Urban Decay 24/7 Swatches

So right now, beauty mavens are in a shopping tizzy, thanks to Sephora’s Friends and Family sale: through November 2nd use code FF2009 for 20% off. Which is pretty freaking sweet (unless you have no money), but then Urban Decay dropped this little bombshell on twitter:



UD Friends and Family sale? Oh hell yes sign me up for THAT, especially since traditionally it is 30% off.

To prepare you all for this wondrous occasion, I decided to swatch the hell out of my UD 24/7 liners. I’ve accumulated quite a few of the liners since their launch and they are the bee’s knees. They are creamy and smooooooth upon application, making them perfect for lining. However, since they have such a wide range of shades with incredible color payoff, I have used them to make complete eye looks. Even better, once they set, they stay put even without the inclusion of the cult favorite Primer Potion. Now onto the swatches!

First and foremost the new super-stash gift set is crazy awesome and was the motivation behind this post. It contains nine 24/7 liners, with four shades exclusive to the set: Oil Slick (sparkly black), Corrupt (rich brown shimmer), Binge (navy shimmer), El Dorado (bright gold). It also contains five shades from the current line: Zero (black), Rockstar (deep eggplant shimmer), Stash (dark olive green shimmer), Ransom (bright purple shimmer w/ slight blue flash), Graffiti (bright grass green w/ silver sparkles).



1st row: Ransom, Rockstar, Binge, 2nd row: Corrupt, Zero, Oil Slick, 3rd row: Graffiti, Stash, El Dorado

My two complaints: the pencils are bite-sized, they are two thirds the size of the other gift set liners. I have already fallen in love with Oil Slick and El Dorado, and I expect to love Binge and Corrupt and this set is the only way they are available. This brings me to my second point: UD has given no indication that the exclusive shades will become part of the permanent line. However if the exclusive shades from the Book(s) of Shadows are any indication, they won’t be made permanent and that’s a shame.

With that out of the way, here are the rest of my 24/7 swatches, including comparison swatches of various shades.


Top row: Gunmetal (great for a fast smoky eye), Ransom
Bottom row: Yeyo, 1999 (looks so amazing with brown eyes)


Top row: Lucky (bright, brilliant copper, so perfect!), Covet
Bottom row: Baked, Electric (out of this world bright, the swatch is a little washed out)

Comparisons:


Oil Slick above Zero, Ransom (looking more blue than it actually is) above Lust, Rockstar above 1999


Graffiti above Covet, Corrupt above Bourbon, El Dorado above Baked.
Corrupt has a gold shimmer and is darker, while Bourbon is warmer and has a gold sparkle. Baked is bronze and El Dorado is gold, but I don’t have Honey to make a comparison.

So, there you have a rather exhaustive bit of swatching. I have quite a few UD eyeshadows (including a number of pallets and both Books of Shadows) so I suppose I could do that next if anyone is interested.

Love and cupcakes,
Ms Meghan

An Ode to Liquid Liner Pens

I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off, but I have a couple of post ideas stewing, and I plan to make more regular appearances around these parts.

Liquid liner is a fairly classic cosmetic item. It is classically striking, giving the wearer a solid line and shape to define and attract attention. It is also classically difficult to work with, requiring a steady hand and endless patience. And yet to me, there's nothing quite as striking as a classic cat eye, and nothing as satisfying as doing it yourself.

Enter liquid liner pens.

This particular cosmetic item can be hard to find, and upon discovery, quite finicky. It doesn't provide the pigmentation of a standard liquid liner, but the fact that it is essentially a felt-tip pen means that it is much easier to use/handle.

And today, mostly by accident I have found the most perfect use for it.


(click for larger)

That's my eye make-up from today, kept it simple in the searing heat. UD Yeyo 24/7 liner smudged around the eyes. I wanted to add a little definition, so I lined right against the upper lash line with the Stila black liner pen, curled my lashes and laid on the L'Oreal Telescopic Clean Definition mascara. Besides the fact that the L'Oreal mascara is amazing, the liner adds just enough definition without being too much for a casual look and manages to extend the lashline. By these powers combined, I look like I'm wearing false lashes, and bigger is better when you are wearing glasses all the time.

There are a few liner pens on the market but my experience is with the following:
Cover Girl Line Exact

I like this pen but it's got super weak pigmentation and it doesn't layer over itself well at all.

Stila Liner Pen

What I currently use. It doesn't have the pigmentation of a liquid liner but sometimes you want something more subtle.

I would like to try this with a pale shimmer on the lid (UD Snow, Sin, or Sellout) and dramatic lips, but it works just as well for a very casual look.

Lorac, Sephora and Kat Von D by Sephora also have liner pens out. I'm hesitant to try anything Sephora brand as I just had a bad reaction to their lip gloss, however the Lorac looks really nice.

Nail Polish, blues and greens

So I've decided to post some polish swatches, everything is 2 coats + base and top coat.


