Colorful Cause - Werk!

An official "Happy New Year!" from LPG to you! We've been seriously M.I.A (yet, unfortunately, not IN MIA) but, we're ramping up to bring you some serious excitement and activity in the coming days and weeks! In the meantime, we wanted to share some uber- cool news that we're pretty inspired by (from INSTYLE online): 

Gwen Stefani and Urban Decay Are Teaming Up for a Beautiful Cause

BY: MARIANNE MYCHASKIW

Thanks to Gwen Stefani and Urban Decay, your go-to shadow primer now does more than just extend the staying power of your Naked 3 Palette. The star and brand have joined forces to launch The Ultraviolet Edge, an initiative created by Urban Decay co-founder Wende Zomnir that aims to donate $500,000 toward organizations that help empower women—and that’s just in its first year running. Over the next five years, The Ultraviolet Edge and Urban Decay hope to raise $3 million in donations for charities devoted to making the world a better place for women, starting with a tube of primer.

To kick off the initiative, Urban Decay just launched a limited-edition version of their famed Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Enigma ($20; urbandecay.com), a new matte formula, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward the Women’s Global Empowerment Fund to provide micro loans, literacy programs, as well as business and leadership training to women in post-war Uganda. The Enigma shadow primer is the first in a series of products to come that will benefit The Ultraviolet Edge, and fun fact, the proceeds from just three tubes can fund a life-changing micro loan for one woman.

So, how does Gwen factor into the equation? Stefani and Zomnir go way back, to the mid-’90s to be exact, when both Urban Decay and No Doubt were both new to the scene. Also hailing from Orange County and falling in-line with the brand’s cool-girl aesthetic, Stefani seemed like the obvious choice for the partnership. Instead of calling attention to the product as most would in a traditional release, the star will increase awareness for the cause, and encourage fans to make a change in the world.

“Like us, she has a history of breaking down barriers,” Zomnir says in a release. “We dig Gwen’s innate ability to set trends and defy expectations. She also shares our passion for empowering women, and will help give this initiative the attention it deserves.” Head over to urbandecay.com now to pick up a tube of the Eyeshadow Primer Potion, which will donate the full $20 toward the cause, and to find out more about The Ultraviolet Edge.

We LOVE this nod to female empowerment! And who doesn't LOVE new products! Kudos to Gwen and UD! 

Fall onto the Dark Side!

My favorite season is finally here! Cue the comfy sweaters, pumpkin flavored coffee, and burgundy lips. It's taken me a while to find a dark lip look that I am comfortable with, as I am not a huge fan of dark lips (on myself). I wanted to share with you some products I found that help achieve the dark fall lip look on fair skin tones, without looking too dramatic.

The look I am wearing here is just  the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in 'Damned' (this is so flattering on different skin tones), and I lined my lips with MACs lip pencil in 'Vino'. I added a dab of the DIOR ADDICT gloss #981 (from their Fall 2013 collection) in the center.

For a less dramatic night look, stick to the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in 'Damned' and use MUFE waterproof lipliner in color '10C' instead.

Bonus: Checkout some of my favorite pics of my beautiful site-mates rocking the look! 


Friday Favorites

This morning was such a struggle for me! My alarm didn't go off and when I did wake up, I couldn't seem to peel myself out of bed.  A happy Friday it was not - so I decided to use some of my favorite things to get me going and I thought I would share them with you!

 

The shower gel that I use after my workouts (yes I have different shower gels for different moods/needs, doesn’t everyone?) is the best smelling shower gel I have used so far!  I usually hate the way verbena smells on me but the added combination of grapefruit and musk in Sonia Kashuk's Yellow Alluriana shower gel is perfect. You can find the entire Yellow Alluriana collection at a Target near you. It will wake you and your senses up.

YellowAlluriana.jpg

 Since the traffic is usually lighter on Fridays, I decided to pamper myself a bit more and use one of my favorite body scrubs as well.  Today I used Flake Away by Soap & Glory since I'll also be scrubbing my tub tonight.  I love the way my skin feels after I exfoliate but sometimes, I cannot stand the leftover residue/oil slick some scrubs leave behind. Pulp Friction from Soap & Glory is another option for those on the go. It buffs off those dead layers of skin, turns into a foam, and is a better alternative if you don't want to impersonate James Brown the next time you step into your tub.  You could use that by itself and kill two birds with one stone, but why not spend a little bit more time enjoying the little things in life? Plus, the Fruitigo™ fragrance (frozen yuzu, orange oil, and jungle pomelo notes) compliments the grapefruit and the verbena in the Yellow Alluriana shower gel. Follow your exfoliation session with the Butter Yourself body butter, also from Soap & Glory, and your skin will feel like heaven! You can thank me before you place your order on Sephora.com and after you have treated yourself.

Pick up some of these products over the weekend and let me know what you think. Have a great Labor Day weekend beauties!!!

-Cam

Dior Vernis Gel Shine and Long Wear Nail Lacquer

Dior Cosmetics recently introduced a new way to polish your nails in luxury - Dior Vernis Gel Shine and Long Wear Nail Lacquer.  This new formula claims to provide glassy, long-wearing shine.  It definitely finishes like a gel (nice shine!), however, it does NOT wear like one. Dior nail polishes are notorious for chipping quickly so, I'm not really surprised by that. This version lasted longer than their other formula but, it started chipping horribly by day 5.

 

Pros: I love the packaging and the precision brush applies the ideal amount of polish. I'm also quite fond of the gorgeous color range! 

Cons: I can't stand the chipping, and at $25 USD per bottle, I hate it even more. This polish chips more than Lay's. Ugh. 

Dior Vernis Gel Shine and Long Wear Nail Lacquer- Mirage #338

Dior Vernis Gel Shine and Long Wear Nail Lacquer- Mirage #338

Celebrating in Color!

Guess what? Make Up For Ever's turning 30! I remember MUFE's 25th birthday like it was yesterday. It brought us die-hards a year of limited edition products and packages. Loved them all! What they have in store for us, with this monumental anniversary, is even better, though: 210 new artist eye shadows!!! Yes, 210!!  I wonder if they're going to be able to top my fave - #92. Hmmm... Either way, I can't wait until their debut! 

xo - Breezy

Thanks to Cosmo for this tip! 

Thanks to Cosmo for this tip!