Hiss and Hearse

I am pleased to introduce you to one of my new favorite creative women, Emily Hunt, who not only is a talented Sacramento area make-up artist, but runs a fun beauty blog called, The Emory Board. As a fellow beauty junkie, I asked her to create a Top Ten list of her all time favorite beauty items.

It has been over 10 years that I have searched far and wide for the best products and gadgets that the beauty world has to offer. Though this search has been full of burns, breakouts, embarrassing pictures, and financial strife, it has been a lot of fun finding my favorites.

If I could marry Shu Uemura Purifying Oils, I would, but its illegal, so I’ll just use it instead. It sounds counter intuitive, but oil dissolves oil, and my clear, even skin proves that it means business.

My fine, not so long lashes look like falsies whenever I use Bourjois Yes to Volume No to Clumps Mascara. That little comb looks wimpy, but it packs fine lashes with volume and come hither batting potential. Combine that with some Latisse (by Rx only), and you might kill people with them!

So you don’t believe that the Shu Uemura oils will clear your skin, your Clearasil continues to not work, and you need something to make your skin look good. Use Armani Designer Shaping Cream Foundation. It is REALLY heavy, so make sure you wash it off at night. Seriously, what flaws?

Want to take that Armani Foundation to the next level? Put some on The Beauty Blender and bounce it over your face for an airbrushed finish. You’ll never use those annoying (and not so green) triangle sponges again!

Cancer doesn’t look good on anyone. To keep my porcelain skin safe, I use antioxidant rich Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream. It not only has the highest protection against UVA and UVB rays (SPF 55 and PA+++), but it is so waterproof, I have to wash my hands 4 times after I apply it. Once again, wash it off at night. The Shu Uemura Oils take it off with the greatest of ease.

So you shaved. ahem, down there for your hot date, but you are now covered in painful ingrown hairs. While it might keep you from making a regrettable decision after a few Kir Royals, you still should have used Tend Skin. Yes it stinks, and it hurts like the dickens, but you will NOT get any ingrown hairs if you use it. You can handle it.

So I have secretly always wished I was Japanese. The next best thing? I colored my hair black and use the Croc Flat Iron, which gets up to 450 degrees of straightening inferno madness. I might not be Japanese, but my hair could definitely pass!

Nail polish top coats are some of the most frustrating products out there. Is it so hard to find a topcoat that is super shiny and won’t chip for at least a week? Well, not for you, now that I’m telling you about Healthy Hoof’s Hoof Lacquer. Dries in a jiffy.

Retin-A does wonders to clear skin, but did you know that it also wreaks havoc on fine lines? The more you use it, the better the results. But please remember to slather on the sunscreen while using it!

As a makeup artist, I have hundreds of lip products, yet I always seem to fall back on the same one. MAC’s Viva Glam VI Special Edition is a mauve-y pink hue that looks good on everyone. I’ve used it in editorials, weddings, on myself, and would buy every woman, and womanly man a tube if I could afford it. It comes in gloss and lipstick, and I can’t get enough.

So there they are, in no particular order, the ten products I cannot live without. Happy beautifying!
xoxo Emery of The Emory Board!

ModCloth buyer, and my Pittsburgh BFF, Lindsay Williams making shredded tights look amazing. In today’s Top 10 entry, she tells us what she searches for most when shopping on eBay

Collars – of the vintage variety. You know, the little lace button-together, sew-ons that fell the way of the flash-fryer. I just got a lot of 7 for $2.99, and although they smell a bit like cigarette smoke, I’m still going to jewel a few, embroider one, and have myself a vintage-inspired party.

Image from myvintagevogue’s gorgeous photostream

Vintage Hats – I have a collection of vintage hats (via Ebay) that would make the Queen of England blush. Every imaginable color, style, and price point are gracing the pages of Ebay, mostly in lots. Sure, I hardly wear them, but isn’t it nice to know that they’re there?

Doc Martens – I don’t even care what color, I just want to make sure they’re cheap. I forget to look for these more often than not, but then I bid on the perfect floral dress and curse the gods of footwear for not blessing me with perfect 8-hole black (or white, or floral…) genuine Docs. Perhaps one day.

Jeffrey Campbell – Now, I’m a self-proclaimed JC fanatic/expert, but I know there is a lot of stuff out there that I haven’t had the chance to get my hands on. Few and far between, JC auctions are the “Ebay Gold” of Ebay for me. Stay away from the size 9s (as they do run half a size small), because they’re MINE.

Vintage Salt and Pepper Shakers – I can imagine that I’m the only Hiss and Hearse patron that collects vintage salt and pepper shakers, and that’s okay. They’re inexpensive, adorable, and the ones I buy tend to have a touch of the absurd that very few easily attainable collectibles do. Plus, they don’t take up much space!

