The Life of A Ladybug

Bobbi Brown Platinum Collection

 If you're a fan of Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Bricks, you're in luck!  Her new Platinum Collection contains a new edition of her highly coveted Shimmer Brick - Platinum Pink.  Contained in this lovely silver compact are stripes of soft pink, platinum, bright pink, golden coral, and rose.  When swirled all together, it leaves behind a frosty pink sheen.  If you use only the bottom three colors together, it offers a bit of a warmer pink flush, while still giving the shimmery effect.  Of course, each shade can be used individually as an eyeshadow, though I'm not a huge advocate of pink shades on the eyes, as it tends to make your eyes look tired.  However, the platinum strip looks wonderful on the eyes and the very lightest pink (the top strip) works well as a highlighter under the brows and on the tear duct.  At $40, Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks are hardly a steal, however, they're totally worth it if you're a fan of shimmery shades.  I have owned almost every shade and continued to have and use Apricot, and Poppy quite often and I think this one will be added to the mix, as well.

Less pleasing is the Long Wear Cream Shadow.  I have had two shades of this and liked them, but the one I have from this collection, Steel, is not a fave at all.  I don't know what it is with this one, but it just doesn't apply smoothly and I don't really like the look of it, either.  It just kind of looks muddy to me.  Still, it didn't budge after a full day's worth of wear, even with no primer underneath, so if you like the shades offered, it's worth picking up.  And I think Steel would be good as a base for a smoky eye look.

I also tried the Shimmer Lip Gloss in Confetti and I love it!  It's a beautiful baby pink with just a touch of shimmer.  It makes my lips look full and lush.  I still hate the brush and the tiny little tube, but it's a good gloss.  Not sure it's worth the $20 price tag, though.

The Bobbi Brown Platinum Collection is on counters now!

Hotter than Hell: James Marsden

Okay, it is clear to me that I love this man for a combination of two reasons: 1) I just saw 27 Dresses or the first time recently and I thought he was the only good thing about it and 2) he looks what I imagine Jean-Claude looks like.

Those of you who don't know me or haven't talked to me about my other obsessions (besides makeup and bellydance) have no idea that I am also obsessed with vampires.  But maybe some of you have heard of Laurell K. Hamilton and/or of her Anita Blake series.  (If you haven't and you are at all interested in vampires, wereanimals of any kind, modern fairy tales, or sex, you need to read these books.)  Anyway, the primary vampire in these books, the Master of the City, is Jean-Claude.  He is a centuries old French vampire.  For some reason, I am in the most love with French vampires (Lestat, anyone?).  I have been totally swept away by Jean-Claude.

Anyway, as I was watching 27 Dresses, there was some point where it occurred to me, "Hmm ... I bet if you dyed James Marsden's hair black and it was almost waist-length and curly, he would be Jean-Claude."  And I went home afterward and googled for pics of James Marsden and came up with the following (please click through to see the ridiculous beauty of this man):

Katrina's Bellydance Beauty Bag!

Katrina is from The Dalles, OR and is a student dancer, primarily studying American Tribal Style, with a few Middle Eastern Dance classes thrown in for good measure.  Katrina says that her personal dance style is still evolving, but she finds herself trending toward "tribaret" (also known as "glamour tribal").

Let's watch Katrina go from cute, ordinary girl to glammed up tribaret dancer!

Here's what she used:

loreal infallible foundation
loreal HIP loose pigment  : exciting
loreal HIP bright shadow duo  : riotous
maybelline shine-free loose powder
mybelline great lash mascara  : black
revlon bare it all lustrous powder  : buff love
revlon golden affair sculpting blush  : rose rapture
revlon creme gloss : wine anytime
mac glitter eyeliner : blitzed
mac fluidline  : blacktrack
mac paint pot  : bare study
lash grip eyelash adhesive

Here's Katrina before:

 

Total Beauty's Less vs. Luxe Lipsticks

In keeping with my "Affordable Alternatives" series:

Less vs. Luxe Lipsticks (Happy Valentine's Day!)

See how to get the look of your favorite Nars, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent lipsticks at drugstore prices

Why spend $30 on a lipstick when you can spend $3 and get the exact same look? We asked celebrity makeup artists Molly Stern and Fiona Stiles to share their favorite lipstick look-a-likes -- and they delivered exact shade and texture matches (no one will be able to tell the difference). Now you can get the look of a Chanel lipstick and still afford a night out. See products

Hotter than Hell: Taylor Kitsch

  

Look at this foolishness right here, y'all.  Look at the shenanigans going on all up in that ab region.  Look at the leg rests rising above the waistband.  Check the poutiness of the bottom lip.  You want to bite it, don't you?  'Cause I do.

I had no idea who Taylor Kitsch even was until my friend Nicole pointed him out to me.  (Good lookin' out, Nic!)  My first reaction was all, "Nah.  His face ain't really doing it for me."  'Til she was like, "Um, honey?  Check out pics without the shirt.  Forget the face."  And she was right.  She is also right when she says that this man is made for women who like men.  I mean, seriously.  He is www dot hotness dot com.  And that's all there is to it.

