The Socialite

So I have to admit, I really don't know who Olivia Palermo is. Other than the fact she was a socialite and then appeared on Whitney Port's show "The City". But I have seen more and more pictures of her recently and her style and hair really catch my eye.

Image from whowhatwear.com

I was excited to read in my of my magazines the other day that she was going to tell everyone the products she actually uses. Last month I did a post on Gwen Stefani's beauty regime and was surprised to find that she used some pretty attainable products (unlike Kim Kardashian's $80 concealer). I think its comforting to know that "celebs" who have all this money actually buy products that we can afford.

1. Vaseline - She uses Vaseline to remove her makeup. I have never tried this myself but it does make sense. I may have to invest in a jar because there are so many uses for Vaseline including making your own lipgloss.

Image from vaseline.com

2. Baby Powder - Olivia uses baby powder on her face instead of using blotting paper and on her roots instead of dry shampoo. I have heard of baby powder being used as dry shampoo but never in place of blotting powder. That is a great tip for anyone who has lots of baby powder left over from making their DIY dry shampoo.

Image from johnsonsbaby.com

3. Revlon eyelash curler - "My favorite drugstore find is my Revlon eyelash curler" (direct quote). I find this one pretty interesting, because I am a die hard Shu Uemura eyelash curler fan (I have been using this since high school!). I can't bash the Revlon one because I have never used it, but I wonder if it would work for my Asian eyes. I find that Shu Uemura works great on Asian eyes.

Image from bellasugar.com

4. Essie nail polish - Well "Pouf Daddy" in particular. Olivia prefers classic red shades that are cheery and don't fade. I like reds too because I find them eternally classic, you can never go wrong with red.

Image from hfbny.com

5. L'oreal Professional Serie Expert Liss Ultime Nuit - Apparently Olivia conditions her hair a lot and uses this after a shower. This product is a polymer-packed leave in treatment to lock in moisture. (Its the bottle on the far right.)

Image from talkingmakeup.com

6. Guerlain Lipstick - Olivia prefers to have a pink or nude Guerlain lipstick. I have never tried this brand, but then again I am not much of a lipstick girl, only for going out and special occasions.

Image from whowhatwear.com

What do you think of the products Olivia really uses? Have you tried any of them? If so, did you like or dislike them?

What do you think about this post and the one about Gwen's beauty must haves? I am thinking about making it a regular post, maybe once or twice a month. I just have to see if I can easily find this information. Would you like to see these types of posts regularly?

Just a Girl

One of my favorite magazines to read is Instyle. I was looking through the December issue and it featured so many goodies, great new pieces and some great ideas for party hair. What really caught my attention was the Beauty Talk with Gwen Stefani.

Image from justjared.com

When I think of Gwen, two things come to mind: platinum blonde hair and bright red lips. While I will never try to duplicate Gwen's hair color, I have tried to get those famous red lips. I was glad to see that she shared some of her favorite beauty must haves, including her red lipstick.

Russian Red from MAC. Image from maccosmetics.com

Gwen also uses MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation. I used to use this in college but then felt that it was making my skin oily. Well now that I realized that I was putting way to much on my skin (as far as cleansers and toner), I think I am going to try Studio Fix again soon. Gwen thinks that it still gives her a natural look.

Image from maccosmetics.com

So there are lots of ladies who are still on the search for a great mascara. What works for one girl might not work for another, but I am so glad I found this mascara a few months ago. It really adds volume to my lashes and its inexpensive. Gwen said her sister-in-law introduced her to this and it makes her lashes really thick and full.

Image from drugstore.com

I am sure that Gwen's hair needs some serious deep conditioning because she dyes it so much. But I was really surprised when she said that she uses Pantene Restoratives Time Renewal Shampoo and Conditioner, apparently her hairdresser gave it to her. Lots of people don't like to use drugstore shampoo brands because they feel that it doesn't do anything for your hair. I wonder if this particular shampoo and conditioner is an exception.

Image from drugstore.com

Are you surprised that Gwen's must have products are items everyday people use? Are any of her favorites your favorites or products you despise?

Don't Judge Me..

...because I have been on a spending spree. I haven't gone shopping in forever, and when that happens I feel like I want to buy everything when I get a chance. Last night I went to Sephora to use my 20% off coupon on some products. I've been wanting to try out the Clarisonic for some time now because my skin isn't in the best shape. It promises to make your pores smaller (and what girl wouldn't want that) with a 30 day money back guarantee.

I got the Clarisonic Mia in Pink and was able to use it for the first time last night. Even though the instructions said I should charge it for 24 hours before the first use, I couldn't wait. I used the cleanser that came with the Mia and my skin felt super smooth afterwards and still feels pretty nice today.

I was really skeptical about buying this and thought about just using a manual brush because well, it would be so much cheaper. But after doing a little research and seeing the Clarisonic in person I had to get it. The Mia brushes 300 times per second and I am sure I could not do that manually. The key to getting rid of blackheads is to get deep in the pores and clean out the dirt and there is no way you can do that with traditional cleansing methods (your hands and a cleanser).

It is made by the same people as the famous Sonicare toothbrush (which I got one for hubs and I not too long ago). I bought a cheapo electric toothbrush once thinking that it would do the job, but the first time I used a Sonicare toothbrush my teeth never felt so clean. So, knowing what the Sonicare toothbrush has done for my teeth, I needed to see what the Clarisonic could do for my skin. I hope to give you guys a better review in a week or so rather than just my reasoning to buy it (not like I really needed one anyway :P).

