Classic Red Lips, So 2010!

Red, red lips are in! During Spring Paris Fashion Week says FabSugarUK, models on the runway had red kissers. So pucker up! 

Plus, at the end of this post, you can check out the video,"How-to Wear Red Lipstick" from Sandy Gold, beauty expert to the stars. Learn how to apply red lipstick like a makeup artist.

What is a good classic red lipstick? 

Ten Picks from Those in the Know:

Nars Heatwave

Selected as InStyle Award Winner. As seen in InStyle (August 2009 issue, p142) and Cosmopolitan magazine (September 2009 issue, p158).

Nars Jungle Red
Charlotte Twine, who wrote the blog post, "Red Alert", for Elle, wore a different color red lipstick for 21 days. On Day 5 ,Twine tried Jungle Red. She said, "I shocked myself by loving the bright red tone of Jungle Red by Nars, as well as its amazing long-lasting texture, which is just the right combo of  matte and slick."

M.A.C Russian Red
Wore by Madonna on her Blond Ambition Tour. The blogger of the Makeup and Beauty Blog wrote a post, "MAC  Makeup Tutorial: Russian Red, an Ode to Marge," on how to get this look and her obsession with the Queen of Pop. You can rock this look too. 



Maybelline ColorSensational Lipcolor Very Cherry 
Erin Flaherty at The Very Frisky loved Maybelline's Very Cherry color that the models were wearing at the Christian Cota show. "A color which looks good on all skin types."

Paul and Joe Reckless 63
Gaia, The Non-Blonde blogger calls Paul and Joe Reckless 63, a "day-to-night red and you’ve got a big, big love."

Sinner Queen Red
A rich and classic red, says Barneys New York.

Revlon Fire and Ice
The classic of the classics.


Revlon Cherries in the Snow
One of my favorites. I have fair skin and the lipstick's blue undertones work really well for me. The rich color of a perfect cherry with a cool edge.


Clinique Angel Red
Celebrity Beauty Buzz recommends this red for fair skin.


Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick in Underage Red
From tattoo artist, Kat Von D. Recommended by Celebrity Beauty Buzz for medium to dark skin. 

HOW-TO WEAR RED LIPSTICK 

Sandy Gold, Beauty Expert on the  Steven and Chris Show

What color red goes with your skin? How do you put it on so that it stays on your lips and doesn't bleed?  Sandy Gold makeup artist to the stars and Founder and Editor-in-Chief of www.happiface.com answers these questions and more.





After the video you can read Sandy's tips.



photo credit: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26518303@N00/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Savor France With These Fine Savon de Marseille Soaps From O'Soleil

O’Soleil has the feel of a Parisian boutique. 

Isabelle, the owner of O'Soleil, is French and grew up in France. Her sophisticated style and delicate touch are evident throughout the Montclair, New Jersey shop. At  O'Soleil, you’ll find beautiful and unique clothing, elegant home decor and unique jewelry from both French and American designers.

And then there are the  Savon de Mar-seille Extra Pur Soaps by La Compagnie de Pro-vence. I am drawn to them like a moth to a light. 

The handmade soaps are arranged artfully on two shelves. On the top shelf, the all-natural Savon de Marseille Extra Pur liquid hand soaps seem to glow within their chic glass dispensers. While the exquisite Savon Extra Pur bar soaps with their contemporary, colorful packaging have the brilliance of a box of French pastels (see above photo.)

“You’ll find Savon de Marseille soaps in French pharmacies,” Isabelle tells me. 

French pharmacies are a destination, unlike our ho-hum American chain pharmacies. A place where you can buy luxe beauty products. 

Savon Extra Pur Soap is gentle and is ideal for sensitive skin. It is made from 72% palm oil and it is a wonderful moisturizer. 

Since 1688, French law decreed that only soaps made  in and around the Marseille area, using traditional techniques and containing only the purest ingredients are privileged  to bear the mark "Savon de Marseille." 

Fragrances include: Figure (fig), Pamplemousse (grapefruit), Olive Lavende (lavender), Verveine (verbena),  Fleur d' oranger (Orange Blossom), Rose, and Pure (unscented).

I’ve fallen hard for the Pamplemousee. I like its wholesome, clean bouquet. After my shower, I feel fresh. I love how the soap’s weight in grams is engraved into one side of the soap.

Modern and natural, with a dash of French histoire! What more could you want.

100 gram Savon de Marseille soap: $7.00
250 gram Savon de Marseille soap: $10.00

500 ml Savon de Marseille Liquid Hand Soap: $22.00

O’Soleil: www.osoleilfrance.com/7 South Fullerton Ave., Montclair, NJ  07042/973.783.4444

Alltop Covers the World... and Me (My Little Blog That Is!)

Yea, my blog is featured on Alltop! I’m on top of the world! I submitted it and the Alltop folks accepted it.

What is Alltop? 

“You can think of Alltop as the “online magazine rack” of the web,” says Guy Kawasaki, Founder of Alltop.com. 

It’s all the top stories online. Whatever your interests: beauty, fashion, quotes, social media, celebrities, food, yoga. You name it, you can find it at Alltop. 

And now you’ll find "Annie Goes Shopping: Fashionable Finds Under $25" under Alltop's Shopping category. 

I was able to pin Alltop's badge on my blog. Ouch, not too hard. I feel like a Girl Scout.

P.S. If you want to know more about Alltop, read Kem Meyer’s blogpost. She speaks with Guy. And he does a better job explaining Alltop than I do.

What to Shop for in February: Get More for Less!

What should you be looking for on sale in February? Would you believe air conditioners! I know, it's the last thing you're thinking of now, but I didn’t make up this calendar. 

