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Oscar Fever: Anne Hathaway

The Oscars were on almost every television set last night. The hosting duet of James Franco and Anne Hathaway weren’t as animated as I would’ve hoped, but as always, the fashion makes up for it all.

I’m a little mad that my girl Anne Hathaway was stuck with whoever it was that got her some of these getups. A lot of the dresses were stiff fabrics with a sheen – reminded me of special event outfits you get for children too young to protest. Towards the end of the show, the dresses became more conscious of her figure and age. There was lots of glitter and sparkle. I was especially interested in the sparkletastic (tell me they weren’t!) heels she wore with her tux for her performance with Franco dressed as Monroe.

Which was your favorite?

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Sephora + Body Shop = BFF

MyOwnJudge Sephora Body Shop Guess who’s entering the shelves of Sephora? The Body Shop will be adding some of their skin care products in singular and kit form to sit next to your favorite products.

Does this make you any more excited, or did Sephora already take care of all your skincare and cosmetic needs?

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Blonds Just Want to Have Fun

I’ve been on a severe hiatus the past two weeks. Valentine’s Day Guides and photography took a back seat to a trip out of town, some serious germs in my nasal cavities, and a work and school load allowing for only eating and sleeping in between. And then fashion week hit. Sheesh! When it rains it pours!! I’ve started to overhaul the priorities and make time for it all, so enjoy the coming photos in the meantime.
The Blonds have a cannot miss show every season. It’s a breathtaking, whirlwind party worth missing class or work or sleep for.

I had a team help with covering shows I wouldn’t be able to attend (thus the delay in photos!), but this bad boy? I had to be there myself. The show had an oriental inspiration – the show started with dragons! The Blonds are famous for the craftsmanship and attention to detail of their bodices and dresses. Every celeb who had an unforgettable getup has befriended the brand (think RiRi, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, etc.). As a matter of fact, the headpieces for the show made me think of Miss Nicki.

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Snique Away!

Maybe your inbox is over-saturated with the invites to sample sales online. Shoot, there are so many sales, and they happen so often, you may be inclined to vow never to shop retail again (although really – how else can you get the perfect item before inventory dwindles down to a wish-list?). There are some sites dabbling in destination sales, but they are not promised regularly, and lack variety – just enough sun and luxury for any guy or gal to sleep happy at night. Well guess what? Snique is just what the doctor ordered.

Welcome to the world of travel sample sales. Sign up and see what destinations come up. Currently, Belgium, New York (let me know if you’re coming!), and Costa Rica are up for grabs. Become a smart travel shopper – or hold out for that memorable trip. Or well… you know… play around with your shopping cart and dream of the day you can buy trips like you can lip gloss (and don’t forget about me when you get there either!).

Join the invite only site with this link: http://www.sniqueaway.com/invite/MOJ

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Adventures at Sephora

Hopefully, this is the last time that I mention the backlog of posts and photos on my computer. Keeping current with data and getting back to people (e-mail and phone-wise) is a terrible vice that I seem to have perfected, instead of eradicated. My first catch-up starts with a new series to MOJ. There are always new series I am inspired to bring in, as well as some which don’t make much sense to continue with (do you agree? Let me know which need to be retired, or resurrected!). The new kid on the block is Adventures at Sephora. Sometimes, you just can’t buy everything that you want (wouldn’t that be nice?!).

About a month ago, I tried out some matte lipsticks by NARS. The part that attracted me the most was the allure of the lipsticks being named after cities. Universal glamour! The double win came as I spotted a lipstick with the same name as my hometown. I was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan – so imagine my surprise when I spotted a lipstick named the same! The color was a light beige, a little less loud and bright than I may have wished for (if I were to wish for a color…), but then again, this isn’t Vegas we’re talking about.

Womp womp! The color is a fail for me. When trying on nude lip colors, the risk is always choosing a color that matches your skin tone far too much and makes your lips a bit invisible. I was super bummed that the shade I wanted to stock up on, because of the name, ended up being a match not made in heaven for me. [insert sad face here].

I tried to cover it up with a gloss to make my lips a bit more existent, and it worked a little bit. I wasn’t impressed enough though, so I left empty handed. Maybe next time I’ll give Volga and Tonkin a chance.

What do you think? Have you tried any of these?

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Sonia Kashuk Polish

Reading other sites always leads to unnecessary spending and lusting. Such was the case when I came across Vampy Varnish posting about Sonia Kashuk polishes. It turns out, I was so excited that I ended up getting the same colors during my Target trip.

The multi colored fuzz is my new scarf that I made. I have taken to learning how to crochet and have mastered three stitches (and two scarves) so far. By the end of next year, hopefully I’ll have limitless stitches and handmade items!

Have you had any inspired purchases recently?

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Lipstick Organization

Forgive me the length of time it took to gather myself mentally and health-wise, but that is one of the downsides of being the sole person behind a site – there is no one to pick up slack on off days. My cold is all gone, and I’m back in business!I’ve been a bit obsessed recently with an image from the past. Backstage at the Spring/Summer 2011 Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Argentina Group Show, I saw a makeup artist organize their lipsticks in a small palette reminiscent of an empty nail tip box, or paint palette without dividers.

The ease of use coupled with the aesthetic greatness had me reeling ever since. I wanted the same for myself, but with more dividers between each color, to prevent losing it after mixing colors at the edges too often. I haven’t had luck – even with bead organizers, the containers are too tall or too wide, and end up being more bulky than comfortable, which was one of the original goals. My search is ongoing for that perfect product, but the search did find other clever ways to organize though.

