Alex Box Tries Out the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0

Check out this video of the amazing Alex Box, one of my personal makeup inspirations, opining on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0. If you haven't heard of Ms. Box before, you might have heard about her amazing makeup line, Illamasqua. If you haven't heard of either of them--what are you waiting for?! Ms. Box is a true artist in the beauty world.



"Being Betty" by Lisa Eldridge

I love Lisa Eldridge, I love Bettie Page, and I love Gemma Arterton; so I was delighted to hear about Lisa Eldridge's short film for Love Magazine, entitled "Being Betty." Fans of Bettie Page will be familiar with the imagery of Ms. Eldridge's film, but for those that aren't, the original inspiration came from this video:




You might be wondering why Ms. Page carries a sign that spells her name as "Betty" yet you will mostly find her name spelled "Bettie" throughout this post and other references. I promise, it's not a mistake!

"While it reportedly says "Betty Mae Page" on her birth certificate, "Bettie" is the form that she has always used since she was a child (such as for signatures), so Bettie is therefore the preferred spelling. However, whether due to oversight or for the sake of simplification, in her 1950's photos and films she was often billed as "Betty Page." So for Bettie or worse, today the two spellings are used more or less interchangeably." -Vampress.net

See? You learn something new every day! Now, check out the Lisa Eldridge version, starring Gemma Arterton. I hope you love it as much as I do!




Beauty News! Dita Von Teese's Beauty Book

If you have met me "in real life" or even if you know me via social media, you will know that I LOVE Dita Von Teese! When I first heard she was coming out with a beauty book I was beyond excited. That was over a year ago, however, and soon I started to think the project had been shelved.

Isn't she gorgeous?

So, when I saw this interview with Ms. Von Teese and her hair stylist John Blaine today, I was stoked (yes, stoked) to hear that she was still working on it! Then, I went over to Amazon.com and saw that the book is already available for pre-order. The current release date is January 28th, 2014 which seems oh so far away right now, but it will be here before you know it.

Click here if you want to pre-order Dita Von Teese's beauty book "Your Beauty Mark: All You Need to Get the Hair, Makeup, Glow and Glam".

*The above link is not an affiliate link.




Product Reviews: Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

There are so many mascara formulas out there that you would think the market is over saturated, but new formulas continue to be launched and people continue to buy them. The search for a "holy grail" item is part of what makes the cosmetics industry so lucrative--we buy an item hoping it does something and are disappointed, so we buy another and another. Every now and then a formula does what it promises and the product becomes a smash hit. On today's Makeup Monday Product Review, I will be talking about Clinique's wonderful Bottom Lash Mascara.
Image from clinique.com



 Clinique's blurb:

Now bottom lashes get in on the action with a brush engineered for tiny tasks and a formula that resists smears. Pair it with any mascara on top, and watch what happens. A full 90-day supply. $10.00 suggested retail. It is good for your bottom line. 

At $10 USD you get an adorable little mascara tube with the smallest "wand" I've ever seen. I hardly ever wear makeup on the lower lash line due to my oily skin, so I was very skeptical of this mascara. However, once I tried it I was pleasantly surprised. The wand lets you get every teeny lash and provides a dark and nicely separated look. You can apply more or less depending on the drama you want to achieve. I found that even in the Florida humidity it won't budge or smear!

I was very pleased with this mascara and used it on the top lashes as well for great definition. Granted this makes the application time a bit longer, but you don't get crunchy lashes like you do with some longer-lasting mascaras. Available in Black and Black/Brown for only $10 USD this is one product that is definitely worth the hype. Let me know if you have it or if you pick it up in the comments section below!

xo

American Beauty



Happy 4th of July to my American friends and clients! I'm sure everyone is ready to head out on the water, to your local park or even your backyard. I, of course, have makeup on my mind. Supporting small business, especially American small business, is very important to me--even if they've grown to make it big! So, I figured I would make a little list of American beauty companies, big and small, for you to support! I tried to make sure their products were also made in the USA. If you know of any other companies please feel free to mention them in the comments below!

*To the best of my knowledge, these companies started in the US and also manufacture in the US. If you find an error, please correct me in the comments below.

Bare Escentuals

Benefit Cosmetics

Benjabelle Brush Tree

Besame Cosmetics

Bomber Betty Custom Cosmetics

Clean Brush Shampoo

Cult Nails

Dr. Bronner's Magic All-in-One Soaps

Fyrinnae Cosmetics

Jao Hand Sanitizer

Layrite Pomade

Lime Crime

Margarita Bloom Retro Vintage Beauty & Skincare

Morgana Minerals

philosophy

Sara Happ Lip Scrub

Senna Cosmetics

Smith's Rosebud Salve

Sugarpill Cosmetics

The Balm Cosmetics

Makeup Monday: The Kit Conundrum

A makeup artist's kit is very personal. We are responsible for choosing the products, organizing, and traveling with our makeup essentials. There are a variety of ways to pack and transport your kit, some more popular than others. However, every artist has to have a "vessel" of some sort to take your kit from job to job. I have seen artists use everything from school backpacks to fishing tackel boxes.

My first kit was a wheeled makeup case I received in makeup school. It quickly fell apart. So I took to the internet to see what other makeup artists were using and found the Zuca bag. It is all over YouTube and you will find many artists that love it. At first I loved my Zuca too, but it became cumbersome. The pouch system is a burden when you have little space to work, and I found you end up carrying a lot more product than necessary.

So, I moved on to a case with drawer inserts. It was great to work out of and took up much less space! However, the case wasn't very sturdy and soon started to fall apart as well. At the moment, the "It" bag for artists is the Stilazzi "Gone Topless" bag, pictured below (image from their site):



The quality is supposed to be superb. It offers the drawer compartments that I like, and it seems to have plenty of room and be sturdy. It retails for $350 USD. I would like to see and touch the item in person before making any decisions, so for now, this is what I use:


Yes, lovely readers, that there is your run of the mill carry on luggage set. And you know what? I love it. I use the bag for my hair items (and it rests perfectly on top of the suitcase). My brush belt fits snugly inside the suitcase's interior pocket. The outside zip pocket can be used for any last minute additions, paperwork or even towels. I use smaller travel bags to keep my makeup safe and secure on the inside. It allows me to take out as much as I need and keep everything nearby with easy access. It works great!

Remember, KISS! Keep It Simple...Silly ;)



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