I feel pretty, oh so pretty

[cleolinda]

Nnnngh. Still tired, mostly from running around all day doing errands. I mean, it's a good tired, but it's on top of the sneezing and the chills, so that's not so good. I did go try to spend my Sephora gift card, though. See, the value of actually going to a Sephora, instead of just ordering online, is that all the color swatches look great on the website, but then you go to the store and everything looks totally different. Not even bad-different, just... in the store, you get a better idea of what you'll actually be putting on. (And of course, there's all kinds of highlighters and luminizers and concealers and liners and it's like, look, what does this actually do? And you try it on the back of your hand because ew public sample germs and you're like... oh. That. Yeah. Well. I'm not spending $30 on that today, thanks.)

So what I really wanted was the Urban Decay eyeshadow primer thing--they have a new version that's a "champagne"-colored shimmer rather than just a plain neutral color, a Sephora exclusive, etc. The good news is, I got to test it; the bad news is, it was roundly sold out. And since it actually can be worn alone as a highlighter, I wasn't going to blow money on the original version.

So then I was like, okay, let me look at the eyeshadows, which for some reason never look as impressive in the containers as on the website, but I'll grab a couple of sample applicators and go to town. So by then a saleswoman--who also happens to specifically be the in-store Urban Decay rep or something?--has cornered me and we're testing various nearly-identical eyeshadows on the back of my hand, and then my mother finishes up her errand at Macy's and comes over and now we're all standing over my hand scrutinizing these three smears of eyeshadow.

We decide unanimously that we like Baked, the one in the middle.

Sephora is fresh out of Baked.

So I ended up going with the shadow that was a little more light peach and a little less gold shimmer because it was called Jones (naturally). What I would really like is a giant palette of all five hundred fifty million colors in tiny, tiny samples so I could spend, like, two months wearing all of them and deciding what I liked best. Or at least put some of the similar colors together as sets! DEAR URBAN DECAY: CONSIDER THIS.

So that's half my gift card. I kept meaning to try Cargo's lip gloss duo in Xai Xai; I need a lip gloss that's kind of peachy. I try some from the sample tin on the back of my hand; good times. Let's get one, shall we?

Sephora is out of Xai Xai. Of course it is.

So I look for the next closest thing; the Naples quad seems kind of peachy. I try a few smears on (and in case you're wondering if my hand looks like a Jackson Pollock painting by now, they do have applicator/makeup remover stations at each shelf), looks good. I get home; I open the tin. The quad's a little more... pink than I had expected. And by "a little" I mean "a lot." Given that I was playing with an actual tin of the stuff in the store, this is a bit odd. (And on the site, it looks orange.) I check the bottom; it is, in fact, a Naples quad. So I have no idea. The colors still look fun; I just can't figure out why my lip gloss keeps spontaneously changing colors.

(Actually, now that I look at the Sephora site, I'm a bit concerned--the Cargo lip gloss was all on sale for $14, and they hardly have anything on the Sephora duo page anymore--are they discontinuing them or something?)

Also, I now feel the need to apologize to all my straight male readers for what may simultaneously have been the girliest and most boring entry ever. You know, like the Oscar liveblogging all tomorrow night won't be bad enough.

A little linkspam to keep us from getting behind:

OSCARS CRISIS! Hollywood Frustrations And Fears Over Sunday's Awards; Stars And Advertisers Give Show Cold Shoulder:

For weeks now, they've been begging myself and the other journalists who cover the Oscars not to trash the planning and performances for this year's telecast like we have in years past. Because their frustration and fear is that, if Sunday's top-to-bottom reworked show can't bring back viewers after 2008's sunk to its lowest ratings ever, then nothing will. And the worst part is that not even Hollywood wants to participate in the Oscars anymore.

And then, among discussion of the desperate measures taken to spice up the show, there's this:

One new idea thought up by the producers that will be seen Sunday? Trophy boys. The result is that very handsome young men will now join very beautiful young women on stage carrying out the Oscar statuettes. If that's not an acknowledgement that the viewership for the Academy Awards these days is limited to only females and gays, I don't know what is.

The Oscar 11: Team aims to revive awards' telecast; I’m with the band! Oscars stage design revealed.

