Pop Culture / Make-up Addict

Book Review: Matched

2011-02-25T16:51:00.000-08:00

Are any of you on GoodReads? I just joined. I like seeing what my friends are reading and also being able to share what I have and haven't liked as well.

Anyway, here's my latest review... I'll try to link any others I may write as well. Enjoy!

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Matched by Ally Condie

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Alright, I gotta be honest, I almost flounced this one. I just didn't find it that interesting or compelling. I think I would have rated this a lot higher if I had read this *before* I read The Hunger Games trilogy. Sure, they are totally different stories but there are just too many similarities to ignore (dystopian society, suffocating government, love triangle, rumored rebellion, etc) and to be quite honest, Matched to me read like a watered-down version of The Hunger Games.

Granted The Hunger Games trilogy is a super intense, brutal, disturbing story that I practically whined through while reading (thanks for consoling me, Jeannie!) and I often questioned its classification as a young adult novel. On the other hand, Matched very much read as a YA story and I think after just reading Anna & the French Kiss, I was ready for something a little meatier.

In general, this story was pretty much "meh" to me. As an example, the long-awaited exchange of I love you's left me with a ho-hum feeling. Or when a male character lightly brushed the hand of a female character, the author described it with off-the-charts sparks. But I never felt the chemistry, never felt the *swoon*.

I will say that I did like seeing the transformation of the main character, Cassia. Her passive behavior (aka i do whatever the society tells me to do) in the beginning was driving me nuts :P

Anyway, if you've never read a dystopian story, I'd recommend it (always fun to discover new worlds). Otherwise, I'd skip. I'm not even planning to read any potential sequels to this story.

View all my reviews

Playing with Polyvore

2011-02-14T20:43:00.001-08:00

Experimenting with Polyvore... have seen this used on a lot of blogs and wanted to try it myself!

Here I made an image set of the everyday makeup products I use. Want to know more details on them? Click the image and get more info on each individual item! Handy!

Everyday Makeup by audgepodge1 on Polyvore.com

I've seen this tool used more often to show fashion ideas - like "must have items" or "wish list" etc...

I think this would also be a great tool to pass along to some of my photographer friends who do fashion shoots. Instead of scouring the web for magazine fashion images, they can use this tool to quickly compile some inspiration looks for use as a "concept board" with their wardrobe stylists!

Give the tool a try... very easy to use!

In Case You Missed It...

2010-12-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

If you're following me on Facebook or Twitter, you've seen these already, but just in case...

My friend Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog asked me to provide some guest posts while she vacationed in Hawaii (ah, jealous!) and I was thrilled to help out!

Here are all of my posts from the last couple of weeks - enjoy :)

TV Tuesday: Season Premiere of Dancing with the Stars

2010-09-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

(Well, it's Tuesday on the east coast, anyway.)

It's fall TV premiere week! Tons of my fave shows are back and Monday night was packed with them.

Tonight I gave priority to the season 11 debut of Dancing with the Stars. Here are my quick thoughts:

Audrina Partridge (w/ Tony Dovolani): I have to say, she wasn't bad! I thought she would be like Kim Kardashian and just sort of stand there, but she shook her stuff in the cha cha cha pretty decently especially for being the first one out in the first episode of the season. She kind of kept staring at Tony like he was her lifeline but I think once she chillaxes and enjoys herself, she'll improve a lot. Another thing going for her? Her amazingly hawt body that is perfect for the ballroom!
Kurt Warner (w/ Anna Trebunskya): I think he's the only contestant that I didn't already know (hello - sports star, of course). He wasn't bad in the Viennese Waltz - pleasant enough to watch.
Kyle Massey (w/ Lacey Schwimmer): Good ole Kyle from That's So Raven (I used to be addicted to the Disney Channel - not as a kid, as in a few years ago.) OK, I'll be honest - I totally had a smile on my face while watching him do the cha cha cha. I mean, you've got this slightly huggable kid with a babyface that's gonna do a sultry dance with sexpot Lacey??? It could have easily been laughable, but he totally rocked it! Definitely one to watch.
Rick Fox (w/ Cheryl Burke): Man - he's tall!!! He's also a very elegant and handsome man - did a really nice waltz. I wonder if Eliza Dushku will be in the audience every week. BTW - when I first heard about them, I thought - what a weird combination! But you know, they obviously make each other happy so good for them!
Margaret Cho (w/ Louis Van Amstel): I think we can count on her for some funny interviews - especially if she keeps up the mom imitations, I always love those. I agreed with the judges and thought the comedic portion of their waltz should have been left out, she was doing so well on her own. But with the gold fabric and her angry facial expressions, I kept thinking they were going to leap into the paso doble or something. And how cute were her parents in the audience???
Brandy (w/ Maksim Chmerkovskiy - wow that is a crazy last name to spell): Just like the other pop stars that have come before her, she is a natural and very polished on the dance floor.
Bristol Palin (w/ Mark Ballas): My initial response to her casting? WTF. But alright, let's go with it. Her cha cha cha was just OK but not horrible by any means, just a little stiff. I was so worried she would be another Kate Gosselin and I just couldn't handle that. And in a weird way, doesn't she kind of look like a less fit, less tanned Audrina?
Florence Henderson (w/ Corky Ballas): After getting over the inital shock of Flo flashing us on national TV, I have to say - she is looking pretty good for her age! And she is a sassy one, that's for sure! Her cha cha cha was a little goofy (she kinda looked a lil drunk, haha) but she was having fun.
Michael Bolton (w/ Chelsie Hightower): Nice job with the Viennese waltz. Although to be honest, it's hard to differentiate the performances between him, Kurt, and Rick - they all seemed to do the waltz pretty much the same to me.
"The Situation" (w/ Karina Smirnoff): Oh this guy cracks me up. Already making inappropriate comments in his first interview ("I learned to dance in the clubs... with your girlfriend.") I feel bad for Karina - she only had five days to train him while everyone else had three weeks. It showed but it wasn't horrible... definitely better than say, Master P. Mike definitely has a big cheesy factor going on so props to Carrie Ann for calling him out on it by telling him to shake off the 80s. Haha.
Jennifer Grey (w/ Derek Hough): Baby did not disappoint. So sad to see her breakdown after first hearing her song, one from Dirty Dancing. [On a related note: I once wrote a fan letter to Patrick Swayze and got a very nice response from ~~his fan club~~ him.] Her Viennese waltz was quite lovely. She definitely has the talent and a little bit of the sympathy factor but I'm not sure she has the personality to win the fan vote week after week.
David Hasselhoff (w/ Kym Johnson): OK, this guy is clearly a kook. And his cha cha cha was a hot mess in my book. Were he and Florence doing keg stands backstage or something? Len had the best comment, "It's never too early to panic." I'm sure he'll get the audience vote.

Overall, my ones to watch for actual skills are Kyle, Jennifer, Brandy. But for pure entertainment, I also like Margaret and Situation.

Emmy Red Carpet Report

2010-08-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed the Emmys... thought Jimmy Fallon did a great job hosting. All his musical bits really made me laugh. My favorite one was the opening number that filled my heart with "Glee"! :)

Loved the Modern Family wins and was so bummed that Lost did not win for best drama - so robbed!

Moving on to fashions... I didn't really feel like there were any clear winners and losers but here are what I thought were the best and the worst. These pics were from Yahoo since I haven't had a chance to watch the red carpet special yet.

BEST DRESSED

Kim Kardashian

Julia Louis Dreyfuss

Elizabeth Moss

Kelly Osbourne

Julie Benz

Claire Danes

Heather Morris (Glee)

WORST DRESSED

January Jones (Mad Men)
I mean, there are so many things wrong with this dress... for example, why would you pick a dress that has built-in headlights!!!???

Mindy Kaling (The Office)

Lauren Graham

Anna Paquin

What were your thoughts about the show and fashions???

Things I Love Thursday: Twitter Speak

2010-08-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of Twitter. Why? Because it's quick to digest and there's almost always new content (unlike Facebook).

If you're not familiar with Twitter, it's similar to Facebook in terms of their status updates, but you can only post updates in 140 characters or less at a time. So as a result, people get really creative in abbreviating things. And often times, we're just commenting on each other's tweets... so it's easy to shorten the more popular phrases.

So with all the hours I've spent on Twitter (follow me! audgepodge1), I almost feel like I've learned another language! Below are some of my favorite abbreviations...

BB: baby (as in an affectionate term)
BRB: Be right back
DNW: Do not want
FFS: For f*ck's sake
FML: F*ck my life
FHL: F*ck his/her life
FTMFW: For the mother f*cking win
FTW: For the win
GTFO: Get the f*ck out
HDU: How dare you
IDC: I don't care
IDGAF: I don't give a f*ck
IDGI: I don't get it
IDK: I don't know
IKR: I know, right?
ILU: I love you
IRL: In real life
ITA: I totally agree
JFC: Jesus f*cking christ
JK: Just kidding
JS: Just saying
JSYK/JSUK: Just so you know
LOL: Laugh out loud
LMAO: Laugh my *ss off
LMFAO: Laugh my f*cking *ss off
MTE: My thoughts exactly
NBD: No big deal
NEGL: Not even gonna lie
NGL: Not gonna lie
NM: Never mind
OIC: Oh I see
OICU: Oh I see you
OMG: Oh my god
OMFG: Oh my f*cking god
ORLY: Oh really
ROFL / ROTFL: Rolling on floor laughing
RT: Re-tweet
SFM: So f*ckin' much
SMDH: Shaking my d*mn head
SMH: Shaking my head
STFU: Shut the f*ck up
STFD: Sit the f*ck down
TBH: To be honest
TJ: Tweetjack (i.e. to chime in on someone else's conversation)
Totes: Totally
TY: Thank you
WTF: What the f*ck
WTH: What the hell

Need an example of how these would be used?

audgepodge1: IDGAF about Spencer Pratt
audgepodge1: Miley Cyrus has another movie coming out? DNW
audgepodge1: NEGL, I still hope Britney reunites with Justin
audgepodge1: Hey Taylor Momsen, STFU!

[OK, to be honest, or um, TBH, I really wouldn't use most of these since I don't really use the F word that much, even in the abbreviated form. Unless it's for comedic value. LOL.]

So what am I missing? What are your favorite ones to use?

Who greenlit this crap?

2010-08-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

Remember how cute it was when Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal started dating? I was so sad when they broke up. Well, they both have new romantic comedies coming out and I caught both trailers today. Now I'm a girl that loves her chick flicks but these two... bleh! Maybe because the jokes were lame, maybe because I'm not buying the chemistry... whatever it is, I don't plan on catching these in the theaters.

But hey, you guys can decide for yourself!

First up, Reese Witherspoon's film, How Do You Know?, also starring Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd.

The film, out in theaters this Christmas, puts Lisa Jorgenson, a professional softball player (Witherspoon), into a love triangle with a corporate executive (Paul Rudd) and a major league pitcher (Owen Wilson).

Then we've got Love and Other Drugs which stars Gyllenhaal along with Anne Hathaway (and her crazy hair!)

Hathaway portrays Maggie, an alluring free spirit who won’t let anyone - or anything - tie her down. But she meets her match in Jamie (Gyllenhaal), whose relentless and nearly infallible charm serve him well with the ladies and in the cutthroat world of pharmaceutical sales. Maggie and Jamie’s evolving relationship takes them both by surprise, as they find themselves under the influence of the ultimate drug: love.

