Basics of Threading...

So I finally figured out threading! Well, sort of. I would never do it to actually shape my eyebrows but I can at least clean up the stray hairs around it. I still need a lot more practice but I was happy to be able to grab some of the hairs this morning. I had tried it once before but could not get it to work - I think I was using too big of a loop or something. Or maybe not positioning it the right way.

Anyway, here's a really helpful video from Pursebuzz that breaks down the basics. Pursebuzz also has a really fun beauty website as well.


Normally, I get my brows threaded maybe once a month or so for cleanup and then I would just tweeze them for basic upkeep. But I got in trouble for doing that last time I went to get my eyebrows threaded... when you pluck them, you pull out everything so that when they grow back in, they grow back thicker. Not a fun look. So I'm going to try to thread them myself in between visits so that the hair grows back in fine vs thick instead.

Kelly Kelly Kelly

I'm totally digging Kelly's new single... yay, Kelly's back! I was a little skeptical when I first heard the song title, but it's a totally fun tune! The song and video remind me of "Since You've Been Gone" but hey, that rocked so it's all good with me :)

Check out the full video here.

Do you like?

Real Housewives... so sad!

I feel sick to my stomach after watching tonight's episode of Real Housewives of Orange County.

First - you've got Jeana... the way her sons talk to her is HORRIBLE. They should feel ashamed of themselves. I mean, I know I'm not a perfect angel with my mom but I would NEVER ever be that rude to her... especially in front of her friends (and the whole country for that matter!) Colton yells at her and her friend (although Vicki is pretty annoying) for eating ice cream, Shane yells at her for wanting to greet him at his baseball game. And Jeana allows it! She just blows it off like it's nothing and then in her interview, she defends them! "Oh, Colton just takes his job so seriously for helping me watch my diet. Shane just gets embarrassed by too much attention." WAKE UP, JEANA! And I totally agree that the boys' behavior is directly related to how their dad talks to Jeana... it's just so sad for her to have to deal with it from these yahoos as well.

And then there's Lynn and her daughter Raquel. Raquel went to a high school for "troublemakers" and graduated in '07, tried college but didn't like it, now she just lives at home doing nothing except fighting over her designer clothes with her sister, openly participating in underage drinking, waking up only so that the housekeeper can clean her room... yuck!

Hopefully seeing this show helps these spoiled brats realize what LOSERS they are and help them get their lives together. Make the most of your life and be nice to your mom!

Take Two

My friend was kind enough to point me to these much higher quality clips of the entire frickin' movie! BUT some portions between the clips are cut :(

(On a side note, I'm surprised Yahoo is hosting these.)

Part 1
Credits to Bella: "Anaphase." Edward: "Like I said."

Movie6.net Part 1 @ Yahoo! Video

Part 2
Edward: "Why did you move to the wettest place in the continental US?" to trying on dresses in Port Angeles (Bella: "That's disgusting.")

Movie6.net Part 2 @ Yahoo! Video

Part 3
Jessica: "Bella, what do you think?" to lying in the meadow

Movie6.net Part 3 @ Yahoo! Video

Part 4
Meadow scene to first kiss (part is cut out)

Movie6.net Part 4 @ Yahoo! Video

Part 5
Bella: "Hey, don't go." to Bella arrives at ballet studio

Movie6.net Part 5 @ Yahoo! Video

Part 6
Bella arrives at ballet studio to ending

Movie6.net Part 6 @ Yahoo! Video

Inspired Look: Temptalia's Bronzes, Pinks, and Golds

I decided to play around with a look that I saw on one of my favorite beauty blogs, Temptalia.com: Bronzes, Pinks, and Golds.



She used a lot of colors from the MAC Brunette, Blonde, and Redhead collection that just came out last week. I didn't have any of them so I used her suggestions for substitutions (also called "dupes").

