Ho, ho, ho! Holiday LOVVVESSSS AND HATTTTESSSS

Merry Christmas, Happy No World Ending, etc, ETC!

Hope all of you Iowans survived the ice/snow storm.  The studio internet is rockin' again and I have some catching up to do on here.  The good news about being iced in with no internet for a few days the week before Xmas is that FOR ONCE, I was all done wrapping BEFORE Christmas.  Yay!! Unlike most of the population, I really LIKE late Christmas shopping.  What can I say, I work better under pressure.  The only problem I endure with it is the massive amounts of last-min wrapping every year.  The husband is never impressed because he has to help me when I start coming unraveled in a sea of scissors, tape and paper at 2:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve Eve.  But not this year :)

I am HUGE on shopping local when you can.  This is a big deal in my world.  Sorry, but you can't shop totally local when it comes to makeup...that's where Sephora comes in.

Anyway, here are a couple of my FAVORITE local haunts:

#1 - Mint Green Boutique!  Love love in love with this store!  It's a mixture of vintage, handmade, recycled and new clothing and accessories.  I've been loving this store for a few years and you should, too!  It is sooooo cute!  They have a new location in the Village of East Davenport and it's darlingggg.  Hello, they sell wine glasses with owls stenciled on them and t-shirts that say "You've cat to be kitten me."  What more can you want?!

I bought two of the cuuuuutest winter sweaters there and I've been wearing them non-stop.  I get tons of people asking me, "OMG where did you buy your sweater!?" when I'm out and about...you know it's money well spent when complete strangers stop and ask me EVERY TIME I'm rockin' them.

Photo stolen from Mint Green's FB page :)

When I put it on yesterday, Will goes, "That a huge shirt!"  HAHA.  Luv it.

Here is the other one, photo also stolen from Mint Green:

I've been rocking these guys with my previously-blogged about boots.  Not having a skinny day?  No worries - you can fit a small army in here with you so just wrap up and roll out.  When I put mine on the other day, Will said, "That a huge shirt!"  Yes, it is, buddy :)


#2 - Zum Bar Soap by Indigo Wild (Kansas City) and The SoapBox (Dav) - OMGGGGG!!!!!  I've recently become obsessed with yummy local (or local-ish) soaps.  My obsession started when I passed a display in the health section at HY-VEE (of all places!!) and was stopped dead in my tracks.  I was like, "OMG what is that smell?!  It smells like the yoga studio!!!"  One of my fave yoga studios smells so delicious but I never really could figure out what the smell was - some type of beach flowers mixed with spices mixed with world peace.  Anyway, randomly at Hy-Vee, I find these beautiful soaps by Indigo Wild, based out of Kansas City.  Belle and I are now obsessed.  We are have been rocking the Oatmeal Lavender, Lemon Lavender, Sea Salt, Citrus-Mint, etc.  It's a serious decision whenever we open a new bar because we want to open them all and start using them all immediately.  

[Photo courtesy of Indigo Wild] and now that I've seen this pic, I want to order that giant gift box!  Ha!

Belle and I are allergic to everything so if we aren't allergic to it, there is no way you are either.  Supposedly, all Hy-Vee Health Markets carry the Zum products.  I am excited for my next trip to KC when I can check out the actual store and the stuff Hy-Vee doesn't carry.  Until then, I shall shop at Hy-Vee and at Indigo Wild's online store.

Alright, so during my Xmas adventures I stop into The Soapbox in the Village of East Davenport.  I have noticed this store in the past but never stopped.  WHY OH WHY!  In.love.  THEY HAVE SO MANY AWESOME THINGS!  From higher-end like Crabtree & Evelyn to local cute soaps, they have everything.  Yum.  Smells divine in there, too.  I was so happy to find that joint; IT WAS PERFECT!  I bought a bunch of Christmas prizes for people there: holiday soap sets made in Davenport by Iowa Naturals and lotions made in Bettendorf by Paige Meadows.


