Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Adventures in Beautyland: Getting Ready for the Independent Spirit Awards


     

    I had a plan. As any of the other bloggers can tell you, I was prepared for this trip. Loxy and I made a cheat sheet of all of those known attending the Spirit Awards so I would have something to say if I got the chance to speak to them. I had worked out a "look" centered around retro Hollywood with a twist and had even gotten Anne to agree to help me into my bustier, pre-show.

     

    I had allowed HOURS of time to get ready and it flew by. I had a quick and delicious breakfast and then ran smack into Timothy Olyphant (I'm pretty sure it was him) while trying to find the elevator that leads to the second floor from the third floor.  Aveeno had done such a nice job of pampering us the day before, and I wanted to continue that experience. Like with the rest of the weekend, time flew by and before I knew it, I was on my way to the Red Carpet at the Independent Spirit Awards.

     

    To get ready, I started by washing my hair and using a new glossing treatment from Aveeno, Living Color Color Preserving Shine Glaze. After you shampoo and condition, you leave in the treatment for about three minutes and then rinse. Using the treatment regularly will extend the life of your color and help seal the hair cuticle, making your hair smooth and shiny. My hair was soft and shiny after I used it the first time!

    I decided to do my hair wavy for the event, a la Maggie Gyllenhaal. While I worked on perfecting my waves, I watched Scrubs and thought of what I would say to Christa Miller, should I see her later in the day, as she and I are both huge fans of a certain shock jock.  And because I knew I would write about it thinking about that, I tried to take a picture of the television, so you wouldn't have to go to IMDb to figure out who she was. Each one came out blurry, except this one.  Oh well. Here's the link to her IMDb page.


     Next, it was makeup time. I had previously exfoliated my face, arms and decollete with YBF's Prep, which is amazing, provided you like a serious scrub.

     

    I had prepped my face using Tarte's new Maracuja Oil, which I am loving. It sinks in, without leaving your skin feeling greasy. I followed up with Jan Marini's SPF, as I knew it wouldn't change the color of my foundation or reflect strangely in pictures.

     
    (Anne knows how to make me me feel at ease.)

    Anne then joined me to continue getting ready. Thankfully, she remembered to bring hairspray and didn't mind helping me get dressed. She's a good friend like that! She didn't even make fun of me for watching two televisions at once. (If a hotel puts two screens 20 feet apart, what is a movie/tv junkie like me supposed to do?) We then struggled with dress tape (that stuff is sticky!), tied and re-tied sashes and discussed how to make Anne's eyes smolder.

     

    Then it was makeup time for me. I wanted to do a light, but glimmering eye; play up my newly grown and amazing lashes and don a seriously bright lip to complete my retro Hollywood look.

     

    I started with Dalton's Primer, Maybelline Fit Me Foundation (mixed with FACE atelier's Minus Zero) and Josie Maran's Argan Oil concealer. I then used Stila's Prime Pot over my entire eye and added a bit of Urban Decay's Primer Potion to my lid. I filled in my brows with Joey Healy's Equestrian Luxe Brow Powder. I used Buxom's Stay-There Shadow in Sheepdog in the corner of my eyes, Collie across the rest of the lid and Pug in the crease. I lined below my lower lashes with Pug as well. To make my lashes really stand out, I used my new favorite mascara combo - Urban Decay's Supercurl Mascara and Fiberwig. To top it off, I added a little bit of LORAC's Lustre Liquid to my lids.

    On my cheeks, I used Tarte's Park Ave Princess as a contour, YSL's Peach Creme de Blush on the apples of my cheeks and Zuii's Mango blush to add a matte radiance. (I know, a matte radiance sounds weird. But it's amazing.) Finally, I added a touch of Dalton's H2Glo for a little pop of cheek sheen.

     

    To complete my look, added a bright pop of color on the lips - Zuii's Coral Red. This red lasts and lasts. In fact, I only had to touch up my lips three times throughout the entire day and into the evening. It's creamy, hydrating and very long wearing.

     

    My favorite part of my ensemble was my necklace, an upcycled, steampunk-inspired piece from Etsy. I love this necklace!

    Anne and I awaiting our transportation to the ceremony.

    While I am overly critical and very self-conscious, I have to say I was really happy and comfortable with how I looked, something that almost never happens! We then left to meet all of the ladies in the lobby for a fantastic afternoon at the Independent Spirit Awards!

    (The entire Aveeno Brand Ambassador Team before the awards.)

    Aveeno paid for this experience. Opinions are my own. Other products mentioned may have been sent for review. I also purchased plenty of them with cold, hard cash.

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