Welcome to This Week in ALU Pol-history a series where I transport you a la Mr. Peabody’s WABAC (wayback) Machine to check out my favorite past polish posts. Newbies and old school Fanatics, take a look and see what you’ve missed!
October 2008
I was bowled over by the release of two amazing GREENS from Sally Hansen.
I introduced the “As Amazing As Polish” series with my mascara obsession, Estee Lauder Turbo Lash. It’s still my #1 mascara.
I shared my theory about Smoky Nails replacing the Smoky Eye for fall.
October 2007
The Essie Winter 2007 collection debuted including charcoal stunner Over The Top.
I offered my tips for preventing air bubbles in polish.
OPI’s Holiday in Hollywood collection introduced me to one of my fave pale shades, Hollywood Blonde.
I hope you’ve all had a lovely weekend and that those of you who celebrate Halloween had fun dressing up and decorating your nails. The biggest effort I make on Halloween is a themed manicure and passing out candy to the kids.
I do love that we have an abundance of tots in the under 7 age group. They’re so darn cute in their costumes it almost (ALMOST) makes me want one of my own. The moment is fleeting at best. The Boyfriend institutes the candy distribution rules and the cuter and younger you are, the more he hands out. He’s a sucker for the little ones that can barely squeak out “trick or treat.”
I was going to share my Halloween manicure with you but it went south before Trick-or-Treat even began. I applied the orange from StrangeBeautiful Vol 1 (my order from LuckyScent just came in) and added a layer of China Glaze Ghoulish GLOW on top. I’ve been wanting to try glow-in-the-dark nails and is there ever a better time? Well, Ghoulish GLOW was a major fail for me. It took forever to dry so I ended up with dents, marks and whatnot AND it didn’t even glow! Color me disappointed.
I hope your Halloween manis turned out better than mine. Share what you did or just your current NOTD (Nails of the Day) in the comments!
 It’s time for another installment of As Amazing As Polish, my opportunity to gush about the products that I feel truly are as AH-MAZING as nail polish.
Lip gloss junkies you must, MUST, get yourself a Pocket Rocket! OK that sounds dirty. I’m talking lip gloss here people! Get your minds out of the gutter (cuz you’re crowding me out). One of my fave makeup brands Urban Decay introduced Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss last spring and I’m loving it! I seriously can’t get enough of this stuff. See why after the jump! |
 What is truly genius about the Pocket Rocket is the packaging. It’s clever, fun and totally unique. Each one features a hot guy on the cap who undresses down to his skivvies at the right angle AND the tube is flat to fit in your pocket with no unsightly bulge.
Now I don’t know about you girls but when I go out I hate carrying a purse. I’m a lover of big purses and hauling one around on a night out is a PITA so I’m a strict M.I.L.K. (money, ID, lippie, keys) carrier. The shape of the Pocket Rocket is ideal for that. It’s longer than most glosses but the flat design and smooth casing make it easy to stash in the front or back pocket of your jeans. |
Even better than the exterior is the yummy gloss inside. I picked up David a few weeks back at my local ULTA and have been wearing it everyday since. If you’re looking for a fab non-sticky gloss, you’ve found it! Smooth and silky, it glides on with ease.
Even though I was intimidated by the deep mauve color in the the tube, on my lips it’s just sheer enough to not be overwhelming. It’s just pretty and girly. Very much my ideal hue. Oh and the scent, I can’t get over the scent. It smells like Golden Grahams, one of my fave cereals ever. Delish!
You can get your own Pocket Rocket for $19/ea online at UrbanDecay.com, Sephora.com
and Beauty.com or in stores like ULTA and Sephora.
Who’s a UD fan? Anyone else swooing over the Pocket Rocket? Sound off!
It’s time for another installment of As Amazing As Polish, my opportunity to gush about the products that I feel truly are as AH-MAZING as nail polish. Aveda’s Smooth Infusion Style Prep Smoother certainly belongs in that category.
As you know from my AAAP post about New York Streets, my beauty junkie tendencies go way beyond nails with hair being my next great obsession. And for as long as I can remember, I’ve been an Aveda devotee. When my stylist from childhood moved to an Aveda concept salon, it changed my hair’s lifestyle. I immediately switched everything in my routine to the point that my product drawer looked like I had robbed the salon.
When I first started with Aveda, I was all about the Clove line and Cherry Almond Bark Deep Conditioner. I lived for them. Though at some point in my early 20s I developed a sensitive scalp that can’t tolerate their shampoos without getting itchy. Color me sad.
Over time I’ve tried Damage Control, Anti-Humectant Pomade, Brilliant Emollient Gloss, Light Elements Smoothing Fluid, Hang Straight, Be Curly, Brilliant Universal Styling Creme, Volumizing Tonic, you get the picture. Needless to say, my love affair with Aveda is deep and real.
After years of playing, mixing and testing I finally found a perfect concoction for my everyday straight, round brushed look. A bit of Elixir Leave-on Conditioner combined with Brilliant Emollient Gloss and Anti-Humectant Pomade to tame any frizzies or flyaways. So you can imagine my horror and bitterness when I learned last year that my beloved Elixir was being taken away. Apparently us Midwesterners were the only ones that understood its merits and that wasn’t enough for Aveda to keep putting it out. Boo on that! Or so I thought. Then, last year at a Fashion Week dinner hosted by Aveda, I was introduced to my new BFF, Smooth Infusion Style Prep Smoother.
Kids, this product is IT! I honestly don’t know what I did before it came into my life. For you fellow Aveda-philes imagine if Elixir and Hang Straight had a baby. Talk about the most perfect love child. Honestly, with the exception of a little bit of Ouidad/Kerastase leave-in to quench my dry ends, all I need is Style Prep and my hair is shiny, smooth and frizz free. My poor pomade has been sitting, untouched, ever since. I just hit the pump three times, emulsify it in my hands and rake through my strands before drying. And I love that the Smooth Infusion line’s lemony botanical scent lingers. Even after a long day, my locks still smell fresh.
I’m telling you if you have hair texture anything like mine, you know thick, coarse, slightly wavy, frizzes at the mere threat of humidity, you MUST MUST MUST give this product a whirl. If you go to an Aveda salon ask your stylist to use it on you or see if they can send you home with a small sample. Your hair will love you for it!
Aveda Smooth Infusion Style Prep Smoother retails for $24.00 for a 3.4 oz bottle and is available at Aveda salons, stores and online at Aveda.com
Welcome to This Week in ALU Pol-history a series where I transport you a la Mr. Peabody’s WABAC (wayback) Machine to check out my favorite past polish posts. Newbies and old school Fanatics, take a look and see what you’ve missed!
