Up and Coming Jewelry Designer: Katharine Sise

Still wearing your Tiffany sterling silver bean/starfish/heart necklace? Ever feel like everyone is still wearing a sterling silver bean/starfish/heart necklace? Well they probably are, and you have the exact same jewelry as every girl on the 6 train. Boring!

This season is about mixing feminine elements with a little creative edge, and breaking out of that cookie cutter look. Good thing I’ve recently discovered jewelry designer Katharine Sise, who happens to be my friend’s sister, and a rising star in the eclectic jewelry world. Katharine had a sample sale recently where I picked up two gorgeous charm necklaces, one in gold and one in silver. Her necklaces combine delicate crystal charms and pearls with skulls, bats, antique lockets, and maybe a starfish thrown in for good luck (they are pretty adorable).

Katharine Sise’s entire collection is at Katharine Sise and I’ll let everyone know when her next sample sale is, just in time for the Christmas season!

Gracefully Fabulous

Grace Kelly was one of original Fabulous Girls who still inspires other fabulous girls even 25 years after her death. I would kill to get my hands on her Rear Window wardrobe! Nipped waist, tea length, black velvet, the pinnacle of black and white glamour. Fortunately, I can at least get pretty close to it, when this week a collection of her clothes and movie dresses will be on display at Sotheby's in New York. So pull on the long white gloves, find your Hermes Kelly purse (or the best knockoff) and stroll glamorously down to Sotheby's!

P.s. The rumor is even her wedding dress is on display!

Grace, Princess of Monaco: A Tribute to the Life and Legacy of Grace Kelly

An exhibition from October 15 - 26, 2007 * Sotheby's, New York CityFree and open to the public

Daily from 10AM to 5PM & Sundays from 1PM to 5PMSotheby's - 1334 York Avenue @ 72nd Street

Reader Request: Bras for Bombshells Part I

When I was visiting my lovely friend Amie this summer, our conversation naturally fell to bras. Which brand do you wear? Comfy? Pricey? Does it lift? Whether you’re an A or a DD all fabulous girls have some kind of bra battle every summer as the clothes get smaller and bosoms must be bolstered, enhanced or simply just covered up! This is the first post in a series of bras for the bombshells (that’s you ladies!)

My best bra advance for Amie? The filets! Filets are actually a self-adhesive silicone bra which can be snapped together in the middle to form more or less cleavage. They miraculously lift, separate and just generally improve the look of your chest. They also have absolutely no straps! The filets are recommended for women with sizes A-C. Now if you’re a little more voluptuous D+ you can still wear the filets, but I recommend wearing a bra in addition to prevent sagging. That may seem over the top, but once you have the bra on, you can hardly tell it’s there. It also is a fool-proof way to avoid a nip-slip in a low cut top or dress.

Vicky’s sells an adhesive bra, which is a little on the more expensive side, but you can find filets in almost any lingerie shop or major department store.

Invisible Shaping Bra, Victoria’s Secret $68

P.s. The filets are also way cheaper than a boob job, I say yes to that!!

Reader Request: Dramatic Colored Eye Shadow Application for Nervous Beginners

How many of you wear the same basic eye shadow everyday and even when you go out at night? Are you scraping the bottom of your Stila espresso shadow palette? Do colorful eye shadows make you nervous? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re in an eye make up rut!

So let’s start out with the colors that everyone MUST have in there make-up collection. I’ll start with the sparkly-shimmery hues.

Sparkly

All from Urban Decay (they have the most fab colors)
Eye Shadow , $16 each

Navy Blue (Goddess)

Sea-Blue Green (Shattered, Urban Decay's most popular color)

Green (Vert)

Light Blue (Kiddie Pool)

Purple (Crash)

Next is Iridescent: Iridescent colors are very important for blending the darker sparkly colors and lightening them up a bit.

Iridescent
From Nars Duo Eye Shadow, $31 each

Blue/Purple (Iceland)

Green (Iceland)

From Nars Single Eye Shadow , $21 each

Pink (Himalayas)

White (Tibet)

Ok, so now that you’ve got your palette, let’s talk application. If you’re super freaked out by using these bright colors, my best advice is to start light. As you get increasingly confident, you can try more advanced blending and fading techniques.

For the bright eye shadow virgins out there:

1. Start with a neutral base color on your lids. Pick a color that is almost the same color as your skin. You can skip this step all together and just apply a little of your normal foundation onto your lid.

