Cult of MAC, Part 3: Lime Slice

I have to close out my MAC Cult of Cherry series with a view of the eye look seen here:

Lovely, isn't it? Chantel from the MAC store started out with the Cream Colour Base in Pearl, then proceeded to use shades from the Spiced Chocolate and Tempting quads.

Tempting, of course, is the star of this look, especially when you consider that gorgeous shade of chartreuse (MAC calls it Sharp) that ends up in the crease.

Jude of The Girly Show demonstrates a similar eye look both on her blog and her YouTube channel (seriously, this girl is the American version of UK's Lauren Luke), but she does make an excellent point - this look can be replicated on your own, if you already have similar colors in your collection and an equally deft hand with the brushes.

In my case, I didn't cave on Tempting because I already have way too many neutral eyeshadows at home. I mentioned this to Chantel because I had been eyeing all of the other green eyeshadows and I wanted something as close as possible to Sharp - closer to lime than apple or mint.

After much swatching, Chantell and I found a perfect counterpart: Bitter, which isn't as frosty as the Sharp, but shares the same acid yellow-green base tone.

(picture was color-corrected using Photoshop Express)

I've experimented with recreating the Cult of Cherry looks several times since this makeover, and while I still have yet to master eyeshadow contouring, I will say that the Bitter eyeshadow really makes the look - especially when blended with a bronze or brown eyeshadow to create the appropriate je ne sais quoi. Not to mention that it does make my brown eyes stand out with a vengeance. :)

Now I have a solid collection of workhorse basics and a few zingers to throw in whenever I feel especially adventurous. Looks like I'm set for the rest of the season!

Cult of MAC, Part 2: You Are My Constant

Electro Flash @ Nordstrom, early July

Color Forms @Nordstrom, late July

Cult of Cherry @ MAC Ala Moana, August

At first the last picture from the Cult of Cherry stands out for all sorts of reasons, - not just because I had somebody else (the lovely Chantell from MAC) do the makeup, and that the lighting in this particular bathroom is harsher than the ones at Nordie's. There's still that sultry ManCatcher edge - especially since the "O" lipstick is a lovely stand-in for the Lustre Twins - but it's a lot less in-your-face.

But then... the eyes. And in particular, the eyeliner.

Make no mistake about it: That Fluidline gel eyeliner in Blacktrack looks fantastic on me. Love love love it. Love how it stays on for hours, even when I've sweated the rest of my makeup away. Love how it's so versatile for a simple cat eye as well as a full-on smoky mod/goth look. Love how makeup artists use it to give my eyes so much definition, especially since they can apply it straight to my eyes without diluting in water. Love how it stays on and never runs, EVER.

So why have I not bought this stuff?

If I had a whole hour or two for makeup, as I did during these makeovers, I would totally use the stuff as regularly as possible. Unfortunately - with my life being what it is, now that I'm working two jobs (none of which require black eyeliner as part of the dress code) - working with a gel eyeliner and a separate brush in the mornings (or between functions) would be unwieldy at best, impractical at worst. And, c'mon - for the MSRP of $15 a pop, I do expect to be able to wear it every single day, right?

Sigh.

Anyway, this may be a good time for me to start talking pencil eyeliners. The long-running gold standard at Casa de Mei - heartily endorsed by the makeup-wearers in my family - is Revlon's ColorStay, for its tenacious staying power; their black is suitably dark and intense, while the Black Brown is work-friendly and versatile with just about any color. I've also had some luck with Jordana's EasyLiner (aka the dirtiest, best-kept secret of fashionista wannabes everywhere), but right now I've decided to road-test their regular 7-inch pencil liner instead... yes, the 99-cent one from Walgreens that they're also promoting just in time for Halloween. (Oy, tell that to the emo kids!) I'm not expecting this to last as long as the MAC or Revlon, but I am expecting richness and intensity, and an ability to at least play nice with everything else that I wear with it.

But until then... we shall wait, and see, and find out soon.

