Hey There Juicy Girl!

My gorgeous, funny, super glamorous friend from Texas blew into town this past week with a bunch of gorgeous, funny, super glamorous Texan friends, and we got to have such a fabulous, girlie time together! (as usual...!)

Whenever she's here I stay the night at her house.
Quite apart from the joys of a slumber party, the loud music we play, all of us putting our makeup on, doing our hair and getting glam to go out, the floating around in the pool with cocktails telling crazy stories, the divine sisterhood and camaraderie that is part and parcel of a Texan visit, there is the breathtaking excitement of wondering what goodies will be in the guest bathrooms.

She never lets us down! Not ever! This visit was all about Juicy. In my shower, lying in wait was the completely delicious Viva La Juicy Shower Gel. My absolute new favorite!




This gel is so softly fragrant that all day long, every time I moved I could smell it. Oooh I love it! It is truly divine. And I now have to go buy some!

While I'm doing so I may also pick up the Viva La Juicy Fragrance, although I didn't feel the need to layer it. I think that either the shower gel or the fragrance will be just beautiful standing alone.


And lets face it - when life lets you make the choice, you might as well be a juicy girl!

xoxo

C

Summer Makeup 101

I have had tons of people asking me via this blog, facebook, twitter etc for some makeup tutorials. So we decided that we would film some when we were on real shoots, so you could see the makeup happening and see a little bit of the behind the scenes action too.
Keeping it real.

The day we shot this segment was pretty wild! We did it at Studio5 (my home away from home). It was 115 degrees out, which is somewhat miserable, and about 20 minutes after we all arrived the power grid went down in that part of Scottsdale for almost 2 hours! Consequently our climate controlled studio turned into an oven! It never was able to quite cool down again that day. So as you watch this video, know that we all had sweat rolling down our backs, our gorgeous hairdos got wild with the humidity, and we ended up having to shoot way deep into the night...

The edits couldn't be completed on time, so you are seeing a semi rough cut. We actually had so much information in there that we ended up splitting it into 6 segments.

The first tutorial I wanted to give you was on summer makeup. Here we are, smack bang in the middle of summer, so there's no time like the present!
I was able to include segments that show you how to use some of the JulieHewett products that I've written about too, so that you can really take advantage of the summer discount that the company has extended to my readers. (and because thats what I've actually been using...)

Summer makeup needs to be soft and fresh and a little shimmery. You definitely don't want to be overwhelming the face with heavy makeup.


This is a picture from the photoshoot itself, shot by the amazing Kelly Cappelli
Our model, Mallory, was a doll, so inspite of the heat we all had a blast!








Last look at the Zoe eyes and cheeks.

Don't forget to go to Julie Hewett's website click here and at the checkout enter the code SUM20.
You will get 20% off anything and everything you order. You can order as much or as little as you want. Make sure you read her bio too - its fabulous!

Have a beautiful day!

xoxo

Here Comes The Weekend...

So one of my absolute favorite blogs is the Racing Fashionistas. These girls have it down! They are all about fashion, fun and racing - three of my most favorite things in life. They mostly seem to write about Nascar, which I know very little about, but am learning all kinds of fun info from their blog.
If I lived in the same town as these three, I would want to be their BFF - they are just so cool!
Anyway, on Fridays they do a Happy Hour post, and each week they feature a different drink. Its pretty cool to see what they come up with each week.

I am not much of a drinker, even though I am a Kiwi. However, here and there I do stumble upon aperatifs that look fab, or maybe I've been out and imbibed something that is fab, so from time to time I will shamelessly rip off the Fashionistas and give you a new cocktail to make or to order. And it will probably end up being in a Friday post too.

This weekend in Phoenix we have ridiculously searing heat that just defies all belief, so I will be cooling off and enjoying the final outing of the Western Swing (via ESPN), with a big, cold Lavender Lemonade in my hand.

So here's the recipe:

Lavender Lemonade





You will need:

1 cup sugar (divided)
4 tsp dried lavender (divided)
2 lemon wedges
12 oz vodka (I use Grey Goose)
3 oz lemon juice

Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water and 2 tsp lavender in a small saucepan. Boil til sugar is dissolved (only a couple of minutes). Cool down and strain syrup, removing the lavender.

Grind remaining sugar and lavender in a spice grinder until fine. Moisten the rims of your glasses with the lemon wedges and coat lightly with the mixture (like salting a margarita glass).
Fill a pitcher 2/3 with ice. Pour in vodka, cooled sugar syrup, and lemon juice.
Stir to mix, strain and pour.

Then kick back and see who wins funnycar, with a nice cold Lavender Lemonade in hand...

xo

C

Oh and by the way, thanks for all the comments on the Sonoma*A*Go Go blog! It is so much fun reading about who you want to win. Some of you are just plain hilarious!!!
The race isn't over til Sunday, so keep 'em coming!

Shu Racing!

Actually, this post has nothing what so ever to do with racing, but a whole lot to do with lashes and cleansing oils.

