Woot/Bleh

So I'm almost done with finals, meaning I have one semester left! whoo hoo! However, not so pleased with this new bare minerals color, "Medium Golden". It's supposed to be the medium shade for peeps like me with redness and issues of the sort. So far, not impressed. I will give it another day/chance, then it's over beast! 

Ok I Lied

Red Lipstick can look good on some people, such as the lovely Miss Dita Von Teese. And the pale skin. So much better than my attempt to pull it off! 

P.S. She is totally at a MAC event! Yea! 

Photo courtesy of perezhilton.com

Review: Red Lipstick

Red Lipstick. Who thought this was cute? Here I am, sitting in my living room at 11pm, wearing red lipstick and all I can think is yowza! First, it finds its way on everything, including my husband's cheek, and my teeth. Second, all I can think of is old lady. It reminds me of my grandma who used to use her red lipstick dually for her lips and cheeks. Third, I don't need a third. Two reasons are enough. I can't even eat right now for fear of it spreading all over my face! 

There you go, I even used the super pale foundation to complement the look. Horrible! 

(The color is MAC Powerhouse in case you wanted to know).

How Much Would You Pay For This Dress?

(click to enlarge - at your own risk)

Apparently Lauren Conrad thinks this piece of rayon (a.k.a. the "Victoria" dress) is worth $135. Hey, it's a steal compared to its twin, the Frankie, which for 2 more inches of fabric costs 20 bucks more. 

The best part is that this is from the "Les Deux" collection. What a crafty name for a collection, especially from Lauren Conrad who think she is so chic because she has been to Paris! OMG, guys! Actually, Lauren probably doesn't even know what this elementary phrase means. She named it after her favorite hang out, the trendy Les Deux (or as those posers who go there call it, Lay Doo). Spencer Pratt, Heidi Montag, Brody Jenner- they all think they're elite for going to LD but pretty much no one besides them go there. 

So...how much would U pay for this dress? 

TNF

I figured I should probably post something other than MAC MAC MAC (especially since I will probably be putting a lot more MAC on here in the near future!). Anyways can I say, I love this brand! I know, it totally fits me seeing as though I live in Utah half the year and Alaska for the other half. This brand is fairly new to me, but I love their stuff so much! I have never really been an outdoorsy person, and wearing TNF is (arguably) the most outdoorsy you can get! I recently bought a cute little jacket called the Venus, and it has an avalanche detector thing in it, so if I get caught in an avi, they can find me! It's just sown right into the sleeve. Weird, huh? Other than that, their fleece jackets are divine, and don't get me started on the tent slippers! They had me at hello. Anyways, if you haven't invested in one or two or three north face jackets, will you please do that for me? No matter where you live! It is one investment you won't regret. 

Dress Camp is S/O!

Okay, I just have to cry a little for a second because Dress Camp is already sold out MacCosmetics.com. Now, if you are totally wondering what the crap this Dress Camp collection even is, it is a limited edition palette, lipstick and two lip glasses. I was very fortunate enough to order the palette before it sold out, but after checking online for swatches of the product color, I saw how absolutely be-a-utiful the lipstick is! Seriously, check it out for yourself:



Is this not the prettiest pink you've ever seen? Not too bright, not too boring, with a nice hint of sparkles! Anyways, here's me hoping that more get released soon! 

PS- This collection is only available on maccosmetics.com, and in 3 MAC stores: SoHo, Robison and one in the Bay Area. 

Photo Credit: glam8babe via Specktra.net

MAC Review: Loose Mineralize Foundation

With Bare Minerals taking over the foundation world, MAC decided they should get on the bandwagon and release their very own Bare Minerals type foundation (do you love how B.M. is on the same level as Band-Aid and Kleenex- it's not a tissue, it's a Kleenex!). As soon as I saw it, I had to try it out. I even bought a nifty brush with which to apply. 

Now, for you Bare Minerals junkies, the MAC application process is a little different. It does not include a cute little kit complete with three brushes, a mineral veil and bronzer. Contrarily, it is one 8.5 oz jar that you just apply. Yea. I dunno. 

