Monthly Archives: January 2015

Jan 18

Women with candles have replaced women with cats as the new sad thing.

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“Women with candles have replaced women with cats as the new sad thing.”

-Samantha Jones, Sex and the City

Oh Samantha, I have a confession to make. I am that girl, the sad candle hoarder. But not just any ol’ crappy candles–I am a luxe candle collector. The kind that have scents that linger in the air long after they have been blown out.

voluWithout a doubt, my very favorite candle is Voluspa Crisp Champagne. The “Maison Noir” series has a darker and vampier look than the regular line and come in either an opaque onyx glass, or a chic tin.

I have been buying these handcrafted candles for the past ten years, over and over. Now, it just smells like home to me. Kinda spendy? Yes. Worth every penny? Yes.

But this isn’t your run-of-the-mill generic candle. It doesn’t knock you over the head and scream CLEAN COTTON or SWEET PEA!!! This is more sophisticated and understated. It just smells, well, AMAZING.

Nordy’s says it is “sparkling brut champagne mingles with hints of vanilla and barrel oak.” Whatever that means, right? To me, it’s the perfect balance of  warm and clean, not fruity and not too musky. Just right. I keep the tiny glass votive on my nightstand and its scent lasts forever, even when it’s not lit.

I know they are available in all different sizes, but this one is the best value. And the awesome thing about Nordstrom is that if you hate it, you can return it. So there. If you agree with Sam, or prefer to collect (or even marry) cats, feel free to disregard this post. If you have a favorite candle, what is it?

Jan 16

Primpin’ Ain’t Easy

It’s a hybrid of my very two favorite things: gangster rap and beauty.

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Cute print for the bathroom, no? It’s the perfect lil’ gift for the beauty addict in your life. Or yourself, obvi. Click the image to get to the listing on Etsy.

Jan 15

Setting Spray Saves Sweaty Girl: splurge vs. steal

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Initially, I thought makeup setting sprays were a hoax. Seemed like another useless step to add to an already busy morning. You see, I’ve always had shiny skin. No matter what powder, foundation or primer I put on first, my face was super shiny by lunchtime. I also tend to run hot and sweat more than the average girl. There I said it. I am a sweaty sweater. It’s out there and I can’t take it back.

On any given day I walk several miles at work, outside in the elements, and usually at a power-walk stride. My office is over a mile away from the medical center, where most of my meetings are. I joke with my colleagues that I always show up at my destination feeling like Chris Farley, totally sweaty and shoved into a tiny suit jacket. But I digress.

For almost 20 years, I’ve  used MAC Blot Powder in Light as a temporary fix. It contains very little color, and the translucent, fine-milled powder doesn’t cover or change the color of the makeup underneath. It just magically soaks up the oil like a sponge, but it was more reactive than actually preventing the shine in the first place. By the end of the day, my face makeup and blush were all but gone. Even with the help of the blot powder, my makeup wasn’t sticking to my skin and slipping right off.

But I haven’t bought a blot powder in the last year. After receiving a trial size sample of Urban Decay Oil Control De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray, I didn’t need to. It CHANGED THE GAME.

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Even after punishing my skin and makeup all day, it’s still on (and shine-free) when I head home after work since I started using setting spray. In fact, I recently had to get some heavier duty makeup wipes because my nighttime washcloth routine just wasn’t cutting it. I was taking that much off at the end of the day! I love De-Slick, but it isn’t cheap. Plus, I was probably using more of this stuff than I was supposed to. I read somewhere that applying a little before AND after makeup application (instead of just after) made all the difference for me. It was a splurge, though, at $30 a bottle for the full-size.

Enter NYX Cosmetics Matte Finish Makeup Setting Spray. The same idea as the De-slick, but it’s a steal at $8 a bottle. Naturally, I was skeptical to essentially downgrade something that had been so good to me. But let me tell you, it wasn’t a downgrade at all. Now I am not a scientist or anything, so I didn’t compare ingredients or have efficacy data. All I know is I have had the EXACT same results with the NYX. I cannot tell you of one difference between the way the two lock-down my make up for the day. I feel like it’s the dupe of the century, for real. It’s that good.