2. Next get your small Angled Brush and apply the purple or navy blue sparkly eye shadow directly along your lash line. Navy and purple go with almost all eye colors, and they are a little less daring for your first time! I like to start about 2/3 away from the inside corner of my eye, and work my way to the outside corner. Then take a little more shadow on the brush, blow off the excess, and lightly work your way from the first place you started towards the inside of your eye (towards your nose) You can totally line your eyelid, or you can go half way. Experiment to see what looks best.

3.Now breath, you’re almost done! Take either the iridescent blue or pink, depending on your first color, or you could even mix it up, and with an Eyeliner Blending Brush start at the center corner of your eye and blend along the lash line. Blend less as you go away from your nose to the outside corner, so the original color stays darker. Finally take a little of iridescent color and sweep it along your brow bone. Your brow bone is directly under your eyebrow and it usually sticks out a little. This will open up your eye and make you look fresh.

Finish with a little black mascara and you’ve done it! Hopefully your first color eye shadow application was pain free. And remember, you can always wash off something that’s hideous and try again. Even the most experienced eye make-up lovers just can’t get it right on the first attempt!

Summer Trauma: Greasy Unwashed Hair

In my family a certain cousin, who will remain nameless, believes that you don’t have to take showers everyday in the summer, especially if you’ve been swimming in the pool. Chlorine is a disinfectant, right? The truth is we’re usually having too much fun to worry about looking our most fresh. But recently at the end of our beach/pool days we’ve been heading to the local bar for a little cocktail hour refreshment. There’s never enough time to take a shower, so what do you do about that sea salt mop? Sprinkle on some dry shampoo!

Dry shampoo is basically baby powder that is scented and is made to absorb the extra oils in your hair and scalp. I’ve been using Oscar Blandi's Pronto Dry Shampoo and it’s essential in a pinch to refresh your hair. It has a lemon verbena scent, which is kind of citrus-y, and very light. It amazingly plumps up your roots, de-greases and makes your locks smell summery.

The best way to apply it is to part your hair on one side, sprinkle the shampoo on your scalp, then part your hair on the other side and sprinkle again. Run your fingers through your hair and distribute the shampoo throughout the hair. You can also brush it, but I find that using your hands works just as well.

Now you’re ready to dazzle ‘em at happy hour (even if only the local fishermen see you!)

Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo $10-$19

Summer Trauma: Peeling Skin

Ah summer. The sun, the sea, the salty air, just close your eyes and….you’re burnt to a crisp and now its peeling! Ahhh! Nothing looks worse with a tube top than blotchy peeling shoulders and backs, not to mention scalps. Fortunately on my trip to Sephora today, I found two amazing products that will buff away just about any sunburned disaster area. Of course this is after your skin has recovered from that naughty sunburn (where was your SPF 55???!).

Super Skin Saver #1: L'Occitane Crushed-Grape Polish $26 Unfortunately Sephora won’t let me copy the pic, so check it out on the site!

I spotted this buffin’ miracle because of its gorgeous pink tube and since I haven’t bought an L’Occitane product in a while I thought I would see what new things they had. My first impression of this polish was its refreshing scent. Don’t be scared by the “grape” in its name, it smells more like a fruity garden than a grape. It does have grape extract in it, and the main exfoliating element is the crushed up walnut shells (which are very gentle by the way). It also has grape seed oil in it which is a perfect emollient to smooth out your skin as it scrubs away the dead grossness. This polish would be great for the usual rough patches, knees, elbows, and as prep for the St. Tropez sunless tanner that you will inevitably need to even out that spotting patch under the peeled off skin. It’s also supposed to “eliminate cellular waste.” I’m not too sure what that is, but I’m pretty certain none of us want cellular waste!

Super Skin Saver #2: Sensitive Scalp Exfoliating Tonic Fredric Fekkai, $30

When was the last time you pampered your scalp? I’m sure most of you weren’t too keen on the hot olive oil treatments like I was in 8th grade (I was a very advanced child). I hate to break it to you girls, but your scalp is screaming for attention! A healthy scalp directly correlates to more healthy and shiny hair, so give it a little love. The summer is an especially hard time for you scalp since it’s almost impossible to apply sunscreen on it, and if you actually dare to lather it up, your hair is guaranteed to be greasy. So give your scalp a break and sooth it with this exfoliating tonic that comes as a 4 week treatment. It calms the scalp with botanicals and afterwards your scalp will be completely moisturized and back to its old self.

