Learn to love liquid liner....

Two years ago I stumbled upon a fabulous pen-style liquid eyeliner and it was love at first use.  After years of using traditional pencil liners as well as the click-up "automatic" liner, I dumped them both for my new bestie, 'felt' pen-style liquid liner. 

Admittedly I was intimidated by classic liquid liner because you need such a steady hand to apply it properly and unfortunately my hands are really shaky.

 I mean I'm super shaky...as bad a Lindsay Lohan on day 2 of 30 day rehab stint.  

And since liquid liner sets so quickly and the color is so dark, any mistakes you make (janky zig-zag lines) can quickly ruin your whole eye look and you have to start over...

{just say no to this mess in a bottle} 

This is where a pen-liner comes to the rescue. It offers the smooth, controlled application of a pencil liner without the goopy, unforgiving nature of the dip-in-liquid/cream with a tiny brush type of liner.

{some of my fave liners: Wet n' Wild Mega eyes, Smashbox Limitless Liquid Liner, NYX Liquid Liner in Dark Brown}

The line is clean, bold, and you can easily control the thickness of it from inner eye to outer eye. 

Want cat eyes or maybe a more subtle slightly winged look? A pen-liner makes it easy peasy and anyone can create a gorgeous look, it just takes a little practice.

Of course for the lower lash line I still rely on my traditional kohl pencil liners, but for the upper lash line you can't beat the finished look you achieve with a pen-liner. Perfection!

Check out mama-to-be Beyonce's look, her makeup is totally simple and clean- just a nude lip and some bold liner on the top. How easy is that? Very.

Just about every major drug-store brand of makeup has a pen-style liner so it's definitely worth a try. 

You'll never bother with messy liquid liner again...you can thank me later.   :)

images via google

Quick Mall Haul....

Being that today was Kid #1's last day of school I decided to hit the mall while he was still at kindergarten and shop with only one urchin child by my side. Trying on clothes with a 2 year old is an exercise in futility but I really wanted to grab a few things before holidays start and our days get really busy. Plus the summer sales are so great right now that you'd be crazy not to shop...

Layered Chiffon top from OId Navy- $8.99
 Stripped tank from Old Navy- $5.00

More Michael Kors...

 From The Bay -Michael Kors Runway with Glitz chronograph watch in gold.  I decided to just go ahead and grab it. It's big, heavy and flashy. Love it.

V-Neck Dolman blouse and Navy Chiffon Tiered Tank- Suzy Shier

From Sephora- Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation. Time to see if its $42.00 price is worth all the hype. I'm pretty much looking for perfection in a bottle with full coverage. Is this too much to ask?

Living Proof -Full Thickening Cream. Best product for thin/fine hair ever. Period. 

And a gift for my mother-in-law who I'm visiting in 3 weeks time, her fave Clinique products- Dramatically different moisturizing lotion and Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle and UV Damage Corrector

Shopping! For Japan...

In honor of the blogging day of silence for the disaster in Japan I thought that it was most definitely worth mentioning that FOREVER 21 is participating in a promotion to help with the relief efforts. If ever there was a day to online shop it's today because they are donating every dollar you spend. Let's get shopping girls!

SHOP FOREVER 21 ONLINE TODAY!

Tidings of Great Joy...

I'm going to tell you a bit about my tidings of great joy. The cosmetic gods decided to answer my materialistic and superficial prayers (real prayers are reserved for the Guy Upstairs only...I don't throw my prayers around willy-nilly.) And they gifted me with a phone call from Sephora to say that my Urban Decay Naked Palette had finally arrived *cue celestial chorus of angels singing*, and that I needed to get my derrière over there to pick it up before they gave it to some other biznatch who coveted it more than me (as if that was possible.)

Behold the much hyped, much reviewed, much desired item of cosmetic genius and mastery.

I've been stalking this little beauty at Sephora for months and of course it's always sold out. It's sold out everywhere. Always. But not for me. Not anymore.

via

I won't bother swatching or reviewing this palette. It's only been done by 1000 other beauty bloggers 1000 other times. Let's just say it's amazing. 

Eye-shadow-nirvana. 

If they're ever back in stock you should most definitely grab one. (Only a few come available at a time, some b.s. about a supply issue on one of the main ingredients it's made with.) Maybe it's all just a master plan by Urban Decay to create a frenzy around their newest product. Not available you say?...that just makes me want it even more. It's simple psychology yo...

It comes with a small bottle of the ubiquitous Urban Decay Primer Potion (to de-oilify your lids), and a double ended black and brown 24/7 liner. Could this get any better? No.

Is the Urban Decay Naked Palette on your wish List? If not it should be...Mama says so! 

Shopping is necessary AND important

Mama's been shopping today in preparation for our trip to the fashion Motherland - Europe. 

As always, I've managed to pick up a pile of new pieces without spending mucho dinero...
July means end of spring/early summer sales...you'd be crazy not to shop. Like, a lot.

Forever XXI is perhaps my new fave store? Honestly I figured the name pretty much spelled out who exactly has any biznaz shopping there. But they have plenty of great stuff for those who are not, ahem, 21.
I picked up these tops, which I think would look great with a thick waisted black belt.

None of these tops were over $35.00. I love their accessories and they're practically giving them away.  $6.99 for a necklace you say?  Can I get a price check? 

From Suzy Shier I grabbed this black belted halter dress with a bronzed coin bib front for $35.99. Cute for going out for a casual dinner, no? 

