Share your beauty
Hello Hello Hellooo!
I'm officially back from the crazy-insane Romantic Times Convention...and WOW. Why isn't there an SNL sketch or maybe an improv-satire-ish movie like "Best in Show" about this phenomenon? For the uninitiated, the RT Convention is the Oscars of the shockingly multi-gazillion dollar romance novel industry. It's the heaving-bosoms-and-throbbing-manhood version of a Star Trek Convention. The truly dedicated romance readers literally WAIT ALL YEAR for this convention, where they can mingle with their favorite writers and like-minded romancistas, have their picture taken before an enormous magical forest backdrop, and participate in the annual costume competition at the "Faery Ball" (a sweetnatured, be-corseted green elf, after noticing that I was the only guest out of thousands not wearing a set of silk wings, shot me a sympathetic look and told me not to feel bad—her first year she was too self-conscious to fully give herself over to The Experience, too). And wait, you don't even know how many GENRES of romance there are! I mean, historical/bodice-ripper romance, vampire romance, erotic romance, sci-fi romance (picture two robots thrashing against each other in ecstasy), fantasy romance...its truly amazing. Oh, and capping off the whole thing was the Mr. Romantic Times Pageant, where the Bodice-Ripperettes elect their favorite oiled-up, Fabio-esque cover model--all of which had been parading around the convention all week long in pirate outfits, bringing many a corseted babe to her knees. Seriously, the sexual tension was epic. Why was I, a Chick Lit writer, there? Well, apparently the powers that be were trying to make the Convention a tad more modern. Um, I don't think they're ready--mama was virtually INVISIBLE (I was so ignored at the Book Fair, it was hilarious...I swear I saw glitter-flecked tumbleweed float by my table). But I was so entertained by the festivities, how could I mind?
Anyway, so here I am!! I totally missed you guys. And, as promised, here's the "Share Your Beauty" post, where you became the beauty editors!! I'm terribly flattered that so many of you wrote in with your all-time favorite beauty obsession. After serious deliberation, I managed to narrow them down to six standout products...enjoy!! WAIT, totally off-topic, but GUESS WHO STOPPED BY COSMO RADIO TODAY?!! Vito, The Sopranos' recently whacked homo-thug!! And girls, that I-use-to-be-morbidly-obese waddle he has on the show is very, very real! I'm hardly ever star-struck, but Vito threw me. And, just so you know, he shakes his beauty as hard as we do. The man's haircolor, a sort of flawlessly shiny indigo-black, was staight out of a Loreal Feria haircoloring kit.
xoxo,
Tia
PS...before I get into your product obsessions, it's time for TIA'S WEEKLY....WHY?? OKay, I'm deeply irritated with Frangela, that loud-mouthed, "sassy-talking" comedy duo that's always on VH1's The Best Week Ever. I get that it's an act and all--and I don't want to be That Girl, the one hating on brown girls doing their thing--but aren't we over that whole "mmm-hmm, girl, we some angry black bitches" moment? It's just so tired and old-school and GRATING, a modern version of the shuck-and-jive. Gross. Make the neck-swiveling stop!
YOUR TOP SIX BEAUTY OBSESSIONS:
SEXY GIRL: Chloe
PRODUCT PICK: NYX 3 Color Eyeshadow Trio #1 White/Grey/Black ($5.95)
Chloe recommends that we all "use NYX black shadow to line your eyes with an angled brush. I've done away with my beloved black pencil for this!" I'm with you, Sugar. I love using black shadow as liner--somehow the line looks so much cleaner, richer. Just remember to wet the brush a little, first.
SEXY GIRL: Mz Jamaya
PRODUCT PICK: L'Oreal Voluminous Original Volume Building Mascara ($6.99)
Mz Jamaya says that this is her "favorite eye poppin,' lashes-for-days-and-weeks mascara!" Sweetie, I have to agree. After only one swipe your lashes'll end up so thick and full and looong, it'll be impossible to not bat them constantly. People will think you have some sort of facial tick, or something. By the way, congrats on your beautiful baby Asha, Mz Jamaya--oh, how my uterus aches in jealousy!
