Late-Nite Retail Therapy...

Just ordered some organic Ayurvedic Cleansing Grains from SpaGoddess on Etsy. Will tell you how it goes.

Bollywood Icons and Indian Film Industry Beauty Advice

Asin Thottumkal just happens to be one of the most stunning women ever. This gal is a hot commodity in the Indian movie industry, and so like (ok, as of five minutes ago), I've decided I'd love to look like her, talk like her, dance like her, and wear bizarre, swirly-bodiced red Lanvin dresses like her too. After searching Yoox.com, it appears though that even a "basic," simple dress by Lanvin retails at $3,325.00. Yo.

There's no real advice on how to get "Asim's look" without genetically cloning her. For mortals like me, I would assume she's got some good red lipstick (Lipstick Queen in Red Sinner), brown eyeshadow, and a great hairstylist with some type of ceramic-heated iron. If that's a wig, I can accept that since she looks too jaw-drawwwwpping to be true.

Pucker Up for a Tip: Use a lipstick brush to gain more control of the look. First, dip the brush into a red tube of lipstick and line the upper and bottom lips. Draw a v at the very center of the upper lip. Then choose either point on top of the "v" and slope the brush upward and then down and outwards for this classic heart-shaped, Hollywood lip. Fill in the middle of the lip area with small, firm brush strokes.

Also, Where to Get All the Bollywood Beauty Insider Secrets: My squeezable, great friend Gen has looped me into her obsession with Bollywood dance routines....and whaddayaknow? I Heart Makeup has tons of Bollywood makeup tips. This is a post about M.A.C. senior cosmetics artist Vimi Joshi who works a lot with young Bollywood stars!

Budget Beauty: Hard Candy Take Out Makeup Kit

Good things come in small packages! We're featuring this box o' tricks by Hard Candy because it is the only makeup kit with 6 glosses, 8 eyeshadows, and tiny trays of rose blush, bronzer and concealer for only $12.50. Oh yeah, and mascara and eye pencil. That's like less than fifty cents an item.

The Hard Candy Take Out Kit is also very "date"-friendly since it can fit into a small clutch purse. Glittery and yum!

Buy it: Hard Candy Take Out Makeup Kit, Sephora.

Ramblin' Eyeshadow Government Update: The Stay-cation and Ye Of Hard to Spell Name, Jake Gyllenhaal

I've been waiting for an excuse to use this new word so I can feel really cool, like "I just had a stay-cation." I've been much too busy to plan any stay-cation though. Does planning a stay-cation make you dumb?

Anyhoo, it's just plain hanging around the house with an air conditioner whispering in my ear for now. I am eventually going to have a KILLER stay-cation tho if the universe allows me my due. Luck is on my side. For example, wherever I go people are leaving perfectly decent paperbacks behind on the subway and on the sidewalk, and I've been bringing them home to read.

I would give you a beauty tip today, but it seems like the time of year to not bother about dressing up. Just be fabulous. Do whatever you want to do.

Celebrity sighting: A beautiful chow dog in fine spirits walking down Prospect Park West, near the F train, and like about two weeks ago, Jake Gyllenhaal stepping onto the train at the Bleecker stop. (Send me a chow chow!)

Getting More Upbeat: New York Magazine Look Book

New York magazine's Look Book "Best Friends" edition really cheered me up! Check it out here.
One of the women met their best friend in New York at the same place I did. Weird!

Christian Bale Is Gross

We don't always do celeb gossip, but we just had to get that off our chest. We hear Mr. Bale pushed his own mother and if it's true, he sucks, which is just very upsetting. An hour ago, TMZ dished about allegedly what he was like a few days before it went down:

"During a scene, Shane Hurlbut (seriously), director of cinematography, screwed up a shot -- at least in Christian's mind. We're told Bale went ballistic, screaming 'I will kick your ass' along with other choice remarks.

Maybe Bale needs to take a part as the Easter bunny in his next film. A little too much method acting playing the Terminator Quatro. :-( :-(

Chanel Iman at V Magazine and another Video of Storm Agency's "Hottest Male Models" (our favorite topic)

This is gosh darn gorgeous Chanel getting all dolled up:



Had to show you this second video since it's entertaining to watch male models hard at work splashing water off their glistening torsos, hanging on tire swings, and trying to look just ever so slightly anguished. The men don't say anything, kinda like bugs with chiseled stomachs. So awesome!

