Opi by Sephora matte nail polish
Updates from December, 2009
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What do you think of this nail polish?
Emilily
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not blonde
Emilily
So, here’s my new cut and color. The color on the box was Marilyn Monroe blonde. The color on my head is Emily Hawkins light brown/dark blonde. Clearly, one of the perils of color in a box; I just gave about 117 of my hair follicles cancer for no point. The cut is probably going to grow on me…I trust Spencer, but he went way shorter than I expected. Lucky for me, the 80’s are coming back in, so my new asymmetrical style will be super on trend. Maybe. Either way, I got carded twice last night, so I’m feeling pretty good about it so far. -
Posting from my car!
Emilily
Guess what I’m doing tonight! -
Josie Maran Argan Oil
Emilily
So we’ve discussed the Nars Monoi Body Oil, and the Moroccan Hair Oil, so I thought I’d do a quick review on the Josie Maran Argan Oil (for the face.)
According to Sephora:
What it does:
Josie Maran Argan Oil is a legendary oil that’s rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, and grown organically in Morocco. Argan oil is known to have many treatment benefits, including hydrating and nourishing skin, as well as toning and firming. It’s gentle enough to use on all skin types and is believed to help with skin conditions including acne.What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrance
- Synthetic Dye
- Petro-Chemicals
- PhthalatesWhat else you need to know:
The oil is housed in a recyclable glass bottle, and purchased from women’s cooperatives in Morocco to support their social and economic welfare. These cooperatives work within a UNESCO biosphere reserve that ensures the protection and reforestation of Argan trees.Now, I like the way all of that sounds. Natural oils, recycled bottle, no chemicals, sustainably harvested…but none of that was enough to allow me to get past the fact that this stuff, put simply, smells like manure. Not a slight, musty stroll-through-the-stable smell, but a full on bury-your-face-in-a-pile-of-it stench. Needless to say, I returned it, and for future reference, I think argan is Moroccan for horseshit.
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Helena...
Carmen
I just thought you might want to see the most recent picture of Helena Bonham Carter… just to bask in her awesomeness. And just so you know, when my hair grows out this is what it will look like.
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aesthetically obnoxious but really useful information
Emilily
I know you are as interested as I am in looking as beautiful as we do FOREVER, so I thought I’d share this with you.I am running out of skin cream (I last purchased a set of the Juice Beauty Green Apple face and eye creams from Hautelook) and I’ve been researching what to buy next. I think I am over Creme de la Mer after reading so many reviews stating it was mostly petroleum jelly, and I have not really been satisfied enough with the Juice Beauty to stick with it. I’ve read a few magazine articles that always seem to tout the newest ingredient, but don’t have a comprehensive list of the overall best. I finally found this blog, Ageless Beauty, that appears to be objective (so many websites try to pretend to be independent, but they’re really just trying to sell you their sponsors’ products, the bastards!), is thorough, explains how to decode the claims of the hot new anti-aging ingredients, and provides detailed lists for all skin care issues. Be warned: this website is hideous. Ads appear in the middle of articles, sidebars flash annoyingly, and the soft pastel color palette and rose banner just smacks of old lady. However, there is a wealth of information, much of it verifying bits and pieces I have learned from what I would consider reputable sources. Based on what I read here, I’ve decided to try the Peter Thomas Roth line. It’s expensive, but most skin cream is, and I find a little usually goes a long ways – if I only have to shell out $120 for this stuff every six months, I feel like it is worth it. I will let you know how it goes!
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free stuff rocks
Emilily
So here are the products I got from the Lucky Magazine contest I won. Not a lot of stuff, but hey – it was free! High five!I know I’ve mentioned before that I am 100% devoted to my Lush products, so it is hardly worth the effort of trying anything new, but there are a few things I like about this line. All of the packaging is 100% post-consumer waste, and the paper boxes are even infused with seeds, so you can plant the box and get an herb garden! I think this is a wonderful idea, and I fully intend to plant this cardboard box..somewhere at your house, probably.
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Also, the product is pretty gentle on my (ultra-sensitive) skin, and based on the ingredient list, is probably edible as well. However, I tend to question anything that lists Acai berry as an active ingredient. My experience with those lousy acai berry scammers has left a foul taste in my mouth for anyone who has jumped on this snake-oil bandwagon.Other than the acai bias, my only real complaint is that this mask, pictured here, smells really organic, and by smells, I mean reeks, and by organic I mean like compost.
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Oh, and my other complaint is that now that I’ve won this contest, I can’t enter another one for like 6 months, so there goes my chance at that $10,000 Shopbop gift card. Dammit.
