Breeze It, Buzz It, Blast It!: A Review and Stream of Conscious

Photo Credit: Sephora

About a week ago, I decided to be adventurous (and we all know how "adventurous" I am...) and try the Blasted nail polish that's new from Sephora by OPI. That is, I wanted to test out the new nail polish named Blasted, not that it was "that dagnabbit blasted nail polish." It's not blasted, it's just called Blasted...oh, I give up. You know what I mean.

Here's how it works: you paint a base color on your nails, wait for it to dry, then paint one (and only one) coat of Blasted on top. As Blasted dries, it will separate into patches of color, letting your base color shine through. Finish with a glossy clear top coat (optional, but definitely recommended).

The polish ($9.50, Sephora) is really cool. It actually does "blast" apart as it dries, and was neat to watch (yes, I just admitted to having fun watching paint dry). Blasted comes in several colors, including red, white, turquoise glitter, silver glitter, and gold glitter. I decided to go with what other reviewers had deemed the most versatile shade in the group, and the one that shows up best when "blasted", black. Hoo boy.

Photo Credit: Sephora

Let me start off by saying that I didn't hate it. I think I would prefer to try the gold glitter next time, as I think it would be amazing over a pretty bronze, but I don't hate the black polish. If you can rock the urban look, by all means, go for this. I think it'd look awesome over a neon purple (actually, I may try that). However, if you tend toward a more boho or classic look (like I do), this might look kind of silly alongside, say, a flowy tunic or crocheted Summer sweater. I have to say, rockstar nails and a choir robe was not my best look. However, a lot of that can be blamed on my choice of base color. I thought I pulled out hot pink to go under the black. I know, I know--my nails would be the envy of ever ten year-old girl on the planet. Anyhoo, I thought I pulled out hot pink. In truth, I'd pulled out a creamy, spicy red. Oops. In my defense, it was dark, the pull cord for the light was high up, and I am short. By the time I realized my mistake, three nails were done, and I didn't feel like starting over.

Once I got the black polish painted, and the nails did their blasted thing, I decided that the black over red wasn't terrible. It wasn't embarrassing, but it was...familiar. Where had I seen this look before? Blocks of black over a sea of red? Hmmm...

Photo Credit: Broadway World

Oh, yeah.

I've been humming "A Boy Like That" for days, now. Not that that's a bad thing, or anything. As far as earworms go, this one's actually kind of--MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

The hunt for this image did lead me to a really cool Vanity Fair spread from 2009. If you've got a few minutes to spare and want to see some remarkably faithful recreations of scenes from the film version of West Side Story (with designer clothing and J.Lo, natch), I highly recommend surfing over to the site. It's an all-star cast, with the likes of Chris Evans (on the floor, right) and Robert Pattinson (back, right, with Brittany Snow) getting their 50s on.

Photo Credit: Vanity Fair

Nice Lady Giving Excellent Directions*

Tonight, I get to shoot a national commercial!! Yay!! It's for a video on demand service that's getting ready to launch. I'm not giving details, yet, but if I can find out when/where it'll air, I'll let you know.

It's a short spot, and I'll be appearing as myself, in my own clothes of my own choosing, which is awesome. I get to be comfortable, and get a little bit of exposure all at the same time. No complaints here. The thing is...I'm not a stylist. I'm also not rich and famous, so I don't have a stylist. I have one really artistic friend that I tease about becoming my stylist, but, frankly, she's way more talented than I could probably ever afford. So, to recap, I need something cool but casual to wear on national television, and have a limited budget and only one hour in the mall. Wait...wasn't that a television show?

In any case, I did what any self-respecting actress on a mission would do: I wandered blindly into the coolest store in the mall, and ambled around aimlessly, hoping something fabulous would jump into my arms. No such luck with that, but instead, I got something better.

Enter Jennifer, the wonder associate. She asked me what I was looking for ("something cool that won't make me look huge"), and within what felt like seconds, had three amazing outfits for me to try on. She even figured out my jean size just by looking at me, and I don't even know my jean size. Before too long, I was in a fantastic, layered look that was laid-back but sparkly enough to be dressy (and seriously, when have I ever turned down sparkle?). Jennifer even accessorized everything with a gorgeous belt, so it shows off my curves and waistline. I never could have come up with this outfit, and it's perfect. Jennifer, you are my hero.

So, without further ado, I give you my outfit, styled by Jennifer. All pieces are by Daytrip, and available at Buckle. I can't wait to add my fancy Guess shoes into the mix!

First, there's this unbelievably cool henley tank. It's a snake-skin print that's overlaid with tiny clear sequins, which gives it a real snake-skin effect. I have a feeling I'm going to be wearing this a lot. $25.

