fffabulous

the perfect tote

I was in France last winter and all the women were carrying Louis Vuitton purses in Damier canvas. Well, I am a big fan of Louis Vuitton *anything* and its Monogram canvas, but I never dared to give the Damier canvas a try. This was until I saw a tall elegant woman carrying a Neverfull GM in Damier Canvas that looked just oh-so-fffabulous on her. I asked her how she liked it, and she told me she was in love with it and carries it everywhere. It seemed so practical and 'loveable', I had to have it...so I got it! And now, I can't live without it. It is extra light when empty, goes with any outfit whether you wear black, navy or brown colors, and it looks as great with a pair of jeans as it does with a suit. You can fill it up with groceries when you go to the Farmer's market or tighten the leather draw strings on each side for a more serious and 'contained' look. And I love love love the eye-catching striped red interior with the textile lining. So gorgeous!!

ffface-a-ffface with Arlina: how to look magazine-ffflawless in real life

I keep hearing about airbrushing makeup these days—and there is even a store that opened down the street that specialized solely on airbrushing makeup. I thought I would ask an expert what this is all about, and why we should check it out. And I'm sure you are as curious as I am! Arlina is a makeup artist and owner of the Airbrush Makeup Shop and has kindly offered to tell us all about it.

Why is airbrushing so hot?

Absolutely everything is going HD these days, including your makeup! If you do a Google search on "airbrush makeup" you're likely to find a whole host of websites featuring the hottest trend in professional makeup today. Airbrushing makeup is the standard now in TV, movies, digital photography, and high fashion. The main reason so many professional makeup artists are making the switch is due to the flawless finish it creates. HD picks up *everything* and interestingly enough, the camera will pick up brush strokes, any uneven application with fingers, and sponge pattern.

But the real world is not in HD. Why should we check it out?

 There are some days when your makeup just has to look perfect...like on your wedding day! Most photographers are using digital photography, and makeup artists know this. They also know that airbrush makeup will last up to 12 hours without touch ups. When airbrush makeup is applied, tiny little microdots are sprayed evenly across the face for complete coverage. This also leaves enough space for your skin to breath so the makeup isn't dislodged by perspiration. Here's another great feature of airbrush makeup...it's sanitary. With traditional makeup, your foundation is contaminated the first time you use it. You open it, pour a little on your finger or a sponge, put it on your face and then touch the bottle again. Every time you do this, you are actually transferring skin cells into your foundation. (Can you imagine what's going on in your makeup artists bottles...ewww!). If you suffer from acne, or rosacea you know you need your foundation to be as clean as possible. Airbrush foundation goes from the bottle to the airbrush and then to your face. As little as 5 drops will cover your whole face in about 60 seconds!

It seems so complicated for everyday use. Any good reasons to make the switch to airbrushing make-up?

 Actually, professionals are using it because it's just so darn fast and easy. And the exciting part about airbrush makeup is that it is now being marketed to consumers...yay! Personally, I feel like it has the potential to be life changing for people with medical discoloration like rosacea, port wine stains, acne, vitiligo, scars and more. If you suffer from rosacea or acne for instance, you can conceal it in a natural way so you can have piece of mind and self esteem (check out our before and after pictures). Airbrushing is a good value too. Last time I checked, medical treatments for acne, rosacea, scar revision and micro dermabrasion are very expensive & painful, and it takes time to get results and often times you don't get the results you are looking for. Although airbrushing is not a permanent medical fix, it's a great solution when you need instant result.

Okay, I'm tempted. How do one get to select an airbrush make-up kit?

