Totally fake...

but me likes it all the same :)

David Cook and Carrie Underwood duet - "Go Your Own Way"

Just got my new issue of Entertainment Weekly and this was #1 on "The Must List" - love it! Watch to the end because they do a bit with Ryan Seacrest.



I have to say, I do love American Idol for the cheese factor but I also love how they really do give us access to this amazing talent. Sure, they're not all slam dunks (hello Taylor Hicks) but I know I personally have a lot of David Cook, Chris Daughtry, Jordan Sparks, Carrie Underwood and more on my iTunes list. Of course, can't forget my Kelly Kelly Kelly! Early reviews are in and it sounds like her upcoming album is a hit!

What are your thoughts on the first half of the Top 12? I think it should be an interesting season. So far, I only really like Danny and the red headed girl so hopefully the rest of the group will have some winners.

Preview of MAC Sugarsweet collection

* sigh *

First, MAC had to collaborate with Hello Kitty. My wallet is still on fire from all the purchases I made from that collection.

But now MAC has to go and do a Sugarsweet collection??? AGH!

Don't they look delicious?


Picture Source: Temptalia.com

I think I can refrain from indulging though... I took a closer look at the collection, and while everything is super cute, nothing was a screaming must have.

(Of course, this may change if people start raving about certain products which is how I got sucked into the Fun & Games blush, the She Loves Candy lipglass, and the Pink Fish tinted lip conditioner from the Hello Kitty Collection. Which, by the way, I don't regret because I love all of them!)

Anyway, you can see more pics of the MAC Sugarsweet Collection on Temptalia.com, one of my favorite make-up sites. I think the collection is supposed to come out on March 19th.

Last night, on Real Housewives...

Did anyone else watch the b*tchfest last night, also known as the reunion show for the Real Housewives of Orange County?

Wow.

These women are just horrible - pretty much across the board. But the real highlight was Tamra vs. Gretchen. Tamra has always been out for Gretchen. Let's face it - she's jealous because Gretchen really is the hottest housewife in Orange County (or would-have-been-housewife if her poor fiance Jeff hadn't passed away).

Basically, Tamra threw Gretchen to the wolves and announced during the reunion special that during the entire time of filming, Gretchen had a secret boyfriend!

Here's the weird thing... Gretchen was totally shady in defending herself - calling this rumored BF a stalker, then an ex, then a friend, then a family friend, etc etc etc. But the weird thing is that I thought Tamra came out looking worse! The way she continued to attack Gretchen during the show, yelling out crap like the truth will set her free and rambling about moral character... BLAH! Gretchen is no good, but neither are you, Tamra.

I think the clip below should show some of the catfight (can't view it at work):


Other interesting things that came out last night:

• Kara asked for a boob job for her graduation present (I'm sure she fits in really well at Berkeley)
• Tamra plans to sell her recently removed boob implants on ebay
• As I mentioned before, poor Jeff passed away this past September - and they never got married
• Jeana still defends her crappy son
• Jeana made Lynn cry for basically calling her dumb

Anyway, out with the old and in with the new... and as much as Simon totally creeps me out, I'm totally in for the Real Housewives of New York City.

I know a lot of you don't want to hear this...

... but if Rob is looking for a ladyfriend, please let it be Natalie Portman, and NOT Paris Hilton.

Product Review: Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow Box

This post is dedicated to my buddy Kirby who is looking for some fun eye shadows for her crazy nights on the town. Although I do love my MAC shadows, I am really loving the Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow box and think it would be perfect for anyone looking to add some fun new colors to their collection.



It comes with nine colors as shown below and all are gorgeous individually and blend together nicely as well. I used this palette to create both my purple and rainbow looks.

As you can see, the bottom row has some really pretty neutral colors that are perfect for work so you can really get a lot of use out of this palette.



Here are some swatches - all were applied with no base. A base would really help these colors pop even more as well as help prevent the bright colors from fading, creasing, etc. And guess what? The palette comes with one! Yep - also included is a mini-sized Primer Potion which works really well.


(L to R) Fishnet, Honey, Ransom


(L to R) Graffiti, Zero, Peace


(L to R) Shag, Scratch, Underground

This is by far my favorite UD palette - I also have their Ammo one which I like but several of the shadows in that set have chunky glittery finishes which I hate! The colors in the Deluxe shadow box all have more of a frosty, shimmery finish.