That gets layered underneath this beautiful and airy cream-colored slub knit tunic, inset with cream lace. The detailing at the neckline is a lot more detailed than you'd expect at this price point. The jewels are covered in silver and gold mesh, which tones down the shine for a subdued, but not matte, sparkle. $26.50

The belt is probably my favorite piece. It completely transforms the outfit from basic to bombshell. It's an ivory faux leather stretch belt, with glittering rhinestones inset in a brushed gold-tone belt buckle. It's over-the-top, but in a very good way. $14.95.

Everything's going over blue jeans, but I guess it doesn't really matter, since I'll only be shot from the waist up. The moral of today's story, kids, is don't be afraid to ask for help. Jennifer, and sales associates like her, know their stuff, and are ready and willing to help you find what you're looking for. They also deserve a little recognition from time to time. Jennifer, if you're reading this, thanks for being awesome.

*In case you're wondering about the title, my best friend's ridiculously cool daughter drew a picture for the refrigerator. It's titled, "Evil Lady Giving Wrong Directions". We have no idea.

Flying Off the Virtual Shelves: MAC Bloggers' Obsessions Review

Half of this review today is pretty much pointless, because out of the two items I have to review, one is sold out. Completely. It was only available online, and it is, as of this writing, gone. Finito. Poof. It is a late eyeshadow. It has ceased to be.

Well, shoot.

I am going to go ahead and review it, in the event it reappears in some new incarnation, or you happen to stumble upon it on ebay. That's actually a distinct possibility, come to think of it. You may even find it here before too long. Of course, none of that's a given, so this truly may be a completely unnecessary review. Or not. Oh, I hate when this happens! Darn you, limited editions!!

But I digress...

Last week, I posted that MAC Cosmetics had given nine beauty bloggers carte blanche to create a collection of eyeshadows and lipglasses (all are $14.50 and available at MAC). With a group like this one coming up with the colors, the collection was assured to be on-trend and fashion forward. Not only did it not disappoint, they can't keep it in stock! The first to go (a gorgeous emerald green eyeshadow called "Jealousy Wakes") didn't even make it 24 hours. I wasted no time in snapping up my favorites--a sparkly, orange-based red lipglass, "Sonoran Rain", and a glittery, iridescent green-tinged gunmetal eyeshadow, "Hocus Pocus"--and was able to test them out today. I took pictures, but with my not-professional-quality-in-the-least cellphone camera. They're not great, but it was the best I could do, so please bear with me. One day, I'll figure out how to take self-portraits with my nice SLR camera, but that day has not come, as of yet.

But again, I digress...

Let's start with the out-of-stock eyeshadow and get that over with. I'm actually sick that this is gone, because I'd really like to recommend it. It's, as mentioned above, a stunning gunmetal gray shadow with a glittering green tinge. Multi-colored iridescent pearls float throughout for an effect that makes me think of the scales on a mermaid's tail. No, I'm not trying to be poetic. That's really the first thing that came to mind. It's not a GREEN eyeshadow, but if you like green and need a good, versatile gray, this would be your shadow. You can use it all over for a smoky look, in the crease for definition, or as a subtle liner. I paired mine with a pale champagne pink, and was really impressed. My only gripe (other than the fact that it's, you know, gone) is that it's not as highly pigmented as most of the MAC shadows I've used in the past. Normally, my brush picks up the shadow like a magnet, but I had to layer this a bit to get the amount of color I wanted. Of course, it could have been intended to be sheer, in which case, they nailed it. Here's a really horrible, low-quality image taken in dim lighting to probably not help you even slightly:

Yep. That's a spectacularly bad photo of Hocus Pocus.

Final Verdict: 9 out of 10. I love the color, but I wish it were more pigmented.

So, moving on. The lipglass I chose is still in-stock (for now). This is a classic example of why I rarely buy makeup online without first testing out the color in person. From the pictures online (and even the one I took, myself), the product appears to have a sheer, glittery texture. In reality, the color is much more opaque, and more shimmery and shiny than glittery. It's still nice, and I really like it, but it's not what I was expecting. I ordered what I thought was a jelly and received a cream. However, I'm not holding an error on my account against the lipglass. The color is rich, creamy, and patent-leather shiny with a little gold and silver sparkle, but it's not a true red. MAC calls it a coral-red, but it's not pink enough for that description. This is almost true, Russian red, but has a tiny bit of orange to warm it up a bit. If you look good in orange, yellow, or gold, this is going to look amazing on you. My only complaint is that the lipglass is super-sticky, which would make you think that it would also be long-lasting. It's not. It didn't even come close to making it through lunch, and I even had to reapply after talking for a bit. Here, again, is an unspeakably bad picture of Sonoran Rain. I am so sorry:

I swear, my lips look much better in person. Dear God, my skin looks BLUE!

Final Verdict: 7 out of 10. It's moisturizing, shiny, and an amazing color. It just doesn't stay on worth a lick.

So, a Sea Anemone and a Plastic Boar Walk Into a Shower...



Photo Credit: Sephora

 It's officially Summer, which means--down here in the Deep South, anyway--beach holidays, an explosion of azaleas, crawfish boils, pool-side barbeques, hundred-plus degree temperatures, a thousand percent humidity, sweat-soaked hair and clothes just from walking out to the mailbox, and, at least, two showers a day.

