VMAs 2011: The Ugly

Sorry for the late post but here it is today! Hope you love to hate just as much as I do.

I know all the little girlies love him but Justin Bieber (I always want to type Beiber but i before e except after c, right?) looks awful and I find that he usually does. First of all, he thinks he's freakin' Kanye (who I also despise) but he's not. I personally think men (not that you can call him that) should NEVER wear skinny jeans, especially not ones that are slung so low ass crack would be visible leaving you with a crotch between the kneecaps. Matt wears his baggy pants low and I have no problem with that, just tight fit pants need to be worn at the waist, hips or NOT AT ALL. Also, as the originator of red pants (circa 2002) I have to say that I hate to see people disgrace my trademark so carelessly. I'm digging the new-ish shorter hair, the glasses, the tee and blazer but the gold accessories and the leopard high tops have got to go. Better luck next time Biebs!

I know Katy's going for quirky with this Versace costume (that's the only thing I can call it) but I can still say it's downright ugly. I'm not really getting this look, it's too corny to be cool and not cute enough to be called kooky, I just don't get it. I love when Katy wears something a little more mainstream but in a funky pattern, texture or material. Can't wait to see what she's going to wear next though.

Speaking of what they'll wear next I have to point out Nicki Minaj's outfit. It's so freaking weird but truly adorable. I see this as a Halloween costume for a three year old or something, not for a grown woman.

Two ladies in similar looks who both missed the mark are Selena Gomez (who I heard was wearing someting risque, although I don't see that) and Kelly Roland both in black lace. If you've read my posts before you know that I'm not really into black lace. Maybe it's because my mother's "funeral" dress had black lace sleeves and it brings up bad memories for me. She'd only wear it when we were going to funerals and it just wasn't pretty. Kelly's isn't so much lace as it is just sheer material. I have to admit it looks a hell of a lot better on her dark skin that it would on my pasty white ass. I don't like the gold detailing but I am digging the feathers, so fun! BTW, I think I liked her better before the implants and that look certainly would have been better with such a lowcut dress.
Selena's look is just too costume-y to me, in a way that wasn't intended to be kooky like Katy Perry. All I can see is the Adam's Family, is that wrong? I'm not usually a fan of mullet dresses either. Selena has been doing so great lately, I hope she steps her game back up soon.

Last from this years VMAs is Miley Cyrus in Roberto Cavalli. I think Miley is gorgeous and I love her hair and makeup here. This dress didn't just miss the mark it completely aimed at a different target. The color scheme is pretty, I love me some black and gray, but the multiple patterns are just odd. If they'd stuck with one pattern like cute animal print I might have liked it. I don't like semi-casual dresses that are long like this with the exception of cotton-esque maxi dresses. It might be low in the back but there isn't enough skin showing elsewhere to keep me interested, not with the long sleeves, floor length hem and high neckline. Pass on this one.

I can't wait for the Emmy's in a few weeks so I can share those fashions with you!

NARS Larger than Life Eyeliner

I'm predicting this fall to be the season of eyeliner. As a huge fan I couldn't be more excited. While I'm a big believer in the power of your typical black liner I also love me some brights. My collection is full of vibrant blues, greens and purples and the occasional gold or silver. I love the way they makes my eyes look and the way they instantly sex up any outfit. So far I've been super impressed with Urban Decay's 24/7 liners but I'm ready to branch out a little bit with the new NARS Larger than Life pencils. They're a little pricey at $23 but their long wear and incredible color payoff make it a worthy splurge.

With my green eyes I love to wear purples like Bourbon Street and coppers like the gorgeous Via Appia (a slightly copperish brown). Both colors really help my eyes stand out. According to color theory the opposite shades on the color wheel from your eye color should really make them pop. All eye colors look great in purple, I love the way blues like Abbey Road look on dark brown eyes and gold makes blue eyes sexy.

While it may not follow color theory I also happen to think eyes look great in a shade similar to their own color. For my green eyes I love wearing bright jade or fun forest like Rue De Rivoli. Blues will look lovely in Rue Saint-Honoree (a dark sapphire) or (blueish gray) Madison Avenue and brown eyes will sparkle with Via Appia. When wearing green liner I can't help but admire the way they make my eyes look even greener, ditto for wearing a bluer shade since I'm lucky enough to have green-blue eyes that change colors depending on my mood or makeup choices.

While we could all use a little more beauty sleep NARS seems to have us covered on that one as well. When you line your eyes with matte white Santa Monica BLVD (for all skintones) or Rue Bonaparte (a nude for light complexions) you instantly look more awake and alert. Lately the rims of my eyes have been redder for no particular reason and I look like I have allergies when, for the most part, I do not. I'm lusting after the pretty shimmer in Rue Bonaparte to make me look wide eyed and bushy tailed (although my peppy ponytail does that for me).

If you're the look before you buy you have to check out the swatches from Karla Sugar seen here. This girl could make me want to buy anything with her beautiful swatching.

While you're here don't forget to sign up for my giveway, a year's subscription to Cosmo. PS-How do you like the new look?

VMAs 2011: The Bad

Sometimes the bad outfits at an event are more fun to gawk at. For me bad just equals something being off. It could be the awful pattern or color of an outfit, a bad fit on an otherwise cute look or a celebrity who looks uncomfortable in their chosen outfit. Here are my picks and what put them on the list.

First up is Adele. She's super adorable and yes, she's plus sized but that doesn't mean I don't want to see her in something a little sexier. She has the most beautiful face but the potato sacks she's usually wearing do nothing for her body. I'm not saying she needs to were a Herve Leger bandage dress but something that holds her in (like a fabulous pencil skirt) would do wonders for this girl. This dress might be Burberry but that don't make it pretty.

Britney, Britney, Britney, what are we going to do with you. There is always something that ruins a Britney Spears look for me and at this years VMAs she kills it (in the bad sense of the word) with those hideous boots. Someone should have told her you do not wear calf height boots with a dress no matter how sick your legs are. It chops them in half and makes you look shorter and thicker than you are. A nice pair of ankle boots or stilettos would have made a world of difference.

Someone needs to tell Katie Holmes that she can't dress. She's not a fashionista, she's trying too hard and always falling short. The pattern on this dress is fug and again, no matter how tall you are you can't wear booties that are this high. They just look bad. These look like old school Timbs a look that went out when we ushered in 2000. I'm just glad to see she's wearing her hair long again, I much prefer it that way.

