Fierce, Fabulous and Flawless With Help From Cargo Cosmetics

Last week, Mr. Spoiled Pretty abandoned his loving wife in favor of a camping/fly-fishing excursion to Idaho. Now you know I wasn’t about to go hiking up mountains and trek through the wilderness to chill with rattlesnakes, horse flies and mosquitoes. So I stayed my ass at home and caught up on some reading, writing, and arithmetic (I took inventory of my makeup stockpile, and I’m slightly embarrassed by my excessive collection of lipglosses).

By the time the weekend came around, I had developed such a case of cabin fever that it didn’t take long for my BFF, Kristen, to lure your resident recluse out of the house. After some indecision, we opted to meet at a low-key bar and catch up over cheap, domestic beer. It’s been crazy hot in Philly lately, so I didn’t put too much thought or effort into my outfit, hair, or makeup; I threw on some jeans, quickly flat ironed my hair, and swiped on some Cargo blu_ray™ High Definition Mattifier before finishing my face off with mascara and gloss.

Around midnight, after drinking probably a little too much (pitchers are dangerous cuz I can never keep count), I took a bathroom break. I perched my handbag on the sink, rummaged for my blotting papers, and prepared to sop up the grease. But when I looked in the mirror, I was absolutely astonished. My face was flawless (well, flawless as in shine-free…not flawless as in resembling Liya Kebede).

And my face remained that way until I washed it off before bed. In fact, the only oil-related incident that night was a basket of greasy fries that Kristen and I couldn’t resist ordering just before last call.

Cargo blu_ray™ High Definition Mattifier is available at cargocosmetics.com and Sephora.

The Dope on Urban Decay’s Summer 2008 Collection

Urban Decay’s Summer 2008 Collection is the chronic. With product names like "Big Fatty,"Baked," and "Blaze" - you know you wanna try it. It'll make you feel good, feel good...

Pops of color are in style this season…and Big Fatty Colored Mascara is the perfect way to embrace that trend. Available in four bold, but wearable shades, Big Fatty thickens and lengthens lashes. Electric Blue and Indigo flatter brown and blue eyes, Purple Haze compliment green-eyed gals, and burgundy adds drama to any eye color. I’m a total Electric Blue groupie, and when I’m feeling bold, I pair it with 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Deviant.

"A colored mascara is the perfect summer beauty uniform. I slick a little on when I'm in a rush or headed out to thebeach and instantly get a ‘just enough makeup to look pretty, but not so much that I'm trying too hard’ look. And it adds aseductive, enigmatic little edge to those minimal makeup days of summer," says Wende Zomnir, Executive Creative Director at Urban Decay.

Urban Decay created two new eyeshadow shades, Blaze and Rush, to compliment the summer line. Blaze (golden peach) and Rush (medium coppery bronze) are smooth, richly pigmented and apply like a dream. To keep from slipping off your lid in humid weather, prep the eye with Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

De-Slick Mattifying Powder is one of the Co-Founder’s favorite products…and mine too, because you know that I’m one shiny beauty blogger come summertime. This shine-thwarting pressed powder contains lightweight, oil-absorbing rice powder. Use it on bare skin or over your foundation. The light purple shaded powder applies invisibly and won’t cake.

Baked Bronzer in Guilded gives you a baked, toasty glow without the threat of skin damage. And it’s literally baked in an Italian oven on a tiny terra cotta disc for 24 hours, then hand-finished by a factory full of motherly Italian women. The result is an ultra-smooth, sheer-finish bronzer that can be used on the face and body and applied wet or dry!

The Big Buddha Brush is Urban Decay’s answer to the kabuki brush. Bronze arms and legs with one sweep, dust on loose powder, or highlight shoulders and décolleté. Big Buddha features soft synthetic white fibers, tipped with purple, giving the brush a unique ombre effect.

Santa Tanita, Urban Decay’s imaginary saint of sunless tanning, answers your prayers for sun-kissed skin. The Santa Tanita Tinted Sunless Tanning Mousse instantly bronzes face and body, while a gradual self tanner goes to work, building a lasting tan that darkens with time. The moisturizing formula was created for both the face and body, and it won’t rub off onto clothes.

Urban Decay is available at Sephora, Ulta, Amazon.com, and urbandecay.com.

Sex And The City Beauty: Samantha

If you’re a fan of the series, you remember a time when Samantha Jones played for both teams. When we rejoin our favorite minx on the big screen, we learn that she’s bi again. Bi-coastal, that is. She’s traded the meatpacking district for Malibu.

Now that she’s a California girl, makeup artist Kyra Panchenko gave Sam a tan.