The Mini-Break is Over

Dear Devoted Fabulous Girls Guide Readers (all 10 of you, not including my mom!),

Sorry I've been abandoning you for the last 2 months, unfortunately my schooling needed a little more attention than my blog. But since I've been getting requests to update, and I see some free time in my future, look out for all the great things I've kept bottled up! And of course if you're interested in any fashion, beauty, fabulous thing, let me know and I'll blog it!

See y'all soon, xoxo

Tara

Beach Weekend Essentials

Let the weekend beach vacations begin! Try not to think about how much traffic is on I-95 and instead think about how cute you’re going to look when you get there! Besides, maybe they’ll be a hot James Dean type starring you down in the car next to you :-).

Here are some of my beach weekend essentials:

Sea Horse Tote, Gap $19.99
I think I’ve adopted seahorses as my new personal symbol. This Gap tote is perfect for fitting all your beach affects and it’s a little more flashy then my ole L.L. Bean Boat-n-Tote. (Don’t worry little Boat-n-Tote, I’m still obsessed with you!)

Babydoll Halter, Victoria’s Secret $29
I got this dress last year for my Halloween costume as a champagne bottle, and I’m pretty excited to wear it this summer. Beware, you will have cleavage in this dress, but it does have a built in bra. So forgo the strapless at least in the summer.

Tie Front Top, Victoria’s Secret $25 2/$40
Every beach babe needs a fool proof going out top for a little après-beach partying. This one is perfect with the eyelet lace detailing. It also comes in a bazillion colors to choose from.

Mother of Pearl Sandals Mystique, $120
I’m pretty sure there is a mystique sandal cult out there, and I might just be part of it. Mystique makes a huge variety of leather soled sandals with shells, beads and gorgeous rhinestones. They are a little pricey, but extremely comfortable and add elegance to your daily summer routine.

Antique Hoodie, J.Crew, $50
Beach nights can be chilly, even if you’re singing patriotic anthems around a bonfires (gosh, what dorks do that!) This hoodie is perfect for summer nights. Believe it or not, it’s actually slimming. I know, you didn’t think that could be possible, right? I’m in love with this hoodie and may just have to get another one!

It’s an Eye Shadow Marathon and you’re approaching the Finish Line!

Have you ever found yourself carefully placing one drop of water on your eye shadow to make liquid eyeliner? I’ve done this a few times, and I’m sad to say, my Stila espresso brown isn’t looking so hot lately. The water matted down the eye shadow and turned it into espresso cement that is unresponsive no matter what kind of brush I use to revive it.

Well now I’m not going to fear the espresso cement any longer! Trish McEvoy has this new little fab product called Finish Line. It’s this magic waterproofing elixir that you place right on your eye shadow palette to make it instant eyeliner. I was a little skeptical of this at first, but my cousin who recommended it to me, said that all you need is a very little drop, and the eye shadow not only becomes liquid in that spot, but also isn’t ruined for future use. Well Bibbity Bobbity Boo, I think I’m going to win this beauty marathon!

Finish Line Trish McEvoy, $18

Band-Aid Block Those Blisters!

It’s flip flop time again! I can’t find my Reefs anywhere (for some reason I can’t hold on to them for more than one season!), but I wore my classic Jack Rogers for the first time yesterday. Of course by the time 5pm came around, I had two gianormous blisters on the bottom of my feet. And I wasn’t alone. People from work were also reporting the mishaps of their first flip-flop wearing venture this spring.

But don’t worry faithful flip-floppers, Band-Aid has once again come to our rescue and created a new product to stop blisters from even forming. It’s called Band-Aid Active Flex Block Stick and it comes in a deodorant like stick that can be applied to any place on your foot where a blister might form. A lot of runners use it, so this stuff has got to be good and it doesn’t even wear off in the rain!

So let your current wounds heal, and never leave home without the Band-Aid Block Stick again!

Active Flex Block Stick Band-Aid, $6.99

Fashion Police: High Waisted Trouser Pants!!

I completely know the look that Mischa Barton is going for here: 70's Charlie's Angels high waisted Farah pants. Unfortunately for Mischa it's '07 and those waisties still don't look good. I bet it's an ugly sight from the rear! Haul her away fashion police!