Here's what I used (all MAC unless specified otherwise):

• Eyes: Motif eyeshadow, Expensive Pink eyeshadow, Urban Decay Mildew eyeshadow, Smut eyeshadow, Shroom eyeshadow, Clinique deep brown creme liner, Urban Decay Bourbon 24/7 Liner (brown), Maybelline Define-a-Lash mascara (black)
  
• Brushes: 1/4" Loew's Cornell Maxine's Mop (narrow flat eye shader brush), 239 (flat eye shader brush), 217 (blending brush), 227 (large fluff brush), 208 (angled eye liner brush)
  

Directions: On the inner lid, apply Motif eyeshadow using a 1/4" Loew's Cornell Maxine's Mop brush (from Michael's). Apply Expensive Pink eyeshadow to the middle of the lid using the 239. Darken the outer lid using Mildew eyeshadow and drag into crease using the 217. Darken the outer V further with Smut using the 217 in small circles. Sweep Shroom underneath the brow bone to highlight with the 227. Apply deep brown creme liner using 208 along upper lashline. Finish with Urban Decay Bourbon Liner on lower lash line and Maybelline Define-a-lash mascara on lashes.



So... not quite as pretty as the look she did, but I kind of like it for an every day neutral look!

Twilight in 30 seconds...

Still haven't seen Twilight? Here's the 30 second version with those funny bunnies.

My favorite part is when "Edward" scares off the bad guys in the Port Angeles scene.

Obamicon Me!

How exciting was the inauguration this morning! It's so amazing when we can witness truly monumental moments in history during our lifetime. On a side note, I think Obama's oath swearing biffs were kind of charming. I mean, he's always so articulate and spot on! To see him stumble over his words was kind of cute. I guess both he and the chief justice were a little nervous.

Anyway... I'm totally entertaining myself on Obamicon.me.







Make your own here!

Latest iTunes downloads...

I'm always interested in music suggestions, especially ones that are good for running. In case anyone is interested in what I've been downloading, here are the last five tunes I've picked up:

1. Let It Rock - Kevin Rudolf & Lil Wayne


2. I Hate This Part - The Pussycat Dolls


3. Sober - P!nk


4. Untouched - The Veronicas


5. That's What You Get - Paramore (totally due to Rock Band)


As you can see, I'm a total top 40/pop-loving girl. But I will say that my recent Audrey mixes have been a hit with my friends :) Here are the playlists in case you're looking for song ideas...

Mix #1
Mix #2
Mix #3

Bootleg Twilight clips

One of the reasons that I've seen Twilight so many times is that there are so many scenes that I just love and want to see over and over again. (When was the last time so many of us ladies absolutely swooned at the movies?)

So I know I'm one of the many that can't wait for March 21st to roll around so that we can finally get our grubby hands on the DVD.

Until then, I came across some totally ghetto bootleg clips of the movie - as in clips that people recorded while sitting inside the movie theater. Totally funny to watch but still, I'll take what I can get! Enjoy!

Introduction to the Cullens in the Cafeteria


First Encounter in Biology Class


First Conversation in Biology Class / Accident Scene


What If I'm the Bad Guy?


Port Angeles


Dinner for Two


Forest Scene


Going Public


Meeting the Cullens


Frolicking in the Trees / Playing Bella's Lullaby


First Kiss (eeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!)


Vampire Baseball


Prom Scene


Who knows how long some of these will be up so enjoy while you can!

Victim of brand marketing...

I've recently come to the realization that I'm a total sucker for certain brands. Those sneaky marketing people! (Which I say with respect since that does happen to be my profession - except I do it for much less exciting products)

I'm talking about brands that I consistently buy products from - even if competitor products may be better quality, price, etc. I just love the brand!



I'm definitely not a coffee connoisseur (had to "dictionary.com" that, by the way) but I love getting a Starbucks treat from time to time. I don't even think to try out other coffee places. I remember being at a fair once and I saw a girl drinking from a clear plastic cup with a green straw and immediately I thought "Starbucks!". (Alas, it was not.) And I love when the red holiday cups come out, too.



Personally, I think Nike hands down has the cutest running apparel for women. But I think I might be one of the few that actually like their running shoes as well. I also like their NikePlus system (although I have been relying more on my Garmin in the past year). But Nike is always my go-to brand for workout gear. I almost bought a Nike golf glove for my dad as well!




I became a MAC addict last year - they definitely have a good thing going. They've got me tricked into thinking that $11 for a single eyeshadow is a good deal! That $30 for a single brush is well worth it! But I will say this - I use products from a bunch of different brands as well (both drugstore and high end) and I truly believe that at least in terms of eyeshadows and eye brushes, MAC stuff is well worth the price.