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NYX  isn’t great about giving directions with their products. Maybe that is the strategy for keeping prices so low–saving money on writers and packaging inserts. Here’s how I use it, which is the same way I used the De-Slick:

  1. Do your regular morning skin care routine and put on whatever you would use before primer or foundation application. Let those products kinda soak in a bit for a few minutes. This is usually when I brush my teeth or apply dry shampoo, or dry my hair if it’s wet. If you had a headband on from washing your face, leave it. If not, put one on or tie your hair outta your face. You want an even application without getting your hair damp with product. Am I getting too granular here?
  2. Take the spray and shake it a few times. Hold it about a foot away from your face, and spray. The idea is to apply a fine mist, so spritz too close to the skin and it’s crazy wet, and too far and the product doesn’t work. I do kind of a cross-shape that is focused mostly on the t-zone: one spray on my forehead, one on my nose, one on my chin, then one on each cheek and and final one from a little further away that gets anything you missed. Oh yeah, and close your eyes. Not only because it hurts when it gets in your eyes, but because it helps eye shadow stay put too. I KNOW! It’s a makeup miracle.
  3. Don’t touch it until it dries. Don’t try and blend it. Let it air dry totally before putting any makeup on top of it. I repeat–you do not want to try and apply makeup on top of this while it’s still damp. It will be an unblendable and semi-permanent mess. Unless that is the look you are going for then, I mean, whatever floats your boat.
  4. Apply your makeup until you are happy and want to wear it that way for the next 8 hours.  Just don’t apply mascara and eyeliner yet.
  5. Now repeat step number 2. Don’t forget to close your eyes.
  6. Again, DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE, blah blah blah, air dry.
  7. NOW you c an apply liner and mascara and BAM! Perma-face.

Please note that I believe this is the very most spray you would ever need to apply. This is like the worst case scenario DEFCON 5 (or DEFCON 1, I can’t remember which level is the bad one) amount you would need. If you aren’t super shiny like me, or prefer more of a dewey look, there is another formula (for the same price) from NYX called Dewey Finish Makeup Setting Spray . Also, you may not need to do it before AND after if you aren’t a sweaty animal like me. You might also just need, say, one spritz post-makeup to keep your makeup in place–in which case I hate you. Just experiment a little to find the sweet spot for you.

Now, it’s your turn. Any tips to keep shine at bay and makeup from sliding off your face during the day?

Jan 11

Pale is the New Tan: Lipstick Edition

I am not, nor will I ever be a tan-skinned gal. I always end up a match for the lightest concealer or foundation color and sometimes even that option too dark, or orange, or pink. As a thirtysomething, I have now learned to accept my pastiness in all it’s glory. But it does pose some unique challenges when it comes to finding a good nude lip color. With my ghost-like complexion, most of the popular nude lipsticks just wash me out and leave me looking like the undead.

Another, um, perk of my super pale skin is that is it also really sensitive, including the skin on my lips. Any lip product with SPF makes them breakout with crazy little bumps, or develop a VERY unsightly rash around my mouth. All of this to say that it makes it even tougher to find skin care and makeup that doesn’t piss off my face. And those issues are just related to the formula, I haven’t even discussed color selection.

Like pretty much every girl in the world, I am always on the hunt for the perfect My Lips But Better (MLBB) lipstick. Just a quick look in my purse or under my bathroom sink, and you’ll see that I am the proud owner of WAY too many almost-full neutral lipsticks and glosses. From the drugstore to the department store, I’ve explored most of the major lines. The lipsticks listed below are the ones I’ve actually used these up and bought more than one of, which coming from me is a BIG deal.  I’ll save the lip gloss edition of MLBB for another time, so this post doesn’t turn into a 25 chapter book. Here are my top lipstick picks for the perfectly polished pout and my own personal MLBBs:

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MAC’s Syrup his is my hall-of-fame MLBB. It’s my easy-to-wear everyday lip. It’s a creamy, slightly opaque blue-based pink that adds just the right amount of soft, shiny color without being too much. In this photo it looks really pink, but it’s really sheer. Since it’s a “lustre” finish, it’s super moisturizing and feels more like an awesome balm on the lips that some of MAC’s grittier and frostier finishes that can tend to dry out my lips. I can stick it in my pocket or wristlet while I’m at work or on the go, and apply it without a mirror or liner. It’s the middle of the group price-wise, at $16 a tube.

NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in Thaliathalia

At just $4 a tube, this is the bargain buy. NYX says this emollient formula offers a beautiful velvet texture, saturated color and it resists wear and smudging. But I love it because it really is long-wearing creamy without being too shiny or sheer. It reads kind of dusty pink or brown in this picture, but it is actually more of an understated cool mauve. The color is just right for a polished, not glossy look. Because it isn’t a big investment, it’s totally worth a try.

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine, color 8, Pink in Confidence 

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Oh YSL, where do I begin? Le sigh. Last summer, this “melting formula” much-hyped lipstick/balm was the talk of the beauty blog town. In classic YSL style, the fancy-pants French brand shared this over-the-top description:

What it is: An innovative and comforting lipstick enhanced with fruit extracts rich in vitamins and antioxidants that leave lips visibly softer and smoother with up to eight hours of hydration. What it does: Succumb to a unique sensorial experience with dazzling color, extreme comfort, and luminous shine. The luscious, hydrating texture glides on your lips leaving a lightweight aqua shine effect, while Back Injection Technology offers extreme comfort and pleasure upon application. This innovative lipstick is formulated to protect lips from free radicals and seal in moisture for up to eight hours of hydration.