Things I Love Thursday: Funny Animal Gifs

2010-08-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

These are just some of the little treasures I stumble upon with all the time I spend on Twitter. Enjoy!

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Sometimes it's just one of those days...

*******

The cat always rules the roost. People (and pups) just need to accept that.

What other funny animated gifs have you seen?

TV Tuesday: Pretty Little Liars Finale

2010-08-10T23:39:00.000-07:00

I decided to try out a new show, Pretty Little Liars, this season. I see it as Gossip Girl meets Twin Peaks. Also kind of reminds me of the Christopher Pike mystery books I read in high school. I guess the series itself is based on a series of teen novels.

This high school drama is always trying to spook me out but it's a little too over the top for me. Regardless, I kept tuning in because I wanted the answer to their "Who Killed Laura Palmer?" question - i.e. "Who the heck is A?"

If you're not in the know... the show follows four friends whose fifth friend, Allison, disappeared a year ago. They were the last to see her. Well, Allison's body is discovered in the beginning of the season while at the same time, a mysterious "A" keeps sending the girls cryptic messages about how she knows what they did (whatever that may be).

And after an entire season (which granted, might have only been six episodes for its debut season), we still don't know the answer!!! ARGH! I am almost ready to bribe a teenager who's read the books to fill me in but I heard the show is doing something different than the books.

Who knows if I'll still catch it when it returns... maybe I'll just catch online episode recaps to get my answers.

I will say this... the cast is pretty good. What's more interesting is all the familiar faces they have in the roles of the parents such as: Nia Peeples (Fame!!!), Chad Lowe, Holly Marie Combs (Charmed), and Laura Leighton (Melrose Place).

Did anyone else watch this? What is your favorite summer show?

Flashback Friday: Jack dances like the pop stars

2010-08-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Back in the day, I once thought being a back up dancer in a Britney Spears video would be the coolest thing ever. Ok, I still think that. But that dream was never meant to be.

I wish I could pick up choreo from the videos but all that pause, rewind, play is just way too much effort for me. I once had an old buddy teach me some of the moves from Oops I Did It Again although I never really mastered it.

Luckily, Jack and Grace break it down for us!

And Jack has got some moves! Who could forget his version of this N Sync bit?

Things I Love Thursday: Snap Clips

2010-08-05T23:33:00.000-07:00

Every girl has her favorite way of keeping her hair out of her face. I've personally always been a big fan of snap clips and have been wearing them for years. My favorite ones are by Goody. I seem to be always buying new packs of them because I am always losing them.

I actually just discovered they were called "snap clips" while writing this post. I had otherwise called them the gymnasts' hair clips because I always notice Olympic gymnasts wearing a crazy amount of them all over their head during competitions. For good reason - these suckers keep the hair in place. My hair is short so I don't really do the ponytail thing but there are times when I want to keep my bangs out of the way and these do the job well. Some people may like bobby pins but those always move around on me plus I hate when the one pointed up end sticks out.

What's your method of choice? Elastic, headband, hair clips, claw clips, etc... Sometimes you just want that hair out of the way!

TV Tuesday: Rachel Zoe Project returns!

2010-08-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

Woops, sorry, I do realize I missed a couple of posts last week and this one is late. Oh well! It really is just a *loose* schedule after all.

Who else is watching The Rachel Zoe Project? I personally love learning new catchphrases from Ms. Zoe. You know, things like "shut it down", "this is bananas", etc. I noticed her also saying "major" but I will always attribute that to the fabulous Posh Spice (who remembers her one time NBC reality special? It was so amazingly awesome! I mean - amazingly MA-JUH!)

I was expecting more nonsense in this season's opener of The Rachel Zoe Project. I was not expecting Taylor to be fired! I think I remember hearing she had left but thought it was her choice. But the discussion between Rachel and Roger, while vague, implied that Taylor had been doing something sketchy with the books, samples, etc. Scandal!!!

Taylor does not appear at all in this episode except for flashbacks. There was an interesting article from EW about how Bravo didn't even let Taylor defend herself. Even more interesting, there was no response from Taylor herself on her Twitter. (At least not as of this posting.)

Moving on to the Demi Moore photoshoot for Harper's Bazaar... WOW. That shoot was ridonkulous. Now that I have some experience with fashion photography, it's amazing to watch the amount of production required for a major magazine's cover shoot. I mean, they brought a 15' giraffe out to some random beach!!! And being the frugal person I am, I can't help but wonder if the cost of the whole thing is really justified but what do I know. I mean, do they really sell more issues with this kind of cover versus just a studio shot of Demi? Obviously I understand the artistic intention because it really is an amazing shot. It's just my frugal self is always fascinated by the production costs.

Anyway, the shoot generated some beautiful images. See the rest of the photos here. And props to Demi for being able to rock 12" heels in that giraffe shot. I can barely stand in 4" heels.

After seeing the preview for this upcoming season, there seems to be hints of more Taylor drama. Honestly, I'm not interested in that and would rather just see more fab styling. I get enough petty drama from my Real Housewives shows.

On a separate note, how are we already upon the season finales of Pretty Little Liars and Bethenny Getting Married? Darn those mini seasons of new shows!

Things I Love Tuesday

2010-07-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

Every girl has their favorite bra, right? For day-to-day comfort, I am currently loving the Victoria's Secret Perfect One Full Coverage Bra.

Since it's the summer, I wear a lot of T-shirts and this is the perfect T-shirt bra. Well, it is at least a lot better than what I used to wear. I can't stand when you can see the bra lines (you know, the outside of the cup) when you wear a T-shirt and this bra does a good job of hiding them. Probably because it's full coverage. The bra is comfortable, too. I dig it.

What is your favorite bra?

P.S. Next week I think I'll change it up. I think TV Tuesday and Things I Love Thursday sounds better, right?

Flashback Friday: Tron

2010-07-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

I don't really remember the old Tron movie from the 80's but apparently there's a new Tron coming out this year (thanks Comic Con news!). And apparently it stars a hot young actor, Garrett Hedlund. The only reason I know him is because he is just getting ready to film On the Road with girl crush Kristen Stewart. OK, now I'm paying attention.

I checked out some clips and it looks pretty cool! I also looked up clips from the original to see if it would ring a bell, but it didn't. I did get a good laugh at how much movie animation has improved in the last twenty years.

Lightbike scene from 1982 Tron:

Lightbike scene from 2010 Tron:

Tron Legacy comes out December 17th. More info on movie site.

Update:

Here's the latest trailer

TV Thursday: Covert Affairs

2010-07-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

It's summer hiatus for a lot of the big network shows, but never fear - I can always find some good TV! Thank goodness for cable TV...

I tried out a new show this week, Covert Affairs (10PM, Tues, USA Network). It premiered last week but I didn't pay much attention to it until I saw a bunch of buzz about it on Twitter.

It stars the adorable Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly, anyone?) as a fresh-out-of-training (i.e. the "farm") CIA operative. I would say she's undercover... but are all CIA peeps undercover? Eh, whatever.

Anyway, yeah, it sounds like Alias, but not really. She doesn't have all those crazy disguises like good ole Sydney, although she did have to play a DC call girl for a bit.

The show has some other familiar faces, such as Chris Gorham (or to me, Henry from Ugly Betty) who plays her guide of some sort (and buddy) at the CIA. A blind guide, ironically. There's also the big boss man played by Peter Gallagher (who to me, will always be the ballet director from Center Stage).

So there is some action, some fight scenes... I would almost consider it a poor man's Alias. But I do find Piper very likable so there is that.

Oh and there is this also underlying story line about a brief romance that Piper's character had two years ago. The dude just abruptly left her with no explanation and left her broken hearted. At the end of the pilot, we learn he may possibly be another CIA operative that disappeared long ago but reappeared once Piper's character joined the CIA. He even saved her from being choked to death by the bad guy villain in the pilot - and then of course disappeared immediately afterward. I personally think they could have picked a more handsome fella for this love interest, but that's just me.

Anyway... I'm not completely sold on this show, although I did add it to my DVR. I worry that they may try too hard to create these complex story lines which is how my beloved Alias ultimately lost me. I'm already struggling to remember their TLA (three letter acronym) department names.

On a separate note, The Closer is back! Love that show :)

The Charm of Justin Bieber

2010-04-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

One thing that cracks me up on Twitter is when people ask, "Who the heck is Justin Bieber?" because he is always in the top 10 trending topics.

I know who he is - he's a cute kid, catchy songs... haven't downloaded any yet but I'm sure at one point I will. But I wouldn't say I have Bieber Fever or anything but I can see why he is so popular.

This past weekend I was in DC with my sis and we were watching Saturday Night Live with host Tina Fey and musical guest - you guessed it - Justin Bieber. Now my sister didn't really know him too well... she knew the name but I don't think she knew any of his songs or what he looked like, etc.

Fast forward to his first musical performance of his big hit, "Baby".

At this point, I wasn't really watching. I think I was engrossed in a game of WordPops on my iPhone at the time. Meanwhile, I heard the following outbursts from my sister:

"Oh, this kid is cute."

"Ooh, look at him dance!"

"Wow, he's gliding!"

"He can rap, too? He's so good!"

"Wow, this kid is gonna be big!"

"Man, he can do anything!"

"This kid should be in movies!"

"He's gonna be a big star!"

And so on and so on... it was so funny! I think it ended with her saying something like how she has Bieber Fever now. LOL.

It was just so amusing to witness firsthand Justin Bieber charming an older lady, aka my sister.

I guess he's got IT, whatever IT is.

Later, I had to see for myself what was so special about him. If you haven't seen his music videos, you can find them here. They're pretty cute - usually him chasing down a dark haired girl. And I like any video with a dance break in them.

You should also check out his personal videos here - which is how he got started. It's cute to see the old videos where he is singing acapella and stuff and even plays the guitar!

Step Up 3D Trailer

2010-03-31T21:15:00.000-07:00

Twitch!!!

I didn't see the second Step Up but am thinking about seeing this one!

Oscar Fashion Report

2010-03-08T00:33:00.000-08:00

What did you guys think of the fashions at the Oscars? I noticed lots of deep reds, ruffles, and big flowy dresses.

Here are my faves (click to enlarge):

My Girl Crush, Kristen Stewart: The dress was BEAUTIFUL, a work of art. Loved that she wore her hair back in an elegant bun with simple makeup. And I thought it was very Kristen to keep the jewelry simple as well - no earrings or necklace but instead one heck of a bling bling bracelet.

Rachel McAdams: Loved the dress - it looked like a painting in motion! Not sure if I like those particular earrings paired with that dress but Rachel can pull anything off in my book.

Cameron Diaz: Thought this dress was a little more formal/classic that what Cameron typically wears but I thought it was really beautiful. Nice she kept the hair down in her typical Cameron style.

Amanda Seyfried: Loved the intricate pattern throughout the dress - very beautiful overall effect paired with perfect hair and makeup.

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And now on to my least faves of the night...

Miley Cyrus: Alright, I'll be honest - Miley drives me nuts so I was already biased against her before she set foot on the red carpet. Hair and makeup was nice but the top of her dress really bothered me. I mean, it's pretty much a bustier, right? And she's a teenager, right? So it's weird.