I love all my Apple products! I've had iPods for some time now but just recently acquired a MacBook Pro and an iPhone last year. I also use iTunes as my go-to music store - and I'm thrilled about this DRM-free thing! I just realized I can't burn my iTunes songs to a disc more than 7 times. Lame! Anyway, I've already expressed my love for my new Apple products in my post below but I just can't get over how slick everything is on Apple products. So fun to use!

********

What brands are you guys suckers for?

All About New Moon

OK, so I think it's only mildly inappropriate that I have a crush on 22 year old Robert Pattinson. Actually, to clarify, I only have a crush on his portrayal of Edward Cullen (more on that in a separate post).

Now on to Jacob, aka Taylor Lautner. To be honest, I was pretty much indifferent to the actor although I was happy to hear that he was able to secure his role in the New Moon film.

But did you see Pink is the New Blog post this?



YOWZA! We had heard that he had been bulking up since finishing Twilight... I have to say, this is very impressive. But he's only 16! I just hope that come November when New Moon comes out, I won't be developing a wildly inappropriate crush. I mean, he's a teenager!!! Ick!

ANYWAY, on to Vanessa Hudgens, aka Gabrielle from all those High School Musical movies. Supposedly, she auditioned for the role of Leah Clearwater. I think that would be very interesting. I mean, she looks the part although I never pictured Leah as a cute girl since she's such a brat in the books. But can Vanessa pull it off? One of the reasons I loved Twilight the movie was the quality of the acting. And I've only seen Vanessa in the HSM movies which I know I enjoy, but c'mon, they're fluff!

I guess we should find out the cast soon since they're supposed to start production in March, right?

Update:

I saw the video clip where the above screenshots were taken and I don't think I'll be crushing on this kid anytime soon. Two reasons:

1) He went all "Oh SNAP!" when he flexed his biceps (really?)
2) He said "Jacob is in. Edward is out." Blasphemy!!!

See for yourself:

Random thoughts from the Golden Globes...

• I didn't realize Kate Winslet had never won a major award before
• Bruce Springsteen still looks pretty good!
• Along the same lines, Rumer Willis is quite pretty now as well - now that she is out of that awkward stage (as she wasn't bad in "House Bunny" either)
• That bit with Sally Hawkins and Emma Thompson was pretty funny
• Was Tracy Morgan on something during the 30 Rock acceptance speech or was that just part of the gimmick? Either way, it was funny...
• Loved the Steven Spielberg montage - he really must have the golden touch! (although his speech was a little rambling, right?)
• I thought it was a little odd that Danny Boyle didn't even turn to thank his stars when his name was announced as best director for Slumdog Millionaire. I mean, they were right next to him at the table! (But yes, he did thank them in his speech.)
• Kate Winslet is so cute! And how about that profession of love to Leo during her speech?!
• How did Blake Lively and Rainn Wilson get to announce one of the more prestigious awards of the night? (And what a weird combo!)
• I'm excited that Slumdog Millionaire won for best drama. Normally, I've never seen the nominated drama films :)
  

Thoughts on SNL...

I thought Neil Patrick Harris did a pretty good job last night. I think my favorite sketch was the Broadway one where he revived his role as Mark in Rent.

But the main thing that left me scratching my head is Taylor Swift who was the musical guest. Admittedly, I'm not familiar with her music but I am aware that she is a pretty big thing even outside the country music world. So I had some decent expectations of her and after her two performances, my thought was "Huh?" I mean, she's totally adorable but her vocal skills are pretty weak and I didn't think either of her songs were that memorable either.

But that's just me - maybe I need to hear them more. Although to be honest, I don't think I will be using any of my iTunes credits for her music anytime soon.

Click here for Entertainment's Weekly review on last night's episode...

Neil Patrick Harris to host Saturday Night Live!

This weekend - January 10th! So excited... will definitely set my DVR for this.

More info

Playing with Make-up: Blue / Turquoise / Lime Green look

Lately, I've been following a lot of make-up/beauty websites (ex. MakeUp Geek, Temptalia, Pursebuzz, Makeup and Beauty Blog)and I love when they do "look" posts. Basically, they show pics of a certain make-up look and then break down what products they used to achieve that look.