Cult of MAC, Part 1: Making Our Own Lightning

Tell your mama, girl, I can't stay long
We got things we gotta catch up on
Mmm, you know
You know what I'm sayin'
Can't stand still while the music is playin'

- Neil Diamond, "Cherry Cherry"

As much as I would've loved to cave on all the rich, deep colors from that Cult of Cherry collection, practicality (and my budget) eventually won out in the form of "O" (yes, as in "The Story Of..."). It's still a dark, rich red, but it's lightened by all those shots of gold - which means that it can go from work-friendly to sultry without taking you to Transylvania. On me, it's the perfect bronzy red that isn't too brown and isn't too orange. No wonder it's always been a cult classic for more than a decade.

And then there's the *other* cerise-inspired lip product in my arsenal...

Revlon's Just Bitten Lip Stain in Cherry Tart was supposed to be limited-edition, which explains why I hunted this tube down at Longs Ala Moana when it went on sale for $5.75 (only to discover that they put the price back up at $11.95). The consistency of the stain is almost syrupy and gel-like, so it's not as watery as the much-hyped Benetint - which makes it easier to control, too. Plus the roll-on applicator reminds me so much of the old Kissing Potion, which warms my retro-loving heart. Result: a bright, cheery pinup red that won't be out of place on the set of Mad Men.

And yes, I did try layering the "O" lipstick over the Cherry Tart, which resulted in the picture from the last entry. Still doesn't explain the headband, though...

Randomesticity: Double, Blind

I just wanted to post this because I have to give folks a heads-up in case I forget to post on this blog again.

This time the big deal happens to be a major life change in the form of two jobs happening at once; it's too soon to tell how things are going to work out on that front, but I can tell you for sure that the next few weeks will be marked by a lot of running-around... which means that I won't be publishing here as regularly as I'm used to doing.

That doesn't mean I won't have anything to write about - au contraire! This Saturday alone has already brought me so many blog-worthy things, including a stopover at the MAC Store in Ala Moana for a Cult of Cherry makeover and a moment to gawk at yet another Fendi bag (which I still can't afford, just so you know) at Neiman Marcus.

Let's put out the preview of things to come in blind-item form, shall we?

• Which two MAC items came home with me this Saturday after my makeover? (Clue: Only one of these items came from Cult of Cherry; the other was inspired by the collection, but not part of it)


• Conversely, which MAC product - or two - has been all but begging to be added to my arsenal... and why do I continue to resist its siren call to this day?
  
• Which current staple of my makeup bag is about to run out on me.... and why am I waiting until now to blog about its awesomeness?


• Which company that specializes in person-to-person sales is about to be featured on my blog, courtesy of a dear friend who works for them? (And it's not: Avon, Herbalife, or Amway/Artistry.)


• Which cherry-inspired makeup product did I purchase from Longs Drugs recently... and why did I have such a hard time trying to find it before the stock ran out altogether?


• What is it about Dolores O'Riordan from The Cranberries that still merits getting mentioned once in a while?


• Which foodie celebrity (not named Tony Bourdain, Dave Lieberman, Tom Colicchio, or Michael Symon) recently became my newest TV boyfriend?


• And in the same vein: What on earth are those episodes of Three Sheets doing in my iTunes playlist? (Besides the fact that I've already downed my fair share of both lambanog and cachaca, of course! But not together. Honey, no.)


• Which inexpensive conditioner has been giving my hair a new (read: bouncier) lease on life?


• And if my hair now has a great reason to be bouncy, then why in God's name am I wearing a headband in THIS picture, in my first attempt to look like that chick from Gossip Girl?

The answer to these, and other questions (including "Robert Downey, Jr.: Hot or Not?") will be forthcoming in a few days. Until then, chin chin!

...But Wait, There's More!

This morning I woke up thinking about the prospect of starting my regular yoga workouts once again. It's possible now that the weather isn't as hellishly hot as it had been (in fact, I actually welcome the occasional rainy day now) - and now that I'm getting more work in the education field, I find that my chosen occupation requires me to literally run around a bit more than usual - the better to burn off frustration and calories at the same time. (Hey, it has happened to me before - I credit my drop in pants size to a daily routine of lifting boxes at the bookstore.)

Since I already walk a lot (and who needs bus stops when you're clocking major mileage in FitFlops?) I figure that going back to toning would be a great way to balance things out exercise-wise, even as I work on getting more vegetables back into the diet. And since we're talking exercise already, I now have a better idea of what I would like my own perfect body to resemble, with a little more diligence.