This morning after doing a segment on breakfast TV, I mosied on down to Saks 5th Avenue where I had one of my hyperventilative whirls through Shu Uemura to pick up more cleansing oil and check out the lash bar. A couple of treasures that you need full knowledge of!

Firstly, Shu itself. This is a truly delicious line of makeup designed by one of old(ish) Hollywood's most celebrated Makeup Artists. It's one of those lines that has spectacular makeup & divine skin care (the two don't often get together within one line). Add the most sensational lashes to the mix and I become hopelessly, devotedly addicted.





Uemura-san

So first up, lets talk about the cleansers. I love these passionately! Shu has a line of cleansing oils that will make you a convert as soon as you try them. The line is quite extensive and has different oils for all the different skin types. I know some of you are squirming at the concept of using oil on your face, and some of you may even have had not quite fabulous experiences with other brands, but trust me here!
You just massage a small amount of the oil into your dry skin, or fully made up face, then emulsify it with a little lukewarm water. It dissolves all makeup, even waterproof. It cleanses your skin so beautifully, and then leaves it soft and supple.

There is an oily skin formulation (oil lifts away oil), there's a skin brightening one, I use either the balancing or the purifying. The green purifying oil is anti aging, has antioxidants, cleanses, protects, and is the #1 selling oil cleanser in the world.





You can get the cleansing oils at the Shu Uemura Boutiques, at Saks 5th Avenue and at Sephora. (check website for other locations)


Next up, the Lash Bar.
The boutiques and Saks (probably some Niemans and other places too) also have a wall of the world's most fabulicious lashes, made by Shu.
There are simple lashes of all shapes and sizes, as well as the more extravagant lashes.
The basic lashes tend to run around $25 per set.


The combination of great quality and sensational design make Shu lashes sought after world wide.
They even designed special jewelled lashes for Madonna to use in her videos and on her tours. You can actually purchase almost the same lashes that Miss M uses, but with crystals and rhinestones instead of actual jewels, so they are a tad more cost effective.



And you have to figure on some level, if they are good enough for her, they can be just fab for us too!!!

I buy a lot of my more extreme lashes from Shu Uemura also. In fact, I have bags of them! (it's kinda like the shoe thing...) The big feather lashes etc I use on fashion shoots, not for a night on the town or a day at the races. But that's just me getting all conservative on you. If I saw you out at dinner in a pair of big fluffy orange Shu lashes, I would respect you. Immensely!

The lashes below were designed for Shu by Viktor and Rolf, and when I checked were $95 per pair. I don't own them. Yet. But I so covet the bottom pair!



One of the things that sets the lash bar apart from other lash bars, is that they have samples of almost all of their lashes inside glass cubes that you can hold up to your eye and look in the mirror to see how they really will look on you.
I can play there for hours, but it invariably costs me...

So today was all about the cleansing oil, and I didn't add to the ever growing lash collection.

I do recommend trying the cleansing oils. I have never had anyone who has tried them not totally love them.

And love makes the world go round...

xo

C

Sonoma * A * Go-Go!

Every so often, if I've been a really good girl, the planets line up, and the universe drops me a package with my favorite things all bundled up together in it! And this weekend looks like one of those times...

You all know that I have a crazy love for killer high heeled shoes (even though they actually aren't a part of this story,) and handbags and racing.
Well this weekend its all coming together! (apart from the shoes, but the week's not over yet.)

I wrote recently about the super fab handbags at Nitro*A*Gogo in a blog called Girl Get Your GoGo On! These are edgy, cool, racing inspired handbags that you just gotta see, race fan or not.

When it comes to racing, I love the NHRA best, and within that, my absolute, without a doubt, can't miss it favorite are the Nitro Funny Cars. They are just the coolest looking cars you'll ever see, they roar like thunder, and go faster than the devil on a case of Full Throttle.

This weekend is the final weekend of a three week event called the Western Swing, where the NHRA makes its annual cross country trek through Denver, Seattle and then Sonoma.

Wouldn't you know it? In Sonoma there is going to be a Funny Car flying the Nitro*A*Gogo colors! Handbags and Funny Cars! I LOVE it!!!




And how totally fantastic does this car look?


Lets have another look...




Designer Leeza Diehl looks on


So now my loyalties are getting slightly more shredded than torn. Who do I want for the win in Sonoma?

You gotta love the whole Nitro*A*Gogo scene (and I do love red cars...), then there's the AAP car which is bound to sneak up and do something huge before too long, there's Ashley Force Hood rocking the girl power (and looking glam while doing it), there's the Q car which you have to keep an eye on at all times, Capps makes those hilarious Napa commercials so you just have to love him, and then Neff did get the whole feng shui treatment in Seattle - and I'm not one to mess with juju...

Luckily I have the whole week to figure it out, but I want to hear from you.
Who do you want for the funny car win in Sonoma this weekend?

Tell me who is getting your vote in the comment section below

If you are at the Infineon Raceway this weekend, July 24-26 talk to me on twitter @Corinnamakeup (click twitter icon to the right of this post)
If you're watching it on ESPN, talk to me on twitter too.
If you're feeling like there's a new handbag on your horizon check out Nitro*A*Gogo

I'll be looking for your comments!