Charlize Theron: What was up with the boobie detractors? Seriously, when she was presenting - all I saw were two eyes staring at me from her chest. An unfortunate design, really.

Sarah Jessica Parker: I didn't really hate her dress, just wasn't loving it. No shape and stuff. But what really got to me were the insane amount of fly away hairs she had. That's all I could look at when she was presenting. Her stylist couldn't have smoothed that stuff out?

Zoe Saldana: I love Zoe so it hurt me to put her on this list. But c'mon - what was up with that dress? There was just so much going on - top half looked very disco ball-y and the bottom felt very Vegas showgirl. Still love ya, Zoe!

How about you guys? What dresses were you loving and hating last night? Post your thoughts below!

I'm such a dork!

2010-03-05T00:26:00.001-08:00

On photoshoots, I enjoy being behind the scenes. In fact, I prefer it. Why? Because when a fancy camera is pointed in my direction, I just end up acting like a freak!

Exhibit A was highlighted in a previous post.

Exhibit B is below. Prepare to get dizzy again!

Romantic Dress Shoot

2010-03-04T22:58:00.000-08:00

OK... so I haven't been doing a very good job with blogging about makeup and the work I've been doing on photo shoots and what not. Well guess what? Today someone did the job for me! So let me just send you over there to see the fun shoot I worked on today.

Today I worked with the wonderful stylist, Lim, and she is all over the blogging! Here are some teaser pics... headed over to her blog for more behind the scenes info. There are also some additional posts on Lim's styling and our team.

Just adding the final touches on Becky, our fab model

Ryan shooting and Becky working it

Team pic! Steph (hair), me (makeup), Lim (stylist), Becky (model)

Fave Superbowl Commercials?

2010-02-08T00:07:00.000-08:00

Here are some of mine:

Snickers

(I mean, hello, you've got Betty White AND Abe Vigoda??? How can you go wrong?)

Google

Letterman

I'm happy for the Saints - nice to have a positive spotlight on New Orleans. Plus I rooted for them mostly because I think Reggie Bush is cute.

These accents are killing me!

2010-02-05T15:13:00.000-08:00

I caught Owen from Grey's Anatomy, aka actor Kevin McKidd, on The View and I was immediately thrown off by his accent. He's Scottish, dudes!!!

Which reminds me of Kevin from Brothers and Sisters and his cute Welsh accent. I remember being shocked that he wasn't a native American.

The funny thing is that I would have guessed the Scottish and Welsh accents were the fake ones, LOL!

Who's seeing Dear John?

2010-02-04T14:13:00.000-08:00

Eh, not me. Probably because I'm not too crazy about either of the stars. Lainey Gossip had a funny write-up about it here. My favorite lines: "I don’t believe that Amanda Seyfried would fall for him. I don’t buy that she’d be into poorly conjugated verbs." LOL.

It is weird that I am not on board with this movie because "A Walk to Remember" had me in tears and who didn't love "The Notebook"? Let's not forget that that film gave us this wonderful gift:

It's a great song but...

2010-02-02T11:16:00.001-08:00

... I fear I will now always associate "I Gotta Feeling" with that Valentine's Day movie.

And don't get me wrong, I think the movie looks cute and will most likely see it but they are wearing down a great BEP song for me.

The Premiere of LOST: The FINAL Season is Tonight! Are you ready?

2010-02-02T09:35:00.001-08:00

... 'cause I am not.

My problem is that I have missed almost the entire last season, however they are all sitting in my DVR as we speak. Here's the thing - yes, I'm a TV junkie but rarely do I just sit at home and do nothing but watch my TV. Usually I'm also on the computer or doing something else so my attention is never 100% on the show I'm watching. And if you're a Lost fan, you know that you do need 100% attention when watching that show.

Especially last season! I mean when the show first started you had lots of present day and flashbacks. Easy to follow because either they were either dirty or clean, right? (LOL) But then they totally tricked us with that season finale when we thought we were watching flashbacks of Jack when it was totally a flash forward to when they were off the island!!! Ok, WOAH... That was a good one, right???

So then you got some flash forwards and for the most part they were easy to follow. But then last season, they started time traveling!!! Now you've got present day characters hanging with characters when they were children and what not. After a couple of episodes in, I realized I had no idea what was going on so I wouldn't bother to watch the next episodes until I got a grasp of the earlier ones. Which I never did. And that's why they are all sitting on my DVR right now.

I'm excited that the final season of Lost is finally here. It's bittersweet of course, but it will be nice to finally have some answers, right? (Of course, I only started watching around season 3-4, so I probably don't have as many questions as the die hards.) But I am bummed that I can't watch the premiere tonight. Not yet - I've got some Lost homework to do first.

On a related note, an old college friend and author of one of the premiere Lost blogs out there attended the Lost Season 6 premiere party in Oahu over the weekend. She has a post about it here.

P.S. Sorry that this blog has been lacking lately. I tend to tweet my random pop culture-related thoughts. I'm going to try to change that so this will once again be home to my silly ramblings! :)

Want to see how a makeup artist works?

2010-01-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

LOL!!!! Thanks to Ryan Chua Photography for the pics.

Enjoy while you can (until you get dizzy, that is). I may get embarrassed later and take this down. :)

More Makeup Stuff from Audrey

2009-12-27T19:23:00.000-08:00

OK, I'm a bit behind in providing some updates from the makeup-loving side of Audrey. So here we go!

1) A few months ago, I emerged as a budding freelance makeup artist! I have a lot to learn but I've been having so much fun in the meantime.

2) I have lots of new homes on the web in support of my makeup artistry "biz"

- Model Mayhem Profile: Model Mayhem is a really great networking site for photographers, models, hair stylists, makeup artists, etc. I find most of my "gigs" through this site
- Makeup by Audrey: Just my own personal Makeup Artist site. Looks nice, right? :) Made it for free using wix.com
- Facebook Fan Page: It feels weird to say I created myself a fan page but it's basically a more accessible way for my friends to see what I've been up to. I pretty much post all my pics here which includes several that don't make the other websites.

3) In addition to my personal twitter, I also have a separate, public one strictly for makeup talk :)

Follow @makeupaudrey on twitter!

4) And finally, I did another guest post for the Makeup and Beauty Blog. My first post was back in May and I was thrilled to be able to contribute again. Click the pic below for the post!

Hope you guys like the stuff I've been working on!

And now a funny clip of Rob...

2009-11-18T00:47:00.001-08:00

Fun Taylor clip

2009-11-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

Well obviously I'm Team Edward, but I thought this was pretty cute. Plus I found out Taylor is a fan of the Michigan Wolverines. Smart kid!

(Sorry, there's a short ad in the beginning.)

I'm pretty sure he can take him

2009-11-09T21:47:00.000-08:00

Yeah, yeah, back to New Moon. I don't know about you, but I've been eating up all the New Moon press tour footage.

Anyway, as I've mentioned before, I'm really impressed with what they've done with the wolves. But this kind of made me laugh.

Now I'm pretty sure the books imply that if there was an Edward vs. Jacob battle, Edward would win. And I think RPattz confirmed the same in an interview. But looking at the film interpretation... c'mon! Jacob could totally tear apart Edward! How strong and fast could Edward possibly be compared to wolf boy?

Anyway, I am very excited for next Friday.

Making the most of my palette

2009-11-03T22:26:00.001-08:00

So it has come to my attention that perhaps not all of my readers are as anxious as I am for November 20th to get here and actually aren't all that interested in Twilight. (the horror!!!)

And since I did declare this to be both a pop culture and makeup blog, I should talk some makeup, right?

As most of my friends know, I am a MAC addict. Although I am an equal opportunity "product whore" (stole that title from a biz card of another makeup artist), I have a special place in my heart for MAC Cosmetics.

Especially their eye shadows... I have two eyeshadow palettes both completely filled plus a bunch of their other eyeshadow compacts from some of their various collections (I realize this actually isn't that bad compared to most other MAC junkies). I recently picked up three new shadows with no home for them. I could buy a new eyeshadow palette but 1) why spend the $$$ and 2) why add one more thing to lug around in my already busting to the seams makeup bag(s).

Below is my cool/color palette. (The other one has my warm/neutral colors.) As you can see, there is currently no room at the inn.

I decided to copy some of the Youtube makeup people I follow and just take the tray out of my palette like so. It wasn't too tricky, you just have to be careful not to break the whole tray in half when snapping it out.

And voila! Now I have room for my three new shadows plus a whole bunch more :) For now, I organized them by splitting the shimmery shades from the matte ones but I'm sure that will change as I pick up new colors.

As you can tell from the pics, my new additions to my collection are white, yellow, and orange - all mattes. I got them for a look I did today which I am absolutely thrilled with! My best creation to date, if I do say so myself, heehee! See if you can guess what kind of look it was (except for those who are privy to what shoots I have this week!) and I'll reveal a pic in a later post.

Definitely bringing tissues to New Moon

2009-10-22T14:52:00.000-07:00

SPOILER ALERT: The entire break up scene from New Moon

*sniff, sniff* I feel like someone just broke up with me.

And, by the way, the wolves are looking good!!! Definitely more scary and not as cuddly as I thought before.

PLEASE tell me you are watching Glee!!!

2009-09-24T08:33:00.001-07:00

Because if you're not, you are missing out on some laugh out loud television. Last night's episode was a particular winner, as they did a fantastic job with utilizing Beyonce's Single Ladies in a really funny football storyline.

You can check out the final scene here - it is sooooo hilarious! (And adorable)

If you want to cut to the musical number, skip to 2:30. Don't miss Kurt's winning kick - I love the way he prepares for it!

(Nice to see Mike O'Malley guest star as Kurt's dad. My sis and I used to watch his old show "Yes, Dear" as filler TV, i.e. nothing else is on so let's watch this. They had a touching moment when Kurt came out to him.)

Yay for more Edward in the new New Moon trailer

2009-09-11T13:36:00.001-07:00

Updated with full trailer:

So jealous of Ellen...

2009-09-08T17:36:00.001-07:00

Trailers for new seasons of The City and The Hills

2009-09-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

The City

MTV Shows

I love Whitney, I think she is adorable. But I can not stand Olivia! She is so infuriating. And based on this trailer, it looks like she almost gets equal time. What about that cutie Erin? Can't we follow her instead? I can only hope that Olivia gets put in her place by the people at Elle which is the only thing that would redeem her presence this season.

The Hills

The Hills - MTV Shows

Are we supposed to believe that is Kristen's home in the opening shot of the trailer? OK. And who is she smooching in the end?

This could be an interesting season although I think Kristen's antics will probably get on my nerves. You know, the whole creating drama just for the sake of creating drama bit. And Heidi needs rehab? What? And oh Spencer... seriously, what is up with your Urban Cowboy hat?

What do you guys think about these new seasons?

Sephora Candy Color Look

2009-09-03T23:19:00.000-07:00

So... It's been awhile since I've done a makeup look on this blog. I feel my makeup skills are getting a little rusty (out of practice these days) so I'm going to try to do these more often.

There's a look I've been wanting to do for awhile so here it is finally! It is the "Candy Colors" look from the recent Sephora mailer. As soon as I saw it, I thought, ooh I want to try it. I noticed a lot of other Youtube makeup gurus had the same thought. You can see some other really well-done interpretations here and here.