Behold:


Impossible, you say? Well, yes - but so are the sculpted guns and six-pack abs that I've been spotting on celebrities in tabloid bikini shots for the last three years. Sophia Loren circa 1963, in comparison, looks quite soft here - check out the lean forearms tapering into the softer line of the biceps, the thickness of the thighs, and (of course) that legendary rack, boosted up by some fine Italian engineering with the underwire. Even her waist looks pretty thick here - though perhaps that could also be because of the lighting and the lingerie.

Lest you want to argue about La Sophia getting some excellent (and tasteful) plastic surgery, let's face it - it's not like the folks behind the Pirelli calendar are going to ask just about any 70-something to pose for a shot like this. (Next to that, even Penelope Cruz is seriously outclassed.)

And besides, if I can't have that body right now, then at least I now understand why I always end up with shimmery lids and seriously winged black eyeliner every time I get a makeover.

Other bodily inspirations (hotlinks only):

• Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita (confusing movie - and Ekberg, unfortunately, has not withstood the test of time - but worth watching just for the fountain-dance)
• Catherine Deneuve in 8 Femmes
• Ava Gardner in general
• Toccara Jones (from ANTM) and her Vogue Italia "Black Issue" photo shoot
• Jennifer Lopez (before she got on my nerves and literally worked her tush off) in Out of Sight
• ...and, of course, Jennifer Hudson in Sex and the City, without whom I would never have gotten so many wardrobe cues to work with over the summer

Readers: Care to present more examples of your own body inspirations? Post in the comments!

What's Your Fantasy: Hollywood Week Edition

You know it, you love it, you can't live without it... and to cap off Domesticity's Hollywood Week, I'm giving it all to you. I'm talking about the eye candy, of course!

(And captions? We don't need no stinkin' captions...)

And because you can never go wrong with a classic...

XOXO: Meighton Meister

Those of you who know me know that I am not a fan of steamy pot-boiler TV dramas masquerading as teen shows. Believe me, I've tried - yep, that was me running around my middle school in gigundo T-shirts with Jason Priestley and Luke Perry on them, but that still didn't mask the fact that the original Beverly Hills 90210 made my teeth ache. (The less said about the remake, the better.) Same goes with the likes of Dawson's Creek, The OC, and Laguna Beach... and, yes, even The Hills, which I only enjoy in two-minute doses.


I've said it before and I'll say it again: If I wanted to live vicariously through the fictional lives of rich, spoiled teens who get all emo at the drop of the hat, all I need to do is gather up my high school friends on Facebook for a nostalgic chat-a-thon - complete with incriminating photos and lots of tequila.


It also goes to show that my beauty-blogger badge should be confiscated ASAP because I also am completely averse to Gossip Girl. Mind you, it's the show - and the hype - that gives me the hives; I could care less about the supposedly cute boys that the show passes off as eye candy. (Besides, the whole cougar thing? Been there, done that, still ashamed of it all.)




That said, I do have a few things about the two lead actresses on the show. Blake Lively, I don't mind much; she reminds me a bit of a younger Poppy Montgomery, and both of them could pass for girls that I actually went to school with - blonde, sporty, friendly but far from bubble-headed.

And then there's the inspiration for today's blog entry: Leighton Meester, the lovely brunette who plays Blair Waldorf.

Look at her! She's young! She's gorgeous! She can still carry off a tweed coat and an oversized bag with leather ruffles AND a bow tie AND a preppy scarf in her hair! Nothing at all like yours truly...

...except that The Scribe says that I bear an uncanny resemblance to the lovely Ms. Meester. An older, tanner, more Filipino version of Ms. Meester, but still.

I can see it around the mouth and the eyes, although her face is a little longer, and my cheeks are chubbier. Otherwise, I probably resemble Blair Waldorf in almost the same way that (according to some of my family members) The Scribe resembles J. Lo, especially when she ties her hair back.

So now I have to go to the website for The CW and get over my teen potboiler aversion for a few Blair-tastic clips. In the meantime, here's my own (age appropriate) wardrobe homage to Gossip Girl, which I decided to do after writing about the Britney skirt recently...