Review: ColorOn EyeEnvy Precious Metals Kit

If you want to wear a pile of eyeshadow, but don't really know how to go about spackling 500 layers of shiny eye makeup, then I guess this "will do the trick."

You throw the ColorOn sticker across your eyelid, and when you peel it off, your eyelids are covered in a sticky colored paste. After trying these out, ColorOn Precious Metals eyeshadow strips ended up being too intense for my taste. The final effect is very artificial, best left for a night out at the discothèque or, uh, Halloween. But maybe these just weren't well-designed for my "facial structure." Uh...


Government Grade: C-

P.S. If these doodads work better for ya, send a pic along with a list of your top beauty buys, and I'll post you on the website. E-mail eyeshadowgovernment [AT] gmail.com.

Banish My Drudgery! Coffee Talk About Vogue Magazine, Lava Lamps, and My Life

I've got too much time on my hands when I spend all day dressing up fancy. Between ironing our outfits from Paris, unearthing that perfect French lipstick, and ripping open the USPS package (my new silk lavender skirt) along with heaps of love letters, what else am I to do with myself? P.S., perhaps some exaggeration before that last comma.

RECENT GRIEVANCE REPORT: My new skirt that arrived in the mail has a lovely clustered grape pattern on it, which is kind of like eating a snack if you believe Vogue. On page 74 of the July issue, it says, "Think thin: Stave off hunger pangs just by picturing your last meal." Call me crazy, but if your hunger reaches a "pang," as in ouch, surely it's time to lunch, brunch, dine, or for chrissakes nibble.

MITIGATING FACTORS: Aren't Iman and Tyra and Chanel and Jourdan Dunn beautiful? Eyeshadow Governemnt does give Vogue props for its July article about discrimination against black models. Vogue's apt headline = "Is Fashion Racist?"
This was a thrilling read, so definitely check it out.

FURTHER EVIDENCE OF MY GENERAL MALAISE TODAY: Finding a Youtube video of a lava lamp accompanied by Edith Piaf doesn't help...

Fragrance To Like: Gap Body Coconut Tuberose Eau de Toilette

As someone who likes expensive perfume--okay very, very expensive perfume--I am surprised when I happen upon a fragrance without a frightfully high price tag.

In comes Gap Body Coconut Tuberose (Fleur de Coco) to tickle our fancy and delight.

The eau de toilette scent is extra-flirty, and the bottle is also quite pretty, as is the price ($28). We hope you agree.

Love it!

XO,
Charlotte







Buy it: Gap Body Coconut Tuberose Eau de Toilette ($28), Gap.

Happenings and a Special Introduction to CozyCot

Hey girlfriends,

In case you haven' t noticed, I've kind of been going on "overdrive" on the schmancy technology thing this past week. In terms of the right-hand column, the "beauty calendar" is a work in progress. Bigger news: Eyeshadow Government is officially on Facebook now, and you can even pick up your very own widget version of this blog to put on Facebook or Myspace or...wherever. The widget even has arrived inside this post!

Biggest news: I am thrilled that a beauty site CozyCot in Singapore invited us to join their community as a "Cotter." Eyeshadow Government has touched upon the women athletes in the Beijing Olympics. But joining CozyCot is a next step in participating in a global community of women, and an excellent opportunity to communicate your thoughts with women in Singapore. CozyCot's about beauty products, but you can write about whatever you want...they have a discussion board with different forums about careers, relationships, technology, and health. So we hope you'll chat it up and share ideas. The world just keeps on becoming more connected.

And to post Eyeshadow Government to Facebook or Myspace, click on the words "Get widget" at the bottom of this box!


Lipstick kisses,
Charlotte

Time to Get Out of My House

Feeling way cooped up and need to get away from my computer. But before I do, one more thing to share: Agatha Ruiz de la Prada has designed the cutest line of children's watches for around $12 a pop. Also in Agatha's children's line for the Spanish company Miquelrius, I found the Small Daisy Trolley Luggage which glows in the dark. (It's perfect for the 5-year-old jetsetter off to Barcelona or Martha's Vineyard.)