If you are aware of the retail sales calendar you'll know what to keep your eyes open for this month. This is the third  in a series of blog posts on how you can get the best bargains every month. (Check out: What to Shop for in January: Get More for Less!) 

Don’t forget the Presidential Sales! 

Watch for these items on sale in February:

• Air Conditioners
• Cars (used)
• Carpets
• Chocolates (Valentines Day)
• Clothing: (Winter Final Clearance)
• Coats (Winter)
• Curtains
• Electronics: MP3 Players and Cameras
• Furniture: Indoors and Patio
• Housewares
• Lamps
• Mattresses
• Perfumes (Valentines Day)
• Silverware 

Remember as the Motley Fool said, The trick to getting a bargain on just about anything is to buy it when you don't need it. 


Look for my next blog post in the series, "What to Shop for in March: Get More for Less!"

photo credit: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/renaissancechambara/ / CC BY 2.0

Pamper Yourself in 2010: A Cup of Tea, a Book and a Smile

Click above to see more details and prices...

It's a new year! Take care of yourself.

On one of those cold January days, take the time to have a cup of tea with a biscotti... read a classic like Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility or maybe dip into a biography of Coco Chanel, one of the first fashionistas.

Curl up on the couch and write in your Keel's Simple diary. There are fill in the blank questions to make it easier.

Then have a relaxing bubble bath. 

Life is good.

Chocolate Chic from Marie Belle Chocolates

When I received a beautiful blue jewel box tied with a lovely brown ribbon from my hubby, I instantly knew the meaning of indulge. 

No, he didn’t give me a diamond from Tiffany, but he might as well have. Inside were luscious morsels from MarieBelle made with only the highest quality chocolate. Named after the chocolatier and designer Maribel Lieberman, each exquisite handmade-painted chocolate is a tiny work of art.

I savored exotic Saffron and Cardamom flavors. My favorite was delicate Lavender with just a touch of the sweet flower. And for the ultimate luxury, Champagne flavor pops in your mouth for one wonderful celebration… until the next bite.

MarieBelle: www.mariebelle.com / 4-piece box @ $14.00 other sizes available/484 Broome Street, New York, NY 10013


Photo credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/clemson/ / CC BY 2.0

J.Crew Tees Go with Everything: Especially Your Budget, Under $25

J.Crew is one of my favorite clothing stores. I especially love their tees. You can never have enough of them. (Can you?)

In the winter I love to pair one of their tees with jeans, a blazer or a cardigan and heels. That dressy casual look you can go anywhere with.

The floral and the rosette tees are my choices. And so are the sale prices.

6 Natural Beauty Products Under $25: Selected by Whole Foods Body Care Pro

I love browsing the natural beauty and body care products at my local Whole Foods store. Yet these unique beauty products are a mystery to me. There are jars and jars of organic body lotions that promise to make your skin silky smooth; tubes of lovely scented hand creams; row after row of lipsticks in fabulous colors and so many choices for shampoos. 


Where does a girl begin? 


So I decided to ask an expert. I spoke to Meghan Elliott, Whole Foods Body Care Buyer in West Orange, New Jersey. I told her I was intrigued by Whole Foods huge selection of natural products, but I didn't know much about them. In particular, I wanted to learn about some of the beauty and body care products under $25. 


Meghan was happy to share with me with some of her favorite picks. This is what she had to say:

Giovanni Grapefruit Sky Body Lotion 

This has a great fresh scent, not overwhelmingly citrus, made with certified organic ingredients and leaves skin super soft and smooth with no oily feeling.

Giovanni Lotion: $9.99

Hemp Organics Lipsticks

Certified organic ingredients, great color selection (my favorites are mocha and red earth), super long-lasting even after eating I rarely re-apply.

Hemp Organics Lipsticks: $14.99

Karite-Lips Shea Butter Vanilla Lip Balm

Best lip balm I've ever used. Heals dry/chapped lips within a couple days. Relieves discomfort. Really protective in cold weather.

Karite-Lips Shea Balm: $8.59

Earth Science: Apricot Gentle Facial Scrub 

Gently exfoliates without irritating or drying. Leaves my skin soft and smoother after use. Soap free and PH balanced at 5. It is my favorite thing to use at the end of a long day!

Earth Science Apricot Facial Scrub: $8.59

Nubian Heritage Bar Soaps

My favorite is the African Black Soap with oats, aloe and vitamin E. The soap deep cleanses and gently exfoliates while moisturizing. Black soap in particular is good for evening skin tone and healing any irritations.We carry 12 other varieties all unique and all smell amazing.100% vegetable based, no animal by-products or animal testing.

Nubian Heritage Soap: $3.99

Aubrey Organics Shampoos and Conditioners

Aubrey Organics makes many varieties for any hair type. 100% natural, no sodium lauryl sulfate, no parabens or petro-chemicals, vegan, no animal testing. Amazing line, great results. My favorite is the Primrose and Lavender scalp soothing shampoo. Leaves hair cleansed and hydrated.

Aubrey Organics Shampoos and Conditioners: $10-13 range

I've already tried the Giovanni Grapefruit Sky Body Lotion, and the scent is light and pleasing. Delicious!

Thank you Meghan, for the sampling of Whole Foods organic beauty care products. (And thank you Denise Dagnino for the photos.) I look forward to checking out more of your recommendations!

Note: Meghan recently took a position as ATL of Whole Body at the Whole Foods Madison, NJ store. 

Photo credits: Denise J. Danino, Whole Foods Marketing Team Leader 

Photo credit for lip balm: Mode de Vie

Illustration: www.imagezoo.com