The Plantidote for the Fire Within

I’m revolting against my skin. I refuse to embrace my pale Irish face! I hate that it turns red very easily, which I have now recently discovered is called being a flusher-blusher (how charming!). I’ve been combating my red skin for some time now, and have found few products that actually reduce the red-factor and give my skin an even tone. The “green stuff” (Smashbox Photo Finish Primer in Green) can only do so much, so this past week I got serious. No more Miss Nice Girl Red Face.

I picked up Dr. Weil for Origins Plantidote™ Mega-Mushroom Face Serum which had been recommended to me by one of my favorite bloggers, The Beauty Addict. The salesgirl was equally as complementary of the mushroom face serum, and said she had been using it for acne. Apparently the mushroom extracts in the serum calms inflammation and optimizes the skins defenses and I have to say, so far, so good. I’ve been using the serum twice a day for a week. My skin is definitely less red and the blotchiness has disappeared. Also, surprisingly, my face isn’t as dry and it has a subtle glow that I’m LOVING! Goodbye flusher-blusher, hello gorgeous glowing goddess skin!

Origins Plantidote™ Mega-Mushroom Face Serum Origins, $65

Show a Little Shoulder Cleavage!

Reader Request: Tube Tops

I had a request for some tube tops for this blog, so I thought it would be a great time to go through all the tube top terminology since the summer tube top season is quickly approaching!

Tube Top: A strapless top that has tons of spandex in it because it’s got to stay up! Usually made of a jersey type material and looks the best if it already has built in “shelf-bra.” You still have to wear a good strapless bra with a tube top though, even if it has a built in bra already.

Corset: Traditionally made with whale boning, corsets first became popular in the 1850’s. The ultimate “sucky-in-thing” corsets nowadays are still torture devices and should be avoided at all costs, unless they’re really cute! They are much more structured than tube tops and can be either lingerie or tops if made of less revealing material.

Bustier: A bustier isn’t too far off from a corset and usually has some kind of plastic “boning” in it to keep its structure. A bustier is not meant to cinch the waist as much as a corset and is often a fancy dress top which is paired with a long skirt to give the illusion of a one piece dress. I love to wear a bustier with jeans or a white pleated lawn skirt in the summer. They also give a little extract something to the bust area.

Check out my top picks for tube tops, including a few I Want It Now! items :-)


Polka dot tube top Victoria’s Secret, $38
This top would go marvelously with a pair of cropped/ankle length white jeans. I actually just picked up a pair from J.Crew myself, attempting to channel Jackie O.

Tie-waist bustier Victoria’s Secret, $48
Most definitely an I Want It Now! item. I would also pair this with white jeans and my new Navy Jack Rogers sandals.

South Hampton Eyelet Bustier Shoshanna, $165
The white eyelet bustier that I have unfortunately has seen better days. The only down side to a bustier is it is often dry clean only which gets annoying with white items.

Pink Floral Trelis Bustier Shoshanna, $106.24
This is an adorable bustier and the ribbon belt accentuates the waist. I love the sweet-heart neckline, very flattering.

Essential Black Tube Top Banana Republic, $28.00
This black tube top was a staple of my going out wardrobe in college. It looks simple, but you can jazz it up with a chunky necklace or a wide cinched belt. It’s my I Want It Now! item since my college one is long gone. It also comes in brown and white.

Spring Break for $42 a bottle

I’m officially done with winter. I can’t stand it anymore! My pasty, dull skin is dying to see the summer sun. Unfortunately, my skin doesn’t actually like the sun. I burn very easily and since skin cancer runs in my family, I’m a 45 SPF kind of girl.

Fortunately, for me and my almost translucently white skin, there is St. Tropez Sunless Tanner. I think I’ve posted about St. Tropez before, but I can’t say enough about the perfect streak-free tan that I get with this lotion. It’s essential to have not only the Auto-Bronzant Lotion (tanner), but also the moisturizing lotion, body polisher and (most importantly) the self tan remover if you want to look natural. The remover gets the self tanner off of your hands after the application process so you don’t have the tell-tale orange palms. It also is a quick-fix if you applied too much tanner to your knees or elbows (which tend to get darker more quickly).

I suggest getting the small tanning system to start and of course the self tan remover. And although the small tanning system is about $42, it is well worth it to avoid wrinkles, sunspots and cancer later in life.

