Back in January, MAC Cosmetics sent a super-secret missive to a slew of beauty bloggers (including yours truly) inviting them to create a shade; today, the winners were announced! (Will you forgive me if I admit that I’m now kicking myself for not putting more effort into this? Let’s keep it real: I can be happy for my friends and also just a smidge jealous, no?)

But c’est la vie! The colors they picked to create are all gorgeous: even more amazing are some of the backstories, such as Patrice Yursik’s All of My Purple Life, and Karen Monterichard’s Evolution Revolution. (Go read Karen’s post where she breaks down her inspirations; it’s fantastic.)

Here’s the lowdown on the MAC Bloggers’ Obsessions collection: (more…)

Clearly, I’m not the only adult acne sufferer in town! After posting yesterday about my cystic acne chin woes, I received a ton of emails, Tweets and texts from friends and readers giving their own advice and/or asking for more info.

By Elizabeth Dehn skincare

One of the most tantalizing bits of advice came from Elizabeth Dehn of Beauty Bets, who also has just launched a brand-new skincare line called By Elizabeth Dehn. Elizabeth’s line features Shea Cream (a 90% shea butter cream, which is a natural form of vitamin A), The Serum (made from 11 plant oils, super hydrating, and with a delicious Bulgarian Orange Rose Absolute smell), and Face Spray (smells like oranges, lemon and bergamot). Check it out and support one of my favorite bloggers–the line is spa-quality, very luxurious, paraben/sulfate/phthalate/petrochemical (etc)-free, and features absolutely adorable packaging!

On her website, Elizabeth features a recipe for an Apple Cider Vinegar drink that’s supposed to diminish inflammation in the body (with inflammation, of course, being responsible for everything from acne to wrinkles).

Here’s the recipe!

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR “COCKTAIL”
2 T. Braggs apple cider vinegar (raw/organic)
Squeeze of lemon juice
Touch of honey (optional)
12 ounces of water

I went to Trader Joe’s today and bought some Apple Cider Vinegar, stirring a couple of ounces into a glass of water. It has a tart, Kombucha-y taste which I don’t at all mind (in fact, it actually tasted pretty good to me!) but which might be overpowering to some people. I’m combining the Apple Cider drink with two Cod Liver Oil tablets a day, and am continuing to use the Rodin and Fields Unblemish Kit, so we’ll see how it goes and I will continue to keep you posted!

Do I really need any text accompanying this image? I simply saw it and was all “ZOMG!” So, clearly, I’m not as bored of William and Kate as I thought…

Oh. And all that title hullabaloo? Vanity Fair says: “Despite Will and Kate’s new official titles—dude duke and duchess, respectively—Will made it clear at the wedding that he will continue to be addressed as Prince William, meaning Kate by default will be Princess Catherine, reports Vanity Fair writer Katie Nicholl. This may rattle some family hierarchies— the Countess of Wessex had wanted to be known as Princess Sophie, but had been forbidden by the Queen.”

William and Kate are coming to California in July, and I’m not going to lie: I’m SO tempted to stalk them. (Oops, sorry, wrong word choice. I mean “go to wherever they are, stand around for hours trying to catch a glimpse, and report on them.” Yeah, that’s it.)

It’s been an unusually stressful couple of months for me, and as such my sensitive skin has completely exploded in angry, deeply-embedded cysts on my chin that simply won’t go away. I’m currently trying out the Rodin and Fields Unblemish Kit that a friend recommended, and so far I’ve seen pretty good results…but my skin is still not where I’d like it to be. (More yoga and meditation to calm myself down are obviously in order!)

Earlier today, I mentioned my skin dilemmas on Twitter, and @Beauty_Editor responded telling me that I needed to get some Cod Liver Oil, pronto. Apparently, there’s an entire cult of people who swear by Cod Liver Oil as the miracle secret to gorgeous, glowing, clear skin…and so obviously I immediately ran out to Whole Foods and bought a bottle of pills to try for myself.

I’ll keep you updated and let you know if they work for me. Fingers (and toes! and hair! and eyes!) crossed.

After my solo mini-golf adventure recently, I’ve been inspired to have as much “me time” as possible. This weekend, I took a long (4 mile!) walk and decided while strolling and rocking out to Foo Fighters and Adele on my iPod that I’d go see a movie. The choice: Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen’s latest.

If I spent half the movie drooling over Paris (both modern day and in the 1920’s), I easily spent the other half coveting Rachel McAdams‘ hair. It’s a perfect shade of baby blonde, and her wild, loose curls had me (very briefly) contemplating a chop.

If you don’t know what the movie is about, I won’t ruin it for you. Suffice it to say, it’s super cute and fun. Go, go!