Stila – Sometimes Yaya

Black Friday Sale Notices Begin

Notices for deals following Thanksgiving are starting to peek through curtains and announce their presence. I am torn between saving money and buying everything the eyes can see to save money. Sales give me considerable guilt – for either purchasing, or choosing not to. You just can’t win!

Bookmark http://www.stilacosmetics.com/warehousesale in your web browser and wait ten days for the Stila warehouse sale. Something tells me you won’t be disappointed.

Live in California? Check out the sale in person on December 11. Check out details here.

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Get the Look: Lo Bosworth at the Emmys

As I mentioned earlier, I was in love with the Madmen makeovers E! Entertainment whipped up for the ladies from The Hills, Lo Bosworth and Stephanie Pratt. Lo’s makeover was a tight fit green with envy dress by Karen Caldwell, a design that would undoubtedly fit right into the plot of next week’s show, and Stephanie’s frock was a mini from Guess by Marciano with a peekaboo lace at the top, sporting some fab Bardot inspired hair.

I was thinking to myself, it would be great to create a similar look like Lo but at an affordable rate. The look is quite simply, with the dress being the attention grabber, some natural peep toe pumps (you can try booties for some extra ‘tude!), a two finger flower ring and some seriously twisted gold bangles. Being that Stila makeup artist Sarah Lucero was on board with the makeover team, I had to find a pretty Stila pink and those bright nails had me thinking of China Glaze. I can’t tell y’all which shade gloss or polish to get from each brand though, as their selection has plenty to fit each madwoman (or man!). I got most of the items for the look for less than $50, but the shoes required more work.

Ulta, Barbie, Jones New York, Michael Antonio

Day Dresses at eDressMe
Platforms by Michael Antonio

Is this an Emmy look you’ll try to recreate? Which one inspired you most?

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Stila Smudge Pots

I’ve confessed sins of being away from the blogging and internet world for a bit, but you will finally understand that the beauty side suffered too.

I had a holiday four pack of Stila smudge pots just waiting eagerly to be swatched and used for months, and it took the summer for me to crack open the packaging.

As you may have read previously, both the company and the smudge pots themselves are in the top ranks of my makeup standings. If this was the World Cup of Cosmetics, they wouldn’t need a qualifying round. Click here to check out my tutorial with another smudge pot.

See the snow designs on the packaging? Yeah, I def got this in the winter!

Colors left to right, kitten, starry night, violet, black.

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=myowju-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B002Q50V42&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifrI don’t really know why the swatch picture came out so funky. I will be trying a look with these pots soon. I’m liking the colors. They’re highly pigmented and super creamy. I like that they had three dark shades and one that could be used as a daytime shade or a highlighter. That, or you can use it as a base to mix and blend the other colors. Anyone feeling like a Stila scientist?

You can buy this collection for $32 on Amazon or the Stila site, or you can buy the full size ones individually by color on the Sephora site.

Have you tried these bad boys? Let me know!

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Stila doesn’t upset

2010 started off with a hell of a bang for many cosmetic companies. Everyone is really trying to do a major overhaul of not just their image, but their product. The consumer (you and I) is getting more and more picky as there is an abundance of choice all around us.

Stila Cosmetics can rely on my customer loyalty because I love their illustrations (okay that’s not the only great thing about them…). I also have several glosses and palettes from them and can verify that the quality is up to par with my standards for a good product. So what happens when a brand I love comes out with a new product? Sure I give them some slack, but mostly I try to approach it as a fresh start. Like I never tried the brand before. Such was the case during my last trip to Sephora. Y’all product junkies ever feel like there is a mandatory amount of visits you are obligated to make to drugstores and places makeup counters? It’s like a bit of an addiction I guess.

I was already aware of the new Jewel Eyeshadow Palette with heavy, release your inner diva glitter, as well as their Jewel Lip Glaze Trio (the consistency makes me think of MAC cremesheen gloss), and I heard the slow growl of desire for the Black Diamond Mascara, but I most definitely missed the memo on the new Eyeshadow Trios. I walked around plenty a Stila counter with a heavy heart as I saw the duo eyeshadow pans empty out with nary a refill. And then… well I could say that I felt like I saw one of those corny lights and an angellic chorus sing once I saw these, but you wouldn’t believe me (even if in my mind it is indeed exactly how it occurred). I had an empty spot in the Makeup Forever palette that I converted into a Stila palette, and I was itching for new shades.

Okay so when I said I started fresh as if I never knew this product, I kind of lied. I actually went into the testing experience expecting it to be fabulous. I wanted the color to be silky like the others from its family. I wanted a high color payoff, and I wanted ease of use. A favorite brand coming out with a new product is actually under more pressure than a new brand when it comes to pleasing Yaya!

