We've Moved

Wicked Beautiful is now on OnSugar, a new beauty blog platform. If you've been accessing Wicked Beautiful by its blogger.com URL, beautyhub.blogspot.com, please update the address. The new address is bostonredlox.onsugar.com, but, like the old address, the new address is mapped to Wicked Beautiful's own dot-com domain name, www.wickedbeautiful.com, which is the easiest way to find us.

The 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas - Day 6

Continuing the snow theme, Day 6 of the 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas spotlights the Snow Wonder High Intensity Hand Cream ($8 for 1 oz.) from Bliss. It's part of their limited edition Snow Wonder line of creams and body butters. The High Intensity Hand Cream is rich but not greasy, and its frosty fragrance reminds you of a crisp winter day after a snowfall.

The 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas - Day 5

About 10 or 12 years ago, Origins introduced their Ginger Float cream bubble bath as a limited-edition product for the holidays. Adding a handful of the cream to your bathwater infused it with the spicy but sweet fragrance of ginger infused with citrus. This ginger fragrance proved to be so popular that Origins made it a permanent staple, and expanded their Ginger Essence line with other bath and body products, as well as perfumes and a candle. While other Origins bath lines have come and gone, Ginger Essence has remained one of their most enduringly popular fragrances. This year, Origins is offering a variety of Ginger Essence Gift Sets. My favorite is simple yet sweet: The Gingerfest Gift Set ($35). It includes the original Ginger Float cream bubble bath in an 8-ounce jar, as well as 4-ounce jars each of Ginger Souffle Whipped Body Cream and Incredible Spreadable Scrub ginger body smoother. The products come stacked in a festive red-and-white holiday tube.

The smell of the Origins ginger products still takes me back to that magical first Christmas when the Ginger Float was introduced.

The 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas - Day 4

On10 Cosmetics specializes in lip balms that taste like favorite flavors from a bygone era. Their Vintage Classic Lip Balms recreate old soda and candy flavors, and are packaged in tins that recreate the vintage packaging of the original product. The flavors are based on Schweppes sodas or Hershey's candies, many of which were discontinued decades ago. With many flavors to choose from, I opted for the Hershey's Velvet Sweet Chocolate ($9). It comes in a red and white tin with Santa Claus on it, so it's perfect for Christmas. The flavor is more hot chocolate than chocolate candy. It's smooth and subtle, with a little tingle to it (maybe it's the rosemary extract). It also has an SPF of 15 to protect your lips while you're outside sking, snowboarding, or just making snow angels. The Velvet Sweet Chocolate Lip Balm makes a great stocking stuffer, or Secret Santa present.

On10 Vintage Classic Lip Balms are available exclusively at Sephora.

The 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas - Day 3

The 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas continue with Philosophy's Eggnog Latte 3-in-1 High Foaming Shampoo, Shower Gel and Bubble Bath, a holiday edition of Philosophy's popular line of food-scented 3-in-1s. It smells delicious, and satisfies that craving when I'm jonesing for a Starbucks eggnog latte. It leaves your skin clean and soft, and best of all, it has no calories. Like all of Philosophy's 3-in-1s, you get a large 16-ounce bottle for a mere $16. At one dollar an ounce, it's one of the best bargains of the holiday season. And it comes in an adorable faux-burlap bag with a festive holiday ribbon, sure to put a smile on the face of its lucky recipient.

The 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas - Day 2

Lush's Snowcake Soap ($6.95 for 3 oz.) has become as much a holiday tradition as mistletoe, eggnog, and chestnuts roasting on an open fire. It's only available for a limited time during the holiday season. Snowcake has many, many fans of its creamy almond marzipan fragrance. People have been known to stockpile it when it comes out.



This year, Lush has introduced a companion Snowcake Shower Gel ($16.95.). It's only available online and it's extremely limited, so make sure to get yours now.

The 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas - Day 1

"It's the most wonderful time of the year," legendary crooner Andy Williams will tell you. And he's right. Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, especially for beauty fanatics. This is the time of year that cosmetic and skincare companies come out with special holiday-themed products, perfect for gift-giving. Or, if you're like me, you buy one to give as a gift and one to keep for yourself.

For the next 12 days, I will be counting down the 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas. You won't find any geese a-laying or drummers drumming, but you might just find fun or useful products to pamper, primp and please the ones you love.



The 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas begin with this adorable marshmallow snowman. He's actually scented goatsmilk soap, but he's so cute, you won't want to use him. Instead, you'll probably put him out on the coffee table every year as a Christmas decoration, just like Grandma did with those figural holiday candles from the Fifties.