I'm usually a huge fan of Kim Kardashian's fashion sense but even I'm left wondering WTF after her choice Sunday night. In theory this gown sounds gorgeous, the sheer back, the sparkly fabric, the tight fit, I just think it's too tight in some places and not tight enough in others. The fabric looks very stretchy but frankly it doesn't give her enough support in the chest (I'm guessing that her adhesive style backless bra isn't adding enough support for her large chest). It's also not very forgiving around the "love handle" area. I love Kim's body but this dress isn't doing it any favors.

The last bad of the day goes out to Zoe Saldana. This girl is too skinny and the lowcut neckline of this dress just points that out even more. I don't like how her body is glamourized as being in shape and healthy when she's scary skinny. Personally, I'm not a fan of the lowcut neckline when there's zero cleavage to speak of, it's not sexy. I love Zoe in long gowns or flowy belted styles, they make her look thin but healthy.

What do you think? What would you put these stars in? Check back tomorrow afternoon for my personal favorite rundown, the Ugly List.

Dudesday Tuesday: Less Is More

You're going out for the night. So you put on tons of makeup, dress up in an outfit you don't normally wear, do your hair in a way that breaks the mold you fall into during the week, wear some extravagant accessories and go out with the intent to own the night. But who are you doing all this for? Is it for your own satisfaction, or to get the attention of men on the prowl? Well, I've got some good news and some bad news. All this 'peacocking' will get mens attention but not necessarily in the way you want.

As usual, men are equally as confusing as they are confused so let me try to give you a hand here. What do men like more, women who dress provocatively or classy girls that leave something to be seen? To sum it up quickly, yes, men like women who dress provocatively, but, those are the girls they want to take home for the night, the girls with class are the ones they want to take home for life. So it's really up to you, what are you looking for?

Here we have Rihanna all dressed up and ready for a night out, and although very pretty, it's not what guys are typically looking for. We'll start with her hair. When guys see this, they're automatically thinking she's trying too hard to impress someone and it's a waste of time. Her hair would be gorgeous without those two curls at the top. Spending so much time on one single part of your appearance just isn't necessary.

Her makeup looks too overdone. The bright lips and eyeshadow make her stand out but like we've discussed before, guys don't particularly like red lips. Now I'm no expert with makeup but from a dude's perspective she also appears to be wearing a lot of foundation and concealer which gives her a dollish type look, like she belongs in a plastic box. Guys hate that, it looks caked on, like you're trying to cover something.

The outfit is a bit strange. The long sleeves are kinda weird considering how much leg she's showing and the fact that it's a belly shirt. The gold chain will get mens attention but odds are it won't be in a good way. The bottoms look too tight and fail at being sexy and the fishnets just look out of place. Nothing about this outfit seems to coordinate even though I'm sure quite a bit of time was spent on it.

What the average guy is going to get out of this attire is that she's desperate for attention yet shy and although she may act like she's going to give you the night of your life, she's more likely to cry and want to be held because no one understands her. This next picture says something very similar but is so much more appealing that there is no competition. If she wants attention, we'll do whatever she asks of us, if she's shy it's okay because she can let her guard down and we'll comfort her, and although she may not look like she'll give us the night of our lives, we know there is sensuality inside just dying to come out and if she cries, we'll hold her and spend the rest of our lives trying to understand why.

How can a simple look say all that? Here we go.

Her hair looks simple yet intricate, touchable, real, as opposed to the other picture that makes her look more like a Barbie doll. Her makeup, although there, looks more natural. Her lips look like something you could watch for hours while listening to her speak before kissing. Without so much makeup in general, it seems like we're really seeing her. The shirt is accidentally sexy because it looks comfortable and classy yet manages to show a little bit of her chest, just enough to leave us wanting more but not so much that we won't be able to focus on anything other than her boobs. The jean shorts are extremely short but when paired with the shirt, don't look slutty at all. It's things like this that tell a guy she's not a prude or anything but you probably won't be getting in those jeans the first night. But it doesn't matter, because the picture of this girl doesn't make us envision a one night stand. This is the girl we'll chase after forever because we want what is underneath.

If you dress sexy, men are going to think sex. Sex is great for the moment, but next week he'll move on to a different moment. Simple, classy, a little bit of sex appeal and some mystery will always keep him coming back for more.

VMAs 2011: The Good

As many of you may know the MTV VMAs were last night, for those not in the know I have a feeling you didn't miss much. Fashion-wise I was very uninspired and since I'm not really feelin' any of the musicians nominated it was definitely a ceremony I didn't mind missing. The only thing the show had going for it was Beyonce's pregnancy confirmation, one I don't think any of the tabloids had picked up on just yet (although the In Touch I picked up today did have a brief mention of it, obviously printed before her announcement). Yay for B being able to tell the world herself.

There really isn't much to say about the outfits. There are very few red carpet pictures but I wanted to share some of the best with you. I do think that Beyonce rocked that orange-red Lanvin gown. I adore when stars wear something to subtly show off the bump, not hiding it but not flaunting it either. It's just classy. Agreed?

Another lady who rocked the red carpet was Victoria Justice. Victoria is a cutie and I particularly love her in this silver gown. It's age appropriate for the teen, not showing off too much or looking too teenybopper. WTG Victoria!

Also in silver, and my third and final pick of the night, is Demi Lovato. I'm not digging the cocky "I need an attitude adjustment" look on her face but oh well. Her look is strikingly similar to Victoria's but they both look great. I love the subtle pattern done in tone on tone. I don't know what it is about metallic dresses but they are the epitome of cool for me.

What do you think? Did you have a favorite at the 2011 VMAs?

Mascara Monday Wrap Up: Part 2 10-20

Ahhh, week 2 of Mascara Monday wrap up. I hadn't realized that I'd tried (and reviewed) so many different mascaras but it looks like we're going to have a Part 3 next week. In that post I'll give you my TOP 5 and my BOTTOM 5 as well as regular wrap ups on the few that we haven't already covered. Again, the first link is to my review, second link is where you can purchase!

Laura Mercier is a brand that I haven't had much experience with but the Full Blown Mascara is amazing. I probably wouldn't shell out $24 to purchase this one again but I did love the way it worked for me. There's the perfect amount of product on the wand to leave my lashes long and lush and not clump city but still subtle enough for the faint at heart. B for this one!

I've always been curious about tube mascara formulas but I never ventured out of my comfort zone to try one until Blinc Kiss Me Mascara. Another $24 full size, I think it's a little too pricey for its capabilities. This mascara took a long time to try, easily making a mess if I was in a hurry and I didn't notice enough of a difference in it's waterproofing abilities to spend that kind of moolah. This one gets a C.

