Fall Inspiration: Smashing Pumpkins "Tonight, Tonight" / '90s Red Lipstick

This video for "Tonight, Tonight" by The Smashing Pumpkins is definitely one of my all time favorites.  It's epic and magical with sweeping orchestrals and Edwardian era sci-fi themes.  The video concept is lifted almost entirely from Georges Méliès's 1902 silent film A Trip to the Moon, the first ever sci-fi movie (you can also find it on YouTube, it was pretty incredible for its time).  While the music and visuals in "Tonight, Tonight" are amazing, what I really love are the details.  And I've been patiently waiting all summer to finally rock some ethereal '90s makeup like bassist D'arcy Wretzky.

Okay, so up close her makeup is a little more Goth and ghostly than I realized. What I initially interpreted as brick red lipstick appears black in this screenshot I took, but no matter.  Here are some gorgeous products to get her look of luminous, otherworldly glamour, absolutely perfect for fall! 

The brick red lipstick that was so trendy during the '90s always seems to make a comeback, and fall is the best time to wear it!  MAC launched their first Viva Glam lipstick in 1994, and the brick red matte shade is still available today as Viva Glam I.  With every Viva Glam lipstick sold, MAC donates 100% of the price to their AIDS Fund, which supports men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS.  It goes without saying that this is a wonderful cause to support, right?

In keeping with the celestial themes in "Tonight, Tonight", Benefit's Moonbeam shimmer liquid highlighter that adds a romantic golden sheen to your skin.  It looks especially gorgeous on your cheekbones, browbones, right above your upper lip in the cupid's bow, or all over your eyelids.  This will make your skin look glowing and lit from within!

This Summer Time cream eyeshadow duo from NARS has two beautiful shades in champagne and sunset gold to create a subtle, light reflecting look.  The darker shade would be lovely as an understated liner to slightly define eyes, and the lighter shade would be beautiful layered with Moonbeam all over eyelids.

What are your favorite '90s looks and inspirations?  Another of mine will always be Clueless, which really deserves its own inspiration post! 

Shiny, Happy...Nail Polish: Butter London Rosie Lee

Oooh.  Let's all take a moment to appreciate this stunning pink glitter-bomb of a nail polish from Butter London.  This beauty is Rosie Lee, and silly as it may sound, even just looking at the bottle makes me happy!  The packaging is gorgeous and the color even more so.  At $14 it was a bit more than what I'd usually spend on nail polish (around $8 for OPI & Essie bodes a little better), but Rosie Lee was a shade I just couldn't pass up!  Sparkly pink nails are like a party all the time, don't you think?  It's the nail polish equivalent of rose colored glasses!

Excuse the shoddy paint job, I got a little enthusiastic and couldn't wait to get this on my nails.  It took three coats to get opacity but it's lovely!  I wonder how it would look layered over other colors?  Any ideas?

Coming Soon! Dita Von Teese Fragrance, Femme Totale

Dita Von Teese's brand new fragrance, Femme Totale, will be arriving in stores next month!  Isn't the bottle stunning?  I love the art deco design and the ball atomizer adds extra glamour.  Dita personally put an incredible amount of time into creating the perfume; she visited perfumers in Paris nearly every day for a year!  I just love perfectionism when it comes to creating a product, don't you?  “A scent needs to reflect all the different facets of my personality. It had to be elegant, glamorous, sophisticated, sexy, dark, and mysterious,” she says. 

The resulting fragrance opens with top notes of peonies, bergamot, and spicy Bourbon pepper.  The heart notes include Bulgarian rose, Tahitian Tiare petals, and jasmine, while the base notes feature sandalwood, patchouli, musk, and smoky Gaiac wood.  Pepper, roses, and woods?  I'm sold, you guys.  I can't wait to get my hands on a bottle!  What do you think?

For A Good Cause: Awesome Beauty-Related Philanthropy Events!

I've heard about some pretty fantastic benefits happening soon with great beauty perks AND support to worthy causes!  I wanted to pass the information on to you.  

What: World Yacht's Beauty Brunch for the Cure
Where: World Yacht, NYC
Date: Sunday, October 16th
Time: 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM (rain or shine)
Benefits: Susan G. Komen Foundation

New York's prestigious World Yacht will be transformed into a spa for a day, featuring Mario Badescu, Bliss 77, Minx Nails, Vincent Longo, Jillian Wright, Sleek, John Barrett Salon, and others.  Sail, drink pink champagne with your girlfriends, get pampered, AND support an incredible foundation!  Tickets are $59 and 100% of the proceeds will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer treatments, research, support, and awareness.  Arrive early to begin your treatments and get your tickets now! 

What: MAC Cosmetics Girls' Night Out
Where: MAC Store at the Summit, Birmingham, AL
Date: Sunday, September 25th
Time: 6 - 9 PM
Benefits: Birmingham AIDS Outreach

A $25 donation will get you a 30 minute one-on-one consultation with a fabulous MAC makeup artist!  It's a private after-hours event and spots are filling up quickly, so call 205-977-2249 to reserve your consultation.  My BFF Brittny and I will be there getting makeovers at 7 PM, come see us and make a donation! 100% of the proceeds will benefit Birmingham AIDS Outreach, an organization that helps fund medication, testing services, a food pantry, support, and so much more for people and families living with HIV/AIDS.  I personally know a lot of people who are involved and volunteer there, they do so many wonderful things and genuinely care about the community.


Philanthropy AND beauty treatments, what could be better?  Are there any similar events going on in your area that people should know about?  I'd love to hear about more great happenings!

Premiere Birmingham Beauty Expo

Sunday I had the opportunity to attend Premiere Birmingham, an enormous hair and beauty expo with vendors and stylists from all over the United States.  It was HEAVEN!  There were two whole floors of booths and workshops; it was so overwhelming and incredible.  I got to meet and network with so many fantastic, encouraging people AND stock up on some great beauty products!

Some of the bigger companies were doing demos on hair models and attendees while selling their products. One even had a red carpet, stage, and catwalk!  There were several spray tanning booths, too.  People were having glitter eyeliner applied, jewels and feathers put in their hair, and even getting body wraps!

Checking out the tools & information

I even got my hair styled by a gorgeous woman at ProFashion! She used a titanium straightener to curl my hair and the curls actually STAYED! Regular readers will surely remember how many times I've mentioned that my hair never, ever holds curl. But the ProFashion iron miraculously worked! Even after I slept on my hair the curls are still there, without hairspray or any kind of product. I'm truly amazed! My stepmom bought one for me AND for her salon. I can't wait to start experimenting, I've never owned a straightener before.






The main focus was on hair styling, products, and salons, but there were also plenty of makeup, skincare, and nail art vendors.  False eyelashes were a dollar and glittery mineral makeup was everywhere!   I got to try out some cool silver glitter and black leopard print nail stickers and picked up an incredible concealer palette that will be perfect for my makeup artist gigs.  I also chose a color refresher, some spray-in products to test, a high-end dry shampoo, and a luxe all-in-one miracle cream.  These will be getting their own posts soon!

Total exhaustion & unflattering picture at the end of the day but I still have CURLS!

The Premiere Birmingham Beauty Expo was better than anything I could have imagined!  I was blown away by all the incredible contacts I made and the fantastic products on display.  I can't wait to attend another hair/beauty show!  If you ever get the chance, definitely GO!  I loved every second of my experience.