Apparently the beauty world can’t get enough of Snow White and the Huntsman. Benefit Cosmetics came out with their own movie collaboration kit. While I love the products in this case (Benefit classics! And Porefessional is to die for), I think the set itself is kind of lame. There’s nothing new or particularly “Snow White” about the collection, (mascara and blush is all you need to be the fairest of them all? Who knew!) and it feels like Benefit’s just jumping on the hype with this one. Still, if you want to refill your Benefit favorites anyway, you can get a cute bag and discounted bundle price out of this release. If you’re interested, you can check it out here.
Music Video: Michel Teló, ‘Ai Se Eu Te Pego’
I’m back! Where from? Well I recently came back from two weeks in Europe. I was mainly in Germany, so my plan while in the country was to keep my ears out for songs in German. Nothing caught my attention until I heard this song, but one verse into it I realized it was in Portuguese. So much for the original plan.
Anyway, this song has been pretty big in Europe – in fact it is currently in the number 8 spot on the Europe Official Top 100. “Ai Se Eu Te Pego” is nothing groundbreaking and I have no idea what the lyrics mean, but all I know is that it has two important elements: it’s catchy and it has an accordion. Originally a song by Brazilian band Cangaia de Jegue, it was popularized by Teló and he is now planning to release an English version in the U.S. called “If I Catch You” (I guess that’s what the song’s about). If you enjoy this, take a listen to Gusttavo Lima’s “Balada.” Like Teló, Lima is a sertanejo (country) singer hailing from Brazil and is beginning to take Europe by storm with his own single.
A Leave-in Conditioner Worth Stalking
Have you ever found a product that works wonders for you, only to find that you can’t find it … anywhere?! For me, it was a L’Oreal Vive leave-in conditioner that I first started using two years ago in Greece. Read on to see how my love of this product sent me on a mad chase around the world!
Bucktooth Betty
Getting my braces removed at the end of high school was complete bliss. I ran around for months in total excitement, licking my shiny teeth, and of course, not wearing my mandatory retainer. Eight years later, I could fit two of my fingers in the space between my top and bottom jaws when I bit down. Bucktooth Betty was back and there was no fighting her without some investment.
It was time to look into Invisalign treatments. First stop was a shop I passed on my walk to work one morning: The “Smile Café”. The staff inside was just as used car salesman as the name of the place. A male oral hygienist took x-rays before asking, with a heavy accent and a curved Elvis lip, if I had a boyfriend.
“Sure do,” I lied through my overbite. If only he wasn’t so sleazy, this could have worked out. The whole white coat get-up was a turn on and his office was relatively close to mine. But in any case, the quote he gave me was way out of my non-profit earning price range. My perfect teeth and boyfriend would have to be found somewhere else. Continue Reading »
NYX Cosmetics’s Dark Shadows The Crimson Amulet Collection
NYX Cosmetics certainly has a way with making show-stopping makeup palettes. (Last summer’s Jerseylicious palette, anyone?) Their newest creation is inspired by the only vampire film I am dying to see, Dark Shadows. Cute packaging and character bios aside, this set contains blushes, glosses, and powders you’d actually want to use. I was convinced that the palette would be all vampy purples, harsh blacks, and ghostly whites, but I was happy to find fun, easy-to-wear summer colors. So, no worries about too many actual dark shadows. If you’re interested, the palette can be picked up here.
Manicure Monday: Polka Dots!
For this week’s Manicure Monday, I was inspired by Pinterest. I’m not quite sure who pinned what, but I know I saw polka dots and needed to try it. Who doesn’t love some good ol’ fashioned polka dots? I wasn’t sure how to achieve this look without clumping gobs of polish onto my nail (which would happen if I used a brush). I searched all over the place for a tool I could use to achieve the perfect polka dot. A pen? Would ruin the pen. A tiny paint brush? I’m not that good. A prong from a plastic fork? Yes, I actually thought about that. No, it didn’t work. Curious to find out what I used? Read on.
Brand Spotlight: Bubbles at Home, Belgium
How would you like to walk into a small shop in Belgium and have a team of friendly and knowledgeable salespeople custom-pick out gourmet soaps that are perfect for your every skincare need (acne, eczema, psoriasis, sunburn…)? Sound too luxe to be possible? This is exactly the kind of service you can expect at Bubbles at Home, a magnificent soap company that I got to visit in Brugge. Not heading out to Belgium any time soon? They have a great website where you can order their soaps and have them sent anywhere else in the world. Read on to hear about my shopping experience and the range of amazing products and to check out the major soap haul that I got to take home with me! Continue Reading »
Deborah Lippman’s Snow White & the Huntsman Nail Polish Duo
Love the new movie? Read Amber’s review here? Then all you need to complete your Snow White & the Huntsman obsession trifecta is Deborah Lippman’s special edition nail polish duo. The two super flattering shades are appropriately called Prelude to a Kiss (baby pink) and Dark Side of the Moon(vampy purple). The set is $25 and can be picked up here. The Collabor-eight loves collaborations, and this movie tie-in treat is spot on: it’s the grown up beauty blogger’s equivalent of getting a movie themed toy in your Happy Meal!
Relatively Simple No-Boil Lasagna!
The fact that my family and I have a deep love for Italian food may seem a little odd, given that we are Puerto Rican and have never traveled outside of our island and the United States. My exposure to good pizza, lasagna, good mozzarella and other delicacies have come through the blessing of having extended family members who know good food when they taste it. My sister was the one who always took care of making lasagna for special occasions, so it wasn’t until recently that I dabbled in the art of constructing beautiful structures of sauce, meat, pasta and cheese.
My first attempt was a true success and amazingly enough it was thanks to a recipe I found online. Allrecipes.com is a great place for people looking to add to their recipe collections, especially since the page allows for people to give suggestions for tweaking recipes. I’ve taken a recipe for classic lasagna and adjusted it slightly to my personal preference. It is an almost fool-proof lasagna recipe that doesn’t involve any boiling! This means one less pot to clean and more time to actually enjoy a meal with your friends and family. Continue Reading »
Birchbox – And Why You Should Try It!
As a lover of all things beauty, I know the longing feeling of wanting to try every new product out there. I also know how expensive such a habit can be, as well as the heartbreak of an empty bank account. In order to curb my spending, I joined Birchbox. I like to explain Birchbox as a Netflix subscription of beauty products. With your monthly subscription, you get deluxe samples – not little packets of shampoo, but mini bottles – of five of the newest beauty products out there. If you like the samples you try, you can buy the full-sized versions on their site for a discount. Honestly, to be able to try five new products for $10 bucks a month? If you’re anything like me, you’re thinking Sign me up! Read on to hear about the cool products you can score with a Birchbox subscription.
The Collabor-eight 