everybody wants to take a swipe at Karl, right?

The perfect gift for your non-sleeping toddler, a Kuddly Karl doll!  That’ll teach the little squirt to stop making a fuss at bedtime. “Go to sleep, or I will bring out Uncle Karl!”

And the snowglobe is simply the product of a very deranged mind.

Just the thing I want to see right before I put my makeup on. “YOU. NOT PRETTY ENOUGH. TRY AGAIN. AND AGAIN… FAIL.”

Only Europe is lucky enough to have access to these.

Benefiting Kate’s charitable foundation for children with autism, The Golden Hat Foundation.  Look for it starting November 1, 2011 in the States.  It will be sold until December 11, 2011.

Not sure I’m digging the signature on the lipstick, but I love the red.

Ok, so I apparently have a bit of a rebel streak in me in that I sort of love this packaging. Yes, I realize that it is deliberately playing a “screw that fairy princess crap” angle. But hey, I’m buying it, hook, line, and sinker.  I love the purple-black bottle, the cut-off edge, and I don’t usually like snails, but I like that one.

Freak is described thusly: a mix of poison hemlock, black davana, belladonna, opium flower, caress and kiss notes. I don’t know what caress and kiss notes are, but I like the way they sound. And of course, how could such a counterculture scent NOT have something like poison hemlock in it?

It’s available at the illamasqua website starting Oct. 20, 2011.

You know, I can kind of get behind this.

Iconic French brand Clarins has partnered with Lauren Bush, benefiting the United Nations World Food Programme. 

For $30 (a $40 value), you can buy a specially produced FEED Bag, which contains one each of Hand and Nail Treatment Cream, Moisture-Rich Body Lotion and Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector.  The proceeds of each sale will purchase 15 meals for a child in need.  Their goal is to feed one million children in a span of two years. Found exclusively at Nordstrom’s.

Has it really been four days since I last wrote something?

Forgive me for being grateful for the break.

Because I love my polls, I’m doing one today, as most people had the day off work yesterday. 

When it comes to trying acupuncture for wrinkle reduction, 36% of you are all for it.  30% of you said a big “meh” and 21% might give it a whirl if they had a Groupon for it.  Only 10% of you are afraid of needles, which is less than I thought.  Personally, I would totally try it, but wouldn’t be expecting a whole lot on the wrinkle front. 

Today, I’m curious as to your thoughts on this weekend’s big weddings.

Born Lesley Hornsby, British model Twiggy took the beauty and fashion worlds by storm in 1966.  

Her career began as somewhat of a fluke, being a test model for a new type of crop haircut, and a fashion journalist  just happened to see the pictures at the salon where her hair was cut. And just like that, Twiggy was christened “The Face of ’66.”

Known for her slim, androgynous build, long lashes, and short hair, I found it interesting that she admitted the lashes were always fake. She was quoted as saying “Back then I was layering three pairs of false eyelashes over my own and would paint extra ‘twigs’ on my skin underneath.” 

Agree or disagree with her renown or the “waif” look she supposedly promoted, it is impossible to ignore her as a figure who looms large in the modeling world.

As for her photos, I actually like her look better and better as she ages.  Go figure.