SEXY GIRL: Bklyn AKA
PRODUCT PICK: Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Mineral Powder Foundation, Sheer Bronzer ($9.99)
According to fabulous Bklyn AKA, "you have to try this bronzer...for ten dollars, it's a steal. Not to mention, the brush and powder packaging are all in one! I love it almost as much as my Hoola by Benefit." I'm also a huge fan...the mineral powder is so good for acne-prone skin, and the shade is sheer enough to look sunkissed-sexy on all skintones.
SEXY GIRL: Viv
PRODUCT PICK: Miss Oops Pedicure in a Bottle ($18)
Viv is all over this spa-worthy, all-in-one foot treatment, and for good reason. The super-rich lotion is blended with dry-skin-sloughing salicylic acid, peppermint, menthol and yummy lavender, a combo that manages to exfoliate, smooth AND moisturize Hammertime toes. The best part is, it leaves your feet insanely soft and smooth without doing that horrible greasy thing. And how good is that name?
SEXY GIRL: Adige
PRODUCT PICK: Frederic Fekkai Summer Hair Wash Wear ($20)
Adige loves, loves, loves "this instant shampoo spray that provides UV protection and refreshes your style without shampooing." Okay, I wash my hair once a week--and by the fourth day it's a tad oily at the roots and smells faintly of bacon--so anything that'll give it a just-shampoo'ed feel and smell is GENIUS, just GENIUS! The added summetime benefit is that spritzing this ultra-light mist on dry hair blocks the damaging effects of sun, salt, and chlorine. Genius, I tell you.
SEXY GIRL: Schanina
PRODUCT PICK: DERMADoctor's Picture Porefect Pore Minimizing Solution ($40)
Lovely Schanina swears by this blackhead-busting serum, raving "this stuff works wonders! It dries up blackheads, reduces the appearance of pores, and prevents future blockage. I put it on day and night after using an exfoliating cleanser! I can't believe this stuff is made in Kansas City--it makes me so proud! Schanina, YOU make me proud. You couldn't be more dead-on about this complexion-perfecting miracle worker...it's blended with retinol, green tea, and special "sebum sequestering micro-particles" that soak up gross excess sebum that clogs your pores, creating blackheads. So good!
I'm officially back from the crazy-insane Romantic Times Convention...and WOW. Why isn't there an SNL sketch or maybe an improv-satire-ish movie like "Best in Show" about this phenomenon? For the uninitiated, the RT Convention is the Oscars of the shockingly multi-gazillion dollar romance novel industry. It's the heaving-bosoms-and-throbbing-manhood version of a Star Trek Convention. The truly dedicated romance readers literally WAIT ALL YEAR for this convention, where they can mingle with their favorite writers and like-minded romancistas, have their picture taken before an enormous magical forest backdrop, and participate in the annual costume competition at the "Faery Ball" (a sweetnatured, be-corseted green elf, after noticing that I was the only guest out of thousands not wearing a set of silk wings, shot me a sympathetic look and told me not to feel bad—her first year she was too self-conscious to fully give herself over to The Experience, too). And wait, you don't even know how many GENRES of romance there are! I mean, historical/bodice-ripper romance, vampire romance, erotic romance, sci-fi romance (picture two robots thrashing against each other in ecstasy), fantasy romance...its truly amazing. Oh, and capping off the whole thing was the Mr. Romantic Times Pageant, where the Bodice-Ripperettes elect their favorite oiled-up, Fabio-esque cover model--all of which had been parading around the convention all week long in pirate outfits, bringing many a corseted babe to her knees. Seriously, the sexual tension was epic. Why was I, a Chick Lit writer, there? Well, apparently the powers that be were trying to make the Convention a tad more modern. Um, I don't think they're ready--mama was virtually INVISIBLE (I was so ignored at the Book Fair, it was hilarious...I swear I saw glitter-flecked tumbleweed float by my table). But I was so entertained by the festivities, how could I mind?
