Buy Viva Glam TODAY Because MAC's Giving Back Twice On World AIDS Day

$15, MAC

It's December 1, in case you just woke up and hadn't laid eyes upon a calendar today. It's World AIDS Day, and there probably isn't a beauty brand -- or any other consumer brand or retailer -- that's done more to work toward a cure for AIDS than MAC. Today, when you purchase any Viva Glam product online or in a MAC store, MAC is donating double. The purchase of just one Viva Glam lipstick can buy five meals for a person living with HIV: Today you can help buy 10 meals just by buying a lipstick. (And if you're me, you'd probably already be buying lipstick anyway, so why not buy lipstick and buy someone dinner at the same time?) 

I'm partial to Viva Glam I, a matte brick red, but you can choose from seven different Viva Glam lipstick shades, two shades of Lipglass and even a lip conditioner by MAC Viva Glam spokesman Ricky Martin. 

Come on. How could you say no to that punim?

Buy Viva Glam today, and find out more about the MAC AIDS Fund.

MAC's Ruffian Nail And Lipstick Collection Is Hotter Than August Asphault

Behold MAC's Ruffian press-on nails. THOSE Demoiselle POINTED HALF MOONS! (I haven't seen nails so covetable since Beyonce busted out those Chanel Nouvelle Vague nails in her "Why Don't You Love Me?" video -- one of her best and most underrated videos, if I may.)

Spectator, Demilune and Demoiselle, $25, each

Ruffian Naked, Ruffian Red and Ruffian Gold, $14.50 each

SHOP ESTEE LAUDER'S "MAD MEN" COLLECTION!

ESTEE LAUDER'S "MAD MEN" COLLECTION IS IN STORES NOW! YES, I'M YELLING! BECAUSE THIS IS AMERICA, AND YOU CAN TOTALLY BUY LIPSTICKS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF FICTIONAL TV CHARACTERS WHO ARE BASICALLY TERRIBLE PEOPLE YOU'D NEVER WANT TO ENCOUNTER IRL!!

You guys, the PACKAGING ALONE on these things! Unfortunately this lipstick is not called "Basket of Kisses," but that's only because Peggy wasn't on the job.

Get the limited edition "Cherry" lipstick for $25 or the "Evening Rouge" creme rouge for $40. Adjusted for inflation, obviously. Blame the Communists. Now go not educate yourself, neglect your children and get your hair "set" like a good '60s housewife. 

PS: There was a Banana Republic "Mad Men" fashion show ON A VIRGIN ATLANTIC PLANE.  IN THE AIR. WITH LOBSTER ROLLS.

Versace Yellow Diamonds, Rimmel Volume Flash Scandaleyes Mascara + More On 10 Things I Love Tuesday!

I'm kind of experiencing a real-life "Emma"/ "Clueless" situation. See, my BFF Laura is a phenomenal writer, mother, and human being. I've been bugging the shit out of her to start a mom blog for AGES, and she finally did it (probably just so I'd STFU). Anyway, speaking of bugs, she was bitten by the blog bug and is burnin' up, Madonna style, with a SERIOUS case of blogging fever over at Look What Mom Made. And I'm so happy because I'm not even a mommy/ kid sort, and her blog is so inspiring. Anyway, it's a classic case of the student becoming the MASTER, where she's Tai, and I'm Cher, because I love her "10 Things I Love Tuesday" list, so I'm promptly stealing it. Thanks, Laura!

Without further ado, here are 10 things (most beauty, I admit) I love on a TUESDAY.

1.) Versace "Yellow Diamond": I'm highly devoted to Versace's "Versace" fragrance, but I want to slather Versace "Yellow Diamond" all over my body (in a reasonable way). It's basically a lighter, brighter version of Versace Versace, with more citrusy notes but all of the sophisticated staying power. Put it on yourself NOW. "Yellow Diamond is $67 at Macy's, but if you like "Yellow Diamond" on Facebook you can get a free sample! HOW 'BOUT THAT, America?

2.) Rimmel Volume Flash Scandaleyes Mascara: This is kinda Rimmel's answer to Cover Girl's epic Lash Blast mascara. The main difference? Rimmel's has slightly more color payoff. It's best used as a final coat over a mascara that really defines -- like MAC's False Lashes. Rimmel Scandaleyes is like, I don't know. However many dollars. It's not much.

