Out Damned Spot!

Hey girls! Okay, so blogger has not been my friend, yet again. I wrote this big, fancy post for you and it's just. not. uploading. In the meantime, though, I do want to tell you about a totally unrelated new obsesh of mine. I've been wanting to rave about this product for weeks now, but I had to wait and make sure it REALLLLY worked. Okay, enough mystery. The miracle worker in question is Clinique's new Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer SPF 20 ($42.50)...and it's worth every last penny. Quick TMI backstory: I've had about four periods since I gave birth last November, and each one has trampled all over my face. Acne like you wouldn't BELIEVE (any doctors in the house? Is this some post-natal hormone thing? Explain!). In any event, being a brown woman, once my zits disappear, they leave behind unsightly dark marks. My chin looks like a poppyseed bagel. There are a zillion creams, masks, and exfoliators on the market purporting to even out hyperpigmented, spotty skin...but I haven't found long-lasting success until I tried out this new jobby from Clinique. It has special ingredients that actually get into the dark spots and break up the pigmentation, over time.

And girls, a month into slathering on this moisturizer twice a day, my skin is flawless. Almost as flawless as La Lina's (exhibit A to the left). So, if any of you have stubborn dark spots and uneven skin tone, you must try this!!

In other news, I have officially dragged myself into 2009! I am now obsessed with Twitter! It took me awhile, but now I totally get it. If you haven't already, follow me! I tweet all day long, and often gush about products that I don't mention here. So, in order to Shake Your Beauty in the most comprehensive way, you need to follow me, sweet pea. My tag is, obviously, ShakeYourBeauty. Oh, and in the near future, I'm going to start doing SYB Youtube videos! Haven't quite figured this out yet, so stay tuned...

xoxo,
Tia

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Hello gorgeous,
A couple weeks ago, I went to a Fashion Week party and was thrilled to find June Jacobs Perfect Pumpkin Peeling Enzyme Masque ($78) in my goody bag. Now, June Jacobs is one of the beauty world's most famous luxury spa experts, and her skincare line is beloved by celebs, socials, and other fancy people with disposable income. Anyway, I'd always heard about the wonders of her Pumpkin Peeling Masque. A little backstory: Not only is pumpkin a natural anti-oxidant, it's full of enzymes that gently and naturally slough off dead skin cells and impurities. So, this masque is a fabulously non-invasive alternative to rough, grainy exfoliating treatments! You slather it on clean skin--let it remain for 10 minutes on the face and 30 minutes on the body (great for flaky areas and bacne)--and then rinse it off. Your skin will feel totally purified, and ridiculously soft and smooth. Did I mention that the masque smells like the chic-est, nutmeggy-ish pumpkin pie, ever? So warm and "autumnal." I love that word.


Admittedly, this stuff is kind of expensive. No worries! I found Freeman Good Stuff Organics Pumpkin Enzymes Facial Mask ($8.99) at Duane Reade, and it does exactly the same thing (and it's paraben-free, like June Jacobs'!). And along with pumpkin, it also contains organic chamomile to soothe and organic apple extract to hep brighten dull skin. Good-for-you and packaged in recycled plastic. Love.
xoxo,
Tia

The Right Red

Hey ladies,
Call off the dogs. The search is over. I. Found. The. Perfect. Red. Allow me to apologize for the pic, though...I took it with that horrible Photo Booth thingie on my I-Book. I was just so excited and I had to show my SYB Babes! I mean, as we all know, searching for the perfect red to flatter your brown skin can be tougher than finding the perfect MAN to flatter your brown sin. If it's not too blue, it's too pink. Or too orange or too "working girl." My perfect red is Rock & Republic Luxe Lip Gloss in Tyrant ($26)! And who knew Rock & Republic made makeup? Anyway, this gloss is incredibly shiny, and totally pigmented...so they way it looks in the tube is exactly how it'll look on your lips. But it has this incredible, buildable intensity, so you can make it as light or dark as you want. This is my new favorite thing!!!
xoxo,
Tia

Rainbrow Brite

Hey muchachas,
Hope you're not afraid of eyeshadow, because I'm seeing a veritable riot of rainbow-esque shadow shades all over the runways. You better get ready! We're talking fuschia, turquoise, electric purple (ow-ah!), shimmery tangerine...think one of the jungle girls from Duran Duran's "Rio" video. Or the jungle girls in Gloria Estefan's "The Rhythm is Gonna Get You." Or the hot Latina Mary Jane Girl (was her name Corvette?). Or that soft-spoken, bashful girl above. The look is in-your-face, brazen, and so not for the timid. Raowrr!


