Beauty Blog » Beauty or the Beast?

My friends and I are going to Vegas in a few weeks and we are all going to a spa together. Part bonding, part we don’t gamble and don’t have anything else to do while the guys gamble… 

So we were perusing the features available at the hotel we are staying at and we all decided that we want to get facials, massages and one of my friends suggested we get our eyelashes dyed!

Hmm… interesting. I have never done this and I was wondering if it’s a good idea? I mean not to be silly but if you don’t have much lashes (I’m Asian) to begin with how remarkable will it really be to dye the few strands present? Then again I suppose the sole purpose of mascara is to darken and thicken the eyelashes you have correct? So maybe this whole dyeing eyelashes thing does that for you without the fuss.

What I want to know from anyone who comes across this is:

• Is dyeing your eyelashes worth it?
• Is it safe?
• How long does it last?

That is all. Maybe I’ll do it and keep you guys posted, that way I can expense the process and chalk it up as research for this blog. Ha! 

So one of the gifts I received this Christmas was a package of assorted “colored” mascaras!

I hesitate to name the brand I received because I have yet to try them and don’t feel like endorsing them just yet. I want to see if they are any good first before I give them a thumbs up.

Anyhow, the mascara package contained the following colors; blue, maroon-ish, yellow and green. Umm, Hi! It’s like mascara by Dr. Seuss. Well being the adventurous freak I am at the core; I dig it. I definitely want to give them a try for New Year’s! I don’t think it is a look that I intend on featuring day to day at thee ol’ office but clubbing and parties sound fun.

Anyone try or use colored mascara often? What do you recommend I use? I have brown eyes and pale skin, I was leaning towards the blue…

If there is a particular brand or color that you already favor and would like to discount shop for colored mascara, click here! 

I love shiny black things: shiny black heels, shiny black bangs, shiny black nail polish, shiny black tights. Hmm…Could it be the goth girl in me? Now that black is the new black, and biker chic, is well, so chic, I say hurrah for black lip gloss! I know I may not be of popular opinion and really, one couldn’t rock this look everyday but hot damn, it is just so… HOT. Could you wear it to a Kings of Leon concert? Yes! Yes! with a cropped denim jacket and fierce heels. This look debuted on Fall runways and lo and behold, when Yves Saint Laurent came out with their Pur Lip Gloss this fall, the gloss sold out immediately.

But here is what I propose: wear it as eye gloss and keep the rest of your face soft and muted. This would make it daring and pretty and be a bit more wearable if you are going for the rocker eye. That being said, eye gloss can be a hassle to wear and can slip slide about. Constant touch-ups are needed, which is kind of funny, because then you find yourself saying things like: I have to go to the little girl’s room to gloss my eyes. But hey, why not? I find the look personally smoking. Make-up artists have smeared vaseline on model eyelids forever to give it that dewy look, so why not do it with some color? Here is another tip: Rosebud Lip Salve over some neutral peach shadow. Blend. Be forewarned: It is messy, feels weird, but god, it looks like you just came breathlessly out of a meadow, looking glowy.
Also, in other news: This month, Lancome is coming out with a limited edition of Color Fever Gloss in glossy, raven black. I am such a beast for limited editions. I cannot wait till it hits stores. The gloss is for your lips as well as your peepers. Keep an eye out, girls.

Ok, and final note: I am SO loving Christian Dior’s Black Sequins Vernis ($19).

It is full of silver sparkles and is perfect for the holidays. Pair it with some innocent (or not so innocent *wink*) make-up and you will look edgy and pretty at the same time. Try it. Let me know what you think.

To shop for an array of discount cosmetics and make-up, click here.  

Let’s face it Mrs. X-tina LOVES the make-up! She has never shied away from laying the stuff on thick and cakey… but in her defense I do recall thinking that:

1. She would be so much prettier without all the crap on her face
2. Minus the drag queen cosmetic application the lady can wail!! The lass can belt out a tune, whereas I always felt that Britney was more an “Entertainer” and required much “synthesizing” in the musical arena.

Well my question is has she had plastic surgery done on her face!?

The recent release of tour photos and images in general seem to display a completely morphed looking Christina Aguilera. She looks like Brooke Hogan in the image above, and that is NOT a compliment. I realize that pregnancy alters hormones and such but do they completely alter your face? She still wears the same pound and a half of make-up so I don’t see that being a factor, it seems like the actual shape of her facial has been somehow altered? Am I wrong?

