bunnyshop shopping fashion blog

The Waterproofness: Reader Mail

In today's Reader Mail:

Dear BS,

I am going on a Fourth of July weekend with my boyfriend's family to their beach house. We will be spending a lot of time in and around the water and I wanted to know what sort of makeup I can wear that won't come off easily.

Thanks,
E.

Oh! We know the feeling. We once spent a first weekend at a new boyfriend's family home and bizarrely spent the entire time crying, desperately missing not our own parents, but our friends' parents. (It was weird.) We got over it. We are sure you will have a much better time than we did. We would pack these essentials—basically our MO is to wear stuff that's all summery but won't look amiss if it's suddenly not there, post-swimming. (We'll leave the ruby lipstick out for the weekend.)

1: Sunscreen, but we're total liars who only get an SPF with our Becca tinted moisturizer ($42). (SPF 25+!)

2: We also wear a Becca bronzer, as it happens—a nice bit of color without getting all blush-y. Becca bronzer (we like the Calypso), $38

3: And finally: Fiberwig mascara (above, $22). We are so happy with this for a number of reasons—not least that we actually found out about it here! We swear this stuff never comes off—and even better, it doesn't smudge. We'd stopped wearing mascara because the smudging was too annoying, but now we're back to daily application.

4: Er, one more thing. Personally, all we'd add to this would be a bit of lip stain, and Benefit says Benetint is waterproof. We're not sure our personal use bears this out, but that's the official word. Benetint, $28

This Is Why We Are Going To Buy Discount Cosmetics Immediately

Bright red lips! This is the poster for The Edge of Love, with Sienna M. and Keira K. Excited to see in general but feeling very motivated in particular to be all about the make-up. Here's a Keira close-up:

We're sure that's been airbrushed to fuck-all but still. Pretty! We'd like to say, we're not investing in this, but we wouldn't mind scouring the drugstore for something suitable. Like: Boots Botanics in Carmella, $8.99   

We Love Being Clean

It's true, we do. We like feeling freshly scrubbed - feeling dirty just makes us kind of twitchy, much like being outside too long does. We've worked in more than a few bath and body stores in our day, and the bathroom at our parents' house is STILL fully stocked with tea tree oil and cut soaps from those days. We find that nowadays, we can't resist anything that makes us clean. We randomly picked up a tube of an organic blemish treatment that we (literally) saw a picture of in the new Elle, and we're now sitting with it slathered on. We assume that the photo in Elle was a positive thing, and not a horrible warning about how much it sucks.  We've spent the better part of today mentally talking ourself out of buying a new face wash because we're halfway down with what we've got. We. Have. A. Problem.

It's even harder to resist handmade, local products - things that make us clean, and we are giving back (er, sort of). We love love love Sweet June Handmade, and now that they're back in production, we're slowly plotting our next order. It's all handmade by a lovely girl named Michele (and we'll admit, we're friends with her - but that truly doesn't bias us) in her spare time, it's all vegetarian (some products are vegan) AND she makes sure that she packages as economically as possible.

The catch? You can't order online, as in you can't put together a cart and pay for it that way. If you shoot her an email, title the email ORDER, we're willing to bet she'll take care of you.

We're definitely going to try the Dark and Sweet Coffee Polish. The description says it's an excellent pre-shave treatment, and we love scrubs. It sounds like it would smell delicious, with coffee, shea butter, and brown sugar. And at $6 for 5oz, we can't go wrong. For sake of comparison, the Fresh Brown Sugar Scrub (which is super oily and the grainy bits are pretty sharp is $65 for 14.1oz.

We're also going to try the InvigoMint! Scrub Polish. We love all things mint, we think the smell is the best smell in the world, next to Lemon Pledge and the kitchen in the house we grew up in.

Every time we go somewhere that has a bathtub (usually, our parents' house or a hotel) we buy a bath fizzy thing to take a bath and make it more fun. We bought a crappy one in a drug store yesterday that turned our bathwater kind of a lime water ice green. It was less than pleasant and it was like $4. Here, you can get the same thing minus the ick color for much less. These guys are called Superstars, and they're $6/6oz, which is 2 pieces/stars/things.