I think I'm going to order the watch from ShopMiquelrius.com and hope it fits.

Borghese Sample Sale Today in New York City

UPDATE

Borghese is holding a sample sale, with a whopping 50 to 75% discount off unused products, at 10 East 34th St on the 3rd Floor. That's right around the corner from the Empire State Building, NYC girlies. The sale runs today through Wednesday. (Note: Cash Only.)

Products Test-Driven This Week: Mineral Fusion Pressed Powder and Pangea Organics Calendula and Blood Orange Facial Cleanser

On Location: Whole Foods Whole Body Section
After questioning the a meaning of Mineral Fusion (TM) pressed base powder, and wearing it multiple times, I am now ready to give it the stamp of approval. Compared to Bare Escentuals I.D. mineral makeup, its texture is more "powdery" but still flattering. Unlike many other foundations, it doesn't contain terrible parabens or talc. I met a Whole Foods insider who was involved in creating the Mineral Fusion line, and she confided to me most of the other mineral makeup brands didn't meet Whole Foods' "standards." This makes me think Whole Foods is looking out for us! Or as Cher once said in Clueless: "You see how picky I am about my shoes and they only go on my feet."

Also, on the super A-list of beauty products is Pangea Organics Egyptian Calendula and Blood Orange Facial Cleanser. Yeah yeah, it earned a Redbook MVP beauty award. But this puppy works by combining disinfecting ingredients like lavender, calendula, and blood orange essential oils while moisturizing with coconut and jojoba seed oil. This really revived my skin and made us forget all about the sucky cleansers we ever met.


Buy it: Mineral Fusion Pressed Powder, Pangea Organics Egyptian Calendula and Blood Orange Facial Cleanser (about $24) , Whole Foods.

Don't Forget: Your Pom Pom Is a Weapon....

Eyeshadow Government can relate to these young Chinese dancers who are a little shy about their new routines. When I was a freshman in high school, I wanted to become a cheerleader (totally true!), until the lady running the meeting announced we would have to practice for around three hours a day. Being a geeky girl who studied all the time, that was a deal-breaker. But I never forgot my dream....

These young women are training "in an isolated camp one hour outside of Beijing" to... shake their pom poms for the Beijing Olympics. Click here to get the full scoop "Bring It On, Beijing Style" about their Olympics cheerleader training.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Warm Weather Foundation Advice

Eyeshadow Government's big piece of official beauty advice for July weather is "lighten up." You've got your buckets of thick liquid foundation, and we applaud you for your patriotism.

It's tough with all the mercury rising though. You don't want your makeup to melt like an orange creamsicle. (Sorry, had to show you this cute bottle nosed dolphin too!)

Anyhoo, here's a 2-step tip...1. After you wash your face, put on a matte foundation while your skin is wet. The water will thin out the formula of your makeup, making it sheerer and less sticky in hot weather. But when it dries, it might be slightly uneven. 2. Next, take a kabuki brush (dry or dipped in pressed powder) and use firm strokes to blend the makeup for a polished, even finish. Extra water will help you make a splash no matter the weather!

Product Pick: We use Clinique Superbalanced Foundation Makeup for this weather because it's oil-free and automatically reduces shininess.


Buy it: Clinique Superbalanced Makeup ($19.50), Sephora.

Happy Fourth of July

Fourth of July has been an all-out extravaganza so far, so I'm afraid my typing abilities may be waning. I've already brunched, sunned, dessert-ed (as in consumed delicious Italian pasticcioti), and now I'm dying to see fireworks!

Also, I stopped by Sustainable-NYC (145 Avenue A, New York, NY) which while "crunchy" was not "dirty" or too "hippie" to carry lots of great beauty products. I'm especially excited by Skinny Skinny Rose and Black Pepper soap ($9.50) and Organic Apoteke Body Oil with Sicilian orange oil. My arms are so soft like fireworks now! Well, maybe I'm mixing metaphors but you get the gist!

Have a wonderful holiday with your friends and family.


Also, for your viewing pleasure...

Sephora's new video: "How to Wear No Make-up Makeup"