It's hot. It's sticky. It's gross, and my skin has been paying the price.

Honestly, my blackheads were getting so out of hand that I was doing face masks way more often than is recommended, giving my extractor a workout, slathering on acne gel, and using both a regular facewash and an exfoliating scrub. I even tried a pore strip (and that's another post). I was desperate, and desperate times call for desperate measures.

Obviously, changing what I washed my face with wasn't working, so maybe I should try changing how I washed my face. I was placing a Sephora order, anyway, so I figured I'd tack on this little gem of a brush. If nothing else, it would throw me into Free Shipping territory.

First, let's hear from Sephora:

This brush's ultra-soft brush head gently exfoliates dead skin cells. Its other side features a silicone pad with tiny bristles to deeply cleanse pores while invigorating the skin. Use daily to reveal glowing, radiant skin.

Now, let's hear from me:

The brush is dual-headed, with a soft-bristled brush on one side, and super-flexible silicone sea anemone on the other. To use, I apply my facewash to my face, wet the brush side of the tool and scrub my face in a circular motion. Then, I wet the silicone side and repeat the process. I've been using this puppy for four days, and I can tell a difference. When I wash my face, it feels clean and is smooth to the touch. That's not really the norm around here. I've been able to lay off the face masks and scrubs, too, though I am still using the acne medication, but to a lesser degree. In other words, this works.

The tool isn't perfect, though. There are a couple of flaws that, while not dealbreakers for me, might be for you. First of all, the head is not flexible. The bristles are, but the head, itself, is hard, flat plastic. This makes getting the shorter silicone side into the curves around your nose very difficult. I'm okay with just using the longer brush side to reach those areas, but that's personal preference. The other gripe is the lack of hanging apparatus. Yes, there is a little hole in the handle, but unless you have a spare piece of rope to loop through it, it's not really useful for hanging. Right now, I have mine propped upright in a shower organizer, but a little soap-on-a-rope loop or even a suction cup would have been nice. For eighteen bucks, I think they could have tossed something in to keep it from getting mildewy. $18, Sephora.

Final Verdict: 8 out of 10. It's a little pricey, but talk about saving face.

I'm Taking a Personal Day

Please excuse me today, but I'm really not feeling well. In my absence, I leave you:



I hope you all have a great weekend, and I'll be back Monday with more product reviews and silliness. Pinky swear.

Thanks,
Erin

Paranormal Pop Culture on TV!!

Zak Bagans on the Set of Paranormal Challenge.
Photo Credit: Travel Channel

As some of you might know, I write a little indie-movie diary for Paranormal Pop Culture. There's a link near the right-hand bottom of the page, actually, if you want to check out some of the past posts. Well, Aaron Sagers, the founder and all-around nice guy, will be on Travel Channel's Paranormal Challenge tomorrow night (Friday) at 9/8c. Aaron has been super supportive of The Night Shift, practically since its inception, so I really hope you can all tune in to watch.

So, what is Paranormal Challenge, you ask? In short, it's a ghost hunt-off between two teams of amateur paranormal investigators. The only prize is an ego boost for the winners, and frankly, I love it. Thomas and I watched the premiere last week, and we both thought it was genius. As the teams are not professional, they're sometimes working with brand new equipment, which can lead to some humorous situations, but also to moments of brilliance. Along the way, the investigators are guided by pro and mentor Zak Bagans (Ghost Adventures) and three guest celebrity judges, who are all experts in the paranormal. That's where Aaron comes in. These judges give pointers, constructive criticism, and ample amounts of praise when deserved. It's fun, feel-good, and an eensy bit educational--but trust me, you'll be having such a good time, you won't even notice you learned anything.

Paranormal Challenge airs Friday nights at 9/8c on Travel Channel.

Let the Blogging Takeover Begin!!

Photo Credit: MAC Cosmetics

Beauty Bloggers, the Future is NOW! Gone are the days of just spouting off opinions! Here, today, the blogosphere is taking over and actually creating the makeup products of tomor--I mean, tod--that is...um...well, actually, yesterday. Huh.

Let me start over. Yesterday saw the launch of a limited edition line of MAC cosmetics, completely created by beauty bloggers. Nine very in-the-know ladies worked with the makeup juggernaut to come up with nine on-trend products that are available, like the blogs that inspired them, exclusively online.

Four eyeshadows and five lipglasses make up the Blogger' Obsessions collection, and range from baby pinks and sparkly neutrals on to vibrant greens and audacious purples. For complete lists of colors and swatches, check out this blog or this blog by two of the talented chosen nine.

All items are $14.50, and right now, you can get free shipping with the code BLOGS. Hurry, though; one eyeshadow has already sold out!!

P.S. I ordered the eyeshadow Hocus Pocus, and the lipglass Sonoran Rain. I'll have a full review of each when they come in.