Superstars, $6

We got harassed this weekend while getting our nails done. First, for our polish color choice (black, just because we felt like it and we know we'll pick it off within a day or two), and then because our hands are so dry. It's surprising that they are because we use a very, very, very expensive handcream on them on a regular basis. We're going to try Scratch and Scrape - it's small enough to keep in our bag for the inevitable scrape and cut, and we're hoping it'll restore our cuticles back to normal/normal enough to not get harassed by our manicurist.

Scratch and Scrape, $3/.15oz tube or $5/.35oz tin

-LB

Kirsten's Lipstick: Reader Mail

One last bit of reader mail:

I am still on the hunt for the perfect red lipstick to wear on special occasions. It has to be blue based, not orange. And the one everyone talks about, Mac Ruby-Woo, is just too pink on me. I walked around all of Sephora and couldn't find anything that worked. I think I might be looking for something like this.

Being such gloss stalwarts, we have no answer for this—but we are sure someone out there does. (And can we say we loooove this image of KD, and it almost makes us ready to give up our Benetint.) Any ideas?

Lorac Tantalizer: BS Hearts

In today's reader-submitted Bunnyshop Hearts (and please send us yours!)

Lorac Tantalizer: It's a bronzing body lotion with some shimmer in it. I love it because I'm ghostly white and used to be addicted to spray tanning, but that sometimes looks unnatural and uneven. I just rub Tantalizer onto my legs before I head out the door; it dries very quickly and gives just the right amount of natural-looking color with a hint of shimmer. Also, this is kind of gross, but if you don't lather up your legs in the shower, it lasts for a couple days!

Above: Lorac Tantalizer, $32

To Blush: Reader Mail

In today's Reader Mail:

Dear BS:

I know this is totally random, but: Do you wear blush? Something about it just seems so 80s. If so—what do you wear? And do you think it is weird? Can people make some suggestions for cheek-enhancing products that aren't too hardcore? Is it okay to use the same thing on cheeks and lips? I don't see why smearing a bit of lipstick on the cheeks shouldn't do the trick ... but I'm cheap.

Love,
C.

Oh! We do wear it, occasionally, as we find if we're wearing primer and tinted moisturizer will look a little washed out. (We don't really wear it much during summer, when our skin-destroying tan kicks in.) Anyway, we'll wear Becca's (love Becca) Pressed Shimmer Power ($38)—as seen above in a shade that's a lot browner than we're used to. We also, of course, get double use out of our trusty Benetint. However, we remain a little freaked out by the old-skool blush and the giant brush, etc etc. What say you all? (And all the other BSG fans who got that reference, we love you.)

Lipstick! Bunnyshop Hearts

In today's reader-submitted Bunnyshop Hearts:

The best thing I have ever found in terms of makeup, and the perfect color. I am youngish, but I love wearing real normal lipstick every day, none of this shine and sparkle, and an amazing lipstick from Cover Girl is their continuous color lipstick—in Bistro Burgundy. It looks very natural, goes anywhere, and it is the only thing that I have ever used the whole tube of. No kidding.

M.

Some day we're going to graduate from lip gloss to lipstick. We just saw Marie Antoinette again—we hated it at first, but now we really sort of love it—and that berry \ crimson lipstick was awesome. We're wondering—what's everyone's go-to lipstick brand? Ours is Stila's fruit-flavored glosses (er, not for the fruit aspect), but we're curious about what other people like, especially the drugstore brands.

Also: send us what you love! As we will love you forever for it.

BS Hearts: Sonia Kashuk Make-up Brushes

In a reader-submitted Bunnyshop Hearts—as always, our favorite kind:

Big love for Sonia Kashuk make-up brushes at Target! This weekend when trying (stress the 'trying') to apply some blush or eyeshadow, I was reminded how very incredible Sonia Kashuk's brushes are (and at Target). There are some wonderful, inexpensive sets for not a big investment. They are fabulous ... luxury for a little—yes, 5 stars!!

L.A.

Can't beat the price, we're thinking: SK brushes, $12.99

Rescue Beauty Lounge Nail Polish: BS Hearts

This is exactly the nail polish we want at the moment. We're calling it Springtime Gray or Gray Gardens or some shit but they call it Stormy nail polish, $18

We also totally like the lemony yellow.

Today's Beauty Review: DiorShow Blackout Waterproof Mascara

Because we have been thinking: "We want to give out our OWN stars!"

