Beauty Mark

Caboodles are Back!

Remember those candy-colored makeup organizers that held all of your clear lipglosses when you were 11 because that’s all your mom would let you wear?  Well Caboodles are back, they’re revamped, and now that it’s been 20 years since their debut, pretty retro cool to have around.

Whether you’re a low-maintenance lady or a glamorous gal, the new line of Caboodles has something for everyone.  If the classic pink On-The-Go Girl (pictured above) isn’t your style, check out their Grande Train Cases.  While most professional cosmetic train cases at beauty supply stores cost over $100,  Caboodles train cases look just as smart and will only set you back around $25.

If you’re like me and you keep your makeup brushes in a short glass with “General Electric” imprinted on the side of it that your dad got on his 10th anniversary with the company, as an adult woman you might want to spring for an upgrade.  I just got my hands on the ICandy silver glitter valet and my morning routine has thankfully been much more organized that usual.  Also, it’s clad in silver glitter.  Win-win!

Top 5 Beauty Moments: NYFW S/S 2011

1. Pigmented Pink Pouts at Diane Von Furstenberg - I’m absolutely in love with dense, pigmented pink lips right now and I’ll be elated to see them popping up in 2011. It combines the drama of an old Hollywood starlet with the playfulness of a high school cheerleader. 
   
   Get the look: Kat Von D’s Painted Love Lipstick in Backstage Bambi
   
   
2. Ballerina Buns at ADAM - Your mom was always telling you to get your hair out of your face and super high buns are easy yet elegant way to do it. No matter what your librarian-hating boyfriend says, buns will never go out of style. 
   
   Get the look: Scuni No Damage Ponytail Holders
3. Pop of Pastel at Preen - The anti-smokey eye - a touch of shimmery blue or green in the inner triangle of your eyelid.  Kind of out of this world.
   
   Get the look: Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow Single in Blue Blazes
   
   
4. Va Va Va Volume at Vera Wang - Ditch the straight iron and dust off your teasing combs.  Big hair is back in a major way and I can’t wait.
   
   Get the look: ULTA Multi-Teeh Flipside Comb
5. Ethereal Eyelids at Carolina Herrera - Part Designing Women, part A Midsummer Night’s Dream, glossy rosy lids are a fresh option for spring.  Stick with a pearly pink, stay away from mattes.
   
   Get the look: MAC Shadestick in Shimmersand

Inspiration: Beach Beauty

Midwesterners wait what seems like all year to get three solid months of beach, babes, bronzing (and booze).  Don’t forget these beauty essentials for your trips to the sunny shores.

1. Redken Color Extend Sun Solar Screen SPF 12, $12;  2. Maui Babe Browning Lotion, $14 (Note: Always be careful when staying in the sun. This is a great lotion that really revs up your tan but make sure you’re familiar with your skin type and how much sun you can handle!); 3. LAVANILA Laboratories Pure Vanilla Healthy Lip Butter SPF 15, $16; 4. OPI Nail Polish in A Good Man-darin Is Hard To Find, $5; 5. Grand Floppy Hat, Forever 21, $7; 6. Marc Jacobs Splash in Apple, $68 for 10 oz.

Inspired By: Beyonce’s “Why Don’t You Love Me?” Video Looks

This video got my panties in a twist.  The pin-up look is one of my faves - classic, clean, and sexy.  Check out some of these products to help you get the look. Then start dancing around in your undies and gardening in your heels.

1. Benefit’s Babe Cake Eyeliner, $22 - I should get paid for the amount of times I mention this product.  Best liner on the market for the perfect cat eye.
2. Chanel Nouvelle Vague Nail Polish, $40 - This subtle soft blue is good for most skin tones.  For a cheaper alternative, try China Glaze’s For Audrey ($6).
3. Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Silver Plum, $5 - Love it with the white sunnies, Bey.
4. Satin Side Bow Headband, $4 - Because every good pin-up needs a hair bow.
5. Remington Solutions Ionic Hot Rollers, $19 - The unsung hero of every great ‘do. 