Kyra mixed St. Tropez Self-Tanner and Aircraft Body Makeup, then topped it off with Scott Barnes Body Bling. “Kim went through loads of wipes to remove her body make-up each day and loved how gentle they were on her skin,” she says.

Kyra also used MAC Blot Powder in Medium, MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy, and MAC Cleansing Tips to clean up under the eyes.

Image source: newline.com/sexandthecity

When Sebaceous Glands Attack!

Have you read my recap of the Total Beauty Blogging Summit yet? If not, follow the link to hear all about my adventures this past weekend.

In one of the photos, my t-zone is looking particularly reflective – because I accidentally dropped my holy grail translucent powder on the tile floor in my hotel room and it spilled everywhere. There was white powder all over the place…I mean, if you didn’t know any better, you’d have thought I was sharing the room with Tony Montana.

So for the rest of the weekend, it was a constant struggle between me and my oil glands. But I did learn something at the summit that gave me hope. Oily skin ages better because the extra sebum helps to prevent wrinkles! So apparently, even though it's a total pain in the ass at times, I’ll be thanking my greasy face when I’m older.

But until then, I'll rely on Three Custom Color Specialists Pressed Translucent Powder, which comes in a travel-friendly compact.

Carissa's Bridal Makeup Must-Haves: Day 4

In the days leading up to my wedding, last June, one of my biggest concerns was my shiny face. I diligently researched and then purchased every shine control product and mattifier. I spent more money than I needed to and worked myself into a tizzy - checking my face every five minutes on my wedding day. Carissa, writer and editor of Hooked On Beauty and professional makeup artist, has this advice for you gals with a tendency to glisten (and not in a good way):

The hot summer months that are so perfect for weddings are also perfect for shine to rear it's ugly head. I always hand out E.L.F's professional Shine Eraser Blotting Sheets and tell the photographer to let the girls know when to use them.

To learn more about Carissa and her services, visit coloradoweddingmakeup.com.

PS - Don't forget to enter the Ultimate Bridal Beauty Basket giveaway!

Shine Shy

I love glossy lips…the glossier, the better. But I realize than not everyone embraces this look. So if you’re shopping for a lip balm but hate the shine (I don’t get it, but I’m not judging) – pick up a tube of Peter Thomas Roth’s Matte Lip Balm. It protects and moisturizes with green tea, ginger, and rosemary extracts. This also makes a great gift for your guy.

Siren Song

This past weekend, I stopped by Sephora expecting to just window shop. Oh, who am I kidding…does that ever really happen?

Aimlessly, I perused the aisles and tested dozens of products. I had no intention of actually buying anything, yet I couldn’t bring myself to leave the store. It was as if something was calling to me. Then I saw it - Viridiana lipstick from the Nars Siren Song Holiday 2007 collection.

This lip color had me at hello, ladies. At first glance, I was bewitched by the rich burgundy color. After testing it on my hand, I fell a little deeper in love. By the time the saleswoman finished carefully applying it to my lips, I was obsessed. And in the ten minutes between putting a tube of Viridiana in my basket and paying for it at the register, three women approached me to ask what lipstick I was wearing. Watch out, Dolce Vita…there's a new diva in town.

Spoiled Pretty Tip: For daytime, apply Viridiana to exfoliated lips with your fingers – for a subtle, but sophisticated stain. At night, apply with a lip brush for more concentrated color. The beauty of Viridiana lies not only in the shade, but also in the formula – the semi-matte finish isn’t drying and stays where you put it, so you needn’t worry about the color staying inside the lines.

Nars’ Siren Song collection also includes:
Duo Eyeshadow (in Balthazar, Violetta, and Cheyenne); Lip Gloss (in Rose Gitane and Bad Education); Blush in Luster; Single Eyeshadow (in Night Snow and Night Rider); Lip Gloss/Lip Stain Gloss (in Metis/Victoire, Turkish Delight/Sayonara, Sand Piper/Dare Devil, and Moon Fleet/Indian Red); Nail Polish in Saratoga ; and Perfecting Powder Sheets.

Welcome Matte

Matte eye shadows are the new big thing (or at least one of them) this fall. Both Benefit and Urban Decay recently unveiled new shades of shadow completely devoid of shimmer. But don’t be fooled - these powders are sexy, sophisticated, and never dull.

“These mattes have richer pigments and a much silkier feel,” says makeup artist Jenna Anton.

Add some wow to your brows by taking a cue from Natalie Portman, our modern-day Audrey Hepburn. Sweep pale, matte eye shadow along the base of your eyebrows to enhance the whites of your eyes, add crispness to the line of your brows, and highlight bone structure.