So here are couple of suggestions to keep in mind when selecting an airbrush makeup kit. When you shop for an airbrush makeup kit, you are looking for a compressor that has adjustable pressure. You fffabulous girls are savvy shoppers no doubt. You want to know you can find a compressor specifically designed for makeup. For instance, Personal Airbrush Makeup Kits are specially engineered compressors that have a pressure range from 0 to 15psi. It's as soft as a whisper and targeted enough to apply eye liner...yes, eye liner! It should also be able to sustain enough pressure in case you want to cover a tattoo, or apply spray tan solution. The other tip I would offer is to find a small compressor that you can keep on your counter top. Most of the airbrush makeup compressors are fairly large. You can find small ones at Airbrush Makeup Shop for about $300, and that includes makeup and an instructional DVD and other essentials like cleaning fluid. And if you are at all concerned with exposing yourself harmful UV rays just to get that bronze glow, you can use your personal mini compressor to apply spray tan too. It lasts for about 7-10 days and it won't rub off on your clothes or clog your pores.

I have learnt something new today, and I hope you did too. Ever tried airbrush make-up? Do share your experience in the comment section. And if you have any additional airbrushing questions, you can email Arlina directly. Happy airbrushing!

fffabulous.com turns 2 today!

Happy birthday to us!! I still remember the first day we blogged about our very favorite product—the Huile Prodigieuse Or Multi-Usage Dry Oil from Nuxe, and the day we turned one and unveiled our dear fffabulous logo.

This year has been as fffabulous as ever as we introduced fffabulous beauty week, our first contest ever on Twitter (fffollow us on Twitter), and a few branded products, such as our fffabulous 'fffrom me:fffor you' gift tags available on Etsy. What's next? Tons of exciting and fffabulous things of course, including fffabulous 'Thank you for being fffabulous' thank you cards. But first, we'd like to know which design you prefer. Take our poll, and tell us why you like one design over the other in the comments section. Yay!

And we'd like to thank Dee Adams for designing such a fffabulous logo, the 'fffrom me:fffor you' gift tags, and these thank you cards. Thank you, my dear, for being so fffabulous!!

And yes, that's a hell lot of 'fffabulous' in one post, but we ain't two every day!!

Design 1—with fffabulous silhouette on the left handside

Design 2—with the zoomed in fffabulous silhouette on the right handside   

aveda volumizing tonic

Miss Alex and I share a love for Aveda products (gotta love the Blue Malva conditioner!). Here is one Aveda product she recommends, and it's one that I can't wait to try out, even if only for the smell!

"There are many things I am glad to have inherited from my mother but her fine hair is not one of them (sorry mummy!). But with Aveda Volumizing Tonic, it's all forgotten as this fffabulous leave-in tonic boosts my hair to its luscious potential. And it smells wonderful too! After you wash and condition your hair (hopefully with Aveda Brilliant Shampoo and Conditioner), simply spritz a few squirts of this tonic on to your tresses, blow dry and enjoy a day of ravishing locks! That's a lot of bounce for $15."

a delicious scent

"Another one of my very fffavorites is the Grapefruit Red Currant Eau de Parfum from Mistral. It is so fresh and so light, I just can't get enough of it. I have used two of these bottles in the past year. The grapefruit red currant scent is a wonderful scent you can wear daily, as it never smells too heavy or too fruity. And it only costs $52!

I also love all of Mistral's products. They have such gorgeous soaps, hand crèmes, and body wash, etc., so give them a try! Their products make a lovely Christmas present for the women in your life.

Oh, and Mistral includes free samples on every order, and will send you a free bar of soap when you sign up for their email newsletter." - Miss Alex

fresh sugar rose lip treatment

Miss Alex is back sharing her beauty favorites with us. Isn't it fffabulous? She previously mentioned her love for Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment, and it just gets better...

"I was so happy to hear that the Fresh Sugar lip balm I love so much is now available in a gorgeous pale pink shine as well. The Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Treatment SPF 15 is now my very favorite lip balm: it's a great way to heal your lips and have a bit of girlie pink on your pucker. And it makes a wonderful stocking stuffer too!"

ooh la la!

And since great things always come in pairs (don't they?), my friend Kim mentioned to me that the erase paste is best used with the Benefit ooh la lift. This pink balm contains raspberry extract and light-reflecting pigments that will instantly perk up tired eyes. Ooooh la la, we like!

the best concealer ever

Don't you hate it when you've tried everything to hide dark circles, blemishes and all other imperfections, and it's either too light, too dark, too thick, or just not thick enough? Well, you don't have to settle anymore, ladies! Benefit has come up with this 'magic' creamy concealer that will erase it all. I've tried it out, and I was instantly sold. The Benefit erase paste has a perfectly creamy texture, comes in three different shades, and will brighten and camouflage any imperfections in one easy step.