This smores snowman is just one of many fun holiday soaps from Crazy K Bath and Body. Crazy K's etsy shop features several figural holiday soaps, many available in your choice of 300 fragrances. If you don't like snowmen (but who doesn't?), you can choose from snowball soaps, a santa soap, or a candy cane ice cream bar. And if you have anybody on your Naughty List, you can get them a lump of coal for their stocking. It's actually scented olive oil soap, so even if they've been naughty, they'll still be getting something nice. But you'd better hurry. Crazy K's last day of accepting holiday orders is tomorrow, so that she can get all holiday orders out on Monday.

We Wish Uemura Christmas and a Happy Shu Year

Shu Uemura has partnered with Japanese photographer and film director Mika Ninagawa to create a holiday collection of makeup that evokes the rich palette of nature as captured by Ninagawa's photographs. The Mika Loves Shu Holiday Collection 2008 consists of three eyeshadow palettes ($65 each), two nail polishes ($16 each), three mini eyeliner pencils ($35 for the set), two sets of three Gloss Unlimited lip glosses in a cosmetic pouch ($40), three Rouge Unlimited cheek colors ($23 each), a cosmetic bag ($29), and a portable brush set ($85). The colors run the gamut of deep earth tones of black, brown, and green, to rich jewel tones of sapphire, amethyst and garnet, to bright tones of chartreuse, pink, yellow and orange, and everything in between. The eyeshadow cases feature Ninagawa's photography, as do the Chrysanthemum cosmetic pouch and the case for the portable brush set. The Holiday Collection also features four sets of false eyelashes.




The Mika Loves Shu Holiday Collection 2008 can be purchased online as well as at the three Shu Uemura boutiques, in San Francisco and Costa Mesa, California; and the one right here in Boston on Newbury Street.

Face It, I'm Not Getting Any Younger

LORAC is a brand of cosmetics that has a huge following among celebrities and mere mortals alike. Founder and makeup artist Carol Shaw has been readying stars such as Nicole Kidman and Debra Messing for the red carpet for many years. Thus it's hard to believe that, in all my years of beauty addiction, I've never tried any of her products before now.

My skin has been acting up lately, with severe breakouts due to stress. Because of this, I've been treating my skin like it's oily and teenaged, and not like it's dry and aging. The sudden realization that I should be treating my skin with more age-appropriate products sent me running to my nearest Sephora for a foundation that not only masks my skin problems, but treats my skincare concerns as well. After trying several foundations, all of which were too yellow or too dark for my fair, pink-undertoned complexion, the Sephora makeup artist came over to assist me. She recommended Lorac's Breakthrough Performance Foundation ($38) in Porcelain, the lightest shade. She chose the Lorac line because Nicole Kidman uses it, and she's about as pale as I am. Lorac's Breakthrough Performance Foundation is an oil-free anti-aging foundation. It contains SMS Complex which, according to the Lorac website, "combines pre-aging, anti-aging, hydrating, and smoothing ingredients along with antioxidants to help skin appear youthful, rejuvenated, and radiant. It helps to counteract the signs of aging by increasing cell turnover, and promoting skin’s natural ability to produce collagen; which has been shown to strengthen the skin’s structure." Sounds impressive, but I'm hooked because it's oil-free and contains an SPF of 14.

I am very pleased with this foundation. Although I do have to use a concealer on my most problematic areas, the coverage looks very natural so it doesn't look like I'm plastering on makeup to hide my skin flaws. I can't attest to its anti-aging claims, but it's a very good foundation that I can wear with confidence every day. Now I'm hooked on Lorac, and I look forward to trying some of her other products. Will they make me as beautiful as Nicole Kidman? No, but I'd be happy just to look as good as I possibly can.

My New Favorite Website

Besides Wicked Beautiful, of course.

I've just discovered a fantastic website. It's called Sprig, and they bill themselves as Your Daily Green Style Guide. If you want to learn more about living a healthier, greener lifestyle, then this is the place to go. Sprig features recommendations and helpful information on green fashions, accessories, beauty products, foods, and home and houseware products. They also profile celebrities at the forefront of the green movement (we're talkin' COOL celebrities, like Leonadro di Caprio or Kate Winslett, and definitely NOT Ed Begley Jr.).

The information on Sprig is offered in concise, encapsulated lists and columns to maximize absorption and minimize surf time (perfect if you surf the 'net at work). Their "Steal This Look" column tells you how to recreate a celebrity's interior, outfit, or makeup look, all green, of course. The "How to Eco-Chic" column offers green substitutions for things we use every day, like mascara or shower products. And their "Today's Products" gives you an at-a-glance fashion, home, and beauty product every day. My favorite feature is the "Best" list, in which they recommend several green products you can't live without, such as the Best Handbags for Fall or the Best Green Shampoos and Conditioners.