And may the best car win!

xoxo

C

Checking Out Miss Hayden P....

When Hayden Pannettiere showed up at David Letterman a couple of weeks ago, the fashion world let out a collective "aaaahhhh!"

And so did I.

Every blog under the sun wrote about it, and because some of my favorite blogs were amongst them, I decided to wait a while out of courtesy.

So lets just have a little look at Miss P.




Firstly lets analyze whats right about her makeup.
Well that was quick - everything!
I have got to say here that whoever did her makeup this day was 100% on the money and needs a raise. This is what makeup perfection looks like! This is also what reading the moment perfectly looks like.

Hayden has a soft, beachy hairdo going on, so the makeup needs to reflect fresh face, glowing skin and give a 'natural beauty' vibe.
I love the attention and accent given to her cheeks, making the structure of her face the main focus.
The super-soft brow lends itself to the beachy feel, the eye is soft yet defined. We are taken in by her eyes, but not overwhelmed by them. The soft neutral lip gives more attention to the eye.

I would love to see more girls rocking that lovely, summery look! Just perfect!

The dress I wasn't loving.



However, once we hit the street we were back in perfection again! The shoes!!! Oh my! The shoes!!!
Who cares about the dress when you have shoes like that? I love them!!!

Stuart Weitzman Tijuana's.
Even the color name is cool. Not 'black', these beauties are 'jet mirror'.

On the 'must have' list. These go beyond have to have. These are must have, as in must have in order to keep breathing.





I actually have no idea whatsoever as to what she was there to talk about that night. I was far too busy checking out the make up and the shoes!
Last night Danica Patrick was on Kimmel, and I have no idea what she was promoting either, as I was completely absorbed with the fierce thigh boots she had on. Her hair and make up were great too, but the boots! They were quite something! But thats another story...

You see shoe love, my friends, is true love...

Zo Zo Zoe Fabulous!!!

Todays blog will be the shortness and the sweetness, as I have a huge day ahead with a double shoot.
First up is a photoshoot, then right behind it we are shooting a "how to do a summer makeup" video segment. I am getting tons of requests for tutorials on various aspects of doing your makeup, and we are trying to shoot videos on this as quickly as possible.
Keep the comments and requests coming!

So anyway, I want you to meet the gorgeous Zoe, a new summer palette from Julie Hewett Cosmetics.

(For those of you who are new to my blog, Julie Hewett is a major movie makeup artist, who has worked on some of the biggest movies ever. Her bio is just amazing... When she did the movie Pearl Harbor, she couldn't find the perfect red lip for Kate Beckinsdale, so she made it herself. Then everyone wanted it, so she created a little boutique line of products, firstly with the red lips, then other products that she has created over the years. Her products are just fabulous. Most professional makeup artists that I know have quite a collection of Julie Hewett products in their kits, as these are super high quality, high performance products. And if they're good enough for the biggest movie stars in the world, then I think they're good enough for us!)

The ZoePalette is Julie's "Summer Goddess" quad, and is all you need for a delicious summer face.

Vanilla is a matte bare color that you can use all over the eye, or just under the brow bone.
Dolce is a shimmery opalescent gold dust hue with undertones of pink velvet. So beautiful on your eyes, it wakes them up and brightens them. So very beautiful!
Cleo is a sultry bronze shimmer that you can use over your eyeshadows, blend onto cheekbones, or highlight your lips. (Pressing a little Cleo on top of any lip color brings it to life and makes it divinely summery)
Natural is a very sheer, tawny brown tint that compliments all skin tones. Use it to warm up your skin for a sun kissed look, or use it on your lips for a perfect nude color.




I am wearing the Zoe palette everyday, along with the Chloe lip (see my Oooh! Kiss Me Quick! blog)
I am also using it on shoots and loving the results!

The Zoe/Chloe combo is perfect for your summer make up look. Use it to enhance what you are already doing, or use it alone.
For those of you getting married, or in weddings this summer it gives you the perfect summer face for all the events leading up to your wedding such as the rehearsal dinner etc.
I am loving it also for all those beach/poolside/lake/river days where I want to look pretty, but not be wearing a full face of make up. I am also loving just wearing it around town and feeling (and looking!) fresh faced.

And it just keeps getting better! Julie is in Georgia at the moment shooting the new Miley Cyrus movie, The Last Song, but she has given me a special makeup discount for all my readers!!!

Here's what you need to do:
click on Julie Hewett, this will take you into her website (make sure you read her bio!)
At the checkout, enter the code SUM20 This will give you a whopping 20% discount on anything and everything on her site! It will also give you a flat shipping rate of $4.95 in the USA

Whoever you are, and wherever you are, anywhere in the world, you can go in and order as many times as you want! Just come into my blog and click on the link - its that easy!

Copy and paste the address in your web browser, and send this blog to everyone on your email list, all your friends, family, co workers etc. I don't see the department store brands giving out any discounts to anyone, let alone my blog readers, so jump all over this opportunity!

There are two subscription icons on my blog page. Sign up for either of them, and as other special promotions come along, you'll be notified!