#3 - Von Maur  LOVVVVVE it always and forever.  I totally consider Von Maur "local" because they ARE based in the Quad Cities!  :)  Don't want to go to that family holiday gathering that your husband is trying to convince you to go to??  Consider extorting some new boots from Von Maur out of him in exchange for your attendance.  Trust me on this one.  ;)

And right outside of Von Maur (at least the mall closest to us):  "Santa at the Mall."  CLASSIC!!!  Love it.


HHHHAAAATTTTESSSS

#1 - I hate that I always forget when the good holiday cartoons are on or I remember and can't watch them.  Charlie Brown, Rudolph, etc.  No bueno!

#2 - OK, here is the deal!  I mean this in a very positive way, I swear.  I really wish the Salvation Army would let me pay a flat fee in advance and I could have some kind of badge to flash the bell ringers!  I cannot carry cash!  It's a serious problem I have...like an ailment.  If I have $1.00, I will stop at the pop machine in Maysville and spend $1.25 on a Diet Mt. Dew for no reason.  If I have $50 in my wallet, I spend $51 somehow.  I do much better with plastic.  And, as mentioned above, I cover A LOT of ground in the couple weeks before Christmas.  I literally cannot pay off all of these hundred bell ringers I see because I never have cash and I feel so HORRIBLE!

#3 - I hate how fast Christmas is over.  It seems like the little ones unwrap presents in two seconds flat.  Until next year!


Well, happy unwinding, putting away toys and gift card spending to all!  :)

Thanks for reading!!  Have a wonderful night of recovery!  xoxo!!

Much love!
Ann

Whoa!

How did I not know this!?!?

I haven't stopped giving props to Benefit's Hello Flawless! for at least three years now.  I can't even count the number of people I know who are now hooked on this stuff.  It's the be-all/end-all of foundations, I say!

For the past few years, the only Benefit "foundation," as far as I knew(!!), was the Hello Flawless powder that works AAAAMAZZZZINGGG!  I thought it was truuuue lovvvvve until my recent trip to fake Sephora and discovered they have a liquid line of my beloved Hello Flawless!  Wait...what!?

To make a long story short, I tried to avoid it since I'm alwayssss tragically allergic to liquid foundations (the SPF).  When I checked out, however, the girl saw all of the points I've racked up in my VIB account and we start getting into serious discussions about how great the VIB program is, etc.  She reminded me that she could make me a sample of anything in the store.  Twice.  I think it was fate.  I had her box up a big sample of liquid Hello after she color matched me.  After that baby was gone, and I wasn't allergic (not yet anyway!), I made my way back to fake Sephora and sealed the deal.  Here is the link!

I'm think I'm in love.  The color is perfect (thanks to her color matching...I NEVER trust my own judgement on my color) and this stuff is so light and lovely.  Ahhhh...I am feeling cuter and happier already!

How fun are the color names, too?  Mine is "I'm Pure 4 Sure."  Benefit knows me so well :)  :)

Thank you so much for reading!!  Happy, happy week!!  Only a few more days until Xmas!!  xoxo!!

Mucho love,
Ann

LOVVVVESSS of 2012 #4

So, one day this summer my fab stylist Brian intros me to their "new luxury line, Oribe."  I was already sold.

I have previously professed my love for Bumble & Bumble's Surf Spray (also recommended by Brian!) and he said Oribe's Dry Texturing Spray (found here) ($39) was a similar product.  Now, this I needed, for sure.  I am grateful for all of the wonderful things I was born with but good hair just wasn't one of them.  I have to work to make it even sub-par.  Randomly, I have a lot of hair but it's a fine, silky, stick-straight mess with absolutely no body.  Let's not even go into the natural color of it.

OMG love this stuff!  I really believe Surf Spray gives the feeling you just left the beach.  LOVE IT and will always use it.  I am also a fan of Oribe's Dry Texturing Spray because it's not as heavy as Surf Spray but I can spray it at the roots and make my non-body-havin' hair have some fluff & stuff.  I use this every day, sometimes with Surf Spray, sometimes without.  It smells so delicious, too.

Must have!  Definitely on my Favorites of 2012 list!!!  :)  :)  :)

Have a rockin' evening, everyone!

Mucho love!!!
Ann :)

Good News :)

Confession! Of course I was THRILLED to notice HOOLA has a matching sister lipgloss. Thank God!