She looks very much like Bobo the Clown in this Pucci number…

Now take a look back! What do you guys think? I think she had plastic surgery done. Could excessive make-up really alter ones appearance that much! And if so, well then my love of cosmetics just took a serious nosedive! (Plus she obviously Pamela Anderson’d her boobs, so I figure she would have no reservations about messing with her face)

Here is an OG picture of dainty, pre-silicon Christina! What a waste… she was so pretty right?

What do you guys think?

• Natural changes due to age and time…
• Excessive make-up gone horribly awry…
• Plastic Surgery!

OR some un-listed other variable I have missed?

 PS. Is that her hair, a wig or a weave? The hair is kinda trippy too… 

Hmmm, don’t ask me why but I am apparently going through some weird hair fetish lately, namely hairstyle trends! Today’s lesson is MALE GOATEES! Beauty HIT or simply a baaaah-ad idea?!

HITS

Ummm, HELLO! Can someone please come over to my desk and help me pick my jaw up off the floor! I don’t know how I will ever get this pool of drool out of my keyboard, sigh. Gotta say that Colin Farrell looks absolutely delicious here. In all honesty he was never really that high on my C.W.L. list (Celebrities-Wish-List) his ratio of scruffy to hot always leaned toward scruffy to me. But I can admit when I am wrong, he just moved up to Number 3!

I have a sick confession to make, I actually thought that Edward Norton was SUPER HOT in the movie “American History X” minus all the Nazi idealism and murder. Nonetheless I think he is able to pull off a goatee? You agree?

Awww, I dub this one “ANGEL” goatee, what a loss! I prefer Heath Ledger clean shaven; looks like the goatee could use more growth and grooming. Still such a cutie though.

I don’t care what you say Johnny Depp can do NO WRONG to me, period! Yesterday, today and tomorrow - still HOT!

Not really sure if this qualifies as a goatee or peach fuzz? Just wanted to throw another hot boy on the barbie! Orlando Bloom is grrr-eat!

Sure, sure, he is growing older. But I happen to think the salt and pepper peeking through in Brad Pitt’s facial hair lends an old school charm and debonair quality. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

MISSES

Michael Moore sporting a “Political Goatee”… he reminds me of my chemistry teacher in high school. The creepy one, not the cute cherubic one…

I like Spock, but come on, that’s a whole lotta LOOK! The pointy ears, the beef bowl bangs, I think the goatee is overkill …

No clue who this guy is but I want to take a hacksaw to his face! I don’t know if its the stupid smirk on his face, or those poorly dyed chin p^bes! Barf!

Lastly, its always a razor fine line to thread if your bald and sport a goatee. Too often the look reads: I WANT TO KILL YOU. (Sorry don’t shank me, I am just being real…)

Granted reading up I realize that celebrities tend to be able to pull off the look with more ease being gorgeous and what not, but still … regular folks should follow their lead. There is a way to rock it and a way to avoid it.

If your interested in buying your man a set of Hair Clippers or Trimmers, click here.

Kiyah Wright is an Emmy award winning celebrity hair stylist who created the signature looks for stars like: Tyra Banks, Mary J. Blidge, IMAN, Brandy, Jennifer Hudson, Faith Evans, Gabrielle Union and more.

Kiyah Wrigtht discusses her experiences in celebrity hairstyling especially being Tyra Banks long time hair stylist.

Finish reading at: Talking Makeup

Whilst in the land of Smarter Beauty:

New Club Drug hits NYC! Supposedly Shrinks FAT!!

Read about the Benefits of Exfoliating and the pitfalls and lures of Beauty Cosmetic Marketing!

Summer heat making your hair GREASY!!! Read a few of my sure fire quick fixes for De-greasing the Do!

Ahhh, The PURPLE STUFF, ha! Try great fresh products from The Body Deli…

Boy oh boy, do we live in confusing times! Not only is it becoming increasingly more and more difficult to make the distinction between metrosexual and just plain ol’ gay: but now we have to worry about our fellahs stealing our eyeliner - Stop the madness!!

To be clear I realize that men who work in the industry (ie. TV, movies, music) often have to become camera ready before getting in front of the lens. However more and more of these chaps are sporting the makeup off camera and in everyday life. Which brings us to the question at hand, Makeup on Men - Rockstars, Freaks or Geeks?

Wow! To think there was a time I would lay awake at night and dream that someday I would become Mrs. Jordan Catalano!! (My So-Called Life) Now he just looks like a greasy jerk with a Marilyn Manson fetish…

First of all what exactly is Pete Wentz famous for? What does he do? Anyone?