Not to mention that I have since come to discover that this gorgeous piece of mancandy is going to be playing my all time favorite X-Man, one Remy Le Beau a.k.a. Gambit!!!!  What???  What you say, cher???  Come on!  I will be all up in the movie theater as soon as that junk comes out, do you hear me?  I might stand on line like three weeks early or some shiggity.  It will be embarrassing to the nth degree and yet I will not be embarrassed at all.  'Cause look here:

 

Ain't nothin' to say to that but mon dieu.

benefit Coralista

  I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of benefit products.  That's not to say that I have none in my collection, but when I think of my favorite brands, benefit does not come to mind.  I honestly have never fallen in love with any of their blushes.  I found their Dallas bronzer to be muddy and their Dandelion blush to be uninspired.  But now there's the new benefit Coralista!  This, my dears, this is yummy.  It is a perfect light coral flush on me (MAC NC45, for reference) - great for just a touch of color so that I don't look sallow or sickly and awesome when going heavy on the eyes or lips and you just need a bit of blush for balance.  On a lighter-skinned gal, this would be a great pop of color.  If you are a bit of a browner-skinned beauty, I would say that this would work wonderfully as a highlighter.

Now, benefit blushes definitely do not qualify as beauty for a bargain, but, if you're willing to shell out the $28, you'll enjoy the product!  BTW, let me offer a tip: Throw away that stupid little brush.  I do  not know why they continue to include that, unless it's for decoration.  That thing does nothing but lend itself to blush stripes and that is never a good look.

You can find benefit Coralista at your nearest Sephora, on Sephora.com or benefitcosmetics.com.

Jahzaal's Bellydance Beauty Bag!

I'm starting a new series here on The Life of A Ladybug.  If you've been a reader for a while, you know that I am a bellydancer, both as a soloist and as a member of the uber-awesome The NDC.  It occurred to me that we bellydancers are beauty mavens by nature, as we go through serious machinations to divafy ourselves before gigs.  I thought it'd be fun for you all to see the process.  Let me know in the comments what you think of the series and feel free to give suggestions for things you'd like to see or questions you'd like to have asked of the dancers.

We begin the series with my friend and fellow NDCer, Jahzaal!  Jahzaal has been dancing for over seven years and has been mentored exclusively by our director, Lotus Niraja.

Here's a pic of the lovely Jahzaal, sans makeup, no moisturizer or anything.  Isn't she ridiculously cute, even with nothing on her face?  If I didn't love her, I'd hate her.

 

Eve Lom Cleanser (Totally splurge-worthy!)

 Eve Lom Cleanser has been noted as "maybe the best cleanser ever."  It contains a great blend of four aromatic oils designed to cleanse, decongest and soothe the skin.  Included in the package is a white muslin cloth to be used along with the cleanser to promote circulation, open the pores, cleanse, exfoliate, and tone the skin - all in minutes!

I love this cleanser and I think I might agree that it's quite possibly the best cleanser ever!  The herbal scent of the cleanser is refreshing and soothing and the formulation of the cleanser is phenomenal.  It comes out of the jar in a thick, but creamy consistency which, once rubbed gently into the skin melts into it, leaving your face moisturized and silky smooth.  It contains tiny little grains that help to exfoliate, as well as dissolve all dirt, oil, and makeup.  Once you've rubbed the cleanser into the skin, you are instructed to dip the muslin cloth into hot water and press onto your face for five seconds - you repeat this step three times.  Then, rinsing in lukewarm water, you rub the muslin in circles over your skin, using it to remove all makeup.  You finish up by dipping the cloth in cold water and then pressing onto the face for five seconds.

As a woman with oilier skin, I was nervous that the Eve Lom cleanser's thick consistency would add oiliness to my skin.  Not so!  It seemed as if it actually helped to dissolve the oiliness while also providing necessary moisture during this colder winter months.  Now, keep in mind that this is an expensive product - a 6.8 fl.oz. jar is $160!  But, if you have the money to spend, Eve Lom Cleanser is totally splurge-worthy!  I never thought I would spend such money on a skincare product, but the whole step-by-step process, as well as the feel and scent of the product feels so luxurious, that I think I deserve that extra bit of pampering.

Eve Lom Cleanser - Toya has deemed it totally splurge-worthy!

You can get Eve Lom Cleanser at www.beauty.com.

Stila Backstage with Lela Rose Collection

If you couldn't sit front row at the Lela Rose fashion show, not to worry!  Just launched is the Stila Backstage with Lela Rose collection!  The collection includes four key products used by the makeup artists backstage.

Stila Sun Shade 01 was used to bronze the models' cheekbones.  The bronzer is known for its buildable color (and is one of my fave "Bronzers for Brown Girls" in Shade 02).

Cranberry Lip Glaze popped the models' pouts.

Starlight Eye Shadow let the lids shimmer with a champagne glow and a layer of Major Lash Mascara in Brown helps to create a balanced face.

This collection is subtle and wearable.  You can get the Stila Backstage with Lela Rose Collection exclusively at www.beauty.com for $34. 

Josie Maran Cosmetics - 30% off!

Josie Maran is offering 30% off her entire line of cosmetics from February 12th to February 19th.  Log on to www.josiemarancosmetics.comto shop the sale and score some eco-chic goodies.

If you decide to buy anything, let me know what you think!