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Review of Raw Minerals
Carmen
So I recently tried a free trial from glow.com (I am not linking it because no one should be visiting this site) for only $4.95! That is until 30 days go by and if you don’t read the fine print (i didn’t) then they charge you a whole lot more! I called and they are refunding me half – but its not good enough. Especially because their product sucks. And I’m not just saying that because I failed to read the fine print. I’m saying it because its the gosh darn truth. If you want your face to age 10 years right in front of your eyes then by all means cake on the Raw Minerals! They want you to believe that this 4 (four!!) step process of putting foundation on your face will make you glow like the airbrushed models in their ads. I’m not that much of a sucker ok, I live in reality, I know what photoshop is, but I thought I would try it. With each new layer I put on it was like the natural glow of my skin (yes, i have that) disappeared only to be replaced by a desert… a cakey, dry desert…on my face. And no, its not because I didn’t apply it right. I think any time you are required to put 4 layers of stuff on your face its not going to look good. I knew that already somewhere in the recesses of my brain, but now I know it for REAL!
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Look out for the UPS man!
Emilily
Because he’s bringing you a present!
Here’s what’s in the box:
1 embosser
1 half-full L’Artisan Fleur d’Liane perfume sample (fleur d’liane means forest flower, and I’m not feeling this one as much as the tuberose, maybe because I have spent quite a bit of time in the forest and do not recall smelling anything remotely like this fragrance)
from left to right: angels on bare skin face scrub, curly wurly shampoo for curly hair, vanilla fountain bath bomb, godiva solid conditioning shampoo, wiccy magic massage bar (also great to use as a general moisturizer), jungle solid conditioner, fresh farmacy face soap, honey I washed the kids soap, mudflats soap, and sea vegetable soap.Out of all the Lush products I have tried, my absolute favorites are the Angles On Bare Skin facial scrub and the Godiva solid shampoo. This is one reason I haven’t done any other beauty product reviews, because I am so completely satisfied with my current regime, which is pretty rare. I have spent a considerable amount of time and effort looking for healthy beauty products that work, and so far, Lush has been the absolute best, hands down. Everything is made with sustainable, ethically-sourced, natural ingredients, so there are no parabens, synthetic fragrances, colors, or other harmful chemicals. Most products are very minimally packaged, and the packaging that is used is 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. They don’t test on animals, they donate a high percentage of profits to charity, they have corporate Environmental Officers…I could go on, but the most important thing is, the products actually work really well. Enjoy!
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no way!!!
Emilily
I cannot believe it – I just won something! Like two months ago I was killing time (um, yeah, it was definitely not a Friday night) by entering all the free product giveaways on the Lucky Magazine website, and today I got an email telling me I just won a free Pangea Organics gift set! I don’t think I’ve ever won anything, so I’m pretty excited. I don’t even care if it sucks – it’s free!
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thank god I don't look like Kate Gosselin
Emilily
Here are some shots of the new haircut!
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...because "angled bob" sounds better than "reverse mullet"
Emilily
…which is basically what I got! Party in the front, business in the back, baby!
I do like it, although I think I am having separation anxiety – I’ve been carrying this slightly damp ponytail around with me all afternoon…
The talented Mr. Fisher...and what looks like a large wet rodent.
No turning back now!
I'm not terrified...I always look this way when someone has clippers near my head.
What, your stylist doesn't use a leaf blower to get all the little hairs off your neck too?
ta da! (btw- this is Dylan's back yard at his new place.)
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Hair progression...
Carmen
Well, in honor of you chopping your hair off in a day or two I thought I would post pictures of my hair growth. This is a lame ass post i know, like who cares about my hair growing! Well, you do, that I know. And this blog is for you, my friend, so i’ll do posts about seemingly boring topics just for you! Ok, lets get on with it. This first picture is me back at the end of June. And the next picture is me tonight!
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signature scent
Emilily
I especially like the laboratory packaging on these, and the fact that they can be customized!
I have, up til now, never had a signature scent. I still don’t, but I’ve decided it is high time I found one.
My current repetoire of perfumes includes: Michael Kors, Issey Miyake, Gucci Envy, and La Vanille Vanilla Grapefruit. Mainstream perfumes like Michael Kors and Gucci are so easy to get stuck with, but to me, they lack sophistication and uniqueness; they’re like shopping in the juniors section at Macy’s- it’s tempting, but probably just not a good idea at my age. The La Vanille is actually my favorite, because it is light and sweet and made without any crazy noxious chemicals….but most days, it is almost a little too light and sweet and I feel it should really only be worn as I run through a field of wildflowers chasing butterflies in the golden sunlight as a Stevie Nicks song plays down from the heavens, which I don’t do too often.
