Keeping it Real… And Some Beauty Chit Chat

Hi Pretties!  Well, I’m just going to say it.  I’m the WORST blogger known to man!  Seriously!  I was on a pretty good roll around Christmas, and then I just fizzled out…complete and total radio silence.  *facepalm*  Without going into everything, life once again took a turn, and I had to make some changes.  Fortunately, they were all good changes!  Oh how I’ve missed my little blog!  I’ve been dreaming up blog posts in my head for months now, so its time I actually put pen to paper (figuratively) and get back in the swing of things.

I’ll be honest, I’m a bit unprepared for this post; I have not planned out my subject matter or taken any photos.  I just wanted to post – to put some thoughts out into the void if you will.  There are some exciting things on the makeup horizon!  Let’s discuss.  Firstly, if you have even a vague interest in makeup (which I’m assuming you do if you’ve stumbled upon my wee blog), you’ve probably gotten wind of the Jaclyn Hill (YouTube Beauty Guru Extraordinaire) collaboration with Becca Cosmetics.  She has cultivated a new Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop, and it is gorg!  I actually got to see it in person – Baby Sephora (i.e. Sephora in JC Penny) has already gotten in a shipment, and one of the employees pulled one out of the back to show me.  I was really hoping I could talk them into selling me one early, but alas, I was denied.  To my dismay, there were no rule breakers in that bunch.  They did take my name and number and told me they would call me when they put them out on the floor; somehow I don’t hold out much hope that they will actually call me.  I signed up for an email notification on Sephora’s website, and there was a DISCLAIMER:  “Product will be available for sale on July 2, 2015.  Due to the special nature of this collaboration, quantities are very limited.”  What. The. Heck.  Why do they do this to us?  They know this is gonna be a highly sought after item – why not stock enough to meet the demand????  MAC does this too and it’s supremely frustrating.  So if I happen to miss the email notification and Baby Sephora doesn’t call me, my only option will be to check ebay where people are hocking these things for three times the retail price??? So not cool.  This brings me to another point – you know those vultures that stalk the internet and buy up all the available stock so they can make a buck on ebay?  Yeah, they suck.  A lot.  But I digress.  Suffice to say that I really hope I can snag one!  In other pretty news, MAC’s Giambattista Valli collection is suppose to hit online on July 2nd (sidenote: why is that such a big release day???) and counters on July 9th.  I believe Nordstrom will also have this collection for sale online on the 6th.  The only images I’ve seen are of the five lipsticks in the collection (maybe it’s all lip products?).  The packaging is SO pretty!  I’m such a sucker for limited edition packaging!  Lastly, Beauty Blender has a new product fresh on the market – it’s called Blotterazzi, and it’s a reusable alternative to blotting papers.  As an oily skinned gal, I am all about that blotting life.  You get two blotting sponges in a cute little mirrored compact.  The sponge sucks up the oil and smooths out any funky spots!  AND it’s washable!  So much better than having used blotting papers all stuck in the bottom of my purse!

That’s all I’ve got right now!  Hope all my Pretties had a happy Monday!

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas…

Pretties!  I’ve missed you!  Where in the world did November go????  Sorry for the radio silence… my day job has been demanding of late, and the only thing I’ve wanted to do when I got home was face-plant into my bed!  I didn’t even have time to share my VIB Rouge haul with you guys!!!  Rather than do a belated haul post, I thought I would just give you a glimpse of some of the new things I’ve purchased this holiday season that I’m LOVING!  As it is nearing Christmas, let’s be cliché and have a 12 days of Christmas theme!  With that said, (all together now!) on the TWELFTH day of Christmas, Sephora gave to me… Laura Mercier’s Mini Caviar Stick Eye Colour Quartet!  Disclaimer:  this 4-piece Sephora exclusive set is unfortunately sold out online (although the similar 6 stick set is still available here and here as of this posting).  However, I love these things so much, I am willing to incur the wrath of my Pretties to tell you about these sticks of goodness!  I’m  usually not one for cream eye shadows, but these could convert me.  They’re just easy, you know what I mean?  Creamy, pigmented, and blendable… a few swipes and some blending with my finger or a brush and I’m set.  I love products that simplify my mornings!  Very versatile as well – you can pick one for a wash of color or put multiple ones together to create a full look.  I’d say they’re relatively long-wearing – even with my oily eyelids!  All in all, I’m super-duper pleased with this purchase and will be adding other colors to my wish list!  If you’ve never tried these before, get thee to a Sephora or Nordstrom, ASAP!  The individual caviar sticks are $28 apiece, which sounds a bit steep, but you get a good amount of product and a little goes a long way!  If you’ve tried these, let me know what you think and what colors I need to add to my collection!  Also, let me know if you’d like to see some pictures of how I’ve been wearing these.  Hope everyone is having an enjoyable December!

Blame it on the CHEESE!

Hi Pretties!  Sorry I’ve been a little MIA.  To be honest, I really just haven’t felt inspired… of course, I’m sure my lack of inspiration has something to do with the current state of my skin – I’ll explain.  As you may or may not know, I’ve struggled with acne since I hit puberty.  I’ve tried all manner of treatments.  Unfortunately, I also have extremely sensitive skin and an allergy to the gold standard of acne treatment, benzoyl peroxide (truly – my face swells up and turns beat red… and it ITCHES!).  This makes finding something that works super difficult!  I’m constantly researching things in an attempt to find something that will beat the acne beast into submission.