I plan on wearing this with black hose, a cardigan, and kitten heels. So preppy.

Unsolicited Career Advice

Dear readers: Yesterday's Bruce Campbell entry should have been a tip-off, because today marks the official start of Domesticity's Hollywood Week! For the next few days I'll be offering up all sorts of B-list snark - I can't guarantee you that you will care about these famous peeps, but I will guarantee a lot of unsolicited career advice, wardrobe wrangling, and lots of eye candy. Oh yes, there will be eye candy. But first...




Poor Anna Maria Perez de Tagle. First she gets typecast as the spoiled Asian girl on Camp Rock, Hannah Montana and Cake TV. Then she gets antagonized by her stylist and lands on the pages of Go Fug Yourself.

And now... darling, don't tell me that your makeup artists have antagonized you, too! How else to explain the "supertan tranny" look (TM Scribe) in this video? Because you look pretty normal otherwise.

'Tis a pity, because her grandmother happens to be the superfantastic Sylvia La Torre - a legendary (though now retired) character actress, on top of being a classically-trained singer - and even Sylvia was well past the drinking age when the Pinoy movie industry started typecasting her as a donya. Heck, even the Fug Girls would've taken one look at La Sylvia's sequinned ternos (because nobody else wore 'em better... sorry, Imelda) and declared them the height of fabulousness.

So then, Anna - can we talk now? Because I still think there's hope for you. You're 18 years old, for crying out loud; there's still time to walk away from the Disney ghetto while you still can. (Look at what happened to Lalaine!) I'm not suggesting that you consider going straight away on the "sexy" route - first, ew, and second, you'll give your Lola a connniption - and while college may be good for the long run, I won't be surprised if you really are determined to make it as a stahhhh. Even if it means taking roles from Brenda Song's slush pile... or, worse, doing the cliched route of "exploring your roots" in the Philippines, aka moving to Manila in the hopes that your Tagalog will improve and your countrymen would embrace you so warmly that they'll never let you go back to Hollywood.

Here's a thought, if not a suggestion: Ditch the Bratz-doll roles and start looking at more dramatic and action-packed scripts - less Lindsay Lohan and more Shia LeBeouf, if you have to. Also, rent Juno and pay very close attention to whatever it is that Ellen Page is doing - contrived, yes, but at least there's broader appeal and less stereotyping. If you can't do it, now's the time to start honing the craft; maybe now's the time to start hitting the boards for some Shakespeare.

Who knows, maybe when you're finally old enough and well-established in your career, you can now look back on all of this madness and think, "Well, that was interesting." And maybe then - just maybe - you can probably discuss working with JJ Abrams as the lead actress in Domesticity: The Movie, where you play the fictionalized version of a sassy Honolulu blogger whose life takes an interesting turn after a trip to the MAC counter...

Burn Notice + Old Spice = High. Larious.

Actual YouTube comments for this video:

He's Bruce Campbell! He can do whatever he wants, including play piano with no hands. He's like a more suave Chuck Norris.

Bruce Campbell's chin can deflect a .50 Cal HEIAP cartridge, but can also nuzzle a crying baby to sleep.

Come on, get some more Bruce Campbell Facts.

bruce campbell was the first to receive the stories, then i think it was mr t or vin diesel. ending with the chuck norris.

i heard michael phelps once prayed to bruce campbell, to help pass one swim class.

I don't know if these Bruce Campbell facts are true, but I can say this for sure: Thanks to Bruce Campbell, I can now honestly look at Jeffrey Donovan without immediately thinking of him as one of the many annoying characters in that cinematic bastion of annoyance known as Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2.

(...What? I saw it in the theater, people. And I blame it on a very bad chapter in the life of Younger Meimei and Younger Scribe, because we both saw it sober. Also, between that and Gerard Butler's scenery-chewing in Dracula 2000, it's no wonder that I now wait for my movies to go on Netflix instead.)

Jeff, if you're reading this and you want to secure your spot on the Celebrity Boyfriend List... better start praying to the Church of Bruce, like, now.