Anyway, so here I am!! I totally missed you guys. And, as promised, here's the "Share Your Beauty" post, where you became the beauty editors!! I'm terribly flattered that so many of you wrote in with your all-time favorite beauty obsession. After serious deliberation, I managed to narrow them down to six standout products...enjoy!! WAIT, totally off-topic, but GUESS WHO STOPPED BY COSMO RADIO TODAY?!! Vito, The Sopranos' recently whacked homo-thug!! And girls, that I-use-to-be-morbidly-obese waddle he has on the show is very, very real! I'm hardly ever star-struck, but Vito threw me. And, just so you know, he shakes his beauty as hard as we do. The man's haircolor, a sort of flawlessly shiny indigo-black, was staight out of a Loreal Feria haircoloring kit.
xoxo,
Tia
PS...before I get into your product obsessions, it's time for TIA'S WEEKLY....WHY?? OKay, I'm deeply irritated with Frangela, that loud-mouthed, "sassy-talking" comedy duo that's always on VH1's The Best Week Ever. I get that it's an act and all--and I don't want to be That Girl, the one hating on brown girls doing their thing--but aren't we over that whole "mmm-hmm, girl, we some angry black bitches" moment? It's just so tired and old-school and GRATING, a modern version of the shuck-and-jive. Gross. Make the neck-swiveling stop!
YOUR TOP SIX BEAUTY OBSESSIONS:
SEXY GIRL: Chloe
PRODUCT PICK: NYX 3 Color Eyeshadow Trio #1 White/Grey/Black ($5.95)
Chloe recommends that we all "use NYX black shadow to line your eyes with an angled brush. I've done away with my beloved black pencil for this!" I'm with you, Sugar. I love using black shadow as liner--somehow the line looks so much cleaner, richer. Just remember to wet the brush a little, first.
SEXY GIRL: Mz Jamaya
PRODUCT PICK: L'Oreal Voluminous Original Volume Building Mascara ($6.99)
Mz Jamaya says that this is her "favorite eye poppin,' lashes-for-days-and-weeks mascara!" Sweetie, I have to agree. After only one swipe your lashes'll end up so thick and full and looong, it'll be impossible to not bat them constantly. People will think you have some sort of facial tick, or something. By the way, congrats on your beautiful baby Asha, Mz Jamaya--oh, how my uterus aches in jealousy!
SEXY GIRL: Bklyn AKA
PRODUCT PICK: Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Mineral Powder Foundation, Sheer Bronzer ($9.99)
According to fabulous Bklyn AKA, "you have to try this bronzer...for ten dollars, it's a steal. Not to mention, the brush and powder packaging are all in one! I love it almost as much as my Hoola by Benefit." I'm also a huge fan...the mineral powder is so good for acne-prone skin, and the shade is sheer enough to look sunkissed-sexy on all skintones.
SEXY GIRL: Viv
PRODUCT PICK: Miss Oops Pedicure in a Bottle ($18)
Viv is all over this spa-worthy, all-in-one foot treatment, and for good reason. The super-rich lotion is blended with dry-skin-sloughing salicylic acid, peppermint, menthol and yummy lavender, a combo that manages to exfoliate, smooth AND moisturize Hammertime toes. The best part is, it leaves your feet insanely soft and smooth without doing that horrible greasy thing. And how good is that name?
SEXY GIRL: Adige
PRODUCT PICK: Frederic Fekkai Summer Hair Wash Wear ($20)
Adige loves, loves, loves "this instant shampoo spray that provides UV protection and refreshes your style without shampooing." Okay, I wash my hair once a week--and by the fourth day it's a tad oily at the roots and smells faintly of bacon--so anything that'll give it a just-shampoo'ed feel and smell is GENIUS, just GENIUS! The added summetime benefit is that spritzing this ultra-light mist on dry hair blocks the damaging effects of sun, salt, and chlorine. Genius, I tell you.
SEXY GIRL: Schanina
PRODUCT PICK: DERMADoctor's Picture Porefect Pore Minimizing Solution ($40)
Lovely Schanina swears by this blackhead-busting serum, raving "this stuff works wonders! It dries up blackheads, reduces the appearance of pores, and prevents future blockage. I put it on day and night after using an exfoliating cleanser! I can't believe this stuff is made in Kansas City--it makes me so proud! Schanina, YOU make me proud. You couldn't be more dead-on about this complexion-perfecting miracle worker...it's blended with retinol, green tea, and special "sebum sequestering micro-particles" that soak up gross excess sebum that clogs your pores, creating blackheads. So good!
posted by Tia Williams at 4:14 PM
19 Comments:
Yey! She's back! Im going to have to try that Picture Porefect Solution and Pedicure in a Bottle, because I know my face is like an oil rid, and feet as crusty as sin.
Glad you had a good time at your convention.
