Best Beauty Finds of 2012

I thought it would be fun to do a recap of my top five favorite beauty finds of 2012. We all know how much I enjoy trying new products (incidentally, this year I am going to be using up and/or swapping my stash of products in the name of frugality), and so here are the best of the bunch!

1. Bare Escentuals Matte Foundation: I'll admit that mineral foundation has never really interested me—call me a makeup snob, but I never could bring myself to really buy into the mineral craze Well, after trying it out last year,I'm a convert now! I need to do a proper review, but I have found mineral foundation to be an excellent fit for my skin type and coverage needs—and, believe it or not, Bare Escentuals Matte foundation photographs really, really well! It's been my go-to foundation for the past several months, so much so that I've actually tossed a lot of my foundation stash. It may not work for everyone, but it's a definite 'win' for me!
2. Bare Escentuals Ready Eyeshadow Duo in The Nick of Time: I tried out this pressed shadow duo at the same as the BE foundation, and found it to be a real winner too. Both shades have a fabulous buttery texture, last incredibly well, and are non-irritating. The shades really make my green eyes pop—Chance is a creamy pinkish white (similar to MAC Vapour), and Kismet is a rich, plummy brown (similar to MAC Haux.) As a side note, Kismet closely resembles the foundation shade Max Factor created for Lena Horne (named Light Eygptian), which supposedly was used as an eye shadow on Caucasian actresses in the 40s.
3. Kiss Me Blinc Mascara: This is a tubing mascara, which means that it stays on until you are ready to remove it with warm water-no flaking or smearing ever. I have sensitive eyes prone to irritation (which means they water like crazy until the offending product is gone), and being pale, I like to wear brown mascara instead of black. Blinc mascara comes in a great medium brown shade perfect for blondes and redheads (it comes in black as well), and doesn't bother my eyes at all—it's a must-have for anyone with sensitive eyes.
4. VanityMark Brow Pencil in Blondie: As someone with nearly colorless brows, a good brow product is a must-have for me. I prefer pencils to powders, but regardless of product type, I have always had a hard time finding the right shade. Most products marketed for blondes are too dark, too taupe/ash, or too orangey for my coloring, making for a frustrating search. VanityMark Blondie is the perfect neutral beige shade, easy to apply, and long lasting too. So, unless I happen to be lured by the siren call of another magical brow product, I'll be sticking with this!
5. Natural Calm: Now, this isn't technically a beauty product—but it is health-related, and health plays a role in appearance. For years, I have suffered from migraines, and over time, the number of migraines I was getting each month, as well as the length and intensity of the headaches, increased. I've tried several prescription medications, but found the side effects were much worse than the cure, and so I was resigned to suffering through three to five migraines a month. That is, until I read that a magnesium supplement can help reduce or eliminate migraines. I ordered a bottle of Natural Calm, a flavored powder you mix with water, and started taking a dose every day. In the past four months, I've had a total of three migraines—a huge improvement! If any of my readers also suffer from migraines, you may want to check this one out.

Well, these were my top five finds of 2012! What were your favorites?
 
xoxo,
Amanda Lee

Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a wonderful new year!

I have to say that 2012 was a good year for me, but I have a feeling 2013 will be an even better one. I'm not making any specific resolutions, but I am changing my way of thinking--replacing "I'll try to..." with "I'll do...". I've got a lot of plans in the works, and this year I'm going to stop trying, and do them!

Tomorrow I'll be posting my must-have beauty finds of 2012, so stay tuned!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

Merry Christmas!

Wishing all my friends and family a very Merry Christmas!

 

xoxo,

Amanda Lee

 

Besame Giveaway

The lovely Technicolor Cutie is hosting a Besame giveaway on her blog--the contest ends tomorrow, so hurry on over to enter!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

Rat Rod Girl

Back in September I attended the Las Vegas, Nevada stop of the 2012 Rat Rod Magazine Tour.  The 5&Diner brought the official Diner car to this event, and they invited me and another employee (the lovely and sweet Erin, she's the one in the cherry print dress in the photo below) to help them promote the restaurant at their booth.  Of course I couldn't pass up such an opportunity, and even though it was blisteringly hot that weekend, I had a great time!

The magazine held a pinup contest, and though I didn't win, each of the participants was featured in a one-page photo spread in a special edition of the magazine.  This issue just came out, and I excitedly picked up a copy last night.  I'm quite thrilled wth the shots, the photographer was very talented and got some great photos of each of the contestants!

I'm wearing one of my all-time favorite outfits, a 1940s strawberry print jersey playsuit paired with red 40s-style shoes and fruit cocktail earrings. 

xoxo,
Amanda Lee   

Secret Garden

A few weeks ago I had a photo shoot with Matt Carson at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum.  Per our usual luck, there was some sort of special event going on that day, which meant the gardens were fairly crowded.  However, I feel Matt did a wonderful job of creating the feel of a secret garden in these photos!

You'll recognize my peach lace and brown cotton patio dress as the same one I wore for my shoot as a redhead.  I think the warm tones suit blonde hair equally well, don't you?

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

Early Spring Cleaning

Over the past few months I have been working on a major closet overhaul, as my clothing collection has been bursting at the seams for some time (read: years) now. Though it has been hard to part with some pieces, I've been trying very hard to look at each item with a more critical eye. Mind you, I'll never be a fashion minimalist, but I have come to terms with the fact that I can't keep it all!

When I first began collecting, the thrill of the vintage find had me snapping up every article of clothing from the 1940s and 50s that I came across, regardless of whether the item in question was a flattering color or style. In addition, taking up a regular exercise routine three years ago changed my figure rather dramatically, and items that once fit (or styles that once suited me) were simply no longer flattering. This left me with a rather large pile of clothing that I never wore, and I decided it was finally time to do something about it. I've sold quite a number of things to my best gal pals, which is nice as I still get to see some of my beloved vintage now being worn and enjoyed :-) I also recently consigned a large number of pieces with the fabulous seller denisebrain. She has started adding some of my collection to her Etsy store; currently she has a pair of 1960s gold loafers, a pair of 1940s chocolate brown platforms, a 1930s black rayon crepe dress (featured in the picture above), and a 1940s double breasted suit jacket for sale her in Etsy shop. I thought I'd give my readers a heads up, as she will be listing a number of 1930s-50s clothing soon—everything from cocktail and evening frocks, to day wear, and shoes. I'll be sure to give you an update once the other items are listed!
  xoxo,
Amanda Lee