Royal Blowout - My Guest Post for Miss Omni Media and A Look at My Busy Week

Hello there,
It's going to be a busy week for me, posting may be a bit sporadic - well compared to last week. So to get you by, here's my guest post for missomnimedia.com:

How did Oribe's pricey styling juice do on my course hair? Find out here.

I will spend the first part of the week interviewing for a new position at the current company I am working. I have spent six years as an admin - now, don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with that but I'm ready for new challenges, change and a larger pay check definitely does not hurt!

I did make sure my makeup was tame, my hair was neat, I removed old, chipped nail polish on my nails and yes, I did wear a suit. The only thing I refused to do was not wear any scent. I did make sure I wore something unoffensive like:

Notes:
Patchouli, Oak Moss, Bergamot, Pink Peppercorn and Jasmine

I was shocked when I got a whiff of this - I was expecting more of a heady floral, the kind that makes my head spin in a very bad way. This on the other hand, the opposite reaction. First whiff, it's fresh (from bergamot) then the patchouli kicks in and on my skin does it ever! It's not that hippy patchouli you find at head shops but a very chic yet earthy form of it. Not into patchouli? This scent may not be for you. Then a few minutes later, if you smell and pay attention there's a subtle scent that is reminiscent of leather. It's not as blatant as Kelly Caleche Hermes per se but it's there. My coworker sniffed me and she said I smelled spicy - there's the pink peppercorn.

I'm still training myself to detect it but I trust her since I didn't tell her that pink peppercorn is indeed in the mix. Well, I'm still learning and it's hard to train your nose when you are getting over bad sinus headaches.

So if I didn't get this new position, at least I smelled damn good!

Bottega Veneta - $95/1.7 oz
                           $130/2.5 oz

I was lucky enough to make myself a very generous sample - I love that samples are self-serve at Nordstrom now. At this rate, I won't have to buy a full bottle for a while!

Day 5 - Ignite

To make up for yesterday's cheat day, I bring you Illmasqua's Ignite (reddish orange):

This lipstick formula is described as matte but surprisingly there's a bit of a slip to it. However, it was still a bit dry on the lips. I added a layer of gloss to it - Dolce & Gabbana's Lip Gloss in Secret (sheer tangerine orange. After the lip gloss topping faded, the color endured for hours. The pigment gradually faded but I didn't have to reapply till after my lunch time spin class - six hours after initial application, around 6:50 AM.

Obligatory arm swatch:

I was inspired by Bobbi Brown's Spring Neons and Nudes 2012 collection with the look I decided to wear to the office.

With lips this bright, I really kept my eyes soft so they didn't conflict each other. However, I still felt a bit self-conscious with this type of intensity at the office this early in the morning.

I'm happy I survived this challenge, with just one small set back yesterday. I think I made up for it today with this lipstick. The one thing I really enjoyed with this challenge was only spending around five minutes doing my eye makeup.

I may have to convert to colorful lipsticks just so I can have an extra ten minutes of sleep. It's a fair trade-off, right?

Illmasqua Lipstick - $22/USD (bought at Sephora)
Dolce & Gabbana Lip Gloss - $29/USD (bought at Saks Fifth Ave)

Day 4 - Forever Yours

Confession - I think I cheated on my week long challenge today. I did my eye makeup just a touch bit darker than I intended and I just don't feel right rocking a smoky eye with a bold lip, well I don't feel right doing it for a day at the office. So to balance it out, I went with a lovely mauve-berry shade:

Edward Bess' Forever Yours Ultra Slick Lipstick:

It looks a bit dark in the tube but on my lips it almost registers as a nude, okay a nude with mauve tones.

And here it is on my arm (NC 42 for reference):

I love Edward Bess' lipsticks, I just wished it was easier to buy. I was lucky to buy this in person last time I was at Bergdorf Goodman in NYC, where I had the pleasure of getting my makeup done by Mr. Bess as a birthday treat, and now my only option is to buy this online or as a phone order via Neiman Marcus (Beverly Hills) or BG.

Maybe it is a good thing that EB cosmetics aren't easily available. Well it is for my bank account!

This lipstick has a great amount of slip and even though that this line of lipsticks are Ultra Slick, it's anything but that. It's got a great amount of pigment and it has a pretty good wear time, well depending on how many liquids you drink between applications. I also, love the fig scent.

So is this a darker nude shade? Did I cheat?

Technically, no but it does look like a darker nude shade that I would normally wear. Okay, a minor fail.

I'll make up for it tomorrow.

Edward Bess Ultra Slick Lipstick - $32

Day 3 - Glossy, Cherry Red

Since I've been wearing colors - light and dark - I have been taking full advantage that a statement lip require much little else on your face. Therefore, I have been sleeping in. Sometimes I lose count how many times I smack the snooze option on my cell phone.

I knew I wanted to wear a cherry, glossy red lip so I pulled out a new lip liner I recently purchased:

NYX Lipliner Pencil, #804 Cabaret, a lovely soft burgundy red. It goes on very smoothly and evenly. I just wished it was a longer pencil and longer wearing. Then again, for $3.99 you get what you pay for.

Here it is all by itself:

The gloss I knew this would pair well with - Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss, Fatale (blue cherry red with soft shimmer):

I originally reviewed Fatale here.

I very pleased with this pairing - it's very playful and flirty.

Perfect to keep my spirits light at a very busy, stressful day at work. I'm also trying to prep for my BIG interviews next week so this helps keep me smiling at my desk!

NYX Lipliner Pencil - $3.99 (purchased at Ulta)
Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss - $32 (purchased at Nordstrom Stonestown Galleria, SF)

Okay I did my three safe colors first - the last two days will be a challenge. Wish me luck!

Day 2 - Aubergine Lips

Aubergine....sounds so much nicer than eggplant lips, don't it?

Meet Train Bleu, NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

I know it's really dark.

It's pretty dark on the lips, too!

As you can see, it's a color that you need super smooth lips to pull off. I apologize, obviously someone hasn't been exfoliating regularly. Yes, I disgusted myself after looking at this picture. Also, this is too much color for a day at the office. Date night, it's on - especially since Mr. Lex tells me he likes a dark lip. But I would still need to tone this down because it reminds me of my high school goth girl days!

I hope he's down for this dark a lip!

So how did I tone this baby down? With a pink pearl shimmer gloss, of course!

After blotting and applying two light layers of gloss, I got a shade that is office appropriate.

Again, eyes are kept very nude and simple. I used a berry blush with gold shimmer (NARS Sin). I really love this look. Eggplant is a very tricky shade to wear because it's very easy to go into Goth Girl territory.  I'm not 16 anymore and I want to look vampy, not like I work at Hot Topic!

Here's a swatch on my NC 42 forearm:

Day 2 - successfully toned down a vampy eggplant into an office friendly berry shimmer!

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, $24
Available at fine department stores offering the NARS collection, Sephora and online.