And here's my version. Yes, I cheated and only did half my face. It wasn't intentional. I didn't like the light blue shadow that I originally applied on the first eye so I tried a different one on the other eye. I liked that one better and just kept rolling with it. Plus I didn't go out with this look so why waste that extra makeup, right?

As usual, the eyeshadows are a bit more vibrant in person than in these pics but I'm happy with how these came out.

Here's what I used:

EYES
Too Faced Eye Shadow Insurance
NYX Milk Jumbo Eye Shadow Pencil
MAC Steamy e/s (blue-ish color, applied with Shroom on top to make it more pastel)
Urban Decay Ransom e/s (purple)
MAC Shroom e/s
MAC Brule e/s - under brow
Bobbi Brown Black Ink gel eyeliner
MAC Spiked eyebrow pencil
Andrea Modlash #33

FACE
Mary Kay medium coverage foundation in Beige 400
MAC Stark Naked blush

LIPS
MAC Subculture lip pencil
MAC Angel lipstick
MAC Love Nectar lustreglass

The correct translation is...

2009-08-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

Oh... Jacob's last line was actually "DON'T get me upset." Oooh... scary... kinda like the Incredible Hulk (whose TV transformation scared me to death when I was a kid.)

This will probably get taken down, too. Oh well.

80's style fashion...

2009-08-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

I recently read some nice John Hughes remembrance pieces on Entertainment Weekly online and this one specifically interested me.

It was written by Lea Thompson talking about her time working with Hughes on the film, "Some Kind of Wonderful". (Click the picture for full article.)

Her commentary was interesting, but my eye specifically caught on the picture. See her button up shirt accented with the very decorative pin? I used to do that. Yep. I can't remember if this was common but I definitely know I was into that look.

Here's proof. This is me, circa 1989:

Yes, I know this is a horrible photo of me blowing out my birthday candles but it was the only one I could find of me sporting my brooch fashion statement.

Often I'm embarrassed by things I've wore in the past (whether it's years ago or last month), but how bad can this be if Miss Amanda Jones wore the same look?

On a side note, around this time, I think I also liked wearing suspenders. I think it was a Debbie Gibson influence. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), I can't find any pics to prove that.

What crazy things did you wear in the 80s?

Updated New Moon Trailer - in French!!!

2009-08-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

OK, before I begin, yes, I know I am way too old to be this obsessed with Twilight. Just wanted to get that out there.

So I don't know if this is the new trailer they are planning to show this weekend, but it looks like the French already got an updated version and let me tell you - it is good!!! Click here for the video (scroll down) and here for the French translations. Keep in mind, some of the comments are actually made by Taylor in an interview form. (Note: It's possible the video might be taken down as the original version I had linked has already been removed.)

(Another video and translation is here.)

UPDATE: This version has subtitles.

Now there are a lot of blink-and-miss-it moments (I know, b/c I missed several in the first viewing) so as a favor to all of you (and myself!), I took some screencaps of some of the new things you can expect to see in this trailer, such as...

Some closeups of that kiss in Italy

The Wolf Pack

Jane

The Volturi

Drowning

Victoria

Edward vs the Volturi

And if all you really want to see is that kiss, someone already turned it into an animated gif! Hopefully this doesn't make your eyes go cross-eyed.

Kathy Griffin and Levi Johnston??? WTH!

2009-08-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

So I tweeted about this last night, but if any of you wanted to see the awkwardness that I was referring to, here you go:

I know most people can't stand Kathy Griffin, but I'll admit it - I think she's hilarious. And I find it funny when she pretends to come on to these guys. (Did any of you watch last season when she went on a series of set up dates with a wide range of characters, most notably Nick Carter and Ron Jeremy!!!) Although I really don't understand why Levi would go along with this. I mean, he just looks like an idiot.

Urban Decay is having their 30% off sale again

2009-08-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

August 10th through 20th, save 30% on all of your favorite Urban Decay products. Just use coupon code FNFF1 at checkout at urbandecay.com.

Not sure what to get? Check out Audrey's Favorite Urban Decay Products.

New Teaser Trailer for New Moon

2009-08-11T08:42:00.001-07:00

Kristen Stewart looks really pretty in this new teaser trailer. And Taylor Lautner looks even more ripped here - geesh! He's just a teenager???

And although I liked the indie look of Twilight, I'm getting excited to see the more polished version of New Moon.

On a related note, I refuse to sit through Bandslam to see the new extended New Moon trailer. Yes, I know it's surprising, but there are actually some cheesy teen flicks that even I won't spend my $$$ on.

You know it will all be on Youtube later anyway. I personally enjoy the bootleg videos since those have the added entertainment of the screaming and squealing of the camera operator and her nearby friends. Makes me feel less like a tool when I am screaming and squealing while watching it from the comfort of my home.

Five Minute Face

2009-08-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

How long does it take you to do your makeup? I know I definitely cannot do 5 minutes. Maybe if I skip the eyeliner part because that seems to take the longest.

This YouTuber, Emily, decided to take on the 5 minute challenge based on a book by Carmindy from "What Not to Wear". What I found even more impressive was that she managed to convince her boyfriend to participate in helping her with this challenge. What a man!

As a side note, Emily is a local newscaster which she alludes to in her video.

Can you guys do the 5 minute face? I might try it but if I do, I might replace the highlighter step with filling in my brows. That's usually something I do everyday.

(500) Days of Summer - See it!

2009-08-02T23:59:00.000-07:00

I really loved the film (500) Days of Summer. It's one of those quirky kind of romance films but as the film's narrator states in the beginning, "This is not a love story."

Well, there are definitely romantic moments and a lot of humorous moments as well. The film has an indie feel to it and uses a lot of different styles in telling this story, kind of like the movie, "Amelie". The main character is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who was such a cutie in "10 Things I Hate about You").

You know what else I loved? Zooey Deschanel's wardrobe! In general, she looks beautiful throughout the entire film but her clothing especially has such a fun, classic retro style. Maybe 50's era? She's so cute.

And the music soundtrack is really good, too. Well, with the exception of the humorous use of Patrick Swayze's song, "She's Like the Wind".

Check it out - it's a fun summer film!

Friday night look

2009-08-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

Random, insignificant comment - sometimes, I like to match my eyeshadow with my accessories.

OK, this was the first time I did it.

And I liked it.

Yay for crazy bright colors! I think it was actually more obnoxious in person. This pic was taken at the end of the night.

The main color is Steamy from MAC and was part of my loot from the recent 25% off sale.

Twilight Drama! The Re-Casting of Victoria

2009-07-30T00:23:00.000-07:00

I'm still in shock that Summit suddenly decided to re-cast Victoria right before production is supposed to begin.

After reading all the press releases / statements regarding this huge change, I can sort of understand both sides... it's all a huge bummer, though.

I know there are some petition efforts going on to bring back Rachelle Lefevre but it sounds like Summit is PISSED so I doubt she'll be re-hired.

And to be honest, I wasn't all that impressed with her performance in Twilight. When I first saw the movie, she was one of the main casting choices that I wasn't crazy about. I didn't find her as scary or intimidating like I did with Cam Gigandet (James).

But from what I can tell from interviews and Twitter, she seems like a really sweet person that is very dedicated to the Twilight fans and to the films. And now not only was she booted from this role, now she has to deal with this big old mess.

Of course, I also feel bad for Bryce Dallas Howard (the new Victoria). She's probably thinking, "What the &*( did I get myself into?" I don't think I've seen any of her films but hopefully she will do a great job in Eclipse.

Anyway, just my random thoughts... were you guys as shocked as I was?

Foodie Report: Citizen Cake Patisserie and Bouchon Bakery

2009-07-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

If you follow my blogs, you know I'm a big fan of TV, makeup, and running. You know what else I love? Baked goods! I am a sweet tooth freak. Cookies are my favorite with cupcakes being a close second.

So I'm going to do a slightly different post this time with my very first Foodie Report.

While my friend Pam (remember her from the smokey eye look?) was in town, we visited some amazing bakeries and they were both delicious experiences!

First stop:

Citizen Cake Patisserie
San Francisco, CA
Chef Elizabeth Falkner

We were both familiar with this place from Chef Faulkner's appearances on the foodie shows. Most recently, Pam and I caught her on an episode of Top Chef Master's.

On a side note, the first time I visited Citizen Cake was with my friend Kirby where we had cupcakes and coffee at the bar. Chef Faulkner made an appearance while we were there - with a camera crew! I think they may have been shooting background footage for the Top Chef show. Just a guess. Alas, we did not make the final cut.

Anyway, check out our feast! We shared two delicious cupcakes with our Cafe Au Laits.

Signature cupcake:

Rocky Road cupcake:

Both were very yummy but I think we agreed that the chocolate cake in the Signature Cupcake was better - more rich and moist, I think. Although the marshmallows in the Rocky Road cupcake were heavenly, as well.

Later that weekend, we found ourselves in wine country and through Pam's clever research, we discovered this place.

Bouchon Bakery
Yountville, CA (near Napa)
Chef Thomas Keller

Now I won't pretend to have known who Thomas Keller is, however I had heard of his fancy schmancy restaurant, The French Laundry. So naturally we were excited to go to one of his places that we could actually get into - haha.

It's a cute place however no seating area inside. I felt like a kid in the candy store though... everything looked so wonderful and I just couldn't choose. I just randomly started picking out things when it was my turn to order.

Some of my goodies: Hazelnut Macaron, Madeleine, TKO (which I think stands for Thomas Keller Oreo)

And an eclair!

The TKO seemed to be a popular treat as I overheard a lot of other customers order it as well. I thought it was just OK. It was kind of dry, which I suppose is like an Oreo. The Madeleine was also good but I think I actually prefer the much lighter kinds you get in those 3-packs from Starbucks. (Is that blasphemy?) The hazelnut macaron and the eclair were my favorites - just perfect!

I loved both places - check them out if you are in the area!

My thoughts SYTYCD's 100th episode (inc Katie Holmes performance)

2009-07-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

Like many others, I was left with sort of an "eh?" reaction after seeing the long-awaited Katie Holmes performance. I mean, she looked fabulous BUT compared to the dancing we are used to seeing on the show, her performance was just OK in my book. But I blame a lot of the "Katie backlash" on the show because they teased her performance way too much. I actually wasn't expecting much anyway because when I heard she was doing Judy Garland's "Get Happy" routine, I looked it up to see what it was like.

You can see it below, but basically Katie's rendition was pretty faithful to it. Judy's version also featured her doing a lot of prancing around with most of the real dancing being done by the dudes.

So actually when compared to the original, Katie's version is a bit more flashier.

But yeah, I guess most of the fans were quick to diss her and Nigel himself finally got fed up and reprimanded them via Twitter (@dizzyfeet).

In general, I think they teased this show too much overall. I was expecting it to almost be like the Idol Gives Back special. Yes, I loved seeing that Ramalama routine - especially with Wade Robson joining them (how amazing was he!!!) - but it left me wishing for more. I wished they did one of the Ivan and Allison routines or one of the Benji and Donyelle routines. I also would have loved if they interviewed past contestants so we could learn what they've done since the show and stuff.

What did you guys think about the show?