I also purchased this palette from Sephora's Pure line.

The colors came out so rich unlike some other palettes that look great in the packaging but doesn't have much pigmentation. I don't know how many palettes I have I just keep buying more (sad, I know). Sephora's Pure line is made up of 95% natural ingredients and does not contain all those ingredients I can't pronounce.

I swatched the colors in store and I think my favorite is going to be the middle on the bottom, a shimmering mauve color. The blush looks crazy bright in the picture, but when I put it on its just a touch of bright pink. I can't wait to try this palette out.

Anyone else purchased anything at the VIB Sephora Event last night? I was hoping they would give away some freebies, but it wasn't even that kind of "event", all they had were some balloons on the doors.

Twilight Glow

After two weeks of searching for Twilight, the new Ulta Professional Nail line color, I found it this past weekend thanks to Laurel from A Good Build. There were only 2 bottles of this left when I got there and I snatched up one along with Green with Envy, an emerald green.

Twilight actually looks very similar to OPI's Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees from the new Suede Collection. Twilight was actually on sale for $4.99 when I got it, but I think that deal is over now.

What do you think of the color? I actually REALLY like it. But I may be biased because I have been really into gray lately.

I was also able to pick up Queen Helene's Mint Julep mask at Ulta as well. I went to 2 Walgreen's and 1 CVS on Friday looking for this mask and couldn't find it. I have read great reviews on this mask and how it helps with acne and blackheads. I have only used it once so far and I will say that it left my face super soft and smooth. I will give a review of it after a few more uses.

I normally don't buy drugstore cosmetics. I remember the high school days when the foundation you bought rarely matched your face and the eye shadow never was as bold as it appeared in the packaging. Well, after reading some great reviews online of some products, I decided to give it a try.

First I bought L'oreal True Match liquid foundation. Let me start by saying I normally do not wear liquid foundation because it always felt too thick to me. True Match is not thick and is actually pretty light. There is a little "chart" that is on the display that helps you choose which color will best work for you. I think the "chart" got my color spot on. It lasted me all day and did not rub off after 6 hours. I have combination skin and usually get slightly oily after about 5 hours around my t-zone. The foundation didn't make me more oily at all which is one thing I was afraid of. I would highly suggest anyone looking for a good inexpensive foundation to try L'oreal True Match, I think you will be nicely surprised.

Sorry no pics of the foundation because I could never post pictures of my face without any makeup because right now its not in the best shape it has been. Maybe once my skin clears up a little I will.

Line Me in Black.

I had a pretty crazy and action packed weekend in which I am still trying to catch up on my sleep. In the midst of the running around, partying, laughing, and just being silly I lost my eyeliner. I know, no big deal but eyeliner is one of the few things I feel that I must wear everyday along with filling in my eyebrows.

I have been using Makeup Forever's Aqua Eyes liner for the past year or so. It really has some great staying power, but the only thing I didn't like is that when I would sharpen it, it didn't have a nice fine point. Not sure if it the sharpener I use or if the liner is just that way. If you don't care about having a fine point this eyeliner works great.

So I have been going a few days without eyeliner because I haven't decided what I wanted to try next. This will be my everyday liner so I prefer a pencil because it is easier to apply. I love Smashbox creme liner for weekends, but that isn't so easy to apply in a moving car. I was just browsing Sephora's website and saw this:

I am currently using the Buxom Mascara and loving it. This eyeliner supposedly is self sharpening. Hmm who knows.

Anyone have good suggestions for a pencil eyeliner? It can be drugstore brand or something from Sephora. I'm just looking for something that is a bang for the buck and under $20.

P.S. I made the hair chop, but that will have to be on another post :)

Makeup PSA

Stila is offering 40% off sitewide with no minimum AND free shipping! Their tinted mosturizer is great for those who don't need much coverage. Use the code "STILAPRO" for the discount that ends June 17. Enjoy!

Beautify Me.

I am no makeup expert, but I do like trying out new makeup products, what girl doesn't? I have always had a difficult time finding what works with my features and skin type (read I've spent alot of money on junk that doesn't work for me).


Well if you are like me with asian eyes that don't have those deep eyes with nice creases, your eyeshadows probably crease all the time. Sometimes my eyeliner will do the same thing. Last year I tried Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Potion. It worked but the bottle is really weird shaped and you didn't get much bang for your buck. I just got in my new eyeshadow primer by Too Faced called Shadow Insurance. I used this on Sunday and it last all day. Held my shadow and liner in place from about 9am-10pm. Love it! Its in an easy squeezable tube so you get a big bang for your buck.

















This order I focused on my eyes so I bought a new mascara since I was running out of my drugstore brand. I love find new mascaras that work great and are inexpensive. Everyone knows that Diorshow works wonders, but at $25 a tube it can get kind pricey. I ordered Buxom Lash by Bare Escentuals. I love the brush it comes with! The brush is very important to me in any mascara because that is what makes it clumpy or not. This brush has tons of little bristles and is shaped in an hourglass figure which I think helps it grab the little lashes on the inside. It volumized and lengthen my lashes all day without getting flaky or smudging.


















Both images from Sephora.com