Beauty product: DiorShow Blackout Waterproof Mascara in Kohl Black

What Sephora says its does: "Dior's sensation new DiorShow Mascara knocks out any waterproof mascara you've ever tried. Never sacrifice color and thickness for waterproof protection again. Creamy new Black Out Waterproof creates incredible black kohl intensity and spectacular volume, stroke by stroke. 100% smudge proof. 100% waterproof. 100%  amazing."

What we think: We have always been terrified of waterproof mascara, fearing getting soap near, or in, our eyes. Our solution to that is to just not wash our eye makeup off.  But, we would really like to wear mascara every day. We never thought it made much different until we were completely envious of our ex-boyfriend's ex-girlfriend's amazing lashes. We actually said WOW because we don't normally by nto the hype, but mascara can do it. We have dark lashes, so we're all about lengthening and thickening and blackening. We think curling, as in chemical and not mechanical, is weird. DiorShow is kind of awesome - it's definitely better than the Clinque we bought not too long ago, but it came off easily with cool water. Is it supposed to? Is that what waterproof is supposed to do? We are unsure. Is this a good mascara? Sure. It definitely lengthens and defines and doesn't really clump. Is it worth $24? Eh. Depends on how much money you're looking to spend. We say firmly, maybe.

Stars(!): * * 1/2.  We like what it does as a mascara, and we're unsure how waterproof is SUPPOSED to work, but the cost and washing off factor limit our stars. Dior DiorShow Blackout Waterproof Mascara, $24

-LB

Today's Beauty Review: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer

Because we have been thinking: "We really need something where we can give out stars!"

Beauty product: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

What Sephora says its does: "Packaged in a precious, genie-like bottle, Eyeshadow Primer Potion is an ultra-sheer, totally nude eye base that glides on with the wave of a wand and then disappears instantly. It's the ultimate eye prep for smoother, longer-lasting, crease-proof eyeshadow."

What we think: The reason we don't wear eyeshadow more frequently is because it all slips right off our eyelids. Totally, unbelievably annoying. This is the reason we don't own any eyeshadow. But we gave this an official test, and we at least saw a remnant of our eyeshadow four hours later. For us, this is a record. Is it worth $16? Probably. Maybe. We think so. We're not entirely sure.

Stars(!): * * 1/2. We know lots of people who would call this a favorite, so we're keeping an open mind. Maybe our expectations are just too high here. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, $16

Today's Beauty Review: Laura Mercier Creme Eyeshadow

Because we have been thinking: "We really need something where we can give out stars!"

Beauty product: Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eye Color

What Sephora says its does: "Lush metallic color floats across the eye leaving a gorgeous, shimmering sheen. High metallic pearl. Waterproof, lightweight, and non-greasy."

What we think: We were all excited about cream eyeshadow after last week's huge success. But this did everything our Shiseido choice from last week didn't—but, er, in a bad way. It creased, it was hard to apply, it rubbed off in like twenty minutes. There were also only five colors to choose from. We were not at all amused.

Stars(!): * 1/2. We'll stick with the great Shiseido from last week. Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eye Color, $22

Stila All Over Shimmer Luminizer: Beauty Review

Because we have been thinking: "We really need something where we can give out stars!"

Beauty product: Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer

What Sephora says its does: "Light up your look from lids to lips, cheeks to collarbones, with this lightweight way to add flirty sheen and luminosity to the skin. This Liquid Luminizer allows for added application control and will last longer than traditional powder or cream shimmers. The glass bottle has a built in brush for mess-proof application."

What we think: Let us begin by saying the part about "mess-proof" is just, we swear, completely false. We may act like an eight-year-old in public, but we are not so wedded to that role that we want to walk out of Sephora covered in luminizer, whatever that is, but that is exactly what we did. This shit got everywhere. And as far as the luminizing is concerned: A., we fail to recognize "luminizer" as  word. B., it just looked like glitter-face. Maybe we need to use a lot less, and be much more tactical about where we applied it, but. Still. Glitter-face. We're not sold, figuratively or literally. And we love Stila, so this was a bit of a disappointment.