I didn't have high hopes for Sephora Advanced Lash Booster, come on it's the Sephora house brand. I was wrong. A very versatile mascara I love this one for every day use and multiple coats for special occasions. At $12 it's not out of my price range and I'd definitely but it again. This makes my TOP 5. Grade= A-.

Benefit BADgal Plum- Although I already reviewed Benefit BADgal Lash, I reviewed the plum version as well. BADgal Lash is one of my TOP 5 overall but I was a little disappointed by the "plum" color of this one, I found it to be more maroon than purple, not flattering on me and probably not the best for anyone. This isn't where I would start if you're looking for a colored mascara, check out CoverGirl LashBlast Luxe, it's more subtle and affordable. This is a straight up C student!

Rimmel Max Bold Curves (green tube)- As I've said before I'd previously had great luck with Rimmel mascaras, they were my go-to before I got into "big girl" makeup from Sephora. While Bold Curves is a good mascara it's not one of the best, not even at the drugstore. It gives small clumps, liveable but you probably don't need to put up with that. You get too much product with one pump so I passed this one onto my mother because I have enough of these mini tubes of mascara to last me a lifetime, I'll pass. I'd give this product a C-.

Hourglass is another brand that I haven't had much (okay, any) experience with but should get acquainted with but if Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara is any indication I might pass. I can't get over the $28 I'd have to plunk down for this one. I can't do it. Not only that but this one's not black-black, it's too light and that's not okay with moi. Grade= D+.

I love Tarte! Not only are they a "green" company but they have some amazing products that you would never know were environmentally friendly and that is really important to me. I like to do my part for the planet, I recycle, only drive when I need to, limit my water use, all that good stuff but I will NOT sacrifice my beauty routine for a product that doesn't work. Luckily, I don't have that problem with Tarte. If you're looking for a natural mascara definitely look into them and you should probably start with MultiplEYE. You can pick it up at Sephora for $24, more than I would probably spend on something but if you need it to be natural this is the best! For me, not taking the green-ness into consideration I would give this a B-.

Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash- I think this is the darkest mascara I've ever used that's amazing to me. I love it dark! $22 seems a little steep for this Beauty Girl but I think I could deal with it for the quality of this one. Smoky Lash is easy, breezy for casual days but it can be dramatic if provoked!

Rimmel Lycra Lash Extender- Back before I'd ever heard of Sephora I was still a makeupaholic. I practically lived in the makeup aisle of the big box store where I worked at the time. Back then my favorite mascara was Rimmel Lycra Lash Extender. This was also back before I read blogs but I did see it mentioned on one of my favorites years after I'd moved on to a new love with LashBlast. I don't usually see this one on shelves anymore but it is still available. I love that it gives amazing length without the clumps. If you're into length over volume check this one out, even though I get decent volume from it as well. Grade (to the best of my memory) B!

Last but certainly not least Buxom Aplified Lash. I haven't given this one a whirl but it's at the top of my list. The brush on this is adjustable, how can you beat that? One day you can be subtle and the next? FULL ON ROCKSTAR! Even though I haven't tried this one I'm anticipating it so highly that it nearly makes the TOP 5 but I wouldn't do that to you. No grade for this puppy since I haven't given it the full DOC whirl YET!

Check back next week for Part III, the last few overviews as well as my Snark-tastic BOTTOM 5.

In Case You Missed it....

Now might be the time to start thinking about fall footwear but as a girl who sometimes wears her flipflops when it's snowing I'm always going to be loyal to summer shoes. Take a look at some footwear from the Alloy Catalog that I profiled here on Drug of Choice: Fashion to help you transition into fall stylishly. I'm partial to the snakeskin peeptoes pictured above.

Hair Help plus another Giveaway sponsered by theVerve360.com

I'm stuck in a rut! My hair that is. Up until junior year in high school I wore a messy bun every single day. Maybe it was the disastrous short cut I got in 8th grade and the fact that I now had hair long enough to pull up but I blame it on the fact that I never learned how to style my mop. It was so noticeable that when I saw my crush a year later I swore he was drooling over my newly discovered curly locks. I was a new woman not just to what's-his-name but to myself as well. Until now!

I don't want to brag but my hair is pretty awesome, the hair everyone always compliments, super thick (you could play guitar with one of the strands, I swear), somewhere between curly and wavy, but holy hell is it a pain in the ass. Styling's a cinch, throw in a little product and leave it alone but God does it itch like a mother on my back and neck. Hence, the bun that I've been wearing again, daily, morning, noon and night. I go to bed with a bun, tousle it and throw it up the exact same way in the morning. I do it so often I have clear breakage along the sides of my head. Not a pretty look.

I need to compromise, half the week hair up, half the week something different, half up, half down, down and curly and for God's sake I need to use that incredible straightener that now resides in a drawer somewhere. The only hitch, I'm giving up on the bun, it'll be a once a week maximum kind of thing, I'm looking for fun hairstyles that are simple but cute and I'm going to share my inspiration!

To kick off this change I'm going to tell you all about my new giveaway. This giveaway is sponsored by http://www.theverve360.com/. If you live in the Pittsburgh area you have to check this place out. They have you covered with everything from yoga and Pilates classes, massages, hair care, nails and more. They've really got everything you could possibly need for a happy, beautiful life, you could probably live there although I'm not sure they'd enjoy that. Since they're Pittsburgh's only exclusive Bumble and Bumble salon they're giving away a 8.5oz Bumble and Bumble Gentle Shampoo and Rich Conditioner to one lucky Drug Of Choice reader. Here's how you win...

Starting September 1st (that's Thursday)I challenge you readers to style your hair a different way each day for a week. Your usual hairstyle counts for one day but switch it up for the rest. Leave a comment every day with a link to a picture (preferably of you but it could be just the style you took inspiration, this is the honor system). Every day you participate gets you 1 entry into the contest. You can post your pictures on your blog and link to it, post pictures on Facebook, Twitter or any photo service out there. If you don't want to post them for everyone to see email them to me at drugofchoicebeauty@yahoo.com. Also in each post make sure to comment on what Bumble and Bumble products you want to try and why, that's the key to this contest, they only way to win.

Rules:

This contest is only open to continental US residents (sorry to those outside the US and to anyone in Alaska or Hawaii). Since I'm not the one sending out the prizes, it's not up to me.

You must be a follower of this blog so join now if you're just a lurker. Email followers count too.

One entry per day is allowed. Leave a comment on THIS post. Posts on other pages will NOT be counted. Please include a picture (or a link to a picture) of the hairstyle of the day and a Bumble and Bumble product you want to try.

The winner will be chosen at random and I will email you to get your address. Please make sure to leave your email address so I can get in touch with you.

