Last New York Post, I Promise

Really, for my sanity as well as yours...

Here are some of my fun beauty adventures in NYC.


How many mascaras can you possibly, possibly need?
These are just the MAYBELLINE mascaras in Duane Reade - it's sort of like Boots on crack.

For the record, I 've never been a massive fan of Great Lash. I remember begging my dad to bring me one back from a business trip in America when I was about 14 and feeling like the most glamorous girl in the world but I don't think it really delivers as a product these days. What do you think? I did like Lash Discovery though, lovely for a natural look.

Sephora is one of my favourite places in the world. There used to be one in the glamour capital of the UK, Watford, but it closed down. Now I have to get my kicks on, well, more or less every other corner of New York city. They stock almost all my favourite brands and there is always something new to discover.
Like this!
Mr BeautyLover works with toys so this tickled us both.
Okay, me more than him.

Word to the wise, the doorway heaters in the Times Square branch (biggest in the world apparently!) are way too close to the product resulting in a make up meltdown. At present they have Stila at the front to tempt you in but DO NOT buy Stila from this store. Everything is melted!

Here I am sacrificing myself at the altar of M.A.C. in Soho while Miss Make Up Lady gave me 'interesting' eyes. Pink as a base, green in the centre, grey brown at the edges. It actually looked okay... I walked away with Barbie loves M.A.C. eye colours in Magic Dust and Moth Brown, the lip colour in Sweet and Single and eyeliner pencil in Prunella. And I even got my buddy a Fashion Pack gloss for her birthday. I'm full of love.
Amongst other things.

The wonderful exchange rate meant that all this booty came out at less than $70, about £40 - what's not to love??

Just so you know, this is as close to a picture of me as you're getting... Note my attractive, hair tucked behind ears sideburns. Note to Lee Stafford Salon, the New York minus 4 weather and entertaining wind did nothing for my do, I'm very sorry. This is not negative advertising - the hair still rocks.

And this is the lovely lead singer of my favourite band who we managed to see while we were out there...


This pic has nothing to do with make up or beauty whatsover, except maybe he needed a good wash after the gig.
I have many shower gels and am happy to oblige.

Fake it till you make it!

I was looking forward to sharing some of my lovely NYC photos with you today but tragically, my camera doesn't want to give them up so you'll have to wait until tomorrow. Sorry!

You'll be pleased to hear I'm in a much healthier place mentally, but physically, my skin is taking the brunt of the jet leg and lack of sleep. Why do I keep waking up at four am??? I wouldn't even be awake in New York at four am??? And no one loves sleep like I loves me some sleep.

So, in the interests of working out which bottle of crap would be the best thing to smother my face in until my skintone returns to normal, I've been looking at new foundations. Here's what we're thinking...

Rimmel Recover Foundation
I don't really know why I bought this. I liked Cool Matte but not enough to replace it when it ran out (quickly!) and Rimmel colour are always a little bit off on my skintone. BUT, I did need the 'illuminating anti-fatigue' assistance it promised. Or rather the slightly chalky coverage it provided. It's not a bad foundation, it's just not great. I didn't really feel like it made me look any less crappy, the Porcelain colour is slightly too orangey and it felt quite heavy to me but if you're looking for a bargain foundation, this might be a good option for you. And it's only £4.99 at Superdrug right now, so that might sway you, mid-month.


YSL Perfect Touch Foundation
Apparently, if you love Touche Eclat, you're going to love this new foundation that delivers in pretty much the same way. Now we all know I'm a gadget freak and this has a fun click and squeeze delivery system but something about it just didn't work for me. Not just that even the lightest shade (no 3) was too sandy for my skin but the idea of using the same brush not really being able to wash it out because it's linked to the product made me come over a bit icky. Also, I'm all for sheer finishes but this barely gave me any coverage at all and I balked at the suggestion it would give me 'baby-skin'. Creepy, much?

I would love to get more feedback on this from people that like it. I loved the idea, I just don't think the final thing worked.

Stila Powder Foundation
Hmmm. I've never been a massive fan of powder foundations as they always seem to leave me a little bit chalky but I have to say, I'm really quite liking this baby! When applied with a brush in a stippling motion, rather than swiped on with the supplied sponge, it settles into your skin rather than just sitting on top and does last for a good long time. Plus, it is much easier to touch this up than a fluid foundation and if you can't carry the brush around (Stila do a great retractable travel brush though so no excuses!), the sponge will do for your t-zone.