3.) Nars "Shrinagar" lipstick: Perfect wearable berry purple. I know I said all of that stuff about red lipstick, and I do love a good red, but lately purples have been doing it for me They bring out your lips' natural color but in a slightly exaggerated, not at all cartoonish way. "Shrinagar" is $24 and worth every penny.

 

4.) Cover Girl Color Blast Flipstick Lipcolor: Beware. Cover Girl's new two-in-one lipstick will stay on your lips FOREVER. I'm still wearing "Perky," and I put it on like, last Monday.

$7.99, Cover Girl, Target

5.) Soap & Glory Hand Food lotion: File under: British stuff I love, right next to "Downton Abbey." Impulse bought this while waiting in line at Sephora (IT WORKED, Sephora. You're welcome), and this is my new favorite lotion next to MOR. It lasts forEVER, softens, and has a secret ingredient: MARSHMALLOW! Bonus: Adorable packaging.

$5, Soap & Glory, Sephora

Red Lipstick Perfection Is NOT Impossible! DREAM BIG, People!

It's Valentine's Day (duh), and your feelings about that probably range from YAY, CHEAP CHOCOLATE to mild indifference to inconsolable sobs. I'm not even that bitter of a person, and I can admit that Valentine's Day is kind of garbage. With the exception of vintage Valentines. Those are adorable.

But Valentine's Day is a good time to pause and remember that EVERY SINGLE DAY is an EXCELLENT excuse to wear red lipstick.

Check out my piece on how to wear red lipstick at StyleUnited (I'm guest editor of their Facebook page this week, so go there, do that), and please, whatever you do, get yourself Topshop's Rio Rio red lipstick. (I reviewed Topshop's makeup for Naag.com, BTW.) It's the best red lipstick ever, and it's a REMARKABLE feat of beauty. 

$16, Topshop

+ Related: My Valentine's Day love letter to myself, ladies, plus, really cute Valentines featuring hearts with mustaches.

Iris Apfel For MAC Collection: Buy Everything Now! While You Still Can!

Watch and learn, people. Ninety-year-old Iris Apfel is everything I want to be when I grow up: a bespectacled, unabashedly bad-ass New Yorker unafraid to be a style original and unafraid to wear all of her bracelets at once. Who am I kidding? That is probably four percent of Iris Apfel's bracelet collection. But anyone who abides by the polar opposite of Coco Chanel's "take off one accessory before you leave the house" fashion rule of thumb is probably someone whose arms I envy. Oh, and I'd also like to be way way way rich. (Not gonna lie about that one.) I'd be charitable too. Gosh. Don't be all judge-y in my fantasy.

Another reason to want to be Iris Apfel? MAC, quite astutely, just released their Iris Apfel collection, a limited-edition 20-piece collection, and of course my favorites are the nail polishes and lipsticks, especially the shades brighter than a tanning bed on fire. My rule of thumb for lipstick, and nail polish is usually "would someone be able to see this from space?" If yes, then it's probably a beauty product I'll invest in.

Sandpiper Creamy pale stone beige (Limited Edition)
** Oriele Orange Bright orange coral (Limited Edition) ** FAVESIES

Toco Toucan Bright blue-fuchsia (Limited Edition)

Pink Pigeon Bright cleanest pink (Matte) (Limited Edition) 

** Morange Loudmouth orange (Permanent) ** FAVESIES!

Scarlet Ibis Bright orange-red (Matte) (Limited Edition)

Party Parrot Bright red-pink (Matte) (Limited Edition) 

Flamingo Light milky bright coral (Lustre) (Limited Edition) 

Most of the Iris Apfel MAC lipsticks are sold out, but my favorite, Morange, is still available online, so get to steppin'. Or go stalk your local MAC to see if they're still available. (Don't act like you're above it.)

+ Related: Into The Gloss' excellent Iris Apfel interview.

Outfit/ GPOY Post: LNA Cardigan, Forever 21 Ripped Jeans & Other Comfie Pieces For Pizza

Saturday night was one of the last pizza binges of 2011, so I had to bring it in the comfort competition. But I also felt like wearing something cute, and God forbid someone see me going H.A.M. on some carbs in something UNCUTE!

+ Cardigan: LNA Zip Pckt. It's jersey, has two oversized zipper pockets, and if I lost this thing I'd call the cops. That's how attached I am to this layering staple. Get it for $50(!!!!!!)

