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Cosmetic Equivalent of a Best Friend

My name is Shannon and I am a self-proclaimed make-up addict... say it with me now "Hi, Shannon".....
I have loved makeup since I was a young girl.  I was the child sneaking into my mom’s room to steal her makeup and would spend hours learning to apply it.  I spent all my allowance on the newest Bonne Belle products and NYC $1 nail polishes.  I have to confess I still have to reel in where I spend my beauty bucks. Here are my top 5 Cosmetics-- these are the products that I live and breathe by!

MAC Eye Make-up Primer Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly- I was nervous to try this product as the price tag is a little steep, however after my first week using the primer I was hooked.  I put this on over my foundation but under any eye makeup.  I cover my entire eye lid up to my brow bone- it evens the color and texture of the eyes.  Applying eye shadow and liner is smoother and easier to blend, great for creating dramtic beauty looks.  I have found that my eye make-up lasts longer and is more resistant to smudging.  I have owned the primer almost a year and am still only halfway through the first pot, even with daily applications.  The 0.17 ounce container cost $20.  If I use the product everyday for 18 months before the pot runs out, that's only $0.04 per use!

Maybelline Falsies Volum' Express Mascara- I have mentioned before my obsession with Mascara.  Maybelline is an industry leader in mascara sales for a reason.  My favorite is absolutely Falsies Volum' Express.  The product coats each lash, thickens, and lengths.  One tube lasts me between 1-2 months of daily use.  But the $6.99 price tag is easily justified.  That's only $0.12 per use!

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Mightiest Maraschino- When it comes to makeup there is nothing better than a smokey eye or a bold lip.  One of my favorite red lipsticks is Chubby Stick Intense in Mightiest Maraschino from Clinique.  I highly recommend the chubby sticks as they are affordable and have a moisturizing balm, so none of that chalky lipstick texture.  The crayon looking tube allows for easy application and layering of color.  The lipstick cost $17 and allows for hundreds of applications.  Only 170 applications of head-turning red lips and your usage is $0.10 per smooch! 

Eyes Lips Face Eye Liner Pen in Black- I have loved E.LF. since I was in high school and it was still an online beauty supplier.  When the brand moved to sell at other retailers I was ecstatic- cheap make-up was right at my fingertips.  Not all of their products are worth the cheap price tag however I love their eye liner pen!  It creates a smooth line with no tugging or needing to be sharpened.  Easy to create cat eye or winged looks with the wet formula that dries smooth.  I even prefer this product's formula over more expensive brands.  I can use a pen for several months before it dries or runs out so the $2 cost is less than a penny per use!

Daniel Sandler Radiant Sheen Illuminating Face Powder- I got this bronzer as a gift from my internship last summer but the second it runs out I will buy another one.  The quad of colors- ranging from pink to deep bronze- blend to create the perfect glow.  I can use all the colors together or separate for different looks.  I can even use the mid tones as eye shadow.  The powder has a light shimmer giving skin a dewy, post workout glow!  This bronzer is easy to blend, contour, and highlight and makes skin look fresh not dirty as some bronzers are prone to. The multipurpose product costs $44.34.  It is rather pricey but well worth it for the formula!

I have yet to find a foundation that I absolutely love and meets all my needs so send suggestions my way!

ASME Lifestyle Covers of the Year

The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) does a Best Magazine Covers Reader's Choice Award every year.  Each week is a new category and participants "like" their favorite covers on Facebook.  Then the winners of each category compete for best magazine cover of the year.

This week (February 24th-28th)  the theme for the ASME best magazine covers is Lifestyle Magazines.  Vote for your favorites here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151883665056436.1073741850.59153151435&type=3

I reviewed by Top 3 Choices for Lifestyle Magazine Cover of the Year!

#3 Choice: Departures Magazine.  The jewels in the photograph caught the light and sparkled ensuring to catch my attention.  The magazine is a departure (I'm sorry I had to- it was right there waiting for me...) from the norm in magazine covers making it a contender for magazine cover of the year.

#2 Choice: The New York Times Magazine.  This cover features a photo of a face that is blurred to the point where it is unrecognizable.  The tagline is "The Price of a Stolen Childhood."  The frosted picture is haunting and causes the reader to look twice.

#1 Choice: Architectural Digest with Ralph Lauren cover is my vote for best Lifestyle Cover!  Anytime a non-fashion magazine features a fashion icon it catches my attention.  Putting Ralph Lauren on the cover made me wonder about the content of the article and therefore made me want to read the magazine-- the purpose of any great cover!


What are your favorites?  Let me know in the comments below!

ASME Best Magazine Covers

The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) does a Best Magazine Covers Reader's Choice Award every year.  Each week is a new category and participants "like" their favorite covers on Facebook.  Then the winners of each category compete for best magazine cover of the year.

This week (Feb. 17th-Feb 22nd) the category is Fashion and Beauty covers.  I reviewed my favorite covers of 2013!

Shannon's Pick #3: Lady Gaga on the cover of Glamour.  I love the simplicity of the background- the navy with only the "Girl on Fire" headline makes the photograph stand out.  The matches covering Gaga's face forced to reader to take a hard look to determine the cover girl.  Albeit the use of matches with the tagline "Girl on Fire" was a little corny, the use of fire imagery was a welcome change in fashion and beauty covers.

