OBSESSED: Navy Blue Lipstick

Do you ever wonder why some cosmetic colors are considered "normal" while others are still strictly in the "offbeat" category? Like, who decided bright red lips were completely acceptable, but forest green ones were not? I know common lipstick colors generally imitate natural lip shades, but we overlook this rule for a lot of other cosmetics. For a majority of the past century, it was basically impossible to even purchase certain colors of lipstick, nail polish, or eyeshadow. Luckily, you can find almost any shade of makeup you want today, although the most popular and widely sold lip colors remain within the typical rainbow of reds and pinks.

Don't get me wrong - reds and pinks are awesome; that's what I wear nearly every day. But when I saw a photo of a dark navy blue lipstick recently, I got a little obsessed. It stuck in my brain until I found myself casually googling, and eventually obsessively googling, and pinteresting and instagraming and bookmarking...you know, the typical slippery slope.

Some inspiration {L to R: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven}

The ideas commonly associated with colors tend to hold true in lipsticks: red is bold and fiery, pink is sweet and girly, skin tones are clean and simple. When I think navy blue I think preppy, classic, neutral (I mean, it represents like 90% of school uniforms), but when I see navy blue lipstick, none of those associations apply. I think that's because of the set "rules" about makeup colors and what's considered "normal" or "weird," but someone somewhere just made those ideas up. Shades like cranberry or eggplant are in the same neighborhood as navy, but those are made by companies like Revlon and sold in every drugstore, whereas very few mainstream cosmetic companies make any kind of blue lipstick at all. 

To me, a deep navy shade can look vivid and unusual while still looking chic. I'd love to see velvety deep navy lips become a vampy standard, and I'm going to do my part to see that it does. 

Here are some navy lip colors I'm loving:

Kat Von D, OCC, LA Splash, DNA Cosmetics, Illamasqua, NYX

Would you wear navy lipstick? Do you often wear any other "weird" lipstick shades? What's the craziest makeup look you've ever tried? 

ETC: Etsy Wish List

Just a sneak peek into what I'm stalking around Etsy lately...

1. Mermaid Tail Brooch   2. Twin Peaks Sweatshirt   3. Lavender Quartz Necklace

4. Corgi Earrings   5. Illustrated Trinket Dish   6. Floral Knit Headband

7. Chunky Knit Throw Blanket   8. Legs Brooch   9. Pencil Shaving Collar

10. Watermelon Circle Purse   11. Holographic Purple Lipstick   12. Crystal Ball Necklace

Have you found anything great on Etsy lately? What kind of stuff do you like to buy/stalk there? How genius is that pencil shaving collar?

ROUNDUP: Cool Stuff on the Internet Vol. 6

{Note: Hey! You might have noticed things look different around here. I've been a little MIA on the posting front because I've been busy working on the new layout and design - hope you like it!}

It's time for another round of Cool Stuff on the Internet! Here's some fun stuff I found recently:

Golden Girls Lego Set

Okay, don't get too excited here - this mockup of a Golden Girls Lego set has only entered the Lego Ideas Program, which means, though it received the necessary votes to move to the next phase, it still has a long road ahead of it before production is a possibility. Or, maybe you should get excited because THIS IS A TINY MODEL OF THE GIRLS' LIVING ROOM AND KITCHEN and how could you be asked to contain yourself?! So many good details, including, duh, a mini cheesecake.

YVNG PEARL Nail Decals

For those of you who've lamented that you can't paint an accurate rendition of Jerry Seinfeld's face with your non-dominant hand (all of us, am I right?), YVNG PEARL has you - well, your nails - covered. This Etsy shop is full of original illustrations of pop culture touchstones turned to wildly unique nail art decals. Make it tasty with tacos and pizza, keep it festive with the fez-topped turkey from Friends (pairs well with the "We Were On A Break!" decal) or show your mysterious side with a slice of Twin Peaks cherry pie - because who doesn't need Leland Palmer on their middle finger?

Inside Sophia Loren's Roman Villa, 1964

These archival images of hollywood legend Sophia Loren's Italian home are opulent. First you're like, "Umm, that's the biggest pool I've ever seen in my entire life." Then you think, "Wow, this place is over the top." Finally, you realize, "Oh, that giant brick building that looks like a fictional elementary school is her pool house." Yeah, she got it like that. This home has so much gold and ornate detail, it's like the fancy frame around a painting you're not allowed to touch.

Cathy CK

In the spirit of Garfield Minus Garfield, this tumblr-based comic strip takes the artwork from Cathy cartoons and replaces the text with material from comedian Louis CK's various standup routines. The result is oddly harmonious, and worth a follow just for the random bits of Louie it adds to your day.

Angela Lansbury's Positive Moves

These are highlights from a VHS released by Angela in the early 90s, showcasing her health and exercise routines, as well as her thoughts on life. That all sounds fine, but what you're really here for is the awkward floor thrusting, aloe lotion rubdown and the bubble bath finale. Skip around at least some of this video because there are so many odd visuals: "on land swimming," gesturing as exercise, inexplicable car buffing, and a parade of pastel jumpsuits. Oh yeah, and that bubble bath, during which Angela tells us her thoughts on female sexuality. I don't know either.

What cool stuff have you found lately? Leave me some links!