OPI Russian Navy. Deep navy blue shimmer with pink/red sparkle. It's okay, but nothing I would write home about. It's hard not to love a dark blue shimmer though, I think it might be ingrained in my dna.


OPI Blue My Mind. It's a little too primary, I was looking for a dupe of a wet n' wild shade I used to have. It was a bright navy shimmer, and all I need with it is some red lipstick and bangs and BOOM it's 1996 again. I used the opi ridge filler with this and I think that's what caused the bubbling.


OPI Yoga-ta Get This Blue. Navy shimmer with blue sparkle. Really wonderful blue, better than Russian Navy. I need to re-swatch this because this pic is terrible.


China Glaze Sky-High Tops from the Custom Kicks collection. I really love this color, and I didn't think I would. It's a beautiful shimmery blue. Forgive the chips and tip wear, that was after at least 5 days of wear.


Misa The Grass is Greener on My Side. How fun is that name? So much sass. And the color lives up to the name, it's a gorgeous deep green/teal shimmer. Forgive the visible polish lines it was SO HUMID when I did the mani. Despite giving them drying drops and 20+ minutes to dry, I still smudged my thumb so bad I had to re-do it.

I have ~12+ nail polishes to swatch that I haven't even worn yet, let alone what I own that I haven't swatched. And the 8 bottles of Zoya polish on their way (including the MatteVelvets!!!). And I'm eyeing a few more bottles of CG, Color Club and Misa. It's a terrible addiction.

Things I am into Lately

Version 2.22.09

Nail Polish
Currently:

Sephora by OPI in Skinny Jeans.

I unabashedly paint my nails every week. I consider it therapeutic and a worthwhile endeavor. I might start documenting it for posterity. For the record I went out thursday night and my nails perfectly matched my drink. I just wished the drink was as good as it looked.

Music:
CELLOS

Zoe Keating, read the Coilhouse post here which introduced me to her awesomeness and NPR's unusual lack of awesomeness.

Purchase here or just do what I did and go to itunes. I heard one of the Bach suites in a trailer for The Soloist and remembered that I loved them.

The Amelie soundtrack is more accordian than cello but it is equally delightful for any fan of the movie.

Food cravings:
Tacos (even though I just had them [as leftovers] for lunch)
Sweet Cupcakes. Best cuppies ever.
A fresh, ripe, summer peach.
Bootlegger Iced Tea: Skyy Citrus Vodka, Iced Tea, Lemon, Sugared Rim. It's a little sweet, a little tart, a little boozy but super refreshing, even in February. Swilled at Rick's Roadhouse. I'm not a total lush though, really I'm just craving lemon iced tea and the kind of weather where I can really enjoy it.

Books:

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. Young adult fantasy novel, but I have been totally sucked in ... recommended if you enjoy Holly Black's YA books and OH SNAP there's a blink and you'll miss it cameo with 2 of her characters.

Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky. A fascinating historical/through the ages look at something I probably overuse.

100 Cupboards by ND Wilson. An overprotected boy named Henry goes to live with his aunt and uncle when his travel writer parents are kidnapped. He finds cupboards in the wall of his attic bedroom. RIYL: Coraline.

When I Grow Up: A Memoir by Juliana Hatfield. I was really excited to read this book, and I thought it was a thoughtful, insightful examination of her life as a musician, woman, person growing up, etc. Also I am a huge nerd for 90's music. Recommended if you enjoy dancing around your bedroom to Blake Babies, Veruca Salt and Letters to Cleo.

I just thought I would share since clearly I'm not so good with the whole blogging thing.

Resolutions, and salad ...

So many people make resolutions for the new year. Quit smoking. Quit sugar (the horror!), lose weight ...

I’m not alone in those resolutions. I hate that word though, I prefer to think about improving my life, and trust me, there are a lot of improvements to be made. But to discuss that would surely bore you.

One thing I am trying to do is be more mindful of how/what I eat. I don’t like “diets” as some drastic, strict forced way of looking at food. Eating should be a joy first and foremost. But in addition to eating more mindfully I am also trying to eat more vegetables, because I simply don’t eat enough. How embarrassing!

So, I buy salad fixins (as I refer to them on my shopping list) and make a big batch of salad, keeping it on hand for munching. The mix is always the same, baby greens, sliced English cucumber, yellow and orange pepper and scallions. It is my favorite salad, and it doubles as sandwich/wrap filler as well.



But, I am very finicky about dressing and will rarely purchase dressing from the store. It’s too expensive and I can surely make something just as good if not better at home. So I did.



Shallot Thyme Vinaigrette.
Sherry Vinegar: Olive Oil in whatever your preferred ratio is, whether it’s 1:2 or 1:3.
Chopped fresh thyme (dried thyme is too poky for me)
1-2 minced small shallots
Dijon mustard (for emulsifying)
Salt and pepper.

