Beauty, Charm & Style

My absolute best friend in the whole wide world attended graduate school in Canberra, Australia.  As she finished up her 2nd year of anthropologic studies, she sent me a wide array of sociological finds.

• They outlawed 1 cent and 2 cent pieces back in the 80’s.
• They have a lot of different flavors of chips like ‘honey soy’ and ‘salsa and sour cream’ but one of their favorites seems to be ‘chicken.’
• They spell roadside curbs as ‘kerbs’. Why? I have no idea.
• Their escalators are placed backwards. You go up on the left side and come down on the right.
• Raisins are called sultanas.
• Also, voting here is mandatory. You get in trouble with the law if you don’t vote – which could be good or bad…

And in her journeys down under, she has come to realize those Aussies are more than just a bunch of kangaroo loving, Foster’s drinking, knife comparing, dingo hunting bunch of outbackers, rather, most of Australia’s population is in tune with the global environment and sun safety.  Maybe that has to do with the hole in the O-Zone being right above them, but I have a feeling its because, with a beautiful backdrop and gorgeous landscape, they just love natural and organic products.

Which brings me to NVEY ECO Organic Compact Powder, in BRONZER.

NVEY ECO Organic Compact Powder

This unique pressed powder blend, combined with subtle earth minerals provides natural coverage and refreshes my foundation.  Wanting a subtle sun-kissed glow of the summer, this bronzer works great on my face, shoulders, arms, chest and as an added highlight to my cleavage. <wink wink>

Using the puff that comes with the compact, I sparingly apply the bronzing minerals to my skin.  Careful to not get too dark, I only add a tiny amount because a little goes a long way.  [Plus, I don’t want a repeat of my last bronzer debacle.]

And with my light application, my usually alabaster skin now looks like I spent the day out at the beach, basking in the sun, but without the harmful UVA and UVB rays. Everyone looks a little better with a little bronze.

The Breakdown:

• Available in 5 shades, Lite, Medium, Neutral and Translucent Neutral and Bronzer
• $42.00 each
• Derived from Jojoba Oil, Vitamins C, E and A, Chamomile and Corn Silk
• Talc free, paraben free, no petroleum based ingredients and NOT tested on animals (so those baby koala bears are safe)

The year is 1968.  The Vietnam War is in full force. The first heart transplant happens in France.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated.  Israel gets broadcast television. Richard Nixon is voted president. Columbia University students took over the school in protest. Tony Hawk and LL Cool J are born.  And after reading a magazine article titled, “Can Great Skin Be Created?” Estee Lauder decides to develop Clinique. Flash forward 40 years and here comes Clinque’s Almost Powder Makeup SPF 15 - a perfect product for today’s modern hippie chick.

Almost Powder Makeup SPF 15 by Clinque

I’m not someone who wears a lot of foundation, cover-up or base, and I lean towards natural looks, not ones that are cakey and fakey. But I had a long night last night and today my face needs a little boost; some caffeine for the face.  Clinique’s Almost Powder is so light; it’s going to do just the trick.

Applied easily with a sponge (or you can use a brush), my skin is instantly brighter!  It eves out the blotches, de-redden my nose and covers up the visible blue veins I have that show through my transparent skin.  Best of all, I found a perfect match for my very, very, very fair skin.

For forty years, Clinique’s been using its classic green color on all it’s packaging – leading the way for green movement.  The powder is allergy tested and fragrance free so it won’t irritate my face and won’t fight with my perfume de jour. Plus, it has SPF 15, sunscreen in a powder form, not a greasy lotion.  Genius!

The rest of my makeup goes on without a hitch, and not to sound too braggy, but my face looks awesome! And it’s so easy to use, and so easy to apply and it works so well.

The casual chick inside of me, that spawn of my hippie dad, the girl who likes stuff natural and light – I can use Almost Powder everyday and not feel like I’m weighed down with makeup.  So come on everybody, join me in wearing paisley, putting begonias in my hair, slipping on my sandals and hitting Haight-Ashbury, this hippie chick is feeling hippie chic.

The Breakdown:

• Available in 8 shades (Fair, Neutral Fair, Light, Neutral, Medium, Deep, Deep Honey, Deep Golden)
• .35 oz compact
• SPF 15…in a powder – best idea ever!
• $22.50 a piece

Tips:

• Since it’s extremely light, don’t use this as a cover up for pimples.

Wanna know the absolute best thing about weekend trips to Vegas?

GLITTER!

Not the Maraih Carey debacle of a movie, but the shimmering glitter that is everywhere.  Everything has a gold sheen to it. Its okay to wear sequenced cocktail dresses, costume jewelry, cocktail rings, drink vodka gimlets, use full bottles of Aquanet and put glitter all over one’s body!  It is completely appropriate and expected of all Vegas visiting ladies.

And I get to do it completely unapologetically.

But I do know I’m too old now for the big clunky glitter from the mall stores where I had my ears pierced.  I may be heading out for a hot Vegas night, but this girl’s gotta stay classy.  I use the very girly, very fun Benefit Cosmetics Kitten Classic Pink Champagne Shimmering Powder.

Benefit Cosmetics Kitten Classic Pink Champagne Shimmering Powder

As I’m getting dressed in the hotel room, I can remember Kendall, dressed in her slinky black dress pulling out her puff and she going at it.  Glitter on her neck, shoulders, legs, arms, and cleavage – all getting kissed with a golden champagne finish and soft floral scent.

I’m jealous.

So after promptly stealing her puff, I’m shimmery too! The shimmer goes on evenly, never clumps, doesn’t get sticky and it looks fabulous.  The puff works just like the ones from those 50’s cover model photos and I feel like a real woman as the soft puff glides over my skin.

Now, with shimmers that match our champagne glasses, Kendall and I hit the strip, looking for high rollers, all night parties and gratuitous limo rides. And since I can’t legally divulge any information or details of what happened in Vegas, I can assure you that we had quite an amazing adventure.

The Breakdown:

• $26.00 per puff
• Same artistic, girly packaging we all love from Benefit

Tips:

• To be a little extra coy, puff a little shimmer into your hair, not only will it help keep your hair from getting oily during the night, but it will also glint off the sun as it rises in the morning and you’re still out partying.