Blue Crush: I’ve got the hots for blue nails!
I was standing at the wall o’ nail polish agonizing (AGONIZING!) about my choice of nail color. I was coming off of a week of pale pink Shellac and I was ready for something more exciting, but I wasn’t really in the mood for the bright pinks and orange reds of spring. And then, out of the blue, I spotted OPI Eurso Euro! It’s a beautiful, rich cobalt glass blue.
I chose OPI because I needed a gel manicure, but there are a LOT of beeee-you-ti-ful blues out this season. Check out my blues clues roundup below!
What’s your favorite color this season?
I have been politely ignoring the whole bob haircut trend, but it’s just about everywhere I turn. Come to think of it, I have really only seen it on the runways, touted in blogs, and featured in magazines. There is not a single person in my life who has attempted a bob – at least not for the past 25-30 years.
It’s a tough style to pull off. Of course, Posh, Katie Holmes, and Jennifer Aniston look fabulous with their respective bobs, but they would probably look lovely if they shaved their heads entirely!
Can the everywoman pull off a bob?! Please send me your photos of real life ladies successfully working the bob!
Bob Haircuts
Source: google search
Mama’s Got a Brand New [Cosmetics] Bag
I’m in the market for a new beauty bag. I was recently sitting in a meeting and I pulled out my sparkly, silver number only to find that it had lost its luster – and is looking a bit dingy. Of course, I could try to wash it, but that sounds like a lot of work!
Of course, my first stop was Stephanie Johnson – the queen of cosmetic cases. She has just about every shape and size you could possibly need and regularly dresses them in fabulous, stylish fabrics and prints. I love the Southewest/desert style of this one:
Stephanie Johnson LAURA Large Trapezoid in Tucson Desert
Source: StephanieJohnson.com
I’m thinking about going a different direction and choosing something a bit more cheeky. What do you think of these?
Lips Makeup Bag
Source: CuratorSF.com
Pamela Barsky Cheeky Cases
Source: Etsy
I was heartbroken to find that this Candy Store case in Rainbow Sherbet is apparently sold out! It could be the perfect makeup bag given that the silicone wipes clean and it’s gooooooorgeous! I did find it in solid colors, but it’s just not the same. Sigh.
Candy Store Rainbow Sherbet Silicone Case
Source: Pinterest
Ok, one more. This one is a bit out of my beauty bag budget at $130.00, but I can still drool!
Ted Baker Evangel Makeup Case
Source: VonMaur.com
Which one do you like the best?!
Ready for My Closeup: Gust-o Blow Dry Bar
On Wednesday, I had to primp for a gloss48 video shoot (yeah, we’re kind of a big deal…in our own minds…). As we all know, the camera can be unkind. Therefore, I left my hair and makeup to the experts at Gust-o, a blow dry bar in Boston.
gust-o blow dry bar Boston
They had me at online booking. I love salons that give me the opportunity to book my beauty online while I am on a conference call. Don’t worry, I’m an excellent multitasker. I can talk profit and loss while perusing the gust-o menu. I ended up choosing a blow dry and mini-makeup, which includes eyes and lips.
The gust-o space is lovely – all done up in pink and orange. I was excited to find that they carry two of my favorite haircare lines – Oribe and Living Proof!
I told my stylist, Carol, that I was heading to a video shoot and that we may need to go a bit heavier on the makeup. She was lovely – and a master at calming my mane! She used Oribe products throughout my service because we both agreed that they have a lovely scent and they leave hair with a soft, shiny texture. Carol applied La Bella Donna mineral makeup to my eyes and lips – stunning!
I took some photos for you so that you can see the full transformation. Please excuse my stunning lack of photography skills. I don’t like telling people that I’m a blogger so these are all self portraits!
Before: with my stylist Carol
During: hair done, no makeup
After: in a cab, as I rushed to our video shoot
What do you think?!
I was blown away!
Sunscreen is not my favorite beauty product. Applying sunscreen falls into the same category as flossing – incredibly important, but, admittedly, sometimes forgotten. While my skincare products have made it easy for me to remember slather my face, I sometimes forget to do the full body rubdown. I hereby pledge to apply and reapply on the regular!
Prevent. Protect. Get Checked. That’s Skinceutical’s tagline for their melanoma awareness campaign. Check out the Skinceutical’s Spot video starring (among others) Padma Lakshmi, Rebecca Minkoff, and Jeannine Morris. For every video view, SkinCeuticals will donate $1 to Melanoma Research Alliance.
The bad news is that melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. The good news is that it’s the easiest to cure as long as it is detected early. Make an appointment with your doctor to get those spots checked! Visit http://www.skinceuticals.com/prevent for a list of doctors who will provide a complimentary check.
I Squint, Therefore I Wrinkle
I am sorely in need of a new pair of glasses. I tried the whole contact lens thing and it just doesn’t work. I want to rip them out of my eyes after a few hours.
I have recently caught myself, hunched over and squinting at my computer screen. I noticed that, when I squint, I am reinforcing the worst of my wrinkles – crow’s feet, under eye wrinkles, and that lovely crease between my brows.
