Spring Fur Sure, A Lamb at the Door, and Also Sometimes Some Turquoise

Jacket: Sunset & Sixth, JCPenney

Red Planet Janet Necklace

Skirt: I Heart Ronson, JCPenney

Shoes: Chase & Chloe, Zulily

Yellow bangle: B Fabulous; Coral bangle: Silver Lining, Ocean City; Maroon bangle: Iris Apfel for INC, Macy's; Ring: Making Waves, Ocean City; Bag: Betsey Johnson, Amazon

Skirt: Hollister, Marshalls

Get in Gear Necklace

Sweater: GAP

Heart of Hearts Barrette Brooch

Skirt (a dress!): Three Pink Hearts, Kohl's

Bag: TJ Maxx

Top: Jessica Simpson Collection, Amazon

Bangle: Simply Vera, Kohl's

Belts: Hand-me-downs from Mom; Headband: INC, Macy's; Necklace: Betsey Johnson, Amazon; Ring: Mixit, JCPenney

Tights: Xhilaration, Target; Shoes: Nine West, Zulily

After an unusually snowy winter, spring is finally here!  The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the air smells like hope and grass clippings.  And also . . . it's still kind of chilly.  At least it is here in New Jersey, where spring doesn't so much arrive as make a guest appearance and clear out for the diva that is summer.  But I'm not complaining.  Because it gives me an excuse to flaunt my faux furs (summer's not the only diva), a luxury I'll enjoy until that menacing March lion retreats for good.

Fur or no fur, I am springing forward with one fresh new something: makeup!  I know I've mentioned this before, but back in high school, I collected cosmetics.  I had Caboodles full of lipsticks and eyeshadows in every color.  But like so many women, as I grew older and wiser, I narrowed my stash down to what worked -- Revlon Cherries in the Snow lipstick and Cover Girl Champagne eyeshadow.  And save for the occasional rogue impulse purchase, I never looked back.  The only way I'd ever wear gold lipstick again was if it was Halloween and I was going as C-3PO.  But then not too long ago, I crossed paths with some dangerously dark blue Revlon eyeshadow, followed by prettily packaged Sephora lipsticks and bright L'Oreal eyeshadow quads (buy two get one free at Walgreens!) that I just couldn't resist.  Entranced by their sleek newness and alluring shades, I uttered a silent apology to my tried-and-trues and thought, why not?  

Pink lipstick: Celebrate; Red lipstick: A Little Magic; Sephora, Kohl's 

Turquoise eyeshadow: Avant Garde Azure; Purple eyeshadow: Voilet Amour; Silver eyeshadow: Silver Couture; L'Oreal, Walgreens

Here I am trying out my new red lipstick and turquoise eyeshadow:

Headband: So, Kohl's; Top: BCX, Macy's

The eyeshadow is more intense than I expected, like the taste of birthday cake ice cream.  And I am committing the twin cardinal cosmetics sins of 1) matching my eyeshadow to my outfit and 2) rocking a bold lip and eye instead of just one or the other.  But I don't care; I love it!  (Cue the Icona Pop, people.)  It's fun to have an alternative to my go-to palette.  It makes me feel like the possibilities are endless.  Like I have a technicolor time machine and am sixteen again, browsing the beauty aisle at Thrift Drug.  That was a time when a new pot of lip gloss -- like lots of '90s girls, I was into the fruit flavors from Naturistics --could change your life.  Or at least make you think it could.   

But then, I guess that's the magic of makeup.  And of youth and rejuvenation.

So, in other words, spring.

Foundations in Fun: Cosmetic Aesthetic

Caboodle: Kohl's; Makeup brushes: Walgreens; Hairbrush: Wet Brush, Zulily; Compact: Betsey Johnson, Macy's

When I was trying to decide how to start this post, I came up with three first paragraphs:

First First Paragraph

"Wake Up and Make Up," or so say all those cheeky cosmetics bags.  (Get it?  Cheeky?  As in blush and cleverness?  Ok, I'll stop.)  Also, "My Face is in Here," or even the contradictory, "I Woke up This Way."  Why shouldn't these compact carryalls spout sassy one-liners?  Wordplay is fun, and so is makeup!  Makeup means getting to have Halloween every day or even just enjoying the treat that is cherry berry banana lip gloss.  And even more captivating than the cosmetics themselves are the super cute cases they come in.  

Second First Paragraph

When I think of makeup and fun, I think of the '80s, which means that I think of Sweet Secrets.  Remember those, the little toys with the play makeup inside?  I had two that I recall, 1) a turquoise dog with a huge red rhinestone heart as its belly, and 2) a butterfly that was also a guitar that I got at the grand opening at the mall.  Oddly enough, I don't remember what makeup they were so earnestly guarding.  Even if I do remember blogging about the butterfly guitar before.

Third First Paragraph

The theater and over-the-topness of these outfits make me think of the best that face goop has to offer.  And by goop, I don't mean GOOP, but the paraben-packed products at your corner drug store.  Long live Cover Girl.  And Revlon.  But for some reason, not L'Oreal.

     

Now here we are at the end of the post, and I still can't decide how to start.  So instead I'll concentrate on the ending:

I guess the takeaway is that it's not always what's on the inside that counts.

That and that good things come in mall packages.

Huh.  Now that I've typed it, I see that the ending only really applies to the second first paragraph, what with the what's-on-the-inside and mall references.  So, it looks like we have a winner!  Sweet Secrets, I'm sending you on an all-expense paid trip to The Tote Trove craft room, where you'll live forever in a paradise of Michaels merchandise and sitcom reruns.

Well, you will if I find you on eBay.