Eyebrow Woes

Well I got my eyebrows tattooed for the third time in my life.

The first time, I was around 16 - I didn't ask my mom to get them tatt'ed, it was more like she took me for a trip to Flushing and surprise!  You're getting a tattoo!  I think she was over my over-plucked brows.  I was trying to emulate Kate Moss and keep up with the trend of the times but clearly Lisa Kim is no Kate Moss.

Anyway that first time was horrific for a few days because I looked like Groucho Marx with brows that looked like they had been drawn on with a black Sharpie.  But once the dead, scabby skin peeled off - I was a new girl and I suddenly had new natural-looking brows that I didn't have to fuss with!!!!

I did this for a second time in college because they had faded by then. My mom took me to the same place and the results were fantastic.

I'm now 33 and after about 5 years of penciling in my non-existent brows (because they'd faded again), I finally went in and got them tattooed again.

This time I went to a woman in NJ - she gave me a color that was "tawny" - which, now that the scabs have fallen off, I now realize is a reddish brown (!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I look ridiculous and my brows look fake.  Luckily, this woman I saw includes two brow sessions in her cost, so I'll just go back and have her give me a more dark brown/black color.

I have so much hair on my head, what the heck happened to my brows?!

-Lisa

(Pink) Mani Monday

Woops, it's TUESDAY!!!
But for the sake of this post let's just pretend it's Monday because "Mani Monday" sounds better than "Mani Tuesday" :)

Anyway here are my digits - I painted them on Saturday ... on such a gloomy day I needed a bright pink pick-me-up!  It's a Revlon polish (who knew they were so great?) topped with a seriously shiny Seche Vite top coat.

PS do you dig my skirt because I do!  I got it for $17 at Forever21 the other day.  I always feel so old walking into that store but you can't beat their prices.  I used to hate going to the Forever21 in Union Sq because it was always a messy mad house but the ones in Jersey are blissfully  clean and well organized!!!
-Lisa

Foundation Friday

I admit, I have enough foundation to last me a lifetime and beyond.  Gone are the days where I would stick with one foundation until I use it up.  I currently rotate between several different ones depending on the finish or coverage I want.  Now that summer is approaching, I will be using long lasting, waterproof/sweatproof foundations.  A long time favorite of mine is Revlon Colorstay liquid make up for oily/combination skin  in Golden Beige.  I have been using this stuff for 10 years! and it is the only drugstore, full coverage foundation that I love.  I apply with my fingers if I am rushing, which usually gives me a medium coverage or a flat top kabuki brush for fuller coverage.  Lasts all day and dries to a matte finish!

Another one I like is MAC Pro Longwear Foundation in NC 35 with MAC Pro Longwear concealer in NW20, which i use under my eyes.  If I am less tan, I mix a little bit of the concealer with the foundation to lighten it up and neutralizer.  I also use a dense brush for this stuff, which lasts forever through a sweaty, humid day.  I set it with a light dusting of MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Medium Plus.  It seriously does not come off unless I use an oil based cleanser.
-Lori

Fave Fragrances

I just saw a Lancome ad for a perfume which made me think of their Tresor perfume which always reminds me of my aunt.  Every time I walk by the Lancome counter and by the Tresor bottles I'm immediately reminded of her, because it was what she always wore growing up.  It was her signature scent.

Growing up I always thought of my aunt as so glamorous - she was so chic to me and always so put together so of course I equate Tresor with glamour.

My mom - equally as glamorous but in a more effortless kind of way - had a   signature perfume which was Estee Lauder's Pleasures.  This is my mom -- one whiff of this and I'm brought back to our house on Long Island and my parents' huge bathroom where I'd dig through my mom's makeup and experiment with her lipsticks.

I don't know if I have a signature scent - I have been wearing Jo Malone's Nectarine Blossom & Honey forever though, at least since my early Razorfishy days so I'd say at least for seven years.  WOW.  Anyway it smells delicious and fruity in a subtle way. JD loves it and hates when I experiment with other perfumes... every time I spritz on my Jo Malone he'll say "you smell like Liser!"

So I was pretty loyal to that Jo Malone bottle for a long long time, until I discovered Elie Tahari's "Le Parfum" This scent couldn't be more different than the Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey.  It's muskier, and has a more grown-up scent (JD says I smell like old lady).  It's more of a wintery/fall scent though.  It's heavy and intense so I use it sparingly.

