Fabulous or Not?

Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder

When it comes to achieving a sun-kissed glow (I know that's a huge cliche but is there anything better-sounding than 'sun-kissed?' I mean aside from 'three-day-weekend?''), I have tried a lot of products. In an effort to be less indulgent regarding makeup, I  recently purchased Sephora's own ($16) Duo Bronzer.

As you can see, it has two sides- one light and one dark. At first I mixed the two, aiming to create a natural-looking color. After a few weeks, I noticed myself favoring the dark side (ha) of the compact. Then I dropped the damn thing on the floor of my bathroom- CRACK! The lid snapped clear off.  I don't expect little compacts to survive treacherous falls, however this one had little chance sliding into a sink, let alone clattering to the floor three feet below. 

Because I am cheap, I continued to use the compact. The dark side grew scarcer and scarcer. I knew I'd never use the light side. The more I used this guy, the more I noticed the heavy sparkle-y-ness of the product and, if there is one thing I hate almost as much as blue eye shadow? It's sparkly makeup of any kind. 

I began to look elsewhere for a bronzer that would have a more matte finish, a finer powder. And preferably a lid. 

I tried a few of Benefit's Boxed Powders collection with decent results. The packagingof their Hoola bronzer ($28) is just adorable and the tiny white-bristled brush fits perfectly into the little square pot of powder. The brush would be perfect if you were applying it to a tiny square doll and not a full-sozed human face. The super-small size and vaguely peachy  color were the worst parts.  There was also a hint of sparkle, which I was trying to avoid. I returned it via Sephora's kick-ass return policy and searched on. 

I used Wet 'N Wild's Bronzzers for years before moving home to D.C. They rocked my socks at $4 per compact but they also fell apart in purses, lasted about 30 minutes and truly? Looked completely unnatural. I think I still may have a few under my sink someplace and in a pinch, I wouldn't be above dusting some over my nose, it's just when given options, I'd choose something else. But at this point, what?!

Last weekend I think I discovered *the perfect* bronzing powder. It's packaging is sturdy and the style is the Paul Mitchell of makeup design, Bobbi Brown. Inside the powder is fine without being dusty and feels smooth and light on my face. The color, "Natural," is gorgeous, just enough to let my freckles show through and just bright enough to make me feel, pardon the term, sunkissed, at last. 

Bobbi Brown's Bronzing Powder in Natural is Fabulous at $33. 

Hendrick's Gin: Cures What Ails You

Before you think that Stacy asked a Senior Citizen to write reviews here, let me assure you: Hendrick's is not your Grandma's Gin. First, it's exquisite packaging:

The website deserves praise, too; with it's classic pencil drawings and modern lines, it blends the classic booze of parlors with a current, modern feel. The music is kind of a nightmare but that's just a personal taste thing. I don't dig websites with noise.

I first tasted Hendrick's last summer at Tallula's Eat Bar in Arlington, whose small but adorable cocktail menu features a drink called "Gnome's Water," which used Hendrick's, lavender, cucumber, mint and soda. Right away I knew this was different. It is by far the smoothest and least abrasive gin I have ever tasted. Months later a bartender at Gordon Biersch recommended it over ice and cucumbers and that sealed the deal; a gin smooth and refreshing enough to drink essentially straight? This is not the gin to which I had been accustomed.

Summer is coming (please let it be coming) and Gin and Tonics will again be on rotation. See if your local bar has started stocking Hendrick's and order it up with Tonic or, if you're brave, over ice and cucumber. You will not be sorry. Hendricks is fabulous.

Confessions of a Misguided Mascara Maven

I love mascara. If we were in 3rd grade and you were an asshole, you would ask me how come, if I loved it so much, why don't I just marry it? And I would tell the teacher on you because I was a total asshole, too. Plus that is a really stupid thing to ask me.

I was introduced to Lancome Definicils several years ago and with the exception of a few trials, I have stayed pretty loyal. The consistency is thin and easy to work with, the brush comes in both a round and straight wand. It lasts a long time without getting thick or clumpy. It's not cheap at $24 but it does stay put for most of the day (I reapply it to my ends if going out at night) and does not smear. Like ever.
All this being said, I also love the "Best of" displays at Sephora stores which display all the best-sellers of each kind of makeup/skin care: Best Bronzer, Best Eyeliner, Best Mascara, etc. I was intrigued over the summer when I saw Dior's sleek "DiorSHOW" had been chosen as a 'best of.' My sister had been singing it's praises for a couple weeks before I bit the bullet and bought it. The applicator brush was too cool to resist.
Once I got the stuff home, I was underwhelmed with the results. The mascara itself felt thick and when a bit touched my cheek, it was really hard to wipe off. 

I wrote about these very misadventures over at SF but now I see the error of my ways.

Fast forward to a weekend in late February when I was at a makeup counter and heard a makeup artist say to a customer, "You want to get the mascara as close the base of the lashes as possible, this will thicken the look of your lashes."

I had never heard that before. Later I read this blog post by the lovely Rebecca Wolf wherein she hooked us up with a tutorial via youtube on how she creates the gorgeous eyemakeup we see on her all the time. I had never known there could be other ways to apply mascara/liner but there are. I took note and tried out the techniques and do you know what? The DiorSHOW Iconic looked absolutely amazing when I made sure to apply it all the way to the base and ends of my lashes. It was like a totally new product.

I even took the plunge and bought some liquid liner- details on that adventure coming soon.