Fur Winter Sets – I refuse to buy fur new. That being said, vintage stole and muff sets (with a hat, if possible) have stolen my heart and will not give it back. There is something so Jackie O about simple brown fur touches to a classic winter coat. Now is the time to shop, too. Pre-winter deals abound!

Ponchos and Capes – I’ve grouped these terms together because I’m open to either. I don’t know what started my obsession with sleeveless tarps of patterned fabric, but the thought of wearing a cozy knit something-or-other with fringe and/or a hood with boots, a vintage hat, and an adorable dress warms me to the bone. I have eight so far (with no sign of slowing down). Fall, here I come.

Wallabees – What do I have in common with Ghostface Killah? My undying love for these ugly, chic, comfortable shoes! I have them in four colors, and I don’t dare miss the chance to find a new and interesting pair (in my size) to add to the collection. They already went out of ironic style, you say? Whatever, me and my wallabees are fine (just fine) with that.

Vintage Buttons – Turn that sort-of-cute coat into a vintage-inspired traffic-stopper. How, you ask? By replacing the buttons with a set of antique buttons, from wooden to jeweled, nautical to gold-leaf. It’s an easy facelift for tired outerware, and you know what? It’s AFFORDABLE.

Chanel – I know I’m not the only one. No matter what the season or vintage, I still can’t afford it, but it still inspires my love of fashion like no other line can. Coco, have you been canonized yet?

Links:
Lindsay’s fabulous blog
Lindsay’s Flickr

My loves, you are getting into this! A wonderful Top 10 list from Tamera Ferro, the gorgeous lady behind the “magic is as magic does” blog, verhext.  Want to create a Top 10 list? Let us know!

Holly: Listen. You know those days when you get the mean reds?
Paul: The “mean reds?” You mean, like the blues?
Holly: No. The blues are because you’re getting fat or it’s been raining too long. You’re just sad, that’s all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you’re afraid, and you don’t know what you’re afraid of. Don’t you ever get that feeling?
Paul: Sure. Some people call it angst.
Holly: When I get it, what does any good is to jump into a cab and go to Tiffany’s.

Top 10 ways to beat the Mean Reds by Tamera Ferro

10. Make a playlist of “power songs” – mine range from Cab Calloway’s “Wake Up and Live” to T.I.’s “Live your Life.” Dance around your house!

9. Grab a favorite super magical book (I tend to reach for Francesca Lia Block) and sit and drink coffee and read at a cafe you don’t usually go to.

8. Have a tiny tea party! Invite 1 or 2 friends to come over and make things fancy and drink tea & eat tiny cakes, or go to a tea house & dress up!

7. Make lists. Oh, I love making lists. Make lists of what you like about you. Make lists of your goals. Make lists of next steps to move through through the grump!

6. Write. Stream of consciousness writing, especially when done outside or in a new environment, can open you up to things you didn’t even know you were thinking about!

5. Midnight bike rides. Alone or with a group, there’s something cinematic about the way the world looks from a bicycle in the night.

4. Go to something bigger than you. The ocean. A mountain. A vast open space. Sit & stare.

3. Laughing, duh! Invite your silliest friend to dinner. Play charades. Watch comedy. Rent ridiculous movies. Tell stupid jokes.

2. Go to sleep. This sounds a little counterproductive, but sometimes the only thing to do is to take a hot, dreamy bath with delicious salts, crawl into a freshly made bed, and tell yourself that tomorrow will be a better and new day as you drift to sleep.

1. Open your eyes. I feel like the Mean Reds happen most when I get too stuck in my head and forget that I’m part of a big beautiful world. Take a long, aimless walk with a camera, playing tourist in your own town. Look at objects and people with fresh eyes, without judgment, as if you’ve never seen them before. Take photos of things that strike you.

What are your best tactics for getting rid of the Mean Reds?

We’re starting a new feature: Top Ten. Which will be lists (I love lists) of ten favorite anythings by us, you, or people we adore. The first Top Ten comes from one of my favorite illustrators, Caitlin Shearer.

Top Ten Fictional Characters Whose Style I Admire!

Lydia Deetz (Beetlejuice)

Wanda Woodward (Cry Baby)

Columbia (Rocky Horror Picture Show)

Schatze Page (How To Marry A Millionaire)

Gabrielle Gerard (The Band Wagon)

Dorothy Gale (The Wizard of Oz)

Don Hewes (Easter Parade)

Enid (Ghost World)

Mary Lennox (The Secret Garden)

Mrs. Flax (Mermaids.)

Thank you Caitlin! Also, please check out the wonderful hand drawn type and logo she designed for my photography website. What do you think? Do you have any favorite fictional characters whose style you admire?