Thanks for commenting on Frangela! I love Best Week Ever than they come on and just annoy the heck out of me. OH, and I will be trying L'Oreal Voluminous as a cheaper option to my Tarte mascara (which is great, but I gotta cut my expenses somewhere)
Greetings from your #1 lurker! (Well, until now)
Does anyone know anything about MD Forte skin care products? I've had really bad acne in the past, and am looking for something to smooth out the old mug.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Love the blog Tia - and I don't even wear makeup! I am going to try that L'Oreal mascara though . . .
Tia...glad you're back. I work in the Convention/Meetings industry so I know all too well about crazy conventions. Trust me, there is an association or convention out there for everything under the sun!
Thanks for using my Beauty Fave. I feel so special :)
I took your tip and tried the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Walnut. Love it!
Have a great weekend.
I love all of DermaDoctor products! They are so worth the money! Now I am off to get that pedi in a bottle!
Hey Tia!!
I'm going to have to try those derma doctor products. They sounds great. Where can we email you abt our favorite products.
J
Welcome back, TIA! I'm running to the store now to get some of that L'oreal....
Welcome back from the convention...I was debating on whether to put it on my calendar for next year.
Ok I am kinda pissed... I tried the bliss resurfacing sleep gel on my face and it works really well but if I skip a night without using it the next morning I am greeted big fat pimple or bump on my face! why is this happening to me?! I have never had bumps on my face, my face is usually flawless!
What a lovely post! I really want to try the Frederic Fekkai Hair Wash. My hair goes through some drama in summer and I am sure the wash will help out.
Lux-I've been using the resurfacing peel with an additional product on top. The peel doesn't seem to do much for acne...I've been using the DermaDoctor stuff mentioned in this post. My routines is as follows… I use a small drop of the peel because a little is a lot...use a small amount of Picture Porefect….then I put a sun screen on top of it all. That's the cocktail that's been working for me. But you can play around to see what works for you. Also for a while I was using Immaculate Correction (another DermaDoctor product) with the peel. This product also evens out skin tone and fade scars. When used with the peel it helps to speed up the process. If you want to stick with the Bliss line there is a serum sold in the Sleeping Peel line that may work as well-though I’ve never tried it.
Thanks for Wake Up With Cosmo...I would fall asleep in the morning with you and Taylor...you guys are hilarious!!
Thanks for Wake Up With Cosmo...I would fall asleep in the morning with you and Taylor...you guys are hilarious!!
sorry for the multiple comments :/
Yeah guys. That L'Oreal Voluminous is great! I have been using it for some time, love it,but hate that it isn't waterproof. Has anyone ever tried BENEFIT's miracle shellac to seal their products- specifically mascara? Please let me know!!! Thanks, girls :)
Thank You for calling out Frangela!
I'm a faithful Best Week Ever watcher and I couldn't have put it better myself.
Tia....
Thank You for all the wonderful information. I so enjoy reading your blog...there's always great information from you and all the wonderful ladies here.
After work...I'm heading to Target to pick up the L'Oreal Mascara...can't wait to try it out. ;-)
Greetings!
I enjoy this blog and everyone's comments. It's much better than Essence because I get to hear from people who actually use the products. You know I have a box full of stuff that sounds good but never works under the bathroom vanity! lol
You ladies are lifesaver. :)
I'm wondering a couple of things..
Are there any products that help with back acne? Anything I try makes it worse. I don't know if its the fabric of my bras irritating me or the detergent I use. Either way, I'd love to have a flawless back and shoulders one day soon.
Help please! :)
Look forward to hearing from you.
Stay beautiful!
Marina
Marina,
I used to deal with this unsightly problem in my teen years; a bump here and there would be a halter top's worst nightmare. I read in a magazine a while back that back acne can be a result of Shampoos and Conditioners clogging pores. Therefore, I suggest that you rinse off your back/neck area thoroughly after washing your hair, and everyday use Neutrogena Body Clear (about 5.99 at Target, CVS, Wal-mart, Duane Reade etc). I use the one with the exfoliating scrub for smoother results, but there is also a plain wash. I would also avoid putting heavy creams and lotions on your back, a thin layer will do you and you won't get ashy if you exfoliate often. Lastly, if you have scars and oily skin cocoa butter won't help. Again I suggest exfoliating and also use a thin layer of a topical cream. The process can take months…but you will look fabulous again! Promise!
Thanks, Schanina!
I'll keep you posted of the results.
Stay beautiful!
Marina
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