You can also sign up for the free Sprig.com email newsletters. Every Monday is the Fashion Newsletter, Tuesdays is the Beauty Newsletter, and Thursdays is the Home Newsletter. You can choose which ones you want to sign up for (I signed up for all three because I love fashion, beauty, and home ideas).

Zesty Zit-Zapper

I'm a sucker for anything that smells like pink grapefruit. I don't actually like grapefruit, but I love skin, bath and body products that smell like it. So my latest acquisition is the new Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser ($5.99) from Neutrogena. Neutrogena has taken their classic Oil-Free Acne Wash with Microclear Technology and salicylic acid and added 100% natural extracts of pink grapefruit for an extra boost of Vitamin C. I've tried the original acne wash in the past but I always found it too drying. I prefer the pink grapefruit version. It rinses clean and smells invigorating, and doesn't dry out my skin like the original.

The Pink Grapefruit facial cleanser is part of Neutrogena's new line of pink grapefruit products. The line also includes an Oil-Free Acne Wash Foaming Scrub ($5.99) with microbeads, as well as a Body Clear bodywash ($6.99), both also with Microclear Technology.



Right now Neutrogena is sponsoring the Fresh Faces 2008 Concert Sweepstakes. Neutrogena®, the #1 dermatologist recommended skincare brand, is proud to present the Fresh Faces 2008 Concert Sweepstakes, where five lucky winners will have the chance to win a VIP trip for two to Los Angeles to attend the Neutrogena Fresh Faces 2008 Concert. The Neutrogena Fresh Faces 2008 Concert, starring Vanessa Hudgens, will take place on September 7 in Santa Monica, California, and Neutrogena is giving you the opportunity to be there in-person!

By logging onto www.neutrogenaconcert.com on or before August 18, you can sign up for the chance to be one of five lucky grand-prize winners.

The five grand prize winners will receive:
An all expenses paid, VIP trip for two to attend the concert in LA
A makeover
A back-to-school shopping spree
The chance to hang out back stage with Vanessa

In addition to the grand prize:
10 first prize winners will receive an iPod Nano and Vanessa’s new album “Identified”
25 second prize winners will receive a Neutrogena “Back-to-School” beauty bag with all of Vanessa’s must have products
50 third prize winners will receive an autographed copy of Vanessa’s hit CD

Not only is Neutrogena kicking off the back-to-school season with the Fresh Faces 2008 Concert Sweepstakes, Neutrogena is also proud to introduce Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit to its line-up of trusted skin-clearing solutions. This new line of Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit acne cleansers clears breakouts and provides an uplifting blast of grapefruit, leaving skin refreshed and clear for the first day of school.

Equality of the Sexists

I don't know about you, but it used to piss me off every time I'd be behind an 18-wheeler with those naked girl mudflaps on the back. I never understood it. When I first started seeing them years ago, I rather naively thought it was the logo for a specific brand of mudflaps. But it wasn't an advertising logo at all! So what was the point of it? Was there even a point? Could the ubiquitous and iconic Mudflap Girl be nothing more than a sexist attempt to objectify the idealized but unrealistic standards of female beauty as determined by the uber-masculine and arguably misogynistic trucker sub-culture?

Fear not, feminists! Mudflap Boy is here, and retribution is at hand. Mudflap Boy takes the mickey out of the whole sexist trucker thing with a line of products featuring - you guessed it - a pointless naked man splayed out in a provocative pose. Mudflap Boy products include t-shirts, postcards, stickers, belt buckles, and trucker hats. Isn't it about time women sported a naked man on their wheels, whether they be 2, 4 or 18? Now we can, with the oval Mudflap Boy bumper sticker. And the Mudflap Boy trucker hat, t-shirt, and belt buckle will ensure your message will get noticed whether you're making a long-haul trip from Albuquerque to Boise, or just hanging around closer to home.

Mudflap Boy has been featured on Veronica Mars and Mad TV, and has appeared in several print magazines including Bust and Cargo.


Now that Mudflap Boy has gently poked fun at the trucker industry, does this mean women can wolf-whistle at construction workers next? Mudflap Boy products for women can be found at www.mudflapboy.com. Mudflap Boy products for men, including the double-entendre double Mudflap Boy t-shirt, can be purchased from www.mudflapboys.biz.