COME ON. Give me a break, right? At $35, it’s a splurge for sure and I was sure it was a dud. But an in-person inspection at Sephora proved me wrong and the crazy oversell description was right.

I have NEVER spent so much on a tube of lipstick. But to say I am in love with this product is a gross understatement.

This No. 8 Pink in Confidence by YSL is the holy grail of MLBB. The perfect formula and the perfect soft and shiny color. I don’t throw that kind of thing around lightly.  It’s a fresh, coral-leaning dusty rose, without the dust. This color is the brighter than my other picks, but because it ends up as a sheer, plush, wash of color, it’s just right.

It really is the just-right blend of being a treatment (that feels INCREDIBLE, btw) and a gentle kiss of color. It feels SO good on my lips–and at the end of the day my lips really DO feel better and healthier and moisturized. I don’t know about 8 hours of hydration, though. I am certain the color doesn’t last that long, but maybe it’s just because I am so busy rubbing my lips together obsessing about how great it is that it wears out sooner. It’s a definite possibility.  I would seriously use it as a bedtime lip balm if it weren’t so pricey.

Even the design of the actual tube itself is chic. It reminds me of the fancy lipsticks of Old Hollywood. It’s gold and heavy and shiny and downright FANCY. You know how I love the fancy.

In short, if you try this, you WILL love it like I do. I have no doubt about that. I almost feel guilty for even recommending this because it’s an expensive luxury that you don’t need in your life. But you need it in your life.

Now it’s your turn. Tell me in the comments about your your favorite MLBB. Someday when I have more time, I’ll figure out how to take the “reader picks” for this topic and we can vote!

Jan 9

Hi. My name is Pam and I am a beautyholic.

drpepperIt started when I was about five years old. Bonne Belle Lip Smackers were my gateway drug. I loved how it made my little lips so shiny and smooth—I’d apply coat after coat until I achieved a *very* slight hue of color. If you know Lip Smackers, you know that it takes a LOT to get any color payout. But it didn’t matter. It made me feel fancy and grown-up and I was hooked.

My favorites were the Dr. Pepper and Bubble Gum flavors, because both soda and gum were strictly forbidden indulgences in my house growing up, it made the act of slathering it on even more satisfying in my little mind. I kept these tiny treasures hidden from my younger siblings in a pencil box in the back of my closet after my brother (age 2 at the time) took a bite right off the top of my beloved Dr. Pepper. I was mad about it then, but now I totally get it. It just smelled and tasted so good, right?

From there, I expanded into Hello Kitty’s kid-friendly line of cosmetics. As a reward (read: bribe) for getting good grades, my mom would take me down to the Sanrio store in Diamond Bar and let me choose something. Sometimes it would be a pencil box or a fancy pen, but most of the time it was a little lip gloss or small pan eye shadow. But it didn’t matter that they didn’t really show up on my face. I loved the girly packaging, the smell and the make-up-ness of it all.

More than three decades later, I am still obsessed with all things beauty—and for many of the exact same reasons. I love the intricate design and packaging, the range of colors and promise of new products. Now, it is also about the thrill of the hunt and scoring a good deal or finding a dupe for a high-end fave.

Lip Smackers are still an everyday favorite. Made with beeswax, lanolin and sesame oil—the multiple moisturizers and special emollients protect and keep your lips soft and shiny. Who knew that they were actually good for your lips? I keep a stick or two tucked away anywhere I might need it—in my purse, at home, my desk at work and in the car. You could follow their trail and find me, just like Hansel and Gretel. Without a doubt, it’s my “trapped on a desert island and can only bring one item” thing. Honestly, I’m probably one more watermelon biggie away from needing an intervention.

But it’s that same deep-rooted insanity that got me here, writing my very first post on my very first beauty blog: Lashes and Cake. I figured that if I am already thinking and talking about it all of the time anyway—I might as well write it down.

In the weeks and months to come, I plan to share some of the best and worst of the products I have tried—from the very best nude lip to the worst mascara ever (here’s a hint: it’s super expensive and melted like poison into my eyes.) Join me on my misadventures in at-home hair color and perfecting the DIY gel manicure.

I want Lashes and Cake to be a lifestyle and beauty spot for real women with real jobs and real lives and real budgets. Like Goop, but let less goopy and less Gweneth-y. A place where we ALL can share our swear-by faves and biggest fails. If you have ideas about content, or are interested in writing a guest post, just let me know.

Welcome home, fellow beautyholics.