Well regarding his excessive eyeliner use, I couldn’t tell you who or what this guy does BUT I do know every time I see him in a photo he is wearing eyeliner. I guess we all have to be known for something?…

Lastly this is my friend Welfrey who is a makeup artist for M.A.C. makeup. Now granted he is of the gay variety and I give him some slack because I feel his makeup use is an extension of his craft, however would you not die if your man wore this much makeup?!?

Am I wrong ladies? I am a very open minded gal but I just can’t get behind men wearing makeup! The occasional tweezing of the unibrow is fine, lotion and cologne is a-ok, but I draw the line at eyeliner and face powder.

I need all the bathroom counter space as it is, and by god if I have to fight a man early in the morning for bathroom beauty time, well folks there will be bloodshed is all I am saying!

What do you guys think? Makeup on Men - Rockstars, Freaks or Geeks?

I know she looks like the Crypt Keeper, but she’s only twenty-one!!! WOW!

She is living proof why we should all invest in sunscreen, ASAP! Well in all honesty who didn’t see this coming? I have a teeny confession though, I actually liked her when she was little and felt not only was she a decent actress with plenty of potential, but that she was cute. Boy did I bet on a losing horse, huh?

Keep in mind this was circa:

Way before she became a freckled, crack smoking, belligerent, prostitute …

Honestly though I am fair skinned myself and everyone knows natural red heads are the fairest of them all. I always cringed when I would see photos of her donning a bikini in full sunlight completely unprotected from the SUN! She was either tangerine fake bake orange or tomato red or crack head gray. All I am saying is we aren’t living in the 70’s anymore, its a whole new planet kids. Minus a protective ozone layer, coupled with the green house effect of gases means sunscreen isn’t a selective beauty notion, it’s become a necessity! For all ye’ doubters, please refer to La’ Lohan gorgeous and fresh 21 year old face, I rest my case. Remember I preach because I care…

LESSON OF THE DAY:

+ + =

Excessive Drinking + Heavy Drug Use + No Sunscreen = Premature AGING

Class Dismissed!

Introducing ground breaking technology, straight from France, that promises to freeze the aging process!

Created by Dr. Jean-Pierre Talmadge T’sow a former body builder who discovered that injecting his muscles before a competition with a mixture of purified water from the French Alps and the harvested DNA from unborn sheep embryos, literally froze and smoothed out his bulging muscles. Not only did it smooth out protruding muscles but he discovered that he could not move his arms and legs at the injection site. As the years passed, the rest of his body began to naturally age and wither, however the muscle groups that were injected with Le’ Facial Frozen remained smooth and Rubenesque.

Like all great discoveries, Le’ Facial Frozen was un-covered by pure happenstance. Dr. T’sow immediately began injecting his magic serum into his face and after 115 years, he does not look a day over 30!

Le’ Facial Frozen’s celebrity clientèle includes:

Paris Hilton

Nicole Kidman

Amanda Lepore

Note: Possible side effects include nausea, frozen expressions, diminished IQ and eventual loss of all facial movement.

To purchase Le’ Facial Frozen, click here.

Spring is HERE! I guess the pollen in the air is laced with acid because you have to see Spring 2008’s Runway Looks!

Behold, I present to you this year’s crop of ….

THE STUPID…

Introducing the Grouch’s girlfriend “Garbage Pail Head” …

(designer Jeremy Scott collection)

Hey Lady, Hey Lady! There is a bird’s nest on your dome!

(designer: Moschino)

This is your face on drugs… any questions?

(Agatha Ruiz de la Prada Spring 2008)

THE UGLY

Wow! You should really have that looked at, is it itchy?

(Alexander McQueen Spring 2008)

Frau Unibrow is that you? Guess it’s hard to find work after Austin Powers!

(Andrea McWha Spring 2008 Collection)

The Great Gatsby Girl got into the meth jar again…tsk, tsk!

(John Galliano, Spring 2008)

and THE CRAZY

Argh! It’s the girl from The Ring, after a hot and heavy make out session with Ronald McDonald!

(Comme des Garcons, Spring 2008)

Umm, you weren’t suppose to take the disco ball home and make a hat after the party tard!

(image credit: Antonio de Moreas Barros Filho)

Last but not least it’s “Romanian - SARS - Ninja - Barbie” (human hair eyebrows comb included)

(Noki, Spring 2008)

Well I hope you enjoyed this latest trip to the circus with me, I can’t wait to see what these fashion titans think up next!

P.S.

Did I miss any really freaky ones, collection wise? Show me! What did you guys think of these makeup and hair choices?