Eyes

Sweetassgal here SO excited to let you all know my sojourn through the rocky landscape of unemployment was emotional and thank God... over!  I started a new job today just two weeks after I lost my job. I cannot begin to express how grateful I am considering the state of things in this world. If I didn't know any better I'd say all the wonderful Megheads who wished me well had a direct line to the head honcho upstairs because our prayers were answered big time. Thanks EVERYONE for your love and support. Time and time again you prove why Megsmakeup.com is the BEST site out there for unparalleled knowledge of the latest and greatest as well as the most incredible collection of women on the planet!

Having anticipated I would be losing my last job since Thanksgiving I have been what most would call "one tight-fisted stingy witch"! I'm talking old school, depression era baby, butt puckered so tight they could use it to seal a submarine kind of cheap. Upon the news of my pending employment I did something I haven't allowed myself to do in months. I hit my local CVS and gave myself carte blanche to buy anything I wanted... and without a coupon to boot!  Now I know there are women who would have run to the Chanel counter at Nordie's to satisfy this type of craving but I'm still conservative in these unsure times and a little red basket to fill at CVS gave me just the retail fix I needed. It was heaven!

I came away with some great little finds like a spritzer of my fave cheap perfume to keep at my new desk (Coty Wild Musk... just $5 and I swear I get so many compliments when I wear it), a cute little dual side mirror compact with daisy shaped rhinestones for at desk freshening and a few new organic options to try out from Physician's Formula. This week I've been testing out their Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Mascara to see how it stacks up against the other natural mascara's I've used in the past.

Meg here! This blast is for Monday and I'm sorry you're getting it so early but I have to leave and get Eleni from the airport in about an hour and we have a lot of work to do to prepare for our Meg Head road Trip to Philadelphia and DC. I need to have my stuff together and I really wanted to give props to this line that I'm loving-Clark's Botanicals.

Here's where the story of the line starts, it's an awful tragedy but uplifting to know that when life hands you lemons you can start anew. The founder of Clarks Botanical's name is Francesco Clark. He was working at Harper's Bazaar when he suffered a crippling spinal injury from diving into a pool.

Not only did Francesco lose his ability to walk, but with his central nervous system impaired, he lost his ability to even sweat. This lead to lots of skin issues. Nothing worked for him. He turned to his doctor father who also was skilled in homeopathic remedies and Clark's Botanicals was born.

SharonD here! As I mentioned in my last post, I love to experiment with eye makeup, in any color of the rainbow and then some. I am not afraid to try any color or mix any colors I can think of. Recently, Meg sent me an eye pencil called Molly, which was made in Germany and from a company called FACE Stockholm. I always love to research a company before trying their products and since I had never heard of Face Stockholm, I was ready for them to impress me.

The company was founded by Gun Nowak who was born in a small village in the Swedish countryside and had big plans to travel the world. In the 70’s and 80’s, she owned three of the hippest fashion boutiques in Sweden but could not find makeup to match the crazy neon fashions of the time. Nowak said she didn’t set out to do a makeup business per se, but when she couldn’t find the right colors anywhere she saw an opportunity. She opened her first shop in 1980 and it was an immediate success. Nowak needed help and turned to her daughter, Martina Afwidson, who was launching a singing career in New York, for help.  Martina could see the link between bringing out a woman’s inner beauty is the same as finding your inner voice; it is all about self expression.  Nowak adds, "Putting makeup on a woman is as intimate an experience as you'll find. It allows you to see who they really are. And Face Stockholm touches women. That is the part of our work that we both love."  In 1990 they opened their first store in the United States in Soho and now have 40 stores world wide along with mail order, the Internet and include a hotel amenities line as well as an eyewear collection.  Face Stockholm claim they are the only Swedish cosmetics company to give you makeup and skin care that is true to the Swedish beauty ideal—natural, trend-forward, simple, clean, gorgeous and fun! Needless to say, I was intrigued and on their website found out they carried more than 200 lip shades, over 150 eye shadows, blushes, foundations, powders, professional makeup tools, and a natural skin care line. They are eco-conscious, using minimal and recycled packaging and never testing on animals, which is very important to me.

Can the weather in your neck of the woods best be described as strange? Goddess Granny here and wondering if I'm the only one that's currently being subjected to the delights of sunny and 70 one day only to be plunged into the darkness of 30 and pouring rain the next: it's a lot like living in a kid's coloring book where you get to crayola-in all the strange details in the sky depending on your mood! The weather does tend to have a rather profound effect on my disposition and I find myself craving a bit more color these days although the precious groundhog hasn't yet made his declaration of the weather's future quite yet, I am SO very ready for SPRING and if I can't have it out my window, I'm going to smell like it and decorate my face with colors that make me happy!

Is there anything that has the potential to make a girl's heart skip a beat faster that a brand new selection of eyeshadows? Oh the possibilities! If, like me, you haven't yet been able or willing to score the amazing new goodies our dear friends at "Urban Decay" have been presenting, I'm here to set your lil' heads spinning yet again with the introduction of some quad-palettes that I personally am blown away by this dreary week!

This is a rather "new to me" line although I picked up a couple of basic items in the "Napoleon Perdis" line at a boutique in LA: You have already GOT to be half mad in love with a huggy-bear of a guy named "Napoleon" anyways, right? The fact that he's THE top makeup artist in Australia whose line is finally on the shelves of some super-cool places we love to shop is major and I'm dying to give just about everything I'm reading about as I research a try! He's a self-taught makeup genius who began his path by practicing on his own ever so glam MOM when he was 13! Countless faces and awards later,his amazingly varied line of gorgeous products are well known in AU and New Zealand and are  now available here,lucky us! As I understand, he has actually crated more than one line and has stand alone boutiques that showcase his creations as well and the now over 300 "Ulta" stores are stocking up on Napoleon. I LOVE that his intent is to "elevate your own natural beauty with confidence-enhancing products" as opposed to a specific "look" that may be dictated for a current season and his "Runway to Reality" philosophy for Spring 2010 really clicks with me! I want to be able to edit and choose what elements I can personally "handle" in my own look and with such a beautiful and colorful line,it's truly going to be a delight to dip into his selections. This is a brand dedicated to "vibrant,vivacious cosmetics." Sounds like our kind of fun :)

SharonD here! A few days ago I was looking at the area in my bathroom where I keep the cosmetic products I always grab first. I counted 32 eye palettes and I love them all. Only Gigi could top that, probably 3 or 4 times. I wonder how many I have stashed in the many baskets and boxes scattered around my bedroom. I am a person who likes to experiment with eye makeup. I mix, match, blend, line, smudge my way though any colors I feel like using that day. Choices don’t always come from the same palette as I also have many dozens of single eye shadows.

I got the chance to try TINte’s new Smoky Eye Matchbook. I had to admit I did not know much about TINte and wanted to see what other products the company offered. Their website says that that TINte Cosmetics was created from a feeling of a simpler time, a memory of pure innocence, the essence of youth and freedom. The Creator of is a modern day woman who remembers her first encounter with a lip gloss, a lip gloss with the color, aroma and flavor that launched her and a generation down the road to femininity. I found that interesting, however, I was more interested in the ingredients, philosophy and any charity organization they may sponsor and did not find this information on their site.  Do check their site for all the lip, nail, eye and cheek products they offer.  Bath and body products are to be added in the near future.