Small Tanning System, St. Tropez, $42.56

Gray skies are gonna clear up, put on a sun-kissed face!!

Beauty Police on Proenza Pink Patrole

If you haven't heard about the new brazenly pink lipstick from Lancome, Proenza Pink, by Proenza Schouler, you're probably stuck in the '80's. Oh wait, everything '80's is back, so you might actually be ahead of the fashion trends this season. (Scrunchies haven't quite made it back yet, thank goodness we still have time before the fashion apocalypse!)

To be honest I absolutely LOVE pink lips. Every time I get my makeup done at a beauty counter, they always put brown toned lip gloss or lipstick on me and the second I get home I wipe that brown goop off and bring out the pink! As with all these new "trends" you have to figure out which tone of pink will work with your skin color and hair.

Here's Fergie demonstrating how NOT to wear Proenza Pink: sooo not Fergalicious

It's too light for her skin and it actually looks chalky and dry, ewwww.

I think it's best to skip the lipstick all together and go for a gloss. The shine of a gloss will eliminate any possibility of chalkiness and will let a bit of the natural color of your lips shine through.

A good alternative is Dior Addict Lip Gloss in number 181. It still has the very light pink hue, but with a little iridescent shimmer which can be worn during the day or to work (it's not too overpowering). I couldn't find number 181 on the Sephora website, but I did see it in the store. It will run you about $23.50 for a square tube. Make sure you get the gloss with the gold cap. Dior sells 3 lines of lip gloss that all look similar except for the color of the caps.

Go forth with those pretty in pink puckers girls!

Happy Friday

Happy Friday everyone!

Please remember to support the advertisements around my blog :-) Without them I wouldn't be able to keep up my fabulous fashion and beauty habits, and write this fabulous girls guide!

thanks and xoxo

Tara

They're paying you to shop!

Well not really, but Endless.com will pay you $5 to have your shoes or handbags shipped overnight! If I didn't give up shopping for Lent, I'd be all over this one. It's for a limited time so get shopping!

Endless.com

Thanks to Reg for the tip :-)

Clearly I’ve been living under a bead-dazzled rock!

Someone save my poor naive feet!

I’ve never quite been able to afford a pair of Miss Trish of Capri leather sandals. They usually range from $200-$450 and have a bazillion rhinestones on them with intricate sea creatures and glistening metallic leather straps. If you’re wearing Miss Trish, you’ve made it baby (well at least with the Capri-jetting set).

But what I didn’t realize was that Miss Trish of Capri is actually a knockoff of Amedeo Canfora Handmade Sandals in Capri! And oh what clientele Camfora has had:

“Canfora was a favorite of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, for whom Amedeo never hesitated to open his shop out of normal trading hours so as to guarantee his client a fitting in total privacy. The sandal christened “K” was made exclusively for Mrs Onassis.”

Can you say, what would Jackie do? I think she would get some of these fabulous, not to mention authentic, leather sandals from Capri. They are a little pricey, about $200 at the low end, but you'll have them forever right?

What I’m still flabbergasted about is how the heck I missed this place when I was in Capri?

Canfora of Capri

Photos courtesy of canfora.com

Best Spring Dresses to Pretend You Play Croquet In

Cheap Chic
My sister just picked up this adorable lawn dress from Forever 21 yesterday. It’s perfect for the small busted girl because it has padding in that area for a little extra something. I also adore the sweet red floral pattern on the hem of the dress. I think you can tuck in the straps if you want.

I want it NOW accessories: red patent leather peep toe shoe and matching red patent clutch.

Padded Dot Dress Forever21, $24.80

Spring Splurge
I’m desperately waiting for the pre-season Lilly Pulitzer sale so I can pick up a few of their new items. Lilly has definitely toned herself down a bit in the past few years, and if you don’t over do it with Lilly shoes, purse and head scarf all at once I think a Lilly Pulitzer dress is a must have.

I want it NOW accessories: Huge white sunglasses

Billie Dress Lilly Pulitzer, $218

Bye Bye Winter Blahs!

Spring is coming, I can feel it. For now I'll ignore the Winter Storm Warning for NYC tomorrow and focus on the sunny weather ahead. The next few posts will be all about Spring: dresses, shoes, makeup, handbags etc. including my I Want it NOW list!