So please don't make fun of me... but I decided to try it myself! My disclaimer: I know I'm not a make-up expert or anything, I'm just *playing* here :) I'm not going to call these tutorials or anything, I just thought it would be fun to show some of the looks I've been playing around with.

I decided to do a bold and bright look for New Year's Eve. I tried this out on my sister once and it was really pretty so I thought I'd give it a try on myself. To give it an extra "kick", I added false eyelashes!

Blue / Turquoise / Lime Green Look



What I used (eyes only):

• Mary Kay eye primer to prevent creasing
• MAC Blackground paint pot on lid to help deepen color and make the eyeshadows really pop (otherwise, they don't show up on my skin...)
  
• MAC Deep Truth (royal blue) eyeshadow (e/s) on outer third of lid
  
• Prescriptives Marine (turquoise) e/s in middle of lid
  
  

• Mary Kay Lemongrass (light lime green) e/s in inner lid
  
• Repeat colors along lower lash line with a pencil brush
  

• MAC Carbon (matte black) in outer corners for more depth
  
• MAC Shroom (shimmery off white) as highlight under brow bone and in tear ducts
  
  
• Bobbi Brown black ink gel eyeliner on upper lid
• MAC Engraved power point pencil to line bottom waterline
• Modlash false eyelashes in #21 (super cheap at the drugstores) - second time wearing them, still getting the hang of it. They definitely finish the look better than my skimpy lashes!
• MAC Cork (light brown) e/s to fill in my brows
  

Another shot of the finished look:



I really liked it. A lot bolder than what I normally feel comfortable wearing, but I figured NYE was a perfect time to give it a try!

Let me know what you think! (interesting? lame? ok, maybe not that harsh - hahahaha)

Audrey's Top Ten Entertainment / Pop Culture Stuff for 2008

Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's Eve celebration.

Just wanted to do one more wrap up 2008 post on stuff that entertained me this year - I came up with this list while on the way to the mall over Christmas vacation so can't promise this covers everything but I think I got the main stuff. So here goes!

1. Facebook

Where do I begin with this? It's totally changed my life! Not only does it make my busy-body lifestyle so much easier in terms of stalking my friends :) but it has been an amazing tool for reconnecting with friends and family. I feel so much more connected to my "network" - even if I don't talk to them, I know what people are up to and it's such a nice feeling. And I love seeing friends from school all grown up and stuff.

Of course, I also laugh at how much extra "grief" it can cause. Friend requests, for one. My sister jokes that it is harder to get on my friend's list than to get into some fancy club. HA! Or knowing people's relationship issues based on their "status". Etc Etc. But I still love it and I check it obsessively. If you're not on it (I'm looking at you, Mr and Mrs G!) - just join already! I promise to "friend" you :) - yes, it's a verb now.

2. iPhone

#1 and #2 are actually a toss up because I really love both so much but I only got my iPhone recently so I made it #2. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my iPhone. It's just so slick and fun. Even when I was in Japan and didn't have access to the networks, I still had my phone at all times. I watched videos and listened to music while traveling to different customer sites or just played Sudoku.

I love the GPS capability because I am always getting lost. Yesterday, I was running with my friends in Danville - an area I'm not too familiar with. We wanted to go to Starbucks and I just used the Yellow Page application to find the nearest one to my "Current Location". Love it! I don't even need to know where I am anymore- haha. I feel very high tech with so much information at my fingertips.

I even love the little things - like the little sounds it makes when you take a picture or lock it. Sure, it has some limitations compared to smartphones - like no video or modem capabilities (for now, maybe?) but I don't mind because it is such a fun toy. Even my mom owns one and she loves it!

3. YouTube makeup tutorial videos

OK, I know this one really only makes sense to me but I've really learned so much this year about applying make-up from watching various YouTube tutorial videos. It sounds vain, I know, but I see it as almost a form of artwork and a place to practice creativity. It's really been fun for me this year to play with "new looks" and stuff, especially since I used to never wear make-up that much. But even just little basic things like lining your eyes and filling in your eyebrows just gives your face a more polished, cleaned up look.

The one drawback is that it definitely has had a big impact on my credit card - but oh well! At least it's not an unhealthy habit, right?