I picked up this Lori M Collection dress for $39.99 at The Bay and these Bandalino heels from the Nine West outlet for $36.00 (reg. $80.00). I also snagged a studded belt (similar to this one) from Laura for $12.99.

Pull out your calculators kids, not a lot of moolah was spent today.  This brings me some serious joy, thrills, elation satisfaction.  Do you get excited by finding the dealz too?

Grow Grow Grow

Lately there's been a swack of products claiming they can help make your eye lashes look fuller, longer, and more fabulous. Fabulous is good right, so I've decided to jump on the lash-growing-miracle bandwagon. L'Oreal's Lash Serum claims that it can overhaul your scrawny lashes and turn them into gloriously long, conditioned and fuller lashes. After about a month of using the Lash Serum I'd have to agree that my lashes do appear to be fuller and stronger (less fallout.) But are they longer? Hard to say. I want to say that they are but there isn't any actual medicinal ingredient in it that would cause actual lash growth. But for the price it is a decent product and if you're committed to applying it everyday it's worth it.

I'd really like to get my hands on the by prescription only product Latisse that Brooke Sheilds is pushing  promoting right now. But I'd feel kinda silly asking my doctor for an Rx. "Yes, I'd like a prescription for lash growth liquid in a bottle.... no seriously."  He's a great doctor but he's also a "woman, don't you come up in here wastin' my valuable time!" kind of doctor.  But just check out Brooke's results below. Tough to beat!!  Maybe it's time to hit up an internet pharmacy?? 

I've also heard a lot about the Phyto line of vitamin supplements that are supposed to make your hair grow stronger, thicker and FASTER.  From Sephora's website: Harnessing the power of natural elements, each daily dose of this nourishing vitamin, essential fatty acids, and antioxidant blend promotes healthy hair growth, strengthens nails, illuminates skin, and fortifies (and lengthens) lashes. Hair regains its density and shine.  Sounds pretty awesomesauce to me!

Any product that can improve my tragically thin, fine hair would indeed be a miracle in a bottle.  I'm up for that...bring on the hair growing magic!  I seriously have the slowest growing head of hair in the world. I can go months between highlight touchups. So will taking this stuff make my hair grow faster, thus requiring more visits to the salon? Hmmm all in the name of thicker, more fabulous hair right?!

 I swallowed the $75.00/bottle price tag. And since the product seems pretty natural with a lot of different oils in it maybe it'll work?  The helpful sales assistant at Sephora did warn me that her husband tried the stuff and he had to give it up because it sent him running to the potty, it apparently has a bit of a laxative effect (mother- frack, why does everything have to have side effects?!)  Fingers crossed my tummy won't betray me on this one. Glorious hair, I'm expecting you to arrive within 6-8 weeks with the following results:

{I'd take the great hair, AND the great body....}

Mazel, Mazel! Good things!

That's one of my favourite lines from Alec Baldwin in "Along Came Polly"...anyway. I had to share this new product from Sephora with you and it most definitely is a "good thing!"  I've notice that the store has been pushing this new line of hair care products and I finally broke down and bought it the other day. It is indeed fabulous, and while I've only tried the "full of body thickening cream" it really does just that!
Unfortunately I have some seriously thin hair but am in love with full, thick, long hair a la Victoria's Secret Angels.  The hair-gods have not been kind, and Mama has suffered with limpy-lame hair for way too long.

{images, Sephora}

But in a sea of craptastic hair products, this thickening cream is pretty darn good. My hair was visibly fuller after drying (that's when I can immediately tell if a product sucks or not). So since I'm feeling so good about this Living Proof product, I'm going to do a give-away of a bottle of their Full thickening cream.  One lucky randomly selected winner is soon going to have full, luxurious hair. Gorgeous and fabulous! 

{win me!}

 Here are the rules and you too can become a Big Winner!

1.  To enter become a follower of Fabulous! Pasta Not Included and leave a comment about why your hair needs this. (I guess I want other people to share their personal hair misery/challenges and whine about why they need help with it. Makes me feel better knowing I'm not the only one with hair "issues".)
2. You must be a resident of the United States OR Canada (that's right, it's open to ALL North Americans!)

I'll randomly select a winner next Friday, March 5th, 2010

You'll be loving this product, enter NOW NOW NOW!   " Mazel, Mazel! Good things!!!!"

Run out and buy this. NOW

It's not very often that I can honestly say a beauty product is actually amazing. We're bombarded with marketing slogans, and glossy images of beautiful women who's lives are transformed thanks to the new and improved products their using....  "maybe she's born with it..."     Yes. Obviously she's born with it, that's why she's a model.

 98% of the time it's BUNK.

But this little wunder is not bunk, it's fabulous!
I'm always chasing the dream of long, separated, full eye lashes. (ok, it's a lame dream, but whateva)
 While mine naturally have a good curl, they're fairly average in length. (thus my recent love-affair with false lashes!)
So from Target I picked the new L'oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara with the globe shaped brush.   It's a make-up miracle!!!  (how had I not heard of this product before now? Am I living under a rock?!)

How could this be any different from any other mascara out there? IT JUST IS. The round brush changes everything, I actually see a significant change in my lashes, longer and so separated. It's even great for getting at the tiny hard to reach lashes at the corner of the eye. Too good to be true?  No. it's real. 
While it's not going to replace my falsies, it sure is a fantastic everyday option. I'm in lurve!

Run along now, go pick one up!