Long Time No See

I've been sick and very very busy at work, so that's my excuse. Sorry I've been away for awhile. I'm preparing for a trip to France for two weeks.

Going to Paris and cycling the Loire Valley. Please comment below and let me know what you'd like to see. I'm thinking of doing a simple travelogue, and, of course, in Paris, there will be some makeup and some fashion, because that place is modelopolis twenty-four seven - lots of eye candy everywhere.

Here is a collection of looks from the last two weeks, and some products I hadn't gotten around to photographing, and my little depotted palette of lippies for your viewing enjoyment!

 I've had this Sleek cream base palette for a while and am finally getting around to using it. Thinking of taking it to Paris, but I'll be test driving it first. Planning on putting it over my MAC Soft Ochre paint pot to see if it will crease or not. I love the variety of colors in there!

 On this day I was wearing a cherry-colored cardigan, so I thought I'd pull the blue out of it and onto the center of my lids with some irridescent Naked Cosmetics Twilight action. This Twilight collection has lovely iridescent cool tones. I used the darker periwinkle in this set. These pigments are lovely and I haven't heard enough about them. Go check them out at nakedcosmetics.com.

 This was a burgundy eye look using Naked Cosmetics Urban Rustic collection. I just love using burgundy on my eyelids for a bold look. It's a strong look, and yet takes fewer steps to achieve. This kind of round filling in of the eyelid reminds me of the look of silent film stars. It has some mystery and romance. I did very little else on my face, but I think this would look so cool with a similar lip shade for evening.

 Hooded eyes hide the burgundy when I'm looking at you.

 I love this black velvet jacket. I got it at TJ Maxx a million years ago, but it's going to Paris with me.

 This aqua blue shade on my eyes is also from the Naked Cosmetics Twilight set. It's a warmer blue, slightly dreamy and tropical, but I just use it as a sheer wash here. I'm pretty sure I used the NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk to get this look.

 And here's a neutral eye look with some warm browns in the crease. These kinds of shades are easy to find, but I must say, I'm still totally in love with my Mehron naturals palette. The shades are so true, matte, pigmented and blendable, and I can do an entire eye look with one brush - my bdellium 776 in the yellow bambu collection, which is a dupe for the MAC 217 brush.

 A warm pink lip shade brings out the warmth of this neutral eye look.

 Here's my Zpalette with all, and I mean ALL of my Revlon Just Bitten Balmstains depotted into it. Each of these little tins is metallic, so you can rearrange the shades to your heart's content. And I used a candle to gently melt the product into the tins, once I'd scraped them gently out of the tubes.

I also mixed together 2/3 Revlon Cherries in the Snow and 1/3 Revlon Fire and Ice for the one in the upper right hand corner. Top Left is Milani's new lipstick in Red Label.

I don't think you can do Paris without a few Red Lip days, do you?

Anyway, thanks for dropping by. Please let me know what you are up to in the comments below, and see you sooner than later, this time, Lovely Peeps!

Love, Beautyjones!

30-Day Makeup Challenge Day 3 - Glitter

This is how I show my glitter, Baby!

Busted out my Chanel Illusion d'Ombre on the lids, which is frankly, some pretty astounding stuff. My shade is called Épatant, and I looked it up, and, loosely translated, in English, it means, 'Awesomeballs.' Seriously.

This shade is silvery, and has lots of superfine glitter, and sticks very well, and has this spongey texture. I guess all of these Illusions d'Ombre have that. The color at first looks silvery gray, but it also has a bit of cool blue and green in there, which is very refined. It just does not disappoint.

I put some NYX glitter cream palette glitter over the top, which did flake off a tiny bit, but most of it stayed very well. I used the red gold and yellow gold glitter colors, just in the middle of my eyelids.

Considering how glitter is usually considered way too glam to work for day, I'm super-pleased with how today's glitter challenge went. I even got compliments on the look from coworkers.