Jackman ready to be 'drunk, nude' for Oscars; VIDEO: Hugh Jackman's Oscars Rehearsal; Gervais Helps Jackman To Crack A Smile At The Oscars; Hugh Jackman's Jokes & Other Oscar Secrets.

Oscars leaked Y/N? Academy says no.

M.I.A. Determined To Sing At Oscars - Even As A Hologram.

Producers Power Down The Oscar Grieve-O-Meter. Ah, the Death March of Deathly Death, yes.

The Dark Knight Breaks the $1 Billion Mark. The Dark Knight. Which is not nominated for best picture or best director. Even though it would not have been out of place. In a year where the organizers are desperately trying to reel in viewers. I'm just saying, Academy: it's not like it was Transformers or something.

2009 Independent Spirit Awards Winners.

'Twilight' exclusive: Chris Weitz will not direct third film, 'Eclipse.' Why? Because 'Eclipse' to Premiere June 30, 2010, and he's still going to be doing post-production on 'New Moon' when they're doing pre-production on 'Eclipse." Because these people are insane. And, in case you missed it the other day, 'Twilight'-Pandering MTV Desperately Attempts To Wring Paragraphs Out Of 'New Moon' Logo. "We can't wait for a slew of 'slow news day' mockups bearing the headline, 'Twilight Exclusive: What If We Wrote The Word "Eclipse" In Purple?' " Also: What last week's EW cover should have looked like.

MTV Half-Blood Prince Set Visit Footage Released Early; Exclusive: Head To Hogwarts With Our ‘Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince’ Set Visit!

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - new poster, including tiny glimpses of Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law, who collectively took over for Heath Ledger.

Deadpool Figure! Thor's Resume! Dollhouse Clip! Lost Dirt! Terminator Dirtnap! [Morning Spoilers].

Want Coraline's Star-Spangled Sweater? [DIY]

Comments

[glenvorian.livejournal.com]

And the worst part is that not even Hollywood wants to participate in the Oscars anymore.

I had no idea things were THAT BAD. It'll take a miracle for ratings to go up again, methinks.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

What's so ironic is that they all still want to win Oscars.

[maramala.livejournal.com]

Well.

That explains RPattz (am I spelling that right?) and Zac Efron (sp? ...I don't follow celebabies these days) so very, very much.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

The Dark Knight Breaks the $1 Billion Mark. The Dark Knight. Which is not nominated for best picture or best director. Even though it would not have been out of place. In a year where the organizers are desperately trying to reel in viewers. I'm just saying, Academy: it's not like it was Transformers or something.

Good or bad, I love the Oscars, but this would, of course, require the Academy to remove its head from its own ass. Amazing that they can whine and moan about nobody watching when they don't seem to get that if you don't give a shit about the nominees, you're less likely to watch the damn thing.

[mercat.livejournal.com]

I hate wearing makeup with a passion but whenever my sister drags me into Sephora the artist/costumer sides of me really wishes I did. (And then my wallet thanks me for not, haha.)

[ciara-belle.livejournal.com]

I realize this would make the Oscars less "special", but I'd be more excited about the telecast if it were more like the Golden Globes. Not only because of the addition of TV stars (and therefore People Who Have Been in Things I've Actually Seen), but mostly because the Globes are 1.5 hours shorter and feature 10 times more drunkenness by the end. And there are no ridiculous musical numbers or interpretive dance sequences.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Oh, asking both of them to present was a desperate grab for certain demographics, because they haven't revealed any of the other presenters.