Kelly's New Video

2009-07-26T20:24:00.001-07:00

Kelly Clarkson looks so beautiful in her new video for "Already Gone"! Love the glamour/retro beauty look she is sporting here. I actually just downloaded this song recently. I was watching the SYTYCD results show and I really like the song they use for the eliminated girl's goodbye song and I was so surprised to learn it was a song from my girl Kelly!

Update: OK, I just read the article about how "Already Gone" and Beyonce's "Halo" use the same track. I had downloaded both recently and never even picked up on that! They do sound very similar but it's interesting how the overall songs have such different feels. Weird!

Sooo excited for New Moon now!

2009-07-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

After seeing the two new clips for New Moon, I am super excited for the film to come out in November. Ok, I always have been but I was left with kind of an "eh" reaction when I first saw the teaser trailer. These two new clips were really well done and I think the film is going to be amazing!

I added clip descriptions courtest of Rotten Tomatoes. What do you guys think? Chris obviously knew what clips would get the fans most excited since we got a Jacob ab shot in one and an Edward ab shot in the other. (Of course, one might be more airbrushed than the other, but whatever!)

Clip 1

Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) and Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) are bent over an antique light blue motorcycle. Jacob wears jeans, a brown t-shirt, and his hair is long. As Bella sits on the motorcycle, Jacob guides her hands (touching!) over the handles. "Brake. Clutch. Gas," he reminds her. Bella revs the engine. "Slowly release the clutch," says Jacob.

Suddenly, Bella sees the translucent apparition of Edward, a concerned look on his face, standing in front of her. We can see him, but also see through him. Bella takes off on the bike.

As she zooms down the road, Bella gains speed. She zooms by another apparition of Edward, standing in her path. She speeds by another. Losing focus, Bella swerves and falls from the bike, hitting her head on a rock.

Jacob speeds over to Bella on his own bike, coming to a stop with a flourish. He hops off the bike and rushes to Bella's side. She is bewildered, and blood gushes from a gash on her forehead.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Jacob asks. Bella apologizes for the blood, but it doesn't bother Jacob.

He takes a step back, the camera following his every move. Jacob strips off his shirt, revealing a six-pack, and bends down to dab Bella's wound with it. Their faces come very close.

"You're so (sorta?) beautiful," she tells him. Emotion flashes across his face.

Clip 2

Alice and Bella are winding through the streets of Volterra, slowed by massive crowds of townspeople in red robes, celebrating the festival. Bella jumps out of the car.

"You're the only one he can't see. He'll be under the clock tower. Go!" says Alice.

Bella races through the crowded city. We see her at times in slow motion.

She fights her way through the crowd, stopping at the fountain in the middle of the square. In slow motion, she looks up to see Edward, slowly unbuttoning his shirt just moments away from revealing himself in the sunlight. He opens his shirt to expose his pale chest.

Bella screams out to Edward. "Stop! Stop! No Edward, don't!"

He takes a step forward.

Aren't you guys dying for November already???

New Moon Comic-Con Panel: If you can't be in SD...

2009-07-24T00:08:00.000-07:00

Although I would have loved to have been in San Diego today, this will have to do...

(This is all that was posted at the time of this blog entry, you can check their YouTube channel page for any updates.)

Although no obvious "Robsten" sparks, there were still a lot of cute moments. I particularly liked how warm and witty Chris appeared to be which goes along with what has been said about him by the cast. He seems to be somewhat of a "father figure" with these young actors and it was quite endearing. I also liked that he played along with Rob's heartthrob appeal, for example when he discussed all the challenging stunt work that Taylor had to do and then adding at the end that Rob also did a good job of standing there looking good.

Let me know what you thought about all of the CC coverage. It made for quite an entertaining Thursday!

Also, what do you think about the random tie-ins? i.e. the Nordstrom clothing line, the Hallmark paper products (i.e. New Moon-themed paper plates and napkins), the Burger King Team Edward and Team Jacob crowns, etc.

Friend Makeover Time: Smokey Eye Look

2009-07-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

My good friend Pam has been in town this weekend and she mentioned that she loves the smokey eye look that Gwyneth Paltrow wears. She agreed to play guinea pig and let me try to recreate the look on her!

Here's the inspiration pic:

And here's my interpretation with "before" and "after" pics:

Doesn't she look fab? I tried to keep the smokey/smudginess to a minimum so I didn't scare her. (heehee) Pam also said she preferred a nude lip vs the pinkish one that Gwyneth wears.

Here's what I used:

EYES
MAC Blackground paintpot
MAC Gorgeous e/s (from 2008 Smokey Eye Holiday palette) - lid
MAC Carbon e/s - crease
MAC Shroom e/s - highlight and inner tear duct
MAC Smolder eye kohl - lower lash line
Bobbi Brown Black Ink gel eyeliner - upper lash line
MAC Cork e/s - brows
Loreal Voluminous mascara

FACE
Mary Kay medium coverage foundation in Ivory 104
MAC Stark Naked blush

LIPS
MAC Love Nectar lustreglass

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for letting me play, Pam! :)

Hopefully I will be posting more makeover looks soon...

All About Eyeliners

2009-07-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

Eyeliners... I personally think it's the trickiest thing to apply when it comes to makeup but also makes the biggest dramatic impact from looking dull and bleh to polished and well, awake! :P

If you're looking for some helpful tips, here's a great video by YouTuber MakeupbyTiffanyD that breaks it all down for you from using pencil eyeliners to liquid liners to gel and cream-based liners. (In general, I'm a big fan of all of her make-up videos so if you like this, you can see more on her YouTube channel.)

For my upper lashline, I personally like using the gel and cream-based liners and I bounce around between ones from Bobbi Brown, MAC, and Clinique. I think I like the ones from Bobbi Brown the best because they seem to glide on easier and are rich in color. (They're also the most expensive, too, unfortunately.) As for brushes, I used to use the MAC 266 angled eyeliner brush but am now using a teardrop paint brush I got from Michael's for $3-4. I haven't tried the bent brush like the one used in the video so I may give that a try as well.

For my lower lashline, I always use a pencil eyeliner, typically one of the MAC Powerpoint pencils but I like the ones from Urban Decay as well.

What are your favorite eyeliner techniques?

My MAC F&F Order!

2009-06-25T23:03:00.000-07:00

Remember that MAC 25% off sale? Well, my order arrived today! Look at all the fun stuff I got:

I got a couple of lipsticks, a blush, a mascara, another 239 brush, and a whole bunch of eyeshadows! (Can you tell eyeshadow is my favorite?) I'm excited because I got a good mix of both neutrals as well as bold colors. I'm most excited to try out Steamy (the bluish one) and Sumptious Olive. If I come up with any good looks with my new purchases, I'll post them here.

SYTYCD: Thoughts on Top 16

2009-06-25T00:25:00.000-07:00

This is for you Alisa!

I thought tonight's performance was definitely a step up from last week's dudfest where I struggled to pick any favorites. If you follow me on Twitter, you already know that I am not a fan of Toni Basil as a SYTYCD judge. She rambles on and on and none of her commentary is interesting or entertaining. I miss Adam Shankman, however, he won't be back to SYTYCD until the finale per his tweets.

Anyway, out of the 8 performances, here are my top 3 favorites:

1) Phillip and Jeannine - Broadway by Tyce Diorio

I am always a fan of the Broadway routines and this one was super cute. Nigel was somewhat harsh with Phillip, but come on! He leaped (leapt?) a 6ft couch *and* ripped his pants on national TV!

(Audio disabled - let me know if you have a better link)

2) Randi and Evan - Contemporary by Mia Michaels

The butt dance... very slinky and smooth and sensual... different and fun! And I have to say, Randi is really growing on me - she's really fun to watch.

3) Janette and Brandon - Hip Hop by Dave Scott

This was a toughie... I also liked the Rumba but ultimately Brandon won me over with his hip hop skills! You would never have known that was not his traditional background.

Honorable Mentions:

Melissa and Ade - Rumba by Tony Meredith
I also liked them because I love the Destiny's Child version of Emotion, heehee
Kayla and Kupono - Viennese Waltz by Jean Marc Generaux
Side note: I love Jean Marc, he always cracks me up in rehearsal footage
Caitlin and Jason - Paso Doble by Jean Marc Genereaux
I was surprised Jason got the harsher critiques as I didn't feel Caitlin danced it as "sharp" as he did

So that means my bottom two are:

Karla and Jonathan - Hip Hop by Dave Scott
Auska and Vitolia - Jazz by Mandy Moore

My guess is that Jonathan will go home for the guys but it's a toss up between Karla and Auska for the girl.

What did you guys think about the show?

This cat just kills me!

2009-06-24T23:11:00.001-07:00

OK, kind of random... but this cat just cracks me up! He/she is so playful *and* chubby, a great combination, haha.

Whenever I see this, I laugh out loud:

See more of Maru's adventures here.

Heehee - Pranks on Twitter

2009-06-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

Saw this on Ashton Kutcher's twitter...

the best prank ever - Watch more Funny Videos

I was literally laughing out loud when watching this, but part of me was thinking... geesh, these guys are kinda creepy! Luckily, they only pranked men. If that was me, I would have been crying for my life!

Anyway, are you on Twitter? If so, follow me!

(FYI - I have to approve all requests first.)

MAC Friends & Family Online Sale ends today!

2009-06-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of the MAC Friends and Family sale - 25% off everything, online only, with the exception of the Viva Glam products.

Offer code is SAVE25 with free shipping of orders of $60 or more.

Not surprisingly, I went a little crazy with this sale, despite the fact that I definitely do NOT need any more of this stuff. But I can't resist a good sale!!! Ah well...

This info is a little late, but if you were thinking about getting some stuff, here are some suggestions below. These are some of my favorite neutral shades that should go with anyone's coloring.

Audrey's MAC Picks

Eyeshadows:

These were actually the first MAC eyeshadows I bought and I often see these on other people's "must have" lists. I typically wear Shroom & Satin Taupe together and Ricepaper & Woodwinked together but you can always mix them up. And if you want it more dramatic or more of an evening look, I'd add some Carbon in the outer corner. You could also use Carbon with a liner brush to line your eyes instead of eyeliner.

I also prefer buying pans vs pots - pots on the left, pans on the right.

Then I would just buy a palette to store the pans and I find that easier to manage and tote around. Plus it's more economical. A pot eyeshadow is $14.50 and a pan eyeshadow is $11. A x4 palette is $3.50, so a pot eyeshadow is the same price of a pan e/s + the x4 palette and you'd still have room for three more pan eyeshadows. If you think you'll be collecting more, there's also a x15 palette.

Lip stuff:

Bare slimshine lipstick

Love Nectar lustreglass (like a lip gloss)

I'd also recommend the Viva Glam V lipstick but that is not included in the sale, but still worth checking out.

Brushes:

These are my two favorite eyeshadow brushes.

The MAC 239 brush is a flat shader brush and is really great for packing on color on the lids. Because it's thin, you can also use the edge to line your eyes with shadow.

The 217 is more of a fluffy brush and is good for putting color in the crease or the corner and just blending out the color for a softer look. You can use it with either creams or powders so I have one just for eyeshadows and one that I use to blend out my concealer.

OK, those are my main recommendations for now... do you guys have your own favorites? Please share!

The Return of So You Think You Can Dance

2009-06-11T10:27:00.000-07:00

YAY! I'm so happy that So You Think You Can Dance is back on the air. I always look forward to the end of American Idol for this reason alone, haha.

