hollywood housewife

so biore pore strips DO work

Months ago I mentioned to The Gorilla that I thought his pores were clogged.  It was a random comment that I probably made when I was fresh from a facial.

For some reason, he really latched onto the idea of the pore strips I suggested as a solution.  He has been bugging me off and on about it since. 

Truthfully, I just didn't think they would work.  I remember when the Biore pore strips first came out and most of the beauty magazines acted like it was only a tiny bit better than duct-taping your face.  I never tried them myself and gave in to trying them on my husband when he agreed to let me use it as a lazy beauty post.

Here's his handsome face pre-strip.

 

A close up of the reason he was subjecting himself to the strips.

 

The instructions say to wet your nose.  We found it worked best when your nose was not just damp, but really wet.  The Gorilla squeezed a wet washcloth onto his nose just before application. 

I didn't get a picture of that because I was laughing.

 

 

We set the timer.  At the end of ten minutes, the strip felt hard and stiff like paper mache. 

Time to peel!  At this point, I was still only half invested in this experiment.

 

Stunned Silence.  Okay, not really.  Shrieking.  Lots and lots of shrieking.

 

 

 

I can't stop showing you pictures.  They're captivating, really.  But there is one shot that really did me in.

 

I do not suggest that you try this at home with your significant other.  Some things should remain private.

unusual nail polish colors and my new favorite beauty product

This is part of my Lazy Beauty series.

Two weeks ago we discussed everyday nail polish colors.  Neutrals.  Soft pinks.  Perfectly respectable. 

But, admit it, boring.

When I need instant confidence shooting out from my fingers, I tend to go for a true red or a deep burgundy.

But when I'm feeling sassy, I like to experiment with the trendiest colors.  Right now matte and suede taupes are everywhere.  So I tried OPI's You Don't Know Jacques and really liked it.  

Here's a picture from Amazon.  

 

Those long nails give me the shivers.  Here is it on my own hands.

 

Another not-normal nail color that has become pretty standard is OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark.  This is a dark blue purple black.  (That makes sense, right?)  

I used to think this color should only be reserved for Halloween, but I've gotten used to seeing it everywhere, even on the red carpet.

Here it is on my friend Kate.

 

For more of a Spring-y bent, HH reader Ruth sent in a picture of her toes sporting Sally Hansen's Grass Slippers.  Cute!

 

Do you have a nail color you wear when you're in a certain mood?  Are you on board with the non-normal colors or does it make you feel like Freaky Friday?

*

I've been meaning to tell you about this for several weeks now, because I am overdosing on it.  

 

 

Boots Original Formula Bath Oil ($12, Target) makes my evenings better.  I pour several capfuls into my bath water and I swear it smells exactly like the fancy spa.  And I have lots of experience at the fancy spa.

It makes my skin so smooth and smells good on my skin through the night and into the morning.  It's sort of lavender-y.  And rose-y.  Oh, look - it says that right on the label!

It's heaven.  In-expensive.  My newest obsession.  Try it.  

everyone can wear red lipstick

This is my lazy beauty series, where I experiment with ways to make us look and feel prettier.  With as little work involved as possible.

Unequivocally, all women look better in lipstick. 

You might not like the feel of lipstick, or it may not be your personal style, but don't misunderstand the fact that you look better wearing it.

Red lipstick, on the other hand, is scary.  Most women leave the true red power lipstick to those making a bold statement.  But it doesn't have to be your signature style (a la Gwen Stefani) or part of a Halloween costume for red lipstick to be fun and casual.   

If it's the right shade, all women can wear red lipstick and look good doing it.

I decided to test my theory on a handful of my girlfriends.  Two of the six women had never before in their life even worn lipstick.  Two!  These are my immediate friends.  You have to wonder what we even have in common.

Befores and Afters.  Judge for yourself.

K. has the most full and luscious lips.  Gorgeous, right?  She is wearing Nars Semi-Matte in Shanghai Express with a M.A.C. lip pencil in Burgundy.