Here are the other products I used to get this look:

skin79 Triple Function BB Cream, Orange - too light, so I add some Dr. Jart BB Cream in super medium dark.

Sleek makeup Face Form in Light - this is all you need for the cheeks - highlight, Nars Orgasm dupe blush, and neutral contour.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balmstain Endlessly Named in Honey - love this stuff, but really, brevity is the soul of wit, people. Edit your product names, wontcha?

Maybelline Super Plushy Plush Mascara - this does clump a bunch now that I've had it a while and it's setting up a bit.

StarLooks December Palette. I used the matte burgundy shade, middle row, second from the left, in the crease.

So I'm having fun with this challenge. Tomorrow, smoky eye look. Okee dokee!

Love, BeautyJones

 

Posted with Blogsy

Makeup Fancy's 30-day Makeup Challenge - I'm in!

Just saw this 30-day makeup challenge on Makeup Fancy's Page, and I thought I'd try it out. I might be a bit stymied by Zombie Day, but let's give it a whirl, People! Seems fun.

Check back later today for days 1 and 2, because might as well get a head start, plus I gotta do some kind of makeup today, ri-ight?

Love, BeautyJones!

Maddstyle Cosmetics

Recently I found a new YouTube beauty guru called Killer Colours, who introduced me to Maddstyle Cosmetics, and I bought a set she recommended on her blog. She was actually doing a giveaway, but I wanted to get these shades for sure. They are so interesting.  Here's my look, and tons of photos. Hope you like!

 Thanks for reading, Beauty Fans!

:)BeautyJones

October Favorites, A Bit Tardy

Hello, there, Beauty Fans!

Here's a video I finally got around to editing last night.

Writing a novel in one month is no joke, let me tell you, but that's what I decided to do when I took up the challenge of NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month, and it's really fun to finally be hitting this lifetime list item! 1667 words per day, people! For a month! I'm doing it, and I think it's altering the pathways in my brain because I really feel different. For more info on this amazing process and how you can be a part of it, click here.

Enjoy my October Favorites!

Happy Thanksgiving Week! Do you think this video upload is a little late? Well, since I probably need to film my November Favorites like next week, pretty much, yeah. Oh, well!

Love, BeautyJones

September Birchbox Opening

I'm keeping true to my resolution to share my sample box openings with you for each and every subscription I have!

Here is my September Birchbox opening video. Please let me know what you think!


Here are the products I received in this shipment:

• Benefit Cosmetics - foamingly clean facial wash + refined finish facial polish - nice brand, pretty packaging, but for me, scrubs and cleansers are less than exciting.

• Color Club - Birchbox Custom Polish in Uptade (Could be a typo, I'm a-thinkin'. "Update" is supposed to be the name, maybe?) I really love this charcoal gray shade. I prefer getting these little nail polish samples. I am a Julep Maven subscriber, too, so my nail polish wardrobe is quickly becoming like Imelda Marcos's show wardrobe--yikes!

• Dr. Jart+ - Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25+ - yay, BB cream! I love it! I've tried this one, and it is very good if you have dry skin. I have combo skin, though, and I needed to powder this to set it. My skin79 Hot Pink Triple Function Beblesh Balm is still my favorite.

• kate spade new york - twirl: bit of floral, fruit and spice. Cute but nothing that stands out in a crowd. Not really my style. I love Issey Miyake's fragrances, and Fracas, and Bvlgari's Thé Vert, so you have some idea of my tastes. As I begin to say in the vid, I think fragrance is a very personal thing. People's tastes vary a lot, so it's hard to judge. I avoid giving people fragrances as gifts unless I know it's one they love and know well. For instance, my Mom loves Joy by Balmain, which is a very rosy luxe kind of fragrance.

• twistband Hair Tie - these are so popular nowadays. Lots of the interns at work wear them as bracelets. Cute.

• Band-Aid Cynthia Rowley Dress Up - what an adorable little extra these are!