Open Letter to a Stranger at the Bus Stop

Dear lady who got stuck waiting for the #4 to come by on Wilder Avenue this morning:

Nothing says "confident" like a sequinned, sleeveless chiffon trapeze cocktail dress and jeweled strappy stilletto heels. Really. If I had legs like that, I'd be rocking that outfit to the supermarket if I have to - I'll give you credit for that, definitely.

That said, when you wear that dress outside on a hot, balmy day, all while complaining and scowling at your co-worker about how TheBus has ruined your plans? Kind of irritating. Especially when I'm coffee-deprived enough to scowl back at you and your annoying voice from 10 feet away.

And when you wear said outfit on said 90-plus-degree day with said scowl on your face and your official name tag from your real-estate company pinned fetchingly on your otherwise cute dress? Um, that's already pushing the line between "confident" and "really asking for rude, snarky comments from complete strangers behind your back."

On the one hand, I'm tempted to make snarky jokes about your employers' dress code and the kind of real-estate showing that would warrant wearing such a vixenish (or should I say cougar-like?) outfit at 10:30 AM on a hot August day. On the other hand... well, I'm just in a very charitable mood right now, you know? I feel bad about saying it. Not because I pity you, but because I can't bear to ruin such an otherwise beautiful day for both of us by being so catty.

Consider this a slap on the wrist, then.

The Case for the Basics: Shoe Repair, Alterations, and Other Lost Arts

All three pairs of shoes were purchased at roughly the same time two years ago.

Shoe #1 (top left): Rust colored kitten-heel spectator pumps, purchased in Manila for US$13. Repaired for US$9 at a shoe repair shop on Pensacola Street after the rubber on the heels got scuffed badly, plus $4 for the new insoles.

Shoe #2: (right): Wood slides from Rustan's in Manila, purchased for roughly US$10. Repaired for $18.25 at Tam's Shoe Repair in Kaimuki after the rubber on both outsole and heel were badly damaged; by the time I brought it to the repair shop, the soles looked like melting asphalt. Extent of repair: Replaced original smooth rubber with more weatherproof treads. (This isn't the first time I brought shoes to Tam's, either; I always bring my wood shoes to them.)

Shoe #3 (bottom left): Faux-suede faux-Chucks from Airwalk for Payless, purchased on sale at $9. Repaired rubber outsole for $6 at K's Shoe Repair on Keeaumoku street.

Total repairs for all three: $23.25 - roughly the sale price of another pair of shoes from Nordstrom Rack after deep discounts.

****

Here's the thing: We're living in interesting times right now, when the economy is at an all time low and consumer goods are at their most disposable. On the one hand, we could justify expensive buys by paying for good artisanship in the first place... but where does that leave the actual artisans who are already working locally?

As a city, Honolulu is no stranger to the concept of shoe cobblers; tons of Manolos and Cole Haans have passed through back-alley shops for much-needed repairs, sometimes with the secrecy reserved for off-shore plastic surgeons. Not that many of their owners will admit to that in the first place, but let's not kid ourselves about this city; it's not just the weather and the economy that have made this place unsuitable for the fine shoes favored by the power elite.

And I'll admit that I'm working with an almost-Third World mentality here by taking my shoes to cobblers when I should be buying new ones in the first place. The thought of throwing away perfectly wearable shoes is horrible for me; only if I was at risk of injuring myself (ie. slipping or spraining an ankle) would I definitely consider bagging them and putting them away. Part of this mentality also comes from my parents, whose collective taste in fine Italian leather goods have pushed me towards choosing styles that are classic and practical at the same time; those much-loved Bally boots and cork platforms would never have survived being in the same house with three kids without the help of a crafty repairman or two.

The same deal holds true for clothes, too. I know that fashion experts always talk about tailoring and alteration to get the perfect fit, but I'll bet you that the great majority of shoppers would rather get something that fits great off the rack. Good luck to that, I say; as a short person of bountiful curves, even my best-fitting pairs of jeans have gone under the knife (or the shears) to keep me from tripping and trailing over my hems. It's not even a complicated process to begin with, either; we're talking about a starting rate of $8 for hemming and $5 for replacing buttons. And now that I've lost some weight, I'm ready to have more of my pants taken in so I won't be walking around adjusting my belt every 0.5 seconds. True, I could've bought a new pair with all the money I'm spending on tailoring - but that's still money well spent when you consider how it's all going to fit in the end.