The Top 20 had their first performance show last night... loved it! So great to see all those familiar faces again. Plus Adam Shankman is one of my favorite guest judges.

Here are my favorite performances of the night:

Jeanine & Philip: Ne-Yo / Tabitha and Napoleon piece
I *love* Tabitha and Napoleon's choreography... this had a similar feel to their "No Air" and "Bleeding Love" routines, hip hop with a storyline. It was awesome to see Phillip in his element in a choreographed piece and he and Jeanine both did such a great job. The choreography seemed so intricate!

Caitlin & Jason: Bollywood / Jai Ho
Nice to see they brought Bollywood back this season. I can't imagine them ever going wrong with this style since the costumes alone are always so gorgeous. Great piece!

Ashley & Kupono: Crash Test Dummy / Wade Robson piece
Sometimes Wade Robson routines are hit or miss for me but I really liked this one. Their movements were so fluid and you really believed they were crash test dummies!

Melissa & Ade: Right Here Waiting / Mandy Moore piece
This one is really beautiful and romantic.

All in all, it was a great show. It will be interesting to see which ones get the boot tonight. I'll guess Paris and Tony for now.

And how crazy was it that Louis Van Amstel is now choreographing for the show? I'm used to seeing SYTYCD alums on DWTS but not vice versa. I'll be honest, he was one of my least favorite professionals on that show, but I liked what he brought to the show tonight. I know everyone was raving about that final samba number. It was good, definitely, but not one that I wanted to watch again.

Which ones were your favorite? Who do you think will get voted off tonight?

Loving The Cosmetics Company Store...

2009-06-04T16:58:00.000-07:00

If you've been following my blog, you'll know that my interest in make-up started with watching YouTube make-up videos (tutorials, reviews, hauls, etc). That's pretty much where I learn everything (for good and for bad) and one of my favorite discoveries through YouTube is this wonderful place called The Cosmetics Company Store. (I'd link a website, but they don't appear to have one.)

This is a chain located at various shopping outlets. (You can find all their locations here.) I guess they primarily sell the Estee Lauder line which includes not only Estee Lauder but their other brands like Clinique, Prescriptives, Bobbi Brown, and my personal favorite - MAC!!!

The beauty of this place is that not only do they sell discounted makeup but they all sell discontinued products as well. And since MAC has so many collections that include limited edition products, you can really score at these stores. They also sell some of their permanent products. I typically only purchase the MAC stuff and from what I can tell, they are usually priced at about a 30% discount (awesome, right?).

Below is picture of a portion of the MAC display at the CCS in Maryland. This is just a small portion - they also had a whole wall rack of their skin, eye, and cheek products. But check out all those palettes on the bottom shelf - those are from past collections that aren't available at stores today.

The offerings vary from store to store. The one near me doesn't really have too much compared to the ones I went to in Las Vegas and Maryland.

Here are the fun MAC products that I got in the Las Vegas CCS:

Sweet & Nice Tendertone (Limited Edition, came out in June 2008)
Love Nectar Lipglass (Permanent)
Dipdown Fluidline (Permanent)
Fafi Eyes 1 Quad (Limited Edition, came out in February 2008)

I was excited to get this quad because all the colors are pretty plus I've been meaning to buy Vanilla as a standalone eye shadow anyway. Here are all the colors included:

Top Row (L-R)
- Pink Venus: Washed pink (lustre)
- Vanilla: Soft pale-peachy-ivory flecked with shimmer (velvet)
Bottom Row (L-R)
- Hey: Neutral tan with white pearl (veluxe pearl)
- Howzat: Deep grey with silver sparkle (satin)

I couldn't wait to try it out so here's a look I did using all the colors.

I wore Hey on the inner third of the lid, Pink Venus on the remainder of the lid. Howzat in the outer V and Vanilla as the highlight color under the browbone.

I later went to a CCS in Maryland and bought a couple of eye shadow brushes that are part of the permanent collection. I totally do not need them but I have some weird addiction with collecting MAC brushes. That's why I absolutely love these discounts!

Next time you're outlet shopping, make sure to look for The Cosmetics Company Store!

New Moon Trailer / Best Kiss Award - Discuss!!!

2009-05-31T19:48:00.001-07:00

Finally! I don't know about you, but I was dying to check out the trailer for New Moon. I never watch the MTV Movie Awards but since this was the year of Twilight, of course I had to tune in.

I got a good laugh out of the Andy Samberg spoof but here's the real thing...

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON trailer in HD

Thoughts below...

...

...

...

...

OK, first thought: AH! I WANT MORE!!! Beyond that... I liked it. I didn't love it, but I liked it. Given they just finished production last week, this was more of a teaser trailer, right? Like when you compare it with Twilight's official trailer, you really got an overall feel for that film. I still don't know what to expect with Chris Weitz's direction.

Maybe part of me doesn't like change. I kind of missed the indie/eerie feel of Catherine Hardwicke's version. New Moon looks a little more "commercial" and maybe is missing some of the coolness factor? (if that even makes sense)

Other random thoughts:

Is it just me or did they intentionally make Bella a lot darker than the Cullens compared to the first film?
Loved that we got to see an Edward/Bella smooch, but the way she raised her eyebrow in asking for it set off my "cheese" alarm (and I adore Edward/Bella smooches!)
I miss the Cullen Oregon home from Twilight! I don't like this new setting (see? I'm not comfortable with change). It just feels stuffier to me. Plus the clip seems to be missing the Cullen family chemistry that we got in the first film
Liked the special effects with the Jasper attacking / Edward defending / Bella flying scene (poor Jasper - they just can't give him a decent hairdo, can they?)
I hope they're saving the really emotional heart-wrenching bits of the breakup forest scene, because the ones they showed weren't that painful
Oooh, Laurent... very creepy!
Nice gratuitous half naked shot of Jacob which seems to be out of sequence of the scene showing Jacob running to save Bella (i.e. they just shoved that scene in there to get Team Jacob all hot and bothered. I still firmly remain with Team Edward. For now.)
I loved how they showed the transformation of Jacob into a wolf but... um... didn't the wolf look kind of cute and cuddly? Or is that just me?

I wish they could have used their footage from last week for the trailer... but I guess that would spoil the big ending. Oh well, we can just savor this for now...

OK, on to the MTV movie awards... on a side note, who thought that Eminem/Bruno bit was staged? Looked pretty real to me. I find them both annoying so whatevs.

Anyway, in addition to the New Moon trailer, I also was anxious to see the Best Kiss award because hello - of course Robsten had that in the bag! I actually thought they would just accept the award and run off stage but I loved that they actually planned a funny bit. Don't know if the video will work since I know MTV is notorious for taking their content off YouTube so I posted some pics as well. It was basically a cute fake out.

By the way, I love when Kristen Stewart combines dresses with sneakers. I think it's cute on her and it reminds me of last year's Vanity Fair shoot. I also think its cute that she dropped her award, heehee.

Let me know what you thought of the trailer and/or the Movie Awards!

Movie Review: Night at the Museum - Battle of the Smithsonian

2009-05-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

OK,now I have all that shirtless Rob mayhem out of my system (sort of), I can get back to blogging about other stuff... movie review time!

Last night, my sister and I saw Night at the Museum - Battle of the Smithsonian. It was cute and certainly had its funny moments but it ultimately reminded me of what I thought about the first one. Which is that it basically has a funny "schtick" (museum exhibits coming to life) but beyond that... there's not much of a plot that I really cared about. It kind of felt like an episode of Saturday Night Live... where you had some funny bits and some not-so-funny bits and I kind of got antsy just waiting for the whole thing to be over.

The whole gang from New York's Museum of Natural History is back but get transferred to the Smithsonian in DC. Now this was a part I actually enjoyed as I just got back from a weekend trip to DC where I had visited two of the Smithsonian museums myself. I wish I had seen this movie before I went because I probably would have made a bigger effort to see more of the museums while I was there. (Side note: Did you know admission to all the Smithsonian museums is free??? Love it!!!)

We got to see a bunch of new characters from the Smithsonian exhibits so it was fun to see so many new familiar faces. Besides the prominent actors like Hank Azaria, Amy Adams, and Christopher Guest there were a bunch of fun cameos. If you're an NBC fan, you'll really enjoy this movie. Off the top of my head, I spotted Kelly, Darryl, and Andy from The Office, Toofer from 30 Rock, and Bill Nader from SNL. My sister spotted a clever cameo of the Jonas brothers.

This movie is definitely targeted to kid humor but I think adults will find it funny, too. Parts of it anyway. I had to laugh at a lot of the moments just because they were so silly and ridiculous. One example - two monkeys being directed by an Einstein bobblehead to slap around one of Al Capone's men.

I guess I'd recommend... even though there were times I almost fell asleep. There is enough funny moments to make it worth it. OK, sorry, for not giving the most glowing review - haha.

But here's the trailer - you can decide for yourself. There are definitely some funny moments not spoiled in this.

Shirtless in Italy...

2009-05-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

GAH!!! November cannot come soon enough!!!! Check out the rest of the hawtness here.

UPDATE: Even better pics here!

UPDATE #2: Until November, this will do...

King LeBron

2009-05-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

Dude... even a sports-illiterate chick like me knew last night's Cavs-Magic game 2 was an amazing one.

With *one* second left on the clock, Magic was leading 95-93. Keep in mind, Magic already won game 1. And that Cleveland had swept its series with both the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks prior to facing Orlando.

And then this happens...

AMAZING!!! Would have loved to have been at the Q last night.

(If I messed up any of the above, let me know. I blog TV and make-up, not sports, haha!)

Guest Blogging on Makeup and Beauty Blog!

2009-05-20T19:53:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite beauty websites is Makeup and Beauty Blog. The blog author, Karen (a very cool chick), is currently vacationing in Hawaii (jealous!) so she graciously allowed me to do a guest post on her blog while she soaks up the sun.

Check out my post here!

Cute Casting in The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

2009-05-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

Just saw The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. Quick review - it's cute! I'd recommend... Maybe more of a rental but if you're in the mood for a chick flick, this one won't disappoint. I'll be honest, the #1 reason I wanted to see this is Jennifer Garner and she was as adorable as always. Matthew McConaughey was entertaining as well but he's just doing his same old "player" schtick. There are lots of other familiar faces in this movie as well - Michael Douglas was especially funny as the "original" playa!

As you probably can figure out, this is yet another take on "A Christmas Carol" and it has its cute moments.

During the "past" moments, we got to see younger versions of both Jennifer's and Matthew's characters. I thought the teenage version of Jennifer looked familiar - a quick check on imdb.com confirmed that they used the same actress that played young Jennifer Garner / Jenna Rink in "13 Going on 30". Isn't that so cute?

The Real New Moon Poster - thoughts?

2009-05-18T22:17:00.000-07:00

Ok... so apparently, this is the official movie poster for New Moon.

Obviously, this is borrowed from spunk-ransom.com.

Although I like how it portrays the Edward-Bella-Jacob triangle, I'm not crazy about it. As I mentioned to my sister, it looks like the cover of some cheesy high school romance novel! To which my sister responded, ummm... isn't that what it is?

OK, fine. But c'mon, this definitely doesn't bring on the excitement like that super awesome fan-made poster. Rawr!!!

