The Succulent Wife's Favorite Things

Maybelline's Superstay™ Lipcolor - Really Stays

I have certainly tried my fair share of pseudo long-lasting lipsticks and lipcolors over the years . I always found them to be just...ok. And, I should also mention painful! (Remember Lip Sense from Sene Gence???? Ouch!) These so called long-lasting colors would last through a cocktail hour and then part of a meal. They never did make it through the promised 14, 16, 18 hours. Instead, when I needed to reapply, I always found that the initial layer would trigger a whole unpleasant "peeling off" effect. Not fun.

Undaunted, and still looking for that true long-lasting solution, I'm happy to report that I am thrilled with Maybelline's Superstay lipcolors.They apply cleanly and precisely and do not rub off. Worn on their own, the lighter colors look like lipstains. I make sure that this initial coat of color dries for the recommended two minutes and then apply the lip balm. You'll see, you will need to apply the balm. The Superstay dries "sticky" and the conditioning balm remedies that. Worn just like that, I will have colored lips most of the day, needing to reapply the balm only a couple of times.

When I truly need "going out" long wearing color, I apply the Superstay first, skip the balm, apply my favorite lip pencil and lip color on top. Because of the "stickiness" of the Superstay, it seems that whatever color that you put on top adheres like it was glued on. The combined colors become really saturated and beautiful.

My favorite base color for a more discrete look is the 774-Cinnamon, but the 742-Strawberry is just luscious, especially as an under color to another lipstick. Colors come off as much lighter than the packaging shows, so if you like a darker lip, choose the darkest shades that you see.

Removing the whole is as easy as using a cotton ball with eye makeup remover. It will come right off.

For the money - $9.99 regular price - this product gets a FIVE star rating. Enjoy and let me know if you have tried it!

JWT's list of 80 People, Things & Trends to Watch in 2008

If you are of my generation, you know JWT as the J. Walter Thompson Agency. They've been around, under one moniker or another since 1864 and are the world's fourth largest agency.

Anyhoo, here are some of the things that they have pinpointed as the "To Watch" items of  2008. Interesting that poor Benazir Bhutto made the list.  Looks like JWT is on to something. Not sure what they mean by some of the terms listed here, like "sturking" or "women juggling men" (is that literal? a  movement??, what???), but we are we are bound to find out as the media starts talking about it.

1. Africa (foreign investment and development in)
2. Antibiotic backlash
3. Assisted marriage
4. Beijing 2008
5. Blue replacing green as the environmental movement's color du jour
6. Brain exercises
7. British actress Keira Knightley
8. Carbon tax
9. Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang
10. Classical musician Gustavo Dudamel
11. Climate sightseeing
12. Continuation of comebacks (Indiana Jones, The Cure, etc.)
13. Cooperative consumption
14. Couch surfing
15. Country branding (Oman, Indonesia, etc.)
16. Designer Phillip Lim

Winter Sale is on at The Succulent Wife's Store!

Our holiday items and your favorites things on sale, 20 to 40% off.  Shop our sale here.

Interactive Christmas Game - Ring 'Ma Bells

I've been seeing lots of interactive Christmas games this season (you've probably seen the Elf Yourself game by Office Max? That's actually a cute one too although it takes foooooooorrrrreeeeeeever to load). In an attempt to be humorous or flippant, I found most agencies that put out these rich media cards or games have created perfectly distasteful work, focusing on bodily functions (yes, we have seen ALL of it, pooping elves included). I may sound prudish and old fashioned here, but I don't think that one needs to focus one bodily waste or sawing off reindeer's head to be funny. Indeed, Freud would have a field day with all these campaigns.

In the meanwhile, here's an agency that came out with an entertaining and inoffensive yet fun game, the Handbell Hero, that you can actually share with your children. Their "attitude" comes in the messages that are displayed after you have played the game. It's flippant, but done smoothly and cleverly.  I actually chuckled.

Enjoy!

Christmas & Holiday Window Showcase in New York City

For those of us that cannot be in glorious NYC this Christmas, here is a wonderful slideshow of the very best, creative or extravagant window displays of the season, gracieuseté de PSFK.