This contest runs September 1st-7th at Midnight Eastern Time. Entries before or after those times will not be counted.

If you do not wish to participate in the hairstyle contest you can get one entry for being a follower, all other entries will NOT be counted.

Most of all have fun with this. It's time to get ourselves out of our rut. Remember, no entries until September 1st at midnight but have those hairstyles thought out in advance.

Giveaway! Free One Year Subscription to Cosmopolitan Magazine

Hey guys, I hope you're enjoying your weekend and staying out of the path of Hurricane Irene. It hasn't hit here in Maine just yet but it's supposed to be bad tomorrow. To lift your spirits if you're stuck inside I had some great news to share with you, I'm doing not one but TWO giveaways. Stay tuned for more information on the second giveaway but here's info on the first.

For all my loyal readers I was thinking it's about time to sponsor a giveaway. Since I'm not made of money I came up with one that should please you all, a 1 year subscription to Cosmopolitan magazine. If you're already a subscriber don't worry as soon as you win and the subscription is set up in your name, simply contact their customer service center and have the additional 12 issues added on to your current subscription. Customer service is so easy to work with, I can't make any promises but I've never had a problem.

Here are the rules of the contest-

Starting today and ending September 1st at Midnight Eastern Time just leave a comment on THIS post telling me what you'd love to see more of on Drug of Choice. Be creative! Even if it's something I've never done before if you want to see it I'll definitely take it into consideration. Try to leave a comment that is different from other commenters please.

You may enter once per day (with a different suggestion). Duplicate suggestions from the same person or more than one entry per day will be discarded and therefore do not up your chances of winning. I will only count one entry per day.

YOU MUST BE A FOLLOWER OF THIS BLOG (sign up now if you're a lurker, you can even subscribe by email).

This contest is only open to US residents (sorry to my international readers)!

To get extra points add me to your blogroll if you have a blog, create a post on your blog about my giveaway or post on your Facebook or Twitter account about this giveaway. One point will be given for each task, just let me know in a separate comment what you have done with a link to the post. If you already have me on your blogroll please leave a link in the comments so I don't miss you. You can find DOC on FB here and find me on Twitter here. I'm not very active on either but I'd love to start. My DOC FB is mostly just for celebrity gossip but if it gets active enough I would love to start using it more.

So get to commenting. Winner will be chosen at random on September 1st and I will need your address by Sept. 5 so look out for the email. In the event I haven't heard back from you by Sept. 5 a new winner will be chosen so please use an email address that you check often.

PS- Look out for a new giveaway starting September 1st with a lead-in post tomorrow. I promise, you're going to love it.

Dudesday Friday: The Anniversary Edition

Five years ago today I became the luckiest man in the world. I married my best friend, the girl I'd do anything for, the one that to this day makes my heart jump every time she smiles. How many guys can say that they actually love spending time with their wives? I'd do everything with her if I could. After all these years, we can still spend a six hour car ride doing nothing but talking and not realize we didn't have any music playing. It amazes me that we can be doing something exciting or absolutely nothing at all and I enjoy her company equally. How is that she's always the one to say the funniest, sweetest and cutest things I've heard all day? It never fails, even on those nights she falls asleep early and didn't say the funniest, sweetest or cutest thing, she'll roll over, wake up for a minute and say it while half asleep. I don't even think she means to. I try to make her half as happy as she makes me but it's a difficult task, perhaps impossible. How many guys can say their wives let them hang action figures up in the bathroom when the walls in his man-room are covered? And then offer the hallway when the bathroom wall got filled? I wouldn't let my collections come as far as the living room but if I asked nicely, I'm sure she'd let me. And even when I've run out of room, she'll still talk me into buying more just because it makes me happy. She never makes me feel bad for being 27 years old and still getting excited about a new toy. But it's more complicated than that because if I were a geek it would be one thing but that's only one side of me. She fuels both the nerdy side and the cool side and never favors one over the other. When I wanted to put down my microphone and stop rapping, she wouldn't let me. It wasn't because she had some dream of being married to a rapper that might blow up one day, she just knows it's a huge part of who I am and didn't want to see me lose touch with myself. And even when she wouldn't let me quit, she supported me when I decided I wanted to become a writer. She does more than support me, she's my biggest fan, always inspiring me to do more and be greater. She's never tried to change me, only keep me the same. I'm so grateful to have found a girl that actually wanted me for me and not what she could turn me into. I have the best wife ever.

So why am I writing this on here? Because I believe that most women could learn a thing or two about how to treat their man. I know a lot of men suck and don't bother trying not to, but if you are lucky enough to have one that doesn't suck, hold on to him. Thank him sincerely when he does something for you, it'll make him want to do it again. Support him, not because it's your duty but because you honestly believe in him. Little things, like buying him something he likes at the grocery store, those are the things that let him know you really care. Tease him because it will make him laugh, but always let him know you love him for who he is. Spending time with him doesn't mean you have to be doing something special, if he loves you, your company is enough. Stand up for him when he's down, comfort him when he needs it, love him for who he is, care for him like no one ever has, support him when he doesn't have a friend in the world, accompany him when he's alone, and if it comes to it, walk through the depths of hell just to let him know that you'll always be by his side.

And he'll do the same.

Or maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic and the one guy in the world who's like that found the one girl in the world who's like that and married her five years ago today. Here's to a lifetime more of todays. I love you Jaime.

ThemeSong Thursday: What I'm Listening To: Part II

I know I promised this post three weeks ago better late than never right? I'm working on making this a reoccuring theme on DOC and once it's up and running on DOC music, I'll link you over there on Thursday's to check it out. For now, here's What I'm Listening To Part II. In case you missed it, here's Part I.

This time I'm going in alphabetical order to keep it simple so first up is Adelita's Way- Home School Valedictorian (6/7/11). This CD is seriously the SHIT. I don't normally go around saying things like this (okay, I usually geek out and say it in the privacy of my own house). This might be the bands' second major label release but it's the first I've heard from them and I'm wishing I discovered them sooner. My favorite tracks are actually hard to pick because this one is so great. I love Hurt, a pretty, breakup ballad, it's a REAL song, feelings I'm sure we've all felt before, even if only vicariously. I think Adelita's Way shines on their faster songs, they're fun and catchy without being corny as Matt would say, the kick your ass songs that make you feel empowered and happy like you actually got to beat up your archnemisis even if they didn't feel a thing. Come on, we've all been there. I can think of one person in particular I'd love to shout these lyrics at, particularly The Collapse, the first track on this CD. Lastly, I adore Alive because it's a true, honest to God lovesong. Do you know how rare that is from hard rock bands? I seriously love every song on this album.