Grading the two...

Summit poster: B-
Fan-made poster: A

What do you guys think?

P.S. I never watch the MTV Movie Awards but I am totally tuning in this year to see the Twilight kids and see the first New Moon clips!!! I think it airs on May 31st.

Another Youtube inspired look...

2009-05-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

So I decided to try a new look that I caught in a Youtube makeup tutorial since I had most of the colors used. Here's the tutorial:

And here's my take on it. Mine is a little more toned down since I was just looking for a more daytime wearable look. For example, I normally don't wear any shadow or liner on my lower lashline during the day (mostly because I'm lazy - haha).

I really like this look! Normally, I wear shimmery/frosty eye shadows on my lid and this look is mostly matte. It's subtle but pretty. I also really like using Texture (described as peachy-brown with light shimmer) as a crease color because it gives it a really natural look. Overall, all the colors are relatively neutral so I think this would work well as an every day look.

Here's everything I used...

FACE
bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation in Medium Beige
MAC Stark Naked Blush (instead of Gentle)

EYES
MAC Yogurt e/s (instead of Rose Blanc)
MAC Shale e/s
MAC Texture e/s
MAC Sketch e/s
Bobbi Brown Black Ink Gel eyeliner
MAC Carbon e/s (on top of eyeliner)
MAC Cork e/s (brows)
Maybelline Full & Soft mascara

LIPS
NYX Thalia lipstick
MAC Love Nectar Lustreglass

The Cullen Boys

2009-05-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

I saw this on NessasaryMakeup... totally cracks me up!

Your Guide to Everything MAC Make-up

2009-05-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

Photo from Temptalia.com

One of my favorite beauty sites, Temptalia, just compiled an awesome collection of info on anything you could possibly want to know about MAC make-up.

Check out Your Guide to Everything MAC Make-up!

Find out things like:

MAC Cosmetics 101
Must Have MAC glosses, eyeshadows, face products, etc
Swatches of products
Info on upcoming collections

Good site to bookmark!

I love Jim and Pam

2009-05-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

Finally got the chance to catch the season finale of The Office (catch it below if you missed it as well).

Loved the episode! I always enjoy the ones where they throw in all the extra crazy characters. This time we got to see the return of Charles, Holly, and my personal fave - David Wallace. I don't know why - but I always get the warm and fuzzies whenever he makes a guest appearance. Actually, I do know why. I once read online that he had given up acting to pursue a career in finance as a stock broker. Casting remembered him and convinced him to return to acting to play the role of David Wallace. He still works full time as a stock broker and just does The Office as a side job which I think is so cool! Plus he's the one "straight" guy on the show so it's funny to see him interact with this zoo of characters. (Even though he makes some really questionable decisions... like confiding in Michael which branch was going to be closed? Come on, David!)

And I have to say, the new receptionist Erin is really growing on me!

I was happy to see that once again we were given a super sweet Jim and Pam moment. Those two are so great together! If you haven't seen it, I won't spoil it... but it happens in the very end of the episode. I love how there was no sound when they were communicating with each other but you still felt all the emotions that they were conveying!

Real Housewives of NYC - Over already?!

2009-05-06T00:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the season finale of Season 2 of Real Housewives of New York City. So sad... I think they are my favorite cast.

Jill and Bethenny are definitely my favorites, but I will miss the rest of the crazy gang. I mean, seriously, where else will you see "straight" men proudly display fashion like this below?

Even better in action:

Luckily, Bravo still has the reunion special (which is *always* good TV) and goes straight into the Real Housewives of New Jersey. Have you seen the commercials? It seems very Soprano-esque.

EW's Mandi Bierly strikes again!

2009-05-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

This time my favorite EW columnist breaks down RPattz's recent interview with Moviefone.

Robert Pattinson on nudity, his future career, and not knowing what day the 'Twilight' DVD was released (?!)

She's funny. I also personally enjoy self-deprecating humor from celebrities... it's refreshing!

FAIL!

2009-05-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, I don't get the fail reference... I mean, I understand it but where did it come from? I've been hearing it everywhere lately (ex. "Who said Greek was a bad TV show? FAIL!") - was it in some movie that I missed or something?

AI vs SYTYCD

2009-04-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

Interesting that I *loathe* the American Idol group performances about as much as I absolutely *love* the So You Think You Can Dance group performances.

(Although I would love to be in a dance studio learning from Paula Abdul. She may be crazy but I love her choreography from her old videos back in the day!)

Urban Decay sale - 30% off

2009-04-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

Ooh... this is a good one, you guys! UrbanDecay.com is having a Friends and Family sale (30% off) from April 6-17th using code FNFS9.

It looks like they have a bunch of other promotions going on as well - free shipping for orders over $50 and free lipstick sample for orders over $35.

Not sure what to get? Here are some of my favorite UD products:

Deluxe Shadow Box, $38

See my full review here.

Eyeshadow Ammo Shadow Box, $36

I like this palette a lot as well... the only thing I don't like is that 4 out of the 10 shadows have that chunky glitter that I can't stand! (I just hate having that glitter fall out on your face that you can't remove. What's worse is when you get the glitter everywhere else as well!)

Eyeshadow Primer Potion, $17

This seems to be a staple for a lot of people. I personally firmly believe in using an eyeshadow base (click here for why) and this one works great. Although cool looking, some people complain about the packaging because the wand applicator can't reach all the product in the bottle. Unless you cut it open and scoop it out, you end up wasting a lot of product. Another popular alternative is Too Faced Shadow Insurance which comes in a tube. As a side note, I have heard UDPP is better for those with oily lids - although I think I have oily lids and I don't really notice a difference between that and TFSI.

24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Travel Set, $29

These are great if you like "samplers", like I do. These aren't my everyday eyeliners but I like them when I want to mix it up and add some fun color accents. I have the "Velvet Rope" set which is the one in front that has more of the neutral colors. The "VIP" set has the brighter and more colorful pencils. Here are the colors in each set:

- Velvet Rope: Yeyo (metallic white), 1999 (plum w/ teeny gold glitter), Zero (zealous black), Bourbon (brown w/ teeny gold glitter), Stash (dark green/gold)
- VIP: Zero (zealous black), Lucky (brilliant deep copper), Covet (peacock green), Electric (bright aquamarine), Lust (plush purple)

Happy Shopping! Let me know if you pick up anything.

Mini sets of your fave TV shows!

2009-04-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

Does this "set" look familiar?

How about this one?

Aren't these cool? I guess they are dioramas from old TV show sets. See a bunch more here!

And in case you couldn't figure them out, the sets are from "Family Ties" and "Three's Company".

Jon & Kate Plus 8 unfortunately continues...

2009-04-02T16:26:00.000-07:00

Saw this on Entertainment Weekly's blog:

'Jon & Kate Plus 8' gets another season: Are we happy?

My answer: Heck no! But I guess at this point, I'm indifferent to the whole thing.

My sister got me hooked on the show awhile back and I was a very dedicated viewer. It was so cute seeing how a couple deals with doing basic every day things but with the challenge of tackling this with one set of twins and one set of very young (and adorable) sextuplets - things like how they go to the grocery, make dentist trips, go to church, go clothes shopping, or buy new bedroom furniture. Sure there were the occasional "non-typical activity" episodes like when Kate got her tummy tuck and Jon got his hair implants (both at no charge to them), but I went along with it.

Then I slowly became more and more disenchanted with Jon and Kate. It was a little sketchy when regular participants (such as Kate's BFF, Beth, and her caring and patient sister-in-law, Aunt Jodi) no longer appeared in the episodes. It was later reported (and I think confirmed) that Kate broke off all ties with them when she got word that TLC had offered to pay them for their show appearances.

And then the show no longer covered day-to-day activities... it was more like a travel channel show where the family would get treated to complimentary trips everywhere but they would still act like this struggling family. I think I heard they would still collect donations/offerings at churches during their speaking events.

I decided to finally kick them off my DVR after the wedding in Hawaii episode. That was like the epitome of how the show has dramatically changed from its early beginnings. 1) They get this all expenses paid trip to some luxury resort in Hawaii 2) They decide to renew their wedding vows yet they are so nasty to each other - and do you really need to renew vows 9 years later or whatever it was? 3) The only family present was family Jon hadn't seen in years - where were all the people they were so close to in previous years? I don't know... it was so over the top.

And then they moved into that ridiculously huge mansion that is so huge that they have no idea where their kids are.

Eh... it just has lost all the charm that was present in the first couple of seasons. And more importantly, I feel bad for the kids and that they have to live such an exposed life. There are so many embarrassing moments for the kids. I'm sure the other kids (classmates/friends) must tease them about it later, especially for the twins. I know I wouldn't want my meltdowns broadcast for all the world to see.

I was hoping this would have been the last season especially with all the negative reports going on. (Jon + Kate = Disaster, Lookin good, Jon Gosselin, Show Biz: Jon + Kate + 8 = $$$) But I guess they decided to continue with this show anyway. I think this is a bad idea but the ratings are the highest they've ever been so I'm not too surprised.

I'm sure there is a lot more going on that I don't know about but I worry about those kids and I think it's time to get them out of this "The Truman Show"-like atmosphere.

Anyone else catch this show?

Keeping up with the Kardashians...

2009-03-30T20:38:00.001-07:00

*ugh* Just caught up with yesterday's episode... between the up close and personal coverage of Kim's laser eye surgery and Bruce's colonoscopy, I no longer have the appetite for dinner.

Ick...

(oops - did anyone catch that I posted this on the wrong blog originally? heehee)

OK, sorry another Twilight post

2009-03-30T18:59:00.001-07:00

But this has me laughing in tears so I had to share this. Thanks for the heads up, Amanda!

Not sure what Twilight is all about? Read this take on it.
Saturday Night Drive-in: Twilight Theater (RedBlog)

I heart EW almost as much as I heart Twilight

2009-03-25T23:06:00.001-07:00

If I could pick a dream job, I would love to work in the offices of Entertainment Weekly. The writers there crack me up! I already mentioned their entertaining coverage of American Idol, but I also want to highlight some highly entertaining posts on Robert Pattinson.

As I mentioned on my other blog, yes, I *loved* and totally swooned over Pattinson's performance as Edward Cullen but he also cracks me up because he seems like such an awkward, funny, goofy guy. And I think the EW writers did a good job of picking that up as well.

- EW Article: Robert Pattinson GQ cover story read along!
- EW Article:
'Twilight' DVD: Best of Robert Pattinson's audio commentary

(I just realized both were written by the same writer, Mandi Bierly - LOVE HER!)

Note: I don't know if this will be entertaining to those that didn't read the article or get the Twilight DVD or even know who RPattz is (Hi Ryan!)

Sugarsweet-inspired Look

2009-03-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

I saw a fun post on Makeup and Beauty Blog with a MAC Sugarsweet Face of the Day. I decided to do something similar however I only purchased one item from the collection. I substituted other colors that seemed similar.

Here's the one item I did purchase - the Lollipop Loving lipstick. It's considered a glaze so it's actually pretty sheer and coral in color.