Fun 'n Flirt!-y

I have to admit, the only reason I go to Kohl's is for their makeup lines. Although I love discount stores like Target and Marshall's, I've never found anything at Kohl's that I've just had to have - except for the makeup and skincare lines that are exclusive to them. They are all "diffusion labels" of Estee Lauder, which means you get department store quality at discount store prices, and without the pushy sales associates. Each line at Kohl's is like a mid-range version of an Estee Lauder company. American Beauty is like the Estee Lauder line - classic and traditional. Good Skin is like Clinique, with skincare products using the latest scientific advancements. Grassroots is like Origins, with an emphasis on natural ingredients. But my favorite of their lines is Flirt!, Kohl's youthful, funkier line of makeup aimed at the teenaged market. Flirt! is like the MAC Cosmetics of Kohl's, with an emphasis on color cosmetics (and unlike MAC, which launched some skincare products, almost as an afterthought after Estee Lauder bought the company, Flirt has no skincare products at all). Yesterday I left the house in stifling 90-degree humidity to treat myself to a mini-haul at the Flirt! display units.


With the advent of warmer weather, I always like to switch to lighter, sheerer makeup textures and colors. I couldn't resist Flirt's I'm Whipped Cheek Mousse ($12). Dab a little onto cheeks for a sheer, barely-there flush of color. It gives a youthful, dewy glow that looks more natural on complexions when it's hot and humid outside. I chose the shade Fantastique, a light peachy-pink, similar to Nars' Orgasm blush. It complements my red-headed-person's pale complexion perfectly.



Continuing with the mousse theme, I also chose the I'm Whipped Eye Mousse ($12). Like the cheek mousse, the eye mousse gives a sheer wash of color that doesn't look heavy or powdery like powder shadow can. I chose shade #7, Cross My Heart, a light pinky-peach (like the cheek mousse in Fantastique). It looks very bright in the compact but when applied it looks very natural.


Summer weather also means it's time to switch the heavy foundation for a lighter tinted moisturizer. I purchased Flirt's Act Natural Light and Sheer Foundation ($12). Although it contains an SPF of 15, it doesn't protect against UVA rays (the aging ones) because it doesn't contain Avobenzone, Titanium Dioxide, or Zinc Oxide. While I can't recommend it as a sunscreen (I use a separate sunscreen on my face anyway), I do love it as a sheer foundation. I hate heavy foundations anyway, and Act Natural Light and Sheer Foundation looks natural on my skin. And I applaud the wide range of shades it comes in. With my pale complexion, I usually pick the lightest shade of foundation within a line, and with many drugstore and budget lines, even the lightest shade isn't light enough. With Flirt, I was surprised to find that their third-lightest shade, Nude Envy, was perfect. While darker skin tones aren't as well-represented with the tinted moisturizer - perhaps because sheerer color can be more forgiving to within a few degrees of skin tone - Flirt also makes a stick foundation that comes in a greater variety of shades for both light and dark skin tones, with the choice of warm or cool shades of each color. And the pressed powder comes in the same shades as the stick foundation, so you won't have to test the powders separately to see what shade you take. If you take Nude Envy in the foundation, you take Nude Envy in the pressed powder. It's a no-brainer!

While I was at the Flirt display, I couldn't resist spritzing myself with their two perfumes, Flirtatious and Glamourazzi. Both have hints of vanilla, which is why I love them both. Flirtatious (pictured at top), their first fragrance, is an intoxicating blend of exotic wild berry, enchanting honeysuckle and creamy vanilla. I really love the combination of berries and vanilla. It vaguely reminds me of English trifle. Glamourazzi is Flirt's new fragrance, a sparkling blend of exotic flowers, spicy ginger and vanilla. It was a tough decision, but in the end Flirtatious won out. It's a better warm-weather fragrance, with its fruit and flower notes. Glamourazzi is heavier and spicier and would be great in colder weather, especially as a holiday fragrance. I'm sure I'll be going back to Kohl's to buy it once fall rolls around. Both fragrances retail for $35 for a 1.7 ounce bottle.

In keeping with their youthful theme, Flirt! teams regularly with young celebrities to create seasonal color collections. Past Flirt! Guest Creators, as they're called, have included singer Michelle Branch, actresses Milla Kunis and Vanessa Minnillo, and tennis superstar Serena Williams. Flirt! is available at all Kohls stores, or at kohls.com.

Ren and Primp-y

Ren Clean Skincare claims to be the first company to pioneer the concept of clean skincare. In fact, the word Ren is Swedish for "clean." But Ren is actually a British company. The line is called "clean" because it's free of parabens, petrochemicals, coloring, preservatives, and other synthetic ingredients. But this line isn't one of those homemade-type lines that use natural ingredients that do nothing to benefit your skin. Ren uses advanced bio-actives (i.e. natural ingredients that are effective) in their products. Their packaging is vacuum-sealed to prevent air or other contaminants from compromising the effectiveness of the product, thus enabling them to eliminate all preservatives from their products.