Side note: I’m down with everything in this video except the smoking!  Pick yourself up some Nicoderm CQ and quit now!  Maybe that’s why he doesn’t love you, B…

Inspiration:  Spring Pink

Spring is finally here! Flowers! Sunshine! Dudes! I’m not quite sure how it happens, but guys come out of the woodwork in spring. Cute ones are everywhere - winking at you in Border’s, smiling at you in Intelligentsia, offering to go down on you at Neo.  Whatever you might be into, get your spring romance on with a touch of pink. 

1.  Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Eau de Parfum, $50; 2. Essie Nail Polish in Pop Art Pink, $8; 3. MAC Lipglass in Cultureclash, $14; 4. Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow Quad in Time For Wine, $6;  5. Manic Panic Semi-Permanent Hair Dye in Cotton Candy Pink, $8; 6. Forever 21 Large Floral Hair Clip, $2.80

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Line We Love: Cheesecake Handmade Beauty

Named after the Hollywood pin-up photos from the mid 1900’s, creator Claire Lyerla started her handmade, environmentally-friendly bath and body product line, Cheesecake Handmade Beauty, five years ago when she took a break from her undergraduate studies to enroll in cosmetology school. 

The entire line, which includes bar soaps, salt and sugar scrubs, lip gloss, blended oils and dusting powder, is hand made in Lyerla’s studio in Ukrainian Village, using natural and organic materials that she purchases mostly from green online wholesalers.  Why organic?  “It’s simple,” says Lyerla, “Using natural ingredients that are good for the Earth are also good for you!”

Customers love the moisture-rich lip gloss pot, which comes in berry, peppermint and citrus flavors, and gets a natural tint from mica.  Another best seller is the bar soap, made from various kinds of natural oils, available in honey oatmeal, mocha,  and rosemary mint, to name a few.  And let’s not forget the packaging - who can say no to bombshells?  (It’s worked out pretty well for Benefit.)

Cheesecake recently launched Beefcake Handmade Grooming, their men’s line, which consists of hump-worthy scented bar soaps (basil lime, orange patchouli, and tea tree), moustache wax, and Dwight’s Balldusting Powder (available in grapefruit and basil lemon).  Finally, grooming products for dudes in a language they can understand.

Cheesecake will be featured at local craft fairs this spring and summer and can be found at a handful of stores around the city, as well as online. The best part - the entire line ranges from only $7 to $12.  As for navigating Chicago’s indie craft/beauty scene, Lyerla is perfectly at ease.  “Chicago’s home. This is where I identify most closely.”

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Thawing Out

It’s usually around this time of year that always has me questioning, “Why do I live in Chicago again?”  But I read somewhere that Chicagoans’ relationship with their city is like that of Ike and Tina - six months out of the year it’s beautiful and harmonious and the other six months you spend telling your friends that they “just don’t understand him the way you do.”  But happy days are on the way!  Winter is almost officially over (March 20th is the start of spring) and if the dry, itchy skin and cracked-open knuckles are killing you half as much as they’re killing me, follow these tips to begin to restore your body:

1. Hair - Try an oil or mask to bring some life back into your wind-blown tresses.  Above:  Moroccanoil Restorative Hair Mask, $25.
2. Skin - L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream ($10) gets great marks for restoring cracked hands while the list of good daily body lotions is endless.  For extremely flaky skin, try Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Lotion ($13).
3. Face - Stick with home ingredients to make gentle treatments for your skin.  Mash up and avocado - full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants - with a drizzle of olive oil and spread it onto your face for 15 minutes.  Also try: equal parts raw oatmeal (very soothing), egg yolk and honey.  Leave it on for 20 minutes.
4. Lips - If your lips are really bothering you, get rid of your petroleum based lip chap and opt for something natural that will let your lips breathe, like Burt’s Bees Lifeguard’s Choice ($3), made specifically for sun and snow. And if you didn’t already have a million reasons to quit, smoking just aggrivates chapped lips.