The packaging is really cute as well - it's a soft purple velvet-like material with a fun metallic accent. Anyway, I definitely recommend this product - it's so much fun to play with!

Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow Box: $38
Audgepodge Rating: A

Trailer for The Hills

I caught this on Perez Hilton. OMG just when I thought this show couldn't get any faker...



First of all, that whole bit with the fortune teller? C'mon! Everyone and their mother knows about the whole Lauren-Heidi fiasco. OK, maybe my mom doesn't know - I'm just saying that I can't believe Lauren could seriously be surprised that the fortune teller was spot on with her drama.

Don't get me wrong - I'll still watch this stoopid show. Even if that means I have to be reunited with *cringe* Spencer.

If you want more info on the upcoming season, check out this interesting article from the LA Times.

By the way, did you know that Stephen Colletti is an actor now? I remember him having that MTV hosting gig... I guess he was on One Tree Hill (I randomly caught an episode last week for the first time ever and wow, that show is cra-zee!!!) and now he appears in a new video for Taylor Swift.

Oscars chit chat - Part II

I can't believe I forgot to mention how happy I was that Slumdog Millionaire picked up the award for Best Picture. Yes, it was the only Oscar-nominated film I've seen but it really was a great film and deserved to win the big award.

And I loved that they got all the kids to appear on the red carpet and on stage to receive the award - what a huge moment for them!



If you are one of the few who are not familiar with this film, you can read my review here.

Oscars chit chat

Here are my thoughts about last night's show:

• I think Hugh Jackman did a great job as a host. Sure there were some cheesy moments but overall, he was very charming and entertaining and a talented singer and dancer to boot! They need to find him some Chicago-like movie. And did any of you watch his Barbara Wawa interview where he gave her a little lap dance at the end? Yowza!
  
• Loved the bit with Kate Winslet shouting out for her parents and her dad whistling - I almost teared up during that moment
  
• As much as I looked forward to seeing Rob Pattinson present, his bit was one of the more dull moments of the evening
  
• The musical number with the HSM and Mamma Mia kids plus Beyonce was so-so, I wish the kids had done more
  
• Loved the James Franco/Seth Rogen bit
  
• Loved how they kept cutting to Angelina during Jennifer Aniston's presentation
  
• I liked how they brought out past winners for the acting awards. Definitely upped the sentimental factor but I also love the way this Yahoo recap described it in reference to the presentation of Best Supporting Actress - the first award of the night: "...the show bogged down with that somber bunch of Best Supporting Actresses intoning like they were going to banish the winner to the Forbidden Zone with General Zod."

I have the show on DVR and I might watch it again. I had some of my buddies over for the show so I know I missed lots of parts with all our gabbing and what not.

And here are my thoughts on fashion for the evening...

Best Dressed

Kate Winslet, Taraji P. Henson, Anne Hathaway

Worst Dressed

Miley Cyrus, Jessica Biel, Beyonce (who needs to stop wearing her mother's designs)

And just for giggles, here is a pic of Rob on the red carpet:


What did you guys think about the show?

Friday Night Lights

Is anyone watching this? If not, you should - it's such a good show. I love how it seems like they plucked all the actors from some little town or something (and who knows - maybe they did!). They're all so... raw... and real. I've never seen the original movie but I really love this show and I'm glad that it was able to stay on for another season. (And no, it's not really about football - you think I'd watch if it was?)

Can we talk about Coach Taylor and Principal Tami (pictured)? I *love* them. And personally, I think they are one of the hottest couples on TV today. I think it's so cute when they bicker and I loved their little scene at the high school dance.

Coach Taylor is so cute in that strong, silent way. I used to have a crush on Kyle Chandler back in the Homefront days and who didn't love his SWAT guy character on Grey's Anatomy. I loved when he gave Jason that pep talk about the house he wants to flip and the way he was trying to appease Matt's grandmother with the "Yes, Maam"'s and stuff.

And speaking of Matt (former QB1), I love that he and Julie (Coach's daughter) are back together!!! Loved the "next morning" scene... you know something went down the night before by the lake. (Bow-chick-bow-wow)

Landry is so funny in his totally awkward ways...

