Happy Pride!

Bit late on the LGBTQ Pride post this year, but it’s been a fun month. I got to march in Boston’s Pride Parade earlier in June, and for that day I did a special manicure. With sparkles, of course. It’s not a parade without some glitter.

Bisexual Pride Flag Nails

Shiny!

For full shiny representation, I created a version of the Bisexual Pride flag. I was happy to show it off all the following week at work. “Yes, you should have been there, it was awesome.” I feel so privileged to live somewhere where the streets are full of people cheering the parade and wishing everyone, “Happy Pride!”

There are still a lot of battles to be won, but on that day at least I felt like I was home, with my family.

As usual, I was wearing Zoya ‘Anchor’ as my base coat. The blue is Milani ‘Bolting Blue’, the purple is Zoya ‘Dannii’, and the pink is Essie ‘Bermuda Shorts’. I skipped my usual Zoya ‘Armor’ in favor of Finger Paints ‘Sparkle Top Coat’.

Don’t forget to check out last year’s post! Seriously, all the rainbows!

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Napoleon Perdis – Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad #6

A little while ago, Ulta had a sale on Napoleon Perdis Prismatic Eyeshadow Quads.  They were half off and I couldn’t resist trying this little eyecatcher. Neons and bright colors are the Look Du Jour for this summer and let it never be said that I am afraid of color or expressing myself though makeup!

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See and Be Seen with Anastasia Beverly Hills

We have been graced by Anastasia Beverly Hills to review their latest summer kit called See and Be Seen. This is limited edition and only available for a short while. Have I piqued your interest? Let’s take a look! Careful now, this post is bursting with pictures.

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Anastasia Lash Genius

Beauty Decrypted is happy to have received our first product for consideration.  Anastasia of Beverly Hills, famed for their amazing eyebrow cosmetics, sent us something, well, quite revolutionary. This product is called Lash Genius and it could well be just that, genius!

Lash Genius is a clear waterproofing topcoat for mascara. It is designed to go over any mascara of your choosing. If you are like me, you have found your Holy Grail mascara. But, this Holy Grail product either doesn’t have a waterproof formula or if it does, it destroys your lashes once your dare to remove it. Anastasia’s Lash Genius could be the answer to the prayer that your Holy Grail has been looking for.

Can’t live without DiorShow? Wouldn’t leave home without Lancome Hypnose? Want to languish in long lashes, but mother nature has other plans? Here’s what Lash Genius claims:

Instantly waterproofs, refreshes, and protects any mascara all day, without the typical drying or clumping. Its advanced, lightweight formula glides on smooth, dries quickly, and gives your lashes a touchably soft lacquer finish that lasts all day.

Anastasia Lash Genius Wand

Anastasia of Beverly Hills

 

 

 

 

 

Did Lash Genius pass the test or did it need further tutoring? Let’s find out!

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A Royal Polish: Lillibet’s Jubilee

Lillibet York wasn’t supposed to be Queen.  She was “heiress presumptive” at birth, but it was expected that her Uncle David would eventually settle down, marry someone appropriate, and produce the heir apparent.

Lillibet aka Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Circa 1929

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Songs, Flowers and Innuendo

A few weeks ago, Maria from Cult Nails had a sale.  When I get these email notifications, I instantly log into her blog to see what goodies she has in store for all of us.  My Cult collection is pretty vast, but I’m always looking to add new or older seasonal polishes that I missed, especially at $5 each.  No one can resist that!  I picked up three polishes for $20 total (normally $30). Maria had some Iconic “Take 2″ that had differing/more shimmer than the first go around.  Curiosity got the best of me and I added it to my list and I hope to do a comparison soon. The second polish is a new release, Nevermore, a basic black creme that was supposed to be released with a few topcoats that are stuck in supplier limbo. I look forward to playing with my own topcoats with this one and I love the Poe reference.

Finally, I really don’t know how I missed this one, but I did. Maria is bringing this beauty back for Fall 2012, but we get a sneak release now of Feel Me Up.  Ok, I didn’t just get perverted, trust me I’ve been this way for awhile. But, this polish has a very funny story behind it. Everyone has that one song that the lyrics get misheard, you start to sing it out loud and then everyone laughs at you. Sound familiar?  Yes, The Foundations, “Build Me Up, Buttercup” is one of those songs.  Apparently, Maria and I sing it the same, “Fill Me Up”, but her husband insisted that the song was called “Feel Me Up”. I couldn’t stop laughing when I read that.

Now, for Feel Me Up!

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Baring It All

I’m so fortunate to work in a field where whether I choose to wear make up or not doesn’t seem to play into my career success. This isn’t something that one can take for granted. There are still a lot of careers, especially ones involving interacting with the public, where there is a double standard about what constitutes acceptable grooming for men and for women. So in spite of my magnificent collection of face paints, I make an effort to go to work with an unmade up face every once in a while.

All right, I confess. I strongly believe that women shouldn’t have to wear make up to be perceived as professional. But even on no-make up days, I usually can’t resist wearing just one teeny little product.

Almost no make up, I swear

Almost no make up, I swear

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Layla Hologram Effect Nail Polishes

There has been a lot of buzz about the Italian based cosmetic company, Layla, since last year’s Cosmoprof North America. With their release of crackles and magnetic nail polishes, Layla is giving larger brands like China Glaze and OPI a run for their money.  For spring, with the sun finally emerging from rainy skies, Layla has captivated us all with their Hologram Effect Nail Polish.

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Tips from a studio make-up artist

While in New York City this weekend,  a friend and I stopped by the Sephora in Columbus Circle.  We were expecting to make this a quick stop since it was gorgeous outside and we wanted to enjoy the day with a stroll through Central Park.  We were looking for the perfect shade of purple eyeshadow to attempt to replicate a look my friend found in a magazine when our plans unexpected changed.  Continue reading

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Glam-tastic

Titania threw a fantastic Glam Rock themed party and I knew I wanted to come up with something spectacular for my makeup and outfit. While I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, I was still too young to fully embrace the glam rock lifestyle. Queen, David Bowie, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop are just a few musicians that come to mind when I think of glam rock. Unfortunately, they are all men and do not provide a very inspirational look for a woman needing a makeup muse. Digging through the pictures on the internet of the decadent days of Studio 54, I came across several pictures of Bianca Jagger. She was always draped in the latest Halston or Yves Saint Laurent garments and just glowing with her dusky and dramatic eyes and glorious cheekbones. How could I not use her as my inspiration?

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