Beautiful Things My Mother Taught Me


Mom and me, circa 1979 Disclosure: This post is sponsored by CoverGirl. Mother’s Day is this Sunday and I’m so excited. Not just because Mr. Spoiled Pretty and my son, Westley, are treating me to a decadent brunch. But because it’s an opportunity to celebrate my hero, Andrea Stamps. I must admit that until two years ago, Mother’s Day was just another CONTINUE READING

Bath & Body Works 3-Wick Candles: 2 for $22


At Christmastime, I agonized over what to get my son's daycare teachers. There are 12 of them - and even though he has his two main teachers, they all have interaction with him and take excellent care of him. So I needed to buy 12 gifts to show my appreciation, without breaking the bank. $10 each seemed doable, except CONTINUE READING

IMAN Skin Tone Evener BB Creme SPF 15


As a beauty expert, I’m embarrassed by how late I am to the BB Cream party. In the past year, so many friends and colleagues have asked me about BB Creams—what’s the buzz, which brands are the best, etc. —and they would look at me funny when I admitted to not having tried BB Creams yet. I mean, they CONTINUE READING

CoverGirl Outlast Brilliant Shine Nail Gloss in Vio-last


I’m very fickle about my fingernails. Before I paint my nails or get them professionally did, I spend a inordinate amount of time pondering my polish options. I consider the season, recent trends, my wardrobe that week and anywhere special I might go. But despite all of this planning, I’m usually over my polish choice before it even dries. Not CONTINUE READING

My New Arm Candy: Rebecca Minkoff Swing Bag


After beauty products, handbags are my secondary addiction. But when it comes to arm candy, I have discriminating taste. For me, the perfect handbag seamlessly marries fashion with function, is handcrafted from high-quality materials, has really unique hardware and is classic but edgy - all at the same time. I don't like to carry the of-the-moment "it" bag. I CONTINUE READING

Bust a Move On Over to Saturday.com


Earlier this month, Kate Spade (aka creator of cuteness and the reason why I can't seem to keep money in my wallet), launched a brand new line called Kate Spade Saturday. Kate Spade Saturday is a new global lifestyle brand created to channel the spirit of Saturday seven days a week. This younger, more accessible sister to kate spade new CONTINUE READING

Mascara

Recessionista’s Fabuless Pick of the Week: L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black

Posted on by daneen in Fabuless Pick of the Week, Lashes, Mascara | Leave a comment

loreal+voluminous Recessionistas Fabuless Pick of the Week: LOreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon BlackLast month, while attending a New York Fashion Week event, I approached a total stranger because I was so bewitched by her lush, super-sized lashes. I asked her what mascara she was using – and I half expected her to say DiorShow, Givenchy Phenomen’Eyes or some pricey, unheard-of formula that you can only get in Europe or Japan (because that always seems to be my luck). So imagine my shock when she responded, “It’s L’Oreal Voluminous. I’ve been using it since I started wearing makeup, and I haven’t found anything else that I prefer more.”

Voluminous Mascara? Where have I been? I wore Voluminous in college, when drugstore was all I could afford. But once I got myself a jobby job, I traded in mass market for prestige (for the most part) and dropped Voluminous like a bad habit. This chance encounter with Voluminous’ new BFF made me feel salty and snobbish for forgetting my humble beginnings. So I recently picked up a tube of Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black and hoped the old spark would ignite. The verdict: lashes so hot, they could start an inferno!

L’Oreal Voluminous not only pumped up the volume of my sparse lashes, the mascara took my fringe to new heights…all without clumps. And unlike so many mascaras on the market nowadays, the Voluminous brush doesn’t grab too much product – which is great because I hate having to wipe off excess product and helplessly watch as half of the tube’s content goes in the trash, on a tissue. Another thing I appreciate about Voluminous is that – after it dries – my lashes don’t feel rock hard and brittle; they’re still soft and flexible, yet the color stays put and doesn’t migrate under my eyes after a long day.

carbon+black+l%27oreal+voluminous Recessionistas Fabuless Pick of the Week: LOreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black

Moral of the story: don’t forget your roots. Oldies can still be goodies…and this goodie is great, because it costs less than $8! Stranger in NYC, thanks for inspiring me to reconnect with an old friend.

Reunited and it looks so good
Reunited ’cause we understood
There’s one perfect fit
And, sugar, this one is it
We both are so excited
‘Cause we’re reunited – hey, hey

L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black is sold at drugstores and mass market retailers. And right now, drugstore.com is having a special promotion: buy any L’Oreal cosmetic item and get 50% off the second. So take my advice and take advantage of drugstore.com’s beneficence.

