What is Beautiful?

I came across a stunning picture while I was flipping through W Magazine the other day and I fell in love with a few of the pictures. SO Priscilla Presley/Bridget Bardot kind of feel. One of my favourite pictures was of a girl named Candice Huffine, her hair tied in a scarf. Turns out, she's a plus sized model signed with Ford. Graced the cover of Vogue, appeared in various magazines and shows. Another model who graced the cover of Vogue Italia with Candice is Tara-Lynn.

Now, in the modelling industry once you're more than a size 4-6 US, you're considered plus sized. Countless designers have called themselves "plus sized" when they're as thin as a twig. In the show Big Sexy, there was evidence to this claim. It's amazing how the fashion industry has conditioned people's minds that beautiful means thin, boney limbs...prominent hip bones and rip cages and sternums...knees bigger than the rest of your leg and protruding elbows. You may say I'm being dramatic but the girls they push out on their high fashion runways are stick thin. Not even FIT. They would like to tell you that they're fit but there isn't an ounce of good muscle there (you don't need to be bulky, hard etc...but there has to be something beside skin and bones showing). This has been a problem for years! Young girls and even older women look at magazines and shows and strive to look like these girls. They binge eat, become anorexic, smoke, throw up all their food or their self esteem sinks so low that they have mental problems or develop a large complex.

It has been taboo for a long time to really accept plus sized models and promote them and publicize them. They claim they have stopped hiring models that are too skinny but 99.9% of the ones that are appearing in magazines and on shows are skin and bone. The public has voiced its concern with the kind of example and kind of influence these things have on girls and women.

Boy was a glad to see a plus sized model being publicized, not because I'm plus sized (because i'm not) but because it shows that being beautiful doesn't mean you have to strave yourself or look like those thin girls. Bear in mind there is a difference between being fat/obese and being plus sized. A girl can be big and beautiful...just not big, UNHEALTHY and beautiful.

The photos I found of her subsequently did not fail to blow me away either. I just wanted to share with you all, should you already know who she is or not, these beautiful shots of an equally beautiful big girl.

xoxo

Nails like the night sky *

In a previous post (review on SH Xtreme Wear Nail Polish) I mentioned I wanted to try the shade "Gunmetal", and that I also did not have a great experience with the colour "mint sorbet". I decided to give the polish another try but this time in Gunmetal.

I am so glad I tried it :) I love the shade by itself, although after a day or two it starts to look a bit dull. It truly is a gunmetal colour, however the pictures I took show it at a grey toned, metallic blue (more blue than grey). I just got bad pictures :( Couldn't get the colour to show up through the bottle. If you're planning to wear this shade by itself it is beautiful but you WILL need a high gloss top coat to keep it looking fresh.

Gunmetal

Surprisingly enough it didn't chip at all, unlike "mint sorbet" which chipped on the FIRST DAY. On day 3, it wasn't at all chipped and I decided to amp it up a little with SH Xtreme Wear Hard as Nails Polish in "Strobe Lights". I pink toned, dual chrome glitter polish. I initially tried this shade on my toes on top of Essie's Sand Tropez...which by the way looks fabulous (less dramatic but still gorgeous)!

Strobe Lights

I think I have a new favourite nail combo:
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Hard as Nails in "Gunmetal" with "Strobe Lights" on top.

xoxo

Elie Saab Le Parfum

Elie Saab...An amazing Lebanese designer known for his gorgeous, detailed gowns blows the public away yet again. This time he does it with his debut fragrance!
I was instantly attracted to the gorgeous ad campaign. It epitomizes exactly what the fragrance represents. A wonderful, feminine perfume that makes you think and dream of beautiful billowy fabric and glamourous, luxurious dresses. Yet it is feminine in a very grown up way. Not a sickeningly sweet or fruity scent nor is there floral overload. Not to mention I WANT that dress! (and the bottle).

Elie Saab Le Perfum is an invitation to all women to slip a touch of magic and absolute femininity into their lives.
True Jewel of glass and light, the bottle mirrors to infinity the honeyed tones of the perfume. Composed as an ode to light, Elie Saab Le Parfum celebrates femininity with a floral solar woody theme.
Orange blossom, jasmine absolute and cedar woody notes unveil and elegant, enveoping trail like the train of a Haute Couture dress.
Elie Saab Le Parfum, a new way of wearing the exceptional.

[Even the darn description is beautiful and makes you want to faint]

Elie Saab's dresses have been worn by Mila Kunis, Halle Berry, Eva Longoria and Scarlett Johansson on the red carpet. Always stunning!

Elia Saab for Pronovias Bridal collection 2012

xoxo

Sally Hansen (Hard as Nails) Xtreme Wear Polish

Ok....so I'm horrible at sticking to a posting schedule. I've had writers block (bloggers block?) for a while :( Busy with work and school and haven't really been trying new things per se or checking out new things. So I'm going to scrap the schedule and just say SURPRISE!! A NEW POST!!! instead. :)

While stalking the isles of the pharmacy I came across one of Sally Hansen's relatively new formulas, Xtreme Wear. It claims to be strong, "hard as nails" and chip resistant (I would assume for at LEAST a week of wear).

