True romance. Iris Apfel for MAC matte lipsticks in Party Parrot and Scarlet Ibis. I just swooned.
you can have your cake and eat it too
True romance. Iris Apfel for MAC matte lipsticks in Party Parrot and Scarlet Ibis. I just swooned.
MAC Diva. New secret weapon.
I almost don’t want to unwrap it, it’s so pretty. Atelier Cologne Vanilla Insensee, Xmas present to myself via Birchbox. Not really a vanilla girl but it’s so different and striking.
My girl crush on Ms. Belfry has not abated yet - I don’t think it ever will. She has such exquisite taste in everything from footwear to home decor, and naturally that taste translates to her beauty wishlist for this holiday season. I need to get my hands on some Byredo!
Cire Trudon - Versailles Woodworks Candle: $80 is steep for a candle even for me, a full fledge Diptyque addict. But this Cire Trudon number sounds too good to pass up; anything that claims to smell of “wooden floors and palace” has me completely sold.
Byredo - Seven Veils: I am a huge fan of Byredo and a devotee of Gypsy Water, which is THE perfect spring/summer scent. Ben Gorham’s newest offering, Seven veils, is a woody vanilla that could just be my perfect winter scent.
Sunday Riley - Liquid Light Breathable Foundation: I have been waiting on Sunday Riley’s makeup launch with bated breath. I fell in love with their Juno Riley Transformative Serum, a dry oil that leaves your skin with the most perfect glow. The Ceramic Slip cleanser is equally mind blowing. I cannot wait to try their foundation, one step forward in making each one of my products paraben/scary chemical free.
By Terry - Laque de Rose in Sinful Rose: I am a sucker for rose tinted balms, this one is formulated with the same ingredients as By Terry’s balm to end all balms, Baume de Rose.
My girl Maritza Ramirez (fashion designer/event producer/girl-about-town/beauty guru at Kiehl’s Nordstrom MOA) joined in the beauty wishlist fun - now that she works at MOA too, we can chit-chat about our latest obsessions way more often! She’s going to Puerto Rico for Xmas, which I think is probably the best gift ever, but here’s what she’d like to see under her tree this holiday season.
SACHAJUAN Ocean Mist System 3: I’d say 9 out of 10 days I won’t got through the trouble of taming (attacking, really) my wild mane with a flat iron. This is especially appealing to me, because I’m headed to Puerto Rico for the holiday next week and all I want is an effortlessly chic “beach look.” I may be splurging on this as a Christmas present to myself. (Woodley and Bunny, $72.25)
Rodin Olio Lusso Luxury Body Oil: I’ve been DYING to try Rodin Olio Lusso products for quite some time. Given the fact that we are about a month away from the coldest/driest part of the Minnesota winter, I think the time has finally come for me to indulge in the body oil. 11 essential oils in a chic, deco-inspired bottle? Yes, please. (barneys.com, $95)
Jo Malone Vitamin E Treatment Body Scrub: While I am excited to be ringing in 2012 in a few weeks, I am haunted by apocalyptic visions of chapped, dull, dry skin. Ok, ok. That may be a tad dramatic, but what’s a girl to do? I’m arming myself with this Jo Malone scrub and vowing to use it on the regular for the next 4 months. (Nordstrom, $85)
Armani The Madreperla Harmony 1 Palette: Why do I love this palette so much? Let me count the ways. Armani achieved perfection with this radiant golden palette that every girl needs at her side on NYE. As usual, Armani lures me in with sleek, cutting-edge packaging. (Nordstrom, $59)
Let’s talk about Caroline Smith. You may know her as the frontwoman for Caroline Smith & the Good Night Sleeps, a local band currently roaming the U.S. They’re obviously fantastic. I met Caroline the first week of our freshman year at the U of M back in 2006; she lived across the hall and I used to hear her beautiful voice drifting underneath her door. I’ve always admired Caroline’s style and her seamless transition between blonde and brunette. She spilled some beauty secrets for me - read them, and then go buy her albums. I’m serious.
When did you start wearing makeup? - When I started getting pimples, for sure. My mother taught me to apply my concealer by patting it in instead of rubbing it in.
Who taught you/what products did you use? - ”Teenage Beauty” by Bobbi Brown changed my life. It’s a book I’ll pass down to my daughters.
What is your greatest beauty strength? - My hair; it’s huge, it’s crazy, it’s uncontrollable. and i just started appreciating it this past year. It took me 23 years to realize having hair that makes you unique is a blessing- not something to try to cover up or pretend it’s something it isn’t. You gotta own it.
What is your daily beauty routine? - I totally just let my hair air dry, no muss no fuss. but I could never survive with out my “Be Curly Curl Enhancer” from Aveda. I usually make it out of the house with a bit of bronzer, mascara (I have blonde eyelashes or else I’d bag the stuff) and my hair down and curly. And I never leave the house with out taking my daily vitamins; true beauty starts within.
What are your favorite products? What can’t you live without? - See above 
Also MAC makeup: I’m obsessed. And everything else I own is Aveda. And I mean EVERYTHING from hair brush to makeup bag.
Who are your beauty icons? - My best friend, Emma C. Cook. She has amazing style.
What’s a trend you’d like to see disappear forever?- Purple eye shadow is coming back into style. Ugh, kill me; how gross.
Personal Beauty advice from Caroline Smith:
“Own it.”
A few more items that have made their way onto my beauty wishlist.
Kerastase Elixir Ultime - When I went brunette last winter, I bit the bullet and bought a bottle of this (it’s about $50) blend of three oils to help nourish my hair. I’ve been using it steadily since going back to blonde - and I went PLATINUM blonde, which is way more harsh to your hair. I’m not sure that it’s working miracles, but my bottle is almost gone and I’m kind of afraid what my hair’s going to do without it. It smells good too; not as good as Moroccan Oil, but that dried my hair out. Santa could slip this in my stocking … or a bottle or two of the It’s a 10 leave-in.
Rescue Beauty Lounge polish - This is the best nail polish ever, bar none. It’s $18 a pop, which is kind of nuts, but I’ve been lucky enough to score them during the yearly 50% off VIP events. (I used to skip class for it, I was that dedicated.) Chinoise is my favorite red polish of all time; I wish it came in coordinating lipstick. But there wasn’t a big sale this year, so I’m forced to add a few to my Xmas list. I got my mom into RBL too - the only polish she’ll ever wear is their Coral and she’s getting two bottles from me this Christmas. This year, Santa/Mommy, I’d like Grunge, Bruised and Opaque Nude.
Arcona “Problem Skin” Five - Arcona is skincare you dream of and yearn for. Mommy bought me the five-step “problem skin” set on Black Friday, when the whole kit & caboodle went 40% off. It’s still expensive, but I’ve used it for two days and honestly, 100% honestly, I am madly in love. The Cranberry Gommage scrub alone is worth its weight in gold. I feel like a whole new girl when I use it. Detailed review to come after a few weeks.
Diptyque Tubereuse candle - Merry Christmas to me, from me! I bought the $28 mini at Nordstrom. Diptyque, Voluspa, Illume - I love me a fancy candle.
I’m not going to apologize for my lack of posting lately. Let’s just be happy that I’m back - and hopefully, finally to stay!
I’m 75% done with my holiday shopping, which most definitely means I can buy myself a gift or two, right? Obviously my utmost wants & wishes are beauty related - here’s what I’d like to see under my (imaginary) tree.
La Mer The Concentrate - At $275+, this is a total wish. I’ll never ever get to call La Mer The Concentrate my own, unless my student loans just magically disappear into thin air. (THAT’S my Christmas wish, Santa.) But oh is it heavenly. I can’t even describe how pleased and swoony I feel when I get a sample to use for a day or two. My bad, temperamental skin is in love with this stuff.
Caudalie Beauty Elixir - I am obsessed with face sprays! (Currently I’m alternating between By Elizabeth Dehn, Wyndmere and All Nighter, Urban Decay’s makeup setting spray.) I think Caudalie’s version will make its way into my Sephora cart very soon - it’s just $16 and if supermodels are using it, I should be too. It’s half-toner and half-serum and just the thing for a little spritz during a manic Saturday at the MOA.
Cartier Baiser Vole - Lily perfume. ALL lily. Florals are not my thing; I belong to the spicy/sexy/warm/oriental/gourmand perfume camp judging from the fragrances I use (Prada Candy, Angel, YSL Elle, Prada, Shalimar), but I fell hard for this elegantly feminine green floral when I smelled it last fall. I think this is my Spring-Summer 2012 fragrance. Plus the bottle! I mean, just look at it! The lid flips up like a Zippo!
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils - I’ll take Damned, Cruella, Red Square and Dragon Girl, please. I don’t know how I resisted Dragon Girl for so long - it’s my third or fourth favorite red of all time. Besides the fact that you have to sharpen them with a special NARS sharpener, these things are my new lipstick jam. It’s like a lipliner AND lipstick (matte, of course) in one. Obsessed.
