Don't Underestimate the Power of Natural Makeup

Now, I am going to be honest...I love the idea and concept of natural makeup--especially for women who are not able to wear most makeup due to chemical sensitivities, allergies, etc. However, that said, I am one to still love my tried and true chemical makeup products that do the job. My skin is pretty tough--both in terms of being able to handle chemicals as well as tough to find things that work on it the way they're suppose to work. And I have tried some natural/mineral makeup products in the past that were an absolute waste of time/money, so before trying these, I was a little skeptical...although these were from Tarte, which I loved before I knew it was natural makeup.

So I first lined my eyes upper and lower inner rims with the emphasEYES liner in plum. I loved the very thin, no-need-to-sharpen tip that glided on the skin without a tug. It was fairly light on the first application, so I added a couple more layers which intensified the look. This seems like it would be a great choice for those who are afraid of eyeliners, can't draw a straight line, don't like the harsh look of a liner, and those who hate sharpening their eyeliner. I really loved that it went on so nicely without the thick line.


I also used Tarte's Lights, Camera, Splashes 4-in-1 Natural Waterproof Mascara. Ok, this is seriously one cool mascara. Not only is it waterproof and give you added volume and length, it has beeswax and carnauba wax (from a plant) and the packaging is biodegradable and recyclable. And did it mention the super cute anchor/marina theme?



And then around my midday shine, I used their T-Zone Travel Natural Shine Control To-Go Kit. I first used the blotting papers (yes, I did have to use multiple sheets being that my face contains more oil than the Middle East), and then I used the super cute brush to dust my face with the shine control powder. I was seriously impressed that the powder did not make me look like I had flour on my face and it kept my natural glow (a.k.a. didn't interfere with my bronzer too much). I will definitely be using this on a regular basis--not to mention, again--how gorgeous is the packaging? I feel like I want to take this and the mascara out to use in public just so I can show off how cute the packaging is. And did I mention that the powder has a ton of good-for-you natural extracts in it? No wonder Kristen Bell and Rachel Bilson love this so much!

Welcome to the Land of Hair Accessories!

Welcome to the Land of Hair Accessories!




Yesterday I had the absolute pleasure of working with Madame Melange, a new company online that sells the most gorgeous and amazing array of hair accessories! Everything from headbands with large, colorful bows to vintage jeweled pieces to feathers, glitz and glamour on pins and combs.

As someone who (loved! and) lived through the '80s (translation: yes, I had and proudly wore the large lace bow headbands as seen on Madonna during the Material Girl era...), I have a deep appreciation for these hair pieces.

Madame Melange should be opening its cyber doors within the month (don't worry, we will let you know when!) to the world wide lovers of hair accessories. I had the pleasure of doing the hair and makeup for these fab pieces and worked with the owner, Chenenne Woods, the most fun, gracious and wonderful woman, and George Delgado, the extremely talented fashion photographer! I cannot wait to see the photos from the shoot (and you all will get first view once I get them back!) and will post my favs soon.