Moral of the story: Support local business by finding the nearest cobbler for your shoes and a tailor/seamstress for your clothes. Your wardrobe will thank you.

Around the Way, but Out of Reach

I want a girl with extensions in her hair

Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

A Fendi bag and a bad attitude

That's all I need to get me in a good mood

She can walk with a switch and talk with street slang

I love it when a woman ain't scared to do her thing

Standing at the bus stop, sucking on a lollipop

Once she gets pumping, it's hard to make the hottie stop

- LL Cool J, "Around the Way Girl"

WANT: Fendi's Zucca Shopping Chef bag, pictured above. Love the shape, love the slouchiness... but unfortunately, it's way beyond my price range. And even if it was, this bag is only available in the logo print, which already makes me uncomfortable in so many ways.

In the same must-work-hard-for-it vein, but in the not-that-pricey range: UGG's Wedge Kettle Bag (at $180, it's cuter than the boots!) and the DKNY RTW Canvas North/South shopper ($139, but the graffiti print subverts the blatant labelizing).

MIGHT END UP WITH: The American Eagle Candy Satchel from Payless.

Not as big as the heavy-hitters, I'm afraid, but at $17.99 it's still pretty much on-trend... not to mention hot weather-friendly with all that canvas, and nobody has to care about that label anyway.

A Spectacle of Myself

Pop quiz! This picture was taken in my apartment:

• a) while listening to Achtung Baby for the millionth time, thus inspiring me to do my best impression of Bono
• b) after a tragic eye-makeup accident that left me unable to face the public for another 18 or so hours
• c) in the middle of one of my darker moods, which has left me so depressed and exasperated that I had no choice but to don dark glasses and demand to be left alone using my own webcam - take THAT, hipsters who buy Venetian-blind aviators at Hot Topic!
• d) after my first eye exam in 10+ years, which included a procedure that involved dilating my pupils to the point that I couldn't even read the back issues of Allure in the waiting room without squinting

The answer is actually (d) - and while I'm glad that I did my eye exam this afternoon (I won't say who the doctor is, but the offices are in Ala Moana and the waiting rooms are stacked with beauty magazines) I'm a little distracted by the fact that the dilated pupils made me a little more snippier than usual - kind of like what happens when my sister's dog comes back from the groomer with the canine version of a crew cut. There's also a tiny problem with a past eye injury, which did not involve any eye makeup but did involve some carelessness on my part - and would have remained neglected if it wasn't for today's test.

Other than that, and the prescription for reading glasses (the better to blog with, my dear) my vision's still pretty good for the most part.

That's not to say the other choices don't have the weight of truth in them, either. The dark glasses, by the way, are from Aldo, which I purchased as part of a 2-for-1 accessories sale; I had to get them because my regular ones weren't blocking enough light for me. And while I wasn't exactly listening to one of my favorite U2 albums of all time, that picture was indeed inspired by another musician with a similar fondness for classic shades: Philadelphia-born jazz chanteuse Melody Gardot, who actually needs to wear the dark glasses as a result of a brain injury.

Pimp My Compact

My "vintage" Stila 8-pan compact, before:

And after...

The Waikiki and hibiscus stickers are from Wal-Mart ($1.77 each), but you can buy them at most ABC stores and tourist-trap shops on Oahu. The daisy stickers are $1 per sheet at Paperie in Kahala Mall. I chose them to capture not just the freewheeling spirit of my hometown (even though Waikiki is practically indistinguishable from Laguna Beach at this point) but also the girly-girliness of the Stila brand - without the pesky copyright issues.

But wait... there's MORE!!!

*snort* I am SUCH a GIRL. :)

The other stickers were from a blowout scrapbook-sticker sale at Craft Supply of Honolulu at S. King Street. Couldn't help myself - and besides, I had to cover up the rest of the compact with stickers anyway, since the silver paint on the compact has been peeling off oh-so-unattractively. The outside parts of the compact that I couldn't cover up with stickers got a nice top coat of Scotch tape to prevent future paint chips from creeping onto my makeup brush.