Recently, I came across several articles linking dairy products to acne.  The theory is that hormones produced by the mama cows are passed on to us when we ingest dairy.  These hormones can interfere with our natural hormone production, which triggers extraneous oil secretions, inflammation, and finally, acne!  Now, I was extremely dismayed to hear this, because girl can eat some cheese!  In fact, all of my favorite foods have some form of dairy in them.  But since I was feeling a little desperate, I decided to try an experiment:  I cut out dairy for several weeks – no cheese, no butter, no milk, nothing.  You know what?  My skin improved.  Keep in mind that I was also being very diligent about my skincare routine and really watching the ingredients in my makeup products.  Now, any or all of these things might have been responsible for the improvement, so I can’t say with 100 percent certainty that the no-dairy diet was responsible.  However, I have more evidence to support the dairy-is-evil theory.

One night I was coming home from work, and I was exhausted and HUNGRY… and REALLY craving pizza.  I caved and gave in to my pizza craving.  I thought, “surely a few slices of pizza can’t undo all of my progress, right?”  Unfortunately, that one pizza was a gateway to more cheese-laden food.  Now I sit here with multiple active breakouts and lots of pore congestion.  Boo!  As I also relaxed a bit on my skincare routine around the same time, I STILL can’t say that the problem is 100 percent cheese-related.  However, my instinct is that the dairy is the culprit.

So it’s back to strict dairy-free.  It’s really easier than you’d think – I’ve found some good substitutes for most things (still looking for a good cheese substitute).  As much as I love cheese and ice cream and milk, I just don’t think it’s worth the blow my self-esteem takes when my face looks so heinous.  As a disclaimer, I should tell you that there still isn’t any hard and fast evidence that dairy causes acne (at least I haven’t seen any clinical studies), and everyone’s body reacts to things differently.  However, if you are struggling with acne like me, give the no-dairy thing a shot.  It may be the key to a better complexion and a happier you!

Dairy Free Goodness!

 

Heads Up!!! Deals and Steals Alert!

Hi Pretties!  Urban Decay‘s Friends and Fanatics sale is going on now and ends TOMORROW, October 19th at 11:59 PST.  It’s an awesome (and rare) opportunity to score some fantastic goodies for yourself or maybe even some holiday gifts!

Welcome to My Blog!

It seems fitting that my first blog post is being written on Halloween – a day designed for transformation.  And isn’t that what makeup ultimately does?  For me, makeup transforms my attitude as much as it changes my face.  As a teenager, I was plagued with acne – I’m sure a lot of you can relate – and it greatly impacted my self-image and my confidence.  Makeup was essential because it gave me the confidence to face the day.  I learned early on how to blend and layer products to hide my facial shortcomings.

In college, I realized that makeup could be fun as well as functional.  I started playing with lip glosses and eye shadows.  Before long, I was hooked; makeup (and shopping for makeup : P ) quickly became a hobby of mine.  Whenever I had a bad day, I’d find myself roaming around the cosmetic counters in my favorite department store.  And then my local mall opened a Sephora… and my life would never been the same.

Now, I make regular trips to my local Sephora or Ulta so I can play with the testers and dream of all the things I would buy if money were no object.  The salespeople and I are well acquainted!  I’m also that freaky person that will strike up a conversation with random shoppers about whatever product they’re looking at.  If I start talking to you while you’re looking at lipsticks, don’t be afraid – I’m just REALLY excited about makeup.  That may seem silly to some of you, but makeup allows me to express my creative side.

When I was little, I loved to draw, color, etc., and I would tell everyone that I wanted to be an artist.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to foster my creativity and grow my artistic skills.  By the time I got to college, practicality was the name of the game and I, like a lot of us do, pursued an education in a field that would pay my bills, but wouldn’t necessarily become my passion.  I’m currently the senior accountant at a growing company.  I like accounting and find it challenging, but it’s not my passion.  And let’s face it:  if you’re a creative accountant, you’re probably going to end up in jail.  Creativity is NOT encouraged in accounting!!!  Now, at the ripe old age of thirty, I’m tired of being a “company man” (woman, actually, but it’s an expression); don’t get me wrong, I ALWAYS give 110% at my job – that’s just who I am – but I don’t want my whole life to revolve around work.  I’ve got to find some balance.

So, I say all of that to let you know that I am reclaiming my creativity and artistic sensibilities and I think that makeup – and this blog – might be the perfect outlet.  If you’ve made it through this rambling entry, thanks for reading the whole thing; I’ll be more concise in the future.  I’m looking to provide product reviews, tips and tricks, tutorials, and the like to the masses – hopefully, you’ll find them a wee bit interesting.

Last thing before I go:  the name of my blog.  Smoke and Makeup Mirrors.  Why did I choose this, you might ask?  Well, my face looks pretty gnarly in the mornings when I roll out of bed.  As I’ve aged, acne is less of an issue, but as anyone with acne will tell you, the trademarks of acne last a lot longer than the blemishes do.  I’m blessed that I don’t have a ton of scaring, but there is enough to make me feel self-conscious.  Thank the Good Lord for makeup!  Strangely enough, I get compliments on my skin all the time.  I try to be gracious in those circumstances, but I always feel like I’m fooling people in some small way.  It’s probably silly, but I always feel the need to smile and tell them it’s all smoke and mirrors!