Friday Night Lights: Friday nights (clever), 9PM, NBC

P.S. This is my 400th post!!!!

Recreating Rihanna's Look: Experimenting with cat eyes

I really liked Rihanna's simple but dramatic look from the 2007 MTV VMA awards. (By the way, happy belated birthday to Rihanna!)



So this should be pretty easy to re-create, right? Well for others, probably yes, but for me? Not really. I think my main problem is that how something looks in person doesn't really translate in photographs, especially with a simple point and shoot camera like mine. Also, everyone's features are shaped differently so I had to figure out what works for me.

Here is my first attempt which I think is kinda nice but doesn't look dramatic enough with the "cat eyes", although I felt like I had a whole lotta eyeliner in person.



So I decided to extend the "tail" a little more going from this:


To this:


By the way, I typically use the MAC 266 brush (angled eyeliner brush) when applying gel/creme-based eyeliner. But I recently just purchased the MAC 210 brush (fine point eyeliner brush) and I'm happy to report that it works really well in drawing precise lines. I'm still playing with the whole cat eye thing, but it seems the general guideline is that the "tail" should follow the line of your lower lash line.

Here's the final look. I also changed my camera settings so I wasn't so pink. I still think I could have built it up the cat eye more but by then, I was so tired of mucking around with my make-up that I called it quits.


What I used:

FACE
MAC Mineral Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus
Pur Mineral Mineral Glow
MAC X-rocks blush

EYES
MAC All That Glitters e/s (Lid)
MAC Texture e/s (Crease)
MAC Espresso e/s (Outer V)
Bobbi Brown Black Ink gel eyeliner
MAC Engraved powerpoint pencil
Modlash 53 eyelashes (Note to self: Didn't really like the look of these lashes)
MAC Cork e/s (brows)

LIPS
MAC Subculture lip pencil
MAC Gel lipstick
MAC Love Nectar lipglass

A little note about false eyelashes

On a side note, this was attempt #4 with false eyelashes. It is my goal to get comfortable with these because my lashes are so non-existent! It went a little better by the time I applied the second lash. I switched to Duo glue which seems to be the recommended one vs the one that comes with the Ardell and Modlash kits. Note this comes in clear and dark options. I heard that if you're new with lash glue, stick with the clear version because if you use the dark glue and mess it up or get the glue where you don't want it, it will dry dark and be noticeable. I also think I need to trim the lashes more... maybe to the point that they are just half lashes, especially since I'm just looking for a natural, but fuller look. It also helps to hold the lashes using your tweezers when applying.

More SYTYCD alums on Dancing with the Stars!

Ooh... I'm so excited! I was just looking at the new cast photos for the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars on Pink is the New Blog and I noticed two new but familiar faces.

Popular So You Think You Can Dance dancers, Chelsie Hightower and Dmitry Chaplin, have been added to the cast as professional ballroom dancers. Chelsie will be dancing with Ty Murray and Dmitry will be dancing with Jewel.

I love this tradition of DWTS picking up new professionals from SYTYCD which started last fall with the addition of Lacey Schwimmer.

It's so fun to see our old friends again - first on America's Best Dance Crew and now DWTS!

MAC Hello Kitty Too Dolly Quad looks + the funniest Youtuber ever!

So as most of my friends know, I used to be makeup-illiterate. I used to only wear foundation and blush and couldn't be bothered with the rest. But then last summer I discovered the wonderful world of makeup videos on YouTube! It's so addicting - there are make-up tutorials, product reviews, hauls (where people show off their recent make-up purchases, very fun but very dangerous for your wallet), etc. Some are good, some are eh - but either way, there are hours of entertainment to be had.

Anyway, I've been "hauling" a whole lot of crap from the MAC Hello Kitty collection that came out last week. I really just need to stay away. I do have a post planned to discuss it more as it was my first MAC pre-launch party which was a lot of fun. But for now, I will just mention one of my purchases - the Too Dolly Quad (set of four eyeshadows) shown here. It has some fun, bright colors. I haven't had a chance to play with the quad yet but I've been watching some videos of YouTubers create their own looks.

The first two videos are what I'd consider the more classic YouTuber... they both are really creative with their looks and give helpful instruction when applying it. And they're usually pretty flawless, too.