Here's my Sugarsweet-inspired look:

I tried to use eyeshadows that were similar to the ones that came out with the collection:

EYES
MAC Shroom - Similar to Sugarshot e/s
MAC Creme Royal (from Hello Kitty Lucky Tom palette)
MAC Paradisco (from Hello Kitty Lucky Tom palette) - Similar to Dear Cupcake e/s
Dior Greenish Brown (sorry - this is from the Chic Palette and I can't figure out what the name is of the shadow) - Similar to Club e/s
MAC Graphblack Technakohl Liner
Maybelline Full&Soft Mascara

FACE
MAC Petticoat Mineralized Skinfinish

LIPS
MAC Popster Tinted lip conditioner
MAC Lollipop Loving lipstick

EEEK!!! I'm scared of vampires now...

2009-03-19T23:13:00.000-07:00

Just click to 2:22...

BTW - I'm scared that I will be SOL for the Twilight DVD. I'm too old (meaning I get too tired too early) for the midnight parties and I didn't pre-order it because I didn't want to wait for it to be shipped. I'm hoping I can just go to Target on Saturday and pick one up but I heard they were already backordered at Border's and the 3-disc set on Target.com is no longer available. I did ask Target (guest services) if I could reserve a copy for in-store pickup but they said that was not an option. I think I should be able to find a copy somewhere though.

*****

On a separate note, isn't it fun to see the Karate Kid on Ugly Betty? I think his thing with Hilda is so cute.

Benefit Sale & MAC Sugarsweet collection

2009-03-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

In addition to Bobbi Brown, Benefit Cosmetics is also having a sale - 20% off purchases of $50 or more. Enter HOTCORAL at checkout (expires at 11:59PM PST tonight).

I was thinking about ordering a couple of things, but when I thought about it, they seem to be very similar to products I already own so I actually stopped myself from continuing with the check out. So proud of myself!

But in case you were wondering, I was planning to purchase the following:

smokin' eyes: sexy eye & brow makeover kit

hoola: bronzing powder

And one product that I absolutely love and highly recommend is this one:

big beautiful eyes palette: an eye contour kit

I bought this awhile back before I really got into make-up. This was my go-to eyeshadow palette - love it! The colors are really subtle and neutral but work so well together for a very pretty, work-appropriate look. The little box even came with instructions on where you should place the different colors to contour your eyes. Perfect for newbies, like me! I loved this kit so much that I used it all up within a few months. I'm on my second one right now and I've pretty much hit the pan on that one, too. The concealer isn't bad, either, but I usually don't wear that on a daily basis. The best part is that the mini brushes that come with the kit are pretty decent brushes! Not sponge applicators like you get in other high end kits. You get two and one is double-ended so you actually have three brushes: a basic eyeshadow brush (soft, too!), a liner brush, and a concealer brush. I bought one for my sister as well and she loves it, too.

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Anyway, the other reason I refrained from buying Benefit is because I plan to stop by MAC tonight to check out the Sugarsweet collection that just launched today. I know I said I wouldn't get anything but I am really intrigued by the Lollipop Loving lipstick - the shade looks so pretty!

As usual, I got the lowdown from one of my favorite sites, Temptalia.com. If you're interested in what the collection has to offer, check out her very informative posts with product photos, swatches and reviews.

Random make-up tips from a make-up novice

2009-03-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the comments on my last post! I wanted to respond to some of them so I'll just post them here.

For Marcy: I have bald patches in my eyebrows too! My brows are naturally thicker on the outside and kind of sparse on the inside (I have scary high school pics to prove it.) I also have some uneven patches from times I went a little overboard on the grooming. So now I always fill in my brows with eyeshadow - it's subtle but I think it really improves the overall look. I take a small angled eyeliner brush (ex. MAC 208 brush) with a light brown eyeshadow (ex. MAC cork e/s) and fill in my brows use short, light strokes starting on the inside where it is the most sparse and working my way out. Now I have jet black hair and used to use a darker eyeshadow, like a darker brown, but then a MAC make-up artist recommended using the lighter color and I like it so much better! Otherwise you can look kind of scary if your dark brows are screaming at you.

Now for the look I just posted, I actually did try to make the brows a little darker and more defined than normal since I had darker lips and thicker eyeliner. For this I also used a brown eyebrow pencil (ex. MAC Spiked brow pencil) to sort of outline the brows and fill in the baldy areas. Sometimes I go a little overboard so then I use an eyebrow brush to lightly brush out the brows and soften the look.

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For Jackie: First of all, thanks for stopping by and I hope you return! For me, I needed a lot of practice with the gel eyeliners. I love them because they don't budge and are a little darker compared to pencils but aren't too sharp and defined like liquid liners. I think the trick for me is the brush, the amount of product you put on your brush, and how you apply it.

I've experimented with a lot of brushes and I personally like angled eye liner brushes the best. Currently, I use the MAC 266 brush. I try to be careful with how much I get on the brush - I usually try to get enough so that I can do one eye without re-applying product from the pot. Now for the application... I always point the angled tip of the brush out. For example, I start with the outside of the lid first, with the point of the brush at the outer corner and line the lid to the halfway point, staying as close to the lash line as possible. Then I flip the brush so that point is now facing the inner corner. I continue lining the lid from the halfway point toward the inner corner although I usually only line to the midpoint (i.e. I don't usually line the inner 1/4 of the lid). For the second half of the lid, you shouldn't have as much product on your brush so you should be able to sort of thin out the line from the halfway point. And yes, sometimes the line isn't so clean, so I'll just take the brush (with most of the product gone) along the line to try to clean it up.

Anyway, hope this helps! Usually I just play around with different techniques to see what works best for me. If you want an even thinner line, you might want to try one of the more pointed brushs like the MAC 209 or 210.

Update:

By the way, there's a 25% off discount for all Bobbi Brown cosmetics, only good for online purchases using code "Instant". Free shipping for $60 or more. Ends on March 19th.

Another make-up look... Bronze-y eyes with red lips

2009-03-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

So this post is for my friend G who I boogied down with this weekend. I tried out a new make-up look and G liked it and was curious about what eyeshadows I was wearing.

Well here you go, G! (This gave me an opportunity to play with my new-ish Photoshop elements software which I am still getting the hang of... the whole layers concept always throws me off.) These are all MAC eyeshadows.

And here's the pic without all the graffiti:

Open eye... I tried to add a little bit more of a dramatic "tail" to my eyeliner. And don't you just love my non-existent eyelashes?

Face shot!

Products used:

FACE
Chanel Pro Lumiere Foundation in Beige
MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer in NW25
MAC Mineral Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus
NARS Orgasm blush

EYES
MAC Brule e/s
MAC Ricepaper e/s
MAC Woodwinked e/s
MAC Mulch e/s
MAC Texture e/s
MAC Smut e/s
Bobbi Brown Black Ink Gel eyeliner (although the MAC version is lower cost - Blacktrack Fluidline is $15 vs Bobbi Brown's $21 for the same amount)
MAC Smolder Eye Kohl (waterline/lower lash line)
MAC Carbon e/s (on top of Smolder)
MAC Cork e/s (brows)
MAC Spiked eyebrow pencil
Maybelline Full & Soft mascara

LIPS
MAC Burgundy lip pencil
MAC New York Apple lipstick

By the way, I can't stress enough how much I love primers! I took the pics above *after* a night of sweating on the dance floor and only had to re-touch the lipstick. For the eyes, I used Urban Decay Primer Potion (although I just got my hands on Too Faced Shadow Insurance so I'll let you know if that's any better) and Smashbox Photo Finish Light primer on the face.

Are you watching American Idol?

2009-03-15T22:41:00.000-07:00

If so, I highly recommend Entertainment Weekly's Idolatry videos - they are hilarious. Basically the EW writers get together and provide some really funny commentary on the show. Some things I picked up from the recent videos:

- One writer's mission to put the "Go" in Danny Gokey (she refers to him as pimping his widow, which I suppose is true but I still like him)
- Kris Allen's side mouth singing thing
- Potential Simon Cowell fear of birds conspiracy theory
- Idol's need to caption relatives that speak perfectly understandable English

You can find the latest one here.

My quick opinion? I am digging Danny, Kris (the guitar playing cutie), Matt (the piano playing cutie), Anoop, and Allison (red-haired rocker teenager). I think Megan is interesting but I don't think she'll go far. I never liked Alexis and I think it's because she reminds me of Heidi Montag when she performs. Not her voice (obviously, since Alexis can actually sing) but her stage mannerisms. I'm indifferent to everyone else. And yes, I totally agreed with the first two eliminated contestants.

sigh

2009-03-11T22:52:00.000-07:00

Deleted kissing scene!!! :) :) :)

2009-03-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter trailer

2009-03-06T14:21:00.000-08:00

So with all my Twilight-obsessed nonsense going on, I kind of forgot that the Book 6 and 7 Harry Potter movies are still to come. Here is the trailer for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince:

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

I think it looks awesome! As soon as it began playing, I couldn't wait to get to see this in a dark theater on the big screen and really sink back into the land of Hogwarts. As much as I love Twilight, I'm excited to see a film with um, stronger special effects ;) It looks dark and gloomy just like the books. Ooooh... Voldemort is sooooo scarrrrryyyyyyy!!!!!

What do you guys think?

Thoughts on Twilight deleted scenes?

2009-03-05T16:35:00.000-08:00

Interesting scene... but I'm glad they left this out. It felt kind of cheesy to me. But maybe that's just because I just love Twilight the movie the way it is now. Or maybe because I'm not watching it in the context of the rest of the film.

But don't get me wrong, I am DYING to see the deleted make-out scenes! *wink, wink*

BTW - if you're a freak like me and watched the Comic-con panel discussion last year (on youtube, not in person), I think this is one of the scenes that Kristen Stewart named as one of her favorites from filming (the final cut had not been released yet).

UPDATE - More Deleted Scenes!

UPDATE #2 - Danger in the Woods

Movie Review: Confessions of a Shopaholic

2009-03-02T23:39:00.000-08:00

I met up with the girls tonight to watch "Confessions of a Shopaholic" starring Isla Fisher. The trailer looked really cute so I was excited to see it.

Overall, I thought some parts were funny but most of it was just so ridiculously over the top. The lead character, Rebecca Bloomwood (played by Isla), is cute but I was constantly bothered by her roommate / best friend who seemed to be on a Red Bull buzz the entire time (not to mention her horrendous taste in bridesmaid's dresses). There was so much craziness going combined with the well-isn't-that-convenient type of nonsense. At one point during the movie, I turned to my cousin and said, "I feel like I'm watching something on the Disney channel."

Anyway, I think this movie is more ideal for the younger tween/teen scene since maybe they could appreciate the silliness a little more than the 30-something set. Plus, they could learn a valuable lesson about the dangers of overcharging!

I should also note that based on this movie, I have no interest at all in checking out the book.

Oh, another random note - it was nice to see Leslie Bibb as Rebecca's nemesis. I haven't seen her since the "Popular" days!

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On a different topic, can I just say again how annoying Olivia is on "The City"? I can't believe she took credit for the jacket that Whitney pulled for the Jessica Alba cover. BUT I love how the show made it so obvious that Olivia had nothing to do with it... heehee!

Totally fake...

2009-02-28T15:23:00.001-08:00

but me likes it all the same :)

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

2009-02-28T15:11:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

* 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...

2009-02-24T21:19:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-02-24T19:27:00.000-08:00

... 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

2009-02-24T08:11:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-23T21:29:00.000-08:00

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.