The counter girl assured me that unlike Bare Minerals, you don't need the Mineral Veil. She also bragged about how there are 77 minerals in MAC's foundation, vs. 5 in B.M. So I went home, and applied it the next day. However, let's just say I was pretty disappointed. I even used my B.M. concealer brush because there's nothing quite like it for mineral makeup, but the coverage blows! It is described as a medium-buildable coverage, but it seemed to do no better than a tinted moisturizer for coverage. Even when I attempted to "build", it just started looking cakey. 

I appreciate that MAC is trying to make some money on this mineral makeup craze, and I also appreciate that they're not as corny as the Bare Minerals infomercials, but honestly, Bare Minerals still can't be beat. This is the third alternative mineral makeup I've tried and I keep going back to B.M. Sorry, MAC! I love you but stick to what you do best: Makeup Art! 

Review: MAC Heatherette

So the Heatherette collection has been out for about a week as of today, giving me plenty of time to try out the new products. In most collections, there are products that are awesome, and other products that are big disappointments. Heatherette is no different, unfortunately, but I will say overall the line is freaking sweet! The colors are outrageously fun and sweet to play around with. Here are my top 3 do's and top 3 don'ts in the Heatherette line:

DO's

1) Lipsticks

These super-adorably packaged lipsticks are so popular, they've already completely sold out online! It's easy to understand when you see them in person: every single color is absolutely gorgeous, which is pretty unusual. There always seems to be at least one fugly color, but not in this instance. My favorites are Fleshpot, a satin nude (akin to Myth), and Melrose Myth, which if I'm not mistaken is in this photo. It's a very light hot pink amplified texture. Perfect for people like me who want to add some crazier colors to their collection but can't pull off super bright colors. The other colors, Hollywood Nights (hot pink) and Lollipop Loving (midtone coral) are also cute, but let's face it I haven't even touched my Impassioned hot pink lipstick, and L.L. is a glaze, which means it's more like tinted lip balm than a lip stick. Regardless, they're all perfect spring colors, so check em out! 

2) Trio 1

These are all limited edition colors. From the picture you can clearly see a pastel pink, pastel green, and black. The black, Cloudburst, is similar to Black Tied but has green sparkles instead of silver. The black is a Velvet finish, which I find are the best shadows to use as an eyeliner. It also blends well with the green if you want to do a more defined look. I love blending the pink and green together for light and airy, but again the green with black at the crease is really sultry and funky too. For someone with blue eyes who usually avoids greens, this is a great green. The colors are also very creamy and like I mentioned, blend well (Notice I didn't put Trio 2 in this category. Check the don'ts to see why!).

3) Pigments 

Sadly, I'm not very good at downloading photos, so this one doesn't do the Heatherette pigments justice, but if you head over to the MAC website you'll be able to see the beautiful Jardin Aires and Pink Pearl pigments for yourself. Jardin Aires is a shimmery peach and Pink Pearl is midtone pink with blue reflection. They are absolutely gorgeous together! I don't usually use pigments; in fact, these are my very first, but they are probably my favorite of everything in the Heatherette collection. Pigments are best applied over a Creme Colour Base or Paint so they have something with which to adhere. In fact, what the heck, I will include a very crappy photo of myself just to show you how pretty these colors are! 

You can click on it for a better idea, but now you know why I made it small: so you don't get scared of me! But you can see if they make my eyes pretty, they will make anyone's! :) Anyways, they are super cool colors. Also, if you need another selling point for pigments, you get a ton of it! The vials are packed full of pigment, meaning you're bound to never run out!

Okay that's all for the do's. That doesn't mean that if I didn't mention the product, that it isn't good. It just means they aren't as good as these listed!

DON'TS

1) Trio 2

I'm really sorry to put this one on the "don't" list because it looks so cool from the photo and I was super excited about it. One of my all-time favorite looks is pastel pink with purple in the crease. Seriously. However, the purple, Cassette, is way too dark for my liking. It looks normal in this photo but trying it on, it was not very mold-able, if you know what I mean. It just doesn't apply easily, and it's kind of like Beauty Marked- pretty in the container, practically black when applied. Sorry. It's a cute compact though!