MakeupGeekTV


jinahchae


But this third one is a YouTuber that I just recently discovered... OMG - she is hilarious! She's like the anti-YouTuber but she had me crying in tears from sheer laughter. Check them out if you have a chance.

jpmetz

American Idol and Make-up at Costco

Tatiana is killing me! Yeah, her performance wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But it's the rest of her schtick... that marketing BS, her claim that she never laughed like that before, her little soundbyte about how it's up to us to keep her dreams alive... she's just too much!

I definitely like Danny Gokey and he's my fave of group 1. I kinda agree with Simon, though, he was good but I don't know he deserved all that crazy praise at the end. I thought he gave much better performances in Hollywood. I think the praise had a lot to do with the fact that most of the other contestants in his group kinda bombed.

And when Simon said Alexis Grace reminded him of someone... I totally expected him to say Nikki McKibbin, not Kelly Clarkson! Did you remember season 1? When Nikki first auditioned, she was kinda like a funky rocker and then when she showed up for the performance shows, she had what I think they called a soap opera makeover. I like Alexis... I'm just not sure about her look, but that's just me.

And is it just me or did Paula seem more kooky than normal? She kinda rambled on like she was drunk.

Anyway, on to make-up... I had seen a lot of YouTubers talk about these great make-up deals they get at Costco. I thought it was just some crazy myth because everytime I went there, they just had the standard Kirkland stuff.

But today... ta-da!!! Stila Cosmetics on sale for dirt cheap! They had two sets - a set of three lippies and a "shape up your face" set. I've been buying a lot of lip stuff so I just picked up the face set. It comes with a trio of three contouring powders, two lip pencils, and a full size powder brush. The sign on the rack said each set was $14.99 but when I checked out, my set rang up as only $9.99! C'mon - that's a great deal.





I would tell you what I think about the products but I can't seem to open the plastic packaging and I'm too lazy to fetch some scissors to slice it open. Maybe in another post :)

Latest iTunes downloads...

So here's what I've downloaded since my last iTunes update.

1. My Life Would Suck without You - Kelly Clarkson

No surprise here... I already raved about this song on an earlier post.

2. Rehab - Rihanna

I'm not sure why I waited so long to download this as I've pretty much downloaded all her other singles. And speaking of people needing rehab, isn't that deal with her and Chris Brown just so horrible? And shocking! I thought those two were such an adorable couple - a Britney and Justin for today's teens, but obviously that was definitely not the case.

3. 15 Step - Radiohead

Normally, I'm not cool enough to listen to Radiohead. But then Gwyneth introduced their performance at the Grammy's so I tuned in for a bit. And I suddenly realized, hey, that's the song from the closing credits of Twilight!

4. Poker Face - Lady GaGa

I really dig this song! I like the pounding beat through parts of it and I like the melody of the refrain, too.

5. Feedback - Janet Jackson

I picked this one and the next one (another Lady GaGa!) because they appeared in the commercials for America's Next Top Model and I got hooked.

6. The Fame - Lady GaGa

Happy Valentine's Day to me!!!

So I treated myself to a little Valentine's Day present over the weekend - NARS The Love Set.

It comes with a blush, a lip pencil (the jumbo kind), and a lip gloss. I have some NARS products but just eyeshadows and lipglosses. I've always heard great things about their blushes and I was excited to finally get my first one. I've always had my eye on the Orgasm blush since that seems to be their signature item. (Okay, seriously, NARS products have some really provocative names... I mean, teenagers buy this stuff!)

Also included is the Pillow Talk lip gloss and a Sex Machine velvet matte lip pencil (yep, again with the names!)

Isn't the packaging really cute? I might just hold onto the box...



I wasn't sure if I would like the blush because when I tested it on my hand, it looked really shimmery which I usually stay away from. (I just hate when the glitter/shimmer gets everywhere.) But when I put it on my cheek, it wasn't shimmery at all and it was just this soft pretty peachy color.



And here's a close-up of the lip gloss and lip pencil. I really like the jumbo lip pencil because it was really smooth when I put it on my lips. The gloss is nice, too, and not really sticky like others.