Two other fragrances that I wear frequently (and as a result, have run out of) are Body by Victoria (I know, really? but it smells fantastic, and you never run into anyone else
These come in 5 versions of one scent, each to be used at a different time of the day.
wearing it) and Burberry Brit. I have a love-hate relationship with Brit: when on, it smells sublime, but I can’t stand the ugly bottle. Also, more importantly, I want a perfume that inspires visions of lovliness, romance, mystery, and a soundtrack (see La Vanille description, above) – Burberry Brit makes me feel like I should be wearing lots of hairspray and buying fake handbags out of the back of a truck.
Am I asking too much of a fragrance, that I expect it to transcend this hum-drum smells-like-white-bread reality, and transform me from Me into Princess Me, with just one spritz? I don’t think so, I just need to find a fragrance that can live up to my expectations…(wait, are we still talking about perfume here?) So I’ve posted three of my potentials here – Le Labo, Lisa Hoffman Variations, and Creed. Unfortunately, they are all fairly expensive, sold only at exclusive and inconveniently-located retailers, and none of them send free trials. How can I be expected to purchase perfume sight unseen? (And speaking of free samples, I did really like that L’Artisan Tuberose, that is definitely a finalist.)
Creed has a unisex line with some of the most unique, lovely scents; unfortunately, they are also freakishly expense, even for fine perfume.
Lo and behold, I found this website while I was googling how to spell L’Artisan and they sell, for a nominal price, decanted samples of fine perfumes. I think I will purchase a few and check them out!
Update: I have purchased some samples from the Perfumed Court website. I chose the 5 for $19 Creed samples (Himalaya, Virgin Island Water, Royal Water, Jasmal and Millesime Imperial .) I considered trying some of the I Hate Perfume scents, but when I visited the website and saw what a self-absorbed douchebag the perfumer is, I decided to pass. I tried some Diptyque scents, as well, because they have no synthetic chemicals – de L’Eau, de Neroli, and des Hesperides. This was a three-piece sampler for $8. I also got the L’Artisan Fleur de Liane (which is supposed to smell like the forest after rain!) i Profumi di Firenzi Ambra del Nepal, and finally, the Jo Malone Night & Day set, Lotus Blossom and Dark Amber, each $3-4 per 1ml vial. Perhaps I will try them and then send them to you!
Update #2, on CB I Hate Perfume: as douchy as this guy is, after further research, his perfumes do look so intriguing! I feel I must try M2 Black March, and In the Library.
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Practicing Modelinia...
Carmen
Ok, this was an experiment and as a disclaimer I would like to say that I don’t have all the right equipment that the makeup artists on Modelinia have. Also, I was having a little bit too much fun.
First I tried the “Warmed Up Look“…. do I look warmed up? Ok, I know that didn’t work out quite well, its like a cross between warmed up and smoky eye and yet..neither. By the way, this is my sexy face.
And then I tried “The Statement Lip” except I didn’t use that hideous hot purple that they use in the video.
And then I tried The Brow Wow!
My favorite, although I got a little carried away.
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On that note...
Carmen
I’m glad you posted that last one about Lady Gaga, it segues so nicely into the post I’ve been thinking about. This post contributes to quite a few of our interests. It delves into the meaning of a word (our lexophile tendencies) and explores the branches of culture that come out of that word (i’m talking about clothes!). The word is…
Style.
Good ol’ Merriam-Webster says style is:
2 a : a distinctive manner of expression b : a distinctive manner or custom of behaving or conducting oneself c : a particular manner or technique by which something is done, created, or performed .
Little did I know, its also this!: c. the filiform usually elongated part of the pistil bearing a stigma at its apex AND! d : a slender elongated process (as a bristle) on an animal. (you just got learned!)
Lets ignore these last two and focus on the first one. My question is this – Can style be learned? If it is learned can it also be genuine? and one final question – Can one learn style at the ripe age of 33?
My first theory was that you have to have alot of money to have style. And while money certainly helps, my theory can be proven wrong very easily. My next theory was that you had to be raised around style (like The Sartorialist) but that theory can be easily proven wrong also. Obviously, people believe that style can be learned, I mean, there are piles upon piles of books written on the subject. However, if one reads a book on the subject that doesn’t necessarily mean that one could then convey style. And really, lets just take a look at the definition. A distinctive manner, a particular manner. It doesn’t say anything about being able to pick out a good outfit. Its the manner in which you wear the outfit. Its picking out an outfit that can best enhance your inner manner. Is this right?