+ Ripped skinny jeans: Forever 21.

+ Silk tank: Forever 21.
+ Pour La Victorie studded Oxfords: I have these in olive/ beige too. Wear them at least once a week. #known
+ Bracelet: Ippolita Hard Gloss mother of pearl bangle (gift)
+ Lipstick: Shout out to that Cover Girl LipPerfection Siren 415 lipstick.
+ Pizza: Sam's Chops -- BEST pizza in all of New York. No competition. Just ask what once passed for my midriff.

How Do You Wear Red Lipstick?

Credit: Thinkstock

... Funny you should ask. Because I recently started writing for Procter & Gamble's brand-new fashion and beauty site called StyleUnited. As someone who owns enough lipstick to fill up a small Cessna, I'd like to think I know a couple things about finding the right shade of red.

Check out my Styleunited piece on how to wear red lipstick -- anyone can do it, and I mean that. Even guys if you really want to -- and I hope you find more fashion and beauty trends, tips and tricks on StyleUnited.

Binge Beauty: MAC's Secret Crush See-Through Lip Stain Is Your Summer Crush

($14, MAC)

I will be totally straight-up honest with you. When I first received MAC's "Secret Crush" See-Through Lip Color (top shade), from the Rose Romance collection, I was like WTF? I had so many questions, like... "Why is this so tiny?" ... And... "Why it all gelatinous?" Then I put it on... And was all "Ew. Gross... What's on TV?"

... And I almost wrote it off. And then I inadvertantly taught myself an important lesson in patience. And that lesson is that patience IS important. Because See-Through Lip Color is an OUTSTANDING beauty summer product. First of all, a teeeeeensy weeeeensy little bit goes a LONG way (recession-friendly!). Also, it stays on for FOREVER, and not in that nasty-ass crusty chemically way. If you're the type of idiot who wears lipstick to the beach, make this one it.

It also has a lovely cooling property, and as someone who's always BOILING, I so appreciate that, especially in the summer, when I'm boiling x3. And it's so light that you'll have to check your mirror to cure yourself of "I can't believe I'm not wearing product" disbelief. Secret Crush = perfect summer shade -- it's a sweet little hint of color that stays on with zero gross goo. It's also an A+ way to do the red-lip trend I'm seeing so much of without committing to actual red lips in the summer, which is kinda gross and difficult, you know?

Anyway, yay, patience! Now go get MAC Secret Crush, and make it your summer crush.

Urban Decay's Lipstick: Packaging To DIE For... Or By

($22, Urban Decay, Sephora)

Aside from the heavy-like-a-roll-of-quarters bulk, ferociously scary/ awesome dagger detail, fun fun fun brand embossing that says "Urban Decay" right on the erm, shaft of the lipstick itself, purple metal tube, and the caramel scent of Midnight Cowboy (a shimmery beige), I kinda love the fact that you could totally put someone's eye out with any of Urban Decay's lipsticks as clearly they double as weapons.


And if you really like Urban Decay's lipstick, you can vote for it at the Golden Compact awards! Some of my FAVORITE beauty bloggers are judges!

Kat Von D's Lolita Lipstick: I Don Bought It

Honestly, I know little about Kat Von D -- never seen her show, I have no tattoos nor do I particularly care about them, and I don't usually go out of my way to embrace celebrity beauty lines just because they're celeb beauty lines. And truthfully, I need a new lipstick like Sarah Palin needs another kid. But I popped into Sephora last night (after seeing the cutest musical (13 -- think Breakfast Club meets Mean Girls with a Jewish Neil Patrick Harris-y Jr. lead), and I tried on Kat Von D's Painted Love lipstick in "Lolita." $18 later, my lips are a gorgeous dusty rose (not the color shown above -- couldn't find a pic of "Lolita").

Even though it's a light rose/ mauve shade, the lipstick itself is a very noticable, very thick, warm, full-coverage, matte. Think industrial-strength stay-on coverage. Perfect for winter and downplaying glamma drama eyes. Also, the packaging is phenomzorz -- a beautiful Lucite base and a rubberized cap with rose imagery.

Kat Von D's Painted Love lipsticks only come in four total shades, and Lolita's the lightest. Based on their thickness, I couldn't imagine wearing any of the darker shades without my lips looking like a stop light, but more power to you if you can pull it off. These are the thickness, and I definitely recommend it if you're looking for a strong, sturdy, stay-put lipstick. Available only at Sephora, which, at this point, I visit more frequently than my local supermarket.

