CeCe & Me

Hi ladies,
Sugarplums, I am currently on my knees, drowning in a puddle of guilty tears as I write. I just got a comment from Miss CeCe that made me feel like an unfit mother, the kind that leaves her kids with the in-house manny as I booze, panty-less and pallid-skinned, through a series of B-grade LA hotspots. Miss CeCe said that her wish for 2007 is “for my beauty godmommy to bless us with new and exciting posts much, much more frequently. We here at SYB would like…bi-weekly posts filled to the brim with that beautylicious advice that’s just like crack. After all, you are our pusher.” CeCe, I AM your pusher and I WISH I could give my girls bi-weekly posts! But lately I’ve been so swamped, slammed, and stressed that I’ve been catching myself misspelling my own name as I sign off emails (and it’s only three letters). Girls, my posts take research and thought and tons o’love. And the sad truth is, if I were to update twice a week, it would have to be a hasty, ill-prepared situation, and then you’d have entries that looked like this:

"Revlon’s Raisin Glaze Lipgloss is hot stuff. Try it!"

You know? That said, I hate to see wishes go un-granted, so I’ll try my damndest to shake my beauty with accelerated frequency in 2007! In the meantime, Head & Shoulders asked me to spread the word about their ultra-glam “Head-Turner of the Year” Contest! Check it out:

"If you think you’re the “Head Turner of the Year," then log onto www.headturninghair.com by January 31, 2007 to nominate yourself! Simply submit a recent photo and an original essay (50 words or less) on what makes you a head-turner. The grand prize winner will receive a three-day, two-night trip to New York City to participate in a photo shoot and makeover with some of the industry’s top fashion and beauty stylists. A photo layout will run in the June 2007 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine!!"

Yeah, you’re all head-turners, but even the most dazzling dimes have beauty questions…and mama’s here to answer them. Here are the top five most interesting questions of the past couple weeks. Take notes and pass it on!

Kisses,
Tia

PS: Who’s trembling with anticipation for J. Lo’s “Dance Life” on MTV? I could die. J. Lo is poised to be the “fame costs/and right here is where you start payin’/in sweat”-era Debbie Allen for a new generation.

TIA'S TOP FIVE SYB BEAUTY QUESTIONS OF THE MOMENT

SEXY LADY: Miss Monet
QUESTION: "What is that nail polish you're wearing in that photo?"
ANSWER: Lady Miss Monet's referring to the picture of me and Adam at New Year's Eve in my last post. Would it be too self-involved to admit that I was WAITING for someone to ask? For the past couple months, I've been heavily involved in a monogomous affair with ESSIE NAIL POLISH IN WICKED ($6.65). See, I decided I was too old to do the hardcore-trendy black nail polish thing, so I went for what I believe is an even sexier look--the "as-dark-as-a-red-can-be-without-being-black" shade. Wicked is exactly that. Almost noir, but still sex goddess scarlet. Yum.


SEXY LADY: No Sex in the City (funny, that was my name for several years)
QUESTION: "I'm a self proclaimed product expert, but I'm stumped on one thing—I need a reasonable yet effective eye cream. Momma gotta eat!"
ANSWER: My mom and I have long been fans of PRESCRIPTIVES EYE BRIGHTENER FOR DARK CIRCLES & PUFFINESS ($39.50)--you gotta love a name that gets right to the point. This miracle cream's blended with cucumber extract to de-puff swollen eyes, and special itty-bitty illuminating flecks that brighten dark circles (my favorite). It's honestly like a shot of caffeine. And the illuminators give such a luminous, radiant glow that I've taken to blending it on my browbone as a highlighter.


SEXY LADY: Traci
QUESTION: "I've recently ventured into the world of eyeliner, and let's just say most of my ventures in that world have ended in tears (of frustration and of accidently jabbing my eyeball with the pencil). Am I beyond help here?"
ANSWER: No one is beyond help, Miss Traci (well, no one but bobble-headed "New York" of VH1)! Good eyeliner application is all about knowing the right technique. First, start off with a super-soft black eyeliner--my favorite is CLINIQUE KOHL SHAPER FOR EYES ($15.50), it's ultra-smooth and comes with a sharpener in the cap..smart, smart, smart. Now, lower your eyelid until it's almost closed and tilt your head up, looking in the mirror. Using short, feather-like strokes, apply the liner starting from the outer corner. Important: Stay as close to the lashline as is humanly possible--you NEVER, EVER want to see skin between the lashes and the eyeliner (so seventh-grade pedestrian). Don't worry if it ends up a tad crooked; even things out by lightly running over the liner with a Q-tip. This gives your eyeliner a more natural, more soft-focus finish. Ta-da! You're a pro, babe.


SEXY LADY: FoxyHustle
QUESTION: "Why would anyone use clear mascara? What would be the purpose if its clear?"
ANSWER: Have you ever cried all night long, Ms Hustle, and at the end of the jag, noticed how lovely your lashes looked? Or maybe you've recently admired their shiny spikiness after a long, hot shower? There's something so effortlessly sexy, so chilling-at-the-Delano-pool chic about wet lashes, and that's the effect you get with clear mascara. But if you're like me, and desperately need to coat your lashes with some inky jet-black action, then clear mascara just won't do. That's why the geniuses at Bourjois have invented GLOSSY WET-LOOK MASCARA TOP COAT ($7.50). You just layer this weightless, water-based gel over your fave mascara...and you get that glossy, wet look without sacrificing the lushness you get from black mascara.


SEXY LADY: A. Jenee
QUESTION: "I was wondering if you could recommend some shampoo and conditioners under $20 for relaxed and color treated hair?"
ANSWER: A, have you not discovered PANTENE'S RELAXED & NATURAL haircare line? It's all under $10, you can get it at the drugstore, and the products are salon-level fabulous. Not only that, the line's separated into three categories, so you can specifically target your specific issue: There's Breakage Defense for brittle, shedding hair; Intensive Moisturizing for super-dry hair; and Color Radiance for color-treated hair. I love PANTENE RELAXED & NATURAL BREAKAGE DEFENSE SHAMPOO ($5.99), which is the perfect thing for weak, split-ended, quick-to-fall-out hair like mine.