I bought the shade "mint sorbet", a gorgeous pastel mint green :) I honestly am in love with the shade.
The only problem I had was after the first day (2 coats) two of my nails chipped. I have heard many great reviews on this formula and there are people whose nails looked fine for almost 2 weeks. Mine however, did not. I don't know if it's maybe the colour or I just happened to get a bottle with less of the magic inside. It chipped like a MOFO. Not pleased. Though I will keep wearing it just because I love the colour so much. I didn't get a chance to take a picture of it because I removed it from my nails THEN thought about the post.
 I want to try out some other shades. I spotted a fabulous navy blue and a really beautiful gun metal shade....wonder if they'll live up to the hype?

xoxo

They Nailed Miss Universe ;)

As we all know, the world wide pageant "Miss Universe", is nearing. Some of us laugh at these girls because their answers are generic, they try too hard, half of them who win are fake in some way on another (usually in the chest area), and half aren't suitable as role models posing in mens' magazines as well as the fake aspect. In any case, as much as we laugh and gib and make fun of these pageants, we always end up throwing our support out at our country's representatives and find ourselves sitting in front of our tv's, staring at the screen, waiting to see who wins. Let's face it, it's inevitable!!

The ever popular brand OPI has decided to capitalize on this event and create 4 gorgeous shades of nail polish, each with it's own quirky name :) And they didn't forget the glitter!

The shades are stunning I MUST say!

CONGENIALITY IS MY MIDDLE NAME:
A lovely deep pink (almost red) with a subtle pink/lilac shimmer. You can see the shimmer in the bottle but it's difficult to point out when it reaches the nail. Still very pretty but I would not buy it based on the shimmer.

THIS IS MY YEAR:
I am in love with this one. It's a pale mauve colour with a gold shimmer. It's so unique, so pretty and would look FAB on almost anyone. It's not a colour that will hit you in the face but it's one which will have people take a second glance followed by "excuse me, but what colour are you wearing on your nails". I've never really seen anything quite like it and it's such a subtle shade that still makes you go wow!

SWIMSUIT...NAILED IT!:

A deep blue colour with shimmer. The name really suits it as it instantly reminded me of the beach. It looks even better on than in the bottle and it's already so gorgeous!!

CROWN ME ALREADY:
I absolutely love this one! I'm not usually a fan of a lot of glitter but this is a clear polish with silver glitter in varying sizes. One coat gives you all almost ice dipped look, while many coats will leave your nail FULLY glittered! The varying sizes makes it more interesting and less typical of a glitter polish.

xoxo

The Magic of Blush :)

Today's post is particularily short but very informative. I've been so behind on my blog schedule!!! Being sick is NOT FUN. I'm thinking maybe my schedule is a bit too tight :( and soooo my sporadic blogging continues!!

Blush an essential part of a woman's (or man's) makeup kit which is often overused, underused and misused.
As part two of my blush series, this short post is designed to give you the tips necessary to understand advanced blush placement and what it can do for your face if used correctly (following part 1 of the series and applying part 2!).

According to Francisco Nars "Blush can give you the bone structure that you might otherwise be lacking."

Using blush to:

Create higher cheekbones:
Choose a contouring powder/matte bronzer a shade or two darker than your skin. With a tapered/contour brush, lightly sweep it over your outer cheekbones. A dot of highlighter on the top of the cheekbones creates a lifted effect.

Thin a round face:
Start blush at the apples, brushing it along the cheekbones all the way up to the temples.

Fill out a thin face:
Apply your blush to the center of your cheeks and blend it along the cheekbones in circular motions and straight back to your ears.
Nars suggests a bright pink blush with highlighter on the apples for a narrow face.

Shorten a long face:
Dust your blush from the apples up toward the temples, then a little across each eyelid and on the chin as having the same shade on your eyes, cheeks and chin will make your face look shorter. Now this can go wrong fast...keep in mind the key word...DUST (not paste on...you don't need pink/red eyelids/chin).

Soften a square face:
Apply a soft shade of blush on the apples and down into the hollows of your cheeks then lightly skim your blush over your temples for a subtle contour.


[Contouring brushes: MAC 165, MAC 168, SS 138]

xoxo

Milani Liquif-eye!!!

It's been a WHILE since I've last posted :( I'm not very good these days with the schedule and people keep asking me when my next post will be up...so here it is!!!

I was wandering around WW and never in life did I ever think of trying Milani products, mainly because their packaging does not make me want to buy the products...sort of cheap?? So anyway!!! I've been wanting a great teal eyeliner for a long time so I could stop using my Lancome eyeshadow for that purpose, and I came across Milani's Liquif'eye Eyeliner in Aqua. Let me tell you, this stuff is wonderful! I want to get the black and the brown to it!

Description:

Extremely smooth eye pencil with the application and feel of a liquid liner

that delivers true color payoff, in a metallic finish with a long-lasting wear.

My Take:
This eyeliner is wonderfully affordable! At 45 TTD this was a steal of a deal and to think I was saving up for one from MAC :| My pockets were happy with this purchase! I loved it so much I bought one for a friend :)
It's incredibly smooth, and goes on fully pigmented with a VERY LIGHT TOUCH :O I was in awe!!! I hardly even touched my skin with it and it came out true to colour, fully opaque and very metallic. PERFECT!!!
The next test was the length of time it lasts. They say you should let it set for 15 seconds and then continue with whatever you were doing. After 15 seconds it was fully set and did not budge when I rubbed it...and I didn't rub softly! I literally stayed there as if I had just put it on. Not only does it stay fresh looking and un-smudged....it stayed that way for the ENTIRE day. I wore it to work and it stayed fresh for over 8 hours! No creasing, no migration....C'EST MAGNIFIQUE!!!
I plan on getting the regular colours like black and brown. There is also a bronze and silver :)
If you're looking for an eyeliner that glides on as smoothly as liquid liner and has the capability to look like liquid liner, stay put for over 8 hours, won't break the bank and give you great colour pay off I definitely recommend this!

The rounded tip is evidence that i've used it countless times!

Top line is heavy application, bottom line is light stroke...pigmentation THE SAME! :O

Found a picture of someone's eye who used it since I didn't take of mine. Can't figure out whose pic it is for sure as it's on more than one site.

You won't be disappointed!
xoxo