Shannon's Pick #2: Harper's Bazaar "Super Style" cover.  This cover stood out to me because it was unique.  On fashion and beauty covers, there is almost always a celebrity in a designer outfit with a headlines surrounding the headshot- anything that breaks that pattern is a good cover in my book.  This cover was divided into squares 4 down and 6 across.  In each box was either a figure dressed in black or white or one of the letters that spelled out "Bazaar."  The mixture of white, black, and red was stunning.

Shannon's Pick #1:  George Clooney on the cover of W.  George Clooney is in a completely polka dot outfit- need I say more?  The outfit is unique with the suit coat, dress shirt, and bow tie all in black and white polka dot patterns.  The background matched the print so the outfit fades away versus being the focal point.  The W logo and headline were in a pink and orange polka dot pattern.  This cover hosted a major celebrity, had unique styling, and a twist on W's usual cover design- absolute perfection!

Vote for your favorites on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151870954861436.1073741848.59153151435&type=3

What were your favorite fashion and beauty covers in 2013?

New Year, New You: Maintaining New Years Resolutions Beyond the First Month

If you're like 90% of Americans, you have probably given up on your New Years Resolution by February 1st.  I'm here to tell you to get back to it!!!  You didn't resolve to {insert resolution here} for the first 31 days of the year, but rather resolved to do it for 365 days.  Everyone has something that they would like to change or improve in their lives.  This isn't about doing it for your mother, father, boss, best friend, or child but it's about DOING IT FOR YOURSELF.  Get back in shape not because your doctor says you should, do it so you look fabulous in the jeans that are currently 2 sizes too small.  Score that killer job not because you are graduating and have to find something, but do it because it is your dream and your worked hard for 4 years for that accomplishment.  If you haven't found a resolution yet here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Getting Healthy- exercise more, eat less, eat healthier, lose weight, take your vitamins, eat less fast food- everyone has something they could improve upon.  You might as well spend the next year being a healthier you than the year before
• Scoring an internship, job, promotion- you're going to work for the next 40 years of your life, it'd be best to love what you do!
• Maintaining relationships with family and friends
• Getting a good GPA, finishing a project at work
• Volunteer to Help Others- Whether it is physically, emotionally, or financially this is one you will never regret doing.
• Quit a bad habit, form a good habit

• Crossing Something Off the List of Dreams- Every person has a list of things that they want to do before they kick the bucket, every year work on accomplishing another item.  I've always wanted to try snow shoeing, so I talked to my parents and we planned a trip to Duluth this spring break.  Want to take a fabulous trip of a lifetime?  Spend the next year planning and saving money.  There is always something you can do to complete every item!
• Manage money better, pay off debt
• Start a new club, hobby, or activity

While stating your new resolution is well and good, actually following though is a totally separate concept.  Make a detailed plan on how to accomplish these each day, week and month- breaking a goal down into easily managed parts will ensure success.  For example say losing 20 pounds by summer is your end goal, each week workout 5 times, that means each day you only have to focus on going to the gym once.  A win each day will keep you happy and motivated to succeed in the end.

10 Reasons to Continue New Years Resolutions Past the 1st Month
1). Sense of Accomplishment
2). Confidence
3). Health and Wellness
4). Improve Yourself
5). Improve Relationships
6). New Experiences
7). Increase a Desired Behavior
8). Small Achievements Become BIG Achievements
9). To Live the Best Life Possible
10). It's for YOU.

Make your standards and your heels higher in 2014!

Where to Spend Your Beauty Bucks: Mascara Edition

When planning budgets, most females would consider make-up a necessary addition.  There is an endless list of products to purchase in every color, formula, and brand imaginable.  The most difficult part is determining how much you should spend to get the best products for your money.  I’m going to let you in on a little known beauty secret: some drugstore products are just as good, or maybe even better, than their luxury counterpart.  Knowing the difference will do wonders for your skin and your wallet.  

When it comes to mascara, the formulas found in drugstore brands are the same as those found in fancy makeup counter brands.  CHANEL’s INIMITABLE INTENSE- MASCARA MULTI-DIMENSIONNEL SOPHISTIQUÉ draws consumers in with its exotic name, creating images of nights in the Paris lights.  The mascara has the sophisticated black packaging with gold band and specially engineered brush with the $30 price point, but it won’t make lashes any longer or fuller than a drugstore kind that costs only $7. The formula in drugstore and designer mascaras are the exact same.  Since mascara should be replaced every 3 months to prevent the growth of bacteria it is best to save money and stick with a drugstore brand.  L’Oreal, Maybelline, and Max Factor are industry leaders in mascara sales for a reason.  

I am a mascara addict and never have less than 3 tubes at my disposal at any one time.  I have tried nearly every Maybelline formula ever made (the best mascara brand in my opinion).  My absolute favorite mascara- hands down, no contest- is Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies Mascara.  It comes in the purple tube and costs only $5.99.  The curved brush ensures a thick application of color to every lash.  It coats both sides of the top and bottom lashes while maintaining the perfect swoop.  

Heep your standards and heels high!