 

I don't think Rachel has ever taken a bad picture in her life.  Doesn't the red look fantastic with her glasses?  Rachel is wearing Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella.

Nora is an old pro at the beauty experiments.  Which means I might have to rope her in for more.  Nora is wearing Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella.

 

L. was one of the lipstick virgins.  Why don't I have a third after picture for her?  Probably because we were all marveling at how the simple addition of lipstick made it look as if she had touched up all the rest of her makeup.  (She hadn't.  I watched.  There will be no cheating on my lazy beauty posts!)  Or we were blinded by how icy blue her eyes suddenly looked.

L. is wearing Clinique Different Lipstick in Angel Red.

(With both P. and S. we were battling florescent office lights, so forgive my photography.) 

P. was the other lipstick virgin.  Those poor, poor lips having never been adorned.  Doesn't the red look dramatic against dark skin? 

P. is wearing Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella (applied by S.).

Look!  Even red heads can wear red lipsticks!  I think S. looks fantastic.  A co-worker asked her if she was going out after work.  See?  Lipstick - especially red lipstick - says, "I'm going places!"

S. is wearing Clinique Different Lipstick in Angel Red.

Word of warning: a downside to red lipstick is that you can NOT make out in it.

But if I'm in my ratty sweats with my hair in a messy bun, but I have a good solid lip color on, then I feel like I can present my face to the world without shame. 

Do you red?

(It would not hurt my feelings if you sent me your red lipstick pictures.) 

arby's keeps me pretty

Originally published on my former blog on November 12, 2008.

The Arby’s guy knows my name. He knows my car when I pull through the drive through. He knows I like my large Dr. Pepper with a little extra ice. He knows I’m sort of a newlywed and that I used to work in television. No disguise works with the Arby’s guy. I’ve worn scarves, sunglasses, even gone in my husband’s car instead of mine. He always greets me by name and with a big, friendly smile.

It seems that this would be considered excellent customer service. It some ways it is, but most of the time I just wish the Arby's guy and I could pretend every time was the first time and go on about our day.

The Arby's in Hollywood is across the street from Tribune Studios, where I worked for over a year on a Fox show about nannies. This is how the Arby's guy got to know me so well. Every single morning I dropped in for my morning drink and two chocolate chip cookies for my breakfast. It is also a stones throw from my house. Not really, but in relative terms, it is very close. It is one of the only restaurant establishments within a ten mile radius that carries fountain Dr. Pepper, and they happen to have particularly yummy-mixed Dr. Pepper at Arby's. You can see my dilemma.

If I need an Arby’s Dr. Pepper first thing in the morning, during an afternoon slump, or to sip with my dinner, I always have to pause and make sure I’m presentable. Because the Arby’s guy appears to work every single shift of every single day. I swear I can only think of one time I have ventured by when he hasn’t been there.

Sometimes it’s a real pain in the rear to make sure my hair is brushed and my skin isn’t going to scare anybody. The Arby’s guy is cute enough, but he’s hardly swoon-worthy. Still, I can’t bear for him to see me looking like a disaster, which sometimes I do. It’s the non-working thing. You say you’re going to get up and get dressed in the same way you would as if you were stamping a timecard, but it doesn’t always happen. The day starts rolling like a steam engine, and before you know it you’re still in your Uggs and t-shirt, so why change now?

On day three of our honeymoon, the waiter who served us breakfast each day recognized my husband’s name on the bill, and came to our table awkwardly professing his undying love. We were in Tahiti.  When he walked away, I turned to The Gorilla bummed. “Now I have to put on lipstick before breakfast. On my honeymoon.“ Maybe I should have clued in that honeymoon is one of the places where you want to look your very prettiest.

In my everyday life, it’s the Arby's guy who keeps me accountable. If he’s the only reason I slap on some mascara every day, then so be it. Beauty is pain. And I NEED my Dr. Pepper.