It started with this photo of Cindy Crawford. “CINDY HAS NOT A STITCH OF MAKEUP ON!” the article screamed. Uh, no, she does. It’s a bit hard to see in this photo, and the makeup is very low-key, but I have yet to meet a person who has perfectly golden eyelids. That, my friends, is Make up Beauty

And remind me to get to researching how the phrase “not a stitch of makeup” became a phrase.

A couple of years ago, I volunteered to begin writing Manolo for the Beauty because I love makeup and perfume and hair products and all of that stuff.

Call me shallow, it’s all right.

But the time has come, my lovelies, for the Beauty blog to end.

I have had a wonderful time getting to know all of you, and I hope that I at least was able to cheer up a few of your mornings.

I’ve been writing stuff on various places on the intertubes since 2005, and my most favorite spot of all has been the Manolosphere.  The Manolo was gracious enough to invite an unknown mommyblogger to write for him, and I’ve had the privilege of being here since 2007.

Thank you for reading, thank you for your wit, thank you for your advice, and thanks for coming along for the ride.

It sure was grand.

If you are ever inclined, I write as my true self (gasp! my name isn’t really Glinda!) over here.

My last poll asked how you felt about Rita Hayworth’s 40’s hair, and it was split pretty evenly between lurve and lukewarm.  Me, I’m a big lurve on that one.

Hey, have you heard that eye crystals are trying to be a thing? The above was taken at Dior’s Spring 2013 runway show.

And of course the NSFW…

I was going to write a title that was a bit racier, but decided to go the more demure route.  Which is probably really stupid of me, because a slightly lascivious title would actually bring in more people from Google.   Perhaps, though, not the kind of people who would be interested in this site, so most likely all for the better.

What was I saying?

Oh, yes, Kate and her new bangs.

Not that she cares one whit what I have to say about them, but I’m going to have to go with a thumbs down.  She still has gorgeous hair, no doubt.  But it seems to me that if you are going to commit to layering, then you also need to shorten up the overall length unless you are going to do layers all the way through.  From the pictures I’ve seen, she just has the very wide gap between her bangs and the end length, which just looks awkward.

Also, I think the barrel curls are so not helping.

Your verdict?

OH IS IT NOW??

Well, to be honest, I’m not sure.

I mean, I think it is kind of cool how the applicator works by pushing limited (and retractable) amounts of product onto a pre-formed mold.  That way, you never have to deal with the weird way you wear lipsticks down, which is pretty much different for everyone.

What I can’t get past right now is the price, which with shipping off the website,  is something like forty bucks a tube.  Ouch.

And, after watching the video above, I am once again reminded of how ridiculous people look when other people apply their lipstick.

Sephora by OPI It’s Real 18K Top Coat.  Lots of great reviews for this top coat, a lot of luxe in a little bottle!

You can never go wrong with a pretty little compact.  This one is from Tarina Tarantino.

Adorable leather ponytail wraps.

Just give up the pretense of gift-buying and get them for yourself, already.

Go ahead and take the plunge for the friend you know will love these but hasn’t yet bought for herself.

You gotta love a palette that has almost everything.  The colors look pretty compatible for many skin tones, but that is a very personal factor that must be taken into account before purchasing.  Of course.

Let’s face it, it’s an extremely low-tech Clarisonic. At least you’ll never have to buy batteries for it? But the reviews are overall pretty great.

I’m grateful for many things.

Among them are you, my witty, erudite, and beauteous readers.

I’m grateful for days when my hair looks great even though I haven’t really done anything to it.

I’m grateful for my health, and the health of my loved ones.

I’m grateful for the perfect makeup brush holder I found, an old vase from Japan adorned with purple flowers.

I’m grateful that I still have the opportunity to write this blog, and I promise that I will post more regularly.

I’m grateful for many things.

I know you are too.

I got some of this in my newest (and last) Birchbox.

Where do you use your luminizer? Do tell!

This is my first one and I’m anxious to try it out, hopefully without looking stupid.  I’m thinking it’s sort of like using my pigment powder, just in a liquid-ish form.