Here is my final theory and conclusion: people who exude a natural sense of style are born with a sort of brain disorder (much like OCD!) where they must have things look a certain way or they feel ill. That much cannot be learned. Everyone else are just posers who can either pull it off well or not so well. People with true style are few and far between. I have decided to read a couple books on the subject and search for my distinctive style. I will keep you updated on this endeavor.
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One of our favorites
Emilily
I thought I’d do a little post on Nars Monoi Body Oil, since I love it so much, and I am almost out, and I think we should buy one of those packs where you get both the regular and the bronze, and then split it.
Here’s some information about Francios Nars. He owns a small Tahitian island, Motu Tane. The Monoi Body Glow is made from the tiare flower, a type of white gardenia that only grows in French Polynesia. He created this book, which I am considering purchasing. And he takes totally creepy photographs, like the one below.
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huh?
Emilily
Something about Tom Ford fragrances has always intrigued me, although I have never been able to find one I like. Maybe this is why…the tagline for Tom Ford’s new perfume, Urban Musk: The fragrance of bare skin, in a downtown club, sweaty from the music and scented with . . . other body parts.
I’m sorry, but….ewww?
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Why do I like expensive things?
Emilily
Even the packaging looks so 1992...
So. I’ve heard off and on about the famous Creme de la Mer, and how ridiculously expensive it was, and how all these starlet-types swear by it, but my feeling has always been, the newer the skincare technology, the better, right? I mean, this Creme de la Mer stuff has been around for quite awhile, and if it really possessed the miraculous anti-aging qualities it claims, then why would dermatologists continue to invent new creams and serums and tonics and whatnot? (Yes, I know the answer is: those other dermatologists are not interested in providing us with the ultimate skin cream, they just want to sell us more products.) Anyways, I found this article in Elle magazine that has nearly convinced me I really should cough up a month’s worth of grocery money for a little tub of the stuff, if only for a first-hand glimpse of the mystique surrounding this cult product.
Giant Sea Kelp, or Macrocystis
Here’s the rundown. 40 years ago, aerospace physicist (ok, that title alone had me sold) Max Huber conceived of a seaweed-based formula for a salve to treat his rocket fuel burns. He selected the giant kelp because of its use in traditional Chinese and Native American medicines to cure a multitude of ailments, as well as the proven qualities of the sea minerals that the plant feeds on. The final concoction took him 12 years and 6,000 experiments to perfect, and his exact specifications are still followed to the letter today. Twice a year, the Kwakiutl tribe (one of Vancouver’s oldest) sails out into the deep sea and harvests, by hand, only the tips of the seaweed macrocystis, which are then immediately put on ice and flown to a Long Island laboratory where they undergo a complex process of fermentation. Despite the skepticism of later cosmetic scientists attempting to reproduce the formula, the proper result can only be achieved when copper plates are placed inside the fermentation tanks that vibrate with a frequency replicating the gurgling sound of previous batches of seaweed, a phenomenon called sono-chemisty that Huber and other scientitsts of his generation were actively exploring. And all that can be yours for a mere $130 per ounce.
I really feel like I should get myself some.
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smelling lovely...
Carmen
So, you know how kdukes was talking about how much she loved L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Tubereuse? Well, i’m sure you do. Anyways, I looked it up and ordered a sample for $3 and it came in the mail today – holy crap. it smells so good. Its exactly what you were hoping to get when you put that oil in your hair or when you use the nars manoi flower stuff…except better. I got two samples, i’ll send you one.
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A nice hair style for when you have been too busy/tired/lazy to wash your hair for the last few days...
Emilily
This is not a fancy hairstyle by any means, but it does well to keep my hair out of my face and looks like I made at least a minimal amount of effort when the reality is, I haven’t washed my hair since last Wednesday. Now, I am by no means a dirty person, I have probably showered about 7 times since then, but when you have two feet of hair, it gets to be kind of a pain- either I spend 30 minutes blow drying it, or I spend half the day feeling like I have a mid-sized wet rodent draped over my shoulders. So, here it is, the low bun, with pins. And they hold better if your hair is not squeaky clean. So there.
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red lipstick
Carmen
?
red lipstick is hard to pull off. what do you think? i finally found the right shade (i think). after spending about a million dollars on the wrong shades. i went and got the Nars and mixed two shades together. i still don’t know if i can walk out of the house with my lips this color. it might take a special occasion.