2) Dual Edge Eye Pencils

This is yet another product that I am truly sorry about putting on the "don't" list. I bought three out of the four colors because I was convinced they would be awesome, but while I am keeping them, I have been kind of disappointed with their performance. The idea of this dual pencil, is on side is glittery, one side is this new creamy, concentrated color. It's supposed to glide on easier or something. Sadly, everytime I've attempted to apply the new kohl side, it is so concentrated that it just spreads everywhere! If you make a mistake, there's no going back - you'll have to completely wipe off your makeup. I do like the glittery side, particularly on Night Hawk/Front Row. You can apply it over eyeshadow to give a fun glittery look. Honestly, the only reason I am not returning these is for the glittery side. 

3.) Glitter 

When I saw this in the photos I was totally dazzled by how cool the sparkles look! They look awesome! For a craft store. Since I bought my last glitter and haven't figured out how to use it, I steered away from the new 3d Silver. As pretty and sparkly it looks, it's pretty impractical and non-functional. Okay, mostly impractical. Plus as I mentioned, if you want, you can go to the craft store and buy a huge vat of glitter for 5x less and it will still just sit in your makeup bag for the rest of your life. Wow, I just had this horrendous image of when I have kids (in 10 years). They're probably going to find that glitter and have it all over the house.

Anyways, I hope that gives you a good idea of what to expect when buying from this fabulous collection! If you have any questions about other products not listed, let me know!

A MAC lover's guide to Ebay

Mac. I love the brand so much that I'm always looking for a deal, which leads me to eBay. It's often a place for a bargain, but along with bargains comes fake products! Can you believe those sneaky asians are actually able to make fake MAC cosmetics?? But hey, they're popular, why not? Being a MAC connoisseur, I can spot the obvious fakes really easily, as I'm sure most semi-educated consumers could. But they do get a little tricky, and here are some ways of spotting fake and/or MAC you don't don't don't want to buy:

1) PACKAGING.  Probably one of the easiest ways of spotting fake MAC is the packaging. If it is without a box or the package looks different than the one in the store, stay away! MAC product design does NOT vary from country to country. They simply have a flip open cap, no screw on, no separate compartments, nothing. Many (many many) years ago, MAC had screw on lids, so if you see those, they could be real, but super ancient. This first example is actually funny if you know anything about MAC:

What a nice little mirror! Err...wait a second, MAC doesn't have little mirrors on their compacts, nor do they contain a cheap-o sponge applicator! Now while it is nifty, it's fake! And hilarious that it's so blatant!

So yea, this is an obvious fake. Also, the description doesn't even say what color it is, which we'll get to in the next section.

Ok so another visual to keep in mind are slight alterations to the container's design. This next one is not quite as easy. The seller has it listed as the color "Parrot", which is a popular and new color. If it is a brand new color, it can't be fake, right? I was tempted to bid on this until I noticed something a little off. Can you see anything? 

I know, it looks so real! But there are two things askew to tip me off. 

1) The hole cut out on the box is smaller than the normal hole. Yea, I know, weird that I notice things like that. But it looked a little off compared to my real MAC products. 

However, I still wasn't sure if it was fake. After all, maybe it's an optical illusion and the hole looks different in the photo. That's possible...right?

2) My 2nd clue however, is the clasp on the box! Even weirder! I noticed it has this half-circle type clasp, and that is just NOT consistent with MAC's packaging. Take a look at this photo for the real clasp:

See how the clasp is completely square? I can't tell you if this product is real or not, but at least the clasp is the same one as on the real products. 

So weird, huh? 

2) COLOR

This is an interesting one, as it is very sneaky sneaky! The color of products can sometimes tell you if they are fake or not. The first example is this eyeshadow, in the color "Coppering". 

Yes, it is the same seller with the half-circle clasp, so obviously that give it away, but the color is NOT "Coppering". "Coppering" is coppery red, and although this is a coppery red, it is more brown that "Coppering" is. The true color is more red. Although colors can be distorted in images, this is just not really close to the actual color. 