M.A.C. Studio Fix Fluid
This might be my favourite of the recent foundations I've tried. I know it's not new but it is fantastic. The colour range is massive, it's not overly expensive, the coverage is good and more importantly, you can build it without the foundation ever looking cakey. And best of all, it has spf 15. No wrinkles here!

I was going to post a picture of how AWFUL I actually look today but I just can't do it.

Even my eyebrows are disappointed in my levels of grooming.

And they are usually really easy to please.

What's in the bag - Beauty Lover!

Now it's been suggested by some helpful readers that my NYC posts were a little... I don't know... schizo? Harsh but fair.

I'm going to go back and review all my fun typos now I'm back at work and have actual things to do...

In an attempt to get back on track, I've decided to delve into the depths of my post-holiday make up bag and update you on some of my new staples! There are some gorgeous things out there this spring and the best news is, they're all really really easy to use - hurrah!

Base: Following my deep and passionate affair with Smashbox Photofinish Primer, I decided to give the green corrector version a go to even out my red skintone. It's amazing. I can't recommend it enough. As for foundation, I've switched to my summer Stila tinted moisturiser as of today's wonderfully warm greenhouse gas induced 17 degree weather. On the advice of Dana, the delightful Bloomingdales Stila make-up artist, I'm setting it with Stila powder foundation and a stippling brush which does help it last longer and gives a much nicer finish that the Stila pressed powder which I find, quite honestly, a bit chalky...

Mascara: You'll never tear me away from my Get Bent I'm afraid. Bad Gal Blue is fun and Magnif'Eyes was okay but I've gone back to my favourite.

Eyes: I'm absolutely in love with my new Stila eyeshadows. Cloud is the most delicious shimmery taupe colour that goes on as a beautiful sheer wash on it's own or can be blended up with Shore (a silvery grey) for gently smokey eyes. I've been mixing them up with some Antique Silver Stila Kajal Pencil all around the lash line, top and bottom, and then a touch (just a touch!) of Bad Gal pencil on the outer corners to make them pop.




Cloud and Shore... Gorgeous!

The new soft gold highlighter colour ('Magic Dust') in the Barbie Loves M.A.C. collection finishes it off perfectly on the inner corners and under the arches of your brows. Mmmm. Metallics are a huge story this spring/summer and these are really easy blendable ways to get into the them!

Lips: Back with Stila. I picked up a Raspberry lipglaze and it packs just the right punch of colour for me. I also got the new Plumping Glaze on Cherry Mint. I've never been much of a believer in plumping glosses but if nothing else, this baby has a lovely minty flavour and a pleasant tingling sensation that really lasts. Delish. Other than that, I'm rocking Vaseline to try and get some sense back into my skin.


Cheeks: Now, I've always been a Benetint girl or a pink flush blush but at the moment, I'm trying something new. At the recommendation of several make up artists, I'm trying peachy colours on my cheekbones and a soft bronzer underneath to create depth. And I have to say, it rocks! Helpfully, Benefit has just brought out a great product called 10 which has a bronzer on one side and highlighting powder on the other. The idea is you load up the brush and sculpt/highlight in one sweep. I would say this, blow the excess off the brush before you 'do the sexy sweep' and blend blend blend! No stripy faces here, ladies.






Now excuse me while I go and weep into my 200 emails and stacks of crap that no one covered while I was away... Grrr.

Sleep in a bottle anyone?

So, things didn't work out for me and my celebrity crush and I am home.
Grump.

My body physically rejected the very suggestion of coming home by breaking out in an exciting itchy rash all over my back an hour before we were supposed to fly back. For this, I recommend Lanacane Itch Relief... And not leaving New York.

Since I've returned, my beauty regime has mostly consisted of crying, sleeping and slapping on a lot of moisturiser. Mostly Nivea Creme - sometimes the oldies are the goodies.

Forgive me for not being all too chipper, I can't actually believe they MADE me come home (they being US immigration, my boyfriend, the Coventry Building Society and Rupert Murdoch. He's ultimately my employer and apparently has a lot of fingers in evil pies. My not being in New York is one giant evil pie.) I hadn't even tried all the make up yet! And I look like CRAP.

I keep being told to buy Guerlain's Issima Midnight Secret to perk up my post flight skin but despite my obsession, I freak out at pricey products but sometimes I understand they're worth it. After all, your skin is a lifetime investment and my theory is, you should be spending at least the same on your face (and haircuts!) as what you would spend on shoes. Your face will be with you a lot longer after all.