Ready for some lip swatches??? (Sorry if it's weird or creepy to see all these close-up shots of my mouth. I'm just used to seeing this on other beauty blogs!)

Pillow Talk lip gloss:


Sex Machine velvet matte lip pencil:


Sex Machine pencil plus Pillow Talk gloss:


Full mug... I don't think you can see the blush very well though:


Final thoughts: I love this set and I'm so glad I bought it! I'm a sucker for make-up "sets" and a lot of times I will only like one of the items but I really like all three of these.

NARS The Love Set: $49

(If you bought the three items individually, it would be $73 as the blush is $25 and both the lip pencil and gloss are $24 each. So buying the set is like getting one of the items for free.)

I heart Boston Market

Like most people, I love Thanksgiving. Especially the Thanksgiving dinner... yum yum! Stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, etc etc etc... yum yum yum! Oh, and the turkey? Yeah, I guess I'll get that, too, but usually just because I feel I have to... I don't really crave it or anything. It really is all about the side dishes for me (well, and the desserts, too).

Whenever I'm craving a Thanksgiving dinner-like meal, I usually head on to Boston Market. And just by default, I always get one of their combo platters. But today I discovered they have this wonderful thing called a Side Item Sampler. *ding ding ding!!!* Basically, you get your pick of three sides with cornbread (which, by the way, is delicious!) So I got the mac & cheese (introduced to me by my 4 year old nephew - it really is the best), the sweet potato casserole, and then for pick #3 I decided to get the sweet corn (although I was really eyeing the stuffing but decided to get something somewhat healthy). The best part? The whole platter was just $5 - yippee!!!

I'll have to stop by there more often :)

Shaqawockeez!

OMG... so hilarious! Shaq is a really good dancer! He held his own with the amazing Jabbawockeez.

Bright Eyes & Neutral lips and vice versa

So yep, I'm playing with make-up again! :) I recently tried out two new looks. One had really colorful eyes so I paired it with a nude lip, similar to my purple look. But then yesterday, I wanted to do a fun Valentine's Day look that was highlighted with bright pink lips! Usually, I don't really pay too much attention to what I wear on my lips and just stick with my MAC Viva Glam V default but through these two looks, I discovered it's really fun to play with the lip colors as well!



Urban Decay Rainbow Eyes look

I wore this look for a GNO (girls' night out) in SF. I figured it was a good opportunity to do something a little funky (for me, anyway). I wanted to try a rainbow look I saw on YouTube but using just my new Urban Decay palette. Not quite as vibrant as I would have liked so maybe next time, I'll play with some different color bases to bring out the color more.

By the way, I also tried false eyelashes again and third time is definitely not the charm. I really messed these up, but left them on anyway. If you buy the Ardell starter kits, my suggestion is to not use the glue that comes with them. One of my lashes fell off halfway through the night! I heard Duo is really good and plan to buy that.

As for the nude lip, I am really loving that look! When I first put on my Blankety lipstick, my first thought was uh-oh, I look like a corpse! By itself, I don't think it works for me BUT it's really pretty when combined with a lip gloss. Can't wait to wear it out again next time I do a dramatic eye look.



What I used:

EYES
Urban Decay Fishnet (upper lid)
Urban Decay Ransom, Zero (outer corner)
Urban Decay Honey, Graffiti, Peace (along lower lash line)
MAC Texture (crease)
MAC Shroom (highlight)
Bobbi Brown Black Ink gel eyeliner (upper lashline)
MAC Smolder eye kohl pencil (lower lashline)
Ardell 109 lashes
Maybelline Full&Soft Mascara

LIPS
MAC Blankety lipstick
MAC Delicate Crush lipglass

Valentine's Day Look

This one was inspired by another YouTube video - a fun, pink, girly Valentine's day look. I had purchased these bright pink lip colors as part of the MAC Adoring Carmine Rose Lips Set collection but haven't really had a chance to wear them out so I was excited to try this look. If it wasn't for Valentine's Day, I probably would have just wore more neutral browns and golds in the eye but the pink was a fun accent.






What I used:

EYES
MAC All that Glitters (Lid)
Dior Plum Sheen from Chic Palette (Crease)
Loreal Brazen Hip Duo - Pink color (outer crease)
MAC Brule (Highlight)
MAC Penultimate Eye liner in Rapidblack
Maybelline Full&Soft Mascara

LIPS
MAC Romancin' lipstick (from Adoring Carmine set)
MAC Magnetique lipglass (from Little Darlings Pink Set)

Cute celebrity couple!