Another obvious sign is bright, flashy colors all sold in a "lot" meaning a bunch, and all without names. They will simply say "lot of mac pigments" or something but will not tell you the names of the products, such as this set:

This is almost a bad example of what you will find. Most of the time they will have 10-15 pigments, in bright green, yellow, pink, blue, etc. However, like this one, they will not have names listed, they will be bright.

MAC does sell bright colors, but some of these will look like sand art or something! They are not real pigments. What is the difference besides the fact that they are fake, you ask? The pigment will be such poor quality that it will not stay on when you apply. It will be made of unknown substances. You don't want to be using makeup that is made of who knows what.

So beware the bright, nameless colors!

3) BRUSHES

Ahh, one of the most notorious of MAC fakes! Brushes are super easy to duplicate, although like the cosmetics, the quality is clearly different. A real brush will:

- Be made of real hair, not synthetics.

- Have "JAPAN", "FRANCE" or "CHINA" printed on the tip of the brush in black, not in gold or white or any other color.

- Have hair bristles that do NOT bleed color when you wash them. Real hair does not bleed, whereas fake hair that is dyed black will bleed.

- Have a handle that does NOT shimmer or sparkle in bright light. Fake brushes do.

- Handles and metal parts on brushes are not the same color, with the exception of special edition sets. If you get a full-size brush, they will have silver metal and a black handle. 

This brush set is tricky, but take a look and I'll tell you what's wrong.

 

These brushes are fake for a variety of reasons. First, the metal is black. Obvious no-no. Second, the hair looks cheap in the photo, imagine what it will look like in real life! The little brush roll is a nice touch but no doubt made of crappy synthetic material, as the buyer would see when the product is received. Yes, someone actually bought it!

So avoid fake brushes. Just because they are in a little plastic wrapping also does not make a brush real. The brushes are reproductions so why can't the plastic be reproduced as well, right?

4.) AGE

A lot of sellers think they're clever by selling old MAC products as "brand new". Although most of my products have lasted a long time, you probably don't want to buy old cosmetics. Many hygienists have recommended that makeup be tossed in a matter of months to one year. While this may be true for mascara and nail polish, I don't worry for the majority of products. But still, buying old cosmetics may not be as effective, adherence diminishes, etc etc. It's usually very difficult to know how old a product it is, but if it comes from special collection lines or is discontinued in the MAC company, you can bet it is getting up there. 

Case #1: 

This "glitter" may or may not be real. The reason I have a hard time determining its authenticity is because MAC does not make products in these little vials anymore. It is entirely possible that this is authentic, however, it is going to be at least 5 years old. The packaging is grievously outdated.

Any special collections that you saw 2 or 3 years ago are obviously 2 or 3 years old. However, the good news is that special collections are generally real. It would take a lot of effort for the sneaky knock-off artists to produce the special collections, so they generally stick to the tried and true colors. However, still use caution. That color "Parrot" is a brand new special edition color. It seemed unlikely that it was fake until I looked at the packaging. The fake maker probably had a turquoise color and slapped a "Parrot" label on it.

Case #2:

This selection of products is most likely real. Why? First, it has a blush brush that is part of the recent Stylistics collection. A fraud is not likely going to reproduce the brush because it is limited and a hassle. Second, palettes are PRO items, which are somewhat common. But mostly the brush tips me off that this is real MAC.

This next collection of Heatherette products is also probably real, because as I mentioned previously, special collections take a lot of effort to reproduce and since this collection is brand new, it would be hardly possible to reproduce so quickly. 

Man, don't you wish you could get your hands on this collection!

Products that are old can easily be spotted by verifying them on maccosmetics.com. Look up the product name and description on the site. If the color "Budding Beauty" is not on their website, it means it is discontinued. If it has been discontinued, chances are it's been gone for a while. 