Blog Break

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, things are a little crazy around here. I'll start updating more next week!

xoxo
Tara

And the Oscar goes to....

My Fabulous Girl Oscar goes to Miss Reese Witherspoon! That divorcee looked HOT on the red carpet last night. It's as if she got a complete fabulous girl makeover, including showing up disheveled ex-husband. I loved her straight hair, which gave her a very young, fresh and modernly chic look. I absolutely adored her purple crepe dress with subtle violet ombre highlights at the bottom. Now that's the way to wear the new purple trend, completely original and a great color choice for her.

Preppy Chic Part Deux

The Look: Preppy right off the Hamptons Jitney
(More Dsquared on the right)

Key Items:

The Mini Skirt

Chino Sailor Mini J.Crew, $39.99

White Denim Mini Skirt J.Crew, $49.50

The Oxford Shirt

Polo Candy-Striped Oxford Polo, various prices

The Original Tennis Shoe

Keds Champion Chatham Mini Slip On Keds, $39.99 also available in green & navy

The Essential Tote

Hamptons Weekend Tote Coach, $198

I want it NOW: with inspiration from Dsquared

I adored what Dsquared had to offer for the Spring/Summer season. Preppy is most definitely chic once again (as if it ever went out of fashion in my closet!). I can’t fit all the great preppy items I found into one section, so I’ll do it in a series of posts. Here is my first, with my inspiration coming from the Dsquared runway.

The Look: Meeting your sailor boyfriend for cocktails post Block Island Race Week

How to get it:

Wool Hacking Jacket J.Crew $235

Sail Striped Roll Up Short AE, $39.50

Guess? Laralyn Shoe Nordstrom, $84.95

Sea-side Charm Bracelet J.Crew $195

I didn't include an oxford shirt, because I'm sure everyone has a white oxford shirt to wear with the blazer.

Sorry the pictures are so small, click on the links above to see the larger images.

I want it NOW: Eye Make Up in March's Elle

I want it NOW: Chloe’s emerald green eye

How to get it:

Nars Duo Eye shadow in Sea, Sex, Sun – for base yellow/gold tones
Nars Duo Eye shadow in Misfit – for the deep emerald color at the outside corner of the eye, and outside under the lower eye lashes.
M.A.C Eye shadow in Surreal – for the inside corner of the eye and bottom lid

Nars can be found at Sephora, and M.A.C at MACcosmetics.com

I want it NOW: Guess's doe-eyed liquid liner

How to get it:

Stila Eye shadow in Ecru (matte baby pink) - for base color all over lid

L'Oreal Line Intensifique Liquid Eyeliner in Black - I couldn't find this eyeliner at my local Harmon, but L'Oreal did have a liquid liner with a small brush that I really love. This one is basically the same product as Lancome's Artliner for a lot less.

Stila can be found at Sephora, and L'Oreal at your local drugstore.

A Lipgloss/Lipstick Guide For All Seasons

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I’ve been a little uninspired. But a Fabulous Girl always bounces back and I have three must wear lip trends for the Spring, Summer and Fall.

Spring

Purple hues are everywhere for this spring. I prefer to call the new color violet, because I doubt that many girls are going to put anything close to purple on their lips. I actually discovered a few violet lipsticks and glosses last summer, which are absolute perfection. Not too purple, with a subtle shine and a breezy freshness.

For Gloss: Chanel Lipgloss in Summer Plum, $25
Obviously Chanel lip gloss is a personal favorite of mine, and this shade definitely lives up to the Chanel rep. It looks a little skeptical in the tube, but it’s gorgeous on.

For Lipstick: Nars Lipstick in Klute, $23
Nars lipstick is always a top Sephora pick and I love this frosted lilac hue. Wear a clear gloss on top of it, or even the Chanel lip gloss above.


Summer

The nude lip has made its resurgence for this summer. I like the nude lip for that ‘just off the beach’ look during the day. I also like it with lots of shine and sparkle, forget matte. Some designers were showing matte, but I think the corpse look is a no-go.

For Gloss: Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in A Delight of Apricot, $23.50
Dior gloss has a very high shine factor and I love the alternative square tube. This is one of my most used lip glosses.

For Lipstick: Clinique Long Last Soft Shine in Honey Gloss, $14
Clinique lipstick is a staple of any true lipstick maven. There a ka-zillion colors, and the product is always very moisturizing. I like the honey gloss color as a base for the nude lip, then add the Dior Ultra Gloss on top.