I love it!! I've been rocking it all day :)

Xoxo!! Mucho love!!
Ann :)

LOVVVVVESSSS 2012 #3

It's official!  Today...I fell...in...love!  With "LOVVVVVVES 2012 #3!"

I have been in a blush rut as of late, and since I'm blogging again, I decided I should consider finding a new blush for the blog.  We all know I am Benefit Cosmetics' biggest fan, so, naturally, I started at the Benefit section of Sephora.com.  As a general rule, I just love their little boxed blushes...they are so cute!

My eyes stopped on HOOLA ($28) again for the 1,005th time in three or so years.  Bronzer...hmmm.  All of my BFF's are bronzed goddesses, even when they don't tan for months, so they swear by bronzer and it looks gorgeous on them.  I, on the other hand, have to wear SPF 90 (in the shade) and still end up somehow burning.  I have tried tons of bronzers in my life, always vying for that "sun-kissed beachy look."  Let's just say it never ends well...yikes!

I started reading the rave reviews on HOOLA and even found several reviews from fair-skinned chicas posting about how "amazing" it is and how "everyone needs to try this..." etc etc...etc.

This I had to see it in person.  I rendezvous'd over to our fake JCP Sephora (ugh) and zoned in on the HOOLA.  To be honest, I wasn't totally sold by looking at it but I decided to put my trust in the fabulous reviews...THANK GOD!

I am IN LOVE!  INNNN LOVE!!!  Granted, it doesn't look like much but it is ohhhh soooo fabulous.  I can't live without it.  I thought back to one of the reviews that mentioned using a small round brush with it to make it more even.  I did the same!!  LOVE!!  It really is the PERFECT COLOR like everyone said!

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!  Get some HOOLA and make it even better!!  xoxo!!

Mucho love to you all!!
Ann

LOVVVVESSSS OF 2012 #2!!

Whoa!  That was close!  It is 11:25 p.m.!  :)

My second true love of 2012 comes in the form of BOOTS.  I am seriously as obsessed with cowgirl boots as I am mascara, so you know they are ROCKIN'!

Frye is one of my favorite brands.  Soooo comfortable, soooo adraoble and I just love their vintage-ish look.  In fact, I wore these babies Christmas shopping today and had about five compliments on them!  :)  I bought them on zappos.com...love the zapp!  

HAPPY HOLIDAY SHOPPING!!  

Mucho love to you all!  xoxo!!

Ann

Lovvvvesssss of 2012 #1

**Cues trumpets**

An now, for Edition #1 of my LOVVVVESSS.  Sorry I have to spread it out over a few days but I am trying to post every day!  And let's be honest: I live on a farm...I don't have as much to write about as when I lived "in the big city" (haha).

OKAY!!  This may not be all beauty-related but here we goooo!

#1:  Nook.

I'll admit it.  Growing up, I was *kind of* a book nerd.  I rocked the V.C. Andrews and Stephen King like nobody's business.  We are not talking Jean-Paul Sartre here, people.  I also spent my entire young life convincing my dad to subscribe me to "cool" magazines that taught me nothing (except how to spend money like it is going out of style, how to create the perfect smokey eye and how to not land myself in the "Embarrassing Stories" sections) like YM, Seventeen and Vogue.  He was a pretty easy sell because he also likes to read books and magazines, and I think he was just happy I was reading.     

After I got a real job, I subscribed to like 10 mags.  Martha Stewart, Lucky, Vogue (I see a pattern here...which is hilarious because in Iowa, we have in-person access to about NONE of the things ever modeled in Vogue), Mademoiselle, Journal of Accountancy (haha!), Elle, etc.  As much as I hated working in a cubicle and doing accounting, I loved the theory of accounting and really did enjoy reading about tax code in my free time.  Honestly, the worst part about leaving public accounting was not getting my U.S. Master Tax Guide anymore and hearing all the tax code updates throughout the year!  OMG!!  My accountant friends are going, "I knowwww!!!!" while everyone else is going, "What in the H is she talking about?"  