My more recent perfume discovery is Trish McEvoy's No 9 Blackberry & Vanilla Musk It was love at first spritz.  I sprayed it on once and couldn't stop sniffing my wrists, and even asked JD and his mom what they thought.  Both approved so I took the plunge and bought a mini bottle of this.  Well what do you know I go home spray it on and JD is all "blech!" about the perfume.  What a fickle nose he has.  I still love it.  It is fruity - but strong and almost would be too sweet if not for the vanilla I guess.

A while ago I smelled an AMAZING scent -- it was a Bond No 9 scent but they have a million different ones and every time I'm at a counter I go through every bottle hoping to find the one I smelled those many years ago.  Haven't found it yet!  I kick myself for not buying it that one time I smelled it.  If any of you guys have tried Bond No 9 let me know which ones you love :)

-Lisa

Mascara Monday: Trish McEvoy

Another Monday!  And JD's birthday!!! I am so blessed to have this man in my life.  He is so good to my parents, and his genuine love and concern for them means so much to me ... I was moved to tears yesterday over hearing him on the phone with his mom, trying to figure something out for my dad ... he didn't have to, and I didn't ask him to, he just thought to do it, and was so helpful as he always is.  I am so, so lucky!!

But on to the makeup.

I ALMOST FORGOT about my Trish McEvoy goodies.  About a month ago I went to a Trish McEvoy event at Henri Bendel and received a nifty little makeup "planner" - just like this one on the right.

It came with a non-smudging eye shadow (it is amazing), eye liner, some highlighter, bronzer, liquid blush, and a seriously soft bristled blush brush.  Oh, there was a concealer and eye primer in there, too.  And of course, mascara!





The makeup artist said this Trish McEvoy mascara is smudge-proof and will not result in racoon eyes.  It's 2pm now and I just checked the mirror, all good in the under eye area!! Not a smidgen of smudge :)

What it does not do however is hold the curl.  I curl my lashes with Shu Uemura's lash curler and my lashes are back to being straight.  oh well.  The Lancome Hypnose - it's a miracle worker, my lashes stay curled all day when I use that mascara!

-Lisa

Foundation Friday, Foundation Fails

Happy Friday friends!!!

So today I'll just touch on some foundation fails.  Here we go!

• Lancome Teint Idole - I tried this because I will admit I am Princess Kate obsessed and I read somewhere that this is the foundation she uses. So, I channeled my inner Princess when trying this but alas it didn't look great on me; I have combination skin (I know, shocker because I often scare myself when looking at the mirror seeing how shiny I am) and this foundation made my skin look flaky.  I returned it.  BUT I must just be the exception because I think JD's mom wears this and it looks AMAZING on her ..so very natural.  Must just be my skin type?
• Chanel Vitalumiere - this got so many great reviews but it had the same effect on my skin as the Lancome did ... it accentuated my dry patches, so I had to return this (but not before plopping some more dinero on some blush and lipstick!)

So after experimenting with the above I turned back to my beloved Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer.

It's the best and looks so natural, like you don't even have makeup on.  LOVE IT.

In other news what's everyone up to this weekend?  Happy Mother's Day to all moms!!

We are having a mother's day lunch @ Danny's apt on the UES ... which means I'll probably have to navigate my way to the Lululemon up there (my latest bank-breaking obession).

I don't have any makeup pics but here's one of me & my mom after making cheesecake (yum)

-Lisa

Yay for Mascara Mondays!
As a former mascara junkie and one who has tried multiple brands in the past, I have to say in the past two years, I finally settled on one drugstore fave that will be my staple product for life. Surprisingly, it doesn't get written up that much, and I'm terrified that the lack of fanfare will cause its ultimate demise and discontinuation.

L'oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara retails for around $11-$13 dollars.  Not cheap by drugstore standards, but cheaper than other "tube" mascaras that can be found at Sephora's (Blinc, Fiberwig).

The product is double ended with a primer and a mascara that creates encases your lashes in tiny tubes. What I love about this product is that it is virtually smearproof, smudge proof, and water resistant.

Traditionally mascaras, even waterproof ones, have pigments that end up on my lower eye lid throughout the day. I blame my hooded eyelids which increases smudging and creasing of any eye make up.

However, I have never had problems with the Double Extend mascara.  It stays put and whatever is on my lashes stay on my lashes.  I even wore it throughout my hot, humid Hawaiian vacation!

Removal is super easy. You just rub your lashes between wet fingers and voila! The mascara comes off in tiny pieces with out dissolving into a goopy mess.

It's Mascara Monday!

If you can't already tell, Lori and I have a fondness for alliteration.
Monday and Friday were easy to match up .. M for mascara and F for foundation.
What about the other days?