Fall

Red lips. You know you want to be able to pull of the red lip. Well it takes a little patience, but I think everyone can wear a red lip gloss or lipstick. The trick is to find the shade that compliments your complexion and isn’t too overdone. One way to get around the big matte red lip is too do a lip stain, or a high color gloss. Both of these colors work for me (fair skin, brown hair, tans in the summer)

For Gloss: Stila Lip Glaze in Strawberry, $20
Stila’s now legendary Lip Glaze has this great red color, just in case you’re not ready to take the red lipstick plunge just yet. It also smells like strawberries, but not so much to make you sick from your own lip gloss. This would also be great as a top coat over the a red lipstick.

For Lipstick: Bobbi Brown Lip Color in Burgundy, $21.00
I think this is currently out of stock on the Bobbi Brown website, but I’m sure you can find it at the counter. Since it is such a dark color, dab a bit of color on the center of your lip, apply a red/clear gloss on top and spread the color around. I find this work well when you want a demure red lip.

The new lip glosses (from left to right) Chanel Summer Plum, Dior Addict Ultra Gloss A Delight of Apricot, and Stila Strawberry

The Science of Skin

Smashbox O-GLOW

There has been a beauty trend lately that is just a little too scientific for my liking. It’s make-up that produces a color that is unique to you by matching your skin tone or reacting to your skin chemistry. Everyone remembers that weird lipstick first marketed in the 70’s or 80’s (either way it was gross!) that changed colors depending on your lips. The colors were hideous and many women were unintentionally walking around with orange lips.

I think we might have another “orange lips” situation on our hands here. Smashbox has just come out with a blush that ‘reacts with your personal skin chemistry to turn cheeks the exact color you blush.’ Who wants to look like they’re embarrassed all the time? That being said, I am a little curious to see what this embarrassed O-Glow blush looks like on me. I’m pretty sure Smashbox is counting on the curiosity factor to sell this product. Stay tuned for the final verdict, for now I’m highly skeptical.

O-GLOW, Smashbox, $26

You're Not Getting Roses This Year Baby...(Untraditional Valentine's)

Homemade Ice Cream Cake

I recently made this amazing cake for my boyfriend’s birthday. It was easy and required very little baking which is perfect for you non-domestic divas. So if you’re still looking for a Valentine’s present, skip dinner and just have this cake with a little champagne. Perfecto!

Fool-Proof Ice Cream Cake

Prep: 30 min.
Bake: 10 min.
Freeze: 5 hrs.

Ice Cream/Toppings
2 1-quart containers of your sweetheart’s favorite ice cream
(I went with Longford’s Mint Chip and Reese’s Nightmare)
2 cups chocolate hot fudge or caramel sauce

Crust
2 packages chocolate wafer cookies (the ones in the yellow box)
1.5 sticks butter very soft

Equipment
Oven
8 inch round spring-form pan
Freezer

Directions:

Crust:

Crush 1.5 boxes, about 3-4 cups, chocolate wafer cookies until they are the consistency of bread crumbs. Combine crushed chocolate wafers with butter. It is easiest to combine with your hands. Once butter and crushed wafers are fully incorporated, press into a prepared (with butter and flour) spring-form baking pan. Be sure to press chocolate crust about 2-3 inches up the side of the pan. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 350º F. Allow to cool until completely cold.

Filling:

Take 1 quart of ice cream and place in crust. You don’t want the ice cream to be too soft or it will get freezer burn when you put it back in the freezer, but it should be easy to spread. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours.

After 2 hours, take 2 cups of fudge or caramel sauce and spread over first layer of ice cream. Make sure the sauce is not hot, out of the frig is best. At this point you can take some of the extra chocolate wafer crumbs and layer them under or over fudge. Or even some nuts if you like them. Cover the pan again with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1 hour.

Finally after 1 hour, take second ice cream flavor and spread over the fudge layer. Allow to freeze for at least 2 hours. Before serving, sprinkle remaining chocolate wafer crumbs over the top of the cake and gently remove the spring-form pan by releasing the clip.

The best gifts are tied with heartstrings! Enjoy!

Photo: Susan Branch www.susanbranch.com Check out her adorable love keepsake book Love: from the Heart of the Home