5.) SELLER

Rounding out the top 5 ways of telling a fake, is the seller. This can also be a tricky pursuit, but often a very telling sign as well. Check the seller's feedback. Even though there may be 500 positive ratings, if there is even 1 single negative that says the product was fake, beware! Most people can't tell the difference, or they like the product anyways, so they give positive feedback. However, an occasional buyer will know that what they got was not authentic. Also, read the positive feedback that relates to your item. Sometimes they will give positive feedback even though the item was fake. They may note that it was fake but that the seller was good anyways.

Sometimes you will see a seller note that "what you see is what you get-no refunds". They are showing the photo and telling you to figure it out before you bid, or you're okay with getting fake products. Others, will say "if you're not satisfied, i will refund". I saw that comment on the fake eyeshadows page. Obviously this seller doesn't want to get bad feedback so they're opening it up in case you can tell it's fake. That's awfully nice of them.

Also be wary of sellers that have low feedback. These are usually fakes.

CONCLUSION: These tips aside, sometimes there is no way to tell if it is fake until you receive it. Ultimately, purchasing anything on Ebay is at your own risk. Granted, we have probably all have had good and bad experiences on Ebay. But if you purchase MAC products, please keep in mind that PayPal does not offer refunds for fake MAC products anymore, without pulling a lot of strings. You basically have to get a letter from MAC stating the product is fake, which I'm sure is very difficult if not impossible to get. MAC does not look very kindly on purchasing their products on Ebay, with reasoning I'm sure you can figure out. Just be smart, know your seller, know your MAC products and designs. If in doubt, ask for more photos, go to maccosmetics.com, ask me, or simply purchase directly through MAC.

Additional Resources:

The following link has great images:

Ebay Guide: MAC Counterfeit Products 

This link is textual, but still gives great ways to spot a fake:

Ebay Guide: LONG LIST OF FAKE SPOTTING 

Fake Uggs

One word: Don't! 

And it's not because copycat Uggs are...copycats. Rather, fake Uggs will collapse on you. Yea, they have no support in the backs and the wearer ends up stepping on the back. It looks plain old ugly and every time I see this happening, it is a pair of fakeos from Charlotte Russe or some wannabe trash store. To date I have never seen a real pair do this, and being the owner of several pairs myself, I know why. 

If you think you can't afford real ones, go to TJ Maxx, Ross, eBay, Nordstrom Rack-whatever- they're affordable, thereby voiding your excuse.

Have a fabulous day!

Budget + Hair = Done

I am no stranger to the ways of the salon. I, like many readers, have experienced some pretty heinous hair styles. The color blue was involved once. So if you're freaking out about where to get non-tacky hair in Utah, allow me to make some suggestions. These are ranked for YOUR budget, so no matter who you are, you can still achieve the hair style you want.

Budget Key (for cut and color):

$ = 50 bucks and under

$$ = 50 - 110 bucks

$$$ = 110 - ouch

$

Paul Mitchell School

Admittedly, it is a little daunting to go to a hair school for the first time. The words "huge mistake" will most likely cross your brain when you walk in. And this blog is not accepting of shiz hair dos! But never fear, because what you are doing may actually be better than going to some experienced, prima donna hairstylist that is in the $$$ category. The reason: since students are learning, they are more careful and take great pains to make sure things look okay. Instructors absolutely must examine the rough draft before and after the student pulls out his/her scissors, and the instructor will make any adjustments as well. My friends with the coolest styles always get them done at a hair school. 

To keep in mind: While haircuts are around $15, you are a lab rat to these stylists in training, so it may take double the time as a normal salon. Also, you are generally required to sign a waiver basically stating that you realize these kids are using you as an experiment and results may or may not be what you had hoped.

According to a good friend of mine, facials are amazing at Dallas Roberts Academy in Provo! And cheap too ($20-25)! So check it out.

$$

Studio 210

One name: Jaime Vincent. When you're looking for a stylist who a) is not tacky, b) updated with new trends, and c) will listen to YOU about what you want, this is what you want. Let's face it, Utah hair is sometimes scary. The poofy thing? The brassy highlights? Gross! You won't get them here. This girl actually listens to her clients and will do whatever looks good, classy and sharp. 

$$$

Tyson Daniel

While the way he does hair some how makes me reminisce to Zoolander, the outcome is pretty much awesome. Drama oozes from his pores, but if you want someone to reinvent you in the best possible way, this is the place. Tyson was also on last year's Shear Genius reality show where he went head to head with a bunch of hair stylists. He didn't win, but it's no wonder he was on the show. He has a style unlike anyone else in Utah.