My favorite incarnation of the rainbow shadow moment was at Derek Lam. Oh! I barely noticed what the models were wearing, so good was the Fruit Stripes-inspired eye. Of course, you don't have to go this hard in your own life. Just use the runway look as inspiration, and pare it down so you don't look crazy. Try just lining your bottom lid with a bold turquoise shadow, using a tiny liner brush. Or punch up a neutral eye by blending a kick-ass plum in the crease. Or, using your pinky finger, dot a golden hue in the inner corners of your eyes, near your nose (this is a secret makeup artist trick used to make hungover models look instantly, breathlessly awake).


Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume II ($48) comes sixteen shadow shades in every texture under the sun--shimmery, matte, sheer, opaque, everything. Honestly, it's such a find. You'll never have to buy another eyeshadow again. Plus, it comes stocked with two eye pencils, and a travel-size bottle of the bestselling Eyeshadow Primer Potion (blend over your lids before applying eyeshadow, and it won't budge all day). For my recessionistas, I'd recommend Revlon Illuminance Creme Eyeshadow in Copper Canyon (which comes with a turquoise, bronze, orange and champagne shades) or Va Va Bloom (a palette of yummy purples), $6.99 each.
xoxo,
Tia

Orange you glad I met Selina?

Hey girls,
I so found the next hot model backstage at Twinkle by Wenlan last week (there she is in Teen Vogue). Okay, I totally thought she was black. Hyperventilating with excitement (truly, finding black models backstage is a rarity these days...it's not just hype), I ran up to her for a little interview. This is how it went:

Me: Hiimtiaiwriteforablackbeautyblog...

Beautiful Girl: Oh, I'm not black.

Me: Honey, someone lied to you.

Beautiful Girl: No, really (giggling the most refreshingly unaffected giggle). My mom's Indian, mixed with Arabic and Creole, and my dad is Vietnamese. Yep, Indian and Chinese.

Me: I thought you said Vietnamese.

Beautiful Girl: It's ethnically the same thing. Just a different country.

Me: Oh.


I found out that her name is Selina Khan, she's only 17, it's her third season, and she's having a blast. I told her she was gorgeous and she said I was, too, and so I made a friend for life. Oh, but back to the beauty report. I was so charmed by the orange lips! And it's funny, usually at the shows when the lip is some bold crazy color, it always looks a little off on the brown girls (makeup teams always have lighter girls in mind when they develop the color story). But at this show, it looked the BEST on the brown girl. Loved that! I tackled the makeup artist, Giancarlo Ceciliato, and he told me the shade was MAC LipMix in Orange. Since this is a MacPro color, you can only buy it if you have a special professional membership. Laypeople can enjoy MAC LipGelee in Saplicious ($14), a juicy burst of tangerine goodness. It's super-soft and totally wearable...way less intense than the LipMix, so you can wear it for day. Or, wear your favorite neutral and dab just a little in the center of you bottom lip and blend for just a hint of orangey love. Mmm, mmm, mmm.
xoxo,
Tia

Fashion's Night Out!

Hi ladies,
Okay, last night was SICK! You ladies heard about Fashion's Night Out, right? Basically, Vogue, the CFDA and NYC conspired to create a night of frenzied shopping to help reinvigorate consumer spirit (which has been dwindling due to economy messiness). Last night, department stores, boutiques, and a zillion other retail outlets in fashion capitals all over the globe stayed open until midnight! And New York? It was bonkers city! There were celeb sightings everywhere (Michelle Trachtenberg stepped on my foot), bands were jamming in the street, champagne was flowing, and generally, everyone was feeling giddy and cool and hot, bouncing in and out of stores and flirting with scrawny fashion boys. I started out the night at Scoop in the Meatpacking District. My girl Karen, the Carrie Bradshaw-esque writer/makeup maven whose beauty company, Purple Lab--which launched the uber-chic Huge Lips Skinny Hips glosses-- was hosting Scoop's party for the night. And, oh, Ms Karen was definitely the hostess with the mostess. Scoop was awash in purple (purple boas, purple eyeshadow, purple kisses on the windows), everyone was downing Lychee Martinis, and burlesque queen Veronica Varlow gave a veddy veddy luscious performance in the window.

The best part, though? Karen arranged for her three favorite bloggers (myself included) to be chauffeured to Scoop in a magenta-colored, 2011 Ford Fiesta!! What? It was amazing! I felt so fly and sexy, riding through the strollerville that is Park Slope in my hot little whip. Mommy's night out!!


I hung out at Scoop for awhile, and then I perused the other major Meatpacking stores, like DVF (got too tipsy on her signature cocktails), Stella McCartney (they were serving the most insane pizza), and the super-fashiony department store, Jeffrey's. They had a genius fashion illustrator there doing watercolor portraits of various revellers, and when he fixed his aqua eyes on me and murmured something about my "great neck," I simply had to have him sketch me. Here are the results! Excuse me while I get it matted and framed and then hung prominently over my couch...

