What’s so special? The BeautyBlender sponge is shaped perfectly for getting foundation into tight spots. It also holds up for years, much longer than regular drugstore sponges. Can’t deny that fact that it won Allure’s Best of Beauty Award 3 time:  2011, 2008, and 2007!

Have you used it? Tell me your thoughts!

Photo: Pursuit of Shoes

The Valentine’s Day manicure uses our favorite as good as gold top coat.

How To:

• Paint half of every nail red
• Add the other half in pink
• Top with a center strip of gold

Too Faced Natural Flirt Makeup Collection $45

What It Is:

Grab all the attention with a naturally gorgeous look to send all the right beauty signals! Our, limited-edition Collection is filled best-selling faves for the eyes, lips and face. (A $112.50 value for $45)

More To Love:

Shadow Insurance Candlelight: Just a drop of our warm, shimmering primer applied to eyelids eliminates creasing and fading while transforming shadows into more radiant versions of their original formulas.

Exotic Eyes & Full Lashes:Achieve luminous eyes by applying Magic Mushroom shadow to lids. Lashgasm mascara completes the eye look providing fluffy, long lashes.

Bronzed & Bright Skin: Our Pink Leopard Bronzer formula brightens and perfects complexions effortlessly.

Petite Pouf: A unique retractable brush made with our signature “Teddy Bear Hair” is ideal for touch ups.

Glamour Gloss: Shine beautifully in This is Pretty and experience the gentle plumping sensation.

Oh.  The code?  Is that what you’re waiting for?

Use the code  LONDONSHADOW! at checkout!

Love At First Blush Set- $20

This Stila sweetheart set features a multicolored powder blush and two deluxe lip glazes that’s valued at $41. It just looks so pretty!

Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish – Free

Score Buxom’s Big and Healthy Lip Polish in ‘Katie’ free with any $25 purchase -use code: LipLove

Sephora will have you Valentine’s Day ready in no time. Pucker Up!

Don’t fret on the West Coast because later this year drybar will open two more locations in Manhattan Beach and Westlake Village. See my review from drybar here.

The Luxeffects collection consists of 5 shimmering polishes:

• as gold as it gets – gilded lame sparkles
• shine of the times – scintillating opalescent aura
• a cut above – shattered pink diamond glitz
• pure pearlification – decadent baroque iridescence
• set in stones – disco mirror ball chaos

Luxeffects Polishes – $8 each

Check out my mani ideas for shimmering topcoats here, here and here!

Last week we attended Something Blue’s What’s Your Something Blue event showcasing dozens of Los Angeles Wedding Vendors.

The event, held at Peterson Automotive Museum, made for the perfect girls’ night out! We enjoyed  “Something Blue” cocktails and sweet treats while gathering inspirational wedding ideas and meeting new vendors. Brides had the chance to chat with boudoir photographers, stationary experts, jewelry designers and shoe creators. Guests were even treated to makeup applications by Beautiful Outlook and hair tutorials by Blo Blow Dry Bar. It really was the one stop shop for all things wedding!

Karla Randolph and co-host Petersen Automotive Museum did a fabulous job producing and designing the blue themed event. Check out the delicious dessert display and fun images below:

All images by Ashleigh Taylor Photography

[Click on Thumbnail for Larger View]

{Event Sponsors: The Card Lady, YWD, Petersen Auto Museum, Archive Vintage, Florals, B Bride, Beach Candy, Love Claudette, Margaret Rose, Stella and Dot, La Gartier, Rosebud Lips, Milk & Honey Shoes, Beautiful Outlook, Blo Blow Dry Bar, DJ Brian Davidson, West Coast Bev, Commemory, “Eat, Drink and Be Married”, Ashleigh Taylor Photography, Skybluphotography, Candee by Sandee, Tasty Clouds, Gotta Have S’mores, I Heart Pies, Itty Bitty Sweets, Wave Form Events}

Have you seen Beyonce’s  new cover art for her new single from her album ’4′? Seems she’s getting quite a bit of criticism for the “lightening of her skin”, along with rocking some cool blonde hair. (Uhhh…the late, great, Etta James was blonde way before Bey put on her wigs/weaves. What’s the big deal?)  Mrs. Carter has been questioned before with her Loreal ad for lightening by the company for the advertisements.  MSN.com is quoted as saying “At the time, L’Oreal denied digitally making Beyonce’s skin fairer, and Beyonce herself never addressed the issue.”