And just in case you were wondering, that yummy sparkle on my eyes comes courtesy of MAC’s new Sugarsweet collection. I traced the inner corners with the Lemon Chiffon Shade Stick to give my peepers some sparkle and make them pop!

Urban Jungle: Lise Watier Savanna Dream Spring 2009 Collection

Posted on by daneen in Lipgloss, Mascara | Leave a comment
LiseWatier Savanna dreams Urban Jungle: Lise Watier Savanna Dream Spring 2009 Collection
Those who know me will tell you I’m a sucker for anything animal print. Throw a zebra or leopard pattern on anything – doesn’t matter what it is – and I’m pulling out my wallet. So it’s no surprise that I’m wild about Lise Watier’s new spring range, Savanna Dream.

This “exotic and contemporary collection” is inspired by the untamed nature of the African plains and includes eye shadows, bronzing powder, lip pencil, and lipstick…but my favorites, paws down, are the lipgloss and mascara.

lise+watier+wow+gloss+swatch Urban Jungle: Lise Watier Savanna Dream Spring 2009 CollectionGloss WOW in Savanna Dream is a glittery gloss that adds pizazz to any shade of lipstick. Worn alone, it bathes bare lips with a gilded, prismatic effect. Peep the gloss swatch on my hand…doesn’t it just make you wanna purr?

The 24Hrs Glam Mascara uses tube technology to add extreme volume and length to lashes until you’re ready to take it off. Which means, on weekdays around 2:30pm when I inevitably starts rubbing my eyes, I won’t end up looking like Tammy Faye. 24Hrs Glam Mascara is part of the spring collection but will remain as an extension to the Lise Watier mascara line.

LashBlast Wannabe: Max Factor 2000 Calorie Extreme Mascara

Posted on by daneen in Don't Waste Your Money, Lashes, Mascara | Leave a comment

max+factor+2000+calorie+extreme+mascara LashBlast Wannabe: Max Factor 2000 Calorie Extreme Mascara
When I first laid eyes on Max Factor’s new 2000 Calorie Extreme Mascara, I thought I was experiencing a case of déjà vu. There’s a definite glitch in the Matrix, because this mascara is like the goth version of CoverGirl’s cult classic, LashBlast. The 2000 Calorie Extreme tube is exactly the same as LashBlast’s, just in black – and the wand is a doppleganger for LashBlast’s super-sized applicator brush.

lashblast+vs+2000+calorie+extreme LashBlast Wannabe: Max Factor 2000 Calorie Extreme Mascara

covergirl+lashblast+mascara LashBlast Wannabe: Max Factor 2000 Calorie Extreme MascaraGiven the striking similarities, I expected Max Factor’s latest mascara to deliver dramatic, doe-eyed lashes. Instead, 2000 Calorie Extreme’s dry formula fattened up my lashes with a whole lotta clumps.

I even tried wiping excess product off of the brush and separating with a lash comb, post-application. But the mascara still failed to give me LashBlast’s intense, fuss-free fringe.

In summation, if you’re in the market for a fabulous, volumizing drugstore mascara, just buy CoverGirl’s LashBlast.

Coming Soon: MAC Sugarsweet Collection

Posted on by daneen in Blush, Eye Shadow, Lipgloss, Lipstick, Mascara, Nail Polish | Leave a comment

sugarsweet Coming Soon: MAC Sugarsweet Collection
New from MAC – Sugarsweet Collection

Temptation is everywhere – luscious, whipped-cream decadent, deliciously decorative frosting colours and sugared almond combinations. Like peering through the window of a Parisian patisserie, you’ll want to become one of each! Have fun with a new Red Velvet recipe Shadestick. Tricolour Lipglass is like a mille feuille of layered lip gloss colours, each gives way to the next in a triple-layered pearl-swirl of prettiness; add extra-yum to Eye Shadow; Perfect Topping Mineralize Skinfinish is the ultimate cake walk. We could eat you up.

mac+sugarsweet+lipstick Coming Soon: MAC Sugarsweet Collection
LIPSTICK
Bubbles: Sheer frosty white beige
Saint Germain: Clean pastel pink
Lollipop Loving: Clean mid-tone coral and subtle green with gold iridescence
Sweet Thing: Mid-tone magenta with multidimensional pearl
Touch: Peachy cinnamon
Suggested Retail Price $14.00

sugarsweet+tricolor+lipglass Coming Soon: MAC Sugarsweet Collection
TRICOLOUR LIPGLASS: Three stacked layers of Lipglass in one vial add a fun and playful effect to the final product. Each layer is a different color that smoothly gradates into the next layer. Different pearl combinations give an appealing textural look to each layer.
Suggested Retail Price $17.50