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Currently Channeling: Time Burton’s Alice in Wonderland

People have been excited about seeing Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland since the images of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter hit the internet last year.  And while Tim Burton is a genius, let’s not forget the makeup department (20+ people) for making his visions come to life.

Maybe you don’t want to walk out of your house with The Red Queen’s eyebrows but a lot of these trends can be really bold and fun.  Here are some tips:

• Mad Hatter - Part insane, part heroin chic.  To achieve a wearable version of his crazy eyes, try Urban Decay’s Matte Eyeshadow in Cult ($17), a deeply pigmented matte purple, or NYX 3 Color Eyeshadow Trio #6 ($5).
• White Queen - A strong brow can actually be very stunning when you have the right tools.  Try Tarte’s EmphasEYES for Brows ($20) for everyday and Anastasia’s Brow Ex-Press ($38), complete with stencils for a stand-out look.
• Red Queen - The Red Queen is known for, what else, her red lips (although that eyeshadow’s pretty fierce).  MAC’s Ruby Woo Lipstick ($14) is a classic with a bluer undertone while NARS Lipstick in Fire Down Below ($24) will give you more of a blood-stained look.
• Alice - Every heroine has great hair and Alice’s is long, blonde, and curly.  To get the look, wrap about an inch-worth of hair around a 1” curling iron, like Bedhead’s 1” Stying Iron ($25), and hold for 20 - 30 seconds. Repeat over entire head and spray with a fine mist hairspray, like Ulta’s Ultimate Finish Natural Hold Hairspray ($9).  See this YouTube video for more tips.
• Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum - Possibly not the picture of beauty but one must always focus on the positive - they have great skin.  Check out Revlon’s Photo Ready Makeup SPF 20 ($14) and Stila’s One Step Foundation ($44) for full coverage.

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Fall Beauty 2010: The Bold & The (Naturally) Beautiful

New York saw a variety of looks at Fall 2010 Fashion Week, but not the variety I was hoping for.  For many designers, the theme seemed to be “all or nothing.”  Dark eyes and sassy hair were seen at Derek Lam, Alexander Wang, Carolina Herrera, and DVF while some kind of “non-look” showed up at 3.1 Phillip Lim, Marc Jacobs, Thakoon, and Narciso Rodriguez.

Overall I was a bit underwhelmed, but there were some standouts:

• Purple, purple, purple - seen most notably at Carolina Herrera.
• Vamp lips - Proenza Schouler and Derek Lam rocked ‘em.
• Huge headbands and red lips - Donna Karan is always classic.
• Long, straight hair - absolutely everywhere!  Updos spotted at Vera Wang while Oscar De La Renta channelled the 80s.

My verdict:  Best Beauty goes to Michael Kors - he just understands women and what makes not only their bodies look good, but also their faces.  I’m giving Worst Beauty to Erin Wasson x RVCA: from what I understand, no gal wants to walk around with one janky eyebrow.

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“Wait, what neighborhood is this?”

Sometimes there’s just nothing you can do - the chemistry is so overwhelming and the dude is so cute and your privates happen to be freshly shaved.  You’ve had one or five too many drinks and whoops, the next thing you know you’re missing a contact lens, your debit card, and your dignity.

Never fear: the Too Faced Walk of Shame Kit ($38) is here for us sluts. It includes a compact with two eyeshadows and a blush, eyeshadow base, makeup primer, lipstick, a travel toothbrush, mints, and a satin clutch to carry it in. Throw a couple ibuprofen in there, grab a bottle of Gatorade, and you’ll be all set to spend the next day contemplating your Catholic guilt and the trajactory of your life.

While you might not be able to look yourself in the mirror morally, at least you’ll be presentable for the walk or $30 cab ride back to your apartment.

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