NEW! Benefit Cha Cha Tint

Benefit has announced the upcoming release of their brand new lip and cheek stain shade, and I'm already completely in love with the product name.  Cha Cha Tint will join Posie Tint and the original BeneTint in June 2011 as a lovely mango coral color that is absolutely perfect for warmer weather.  I know many, many lovely girls who consider BeneTint or Posie Tint their favorite, must have products.  I confess: I've tried both, and I've never understood the appeal.  Before you send a lynch mob after me, this gorgeous Cha Cha Tint makes me want to give the product a second chance!  I've been scouting for coral lip colors and definitely plan to try Cha Cha Tint as soon as possible.

If you're a BeneTint or Posie Tint devotee, I'd love to hear about it!  I think the nail polish-like applicator is what really turned me off those two; all I managed to get was a thin line of color on my cheeks that was not unlike war paint.  At this point I feel like I'm missing out!  Do you have any stunning application tips?

Stylish Blogger Award!

Melina Bee honored me with an award for stylish bloggers.  Very thoughtful and exciting!  I love the Pay It Forward-ness of it.

The Rules:

1) Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
2) Share 7 things about yourself.
3) Award 10 recently discovered bloggers.
4) Contact those bloggers and let them know they’ve won.

Seven Things I Haven't Mentioned Here Before:

1. I'll finish up my degree in medical laboratory science this winter!  That means, upon graduation and taking my certification exam, I'll be eligible to work in a hospital laboratory, perform tests, and analyze all sorts of patient specimens.  Like blood work and that sort of thing.  Interesting stuff!

2. I adore animals.  Right now I have a Maine Coon cat named Chin who plays fetch and is almost always my constant companion at home.  She's fantastic.  One day I'd also like to have a papillon or maybe a greyhound.

Chin--she's the prettiest girl in the world

3.  Honestly, I love music even more than makeup.  Thanks to my dad, I have a pretty extensive collection of rare vinyl records.  My favorite is a certified gold Beatles record to commemorate their selling over a million copies of the single "Here Comes The Sun"!   Sometimes I really miss working in a music store.

4.  Although camping is not exactly my idea of a good time, at least once in my life I want to go camp at Burning Man, Bonnaroo, or Coachella.  Those festivals sound so incredibly fun and I think it would be the ultimate out-of-my-comfort-zone experience for me.

5. I despise most "chick flicks."  The Notebook makes me cringe and most romantic comedies these days are utterly insipid and predictable.  But oh god do I love Sex and the City... 

6. I'm obsessed with the idea of modifying a pair of heels into the heel-less shoes Daphne Guinness wears.  I found how-to instructions online, now I just need a pair of shoes to mutilate.  Wish me luck!

via

7.  It absolutely blows my mind that so many fascinating, wonderful people are interested in what I write here.  You guys are the BEST and I can never thank you enough.

I'm awarding:

MOONbelle Photography

EverBlossom

The City Chic

A Professional Distraction

JaeLikesClothes

Notes From Carcosa

My Trips to the Moon

Inspiration: Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani is pretty much my hero.  I mean, really, do you know another celebrity who can rock pink hair and red lipstick at once?

Gwen is also phenomenally talented...touring with No Doubt during pregnancy, two solo albums, designing her own fashion & perfume labels, raising two sons, and keeping her marriage strong.  She writes incredibly personal lyrics and is the the sort of down-to-earth megastar you feel like could still be your BFF (yeah, I've been listening to Return of Saturn a lot lately).  Plus she rocks red lipstick and black liquid eyeliner like nobody's business and has worn bindi, jelly rolls, and even braces on the red carpet.  Seriously, how cool is she?!   Okay, enough gushing.

 Now, Gwen is adding "L'Oreal spokesmodel" to her list of fabulous accomplishments.  She's the face of the brand's new Infallible Le Rouge lipstick line (not to be confused with their original long wearing lip colour).

In her song "Orange County Girl", Gwen makes allusions to "selling makeup at the mall" -- in reality, she worked at a MAC counter!  She admits to having an appreciation for MAC's popular favorite Russian Red matte lipstick.  What else does Gwen love?

Dior Skinflash Radiance Booster pen: Gwen uses this both under and over her makeup to cover undereye circles and other imperfections.

Pantene Pro-V Sheer Volume hairspray: Gwen's hairdresser uses this to create all those incredible hairstyles.  Need I say more?

SPF 50: Though I don't know the exact brand she wears, Gwen never leaves the house without SPF 50 on her face and body.  Even though she grew up in southern California, she still has porcelain, undamaged skin.

MAC Cream Color Base in Fawntastic:  It's a bronzer!  No, wait, a highlighter!  It's even an eyeshadow base!  Gwen loves this super versatile product so much, it's even been spotted behind the scenes at her L.A.M.B. fashion shows and on models.