fashionCHICsta

I start with a small plastic food container.  I use plastic in case the vessel were to slip off of my bench, it would not shatter in my shower.  I use 'baking' sugar because it is a very fine grind and will not microscopically scratch your skin the way raw sugar can.  I add 1/3 cup of sugar then drizzle about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil on top.  I don't actually measure any of the ingredients, I add them on a visual 'that looks good' basis - I don't want to waste time or water washing measuring cups and spoons.

Every time I shop I see it.  A well-meaning client asks for a product or the where-abouts of a brand and butchers the foreign pronunciation of the name.  As cringe worthy as some of those pronunciations are, let me help you avoid the pursed lips of a Consultant who doesn't know how to delicately educate you. Borghese   bor-gay-zeh ( -za ) NOT bor-gay-zee How a luxury brand, that soon became known simply as Borghese, was born : In 1938 a 17-year-old Italian girl named Marcella Fazi married a widowed nobleman named Paolo Borghese and promptly became a Princess.  Princess Borghese loved beauty products and had her toiletries specially made for her, using only the finest natural ingredients found on the grounds of her villa in Rome. With aspirations of developing a lipstick line of her own that would boast a wider array of hues than those that were readily available in those days, she finessed an introduction to the founder of Revlon, Charles Revlon, in 1956. Soo...

Yep, she's signing the book you're going to win! June 14th Molly Ringwald and her eldest daughter, Mathilda, stopped by Benefit Cosmetics in San Francisco for a mini Q&A and Book signing event.  Featuring "Getting the Pretty Back" in soft cover, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend with my good friend and resident +1, Fawn, where I had a book signed and a picture taken!

I know you've heard about it. You might have even thought about having it done. Until all of the what-ifs take over and you think , "I almost jumped on the crazy train."  Well,  ALL ABOARD! I was the unfortunate recipient of Uni-Brow at birth, so I tweezed. And tweezed and tweezed and tweezed. *Click pictures to enlarge*  Hello, brows!  Where are you?? Think Marlene Dietrich but not professionally plucked.  One was shorter.  One was thicker. Working with the public made it impossible to try and grow them out so I just kept tweezing.   

For Ombres Duolumieres in #15 Rich colours and long lasting, this was my favourite pallet Fall '10. With a shimmering all over / highlighting pink 'Shimmering Quartz" and a defining 'Deep Amethyst' purple, this set can be used wet or dry and comes with 2 sponge applicators; one wide for all over coverage and a thin one for lining and defining.   Highly pigmented, a little goes a long way. I love smudging the darker shade in all of my smokey eye looks - it's dramatic and seductive. They go on silky smooth and never look frosty, just beautiful and are quite long lasting - even for an oily eyelid. A splurge at $41 ($20.50 per shadow) I have 2 sets and I will probably not buy more because Department Store Divas, get a bigger bang for your buck with Dior's 5 Couleurs Designer pallets.  4 stars out of 5. xoxo

It's true.  Wearing the right bra and lifting the girls from your waist will instantly make you look 10 pounds thinner.  Plus you will stand a little more straight making you taller. 1) Diversify. You need 6 styles in your bra wardrobe: Smooth, strapless, sporty, sexy, t-back and a leisure bra; comfortable and soft. 2) Hit the Sweet Spot. Your nipple should line up half way between your elbow and your shoulder.  If it doesn't you could be wearing the wrong bra.

How about this little tip Deborah Lippmann shared with me:  How to easily and effortlessly remove glitter nail polish. I had the pleasure of meeting Deborah Lippmann at a Nordstrom Trend Show a few years ago and took the opportunity to asked her the secret to removing glitter nailpolish. The process she described was so simple, I didn't believe her. Until I put it to the test and could not believe how fast it works; no more scrubbing and scrubbing and finally filing off the rest of the glitter bits. You know what I'm talking about.