Mariah Carey's shoe closet, part 1

I’ve been continuously blogging on this site for about six months now, and it seems that I am continuously changing my focus, my voice, my priorities when it comes to subjects about which I write. In a previous life (paid to blog) I was a mean blogger. My subject was beauty and I chopped up folks right and left for their lack of style sense, bad makeup and more.  I have to admit there are days I miss it.  But with my determination to become a kinder, gentler more informative blogger I changed my evil ways. Kinda, sorta– I still claim the right to call out bad makeup.

Since I embarked on this journey, I have met, albeit virtually, some wonderful writers and have fallen in love with some amazing blogs.  With that being said, I’m cleaning out my closetblog roll.  I initially just linked to other beauty blogs.  But I don’t read half of them, and they don’t read mine.  So you know what?  To quote Heidi Klum from Project Runway, (yes, reality TV is one of my guilty pleasures) “Auf Weiterzein.”  And I would just like to introduce you to some of the blogs that I follow.

And oh, I can only dream of  having a fraction of the shoes in Mariah’s closet, not to mention that organization!  I can just see myself drinking coffee or a martini in that pink chair.  Shoe freak in me is having a mild palpitation…

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“To attract men, I wear a perfume called ‘New Car Interior’”

Rita Rudner

Why is scent such a secret weapon? Well, one reason is that scent is memorable — good or bad.  Have you ever looked around a room or over your shoulder and mentally asked yourself, “Who is that????”  I’m sure we all have.  I think it would be safe to say that we all love to smell goooood, and more importantly, we love to be around people who smell yummy.   Even my favorite e-card characters Hoops & Yoyo recognize the importance of smelling good.

We are hard-wired with a Vermerol Nasal organ which is located in our nasal passage.  This little organ is packed with receptors that recognize pheromones.  A little trivia for your etymologists out there — pheromone is from the Greek — pherin (to carry) and hormon (to excite).  Pheromones are emitted from fertile bodies and may or may not be attractive to the opposite sex.  They are airborne and do not have a fragrance, but they can indeed perform as an aphrodisiac.  It’s no wonder that Marilyn Miglin’s Pheromone Perfume, touted as the ”fragrance of love”  is still (since 1979) the number one choice for pure animal attraction!  Miglin’s research culminated in a fragrance filled with jasmine blossoms, tonka extract (vanilla), wild grasses, exotic barks and more.  A grand total of 179 rare essences that culminate in $500 per oz.  I think that Pheromone may  indeed be secret weapon numero uno.

When asked what she wore to bed, Marilyn Monroe retorted, “My Chanel N° 5.” That statement of course sent the sales of Chanel N° 5 through the roof. I have my personal favorites when it comes to scents — for myself and for men.

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I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, Oakland to be exact. And I love it!  Last Friday night a girl of 15 was brutally gang-raped and beaten for two hours near her high school campus; she was attending their homecoming dance.  To add insult to injury, spectators recorded the attack with their cell phone cameras and failed to call the police.  As many as 10 people watched. This happened in neighboring Richmond, CA, about 20 minutes away.  I’m completely horrified at the ignorant mob mentality manifested in this situation.  One police officer said it was the worse attack he had seen in his tenure in law enforcement.  A 15 year old girl!

So many factors in this egregious crime make it an anomaly: The 5 men arrested to date had no connection; 3 latino, one white and one black.  Their ages ranged from 15 to 21.  No one called for help.  All I can say is I hope they reap what they have sown in lockup.

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I volunteer for the Look Good…Feel Better program. This program assists women who have lost their hair and eyebrows with skincare, haircare (wigs) and makeup.  I’m so happy to “paint” faces for those who truly feel a boost in their mood when they see how color/makeup can transform their self-perception.

I have to rant before I continue…

I occasionally read the online content at a site that’s dedicated to women over 50.  I got into a heated online debate via a comments secton with a very homely women who could really do with an encounter of hair color, micro-dermabrasion and any makeup she could find within a 100 mile radius.  Now, ordinarily I could care less if someone chooses to primp or not.  That’s each one’s own decision.  But this very haggard looking woman was blasting women who wore makeup.  I thought, have you looked in the mirror in the last 30 years?  She looked like she could pass for an extra in the Grapes of Wrath and we were the same age.