• Tooth whitening Tuesdays?
• Wet n Wild Wednesdays? (remember Wet n Wild @ the local drugstore??)
• Thickening Spray for hair Thursdays?

Anyone anyone?

In the meantime let's move on to the topic of this post which is MASCARA!

Not sure about you ladies but I was not blessed with lengthy or thick luscious lashes.

Mine are sparse and thin, so I need all the help I can get in the lash area.

Of all the various makeup types I've probably experimented most with mascara because it's cheap, and I go through them pretty quickly since I rarely go a day without swiping some on.

For me a good mascara is one that doesn't smudge under or around my eyes.  For some reason I am plagued with this problem and as a result I carry around Q-tips and a sample-sized makeup remover for when I'm rocking racoon eyes.

Here's what I'm using now - "They're Real" by Benefit and "Hypnose Drama Waterproof" by Lancome. I've been using the Benefit one only because it came in my Birchbox and I want to just be done with it!  It's not terrible because the smudgefactor is low but it's not great because by lunch I see traces of black along my lower lash line.

LANCOME however is my favorite and I will always be loyal to their mascara.  I used to always buy their Definicils but decided to try their Hypnose Drama Waterproof mascara ... the wand is all crazy-shaped but I love it, it gives me that VA VA VOOM ;)

One of these days I'll try eyelash extensions ... has anyone tried????

-Lisa

Foundation Friday!

Happy Friday!  This week flew by.

So Lori and I have decided Fridays will be Foundation Fridays - all about any foundations we're loving, trying, disliking ...

I haven't been using foundation as much and been covering up w/ concealer here and there, with a dusting of bronzer, blush and this new Hourglass Dim Light powder I bought, but when I DO use foundation (usually when going out) this is what I use, in order of frequency:

1. Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer - I love this and always re-buy whenever I'm running low. It's my 3-in-1 product: it is SO lightweight but still helps even out my face, has SPF 20 and really is moisturizing for my combination skin.  I wear it in the shade nude
2. Giorgio Armani Face Fabric - I use this sparingly and on special occasions because it's so expensive and I love it.  It feels like mousse.  It gives you that no-makeup makeup look.  It absorbs so well into the skin!  It's light but like the Laura Mercier above, still helps even out my skin tone (I have red patches here and there)
3. Laura Mercier Mineral Powder - I've had this for a couple of years and I'm just trying to go through it and finish it.  I don't think I'd re-buy this, because I love the LM tinted moisturizer & Giorgio Armani so much.  This powder feels heavy on my face and gives that cake-y look ... I only use this when I'm having a skin emergency 

What are your fave foundations?? YVETTE please tell us about that Dior airbrush!

-Lisa

Another Birthday, Another Year of Fighting Wrinkles!

Happy birthday to us!
Another year, another year of battling these pesty wrinkles!

I have been wearing sunscreen daily since my early teens, so I'd like to say my anti-aging efforts started early on.  However, as the years pass on by, the list of concerns grows longer.  Fine lines, age spots, dark circles... For wrinkles and fine lines, I have used La Roche Posay Redermic, a retinol treatment.  Honestly, I don't have deep wrinkles and few fine lines, so I wouldn't know if it will help with those.  But I guess if they don't develop, than its working! And the retinol should help with acne which I still get unfortunately. Le sigh.

Another product that I have been reaching for is Caudalie's Vinoperfect Radiance Serum.  It's great for fading the acne scars I have, and I barely have any sun spots thanks to this lovely serum.  I use once a day under my make up and every other night when I am not using La Roche Posay Redermic.  Maybe later on, when wrinkles become more of a problem, I will use the retinol nightly. For now, even skin tone is my concern, and Vinoperfect has addressed that quite nicely.    
-Lori

Okay, my turn!  This is what my medicine cabinet looks like:

From left to right:

• Lancome Multiple Action eye cream sample (haven't tried yet)
• Estee Lauder's Resilience eye cream sample (it's alright, but not as moisturizing as I'd hoped it would be for the under eye area .. so if you're dry then this may not be for you)
• Estee Lauder Resilience day cream for face (it's OK, I think I like Shisheido better and will probably go back to buying their day cream once I'm done with this)
• Estee Lauder Advanced -something eye cream  (trying to go through the Resilience eye cream sample first before I get to this)
• and finally, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum which I LOVE.  LOVE LOVE LOVE.  This is my 2nd bottle.  It's $$ but worth it; face looks great the morning after

That is a lot of Estee Lauder! Maybe it's from always watching my mom lather on all her Estee Lauder makeup and creams growing up.
-Lisa