OK, these two are so adorably cute together especially given that they are both gorgeous actors and are the parents of three little girls.

I'm talking about Peter Facinelli (aka Dr. Carlisle Cullen) and Jennie Garth (aka Kelly Taylor, DWTS alum). They went on Chelsea Lately for a joint interview on Valentine's Day and it was really cute and funny... especially for a bit with a tissue - watch to find out more!

This is what I've got to say about The City... SAT style

Spencer : The Hills :: Olivia: The City

Seriously, I cannot stand this girl! Everytime she speaks, it's like nails on a chalkboard for me. She's so pretentious and a total hypocrite as well. She speaks so condescendingly to Whitney about gossiping when that's what her and her freeloader of a cousin do all day long. She also lectures Whit not to talk about Jay's gig at work when she was the one who brought it up!

Boo to Olivia.

By the way, I loved Whitney's hair in the last scene as seen in the pic below (on the left).



I hope Whitney takes more opportunities to put Olivia in her place.

Holy Purple, Batman!

OK, I'll admit it... I love to *play* make-up. I will put on make-up to try out a look and then take it all off and go to bed. Like tonight. I saw a purple look that looked really pretty and I was so excited to discover that I had the same colors used so I had to try it!

(FYI - in case you hadn't read my previous posts on this, I love to watch Youtube make-up tutorials... so addicting!)

"Hot Royal Purple Eyes" by Youtuber xteener:



Here's my take:

(False eyelashes would have definitely improved the look, but I save those for special occasions only - too much effort for me!)

What I used:

FACE:
MAC Mineral Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus
Pur Mineral Marble Powder in Pink

EYES:
Urban Decay Ransom e/s
Urban Decay Fishnet e/s
Loreal HIP e/s Duo in Charisma
MAC Cork (brows)
MAC Penultimate Eye Liner in Rapidblack / Loreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner in Carbon black (will post a comparison soon)
MAC Technakohl Liner in Graphblack
Maybelline Full&Soft Mascara

LIPS:
MAC Blankety lipstick
MAC Love Nectar lustreglass



On a side note, I am *loving* my new Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow box. Yes, I'm a MAC addict but I definitely try out other brands, too, and these colors are crazy gorgeous! My pics don't do it justice - the purple used in the main part of the lids is crazy vibrant! There are some really pretty neutral colors in the palette as well for more work-appropriate looks. Can't wait to try more looks with this!

The Office - Superbowl Style

So I finally caught up with last night's episode of The Office. OMG - HILARIOUS.

Honestly, I was laughing the entire time but here are the moments that almost brought me to tears:

• The frantic fire drill part when Oscar leapt into the ceiling, Angela revealed her sleeping kitty, Michael yelling cuss words, etc..
  
• When everyone started dancing along to Stayin' Alive during the CPR lesson
• Each time Dwight and Michael got dragged into corporate
  
• Michael's thoughts on everyone - "Boom. Roasted."

And many more...

Although to be honest, I really didn't care for the Jack Black / Cloris Leachman bit - ewwwww...


(And yay for updated opening credits!)

What were your favorite moments?

Britney Spears week on America's Best Dance Crew

Every now and then, I check out MTV's America's Best Dance Crew. Season 1 was awesome (hello, Jabbawockeez)! Season 2 was kind of a dud. Season 3 is about three weeks in and is somewhere in between. BUT last week's episode totally rocked - it was all about Britney Spears!!!

My two favorite crews this season are Beat Freaks and Quest Crew. Beat Freaks are all girls, but they don't resort to sexy girly stuff - those girls are hard core! And I recognize one of the girls from being a back up dancer in tons of pop music videos. Quest Crew is more of a b-boy crew and features two of my favorite dancers from So You Think You Can Dance, Hok and Dominic.

If you want to see what the show is all about, here are clips of their Britney-inspired performances. The show airs on MTV on Thursday nights at 10PM.

Beat Freaks - Womanizer (Performance starts at 1:50)


Quest Crew - Toxic (Performance starts at 0:58)