Now, I know I’m blessed with good genes; I don’t look my age.  BUT I’m fully aware of the benefits of a well-placed flick of mascara, how an artificial flush of blush can awake an otherwise lackluster complexion and what how just a hint of gloss will speak volumes.  My issue with this woman was she was not THE VOICE for the  world of women.  Every women who chooses to wear lipstick is not shallow.  And believe it or not, color can transform one’s mood.

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I’m not as shallow as I purport to be.  Sure I love cosmetics, towering shoes and big hair — but that by no means defines my ideology of beauty.  I’m sure everyone has had interaction with that woman (or man) who was heaven to gaze upon — just walking beauty.  Their exterior was literally something to behold.  But when you  got to know that person intimately and it turned downright ugly.  All the good looks in the world can’t compensate for a hideous interior.  I’m talking about the heart, the inner person, the true self, the motivation behind the action.  All that outside beauty is truly a façade that covers someone the antithesis of beautiful.

I love the metaphors for beauty in the Bible,in  the book of Proverbs in particular. They don’t relate to physical looks at all.  Rather, they highlight desirable qualities.  I know that everyone who reads this blog is not a believer in the Bible, but the insight and sensibility in these Proverbs resonate throughout all cultures and religions nonetheless.  Enjoy!

Proverbs 4:7-9 — likens wisdom to beauty:

⁷ Wisdom is the prime thing. Acquire wisdom; and with all that you acquire, acquire understanding. ⁸ Highly esteem it, and it will exalt you. It will glorify you because you embrace it. ⁹ To your head it will give a wreath of charm; a crown of beauty it will bestow upon you.

Lesson: Being knowledgeable is just fine, but application of acquired knowedge brings forth wisdom.  Wisdom = Beauty.

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An old adage says that the eyes are the windows to the soul.  That very well may be the case when you are engaged in a heart-to-heart, but when you are in the market for some instant attention — major eye drama is key.  Here are my steps for simple eye drama for Friday Fierceness.

Gabrielle Union with smoldering eyes

1. Smolder

Get smoldering smokey eyes like Gabrielle Union. There are two simple options for making eyes smolder.  First option: Line with your eyes with your favorite black pencil.  I have a couple favorites: Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil in Pointe Noir $22.  This pencil has become a perennial favorite of mine.  I love the thick tip and the sponge smudger on the opposite end.  Once you blend with the sponge tip, your color lasts for the day (or the night.)  Layer a shimmery eyeshadow over the liner.  The powder over the pencil liner creates a bond that makes for a long-lasting smolder.  Try NARS Night Flight, a black with cobalt pearl accent.  $22

Your second option: Line eyes with a water-proof  pencil in a deep jewel color.  Jewel tones as opposed to traditional black liner makes eyes sparkle and pop.  Try emeralds, bronzes and teals.  In love Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eyepencils.  $17 Try Stash, a dark golden green or Rockstar a dark purple.  Be sure to smudge the color into your lash line for intensity.  Urban Decay pencils are ideal for rimming your inner lower lid.  For more intensity, layer with a loose pigment like Black Radiance Mineral Eye Shimmers. $4.99

2.  Lash out

Layer the mascara.  I love big ole trashy lashes.  Forget less is more when it comes to eyelashes.  Mascara easily punctuates your eye drama with just a few well placed flicks of the wrist.  My favorite is L’Oreal Voluminous.  I keep trying to find a suitable replacement, but it just hasn’t happened yet.  And at $7.99, it’s a keeper.

Last but not least, keep the rest of your makeup subtle, subdued.  Just a touch of color on the cheeks and a pale glossy lip.  Those final touches insure that your eyes will be the star.