Stars(!): * *. Eh. We want to be luminized, but this wasn't the product to do it for us. Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer, $22

Liquid Eyeliner: Reader Mail

In today's Reader Mail:

Dear BS:

Simple question! Liquid eyeliner? Pencil? For summer? No? Yes? Advise!

W.

Simple answers! Yes. No. Always. We can't seem to be able to use pencil without it constantly smudging, so we stopped. Liquid eyeliner: Give it five seconds to dry, and it doesn't move. We absolutely love it. Who has other suggestions, or maybe a way to keep non-liquid types from smudging?

Above: Urban Decay liquid eyeliner, $18

The Best Self Tanner: Reader Mail

In today's Reader Mail:

Dear BS:

I saw how you were writing about wearing sunscreen and all that, which I try to do. But what about self-tanner? I'd really love to try it, but I'm scared I'll be blotchy. Any recommendations?

Love,
S.C.

So! Self-tanner—like Botox, liposuction, teeth whitening, pedicures—these are just a few of the beauty treatments that scare us. We know they shouldn't. We used to be scared of lemons. Which is to say, we're not always so rational on the fear thing. Anyhoo, we've also been too freaked to try it, though we're sure we're going to. Who can suggest an appropriately non-streaking, non-orange self-tanner? Our emotional well-being depends on it.

We just saw this Clinique self-tanner win a Real Simple award. We have yet to check it out personally, for the record. Clinique Face Self-Tanning Formula, $18.50

The Real Tan: Reader Mail

In today's Reader Mail:

Dear Bunnyshop, this is what I'm wondering. How many of your readers wear sunscreen? How many go without—like to the beach? Summer's coming and I'm looking for a plan. What do you do?

Love,

N.

Oh, we admit it: We try to wear sunscreen, we travel with it, and we rarely do. We are olive-y! We recently were traveling with another olive-y complected, and we were both like: We're green from October til May! Our skin cries out for sun!' Ugh. Unfair!

We try. We fail. Occcassionally, we think to ourselves: We don't care, we just want a fucking tan. We have never and would never go to a tanning salon; whoever was in charge of the anti-tanning salon PSAs did a fabulous job. But will we go out on the beach without sunscreen this summer? Yes. Will we probably regret it in 20 15 5 years? You bet.

Above: Peter Thomas Roth ultra-lite oil-free sunscreen (this is the one we have; obviously it's still full), $26

Eye Shadow: Reader Mail

In today's Reader Mail:

Eye shadow colors:

To complement skin tones & hair color. . .  or to bring out eye color? I'd love it if anyone who responds is specific about  skin/hair/eye + eye shadow colors.

Thanks!
A.

Well! We'll admit we'll be even less helpful on this than usual, since we rarely, rarely, rarely wear eye shadow. Are our eyelids too greasy? We have no idea, but primer, no primer, whatever, that shit just wipes off about 20 minutes after we put it on. We will say that we're eyeliner devotees, with green eyes and dark hair, and we are newly fans of purple eyeliner. (Though we will remind here that when our best friend saw us wearing it in Sephora, she made us take it off. We feel she may have been wrong about this.) Anyway, we do know that the classic color for the green-eyed among us. But we open it to the floor: anyone with particularly successful color combinations?

Above: Sephora's eye shadow collection for green eyes, $26

Reader Mail: The Difficult Question

In today's Reader Mail:

Dear BS:

I know this is totally gross, but I apparently have the driest heels on the planet, and I don't know how to fix them! Any ideas?

Love,
M.

Oh! We have only one idea: We were recently at the Body Shop, and this woman, when she was describing the new products, said that people sometimes like to put this moisturizer on their heels and then go to sleep with socks on. We can't entirely wrap our heads around that, but we're working on it.

Someone out there must have a better idea than we do?

Above: Hemp Hand Protector, $16.50

Purple Eyeliner and Other Random Beauty Products: Reader Mail

In today's Reader Mail:

Dear BS:

I know this is pretty random, but I'm wondering: What's the wildest make-up you wear? I'm looking for new ideas. Please ask everyone else as well—like, for something they thought would be weird but turned out well.

Love,
C.

