Personal Digest #2 (Makeup & Retail Therapy)

There are few cosmetic staples that separate low-fuss beauty from high-maintenance glam, in my opinion. False lashes and highlighting/contouring products are best left forgotten if you’re in a hurry (well, maybe…), but there is one product that is so borderline essential that it should be deemed of same importance as your daily moisturizer. That’s right: a foundation base (or primer).

My once forgotten bottle of Chanel Base Lumiere Illuminating Makeup Base now has a special place in my makeup bag. I dispense a dime-sized amount onto my fingers, mix with a little of my favorite serum or moisturizer, and massage it onto my entire face. I now have a nice glow going on, but it gets better. Everything that goes over it – foundation, blush, eyeshadow, whatever – stays put all day long with minimal touch-ups! My usually oily skin is beautifully matte, yet glowing. Containing marine extract to minimize imperfections, this potion leaves your face looking and feeling like a million bucks.

My girlfriend Janine would be delighted to know that, with using a makeup primer, her Wet ‘n Wild blush will stay put along with her Body Shop eye colors. Primers enhance staying power of cheap to steep makeup, saving money on product and minimizing the need for frequent touch-ups.

Steeper	Cheaper
Chanel Base Lumiere $38.50	MAC Prep + Prime $22

I am absolutely in love with fall/winter styles this season. They’re amazing. I get to go color and print crazy well into fall, and then transition back to my default business fab wardrobe of blacks, whites, greys, & silver. The great thing about shopping for fall pieces is that they’re all on sale right now before wintery gear rolls in – more deals & steals!

Urban Outfitters has a rockin’ sale going on, so naturally I ransacked the place and came out with brilliant pieces by Lux that I purchased for less than half of retail price:

» Green/blue print tunic: $48 $15
» Tangerine shirt dress: $53 $20
» Black kimono dress: $53 $20

…As well as a few accessories and two pairs of Havaianas flip flops – a celebrity favorite comfy thong that resists wear, essential for when you live in flip flops as I do.

Tonight’s running around has got me pooped, so I’m going to finish up my tea and hit the sack. Office dwellers will appreciate the fact that tomorrow is not only jeans day for most, but a half day for most, also (a stellar opportunity to break in my Havaianas and run some pre-weekend errands).

Have a blessed holiday weekend, everyone!

Fitness Bit: Caffeinated Workouts

Did you know that incorporating a bit of caffeine into your pre-workout routine might just help you burn a few extra calories?

A small amount of caffeine – such as a cup of iced tea or your favorite diet caffeinated beverage – will help alleviate muscle aches and give you an added jolt of energy. Just what you need to keep you going longer and stronger at the gym! Don’t forget to hydrate during and post-workout with plain h2o – naturally.

Side note: Contrary to popular belief, caffeine does not cause dehydration. According to FitSugar:

“Lawrence Armstrong, of the Human Performance Laboratory, concluded that moderate caffeine consumption (up to about 500 milligrams a day) did not adversely impact exercise. While caffeine is a mild diuretic, meaning it briefly increases urine production, moderate amounts are not enough to interfere with a workout by causing excessive fluid loss. Dehydration is about the balance of fluid intake and fluid loss.”

So skip the decaf before the gym and add a little pep to your step! My choice faves are Peach Ooh-La-Long Honest Tea (an organic lightly sweetened black tea) or a Diet Rockstar energy drink if I’m feeling sassy.

In My Bag: MAC Lipglass in ‘Pop Mode’

I promise I’m not a MAC fiend. Seriously; Lancome and Chanel will always have my cosmetic heart. But there is something that needs to be said about MAC. When you need those important, specific staples – whether it be the perfect shadow, those fabulous false lashes, or in this case a perfect gloss – MAC will not disappoint! I give them that.

As the ‘beauty savvy’ know, berry lips will be hot this fall/winter season. I’m one for pale pink or gold gloss myself, so it took quite the quest to find a perfect berry for my liking. I sampled a few lipsticks, to no avail. They were too dark, too matte, or too clown-like. With the help of an energetic MAC MUA and dirty lip brushes from trying on many, many colors, I found a gem. MAC Pop Mode Lipglass: a pink berry with shine and glimmer that looks great alone or with a dark liner (for darker skin). This shade will be perfect for the office – accessorizing a chic button up top and the resurfacing high-rise slacks look – or out on the town in those dark wash skinny jeans and print tops.

This is how it looks on me.