I first reviewed Ren Skincare in my very first post on this blog. I tried the Rose Centrifolia Facial Cleansing Gel and the Rose Complex Moisturizer for Normal Skin. Back then, Ren only had two cleansers to choose from, the gel cleanser for normal skin and a cream cleanser for dry skin. Since my skin is combination, with clogged pores, I opted for the gel cleanser. But that was a year-and-a-half ago. Since I first reviewed Ren, they have come out with two more cleansers, one specifically for combination skin, and one for sensitive skin. Ren also introduced new moisturizers to go along with them. So I decided it was time to revisit Ren and try the line for combination skin.

I purchased the Mayblossom and Blue Cypress Balancing Facial Cleansing Gel ($32) and the Mayblossom and Konjac Balancing Moisturizer ($45). The cleanser is a lightweight gel containing extracts of antimicrobial Mayblossom, Willow Bark (a natural salicylic acid) and Australian Blue Cypress oil to clear pores and prevent pimples while it balances combination skin. I like the consistency of the gel cleanser. It cleans my face but doesn't strip it. I'm not sure it entirely removed all of my makeup, so I just used a second half-pump of cleanser and went over my face again. Since my skin is so sensitive and breaks out easily, I'd rather cleanse twice (at night only) than use something so harsh it causes a negative reaction to my skin. I follow the cleanser with the Mayblossom and Konjac moisturizer. It's a lightweight gel-cream with Mayblossom and Willow Bark to normalize sebum production, and Japanese Konjac root disperses sebum to reduce shine and hydrate dry areas. It feels a bit slippery when I first apply it, but it absorbs instantly into my skin. It's perfect right now with the summer heat and humidity, but in the colder months I might go back to the Rose Complex Moisturizer. Then again, my skin seems to break out with heavier moisturizers, so I might try to use the Mayblossom moisturizer all winter and see if my skin still feels comfortable. For now, using Ren's products for combination skin helps my skin to feel clean and balanced. They're not too heavy, nor are they not heavy enough. They're just right.

Ren has a wide range of facial care products for all skin types, including serums, eye treatments, and masks. In addition to facial care, Ren also makes clean body-care products, including body washes, lotions, and body oils. They've even branched out into fragrance and hair care. In the span of just a few short years, Ren has already garnered a celebrity following that includes Kate Beckinsale, Kate Moss, Kate Winslett, and a host of other celebrities not named Kate (including Jude Law, Christy Turlington, and Sting). The company also donates a portion of its proceed to charitable causes in Great Britain, proving that their conscious, as well as their products, are clean.

Cut-Price Couture

I love Target. They get big-name fashion- and interior designers to create lines especially for them at reasonable prices. Now they've started carrying high-end fragrances in the cosmetics aisle, also at discounted prices. I've wanted to try Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum ever since I rubbed my wrist with one of those magazine-page advertisements in Lucky Magazine. Its slightly classic, slightly boho fragrance is an intriguing blend of fruit, flowers, sweets, and woodsy elements. It has top notes of watermelon, mandarin, pink passion fruit, bright marigold, green apple, water hyacinth, and crushed leaves. The middle notes consist of couture tuberose absolute, wild rose, and princess lily. Its base notes are made of creme brulee, vanilla, precious woods, and patchouli.

The Juicy Couture Eau de Cologne comes in a pretty pink box and a stunning glass bottle. The bottle is so beautiful that I keep it out on my dresser. It features the Juicy Couture pseudo-royal crest of two scotties flanking an orb, and the stopper is a faux diamond as big as the Hope Diamond. I feel like I'm holding the Crown Jewels every time I spray myself with the fragrance.

A one-ounce bottle of Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum costs $32.99 at Target. You can also purchase the 1.7 ounce-bottle for $39.99 (it retails for $65 at high-end department stores), or the 3.4-ounce bottle for $64.99 ($85 retail). When you buy the fragrance at retail department stores, the 1.7-oz. and 3.4-oz. bottles come with a signature Juicy Couture charm wrapped around the faux-diamond stopper. I guess the bottles that are packaged up for the discount stores don't come with that (at least my bottle didn't), but it's a small sacrifice to get the fragrance at such a great price. And the department stores usually seem to carry the two larger sizes, not the one-ounce bottle.

For those of you who are interested in trying Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum but are hesitant to purchase even the one-ounce bottle, you can also buy the .17-ounce mini-bottle of the pure parfum (below) for $12.99. It's a great way to try it before investing in a larger bottle.

Handmade Style Part Two: Handmade Fashion

Part One of my two-part series of Handmade Style focused on handmade beauty and personal care items. Part Two focuses on handmade clothing and accessories. The photographs featured below are all items that I purchased.