I’d say they failed but I refuse to lie again.

The turquoise is a lovely shade that reminds me of mermaids. The black has a metallic sheen to it that makes it perfect for blending with the other two colors. The purple? Very much a duochrome-y shade similar to the polishes that came out for spring.
The sleek new packaging lets you make use of the eyeshadow trio as a ready to go shadow (with three colors… naturally). Then my heart sank again. What about the singles?! What about the palette?! Do not despair. These babies are friendly to us depotter maniacs. Just like Makeup Forever, and Milani, these shadows make the process super easy by adding a hole to the packaging so that you can just use a pin to poke the shadow into freedom. No flames or cutters (or broken shadows) necessary. (See the hole right above the label in the image?)

Proof? I used an earring to poke through the hole and wore the earrings that night. Not even a slight bend to ’em thankyouverymuch!

Finally, the last spot in my palette has been filled!

The labels are a little slimmer, and something tells me the pan is a tiny bit smaller too, but I’m definitely loving the addition to the Stila fam. They are sold for $20 each at Sephora, Stila, and any other place they sell Stila Cosmetics.

Check out all the trio shades:

Try this yet? Have a favorite in mind?

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Chanukah Giveaway Day 2

It’s the second day of me holiday and I’m lighting up my candles while in warm company of Barbados. The Biblically noted miracle of light that lasted eight days made me think of what would be an appropriate gift for giveaway. Something that adds plenty of light to your life, eh? Well I thought of my most favorite gel liner and of course I thought of Stila and their 24kt Goldern Noir Smudge Pot.

How to win? Leave me a message on the MyOwnJudge Facebook page telling me what holiday you celebrate this winter and what it means/stands for. Don’t worry if you celebrate the same holiday as other entrants do. There will be two winners of this giveaway. Remember that everyone who enters must be a fan.

Can’t wait to hear about it all!

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First Ever Tutorial!

The Simon Duncan fashion show had me excited to try out my first ever tutorial for you guys. I have to give a huge round of applause for the ladies and gents that do this on a regular basis because it is a painstaking process – do you know how many pictures and editing goes into it?!

The look was a pretty natural face & a smokey, black eye with gold sparkle in it and very light bronze contour with a neutral lip. The first thing I thought of when I saw this look was my Stila 24k smudge pot. I dug around for some more Stila goodies and created a one brand look.

I’m already a fan of Stila as you may know, their shadows & gel liners are ultra longlasting and apply like silk. Plus – who hasn’t had a clickable lipgloss from them? I used them up like candy! Click after the jump to see the good stuff.

To achieve this look, you can use the products mentioned below, and pair them with your shade of foundation/concealer, and eye primer (I usually put some concealer on my lids to prime the eyes if I don’t have primer handy).

Stila Eyeshadow duos in: Punaluu (buy at Amazon) and Salome (sold out on Stila & Sephora – google away!)
Stila 24kt Smudge pot- golden noir (buy at Stila)
Stila Pomegranate Crush lip and cheek stain (buy at Amazon)
Stila Convertible mascara in black (check out my review here). (buy at Amazon).

Before you start reading the tutorial, there is homework: prep and prime on your own. Everyone has different habits and products, so feel free to use your own. Whatever makes your skin the most comfortable and matches the best is optimal!

1. With a wet brush, dip into the black shade of Punaluu and make a mark for what shape you want in the corner of your eye. I like to do this so that both eyes are even. Plus this doesn’t pull on your skin like using tape would.
2. Wet your brush a bit more and use more of the same shade from Punaluu to create a thick line.
3. Blend the line and your marker in the corner of your eye. I like to do this to create a soft background for the look. This helps you create a gradient look without trying too hard at all!
4. Using a liner brush, dip into some of your smudge pot and go over the area you lined in step 2. Do not extend too high as you will have to blend this out (think about how much of your eye you want to cover for this look & apply accordingly).

5. Add a second or third layer of the smudge pot. Since it is a gel, it might start to get really thin when you begin the blending process.
6. Blend until there is no more harsh line, or until you reach the effect you are looking for. This is where you need to see if you want the black to extend higher along your lid or not.
7. Use the darker bronze color from Salome where the smudge pot starts to fade out. This creates a warm bronze-y glow.

8. Use the lighter shade from Salome to apply (very lightly – this is just for a light shimmer) from your the center of your eyelid to the brow.
9. Blend the colors. I added a bit more of the shades from Salome both in the middle and at the top (you can spot some more shimmer on my lid in this step, can’t ya?).
10. Apply mascara to lower and upper lids. (Not pictured: Apply Pomegranate Lip and Cheek stain lightly on lips and either cover with clear gloss or leave as is).