If you're curious to check some out, here is a sampling of my favorite "guru's". A lot of them do looks that are a little too bold for me but it's fun to modify them for a more conservative approach - heehee:

• AllThatGlitters21
• Fafinettex3
• MakeupbyTiffanyD
• MakeUpGeekTV
• MakeupbyRenRen
• MissChievous
• SarahVictor

4. Election - specifically Saturday Night Live coverage

OK, obviously the 2008 election was a huge moment in history and should be at the top of the list but I'm strictly speaking from my entertainment perspective. I loved SNL this fall with all their election "coverage". Who didn't die from laughing every weekend watching Tina Fey take on Sarah Palin? So hysterical! Or that one spoof of the presidential debate that had the guy playing John McClain aimlessly pacing back and forth in front of the camera blocking "Obama". Heehee!

And of course, watching the celebration once the results were announced was just awe-inspiring. A beautiful moment in American history. Can't wait to see the inauguration coverage!

5. Twilight

I really don't know if I've ever obsessed over any books / movie as much as this one! Sure, I loved the Harry Potter books but I literally could not put the Twilight series of books down - I devoured all four in less than two weeks. I initially thought it was just another crazy Audrey thing but then I kept discovering that other ladies my age were the exact same way!

I consider myself a cynic when it comes to romance so when I read the first book, I was constantly rolling my eyes at this crazy passionate love story between Edward and Bella. Mostly at how perfect this Edward was - so beautiful and god-like and so passionately and selflessly in love with Bella. He is described as so perfect, I thought how they heck can they live up to this in the movie?

And wow - Robert Pattinson was AMAZING as Edward Cullen in the movie. The movie in general has become a separate obsession in itself. Yes, I'll admit to have seeing it multiple times - it has so many swoon worthy scenes! But they also just did a wonderful job with staying faithful to the book while even enhancing the enjoyment of the story with all the amazing shots of "Forks, Washington". And it was definitely a movie for the "fans" - including a cameo by the author, a shot similar to the cover of the Twilight book, and having a great soundtrack that features scenes using music from one of the author's favorite bands (Muse) as well as two songs from Pattinson himself.

6. So You Think You Can Dance

I think this year was my favorite season yet - which says a lot, because the show is always amazing. My two favorite dancers were Katee and Mark and I was thrilled with the addition of choreographers Tabitha and Napoleon. I loved how their hip hop routines still had so much passion and emotion in them.

Also - I was so excited that we were FINALLY able to see Nigel and Mary shake their stuff during the finale show. We always hear about their dance background but we never get to see it so it was fun when they finally showed off their stuff.

My friends and I got to see the tour when it came to San Jose and we had such a blast!

7. Olympics

Beijing definitely didn't disappoint. The opening ceremonies were amazing! (Did you guys catch it when they showed an encore presentation last weekend?) But it really was about the athletes - hello Michael Phelps! It's so fun to cheer on with the rest of your country.

8. Lost

Lost was amazing this year! They whole flash forward thing added a whole level of excitement and intrigue to the show and kept us glued to our TVs trying to figure out who made up the Oceanic 6 and stuff. I also have to note that Jin and Sun episode because it was just so touching for me... when we thought we were seeing a flash forward for both Jin and Sun but it really was a flashback for one and a flash forward for the other, making us realize that only one of them made it to the Oceanic 6 (as far as we know).

I'm so excited for it to come back this month - I feel like a lot of my usual favorites (Grey's Anatomy, 30 Rock, Office, Ugly Betty) have sort of been blah for me this season. I hope Lost continues to keep us thrilled!

9. Beyonce's Single Ladies

The song is catchy, the video is slick, but it was really the spoof on SNL that made this song a top entertainment source for me for 2008. I literally watched that SNL spoof half a dozen times in a row - cracking up everytime and spotting some new dance move that I hadn't seen before. All those boys just killed me. People seem to dog on Beyonce a lot, but c'mon - she's a good sport, isn't she?

10. Britney's comeback

Awww... Britney, I'm so proud of her. She didn't make me cringe this year! Like I said in my earlier post, I wouldn't say she's 100% back but she's doing great and her songs are super catchy. I just hope she stays on the right track. That MTV profile on her was kind of sad at times so hopefully she finds more happiness while still being healthy.

***********

So that's all I've got for now. What do you think? Anything I missed?