Metal Sugar: Cupcake Power, Activate! Metal Sugar is Melissa, a Georgia native now living in Brooklyn. She works in silver and other metals, and her work has an ironic sense of humor to it. Witness the Cupcake Signet Ring ($75). A tough, bold ring in oxidized silver that looks punk or goth, you would expect it to boast a skull and crossbones or perhaps a razorblade. Instead, it is adorned with something as sweet and innocuous as a cupcake. I love the humor in that. Humor not your thing? Her pieces that aren't so tongue-in-cheek have an organic feel to them. Whether you're looking for something classic or fun, there are many styles to choose from with Metal Sugar.


AHPeele: Adam first met Hiromi right here in Boston. Now they are married and live in North Carolina, where they make and sell screen-printed t-shirts and other articles of clothing featuring Adam's designs. Many of his designs are influenced by Japanese art, but I particularly loved this long-sleeved Old Style Sailing Ship T-Shirt ($32). Ahpeele makes a variety of limited edition tees, hoodies, zip-up jackets, and even a dress or two. They use quality shirts like those by Bella and American Apparel, and each purchase comes with a card with instructions on how to launder your shirts to preserve the design.


Tortilla Girl: Becky, A.K.A. Tortilla Girl, is an American fashion designer living in Paris. In her spare time she makes and sells handmade clothing and accessories on Etsy. I fell in love with her Big Fat Heart Tote, a white cotton serge bag with a large red vinyl heart. Becky makes each one by hand to order, and for $3 extra you can choose to include a magnetic clasp closure for extra security. I get compliments on this bag everywhere I go with it.


Loopity Loop Glam: Loopity Loop Glam uses metal and stones to create a variety of jewelry, but it's her belt buckles that got my attention. I bought the Punk Circles Buckle ($36) (shown here), to accessorize my most favorite pair of jeans ever -the Lucky Brand Maddy Jean, if you're interested. It gives the jeans an urban chic sensibility that, when paired with the Cupcake Signet Ring and the Ahpeele Pirate Shirt mentioned above, creates one very cool ensemble.


Strap: If you're going to buy a cool belt buckle, you need a cool belt to go with it. Loopity Loop Glam uses belts by Strap in the photos on her Etsy shop. Strap cuts and dyes leather into accessories such as belts, wallets, wristlets, and even dog collars. Strap's belts come with their own buckle, but you can remove it and replace it with a different one. Buckles by Loopity Loop Glam fit perfectly onto Strap's belts. The Cowboy Belt shown here costs $40.


The House of Worn: Worn is a semi-annual independently published fashion magazine. This mag goes way beyond the typical 'zine that is usually expected of indie publishing. Worn is a professional-looking magazine. It measures 8.5"x11", bound, and is offset-printed on semi-gloss paper, just like other fashion magazines. The articles are well-written and informative (issue #5 boasts a fascinating look at Elsa Schiaparelli, one of my favorite designers). You can order one issue, a 3-pack, or purchase a two-year subscription (four issues, every fall and spring). With your subscription, you receive a one-inch badge from their artist series with every issue.


If you want to take the handmade pledge to buy handmade items, particularly during the holiday season, go here.

Ink and Paint

Kat Von D, tattoo artist extraordinaire and star of television's L.A. Ink, has launched her own line of cosmetics with beauty super-emporium Sephora. Part pinup girl, part rocker chick, Kat's makeup collection is at once tough yet glam, much like the tattooed siren herself . The Kat Von D for Sephora collection features True Romance eyeshadow kits, glamourous Painted Love lip colors, and retro-inspired Autograph liquid eyeliners. The collection also includes makeup brushes, because the right tools are just as important for makeup as they are for tattoos. But you'd better hurry up if you want to get your hands on these items, because unlike tattoos, the Kat Von D collection isn't permanent. It's a limited edition. And if you order any Kat Von D Collection item from sephora.com, you get a free star tattoo (like the ones around Kat's eyes) with every order, along with the usual three free samples you get with any Sephora purchase. So if you can't make the commitment to a permanent tattoo, you can still look fierce and sport ink by Kat Von D, even if it's only temporary.

Handmade Style, Part One: Handmade Beauty

As much as I am addicted to all things beauty-related, I now have a new addiction: Etsy. For those of you unfamiliar with Etsy, it's a website where people can sell their handmade items online. It operates a bit like eBay, but instead of customers trying to outbid each other for an item, they buy it outright for the retail price that the seller sets. Etsy has only been operating for three years but it has already garnered a worldwide following of crafters and customers alike. There are a wide variety of handmade goods on Etsy. Among other things, one can find ceramics, woodwork, knitted goods, clothing, jewelry, handbags, toys, ipod cozies, cell phone covers, and probably a million other things - including beauty items. Here is a rundown of some of my recent purchases.