This is an extremely touchy subject.  As a photographer, I can also see that very harsh lighting was used for Beyonce’s latest album promotion, which will lighten anyone’s skin.  I’m actually more concerned about the Photoshopping of  Beyonce’s body parts, namely her thighs and bum.  I love that she’s got incredible curves, but she looks, well, itsy bitsy here in the photo.

I don’t have daughters, but I can certainly see where this image may make girls of color feel insecure to a point. Heck, I feel insecure and I’m a “woman of freckles”. I do not Photoshop them out, though. (Thank you, Julianne Moore for being a good example for freckle-faces.)

Beyonce’s Latest Promo for ’4′

Sadly, it’s a never-ending story for women in general.  We are not like the Photoshopped-within-an-inch-of-their-lives models, recording artists or actresses in magazines.  I realize I’m stating the obvious here.  It’s simply the latest in promoting poor self-esteem to the masses of women…and we don’t need more of that Beauty Myth forced down our throats–but I don’t see an end to this practice.

Beyonce  is gorgeous without make-up, and really doesn’t require this kind of “work”…but that’s “entertainment” and the beauty industry for you.

Thoughts?

De-Slick Spray – $29

After reading tons of fabulous reviews, I’ve decided to try it out and just bought the bottle today.

Here is what it’s supposed to do: A high-tech, hypoallergenic formula keeps skin looking beautifully matte all day, without clogging pores or causing breakouts. The weightless mist absorbs excess sebum and controls surface shine, leaving your makeup looking fresh and newly applied. Your makeup won’t melt when it’s hot or become dehydrated and cracked when it’s cold and windy because Urban Decay’s patent-pending Temperature Control Technology, which lowers the temperature of your makeup to hold foundation, eye shadow, blush, and concealer in place.

Do you De-Slick? Tell us! I’ll be trying it out first thing tomorrow and report back with my results in a couple weeks.

Dior Garden Party Nail Vernis – $23 – Nordstrom

The first Dior Vernis with a subtle and delicate scent of roses. The floral green of Waterlily and the pretty lilac of Forget-Me-Not provide the perfect finishing touch for any spring time celebration. The pastel hues of these two new shades are the perfect finishing touch for party perfect nails.

I will say though, if anyone can pull this off, it’s most certainly  Dior.  I’mcurious to know how long the actual “fragrance” of the nail polish lasts.  However, the very idea of a nail product of any kind that emits a pleasant scent is astonishing, at the very least.

The New Girl, sported a tuxedo mani and tweeted the pic en route to the Globes-

I am wearing a gown but my nails are wearing tuxedos!!! #goldenglobes

She’s just too cute! Zooey paired her tuxedo nails with a custom dark green Prada gown. Looks like a new DIY to try out. What do you think?

Urban Decay – The Naked Palette – $50  – Sephora

A universally flattering palette that features 12 eyeshadows with a distinctly Urban look.

 

GORGEOUS

Naked2

What it is:

The most anticipated sequel of the decade, Naked2 features a dozen pigment-rich taupe and gray-beige neutrals, plus five exclusive, new shades.

What it does:

The follow up to the original bestselling Naked palette, this stunning second edition proves that neutral is anything but boring. Showcasing a dozen completely different shades than the first bronze-based collection, it includes a stunning range from pale and deep, to matte and sparkly.

You’ll achieve a host of new neutral looks, smoky dramatic eyes, and everything in between. The palette also includes a travel-size Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Naked and a double-ended, cruelty-free Good Karma Shadow/Crease Brush (available only in this palette).

This set contains:

- 12 x 0.05 oz Eyeshadows in Foxy (cream bisque with matte finish), Half Baked (golden-bronze with shimmering finish), Booty Call (shimmering cork), Chopper (copper shimmer with silver microglitter), Tease (creamy pale brown with matte finish), Snake Bite (dark bronze shimmer with metallic base), Suspect (pale golden beige with shimmering finish), Pistol (light gray-brown with shimmering finish), Verve (oyster with shimmering finish), YDK (cool bronze shimmer with metallic base), Busted (deep brown with shimmering finish), Blackout (blackest black with matte finish)

- Good Karma Shadow/Crease Brush

- 0.11 oz Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Naked (pinky neutral)

What else you need to know:

Urban Decay’s packaging takes on a modern feel in Naked2. With an art-school-inspired tin case and a hinged lid, it’s smooth and cool to the touch. Compare Naked2 with first Naked palette—packaged in warm, rich brown velvet with gold foil lettering—and you won’t be able to resist owning both.

 

I understand from the wonderful folks at Sephora, that this brand new palette is expected to sell out extremely quickly.  You and I had better get a move on!