I better stop here before my whole wardrobe turns into a Very Special Episode of Cake TV.

Oh, That's HOTT

My apolitical heart just cackled with glee over the Paris Hilton for President response video. Especially the part where she declares Maui as the best place to tan.

That said...



Dear Keith Olbermann's on-set airbrusher makeup artist:

I'm beginning to worry that my boy's looking excruciatingly tan lately. Yes, I know that he's trying to distinguish himself from palefaces like Chris Matthews and Joe Scarborough. Yes, I know that his girlfriend is from LA. Yes, I know that MSNBC shoots in high-definition. But does Keith really need to look like Donatella Versace every single time he's on camera?

By golly, even Paris Hilton's skin color looks more natural than Keith's here. And he's not even supposed to be that dark in the first place. Whose bright idea is it, anyway, to give him foundation the color of stale dill pickles?

I could suggest this, by-the-by (along with this) and of course this if we're talking major skin insecurity. But when it all boils down to it, what we're really looking at is a major pigmentation problem. Especially for a guy who obviously would rather not be caught dead by the (right wing-skewing, Rupert Murdoch-financed) paparazzi while browsing through a Sephora.

Colorprinting, people. Look into it. Or at least get a better lighting consultant. Just ask Oprah.

Love,

A reluctant Olberfan

Randomesticity: All Quiet on the Home Front

Yep, I kind of look like a boy here with my hair tied back and my bangs all wavy- and you can't see much of the eyeshadow - but this is the picture I took right before I headed out the door for my latest job interview. I've practically decided here on the spot that all I need to get me through this fall are the MAC Hot Contrast eyeshadow (which I'm tempted to kiss and snuggle like an overly precocious baby) and the MAC Colorforms quad that I got from Nordstrom... plus the Paint Pot in Painterly as a base. And the "lipstick" I'm using here is Alba Botanica's TerraTints in Blaze, which looks like a dupe of Revlon's Cherries in the Snow (or is it Wine with Everything?) on me.

State of mind: Let's just say that I'm happy - but I really shouldn't have drunk so much Sauvignon Blanc last night, and leave it at that.

Actually reading: Nothing but the newspaper. My apologies if this makes me sound grumpy, but: Yes, the front pages annoy the heck out of me. Yes, I hate it when they try to "balance" things and end up with the most slap-worthy nutcases to represent the contrary opinion. And yes, I hate it when the media portrays the residents of this town as being too content to care about actual change. Yet, like the J-school-educated media hawk that I am, I keep reading, and wondering how this "awareness" would make me a better person....

Okay, rant over. On to less taxing thoughts.

Would be reading: The August issue of Allure with allegedly human celebrity Victoria Beckham on the cover, and also the July/August issue of Smart - everything you'd expect a Hawaii version of Lucky to be, but with better-written beauty articles.

Should be reading: Sarah Dunant's The Birth of Venus.

Hating with a vengeance: These glasses - in every conceivable color, price point, or incarnation. Try as I might, I will never get why people not named Kanye West, Sam Sparro, or Steve Aoki still bother with wearing them - especially in broad daylight, when the tan lines from regular sunglasses are already intolerable! Darned hipster kids.

Currently obsessed with: Damn you, MAC! Just when I've wrapped my head around the new collections you keep churning out, along comes Cult of Cherry - and damned if I wasn't already farklempt over all those new eyeshadow quads! Must you bankrupt me this way? Or is this the universe's way of correcting itself, now that Tower Records has closed down and I can buy singles a la carte from iTunes? Either way - NYARRRR!!! If this keeps up any more, it would be a matter of time before a bunch of girls on my gifting list end up getting their birthday surprises several months early...

Also obsessed with: Keeping my apartment clean. Stress does weird things to a girl; one day I don't feel like doing the dishes, the next day I'm picking off wayward drinking glasses and Swiffering like crazy. What would it be today, I wonder?

Overdue on Netflix (if there was such a thing): Silly me - crushing madly on Gerard Butler, yet still not managing to sit down and watch 300 all the way through. I plan to correct that horrific mistake as soon as possible.