You’re finished!

Here’s how it looks:

What y’all think about this tutorial? Do you want more? Let me know!

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NYFW: Lela Rose S/S 2010 beauty

To continue the coverage of NYFW, I am breaking some posts up into pieces so that you don’t get restless scrolling. Whenever I get home and troll through photographs and footage and find that I have an abundance of material, I find it best to separate the fashion and beauty and offer more for you to read in separate posts. Either way, you got no choice! 🙂

As I already said in the fashion post, the collection was great. It was very relaxed and carefree but still prim and taken care of in every aspect. Does that make sense? Every look, from head to toe was flawless, in that it looked effortless. You know – those girls that practically skip down the street looking perfect and saying they just got out of bed? Or when you have a spiffy day and feel refreshed but did next to nothing to achieve it – just wore the tried and true, good to you. This collection was like that.

The overall look was a soft but not overdone bronzed, carefree image. As Sarah from Stila describes it best, it’s like the girl who fell asleep under the sun for a bit in the summer, but she had her SPF on – so she just has a glow. Some of the products used were the Pomegranate Crush Stain, the Fandango Duo Eyeshadow, and the Cobalt Smudge Pot (all personal faves!) .The hair was slightly piecy ponytails, mastered by the best, depicting the same story that the makeup began to write. The nails? Well of course they followed suit!

Deborah Lippmann of her namesake brand described the mani pedis (Fashion was the shade used at the show – order here) as reverting back to matching the mani to the pedi. She reiterated that women should rely less on the go to French Mani and venture out into the broader world of polish (to which everyone agreed). The polish used in the show was just the perfect shade (described as a “Not-so-typical taupe” cream color on the website) to dig your feet into the sand and have your toes disappear into sandy oblivion.

Check out the rest of the images a la Yaya:

Sarah from Stila taking care of Lela herself

the Lippmann polish army. See that glitter hiding on the left? That’s my wishlist polish in Happy Birthday (and y’all know mine is coming up on the 23rd!)

the Ted Gibson family. Mr. fab hair himself is rocking a tie

makeup prep lineup

Deborah Lippmann polish at work

Ted Gibson working his hair magic

Lela’s dog stitch was jonesing for a makeover, but he was fab the way he came!

Check out the show here:

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NYFW: Lela Rose S/S 2010 fashion

Another day of the life in the tents! This show transpired on Sunday – so bear with me as I catch up. Thankfully, I did not go to any shows on Monday, so I should be reporting faster. That’s good right?

I am also going to be entering the world of YouTube y’all! I realized I had no choice as I interviewed numerous makeup artists, hair stylists, shows, and designers for your waiting eyes. These posts might come after all my posts for NYFW are concluded by tomorrow/Friday, because as we all know (or may not know) the videos take a while to upload and edit (mostly to upload though), and I don’t want the whole post to wait and suffer because of the video.

Regardless of the wait – you’ll definitely love the material. This being the first Fashion Week I participated in (I usually watch at home), I’ve met so many great people and have gathered more than enough scoop to share with y’all!

The Lela Rose show was a great one. There was a large array of (mostly) wedge shoes and apparel that was the real definition of Spring. The beauty team was a godsend with Stila for the face, Ted Gibson for hair, and Deborah Lippmann for nails. Additionally, Darphin skin care (from across the pond!) was present to keep the gals skin in line and prettified. These girls live the life during fashion week, don’t they?!

starting the madness backstage

looks

preparation

The clothes for the show were just as carefree and soft as the rest of the look. The collection contained many bright colors (but not neon) in lime-yellow, fuschia, greens, and blues. There were some pieces that really struck me & my favorites list because of how they fluttered during movement.

I loved nearly every pair of shoes

Lela’s dog Stitch, was the real start of the entire show, as he walked the backstage area, taking the rights over his kingdom. He sniffed and greeted every artist, model, worker, etc. (and he probably liked the catering team the most). I actually wholeheartedly expected him to walk the runway.

he was too cute and fast for my paparazzi ways!

mercifully preventing wardrobe malfunctions

on a side note: there were some hot looking shoes in the audience as well:

Check out the rest here:

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Fall Makeup for 2009

In the midst of all this Fashion Week madness, one can’t deny the change in the air. The streets aren’t as warm anymore, there are more sleeved fashions paraded about town, and scarves are coming out.

To me, scarves are the epitome of Fall and colder weather in general. When scarves came out as a trend for summer as well, you could find me looking all bewildered at everyone and their momma because it didn’t make sense. Scarves are an accessory with both an aesthetic and physical function. It serves as a great neckpiece, converts great into a shawl, or even a bow tie, but it also has the potential to keep you warm.