Eventually, I decided to be a mom and my books and mags turned into dust collectors....sad!!  (No, I did not subscribe to Parenting, omg!)  Also, I felt HORRIBLE wasting all of that paper and just throwing them in the trash...ahhh!  Especially those I didn't even have a chance to read!  So, my "Dear Ann:  Please Re-subscribe!" letters of desperation all went unanswered years ago.  

Until...dun dun dun!  BLACK FRIDAY!  

Although I have officially acquired Kurt's iPad, which I love, I decided I wanted to be like Belle and my dad and be in the lil' club of Nook toters.  The iPad had turned into my photography-surfing, emailing, calendar-having, business pad.  It also has tons of educational games on it for the little kids, so it is almost completely full of baby apps and Bubble Guppies videos!  [Hint:  if you get an iPad, get the biggest one you can get!]

I randomly decided to buy a Nook on Black Friday so I could dedicate it to non-business apps, non-preschooler games, read some non-photo books and subscribe to my magazines again (without the guilt of killing trees).  

My fave thing is the "Scrapbook" section where you create scrapbooks.  In reading a magazine, you can click the little scissors icon and send the page to a scrapbook!  Awesome!  For example, I have a Recipes scrapbook, a Photography scrapbook (OK, it's a little bit business), a Cute Outfits scrapbook, etc.  

Anyhow, yes, Vogue is in my magazine library once again.  Although I won't be wearing any Versace any time soon (wahhh), I still love looking at the clothing, jewelry and photography.

OK, so there you have it!  It may just be my favorite purchase of 2012!  As I write the other LOVVVESSS AND HATTTTESSS blogs this week, I will have to think about them and figure out which is my one true love of 2012.  <3 p="p">

Thanks for reading!!  xoxo!!

Much love!!

Ann

Makeup Blog? What?

Welcome. Newcomers!  xoxo!

Thanks you so much for fanning my Boudoir photography page!  :)  That is probably how you ended up here!  Yay!  So happy to see my blogger hits going up, up, up again!  :)

"Back in the day," circa 2009/2010, I used to blog about makeup, perfume, bath stuff and whatnot.  I have always loved makeup but never went to school for it, so I **technically** (ha) don't know what I'm doing (other than what the Von Maur girls have taught me).  I do really like buying random girly things and a few years, I also liked having a reason to avoid doing my MBA homework at night.  Hence, I would blog instead of reading Macro Econ...can you blame me?  

ANYWAY, of course, this is back when I had an office job, had to dress up and look presentable every morning by 7:30 and my only work overhead costs werrrrrre: gas for the car and jewelry from The Limited!  These days I don't buy **quite** as much makeup since:

a) I don't go anywhere M-F

b) I have so much makeup I don't get to wear due to a)

c) I have a pretty extreme photography habit now, which is the most expensive habit in the world next to maybe yachting or going on weekly safaris.

I used to be a big fan of blogging until the photo obsession and throwing Baby Will and Baby Elle into the mix!  <3 p="p">
All of that being said, I do still buy the occasional things and I know everyone liked reading about them, so I shall try to resurrect the blog!  This will also give me an excuse to browse Sephora for the newest fabulousness...oh darn.  ;)

If you have something you love, please comment or send me an email!  :)  I will probably also blog about clothing, shoes and whatnot on here.  Can't wait!!  Thank you so much for stopping by!

xoxo!

Love,
Moi :)  

High Shine!

Back in the day, I mentioned my huge love for Smashbox O-Gloss.  I still have a great amount of love for it but my love hath strayed to their High Shine line!

I am such a fan!  Super shiny, adorable colors!!  What more can I ask for!?

The thing is sooooo skinny, as you can see.  So guess how long I can keep these babies around => not long.  It's not Smashbox's fault that my handbag is loaded down due to my gloss hoarding and it gets lost in the shuffle, though!

At least one of these is a must-have and if I were you....I would go with Va Va Violet, $19, just for something different :)

xoxo!!

MUCH LOVE!
Ann :)

OH MY GOD!

I don't think I've ever posted anything that I want but probably won't buy!  I said probably ;)  If I receive a giant Sephora gift card for Xmas (hint, hint to the husband!), it's going into my online cart immediately.  Considering he never reads any blogs, I will be leaving this up on the computer post-haste.