This is definitely a “to taste” recipe, as I didn’t measure a thing. But it made a lot of salad dressing and it was/is really good. Also I had way more shallots when I made it then I thought so I ended up making A LOT. But it’s all good, since it means I’ll be eating a lot of salad. :)

I should also add that I'm resolving to post in here more, rather than allowing it to rot away in the dark corners of the internet. We'll see how successful that is.

EW counts down celebrity blogs . . .

Check it out here

Honestly, what stood out for me was the verdict on Meredith Viera's:
Bland but friendly, Vieira's blog is the perfect vehicle to reach her fan base. Or more specifically: If this blog wore pants, they'd be mom jeans.

I never want to be the kind of blog where if it wore pants, they would be mom jeans. If that happens, it may be time to take me out back and put me out of my misery. But the same can be said if I ever use the word "tablescape."

Points of interest:
1. New color scheme. I don't know if I like it or not, but I like it better than the old color scheme.
2. Real blog posting schedule commences next week.

a little something to tide you over . . .

This morning I felt like it was impossible to get out of bed. Maybe if I had some raisin brahms to motivate me . . .


or perhaps van goghgurt?


I love the Ad Council.

it's oh so quiet . . .

Where did the summer go? I'm not really sure. I've managed to be stone silent on here which is unfortunate. I'm going to do some plotting and planning and overhauling. I'm not really in love with the color scheme at the moment, so it's back to the drawing board.

food: tomatoes, stone fruit, burgers, popcorn
beverage: water. and more water.
scent: kenzo amour, stella by stella mccartney
book: My Mistress's Sparrow is Dead edited by Jeffrey Eugenides. An interesting collection of love stories. I think it's a nice mix, well worth checking out.
music: podcasts: NPR Books, Food, and Pop Culture. iFanboy pick of the week. I am a giant nerd. I also listen to KDFC, the San Francisco classical station.

That's all I've got. I'll be back soon. I mean it this time.

sicky mcinfectedpants

I am working on a recipe/review post. But I seem to have caught a spring bug and feel . . . well, like crap. Hence, Sicky McInfectedpants.



That is my mom's homemade chicken stock. I put it in a white mug just so you could see the rich color of it. Awesome huh? I drank a whole lot of it.

So lots of fluid, a little medicine and I'll be back soon.

Beautiful Bones

This is a post for Susan over at Food Blogga and her Beautiful Bones event. The purpose is to raise awareness about osteoporosis as May is National Osteoporosis Month, so she asked for calcium rich recipes. I really love Susan’s recipes, and the fact that she is a native Rhode Islander is near and dear to my heart.

I chose to do a French bread pizza for a couple of reasons. It’s incredibly versatile, but this also means that it is easy to make with calcium-full ingredients and on top of that it is delicious. Plus I saw Rachel Ray make a version of French bread pizza which was gross sounding and a not-even-hot mess; I’ve been making this for years, and mine is much better if I do say so myself. Not to mention it’s mild and delicious enough to serve to kids, if they are okay with the veggies.


French Bread Pizza
Serves 2
Bone-friendly ingredients: broccoli, garlic, mozzarella cheese, parmigiano reggiano cheese, tomatoes.

1 half-length baguette cut in half lengthwise
1 tbs olive oil
¼ tsp. salt
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 plum tomatoes de-seeded and chopped
½ cup broccoli broken down into small pieces
1 orange pepper, roasted, de-skinned and chopped
10 basil leaves chiffonaded
2 tsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
¾ ball of mozzarella
4 tsp grated parmigiano reggiano

1. Scoop out the excess bread from the baguette, discard, feed to the birds or yourself, or save it for breadcrumbs if you’re feeling industrious. Toast the halves in a 250°F oven until just toasted. You don’t want them to get darker, just drier. Time will vary depending on the kind of bread you’re using, as all baguettes are not created equal.
2. Mix together the herbs, vegetables (minus the shallots and garlic), and half the parmigiano.
3. Sauté the shallots in oil with the salt until golden in color. Grate in the garlic and cook for another minute, and add to the vegetable mixture.
4. Slice off enough thin slices of mozzarella to cover the length of the bread & mixture and put that aside. You want at least ¼-½ cup of mozzarella to dice and mix in with the filling, so dice and mix, add more or less to taste.
5. Assemble your pizza: pack the filling into the baguette, tamping down as needed. When it is filled, top with the mozzarella and sprinkle with the reserved parmigiano.
6. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet (easy clean-up) into a 350°F oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese is just beginning to turn golden brown.
7. Cut in half, sprinkle with salt and pepper, crushed red pepper flakes or just leave them plain. These are delicious just as they are!

Alternate shots:

Filling, pre-pizza:


I did a more visual recipe outline, and I thought it was funny so I’m sharing it:


This is my first recipe post and my first event participation. I hope if you’re checking this out that you enjoyed. :)