Lollibomb: Lollibomb lives in New Jersey, where she creates her line of bath and body products. She also has a line of mineral makeup. I bought her Whipped Body Frosting ($9.50) in Birthday Cake. It comes in a generous 8-ounce tub, and the fragrance certainly lives up to its name. And Lollibomb's products are vegan. If her tempting fragrances and formulas don't grab you, her punk-rock-inspired packaging will.

Savor: Having tried Savor's soaps, I will never buy commercial soap again. Most commercial soaps take out the glycerin, a natural by-product of the saponification process, and replace it with chemicals. Savor's soap base is an all-natural vegetable soap. It creates a luxurious lather and doesn't dry out the skin. Her soap concotions are imaginative, like Smores ($4.50), or Raspberry Walnut Panna Cotta ($5.00). And her soaps are as beautiful to look at as they are to use - no standard bars of soap cut from a large loaf for Savor. My favorite soap is Sex Appeal (pictured here), an unusual but very successful combination of strawberry and roses.

Kisse Girl: Kisse Girl is one smart cookie. She realized that there was a place on Etsy for bath and body products for young girls. Her line is marketed to girls aged 8 and up. Since age, uh, over-thirty (and that's all I'm sayin') is included in that age bracket, I had no qualms about ordering the Skin Dessert ($5.50), a half-gel, half-cream body moisturizer. It reminds me of that line of children's bath and body products that Bath and Body Works used to make. Skin Dessert comes in three "flavors": banana, wild berry, and lemon berry, and contains glitter, so your kids - or you - will sparkle. Kisse Girl also makes shower gels, body splashes, and lip balms. Her products will make kids want to take a bath, and you know, it's never too early to cultivate girls' interest in bath and beauty items!

Anderson Soap Company: Dennis Anderson is one of Etsy's success stories. His soaps, solid perfumes, shower gels and lip balms have sold so well that he was able to quit his day job and now does Etsy full time. His whipped Soap in a Jar ($7.50) is a luscious concoction of soft soap that comes in a variety of yummy fragrances, including cotton candy, mango madness, lemon meringue, chocolate drizzle, and Plum Clafouti (!).


When I buy these handmade items, I know I am supporting independent crafters who often don't have the means to open their own shops or to sell their items to other shops. And what I get in return are truly unique items that I can't find anywhere else, often at very reasonable prices. If you'd like to take the handmade pledge to buy handmade items, particularly during the holiday season, go here. Support independent crafters! You'll be glad you did.

The Clinique Clique

Do you like Clinique products? Well, join the club. The Insider's Club, that is. Clinique is starting up a new program called the Clinique Insider’s Club. And this is your chance to be a part of it.

Clinique will be selecting 20 women from submitted applications to be “Clinique Insiders.” The "Insiders” will get an exclusive sneak peek at the latest Clinique Skincare, and Makeup products and will have the opportunity to give product reviews and opinions which will be seen, heard and read on Clinique.com. Insiders will also have access to special upcoming events and will receive a special welcome kit which includes full-size Clinique products and a Flip Video digital camcorder!

Clinique is currently accepting applications to the Insider's Club. All you need to do is write a 50-word essay, and upload a one-minute video showing and telling why YOU have what it takes to be a Clinique Insider. You can apply at:
https://www.clinique.com/templates/user/sweeps.tmpl?OFFER_CODE=InsidersClub08.

Green Makeup

Don't be alarmed. I'm not talking about disco-era green eyeshadow. I'm talking about Organic Wear, the new line of organic makeup from Physician's Formula. Organic Wear is the first Ecocert Certified organic line of makeup in the U.S. The line features pressed and loose powder, a tinted moisturizer with an SPF of 15, a liquid bronzer, a powder blush, concealer, and a powder bronzer, all containing natural organic ingredients such as jojoba seed oil, sunflower oil, and lavender essential oil. The line is 100% free of synthetic preservatives, harsh chemicals, parabens, and synthetic fragrances, and is 100% cruelty-free.

Being that my skin is so sensitive, I've been searching for makeup that is largely or completely natural. I had been wearing mineral makeup, but I found that it made my skin look powdery. So I bought the Organic Wear tinted moisturizer and the pressed powder to see if they agree with my skin. The results so far: no problems with my complexion, and the coverage looks natural, not powdery. The tinted moisturizer is heavenly in feel and appearance. It's light but gives a bit of coverage to make my skin look a little better than if I wasn't wearing any makeup. I layer it with just a light dusting of the pressed powder to set it, and I'm good to go.

Not only is the Organic Wear makeup eco-conscious, so is their packaging. Their patent-pending pressed powder compact uses 93% less plastic than a traditional compact. You can check out the entire line of Organic Wear makeup at www.organicwearmakeup.com. Organic Wear makeup is available at drugstores and discount stores such as Target and CVS.