Friday Night Linky Dinks!

Yep. Still couched. And now, a whole bunch of links that have about as much in common as spaghetti and kitty litter.

+ American Apparel takes one step closer toward absolute corruption as they reintroduce Hypercolor shirts. Why God, why? Brightest Young Things reports.

+ Nylon previews the next designer to team up with Target for their Go International collection: Richard Chai. Pretty fall solid separates in purples and blues.

+ MOTHER! Dress up like Little Edie Beale in jewelry inspired by Grey Gardens.
This is the best thing to wear for today, you understand.

+ Makeupandbeautyblog takes a look like Chanel's Fall 2008 gold-flecked metallics in princessy fairy shades. Love the Fantastic Plum lipstick.

+ Beauty Anonymous experiments with mascaras with magical battery-powered wands that whirl, twirl, and could possibly blind you. I'm afraid. (Via Beauty Blogging Junkie)

+ For the Love of Beauty explores India via Lancome's forthcoming India-inspired Fall 2008 collection.

+ I can't wait for Ashley Paige: Bikini or Bust, and after watching about 10 hours of television today and seeing this commercial about 14 times, I'm practically an expert.

+ Crafty ladies: Roman Sock knows how to make meerkats that are so cute you could just break down and cry.

Beauty Binge: Natural Products Worldwide Lipgloss Pots, Cargo Plant Love & Jane Iredale

Packaging Whore. That should be the name of my next blog. Because I am one. A packaging whore.

Just take a second to consider whether you can even deal with the cuteness of Natural Products Worldwide's (a British gift and design firm) Naughty But Nice little pastried-up lipgloss pots. Just TRY to see if you can handle. Moving right along...

(Apprx $3.80 USD, npw.co.uk)

(Apprx $15 USD, npw.co.uk)

My awesomely thoughtful friend Elinor brought me this little four-pack from her trip to London earlier this year. While usually, novelty beauty products are heavier on the novelty, lighter on the beauty, these l'il guys -- the cream tart in particular, actually moisturize like champs. Sweet!

($20, Cargo, Sephora)

These super cuters Cargo "Plant Love" lipsticks aren't exactly new to market, but they -- and they're irresistible packaging -- are new to me. They're made from all sorts of... green... stuff (green is the new black!) like corn. Six of the shades were designed by celebritayze -- I like Mariska Hargitay's and Evagenline Lily's -- though I like the non-celeb shades best. (And the celebs are super random -- Kim Raver, Denise Richards, Sarah Chalke and Lindsay Lohan... um, probably at least three of them have slept with Charlie Sheen, but at least they've all got fame in common?) Best of all, $2 from each shade goes to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.


Finally...

($24, Jane Iredale)

See, I'm not JUST into the kiddie packaging -- Jane Iredale's Sugar & Butter Lip Exfoliator is totally sophisticado in its dual-sided ingenuity and pretty gold patina, and the product is superb. The brown sugar exfoliator works well, but the ginger and mint plumper is light, lush and lovely and leaves your lips unbelievably soft and smooth. Huzzah! And if you're not into the exfoliator (it does leave a few trace grains of sugar, but that was also because I was practically chewing it off its stick with sugary excitement), check out the regular lip plumper. It tingles but doesn't sting. Huzzah!

Beauty Binge: MAC Mattene Lipstick In Flattering

Sooooooo... clearly FashionBinge is mainly about fashion, but it occurred to me the other day when I was switching bags and transferred about 18 lipsticks and glosses from one bag to the other: I have a beauty addiction. And lipsticks and glosses are my drug of choice. So, instead of admitting I have a probzor, I've decided to blog about it instead...

My newest acquisition is a MAC lipstick from their new Mattene matte line -- perf for fall, y'all!! The shade I have and am McLovin' is "Flattering," which is described as a beige pink semi-matte. On pasty-ass me, it's extremely pale but gorgeous and more peach than pink without any annoying old lady coral qualities. And it's super smooth yet light at the same time, and bish stayed on for HOURS without any icky build-up. This is the perfect complement to dramatic, smoky eyes.

The line hits October 4.

(I THINK this is Flattering, but I couldn't tell for sure.)