Links for the week, plus a new feature in Curator's Corner: stuff I've been reviewing. I realized, much to my disappointment, that most of my scant blog traffic comes from people googling product reviews. I'd really prefer to have visitors that are there to read my posts rather than the sad reviews I've put up (on the right side, if you've never noticed), but I guess I'd rather have a meager amount of traffic due to reviews than no traffic at all. So to that end, I will try to update the product review section every week and let you know in Curator's Corner which product(s) I've reviewed.
– One of my favorite beauty blogs turns 8. Congratulations, PJ!
– I desperately need this new animated beauty book, the world's first.
– Here's some interesting feedback from reps from Memebox and Amore Pacific as to why Korean beauty trends are all the rage in the U.S.
– I strongly disagree with Jennifer Aniston's feelings on not wearing makeup. In other celebrity beauty news, I really have no idea what compelled Miley Cyrus to paint her pet pig's nails.
– Collecting Vintage Compacts shares an informative history of Rex compacts, while the Non-Blonde provides a lovely roundup of vintage lipstick ads.
– Last week I mentioned Makeup For Ever will be releasing a Fifty Shades of Grey collection. Now OPI is getting in on the action. Meh.
– Did you partake in the Sephora VIB sale madness? I did, once the site starting working again. I'm not sure I understand the outrage regarding the site's crash – as a 10-year veteran of the annual 20% off sale, I can say that it happens every year. It was worse this year, I'll give you that, but those of us who frequent the makeup board over at MUA fully expect it. In fact, I take a sort of perverse pride in crashing it, and frankly would be disappointed in my fellow makeup addicts if we didn't. Anyway, I also don't believe Sephora made a deliberately racist attempt to stop reselling. Now I have my issues with Sephora and while it's my favorite store I certainly don't think it's without fault, but I just don't think the accusations of racism hold water…at least not yet. I'll be keeping an eye out to see if new evidence comes to light.
– Product reviews: I noticed that most searches leading people to my blog are for Bobbi Brown, so this week I updated all pictures of my Bobbi Brown gel eye liners and finally reviewed all of them, including new shade Black Scotch.
– Speaking of which, XO Jane does a fabulous pairing of various scotches and the products from Bobbi's Scotch on the Rocks collection.
The random:
– I want to stay at this new Pantone-themed hotel in Brussels.
– British actress Olivia Colman gets her very own portrait at the National Portrait Gallery in London. I know she's being doing more dramatic roles and it's a wonderful photo, but I still will always see her as Sophie from one of my favorite TV comedies, Peep Show.
– My reaction to Dewitos:
– In '90s news, New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander took the stage for the first time in over 15 years to sing his 1998 hit "You Get What You Give". I'm happy he replaced the bucket hat with a baseball cap. (I partially credit Alexander with co-opting the bucket hat from rap stars and making it THE headwear of choice for white douchebag bros everywhere in the late '90s. In my memory I can still see him sporting it on the New Radicals CD cover – yes, I owned the CD.)
– The red cups at Starbucks have returned. It's officially holiday season, folks!
What's been catching your eye this week?