Smells Like Clean Spirit

Dove, most famous for their ubiquitous beauty bar containing one quarter moisturizing cream, has come a long way in the thirty-plus years since they first urged women to take the 10-Day Challenge to better skin. Today the company has been at the forefront of the movement to encourage women to feel beautiful not only on the outside, but on the inside as well. Their ad campaigns, bolstered by events and lectures, seek to encourage women of all ages to empower themselves through increased self-esteem. The company is best known for their facial and body skincare products. This month, Dove launches a new fragrance-based line aimed at young women called go fresh.

Dove go fresh "is inspired by the philosophy that women in their 20’s need to gain a fresh perspective – today’s 20-somethings pressure themselves to juggle major life issues and achieve success by the age of the 30. Dove go fresh will inspire these women to gain a fresh perspective, recognize a wider definition of success and ultimately feel beautiful!" The new collection includes body mists, deodorants, personal wash, hand and body lotion, shampoos and conditioners, and it encourages women to refresh, energize and cool off through three distinct scents:
-Refresh: waterlilly and mint
-Energize: sparking grapefruit and lemongrass
-Cool Off: green tea and cucumber

Additionally, Alicia Keys will help 20-somethings gain a fresh perspective this coming Monday (March 24th)! Airing during the first commercial break of the highly anticipated premiere of MTV’s “The Hills,” Dove go fresh presents “Fresh Takes!” “Fresh Takes” is a new micro-series created by Dove go fresh. There will be five 3-minute episodes, each one touching on a pressure point of 20-something women: beauty, career, dating, family and friends. Be sure to tune in! You can view the trailer here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=2C4IusV9K5c.

Of the three fragrances, my favorite is the Energize line. The sparkling grapefruit and lemongrass fragrance wakes me up in the morning. I especially love the Energize body wash. It contains tiny scrubbing beads to exfoliate as it cleanses. I layer it with the Energize deodorant and I'm ready to head out the door in the morning (and I'm not a morning person).

Fafi Girls

In high school, whenever I was bored in class (which was a lot), I would doodle in the margins of my notebook. I didn't write things like "The Who," "The Stones," or "Led Zepplin" like the stoner kids did. I emblazoned my notebooks with sketches of hipster girls with punk hairdo's and funky clothes. Of course my sketches were cool - they just weren't very good. So when I got to college I decided to forgo the career in art and majored in history instead. Luckily for this world, there are those that have true artistic talent and pursue their passions. French artist Fafi is one of those people. Born in Toulouse, Fafi began painting her art on walls after she dropped out of school. Perhaps she was bored beyond merely drawing funky girls in her notebooks, but I'm not advocating dropping out - so stay in school, kids. Fafi started out drawing Martians before creating her trademark Fafinettes - funky, sassy girls that rocked the streets of Toulouse and subsequently, the world!



MAC's new collection heralds in spring with bright, clear, vibrant colors in packaging featuring Fafi's sassy Fafinettes. Her Franco-Japanimation-style illustrations are evocative of both street graffiti and fashion sketches. Each Fafi girl (Monoka, Ermine and Eriko) is "a nymphette with a Ph.D. in passion - she's an adventuress with a very animated love life! From Toulouse to Tokyo, the movie of her life is a rags-to-riches love story, an electric Technicolor dream in violet, coral and strawbaby anime." The Fafi Collection for MAC is a limited edition. It features 27 color pieces including eyeshadow quads, lipsticks, lipglasses, paintpot eye colors, a fluid eyeliner, a mascara, powder blushes, nail lacquers, and iridescent face powder. It also includes accessories such as brushes, vinyl makeup bags, t-shirts, a scarf, a tote bag, and Fafinette figurines. My favorite items are the Glaze Lipstick in Fun 'n Sexy (a bright pink that matches my iPod), the Lustre Lipstick in Strawbaby (a rich strawberry-pink), and the Iridescent Powder in Belightful, a sparkly nude that I wear as a blush.



And of course I had to get the Fafi Doll in Eriko, because she's a redhead like me!



If you want to get your hands on the Fafi collection, you'd better hurry. The line was launched just last week and already certain colors are sold out online. Also check out macfafi.com for more information on Fafi makeup and accessories, as well as sketches and events. Fafi also has her own website: www.fafi.net. Fafi had been painting the Fafinettes on walls since 1994. Since then she has designed toys and figurines and has collaborated with Sony, Adidas, LeSportSac, Coca-Cola, Elle, Vogue, and The Face magazines. As for me, I gave up drawing funky girls a long time ago. But that's okay. If I can't draw other girls, at least I can still paint my own face.



For good measure, a drawing I did in 1988 when I was in a band in college