Isn't it a great feeling to only be $26 away from having the perfect complexion?

viva the brushes!

This week is fffabulous beauty week and we're gonna share some cool beauty products that you're gonna love love love! My absolute fffavorite beauty product these days is the Mac Cosmetics 187 Duo Fiber Brush. Surprising, isn't it? I personally would never think of investing in brushes, and spending $42 on something that won't show on my face (per se) isn't quite exciting. However, this brush really makes a difference, whether you use powder or a compact or liquid foundation. It is, in fact, the accessory to use if you are using liquid foundation and want to achieve a natural look. Just put a drop of your foundation on the brush, apply it with a circular movement, and you're done—no mess involved! Isn't it fffabulous??

fffabulous moo minicards

I discovered moo minicards a while ago, and I don't think I've ever seen business cards that are so different, sleek and professional at the same time. You can personalize your minicards with up to 100 of your own full color photos or designs on one side (or mix and match a variety of MOO designs) on one side, add up to six lines of text and your business logo on the other side, and you're all set with mini business cards that are made to impress—wow factor guaranteed!

And if you think that such tiny business cards may get lost in the pack, think again. People usually put them on top of their stack of business cards. Sweeet!

it's breast cancer awareness month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we plan to feature cool products that benefit Breast Cancer Research throughout the month. With the days getting colder, we thought that featuring the Baby Jak "Softest Blanket Ever" was 'cool' since it's one of our fffavorite baby accessories and the perfect gift idea this holiday season.

Throughout the month of October, Baby Jak is offering 25% off all Think Pink and Pink Rose blankets when you enter coupon code pink at checkout, and they'll donate 15% of the proceeds to Breast Cancer Research. Can it get any better than that?

Pick your fffavorite blanket sizes from the snuggle blankets, classic baby blankets, nap and lap blankets, and throw blanket, and you're guaranteed to be warm this season or make someone very warm and happy!

my bag cares

I am trying to be eco-conscious as much as possible, and one of the first steps I took towards this goal was to invest in a grocery shopping bag that'd be as eco-friendly as it'd be fffabulous. One must look fffabulous even when she (or he) goes grocery shopping, right? Well, I found the perfect grocery bag in this My Bag Cares bag. It replaces the wastefulness of using multiple grocery bags, it's 100% reusable and washable, and most importantly, it shows I am eco-conscious—my bag cares, hellooo?! And for each bag you purchase, one tree will be planted in your name...right here...in the United States. Can it get any better than that?? Oh, and celebrities love the My Bag Cares bag, too. Kelly Ripa (pictured here) doesn't get out of the house with hers. And when I was browsing popsugar.com the other day, I was totally ecstatic when I saw Mila Kunis from That '70's Show wearing one.

The My Bag Cares comes in different fabrics and colors: "The Original", "The 2012 Bag" in Black, and "The 2012 Bag" in White/Black or in White/White. I personally prefer the "The Original", but they are all just fffabulous as the next one, and all help save the environment.

these boots are made for walking

It doesn't happen often that I feature flat boots, but I have to say these Australia Luxe Collective Tall Vixen Boots are the best investment I made last year. These are the only boots I wore on weekends all winter, and I was happy to see that they are still trendy this year. They're literally a woman's dream:

• They are the comfiest sheepskin boots ever and will keep you warm for the months to come
• They are oh-so-trendy. Over-the-knee boots are so in this season; you'll adopt these ones instantly
• You will get compliments about them ALL THE TIME. I haven't met one person who didn't get a surprised look at first, and then said: 'Those boots are absolutely fffabulous!'

Are you ready to be as fffashionable on weekends and while traveling/jetsetting around the world as you are during the week? I am sure you are!!