What I did get this trip is Bliss triple oxygen instant energizing mask and I've got to tell you, it's good. I'm not a massive fan of overenthusiastic magazine reviews (too many are influenced by advertiser spend) but I am a big believer in Bliss. Their products are fun and for what experience I have of them, effective. And this baby is no different.

You slap a thick old layer on damp skin and then buckle yourself in for some serious tickling. Seriously, I'm not a good ticklee. My uncle will happily tell you if you ask (and sometimes if you don't) how I would, ahem, wet myself following extended tickling as a child. But infantile incontinence aside, this is really good. It foams up on your face and after just five minutes, I looked like I'd just come in from the spa rather than twenty minutes elbowing my way out of the subway at rush hour into minus 4 bitter bitter weather.

And I made Mr Beauty Lover try it too.
He giggled.

We make our own fun, okay?

Native New Yorker...

So tomorrow I have to come home.
I'm not dealing with this news well.
So not well in fact, that I'm hiding in the apple store on Prince Street (Mercer Street?) struggling with a very low Mac Book, trying to prove I could run my life from New York.

It's tragically not true.

What is true, is that New York is all about smudgey smokey eyes. Yet another reason for me to stay here,
The Young Knives cancelled on Saturday but I did my bit and rocked Brooklyn FOR YOU and can report kohl pencil is very popular, lips are very neutral and tattoos are huge. Not that I'm recommending them from a beauty point of view.

What I can recommend, having been smothered in make up for the last six days is:

Smashbox O-Glow - everything they said it would be and more. The amazing gel blush goes on clear and then changes to a soft pink that depends on your skin's acidity. I know it's different on everyone because I made Mr Beauty Lover try it on his hand. O-Glow is the grown up equivalent of those crazy lipsticks that were yellow in the tube and then came out lurid pink on your lips. But it's pretty and comes in space-age looking packaging. And I'm sold.

Also great (and I'm a little bit shocked to say this) is the BeneFit Bad Gal Blue. I don't love blue mascara but it's so vibrant and lush, it looks amazing as a flash on the tips of your lashes.

Other than that, I went a bit crazy on the Stila counter in Bloomingdales (loving Cloud eyeshadow and the new Antique Silver kajal pencil) and I might have accidentally bought a few pieces of the Barbie Loves MAC collection - but they were presents for a friend!

What do you mean you don't believe me?
Bastards...

Since you were so mean, you'll have to wait to hear about all the rest of my goodies (and all my pics) till I get home.

Well, can't sit around and be abused all day, I have to head down to Century 21 to look for more discount Marc Jacobs (I'm so class) and it's back to Williamsburg for me tonight. I'll let you in on a secret... My celebrity crush is playing a secret gig tonight and I have tickets! If all goes well, Mr Beauty Lover will have a spacious two seat journey home. Only kidding.

Probably.

Maybe.

Let's see how drunk I get.

Cheap Thrills - NYC edition

Hey hey!

Just a quickie to let you know I'm here, safe, well (apart from going deaf in one ear - damned long haul flight) and already Mac-ced out of my mind.

This isn't really a cheap thrills post as stuff is only cheap because I'm in another country with a weak currency.
God bless America.

In other fun news, I'm in love with the Barbie Loves MAC collection, beautiful, and Nivea creme is the best thing you can use to stop you dehydrating on a flight.

Tonight I'm off to Williamsburg to see The Young Knives so I'll let you know what the hipsters are wearing.

Ta-ta!

I have a problem

Okay, not a real problem like 'How do I stop world poverty?' or 'How
do I pay my mortgage without resorting to pole dancing?' but I
beautyaholic problem.

I've spent the last hour trying to distill this...











Into my very tiny travel make-up bag,
I'm not doing well.

I need my tinted moisturiser, my Benetint, High Beam, Smashbox liner,
primer, eyebrow make up.
I need my Get Bent, my lipliner, my liquid eyeliner, two concealers,
my dozens of eyeshadows, my bronzer and my busher.

And more than anything I need all twenty squillion lipglosses, balms,
sticks and stains.

What's that? I don't have a problem?
I'm just shallow, insecure and materialistic?
Oh, okay, just checking.

You probably don't want to know how many moisturisers I'm taking with me then...

p.s. BeautyMecca will be in NYC as of ten am tomorrow so posts will
be, erm, sporadic i.e. as regular as my Mr BeautyMecca's trips to the
Apple Store. So actually maybe daily.

p.p.s. If you know where I live, please don't rob me.