Cold-Superfiction (7/19/11) I've been a fan of Cold since I saw them in concert in 2003. I was a senior in high school and I went to a show with one of my friends. It was around the time Stupid Girl had come out and I still love that song! Matt had a friend who had the CD and he was supposed to make a copy for me but alas, that never happened. I'm so sad that it didn't because I didn't actually get a copy until 2006 or so and it's one of my favorite CDs EVER. Superfiction is amazing and I'm glad I bought it the day it was released. The first thing I noticed was how much more singing was actually involved. Scooter is a mumbler, a little hard to understand if you don't pay attention but vocals were much clearer and better on this CD. I do wish that the engineer had turned up the vocals or turned the music down because they tend to blend together in parts making it hard to hear the beautiful words. American Dream is superior vocally, I love the story song that we can all relate to on some level, about family dysfunctionality. I also love the song Delivering the Saint, it's a pretty song with dark lyrics. Again, the singing is amazing and the best I've heard from Scooter Ward.

Evan's Blue- Evan's Blue (Self-titled 7/27/10). I can't believe that I didn't hear about this album until I was doing research for Part I of this series. Wow. The single Cold(but I'm Still Here) from their first album was a pretty big hit but I've heard nothing on the radio since. I've listened to the second CD and it's great but Evan's Blue is AMAZING. These songs have a much more melodic feel than other Evan's Blue songs and I think the vocals are easier to understand because of the new singer. I'm not sure how I feel about changing a vocalist and keeping the same name but that is up to them to decide on I guess. Can't Go On is a huge favorite of mine, a breakup song that has deep lyrics and great wordplay (altering something to have a double meaning, rewording things so they sound new and innovative etc.) I love the line "I won't be needing you, I don't believe you do, so lead the way to the door and I'll follow through." I think Can't Go On might be one of my favorite songs ever, it's that good. The Future in the End is another fun one and Step Back is always stuck in my head as are Say It, Show Me and Through Your Eyes, a true testament to how much I've been listening to these songs. For all the pervs out there, "show me how it feels to be inside you" is not a literal thought hence the "I can't live outside you, I've tried to" that comes later. Mmmkay? Haha! Just thought I'd put that out there.

Egypt Central- White Rabbit (5/31/11): My MP3 player has a strange fascination with the song Kick Ass. It plays it every time I'm in the car, no matter what and I only use shuffle. The song is fun as hell, one of those that instantly lightens my mood. I love that! Ghost Town is so catchy that I find myself singing it all day which I don't mind one bit. I think my favorite song, and the one I sing the most is 15 minutes, "for 15 minutes of fame what would you do, who would you hurt and who would you screw. Would you kill for the sake of making your name? For 15 minutes of shame." True 'dat! Love that.

Pop Evil- War of Angels (7/15/11). I this is another melodic, upbeat album that I'm loving. The song Last Man Standing was actually featured on one of my posts on Urban Decay Primer Potion. Read that here. The whole CD is really outstanding but it wouldn't be fair to not give examples, would it? I didn't think so. Epitaph is another angry, angry at the world, angsty song that I just love. It's really catchy and fun. I can see myself running on the elliptical with this song blasting. Monster You Made me is a slower track that just resonates with me. I think everyone has felt this way before and I think the feelings will immediately come flooding back when you hear this one. Boss's Daughter makes me giggle because of the hell on heels line, one I hadn't heard before Hinder said it, a play on hell on wheels.

If you're in the market for new music you should definitely check these out. All have samples to listen to on the provided link. I can't wait to have more time because I have some great ideas for Drug of Choice: Music, but I'm afraid it will be a little while in the making.

Drug of Choice Fashion

If you're in the market for some new booties you better run on over to my post on Alloy's greatest booties. I'm coveting the Bella Bootie in Gray Leopard. Check it out.

China Glaze For Audrey with Swatches

You've probably heard me say it before but I'm going to say it again, actually I''m going to repeat two things. The first is that my favorite nail polish brand is China Glaze. I love the colors they come up with and I love the way they wear. They are far superior to any other product I've tried, drugstore or high end, OPI or Sally Hansen. I highly recommend the brand to any nail polish lover. They truly last longer than my drugstore favorites. Secondly, my favorite polish colors are usually blues, greens and purples. While I like the occasional pink or orange, you're mostly going to find me in cool tones. China Glaze For Audrey is just that. Bluish-green, it's the exact shade of a Tiffany box.

As usual the wear time with this one was great and I was particularly tough on my nails over the course of the 5 chip-free days. My polish was a little thick but I used it just fine without using polish thinner (which I need to pick up, like, now). In the picture above you can see me enjoying Drug of Choice and taking photos of my gorgeous polish on my deck. Isn't the color gorgeous? This is really one of my favorite polishes and I have many that are similar. Maybe someday I'll do a comparison of all my mint green/turquoise polishes for you guys! ;)

What do you think? Is this one you couldn't live without either?

Drug of Choice Fashion

Head over to Drug of Choice: Fashion to check out my post on the hottest boots the Alloy Catalog has to offer. Let me know what you think!

Dudesday Tuesday: Do Men Like Your Nail Polish?

Women spend tons of time on their nails, both fingers and toes. Whether it be nail polish, manicures, length in general or cuticle care, there's a lot of work involved. Some women do it because it makes them feel good, some do it because it stops them from chewing their nails (fingers probably because most girls probably don't bite their toe nails on a regular basis), some do it for the attention it may get them. Women notice other women's nails, but unfortunately the average guy doesn't notice and honestly doesn't care. Most guys could care less what color your nails are, there a few exceptions though. Here they are.

Black nail polish will get his attention, but not in a good way. Black comes along with certain connotations so unless you're trying to attract a mysterious dude who wears trench coats, writes strange poetry about death that doesn't rhyme and may or not rip the legs off of defenseless insects as a sport, you should probably skip the black nail polish.

Some guys are actually more likely to notice your toe nail polish than your finger nail polish. Why? Because a good portion of the male population have a foot fetish. I don't think I do, but I do find myself being drawn to open toed shoes and that's something I look at when I see a pretty girl. Blame my wife, I never noticed shoes before, now I love a nice pair of heels and the only thing that makes them better are nice toenails. A French pedicure is probably the most popular among the dudes, it looks very sophisticated and classy. So if you're trying to draw men's attention, that's your best bet for the foot department. (Jaime here, I do NOT recommend a french pedicure as a look, if your toenails are long enough to have white tips, they are too long. That is all)

A French manicure crosses over onto your hands too. Again, it's very classy and clean looking. Men don't particularly like chewed down nails because it looks unsophisticated and dirty, even if the girl who's sporting them isn't. It's one of those first impression things. With a French manicure you're bound to impress him no matter what his tastes are. (Jaime again. This is a pretty hit or miss thing for me. I like short French manicures and I think they can look great if the colors are not bright white and light pink but closer to each other on the spectrum).