Rivet & Sway Punchline Neopolitan
Clearly, it’s time to shop for some new glasses! With all of the new eyewear websites, I have lots of options – Warby Parker, Rivet and Sway, and even 39DollarGlasses.com. All of these websites cut out the middleman so, unlike LensCrafters and Pearl Vision, they can offer eyewear at significantly lower prices.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Warby Parker: glasses with prescription lenses start as low as $95. Warby Parker will send you 5 sets of frames to try at home. You just need to return them within 5 days of receipt. Much like Tom’s shoes, for every pair of glasses they sell, WP sends a pair of glasses to someone in need. I have also heard rumors that, if you ask the WP staff if certain frames will look good on a certain shape of face, they will film a quick video of a staff member trying on glasses and tweet it back to you.
- Rivet & Sway: all glasses with prescription lenses are $199. Rivet & Sway will send you three sets of frames to try on at home. Plus, they offer an online stylist to help you make your decision!
- 39DollarGlasses.com: this one is fairly self explanatory. It is the best deal of the eyeglass sites and has a great selection. 39DollarGlasses does not allow you to try on frames in advance, but they do offer free returns.
Have you ordered glasses online? Any advice for me?
See you later!
Gatsby Glamour: Dazzling to Debatable
As you know, we here at gloss48 have been anxiously awaiting the release of the remake of The Great Gatsby. It’s finally here!
Great Gatsby Premiere: Nina Dobrev, Carey Mulligan, Isla Fisher, & Jennifer Morrison
Source: TheFrisky.com
The Gatsby ladies all gave a nod to old world glam from Nina Dobrev in her quasi art deco print to Isla Fisher’s red lips. While I appreciate Jennifer Morrison’s drop waist, red-lipped vintage look, it’s not her most flattering moment.
Gatsby premieres for the rest of us little folk on May 10th! Get ready for a summer of red lips, bobbed hair, vintage-inspired dresses, feathered hair pieces, and hopefully a little prohibition-style partying!
Weigh in: which actress was the most Gatsby glam at last night’s premiere?
Acne Academia: Finals Stress Skincare
This post goes out to the collegiate crowd! I live in a city with schools on just about every block. There is a scent of stress in the air as students gear up for dreaded FINALS! I don’t envy you.
Finals stress, combined with warmer weather, can lead to some not-so-super skincare issues, namely acne!
Hang in there! There are a few ways to fight off breakouts during finals.
- Reeeeeeelaxxxx. Easier said than done, but stress is a major cause of breakouts. According to my trusted pal for all self-diagnoses, Web MD, “stress causes your body to produce cortisol and other hormones, which tells your sebaceous glands to produce more oil. Oily skin is more prone to acne and other skin problems.” SO, take a deep breath, hit the gym, have a good cry – do what you need to do to get a little release.
- Cleanse. Sweat can quickly clog pores. Make sure you use a gentle cleanser immediately after working out or sweating in the hot, hot Boston spring sun.
- Diet. It’s a myth that chocolate and greasy foods cause acne – hooray! However, according to the Mayo Clinic, “Studies indicate that certain dietary factors, including dairy products and carbohydrate-rich foods — such as bread, bagels and chips, which increase blood sugar — may trigger acne.” Sorry about that.
Good luck on finals, everyone!
What are you doing to curb finals stress?
Body Building: Limp Hair Workout
As you probably know by now, my hair has more than enough body. My friend Rachel has the opposite problem. This weekend, she was complaining that her hair is very fine and gets a bit greasy at the roots. Well, of course, I had the perfect solution – courtesy of our gloss48 pal Candace Evans at The Candy Bar – Oscar Blandi Pronto Invisible Dry Shampoo Spray.
I have to admit, my number one beef with dry shampoos is the smell. I can’t stand the powdery/grandma/Aqua Net cloud that lingers all day. Oscar Blandi’s dry shampoo has a verbena scent that is clean and fresh.
Oscar Blandi Pronto Invisible Dry Shampoo Spray
Source: Harper’s Bazaar
Check out Candace’s dry styling tutorial here:
PS: if you live in the Boston area and you haven’t visited the new Candy Bar location in Wellesley, you are missing out! It is a beauty junkie’s dream come true – wall to wall gorgeousness! I am tempted to move in!
Have a good workout, lovelies!
Happy Friday: Guys in Makeup!
I’m kicking off a very well-timed (deserved?) girls weekend in Sonoma. I let some of my favorite ladies pick my blog topic today. Word of warning – wine might have played a role in this one.
I recently came across this Buzzfeed post, Five Guys With No Beauty Experience Do Their Own Makeup. Sometimes I write about “how-to’s”, this is really more of a “how not-to.” It’s fairly self-explanatory. Here are a couple of teaser photos:
Male attempt at eye makeup. Seriously. Not a joke.
Source: Macey J. Foronda/Buzzfeed
Hello, Georgeous(es)!
Source: Macey J. Foronda/Buzzfeed
Click here to see the full Five Guys With No Beauty Experience Do Their Own Makeup montage!
