Manolo for the Beauty

Back when my husband and I were living large and had the Travel Channel, I stumbled across a little show called No Reservations.  I was instantly hooked.  Here was this man, who could write, cook, and look attractive on television.  We’ve got a winner!

He seems to be one of those people you either love or hate.  You think his smirk is adorable or you want to smack it off his face.  I’m in the former camp, of course.  I can see why people would be in the latter.  But whatever camp you are in, it’s hard to deny the man is muy talented.

And while for me, the main attractions are the man’s face and mind, there is a certain je ne sais qoi about the above photo that is nigh irresistible.

Inspired by the aurora borealis, this collection is full of color and shimmer.  I am especially liking that blue lip gloss, for some reason.  I have been dying to see what the blue/green lip glosses that are out actually look like on your lips.  Anybody?

Oh BB creams, we hardly knew ye.

You are now being unceremoniously shoved aside for something called a CC cream.  The CC stands for color correct, or color and care, or something similar where you can mix and match appropriate-sounding words that begin with C.

Whatever.

CC creams are supposed to provide better coverage than BB creams yet still retain their sheerness, contain more anti-aging ingredients, and moisturize better.

Well, I guess I can see why BB creams would be a thing of the past.

However, I’m sure there is someone waiting in the wings to invent a DD cream, or even an EE cream.

I think I’ll wait a little while before I spend my money.

Inspired by a classic Guerlain perfume, the Liu Holiday collection is pretty eye-catching.

Shimmer powder, loving the pouf.

Ooooh…

Look! Pressed Meteorites!

Want the gold.

Luxe-looking, isn’t it?

The collection launches in October.

Where?

Sigh.

As much as I want to like this editorial, I don’t.

I’m seeing nothing particularly groundbreaking here, or perhaps I am just feeling old and jaded today.  Anyone else feeling non-jaded that wants to argue with me?

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?

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!

58% of you voted thumbs down on purchasing an at-home gel nail kit, which can be pricey.  5% of you were excited about the idea, and 36% of you weren’t sure.  As someone who really likes nail color but dislikes the upkeep, I have a feeling that gel nails might be the wave of the future for me.  But, not yet.  Probably after my toddler gets a little older and I’m not washing my hands eighty billion times a day.

Now, with a pinky promise not to look it up on the sly, I’ve got a question for you:

Hmmm, is this going a little too far to show your patriotism?

They are just a seriously misunderstood bunch of people.

But their impact on hair, eyeliner, and guyliner cannot be understated.