By then it was like 11:30, and the girls I was with wanted to see what was happening in Soho, and I just wanted to go home to my girl. Which is where I went. But the night was truly fantastic, and totally memorable. A perfect kickoff to Fashion Week!! See you on Monday...
xoxo,
Tia

PS: Contest alert: “Got2b’s Hot Hollywood Hair-Do Rescue” campaign is asking you to share photos of how you’ve turned yesterday’s hair don’ts into hair dos! Simply submit before and after photos of your hair, or pics of your favorite styles. Then, select the got2b products that helped you go from drab to fab. The Grand Prize winner will receive a trip for two to the Us Weekly Hot Hollywood Event where he or she can hang out with top celebrities and enjoy the total red-carpet treatment!

Kick off your Sunday shoes...

Hey y'all,
Today and tomorrow, the lovely team at TotalBeauty is hosting a Blogger Summit for the top bloggers in their network (of which, claro que si, I am one). They treated us to a lovely day of checking out the fabulous new beauty launches at Kiehls, Chanel, and Molton Brown; and we even stopped in at the starry Warren Tricomi salon to hear tell of the latest and greatest in, well, hair. We also had the distinct pleasure of hitting up the office of Tractenberg & Co, one of Manhattan's top beauty PR agencies. The Talented T'berg Team gave us a sneak peak at many of their clients' fall/winter offerings! Loved, loved, loved this. Imagine, having two hours to peruse different dozens of tables stocked with your favorite brands new offerings...stuff no one has ever seen before. It was like beauty speed dating...and I wanted to take all of the prospective dates home. I'll be telling you about my favorite new fall products over the next couple of weeks, but I just wanted to quickly give a shout-out to a something I saw today that took my breath away. It's not one of the super-new ones, but it's an item I'm sure will change your life. Backstory: I am a fan of sole inserts. Not chic, but I'm not ashamed. My shoes and boots ALWAYS hurt me, no matter how expensive the leather or thoughtful the construction. Stilettos, especially. But I've never found an insert that I can convincingly rock in a fancy shoe without it showing or being all bulky and unsexy. WELL. Foot Petals Killer Kushionz ($12.95) have changed all that for me. This is the first-ever full insole that you can wear in heels! It's super-skinny, but still totally effective and cushy and yummy. You can even stick them in flats, or the most naked strappies you own. Brilliant, right? Why didn't I have these two years ago when I was covering the West Village Halloween parade for TheDailyNews.com, and I had to run around for hours in sky-high stilettoes dressed as the world's sluttiest flamenco dancer? Ah well, if I knew then what I know now...

In any event, I've already slapped these suckers in my four-inch Frye wooden platforms, which I plan to wear all Fashion Week, and also tomorrow night to the Fashion's Night Out party at Scoop, featuring Purple Lab goodies! Stop by if you're in town!
Love you ladies,
Tia

Sparkle, please

Hi ladies,
Okay, so mama has some thrilling news for eyeshadow devotees. You know Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Cream Shadow? The cosmetics queen has gone and one-upped herself by adding a touch of twinkle to the formula! Bobbi Brown Metallic Long-Wear Cream Shadow ($22) has that same incredibly velvety, satin-smooth texture that lasts and lasts, but now it also comes with the prettiest hint of sparkle! Just a swipe of the shadow on lids adds incomparable oomph to any moment--day, night, or in-between. Comes in eight fabulous shades, but my everyday favorite is Antique Gold (surprise!). Love it! Oh, and if you order today, you get the no-shipping-fee Labor Day discount.
xoxo,
Tia


PS...Who here would like to have seen Brad perform "Single Ladies" for Beyonce?

Oh, Oh, Ojon!

Hi ladies,
Hyperventilating. You've guys have heard of Ojon, right? It's the cult-favorite, deeply nourishing line containing no less than The Ancient Native Secret to glossy, gorgeous hair. Said secret? A rare oil found in the Central American Ojon tree that Tawira Indians have been using for more than 500 years ("Tawira" means "the people of beautiful hair." Any questions?). Their signature product, Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment ($55) basically set the beauty world on fire with it's exotically nutty scent and luxe texture (the highly-concentrated, waxy balm melts in your hand like some exquisite, um, elixir, and can be used as a moisturizing mask, a leave-in conditioner, or a shine booster). Anyway, the exciting news is that the brand is launching a new collection of Ojon Restorative Leave-in Treatments for Blondes, Brunettes, and Redheads, plus a clear shine for all colors ($29, each)!! Not only do the treatments contain light-reflecting Mica to add oomph to your color, they're blended with a zillion strand-strengthening ingredients to help keep hair healthy and extend the life of your shade. The treatments aren't out yet, but they'll be available at QVC.com in the next week or so...get into it, mama!!

Speaking of hair...I know me, my sisters, and my girlfriend Selene are not the only ones who've noticed that Kate Gosselin has a black girl hairstyle. For your snarking pleasure, here's Lauren's gallery of black celebrities with Kate's 'do, on AOL Black Voices. Too perfect.
xo,
Tia