Oh! We have an answer to this, and it is: purple liquid eyeliner. We totally defend it! They even used it on What Not To Wear. Green eyes, purple eyeliner, lots of Fibrewig mascara. It all comes together. We mentioned how we were practically stood up in Sephora recently, and had to kill 45 minutes there, aggravating the entire sales staff and covering our face in make-up. When our friend finally (finally) showed up, she was all, "I love your lipstick, you need to buy that, etc etc," and we were like, Don't you like our eyeliner? And she was like, No. Eh. We persist.

Who else has an off-the-beaten path product to recommend?

Above, Sephora's aubergine eye shadow, $10

Sephora's Best Buy: Today's Best Buy

$2 nail polish. We mean, really. Just worth pointing out, we thought. Can we add hear that as suspicious as we often are of house brands, we return again and again to our Sephora brand eyeliner?

Blue nail polish, $2(!)

Of course, we also sort of want the fancy one, but we're fighting it. Dior Vernis nail polish, $18

THANK GOD IT'S SPRING!

Seasonal affective disorder: We get it! With, in our opinion, everyone else in the appropriate hemisphere. We fucking hate winter. Hate it, hate it, hate it. But it's over! Done and dusted! We checked, and Yahoo! Answers (whatever) is saying that spring began this morning at 5:48 GMT ,which is, we think, 12:48 a.m. Eastern time. Hallelujah! We are so doing the flip-flopping hemispheres thing, as we have previously planned.

Moving forward, for no particular reason, the five things we want most for spring. Once again, we ask everyone else what they would like for spring.

More than anything, dark denim jeans. We honestly cannot believe we haven't bought these yet. Citizens high-waisted Genevas, $180

A super-bright dress. This is for the lifting of the spirit following the long, dark, but surprisingly non-snowy winter. Cathay circle dress, $294

Cuffed shorts. Cuffed shorts, in our opinion, make legs look slimmer. And that is the only sort of weight-management consideration we are ever going to get into here. American Eagle, by the way, is rapidly becoming our under-$30 clothing source. (By the way, that ridiculous self-tie is removable.) AE Paper Bag shorts, were $39.50, now $29.50

Gladiator sandals. Easy peasy, and these are cheap. Hopefully functioning as a slightly more together version of Havaianas. Topshop sandals, $30

Pink lip gloss. The only proper shade for spring. Tragically, the shade we're talking about has nothing to do with the one pictures. We want the frosted pink. Surprisingly adaptable! Stila Lip Glaze,  $22

Fiberwig Mascara: BS Hearts

Can we just say: We have posted other people's recommendations of this previously, but we were so attached to our Bad Gal Benefit mascara that we didn't want to stray. However, when a certain person decided to show up an hour late at the mall today, we were forced to make do—and buy "make do" we mean, "try on makeup until the Sephora shop girls were like, 'Will you please just go or something'"—until she got there, and we totally eavesdropped on one of them being all, "This is my favorite of the fiber mascaras," and we learned all about how fiber mascaras actually have fibers in them to make everything longer and lash-ier.

All we know is that the last time we wore mascara, we had giant panda rings under our eyes, and today, five hours later, we do not.

So we're a little behind the eight-ball here, but in any case: Fiberwig mascara, $22

CoverGirl LashBlast: Bunnyshop Hearts

In today's Bunnyshop Hearts:

I was reading your post to CH where you were discussing the different Dior mascaras. I am seriously no mascara expert and I never had any brand loyalty to any mascara until now: After trying so many mascaras under the sun, I have discovered Cover Girl’s Last Blast Mascara. Zero clumps, lengthens beautifully and the brush is similarly big to both Benefit’s BadGal and Dior’s Diorshow. It is amazing and I’ve already bought my second tube of it (which is a pretty big deal for me.)

Anyway, since you are supposed to change your mascara every month or so anyway, it is great to find a brand that makes me feel OK about buying a few at a time. You know, you don’t have to think, “Really? $70 on mascara?”

At least, that’s how I feel.

L.

We've been having a difficult time with mascara lately—someone recently said to us, "Why is it all black under your eyes?"—and we have yet to meet the mascara we won't smear all over our face. We remain hopeful, however.

We just realized that this Drew Barrymore commercial is for this mascara:

In any case: CoverGirl LashBlast mascara, $7.65

Reader Mail: Lip Liner?

In today's reader mail:

Hello!