Consume Me
Top: Sheer white with reflects
Middle: Pale mint with duochrome pearl Bottom: Creamy light peach with pearl

Just Dessert
Top: Sheer yellow pink with reflects
Middle: Mid-tone yellow pink with duochrome pearl
Bottom: Mid-tone creamy yellow pink

Simply Delicious
Top: Sheer peach with reflects
Middle: Pale coral with duochrome pearl
Bottom: Creamy mid-tone coral

Triple-Yum
Top: Sheer gold with gold reflects
Middle: True gold with duochrome pearl
Bottom: Mid-tone bronze

Tasty
Top: Sheer blue pink with reflects
Middle: Mid-tone blue pink with duochrome pearl
Bottom: Dark creamy red pink

mac+sugarsweet+eye+shadow Coming Soon: MAC Sugarsweet Collection
EYE SHADOW
Sugarshot: Pale frosty beige
Dear Cupcake: Mid-tone pink coral with gold pearl
Aquavert: Soft mint with white pearl
Stars ‘n’ Rockets: Dirty lavender with red and pink reflects
Club: Muted reddish brown duochrome with green opalescent shimmer
Suggested Retail Price: $14.50

mac+sugarsweet+shadestick Coming Soon: MAC Sugarsweet Collection
SHADE STICK
Lemon Chiffon: Frosted pewter
Butternutty: Frosted pale white gold
Penny: Light pinky copper
Red Velvet: Frosted mid-tone pink
Cakeshop: Frosted light neutral beige
Suggested Retail Price: $16.50

ZOOM LASH
Zoomblack: Rich black
Suggested Retail Price: $12.00

mac+sugarsweet+nail+lacquer Coming Soon: MAC Sugarsweet Collection
NAIL LACQUER
Peppermint Patti: Creamy mint green
Seasonal Peach: Creamy pale peachy pink
Suggested Retail Price: $11.00

mac+sugarsweet+mineralize+skinfinish Coming Soon: MAC Sugarsweet Collection
MINERALIZE SKINFINISH

Perfect Topping: Pink/peach/lavender mélange
Refined: Tan/peach/coral mélange
Suggested Retail Price: $27.00

34 Lash 300 Coming Soon: MAC Sugarsweet Collection
LASH

34 Lash Dramatically long. Wispy. Features a long, winged-corner edge.
Suggested Retail Price: $12.00

Sugarsweet will be available starting March 19th – for a limited time – at MAC counters and at maccosmetics.com.

CoverGirl Outlast Lipstains and LashBlast Luxe Giveaway Winner

Posted on by daneen in Contest, Giveaway, Lip/Cheek Stain, Mascara | Leave a comment

CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain CoverGirl Outlast Lipstains and LashBlast Luxe Giveaway Winner
Congrats to Carrie Kang, winner of Spoiled Pretty’s CoverGirl Outlast Lipstains and LashBlast Luxe Giveaway. She will receive all ten shades of CoverGirl Outlast Lipstains and three tubes of CoverGirl LashBlast Luxe Mascara (in black cabernet, black emerald, and black platinum).

Big thanks to CoverGirl for creating such perfect (and wallet-friendly) products, and for spoiling Carrie pretty!

The Best Cat Eye at New York Fashion Week, Fall 2009

Posted on by daneen in Eye Liner, Eye Shadow, Makeup Brush, Mascara | Leave a comment

 The Best Cat Eye at New York Fashion Week, Fall 2009

Despite going backstage at countless Fashion Week shows, the best darn cat eye belonged to my roommate, Katie – who flew in from Nevada to report for Makeup Bag and assist the lovely Erika.

 The Best Cat Eye at New York Fashion Week, Fall 2009

Little K (she reminds me of Jenny Humphrey on Gossip Girl, so I gave her a nickname) creates her ferosh cat eye using the following products and tools:

MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
MAC Small Angle Brush (#263)
bareMinerals Rocker Eye Kit (she uses 1980s Eyecolor and Rock Star Eyecolor)
Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow in Smoky Eye
DuWop Lash Venom Mascara

#NYFW

Amber’s Secret to Fabu-Lashes

Posted on by daneen in Beauty Tips, Lashes, Mascara | Leave a comment

I marvel at Amber‘s ridiculously long, lush and inky lashes. Her secret? She applies mascara to the top of her lashes. Watch and learn, as Amber demonstrates how she achieves fabu-lashes (using Diorshow Iconic Mascara). Enjoy!



pixel Ambers Secret to Fabu Lashes