I am trying make my life greener and reduce my carbon footprint.   I use energy efficient light bulbs, green cleaners, drive less, recycle, recycle, recycle, use eco-friendly refillable water bottles, take my own bags to the grocery store and more.  But when it comes to makeup, I have been a little slow jumping on the band wagon.  I suppose I haven’t totally gotten on board with the fact that ingredients in my makeup can kill me.  I have had the thought that all those preservatives were just keeping my skin equally preserved.  I’m joking with that comment folks.  However, I am taking green skin care more seriously and it’s really not so distasteful.  I have found a few products that I actually can live with.  So here are my top 5 makeup picks for Green Budget Beauty!

Kiss My Face Tinted Moisturizer

1.  Tinted Moisturizer

Kiss My Face Natural Tinted Moisturizer 

Oil and Fragrance Free ~ SPF 8  1.4 oz $9.99

• Protects against UVA & UVB rays with natural sun block SPF 8
• Enriched with Ester C
• Oil free moisture
• Sheer coverage without FD&C dyes
• No animal testing
• pH Balanced 100% Biodegradable

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Lierac In-Store Event/Gilda’s Club Initiative – October 23, 2009

WHO: 100,000 consumers will have the opportunity to visit Lierac Paris European Skincare Centers at 700 participating CVS/pharmacy and Longs Drugs.

WHAT: On October 23, 2009, customers will be able to contribute to Gilda’s Club of NYC with every Lierac purchase.  For each product bought, Lierac will donate $1 from its sale to the foundation.  Gilda’s Club NYC provides free support to individuals living with cancer and their families. The organization has a unique philosophy that emphasizes interaction among its members, namely “community-building, collective wisdom, and shared experience.”  Gilda’s Club also avoids discussing cancer using terms that carry a negative connotation.  Instead, they seek to empower individuals through the use of their own “Gilda’s Club language.”

WHEN: Friday, October 23rd, 2009

WHERE: 700 participating CVS/pharmacy and Longs Drugs stores.  For locations, contact 1.877.55LIERAC or visit www.lierac-usa.com.

Not so long ago, I did a poll of my friends and readers about thier one can’t-live-without beauty product. Well, it was a pretty close time between lipgloss (numero uno) and lotion, a close runner-up.  Well, that made me realize that I really do love lotion.  The simple fact that I use four variations everyday bears that out.  I have a firming lotion for my thighs, butt and tummy.  Then I have a hair-minimizing lotion for my lower legs.  Then I have another one that is enriched with cocoa butter for my feet and elbows.  And if I’m bearing my arm, I have a lotion with SPF 15.  On top of that I have a scented body cream that I use to make myself smell yummy. Well, I found one awesome body cream that single-handedly replaced all the above.  And I smell like I just came out of the oven.  (You know for some weird reason love that fresh baked smell.)  Carol’s Daughter Almond Cookie Shea Soufflé is one of the yummiest body creams I have come into contact with to date.  Made with shea butter, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil and jojoba oil and scented with almond, marzipan, sandlewood and musk, you litterally smell good enough to eat! While all those ingredients may seem that heavy, this body cream is light and melts into your skin.  The good news is that Almond Cookie Shea Soufflé is paraben-free and formulated with our petroleum, mineral oil and artificial color.  YAY! Available in 4 oz for $13 and 16 oz for $30 Carol’s Daughter Almond Cookie Shea Soufflé gets a whopping 5 blings! You can purchase Carol’s Daughter at Sephora, Sepora.com and at Carol’s Daughter online and stores. Go ahead and get the cookie that won’t make you fat!

What’s so bad about being 50? Or, should I say, what’s so bad about being a woman at 50. Well, there’s plenty I could complain about, but I won’t. Instead, think about the beauty of 50. So, I’m bringing 50 back. Sing it in your head. You know the song, that cute little Justin Timerlake, I could probably be his granny, but you know what he said. I’m bringing sexy 50 back. YEA! Those younger chicks don’t know how to act. Yea! Are you down with the song now? So keep that in your head if you are 50 and fierce. 50 and fine. If you are a 50 phenom I’m talking to you. If you are an aspiring 50 phenom I’m talking to  you.

I’m fighting aging like the plague.  So my advice is to all my 50 something sisters is – keep your chin up. I mean it. Don’t give into that jiggly, saggy turkey neck. Gross! Just don’t go out like that.

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