• Birchbox Digital Download of 2 tracks by Tristan Prettyman: very friendly kind of a voice a bit like Zooey Deschanel's with a folksy feel. I like!

For more info on Birchbox, please visit:
http://www.birchbox.com

Have a wonderful day, Beauty Fans!

<3BeautyJones

BeautyJones in Rome Video

Vittorio Emmanuele Monument

Hi, Beauty Fans!

This vid is about a different kind of beauty—the crumbly, romantic layer cake of history that is the Eternal City—my favorite place on Earth, Rome!

If you haven't been, starting making your travel plans now. You can rent an apartment in the historic center for way less than you'd pay for a hotel.

Delicious caprese salad served with love by our friend Itala

Go to Sleep In Italy and click the link for Rome to start browsing. I recommend apartments in the Campo de' Fiori area, which is quiet, and off the beaten track. This time we stayed on via Falegnami in the the Jewish Ghetto, which has a rich and sometimes tragic history, great food, and remains the most medieval part of the city.

This August was my fifth trip to Rome. I first visited in 2003, and many of the great things I found stay the same there. I'm working on a PDF guide, which I'll post to this site for you to download when it's ready. This time around I found some amazing little trattorias (casual dining spots) in lots of parts of the city. I love to explore and find new places to eat, and places with views to sip cocktails.

This little video is my vlog of my Rome trip. It doesn't include everything we did, or everything that's great about the city. But how could it? The popular saying about Rome is true, "A lifetime is not enough."

Enjoy!

And, as always, please let me know what you think!

<3BeautyJones

Full-On European Beauty Haul Video!

Here I take you through all the fun beauty stuff I bought on my trip to London and Rome.
Hope you like!

Sleek i-Divine Palette in Glory from Superdrug in London

London Eye

View of Aventine Hill in Rome from the top of 47

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Love, BeautyJones!

5 Summer Bright Beauty Tutorials from YouTube

Hi, Guys--

I'm in London, and unfortunately, my husband isn't feeling very well, so although I've edited together a minimal makeup look video and I am definitely going to do a quick vid on my makeup kit for this trip, I haven't yet had time to pull these together.

But since it's almost halfway through August, and we're already seeing lots of sneak peeks of this Fall's sophisticated and muted looks, I thought I'd do a roundup of my favorite summer bright YouTube vids, while we still have some summer left, and you can put them to good use!

NikkieTutorials Summer Ombre Lips

You know I love Nikkie. Such a great makeup artist. Frickin' hilarious. Here's her pretty take on the ombre makeup trend, on lips!

Green & Taupe Drugstore Makeup Look

Alli does such subtle looks that are great for blondes. This is the brightest eye look I've ever seen her do, and if you are afraid of going too out there but still want to try brights, here is a great place to start! Plus, what's not to love about drugstore products that give you great makeup value? Nothing, in my book!

Sam from Pixiwoo does Aqua Lids

This spring and summer have been all about the colors aqua and mint for me, and here's the gorgeous Sam of Pixiwoo doing a soft wash of aqua on her lids. Can you rock it? Try it. If anything, this one will teach you a lot about how to blend your shadow to create a soft gradient of color.

TiffanyD Does Turquoise Eyes

Here's a look for gals who are ready to go bold with their eyes! TiffanyD has terrific technique and I've learned a lot from her. Check it out! This turquoise eye look is very wearable and not at all drag. Turquoise is such a great resort color. She shows here how important it is to anchor any bright with neutrals.

Robin Moses, Ladies and Gentlemen!!!

OMG, I love the nail art trend, and this lady is like Rembrandt! Her technical skillls are ridiculous, but I still feel I can learn from her. You don't have to be an amazing artist to achieve great nail looks. Just the right tools, and lots of practice. Here a fun stripey look using bright colors, with some flowers thrown in for a summery touch!

Local Spot: Le Pink & Co.

I love my Sephora, my Ulta, and let's face it, I haunt my local CVS, especially on Fridays, when the new product launches go out.