Sometimes you just have to draw the line!  Here is a fabulous lil' palette of lipsticks I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have but for $75, hmmm...I will have to think about it for awhile.

BUT DOES THIS THNG LOOK AWESOME OR WHAT!  Ahhhhh!  I am a huge fan of pink pouts but I would really fear for my credit card if EB comes out with this in neutrals/peaches.  Hear that, EB!?

Mucho mucho love!!  xoxo!
Ann <3 p="p">

It's OK

My friend Kim texted me the other day and said she feels like me, buying some Christmas lip gloss kits for herself.  Hahahaha!  She bought the Stila's that I put on FB the other day!  Yay!

I found this to be hilarious.  I love Sephora shopping for others but I do end up buying myself *a few* things in the process!  Ha.

Being so in love with the Stila lip gloss, I threw this guy  ($32) in the bag, thinking, "How bad can it really be...it IS Stila, after all!":

I had been needing some new thin black liner and could use some new fun colors to mix it up.  You never know - I may get crazy hit The Legion on New Year's Eve (ugh).  #farmlife

Anyway!  So far, I am a fan.  Loving the colors and it goes on good.  HOWEVER, I am having a very hard and emotional time cheating on my Tarte SmolderEYES, though.  LOVE THAT STUFF SO MUCH!!  Tarte goes on soooo smooth and is sooo easy to put on. I'm addicted, I would marry it, etc.

In other words, this Stila set is great but I, personally, would go with the Tarte set ($39) if you want to be extra fabulous!  :) 

Much love!!!  Happy Shopping!!  Let me know your faves of 2012!!!  xoxo!

Ann :)

Yay! New Decay!

We all know my EXTREME love for Urban Decay's Naked Palette...

I've worn this fabulousness every day for as long as I've owned it.  It seems like years since I can't (a.k.a. don't want to) remember life without it.  I must be psychic because just like week I was shopping in our fake JCPenney Sephora (ugh) and I thought to myself how great it would be if Urban Decay came out with a matte Naked Palette.  I went over the UD section and only found Naked II, which is also fabulous but not matte.

Hallelujah!  Friday morning I get an email from Urban Decay that they are announcing a new palette, Naked Basics!  OMG!  Yes, it's matte!  Yes, it's mine!  

I've never blogged about anything in advance before.  However, I am going to make an exception to this rule because I am sooooooo soooooo excited about it.  I don't see it on the Sephora site yet but you can definitely get $27 together and order straight from Urban Decay!  :)  Eeeee!  

Much love to you all!!  xoxo!

Ann

YUM

Happy Holidaysssss!!!

I told you guys the Sephora sample people are smarties!

Randomly, I recently received the Armani Code (women's edition) as a sample.  Guess who's in love?!  [I know...it doesn't take much.  But this is TRUE, TRUE LOVE.  The truest of all loves!]  And guess who has a shiny, brand new bottle of Armani Code Pour Femme in her cabinet.  MOI!  JE L'ADORE.

Holla!

OMG this stuff is so delicious!  I would not have thought to shop Armani perfume and God knows I don't need more perfume but how do you resist?

I can't describe perfume like I describe mascara, so I will let Sephora do the leg work by copying/pasting from their website:

A seductive new fragrance for women, Armani Code Pour Femme is a fresh, sexy, feminine blend of zesty blood orange, ginger, and pear sorbet softened with hints of sambac jasmine, orange blossom, and lavender honey, warmed with precious woods and vanilla.

Notes:
Blood Orange, Ginger, Pear Sorbet, Sambac Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Seringa Flower, Lavender Honey, Precious Woods Complex, Vanilla.
Style:
Fresh. Sexy. Feminine.

Need to forward the link to your boyfriend/husband/Secret Santa/etc?  Here it is!  :)  Hope you find it under the tree on the 25th!

Enjoy!  I think I shall go layer on some more :)  It will go great with these VS Pink sweatpants (SAHM life!)...  

HOPE EVERYONE IS HAVING A FABULOUS TIME CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!!

xoxo!!!!
Ann