[elizardbits.livejournal.com]

Your links for Baked (http://www.sephora.com/assets/dyn/sku/614255/614255_sw.jpg) and Jones (http://www.sephora.com/assets/dyn/sku/998435/998435_sw.jpg) are borked; I've gone and corrected them for you because I am an enormous dork who actually codes HTML into handwritten notes absentmindedly.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

And you know, I'm not even saying they should get all mercenary and calculating about their choices. I'm just saying, it feels a lot of times like the Oscars are kind of uppity and rarefied in rewarding a very specific kind of movie that may not hold up years later. Nobody should nominate the biggest moneymaker just because it did make money, but they shouldn't ignore it because it made money, either.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

but I'd be more excited about the telecast if it were more like the Golden Globes

Isn't that the saddest thing? 'Cause it's SO TRUE. I'm not really for adding TV stars (since the Emmys are for TV and the SAGs and Golden Globes are for TV and movies and the Oscars is the big movies-only one), but the addition of People Who Have Been In Things People Have Seen would probably be the saving grace of the show, both nominees and presenters.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

See, I hate wearing it on my face. Like, cheeks and forehead and chin. I hate powder and liquid foundation and all that. (And I don't really need blush--I flush too easily as it is.) But I love color, and I love eyeshadow and lip gloss.

[unicornluvr.livejournal.com]

I have a $50 Sephora gift card and I have NO IDEA what to buy. I went into the store in the Galleria in Houston and I was so overwhelmed and more impressed with my rumbling tummy that I just left after a few minutes.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[dmouse097.livejournal.com]

Speaking as one of those straight men, well, the only distressing part of that post is the amount of money you're paying for that stuff.

As for the Oscar stuff, you'll also notice there's been no news about leaked copies of movies like there's been in the past years... further proof that no one wants to watch the crap that's been nominated.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I think the addition of People Who Are Getting Drunk alone would be improvement technology 100%.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Well, to be honest, most of my makeup I get from the grocery store for a lot less. I really like Cover Girl eyeshadow and Maybelline lip gloss (not that you were longing to know that). But, you know, get a gift card, have a splurge.

As for the Oscar stuff, you'll also notice there's been no news about leaked copies of movies like there's been in the past years... further proof that no one wants to watch the crap that's been nominated.

Heh, I hadn't thought of it that way. Not that what's nominated is crap, but as evidence of what a huge divide there is.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Oh, amen on that count, too. Half of the reason the Globes are more fun is because those people are usually trashed before the show even starts. And if you're really lucky, they're presenting after their acting category comes up so they've had some time to get properly drunk between losing and having to present. Comedy gold, baby! \o/

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, did you see this?



I just ... "it's funny because it's true" doesn't even begin to cover it. I watched, and I laughed, and then afterwards I did the math and nearly every single of those is covered this year. It's painfully hilarious.

I just keep wondering if I'm imagining that it used to be a lot more likely that you'd seen the movies before the Academy nominated them because they were bigger and got more attention at the box office or if I'm just being delusional. These days I'm usually the only person in my immediate circle of friends and family who's seen more than one or two of the nominated movies (and we're not talking about people who never go to the theater here) and this year I've only seen so many of them thanks to the wonders of the interwebs.

[dmouse097.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I suppose "crap" isn't the right word. After all, the movies honored by the academy are brilliant, outstanding, breathtaking works of art (see more synonyms here (http://thesaurus.reference.com/browse/exceptional).)

[elisa0984.livejournal.com]

Hee. My best friend and I spent much of Valentine's night in Sephora trying nail polish. Which is one of the few things I'll purchase there. I'd love to try Urban Decay eyeshadow, but I seriously would need a gift certificate as opposed to plunking down the $18 for one eyeshadow.

[chulacabra.livejournal.com]

I'm weeping for Hugh. He's so incredibly talented yet even he won't be able to save this from being a debacle.

[maramala.livejournal.com]

They have other presenters that aren't from Harry Potter, Twilight, or High School Musical?

[arden-ranger.livejournal.com]

I plan on turning the sound down when Hugh's not on. He's the only reason I'm watching.

[robinmc.livejournal.com]

At this point I think it's almost better to be nominated and to lose (or not to be nominated at all). Because as soon as you win, people start griping that you deserve to win, but not for this film, or that you didn't deserve it at all and they're just giving it to your for god knows what reason. And I'm sure that's been going on since the beginning, but it used to be easier to ignore. Now EW makes it a point to go back over various years and gripe over who should have won instead, and as soon as you've left the stage, after thanking your mom, people start bitching.

Really, I think I'm just still bitter that Brokeback Mountain lost to Crash.

[robinmc.livejournal.com]

If only he could do the whole show in gold pants and a leopard print shirt, in character as Peter Allen.