You can:
Melt your lipsticks down into small containers and store them in VHS boxes (video)
Make an organizer for the actual lipsticks(video 1 video 2)
Melt into an empty lip palette (video)
You can even use a shotgun shell container (interesting!)
Add tabs to the front of lipsticks and swatch (genius!)
Or… into small jars (video)
Another shot from backstage at the show, this time with skincare. This is much more easier to accomplish – just get a palette and smush cream products in.

I’m still holding out for that perfect container. Until then, share your experience, how do you organize lip products?

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The Secret Ingredient

Oftentimes, when I run around the house trying to make it to places on time, the last thing I have time for is makeup. I also tend to get carried away with makeup if I have no purpose, so I just let my skin breathe. Some moisturizer and SPF, and some lip gloss. Ready. That was then.

My building has a mirrored lobby and it serves as a great checkpoint before heading out into the streets, as well as a double check of how it all ended when I’m coming back in. The biggest problem I’ve encountered is the dance that my eyebrows like to do. They’ll be brushed and behaving before I leave, and at some point (because I surely don’t know when) they start pointing in every which direction, as if they all operate to a separate compass, independent from the other.

For a while, my secret to static brows was hairspray. I would take a disposable eyebrow/mascara brush and place it centimeters away from the hairspray nozzle. Then I’d give the aerosol a whirl. Once on, I’d brush my eyebrows to the perfect position. When I had no brushes or spools, I would spray on my finger and work my magic with my digits. Then I started reminiscing about the days that I was the proud owner of clear mascaras and brow gels. Was I really happy with letting all this hair spray just sit on my face? My occasional paranoia would hit and I would start envisioning the spray leaking down and burning my eyes in the rain or during a heavy workout.

The return to sanity was having a clear gel in my life again. Ones like the Ardell Brow Sculpting Gel come in a small tube and are multifunctional. The clear gel can tame a brow set on dancing the night away, as well as coat lashes. When on lashes, the gel separates and gives a wet look, brightening the face a bit. It usually looks as though you splashed water on your face and dried everything by the lashes. The gel also sets the lashes to be curled and separated, without smudging or being weighed down. (Plus – if you happen to be a crybaby like me and let go of the waterworks while watching kid movies, it wouldn’t hurt to have something clear mix in, instead of blobs of brown and black from mascaras). When I have shoots, I also like to use clear gel on males to tame their sideburns and facial hair.

What’s your secret ingredient?

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Holiday Party – Dresses All the Way

For the folks too far from the equator, the winter can only be mitigated by the amount of shopping, sales, gifts, and parties. Parties! All those summer nights where you can strap on some sandals and shorts and off you go complaining about the heat – yep, those days are on pause for another five months or so. But the parties? They make it all better (and all that you can consume at the parties! ha!).

There are several styles in dresses you can lean on this year. Stripes, sweater knits, and sparkles (beading or sequins – either is just splendid). A dress is always easy to pull off because it’s a single item. Plus – break out a pair of opaque tights in a similar color or an always flattering black and you have an outfit to wear for three out of four seasons (summer needs lighter fabrics).

Check out some of the picks below and don’t be afraid to click (they’re all under $50!):

Asos, Vero Moda, Rare, As U Wish, Ringspun

Day Dresses by As U Wish
Evening Dresses by Ringspun

Striped dresses work great as tunics for day and as party pieces for night. Pair with patterned tights in a similar color scheme, or with some bold accessories to stand out at a party.

Calvin Klein Jeans, JJ Basics, Forever 21

Day Dresses by Forever 21
Cocktail Dresses at Macy’s

Sweater knit dresses are warm and cozy for those parties where they forget about the heating (or you didn’t get any drinks in your system yet). Divide the larger knits with wide belts, and play around with a vest on top, or the opposite and layer the dress over a burnout short or long sleeved tee.

Vera Wang, Forever 21, Bebe, Arden B, Newport News

Black Dresses by Newport News
Cocktail Dresses by Forever 21

Can’t fathom going to a party and being out-shined by the tree? Break out a beaded or sequin dress and you’ll be the light show of the party. Metallic sequins or beads reflect light and color the best; keep that in mind if standing out is your goal. Try to pare down the stockings and accessories to let your dress do all the talking. Add some bad to all the good (corny much? All is forgiven during the holidays!) with some motorcycle boots. Can’t resist the glam? Leather (or patent) booties with zippers or studs are a great compromise.

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More Sequin Hearts…

Want all three? That can be arranged. Pair a basic tailored blazer above any of the styles. Other no-fails? Opaque stockings and black booties. If you want to dress any of them down, pair with a knit snood hat or an infinite (or any favorite knit) scarf.

Have any company holiday parties on the calendar? Remember to keep the neckline modest – a mock turtleneck with sparkly shoulders can do no harm, and the stockings as sparingly sheer as possible. This way – should you drink a little too much, there are very very few possibilities that your faux pas will be a fashion slip-up.

How will you be dressing to the party?

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Taylor is a Cover Girl

Taylor Swift has graced enough covers to satisfy the term ‘cover girl’ but now she has the title as the Cover Girl cosmetic line’s natureluxe spokesperson.

Photos Courtesy of CoverGirl

The line is said to contain “bioresin, a sugarcane based plastic, in the packaging as well as mango butter and shea and other “natural” ingredients in place of synthetic products.” It starts with the foundation (containing jojoba and cucumber extract) and the gloss balm (with mango and shea butter).

Do you think Taylor’s a good fit? What products do you want to see added to the line?

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