I came across your website this evening and wow! Answers to questions I hadn't even asked yet! (So that's how you put Tarte's cheek stain on...) I too have a possibly silly question I haven't asked anyone else but this seems to be the perfect forum for such.  And so I ask: do you wear lip liner with Clinique's Almost Lipstick in Black Honey or do you just put it on and hope it stays put?

Thanks!
C.

We'll say this now, and for all time: We do not own any lip liner, though we definitely own many lip glosses. (Though we can never find them when we need them, and inevitably end up using the Benetint at Sephora.) Moving on: none! Not a one. To us, lip liners defeat the purpose of lip gloss, which is that it is easy to use. And we prefer things that involve one step to two.

Above, that really sort of freaks us out: DuWop reverse lip liner ("Imagine being able to shape your lips without creating harsh lines. This revolutionary, colorless, matte lip pencil is designed to be applied to the area just outside the lip line, to plump up fine lines and lock lip color in place"), $19

Tarte Cheek Stain—Questions Answered!

A few weeks ago, after we endorsed our very beloved Tarte Cheek Stain, we discovered the following comment:

How DO you use the cheek stain? I'm embarrassed to say I've always been afraid to ask the stupid question. Does it go on... first? Can you put it on over moisturizer or does it mess things up? Arrrgh.

Once we realized that we could not, with confidence, answer this question ourselves, we turned to actual experts—at Tarte! And here is their exceptionally qualified answer:

Using tarte’s cheek stain is simple. First, apply your moisturizer, concealer, foundation (liquid or powder or both!), and/or bronzer on first. Then, grab your tarte cheek stain. Make sure you remove and toss the plastic protective cap. Be sure to wipe off any condensation. Using your fingers, a sponge or directly from the container (choice is up to you—it’s what you’re comfortable with) dab it on the apples of your cheeks. I always suggest people smile to find these. After you dab it on, then blend, blend, blend! You have a few minutes to blend it before it dries. And that’s how you get that dewy, flushed look!

Hurrah! We will add that when we use it (almost daily) we put it on straight from the tube—we really find it easier to use than just about anything.

We are so feeling the power of getting questions answered today. If anyone else has a question about a particular product, let us know!

Above: Tarte cheek stain, $28

Another Reason Why If We Ever Have Kids, We're Moving to a Commune

   

Without phones, or email, or actually wires of any sort:

Today, cosmetic companies and retailers increasingly aim their sophisticated products and service packages squarely at 6- to 9-year-olds, who are being transformed into savvy beauty consumers before they’re out of elementary school.

The full, depressing article is here.

Beauty Travel Necessities: Our Version

So we're in Florida at the moment! We are so moving to Florida. Fuck winter! We were so seasonally affected that we were thinking about buying one of those lamps. Sunshine is so much nicer. We are so glad we were forced to attend a wedding here, even if we have been complaining about the plane fare for the last two months.

Anyhoo! We came back to our hotel room after the wedding and found all our favorite things laid out on a washcloth. Man, we love hotels, we were thinking, and then: all our favorite travel necessities! And so we thought we would mention them:

1: Benefit Bad Girl Lash mascara ($19): We would like to add that the bride came into our room, saw it, and was like, "I love this." Bride-approved makeup!

2: Sephora eyeliner ($10): A necessity. We can't remember where we read this, but we just read the suggestion to sort of scrunch this into the lashes, and we were all, "How could that possibly work?" But it does!

2a: Becca primer ($35): Fabulous and smells like something we want to eat. Sort of like a cross between cookies and cake. And perfume.

3 (top): Becca shimmer powder ($38): Always looks a little robot-y but is super nice with the tan we are about to have, because we apparently do not care very much about the wrinkle-future of our skin.

3 (bottom): Kiehl's Abyssine serum ($44): We think of this as a light moisturizer for use in environments of incredible humidity.

4: Tarte cheek stain ($28): And the bride was all, How do you use this? And then figured it out. And was like, I want this. It's awesome.

5: Frederic Fekkai styling gel ($14.50): All that stands between us and a horrifying amount of frizz.

6: Body Shop vitamin E face soap ($6): Our favorite bar soap cleanser, and cheaper than our beloved Purity from Philosophy, which we try to avoid traveling with as it always explodes in our bag.

7: Peter Thomas Roth sunblock ($26): Haven't used it yet, but we're planning on it.

8: