Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate: Rollerball Relaxation

Posted on January 26, 2012

Liz Earle’s Superskin Concentrate is a curious product. It’s a blend of pure plant oils, for some extra skin TLC pre-moisturizer. I’ve already told you why I love oils here and here, and was equally pleased with how this performed on my skin.

But there is a twist! Supposedly, this product also clears toxins, reduces puffiness, boosts circulation, encourages cell renewal, and aids lymphatic drainage. Now, I have no idea how to measure that, so I’m just going to call it relaxation.

Step 1: Warm a small amount in your hands and breathe in the divinely aromatic aroma. Then massage onto your skin with upward and outward movements using firm pressure.
Step 2: With your fingertips, lightly smooth in an outward circular direction along the cheekbones to above the eyebrows.
Step 3: Finish by gently sweeping your hands up the neck and over the décolletage

This smells very strongly of neroli, with a little bit of lavender. If you like neroli, great. I’m actually not the biggest fan of neroli. When I sniffed this, my first thought was Continue reading →

The Wednesday Wigeon No.42

Posted on January 25, 2012

Thanks for tagging me to do this, Maggie Everyone, go check out her blog. It’s cute. Which leads me into today’s tag…

Before we get started, I have to ask…why are these called awards? They’re tags with pictures. Does tag+picture=award? Have I been living under a huge rock all my life?

1. Link back to the person who nominated you.
2. Answer the award questions.
3. Tell something about yourself you haven’t told anyone on your blog yet.
4. Award as many blogs that you think are worthy of this award.
5. Make sure you let those you gave the award to know that you awarded them.

1. What is your go-to makeup product?

Lipstick. It may not be the product that makes the biggest impact appearance-wise, but it makes me feel like a million bucks when (in reality) I look like Gollum.

2. What was your favorite fashion trend of 2011?

To be honest, I’ve never been very good at keeping up with fashion trends. Let’s just say that if Marchesa or Elie Saab did it, I probably loved it.

3. What is your favorite dessert?

Ice cream? Too difficult, it’s too difficult to pick one!

4. Favorite color?

Green. All shades.

5. What is your middle name?

My middle initial is Y. Yes, I’m being difficult

6. What was the last song you listened to?

Kill You by Eminem

Something you don’t know about me yet:

Oh boy, I don’t exactly want to sort through 550+ posts to see what I have and haven’t shared! Hmm, well my current favorite day of the week is Wednesday (and no, not just because of the wigeon). Wednesday is the one day I get to wake up late for class, which in many ways trumps any weekend or vacation. Every week, I plan out those 2 hours to do whatever I want, be it a leisurely breakfast (I made the best English crumpet/cheese/baked egg/marinated artichoke tower last week) or an hour of sitting down with my inspiration binder and a sheet mask. I should do a Wednesday morning post one of these days.

Ok, now “award as many blogs that you think are worthy of this award?” We could be here for a long time, since that’s every single blog in my reader (I stopped counting after I got into the triple digits). So I’m going to pass this award onto all my fellow bloggers. I mean, let’s be honest, if the owl in that award badge had a speech bubble coming out of its head, it would read, “You are all wonderful bloggers.”

How do I know this? Because an owl is the opposite of a wigeon, and the wigeon, being the sassy fowl he is, would say something…not so nice.

Now I’m supposed to make sure everyone I tagged knows they are tagged. That sounds like a lot of work, so time for some delegation.

Go forth, my army of wigeons! Spread your wings, spread the message:

Hope you’re all having a lovely week!

~Makeup Morsels

My Secret Contouring Weapon: NYX Blush in Taupe

Posted on January 23, 2012

I hope those of you that celebrate Chinese New Year had a delicious dinner and quality family time yesterday. And a wonderful new year, of course. We did the whole red-envelope-under-pillow-only-eat-a-bite-of-the-fish-plus-red-underwear-and-a-billion-other-traditions-thing, and I baked blueberry muffins. Because, you know, dragons like blueberry muffins and it’s the year of the dragon.

Switching gears to coherent beauty talk…

For the longest time, I thought I couldn’t get the hang of contouring. Each time I’d try it, I wound up looking ridiculous. Maybe I’ve smacked my head on too many walls, because it never occurred to me that it was the color and not the technique that was the issue. I’m on the pale side (think N15), but started off with pigmented bronzers. Picture the Pillsbury dough boy with orange marker drawn on his cheeks, jawline, and down his nose. Do you see the problem here?

I purchased this NYX blush two years ago, declared it HG (holy grail) practically on the spot, and have been using it ever since. Why then, has it taken me so long to review it? Well mostly because when I bought it, I didn’t have my weird touch nothing until photographed obsession. Instead of snapping a picture, I just went ahead and used it like a normal person. And now it makes my soul hurt to post a picture of a blush that is clearly past the prime of its life. But I will do it anyways: Continue reading →

My Little World of Books

Posted on January 22, 2012

Yes, that is pixie dust.

When I was young(er), my parents used to say ‘no reading’ instead of ‘you’re grounded.’ And then they would hide my library books, and I would be miffed. That is how much I love to read.

Knowing this, it might seem strange that I can count the books I’ve bought on one hand (though I suppose that depends if you count a book set as one book or not). It’s a teeny-tiny collection, so I was wondering if any of you would be interested in seeing the books I love enough to have purchased. Let me know below, this is a pretty simple yes/no deal!

What have you been up to this weekend?

~Makeup Morsels

Saturday Yummy Things with Apples

Posted on January 21, 2012

Unfortunately, I can’t exactly title a post ‘Tasty TGIF Tidbits’ if it’s not Friday. And I know I said morning, but what I meant by that was ‘when I get around to waking up,’ which on weekends, could be anywhere from 12-2:30. I have to compensate for all that sleep debt from the week, you see.

Apple Sharlotka, adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Butter or nonstick spray, for greasing pan
6 large, tart apples, such as Granny Smiths
3 large eggs
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
Ground cinnamon, to finish
Powdered sugar, also to finish

You can find the official instructions on Smitten Kitchen (I’ve linked the original recipe above), or you can try to make sense of my bumbling directions below.

The first thing I did was recruit someone to help me slice all those apples. The way it usually works in my house is that I cook, and someone else does the dishes, but I was feeling spectacularly lazy and decided that I didn’t want to slice 6 large apples. The great thing about being the only person who ever makes dessert is that you can threaten to withhold said food if no one helps you with the prep work. So if you’re a terrible person like me, find yourself an apple-cutter-helper and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

After you’ve cut up all 6 apples, dump them in baking dish. I think mine was a 9 inch round, and I lined it with parchment paper. Then beat your eggs and sugar with a whisk/electric mixer if you have it, and chopsticks if you don’t. Beat them for a long time, the original recipe says to look for ribbons forming on the surface. Well, I never saw them so I just kept going and going until I got tired. Then Continue reading →

Unicorns! Sunshine! Beauty Ban!

Posted on January 20, 2012

One of these things is not like the others. Can you guess which one it is?!

I just got back from midterms, and now I’m going to be proactive and share my ban plan with you, in the hopes that it will hold me slightly more accountable.

Let’s do this! (fist pump/celebratory lunge)

The goal:

Downsize/streamline my stash. I’m moving away to college next year (assuming I get in. One can hope), and I don’t want to leave a big glomping pile of stuff sitting at home.
Save money. The theory is, if I stop buying so much makeup, I’ll be able to replace my t-shirts that have holes in them, and people will stop poking their fingers into said holes and creeping me out.
Trim the fat, so that my makeup collection only includes products I love. I want to be able to get more use out of what I own.
Do monthly ‘empties’ posts (thanks for the inspiration, Liz) to track my progress. These posts will probably also include stories of my wavering willpower, plus tips and tricks to keep myself on track.

The rules:

The ban will run until May 20 (insert small gulp here)
The ban covers all beauty-related items (this includes ‘necessities’ like moisturizer and shampoo) plus home fragrance items. I mean, especially home fragrance items.
Makeup purchases: for every 3 products finished, I can buy a new product in that category.
Skincare/body care/essentials I only have one of: I can buy a new one once I run out.
Monthly limits: do not exceed 3 items and stay within budget cap of $30. This includes necessities.
Gifts purchased for friends (yes, I know I’m not my own friend) and press samples do not count as purchases.
If I finish a single eyeshadow in a quad or palette (wouldn’t that be amazing?), it counts as one finished item. Expired mascaras also count as finished items.

What do you guys think? Can I do it?

Also, be sure to check out my ban buddies who are embarking on their own (different but equally dangerous) ban journeys: Liz, Larie, Tracy, Ashley, and Latoya. Good luck everyone!

~Makeup Morsels

P.S. The apple post is ready to go. I think I’ll share it tomorrow morning, but for those of you who can’t contain yourselves and must have said apple dessert now, the recipe is here.

New in Fragrance: Victoria’s Secret

Posted on January 17, 2012

Midterms this week, so I’ll be taking a brief break from the blog until Friday. Before I check out, I did want to share these pretty fragrances from Victoria’s Secret!

Simply Gorgeous is the perfect pick-me-up to make you feel beautiful inside and out! Inspired by the simplicity of being effortlessly glamorous – just one spritz will have you feeling Gorgeous!

The Simply Gorgeous Collection includes: Eau De Parfum, $49 | Body Mist, $25 | Body Lotion, $20

Fall head over heels for succulent fruits and vibrant florals that add a dash of romance to the award-winning Victoria’s Secret Bombshell fragrance.

The Bombshell in Love Collection includes: Eau De Parfum, $49 | Body Mist, $25 | Body Lotion, $20

Don’t know much about the specific notes yet, but I’ll update this space if any new details come my way. See you Friday, and let me know what you’ve been up to lately!

~Makeup Morsels

Images courtesy of Victoria’s Secret

High School Beauty Tips & A Golden Globe Hair How-To

Posted on January 16, 2012

Since I spent yesterday sharing my failures in burn treatment, I though I could start today by sharing some wisdom with you. My latest Teen Beauty Contributor post for Temptalia is up, and you can read it here (it’s a rundown of 3 beauty-related tips that have kept me sane throughout high school).

Now, onto the Golden Globes. Did anyone watch those last night? I know my parents did, but I prefer reading the beauty and fashion recaps to actually watching the award ceremony. Here’s a quick hair how-to for Entertainment Tonight Host Nancy O’Dell’s updo:

STEP 1: Stylist Heather Haynes began by spraying a generous amount of Rusk’s Thick Body and Texture Amplifier throughout Nancy’s towel dried hair, with emphasis on the root – particularly at the crown of the head.

STEP 2: As she blew out Nancy’s hair, the thickening spray helped create body and volume. Haynes blew out the hair in sections, using a round, boar bristle brush and again, paying close attention to the root to emphasize volume.

STEP 3: Once Nancy’s hair was dry, Haynes used a dime sized amount of Rusk’s Deepshine Oil – spreading it evenly throughout the hair. If you suffer from dry or split ends, it’s best to use additional oil on the ends – this will condition the hair and eliminate frizz.

STEP 4: Haynes created a simple side part and swept Nancy’s hair into a high, loose pony tail – making sure to leave enough volume at the crown of the head. She then tucked the loose hair from the pony tail under, securing with bobby pins to create a neat bun.

STEP 5: For the quick finishing touch – Haynes sprayed a misting of Rusk’s Deepshine Oil Finishing Hairspray around the entire look. This formula is perfect for combatting flyways and frizz that can creep up during a long night on the red carpet.

What were your favorite looks on the red carpet last night?

~Makeup Morsels

Stock image courtesy of PR

Story of My Life/Why There Was No Apple Post

Posted on January 15, 2012

As if the stuffy sinuses and hacking cough weren’t enough, the universe decided to lob another zinger my way on Friday (ok fine, I guess I can’t blame the universe for my own stupidity) and I ended up with a sizable second degree burn.

This whole incident made me realize that I should write a book, and that book would be called What Not to Do When You Burn Yourself. Let’s review, shall we?

Do not ‘laugh it off’

Do not walk around for 3 hours pretending everything is ok. If you feel calm and detached from your body while simultaneously in pain, that should be a sign that something is wrong…

Do not drive yourself home when you are a)in pain and b)clearly not thinking clearly

And that concludes today’s lesson, which was based on my personal experience

If you do burn yourself, immediately pour cool water over the burn (but don’t use ice or cold water), take painkillers, and go see a doctor as soon as you can. More tips for burn care here.

And yes, I’m working on those apple pictures now! They’ll go up this coming Friday (assuming I don’t do anything dumb between now and then. It’s a 50/50 sort of thing).

~Makeup Morsels