But I am a huge fan of the small unique beauty shop, where walking through the door is like starting a treasure hunt, where, if you find something you like, you better pick it up, because you may not see it again.

So, although my head is just full of what I need to pack for London and Rome, I'm sharing a few pictures of my latest trip to Le Pink & Co., the charming apothecary shop in the heart of Silver Lake's Sunset Junction.

Side by side with cult coffee shops, diners, vegan places, a new hot currywurst joint, the premier comic book shop in L.A., and the best gelato place in town, is Le Pink & Co. If you are looking for a nice hostess gift, they've got your gorgeous candles with exotic scents, and your lovely European bath products. They even have a few men-only skin care lines. It's all beautifully displayed, and above the shelves and in the window you'll see sweet tableaus using vintage beauty and apothecary products. Their skincare lines include the likes of Dr. Hauscha, but seek out their more unusual choices like Éminence Organic Skin Care.

The pretty sales girl gave me 4 generous samples of Éminence's Rosehip Whip Moisturizer, Stone Crop Whip Moisturizer, Wild Plum Eye Cream, and Yam & Pumpkin Enzyme Peel. She was smart to give me these, because they all smell so lovely and feel like they are really working. They are by no means cheap, but not overly pricey for fancy skin care lines. I'll be picking me up some of these when the samples run out.

In terms of cosmetics, you'll find Lipstick Queen, Nouba, and more. And, again, it's the independent lines, the hard-to-find stuff, and you can swatch and try it all from the cute displays on the center table.

There are adorable makeup cases and bags, too, shaving lines for men, Marvis toothpaste in lots and lots of flavors, and the kind of perfume selection you just can't find in American department stores and chains. 

The perfume selection here is the jewel in the crown of this little indie shop. Come here just to try a few. Only in France, and, OK, in the French Pavilion at EPCOT, truth be told, have I seen some of these brands. These days it's so easy to find yourself wearing what everyone else has. Issey Miyake? The gal on the next floor is sporting it. Miss Dior? Your yoga teacher wears it out on a Saturday night. But how about something called Bois Farine, or something from Artisan Parfumeur or Mistral? These are more unusual, and so will you be when you wear them.

I also appreciate the sense of fun in Le Pink & Co. They carry a full line of old time candy! You could come here and put together the ultimate gift basket of beauty, skin care and bath products for your mom or your best friend or your boss, and top it all off with a sleeve of Necco wafers!

Recently Le Pink & Co. has tricked out a back room and added a suite of salon services including facials and waxing.

So come check them out. Let's keep places like this going, people! They make shopping much more interesting and take us outside the big box store and the chain. They show us fresh new ideas in beauty. And what could be wrong with that?

Le Pink & Co.
3820 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
 




Coming Soon....

I'm working on photos and videos of my makeup bag for London and Rome. I want to show you my whole wardrobe. I've had to add one pair of heels, even though I really hate heels, but I needed a pair of closed-toe shoes for rainy old London. I picked up a pair of black Danskos. I'm going to need waterproof options for makeup because I'll be at the beach, and I'll be going from cool and rainy to hot and sweltering. Hopefully I can some swimming in at the shore in Cerveteri, Italy, in the Mediterranean. I know those of you not looking forward to a vacation as special as this must be hating me right now, but it's been 3 years now since I've been to Europe, which is way too long! I love Italy so much it hurts, and I just can't wait!

I'll be looking for unusual cosmetics and new-to-me products wherever I go, so I will be sharing some terrific stuff with you here on this blog in the coming weeks! I'm only bringing the iPad with me—no laptop, so I can travel light—and I'll be using iMovie for iPad to edit videos, and upload blog content.

If you want the download on my European vacation, be sure to follow me in all the places I can be found:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/beautyjonestoo
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/BeautyJonesToo
Twitter: twitter.com/BeautyJonesToo
Tumblr:http://www.tumblr.com/blog/beautyjones

Have an awesome Monday, Everybody!

Love, BeautyJones!