We had a great time! Check into The Fashion Bomb later for more pics of the event.

Prior to the event I had run into Macy’s to check out the shoes and wound up with these babies:

The ones at the top were on clearance for 50% off the original price and I had a 20% off coupon! Yess! #win

Then I electric slided over to the new Impulse Beauty section they have at Macy’s. Does your store have one? It’s almost like having a Sephora smack in the middle of the store—very similar to the concept of Sephora inside JCPenney. They carry brands like Dior, Clarisonic, Too Faced, Cargo, Urban Decay, etc. And the sales people (or at least the ones that helped me) are super energetic, friendly, and helpful. One young lady helping me out was so excited when I picked up Cargo Blush in Key Largo—mainly because she also had it on but probably because we share the same love for bright blushes. On darker skin a brighter color blush is ideal because the color shows up so well as opposed to something more subdued. I also picked up Too Faced Lip Insurance as a recommendation from Lipstick Fashion. Can’t wait to give it a test run.

Even earlier that day I hightailed it to Sephora because they had the highly coveted Urban Decay Naked Palette in stock. I saw swatches of it on Temptalia months ago, but was interested in only 3 of the shades. Then of course since makeup fanatics over the web were reporting that it was selling out like hotcakes, I then decided I wanted it…lol. Something about makeup being in limited supply but high demand makes me go crazy. So I picked it up–there wasn’t a tester for it on the display, so I had to buy it site unseen.

I got home, tried it out and it’s not for me. The shades are too warm for me and the 3 darker shades I thought I would like didn’t come out like I wanted. Blah.

And though not a purchase from this weekend, I did get some polishes in the mail the other day from Ginger + Liz. They have a line of cool polish colors that are coveted by celebs like Rihanna, Mary J. Blige, Rachel Zoe, the Kardashian sisters, and celebrity manicurist Kimme Kyees–just to name a few. I picked up Hold the Drama (a creamy midnight navy that shines a bit on the purple side) and Tough Luxe (a deep army green with gold sheen). They will be fall nail polish staples for me along with some other polishes I ordered from China Glaze: Liquid Leather (a gel finish deep black), Ruby Pumps (red with red shimmer), and Lubu Heels (a deep black with burgundy sheen). I can’t wait until I get then.

In other related nail polish news, I got the Sephora by OPI Only Gold for Me Top Coat mentioned in this post!

More China Glaze…

So that was my weekend! How was yours? What did you do/buy?

The Style and Beauty Doctor reader Ebony wrote in via Twitter asking for some new ideas for summer work makeup. She said she wants “something light and clean for the summer…but I’m obsessed with dark colors“.

Summer is such a season for bright colors, but if you work in a conservative work environment, brighter colors can be off the limits. While I wouldn’t wear a colorful eye to my conservative day job, I would (and do…lol) wear my brighter blush colors. In fact my work makeup has to be done in under 10 minutes (I like to hit the snooze button repeatedly) and in between lights on my drive in to work.

Last week my work face was: Becca Foundation Stick to cover dark spots, Make Up For Ever Super Matte Loose Powder, Illasmasqua Blush in Tweak with MAC By Candlelight Mineralize Skinfinish to highlight, Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in Mat Black with Sephora Nano Eyeliner Pencil in Glitter Black on eyes, Rimmel Glam’Eyes Lash Flirt, and Dior DiorAddict High Shine Lipstick in #714 Model Brown.

I pretty much wear the same look everyday—lined eyes, mascara, bright cheek, neutral or pink lip. Then on the weekends I go crazy with all my brights…lol.

Here’s some more summer work makeup ideas:

(click images to enlarge)

O-M-G. When I say don’t walk, but run to your drugstores and check out the new Cover Girl Liquiline Blast Eyeliner Pencils right now—I mean it, folks! Go!

With liquiline blast, you’ll get all the intensity and staying power of a liquid with the ease and blendability of a waterproof pencil. Use the liner as-is for intense definition or smoke-it-out with the built-in smudger end for a subtle, smoky look.

They come in six gorgeous shades including a shocking cobalt blue and a cool gold-green. I use them to kick up my bottom waterline area and since they’re waterproof they barely budge. Upon seeing swatches, I immediately contacted my homey Lipstick Fashion Mascara who joined in my delight and politely went and picked up three liners for herself…lol.

I picked up Green Glow (my favorite) and Silver Spark (grey sheen with shimmer), both pictured above in a pic that does NOT do them justice. Hey, I’m no photographer…lol.

I also had Blue Boom in my hand, but when the cashier at Walgreens told me they were $9.49 each, I put it back…lol. It’s not easy finding these in my local drugstores (not surprising) but I’m going to check my Walmart for them this weekend and also pick up Blue Boom and Violet Voltage. They should be at least $2 cheaper at Walmart.

They work well for all skin tones, too.

Check out more swatches at Temptalia.

Designer Rachel Roy loves a simple yet striking makeup look. She pairs black eyeliner with a perfect pout like nobody’s business! Get her look with a simple black eyeliner pencil like Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner in Mat Black 0L and a bright orange-red lipstick like MAC Lady Danger. After you line your eyes, gently smudge the lines with a brush like MAC #214 or with the edge of a makeup wedge. Add a coat or two of mascara. Then dust bronzer on the hollows of the cheek to contour and add a peachy blush on top like NARS Blush in Gina to highlight. Simple yet hot!

Tools of the Trade:

More Too Faced…

Since my hair is very thick and very porous, any hint of humidity will cause my hair to go limp. This is exactly why I do mostly wash & wear buns in the summer—no sense in wasting money on a blowout. But there are times when I want a little extra if I’m going somewhere nice and would prefer not to look like the cowardly lion…lol. Since I really love many of the products in the Moroccanoil line, I decided to buy their Luminous Hairspray after it was peaking out at me when I was at my salon.

What Luminous Hairspray says:
• Weightless Hold
• Enhances Shine
• Leaves Hair Manageable
• Leaves no Residue

What I Say:
If you have dry, relaxed hair like me, you know that if you want to keep the hair on your head to avoid most products containing drying alcohols which many hairsprays do. What I like about Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray is that it adds shine to the hair and gives a soft hold to my hair without that super-drying crispy look you can get with many hairsprays. I won’t use it everyday, but it’s now my go-to for when I want to wear my hair out and it’s super humid out.

Check out moroccanoil.com for locations.