Men hate red. I know it's hard to believe but whether it be lingerie, lipstick or nail polish, men do not like red. The media may try to convince you otherwise but most guys don't like it for some reason. I'm one of them and I can't even explain it, all I can tell you is to stay away from red. Red dresses are fine though, shoes not so much.

But back to the nails, anything funky isn't a good idea either. By funky we're talking like really long, curled, pierced, anything that stands out. If men find the whole nail thing to be pointless, you don't want to draw their attention to it and even if they do like appreciate your nails, there's certain things that are just weird and undesirable. Curled is always a no no, always.

Which brings me to fake nails. I think you know the answer to this. Most men hate them, or at least they say they do. Between you and me, men can't usually tell. As long as they look natural, your average dude will have no clue if they're real or not. They're like fake boobs, most men won't be able to tell until they touch them or you flat out tell him, just make sure that they're not over the top and he won't know the difference. Just to be clear we're talking about nails now, not boobs, but the same rule applies.

I know I know, why have nails if you can't do anything cool with them? Well, some guys do appreciate what you do with your fingers and toes. I personally love when girls make their nails pretty, and even though like most guys I do like French mani/pedis, I also love some good artwork, no matter how simple or intricate. Pastel colors are probably my favorite, especially in the blue/purple spectrum. Any design work is great too, whether it be camouflage, writing or even a picture, I always make sure to tell a girl when she has something incredible going on with her fingernails. Sparkles are good, matte finish is awesome, I like the metallic ones, holographic ones that appear to be a different color depending on how the light hits them are cool too. For a dude who notices detail, it's hard to go wrong as long as you stay away from the big no no's we've already discussed.

But since you can't please everyone, screw them and please yourself. Wow, that came out dirtier than I intended, but you know what I mean. If you think it's pretty, someone is bound to notice and even compliment you on it. But don't hold your breath waiting for the compliment to come from a guy. So women, make sure you tell one another when you see a girl's nails that are just awesome. I'll continue to do my part but please remember that guys pretty much find it to be a waste of time but for those of us who do appreciate it, it can be very sexy and memorable so keep up all the work, some of us do notice.

PS- I had Mr. Dudesday pick a polish from my stash to feature as his favorite and he couldn't decide between Revlon Not So Blueberry (it's blueberry scented, for realz) and OPI Teal the Cows Come Home. Those are the two pics at the top of the page. Since I have both of these there will be swatches at some point for reference.

Mascara Monday Wrap Up: Part I

You know, I'm sad to see Mascara Mondays end. It's been a long time since I've worn a mascara for more than a week at a time but there were a few that were my definite favorites. I'd like to share with you my requirements for a great mascara and which of the mascaras I tried made the cut. I'll give each one a grade and tell you my favorites. Since there are so many, I'll be back next week with Part II!

First of all over the course of this experiment I figured out a few things I didn't even know I needed from my mascara. I love them dark black (duh, who doesn't) but I also learned that I prefer the wet look, shiny patent lashes. It makes my eyes look more alive and also leaves my lashes feeling less dry and brittle, something I learned I can't live with in a mascara. I can't tolerate products that I have to pile on for volume or those that are too thick to begin with. I like something lightweight, almost weightless on my lashes. If it's too heavy, I can feel it and my eyes fatigue more easily. I'll leave you a link to each individual review for reference (the name of the item is the link to my post and the other link will take you to purchase the product).

Korres Abyssinia Oil Mascara Grade=A. This wonderful Korres mascara was the first that I reviewed way back in November. I was so excited about the way it made my lashes feel. They were soft and hydrated but the mascara still did a great job making me look fabulous. Unfortunately, I can't find it on the Sephora website or at Korres.com so if you find it, hoard it. This is definitely on my TOP 5.

CoverGirl LashBlast was and still is my favorite drugstore mascara. I love the huge tube, although I'm sure for some it's too much. I never have to search my makeup bag for this one. Overall, after trying all these prestige brands I would rate LashBlast (in the traditional orange tube) a B+. It gives me great volume, length and curl, doesn't clump and the formula is always patent leather pretty. The price is right for this one and it's the only formula I've EVER purchased more than once.

Maybelline Great Lash- This mascara is not one of my favorites. Diplomatically speaking, it's not for me in DOC-speak I'll be blunt, it sucks. The puny brush does nothing for me, I find my lashes are dry and brittle and I get very little volume and length. The only good thing this has going for it is the really cheap price. Grade=D.

Another drugstore favorite is Revlon Grow Luscious. While I never used it continuously to find out if my lashes did grow lusciously I did like the mascara on it's own. Again my lashes were soft and not brittle and there were no clumps in sight. Someday I'll have to give this mascara a real go and see if I notice any growth! Grade=B. This one also has a great price point at only $5.99!

Rimmel Maxx Volume Flash (pink tube)- This wasn't the best mascara I tried but it certainly wasn't the worst, that honor goes to Great Lash! Overall, I would say that Maxx Volume Flash gets a grade of C-. I didn't dig the tiny clumps but j'adore the patent leather shine. I don't think I would repurchase but you can buy it here.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara- If it sounds like a con and walks like a con, it's a con. I cannot see buying a seperate mascara just for bottom lashes, it's not going to happen for this beauty girl, in fact, sometimes I don't even apply mascara to those tiny baby lashes! Since I didn't actually try this one I can't grade it, if you tried it you simply must tell me how you like it. I do like that it's only $10.

Buxom Lash- This is another of my TOP 5! I'm absolutely in love with the shiny lashes hypnotizing me in the mirror. The wand is far superior to most and I got insane definition and volume, two things that usually aren't found in the same tube. While I don't exactly enjoy the $19 price tag I would definitely say it was worth it. I would absolutely purchase this one again, no questions asked. Grade=A+

Benefit BADGal Lash- Benefit makes one of my favorite mascaras, another TOP 5 contender. Again this one is all about the big brush but instead of the rubberized version in LashBlast, this one is a fiber brush. This brand gives me the perfect amount of volume without any clumps or smears. I love that these come in a mini size so you can try it out without too much of a commmittment. Here's the full size, here's the mini. The big guns are $19, the mini $9.

Clinique High Impact Mascara- One of my major pet peeves with mascara is when they are too heavy on the lashes. I suffered from a medical condition a few years back that resulted in pressure behind my eyes that made my head hurt all the time and this heavy formula left me with the same feeling. My lashes were so weighed down that my eyes wanted to be closed all the time and I could instantly feel the difference as soon as I put this product on. It could just be me but I haven't had too much of a problem before so I'd doubt it. This mascara deserves a D+, the great low price giving it a much needed boost out of F territory!

Lancome Definicils- Another of my least favorite I found major problems with the non-black color. I passed these minis on to my mom, I didn't even want them around anymore. I can't tolerate a mascara that claims to be black but isn't, that's just wrong in this girl's world. Harsh? Maybe. Still, I had other problems with this one as well, namely the the clumpy look. This one gets an F+ (do those even exist?) not only for it's pigmentation and performance but for the exorbitant $25 sticker shock. Don't waste your money.

Overall, you've seen three of my favorites and a vast majority of my least favorite. As you can see they run the gamant from super cheap to pretty pricey, I think the difference between Great Lash and Definicils is about as vast of a price difference as you can get, although both were less than stellar performers. Check back next week for Part II.

Essie Aruba Blue with Swatches

In lieu of Face-off Friday this week I thought I'd post about my absolute favorite nail polish. Enjoy!

Do you know that cool feeling you get, "oh yeah, I'm awesome" when you see a product you have in a magazine? Well, I've had that my entire life as my maiden name is Fox, making me Jaime Fox. It got pretty sickening when people thought I was making it up, even though I had the name before THE Jamie Foxx had his. He was born Eric Bishop you know. I digress. I feel significantly cooler in the scheme of things when someone else loves a product I do, even when my favorite blogs post about my top products, I get a giddy feeling in the pit of my stomach so imagine my surprise when, reading Life & Style magazine a while back I come across my absolute favorite blue nail polish, Essie's Aruba Blue.

I first fell in love with navy blue polish in beauty school (a short lived dream back in 2007). All the magazines were talking about this polish by OPI, you may have heard of it, Russian Navy. I fell head over heels. When our student salon got it, I had to buy it. I ran home and painted both my nails and tonenails with the shade and couldn't stop staring at it. This was before the whole dark nail polish trend re-emerged, at least in the always uber-trendy sticks of Maine *sarcasm*.

Fast forward four years and I'm jonesing for a fix. I need it, I want it, I can't live without it. I caved and picked up Essie Aruba Blue, completely expecting it to be a dead ringer for Russian Navy. Not even close. These two are cousins, not twins, not even sisters. Aruba Blue is Russian Navy's sluttier, wild child, younger cousin, the one who has boys hanging all over her as well as men twice her age that are entranced by her. She's that hot.

Aruba blue has a metallic finish (ironic considering my shuffling MP3 player just landed on Metallica's I Disappear from the Mission Impossible 2 Soundtrack and I always type Metallica when I mean metallic)! The color is quite a bit lighter than Russian Navy and the two would never be confused for one another. I'd get high off the fumes daily if it meant I never had to live without this color in my life, if I weren't already married I'd marry it. Perhaps I've had too much coffee, or perhaps it is that good. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Like my shoes? Check out my post on DOC Fashion, my newest blog for my love of fashion.

Harajuku Lovers and Betsey Johnson for Tweezerman

I'm sure you've figured out the importance of proper brow maintenance by now. It's the easiest way to pull your look together but also the easiest to forget or push to the bottom of your list. I, for one, am completely guilty of letting my tweezers sit idly for a little too long. Right now I'm long overdue for a tweezing (you pluck a chicken and tweeze your brows, by the way) and I'm starting to look unruly. Lucky for me, my brows are pale and seem to keep the same basic shape without maintenance and there's no unibrow in sight even after months of neglect.

With Tweezerman you have no excuses. These are easily the best tweezers out there. The slanted tip makes it a cinch to grab all of those hairs, even the tiny baby ones that are nearly invisible to the naked eye. Personally I like to tweeze my brows in the car, in natural sunlight, with the slightly magnifying mirror on my visor. Of course I only do this when I'm the passenger and when we're stopped.

No matter how much I love my traditional Tweezerman slant tweezers I'm having a love affair with the Harajuku Lover's version. They're available in Gwen(pictured above), Love, Angel, Music, and Baby just like the perfumes and all of them are adorable. If Betsey Johnson's designs are more your style check those out as well, they're available in Marilyn, Rose and Skulls. Both sets are limited edition, available only at Sephora and incredibly adorable, perfect if you're interested in having cute things even when you're doing mundane activities like grooming your brows.

I adore my Tweezerman and I love that the company promises re-sharpening for life. That $25 pair of tweezers can take you through the rest of your days with minimal maintenance needed. They even have mini versions (including Harajuku Lover's ) for $15 but I prefer the bigger size for my large hands. While you're at it make sure and check out the Harajuku Lover's patterned nail files.

Lovestruck by Vera Wang Update

A while back I showed you this beautiful promotional picture for Vera Wang Lovestruck, an ad featuring Leighton Meester. I was struck by how beautiful of an ad campaign it was and couldn't wait to do a sniff test to see if the perfume lived up to the hype. I'm happy to say that it does. Not only does this perfume smell amazing its cute packaging will make it a top shelf contender for your vanity. I think the removable flowers are a little gaudy but the bottle itself is precious and simple, whimsical but still grown up for those of us over the age of 20.

Vera Wang Lovestruck is a floral with woodsy notes, making it perfectly down to Earth but still feminine. Those are my types of scents, I love woodsy scents. I definitely detect quite a bit of fruit as well, another of my favorites. According to Sephora the notes are as follows: "Pink Guava, Mandarin, Tuberose, Lotus Blossom, Precious Woods, Sheer Musk." Although I'm not a big fan of musk, the sheered down version is completely wearable for me, adding a little bit of sophistication to the scent.

In this month's Teen Vogue there's a tiny interview with Leighton and Vera where they revealed that the ad was shot in 18 degree weather. You would never know it by looking at Leighton in her gorgeous custom Vera Wang gown.

Have you tried this one? What did you think? I'm not sure I'd wear it every day but the $48 one-ounce bottle on Sephora.com is a good deal for such a versatile fragrance. I think this is one that can transcend generations and mother and daughter could both wear it without getting strange looks from passerby.

Dudesday Tuesday: Makeup For Men?

I've seen a few questionable products for men lately, generally makeup and beauty products. This is the age of the metrosexual, and I'm all for that, but how far is too far? Should men rock makeup?

First I need to say that this applies to regular men. Models, actors, musicians or anyone being photographed, makeup is not only acceptable but pretty much essential. Now let's break it down and cover the essential makeup areas. A little concealer is perfect for covering up any imperfections, especially for the camera, but is it okay for the average guy to use? I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say yes. Here's my reasoning, when I was young, I had pimples and absolutely hated it. One time my sister got a sample packet of concealer in a magazine and for that day, I wasn't a pimple faced nerd. If I could have had that everyday, I would have. No one knew I was wearing makeup, they just assumed my pimples weren't as red that day and I wouldn't want to deprive anyone of that. So in my eyes at least, concealer is fine, as long as it looks natural.

Now onto the lips, chapstick is fine, although most guys would still rather use nothing or dab a little vaseline onto their chapped lips. Me on the other hand, I have my chapstick on me at all times, even though I don't use it very often. In fact one of my life goals is to actually finish a stick. Anything more than that is unacceptable. No lipglosses, lipsticks or anything to make them shimmer, sparkle or do anything that only girl's lips should do. If a chick wanted to kiss a chick's lips, she'd be on Girls Gone Wild. Give her a little masculinity there.

Any eye makeup is also unacceptable. No mascara, no eye shadow, eye liner (sorry all you emo rock guys) and certainly no sparkles. Now I can understand the emo culture wearing makeup, sort of, I don't get it but I know they're trying to look different. But wearing makeup to look pretty is something entirely different. Maybe in the future it will be normal but right now it'll just get you laughed at by both sexes. That's just how it is, so work with it. Men hate when a girl takes off her makeup and looks like a completely different person, but they have boobs and butts to make up for it, men, not so much. Don't false advertise because guys don't really have anything that can make up for it.

Onto the fingernails. As a rule, just say no. Yes men need to keep their nails a reasonable length, clean, presentable, but not painted. That goes for clear finish as well. To be honest, most men don't care when a girl paints her nails, and they usually look better their natural color anyway. However, I don't see anything wrong with men making their cuticles look good, which is a task in itself. I highly doubt most people will notice but if it's for your own pleasure, go for it.

Sadly, the way our society is, we can't comfortably be ourselves. There's also someone around every corner looking to bring us down for whatever reason they can. And no, it shouldn't be that way, but since it is, don't give people ammunition unless you're ready to come under fire. Society's standards tell us men can't wear makeup, with time I'm sure that will change. But not today, so my advice is to work with what you have. Do what looks natural, if it doesn't, be prepared to stick out like a sore thumb and learn to deal with it. In my opinion, men usually look better when they're a little rugged, not all dolled up and fancy. If something doesn't feel right, it's a good sign we shouldn't be doing it. So wear what feels right for you, but never ever ever look prettier than your woman.

How do you feel about men wearing makeup?

Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara

Today's the last official day of Mascara Mondays. Next week I'll update with an overview of all the posted formulas and grade them based on performance. I'll also give you a list of my personal needs from a lash enhancer.

This week we're talking about Rimmel Sexy Curves mascara. Not that it's of any importance but I love the name and the metallic purple tube, so cute and easy to find in your makeup bag. In general I really like Rimmel's mascaras, they are really cheap but they work well.

I have had absolutely no problems with flaking or smearing with this one, I love that! I'm a chronic eye rubber and with lesser formulas I end up with mascara ALL over my face. Trust me, it's not a good look. I'm pretty sure top models couldn't even pull it off. Rimmel Sexy Curves might actually stay on too well. As usual I never wash my face at night, I just use a makeup remover wipe (series to come soon) and therefore I had issues getting it off my lashes. In the interest of journalistic integrity I'm going to try makeup remover on it right now. Be right back! Haha, can you tell I'm prepared to write this? Yep, just I suspected this mascara is super easy to remove with eye makeup remover, even my cheapie ol' Maybelline.

Although this mascara is intended to curl the lashes I didn't find too much curl, in fact I thought my lashes looked straighter than normal. I hardly ever use my lash curler but the formula definitely holds a curl better than other brands. My lashes were dark and wet, rich and shiny and they stayed that way all day. They were dramatically lengthened and slightly volumized (7/10 I'd say). I love that my lashes don't feel heavy, sticky or dried out, three of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to mascara.

As with other drugstore brands I did see tiny clumps on the tips of my lashes. These aren't from your lashes clumping together thankfully, just tiny bunches of mascara that goop up. They're tiny, it doesn't ruin the results and running a lash comb through lashes would rid you of any evidence. The rubber bristle brush also makes it easy to comb out any mistakes provided you don't add more mascara between rounds. This formula also takes a minute to dry so you have be careful with those blinks or you run the risk of getting black speckles on your upper and lower eyelids. That's what keeps the look shiny throughout the day, it's a trade-off I'm willing to deal with. I can see myself using this mascara often. Overall this is a good mascara but probably not one I would purchase again just because I like to experiment and what better way to do it with under $5 tubes of mascara.

Check back next week for an overview of all my favorite mascaras and a quick wrap up to the series. I'll let you know which mascaras are worth their money and which ones you should skip!

Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pads and Hourglass Solar Tan Self-Tanning Primer

Over the past couple of weeks it's been tradition to talk about self tanners on Sunday, I could call it Self Tanner Sunday! Today I have two really innovative products that I would definitely love to give a try.

First up is Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pads. Has everyone tried Alpha Beta Peels by Dr. Dennis Gross? OMG they are seriously the most amazing thing to happen to skin in a long time. You swipe one pad over your face to exfoliate chemically and another to neutralize the solution and prevent irritation. Your face is left feeling baby bottom soft and with the Glow version you're left with a self tan. Sounds amazing to me. Skincare + a nice SAFE tan, what more could you ask for. I do find these to be exorbitantly priced at $32/20 but there is also an $18 pack of ten now available and they definitely do make your skin feel amazing.

The second product is one that I find COMPLETELY genius. You probably know how much of a fan of makeup primers I am, I completely love them. Though I mainly use them for special occasions where I need my makeup to last all day, they are perfect for the summer. They keep foundation in place and prevent your face from melting off in the sweltering heat.

Hourglass somehow found a way to make primers even better with Solar Tan Self-Tan Primer. This $60 primer is expensive as hell but it acts as a self tanner for the face. I know good self tanners are hard to come by, especially for delicate facial skin. You can't go too dark too quickly and you can't have anything that is going to clog the pores or make you break out. I think Hourglass is onto something with this one. If you work somewhere that requires you to deal with the public and you're working long hours you should probably wear a primer to begin with so why not add a little color to your face throughout your workday? It promises to leave your face moisturized with glycerin and vitamins A & E. What more could you ask for? Plus, it does it all with less odor than typical self tanners.