Something else to usher in the fall? Makeup! Now, I’ve briefly covered trends for the fall, and will definitely revisit the topic, but I’d like to share what some companies are ushering in for the new season. As we all know – seasons come with different colors, and wearing neons and bronzer may not be the most appropriate look for when the thermometer starts to dip.

Check out some of the other new products for fall in makeup and nails below. These include great ones from fan (and my) favorites from Too Faced, Stila, Benefit, Smashbox, Korres, etc.!

http://widget.shopstyle.com/widget?pid=uid4724-679582-60&look=1174909&width=4&height=2&layouttype=0

Anything you’re falling for? 🙂

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Fashion’s Night Out – The Neverending Story (pic heavy)

Don’t look at me with such contempt lol, I have to finish this or else I’ll feel bad about not covering everything I set out to.

This post is going to be much more specific. And with much more pictures. Remember to click ‘read more’ to check out all the pictures. I started this feature so that the blog wouldn’t go on in length forever and people who are just checking out the blog could scan through articles and choose which ones they want to read. Plus, this way I can have much more material on the main page. Let me know if you like it!

There are several brands and stores that get my utmost respect and loyalty. This is through ups and downs, mishaps and elation… these brands/stores could knock me upside the head and I wouldn’t hesitate to forgive them and shop summore!

Want to know who they are? I’m in love with Betsey Johnson, Henri Bendel, Juicy Couture, PurpleLab, and Stila This fab five could do me no wrong.

Granted there are other brands to whom my loyalty is neverending as well (ahem Zoya & ChinaGlaze etc.) but these are the ones that did fab things on Fashion’s Night Out & landed in my memory card.

Like the photo to the right? It was the Fashion’s Night Out Batman symbol up on a building side in the Meatpacking District. I thought it was so cute & appropriate.

First stop – while I was on Fifth Ave in the upper 50’s I had to hit up Henri Bendel. They’re always the number one spot to catch all the new brands and products. They give little designers a big voice, and they have a creative team behind the Bendel logo as well. Check out the pics below:

As if I couldn’t live without makeup for a day, I was greeted with MAC at the entrance. The brush display was pristine and I was trying to concoct a burglary, but I couldn’t.

They also had the Style Black Collection which debuts in the US on 9/24 – the day after my birthday!

Now Henri Bendel is always thinking of something cool. Their slogan at the moment is “I’d rather be naked than…” to promote accessories. All the designers in the building finished the sentence as well. For example, Personally, I’d rather be naked than wear fussy accessories.

Their mannequins for the day were super fab. They were all made out of different materials, like watches and gloves (get it? It goes with the theme!). You can click on the images to see ’em bigger.

Out of gloves!

I got to meet some designers and saw some really good accessories.

That’s Paige Gamble with her accessories – she has some fab handbags y’all. That brown one caught my heart. See that piano? It has the Bendel girl on it. I figure if I lose some chubb, I might just look like her! lol

I’m in love with the Bendel colors and stripes. I even had to stop and photograph Miss Sandra here because her outfit was fab-tastic.

Next stop was Juicy Couture! If y’all don’t believe me when I say I love Juicy.. check out some of my stash:

I also love strawberries – thus the mass of strawberry charms.

Juicy Couture perfume

charm bracelets galore!

the mannequin fits the new Bird collection perfectly

the staff was a swingin’ success with their getups 🙂

see that crazy crowd?

One of the founders of Juicy Couture was in the store (it’s the P&G ladies), and there were plenty celebs at hand as well. The store in Soho didn’t do so bad either, turning into a swanky night spot with security checking id’s at the door!

Next stop – Betsey Johnson. I love the brand and Stila was there to do makeovers!

live models, fancy staff getups, hurr dids

Stila makeup pros at work!

Did I mention I loved the designs?

MOJ, Betsey J, & Stila in one picture!

I know this post is getting pretty long, but here’s the kicker. Last stop – Scoop to meet the Purple Lab mavens, and get some shopping done.

First, I entered the regular Scoop store insted of Scoop Street and got to enjoy the photobooth courtesy of Hudson jeans! I was there by myself so I had my camera to keep me company 🙂

Scoop for all the stores had great outfit layouts and inspirations, as well as fab DJ’s and drink centers. We all seem to shop a bit better with some alcohol in the system was the lesson of the day.

As soon as I found out that my beloved Purple Lab was a store over, I had to scoo(p)t. 🙂

I was met with some of the Purple Lab gals, Veronica the Burlesque beauty, and a bird’s eye view of a rockin’ DJ who just happened to be wearing purple.