I first heard of him about 4 years ago, when I worked in SLC. There were two girls at my work who had absolutely incredible hairstyles and I subsequently discovered they had gotten it done at TD Studio Salon, Tyson's former hq. Almost 3 years later, I happened upon an old business card of his and happened to get one of the last appts at his salon before he sold it and worked from his Mother's salon. He grabbed my hair and pretty much just started cutting, and it changed my life. Since then he has given me absolutely incredible hair cuts. You don't even need to say anything, he knows what will flatter you the best. 

Try Him If: You have had 1,000 hair cuts that just don't quite do it for you and are looking for a little spunk. It is worth the penny.

Keep in Mind: Tyson is a little different than your normal stylist. He is more into the artistic function of hair than it being a trade he picked up at some school to make money. He will try to "hand paint" color and all sorts of funky things (the picture to the left says it all). But it is pretty sweet.

Honorable Mention: If you live in SLC and say Tyson is not what you're looking for, may I suggest Salon Kai in Sugarhouse? Ask for Brittany M. She is a $$ and is really good at what she does. She might even diss Tyson Daniel!! 

 

Okay so I hope that gives you somewhere to start. Remember these are tried and true salons/stylists, but of course, use them at your own risk. :)

Stop! Don't Do It! ...

...pay full price for that hoodie, that is! i mean why would you, when in fact, you can get a much better and cooler deal somewhere else? Or this hot $120 Vestral watch for under $40? And that's not even the best of the deals! Shirts are like 7 bones; sunglasses, 20; and a hot Special Blend snowboard jacket? retails $400, i got it for oh, $80.

Yes it's true, and if you don't believe me, hop on over to Whiskey Militia to check for yourself. 

If that deal isn't enough for you, its sister company, Steep and Cheap pretty much does the same thing.

If you're wondering what it actually is that these sites does, here's the skinny:

1) go to the sites above

2) there, one style is up for grabs at time, at steal of a price 

3) these include: hoodies, tees, shoes, snowboards, skate decks, watches, hats, sunglasses, etc

4) as soon as the item has been bought up, a new item replaces and we start all over again

The items are usually geared to snowboard, skate, surf, climbing/outdoors labels such as: Electric, Burton, Four Square, Special Blend, HEAD, Dragon, The North Face, Sessions, and so on. Then again this is Utah, so what more could you ask for?

To sweeten the deal, since you are most likely reading this from Utah, you can actually pick up the goods at the warehouse in SLC, meaning no shipping charge! Or if you're lazy like me, they ship quickly and items are usually in hand in a couple of days. 

WARNING: This is **EXTREMELY** addicting! The deals are always "too good to pass up", so enjoy but don't say I didn't warn you. :)

The Problem With Utah

Ok so you may be thinking that putting the words "Utah" and "fashion" next to each other is a seriously hilarious oxymoron. After all, Utah has never been the first for any new fashions (who can deny the mushroom hair?!). So therefore, if you suspect that Utah + Fashion = VOID, then you are correct to assume so. That's where I come in. It doesn't hurt that I've lived in such fashionable joints as: NYC, DC and Phila.  I've come to rescue you from the giant scary Utah pit of fashion death. Clothing, makeup, shoes and of course the almighty hair are always in, but it's how and what you wear that makes the difference. If nothing else, you will learn how to care for those $200 jeans you just bought, and you'll get the scoop on those beauty products you've always wanted to try but didn't want to shell out $500 for. Is this a silly, flippant blog? Perhaps. But you know you're already addicted and we haven't even started. 

Fashionably Yours,

Abby

P.S. This blog photo is courtesy "what not to wear"!