View the whole scrumptious collection here. Enjoy!

Meringue Topiaries - To Make (Dominomag.com)

I am making these for my Christmas Eve get-together.  Seems like the hardest part will be the find a styrofoam topiary cone at Michael's, hoping that they still have some left and finding a parking spot at the mall. Otherwise, the meringues will come from my second home (Trader Joe's) and voila! I might create a little more ornamentation on mine though. With fresh cranberries perhaps? Find the whole set of instructions on Dominomag.com. Love that magazine.

I almost feel the Christmas spirit coming on...

Nouveau Greek Art - Ron Hutt

Ron Hutt art style is totally up my alley, particularly his Greek Inspired Collection. Clever, wonderfully executed, tongue-in-cheek work that is inspired by contrast. In this case, the contrast of on ancient civilization with our modern antics.

Here's the Pythian Priestess seated in the Temple of Apollo with laptop computer and wireless internet connection via satellite and Aphrodite arranging a romantic rendezvous with Ares on her cell phone:

Or Apollo being video taped by Athena flying across the sky as a celebrity sun god after his slaying of the Python at Delphi:

In the artist's own words:

The paintings are a pastiche of the traditional colors, drawing and narratives of "Red Figure Style" Greek vase painting blended with contemporary issues and content filtered through my own highly subjective social / cultural analysis and a playful approach to conceptualization. Some of the themes are developed along lines of an evolving narrative to create different versions.

Something to make uslook twice and to poke our own imagination.

A Gift Certificate from The Succulent Wife - What a Perfect Solution

Let them pick out for themselves something they will absolutely love. Plus, our gift certificates are the perfect gift idea for:

• The Shopping Procrastinator (we've got you covered)
• The Agoraphobic Shopper (nobody wants to deal with these types of crowds)
• The Uninspired Shopper (we'll make you look like the most creative gift giver)
• Those with extra picky gift recipients (let them choose what they want & stop torturing yourself!)
• Makes an excellent To-Top-It-All-Off gift (that little something that will make them say "awwwww")

Here's where to get your Succulent Gift Certificate...

The BEST, most Scrumptious Bake-at-Home Chocolate Croissants

It's not secret that my second home is Trader Joe's. I avoid shopping anywhere else if I can.

My latest and long overdue discovery is their Proof & Bake Chocolate Croissants. OMG!!!! I "made" these the other morning for my daughter's birthday. It being on a week day, I was looking for a little special something to serve and to still have her out the door at 7:40am. The frozen chocolate croissant answered the call for this occasion. I simply took them out of the package, laid the frozen little sticks of dough on a parchment paper covered baking sheet and let them rise overnight. They were nice and plump the next morning. That's it, you can just pop them in the oven or, go all out like I did and give them a nice egg wash and sprinkle them with sugar. That took a whole extra 60 seconds.

The croissants came out magnificent and hot, golden brown with the perfect flakiness and butteriness. The chocolate provided the perfect amount of sweetness, not more, not less. Absolutely DELICIOUS.

These were the most worthwhile 320 calories. Must, must try!

Oh, and let me know what you think when you try them.

The Best Gifts Come in Little Packages

... Doesn't everybody know that?Shop The Succulent Wife's unique and wonderful (and all handmade) jewelry selection. Little boxes filled with shiny things make perfect stocking stuffers too!

FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $75. See details.

And, to The Succulent Wife’s VIP Customers... Take 10% off your order* - Use Coupon Code “Merry10”.  Valid until December 16 only, on orders over $35.00

The Succulent Wife's Holiday Gift Guide

Shop The Succulent Wife’s Great Gifts...
 
  ~ From elegant to funky
         ~ From playful to good-for-you
                 ~ From $10 to $500...
 

The Succulent Wife has something to delight everyone on your list. Including you!


Our JEWELRY gift guide: Pretty little things that sparkle and make fab stocking stuffers too!      

                                                                                                                               

Our HOSTESS gift guide: our suggestions for the proper way to say "Thank you for the invitation" and to make sure you'll be asked again.



Our CHILDREN'S gift guide: wholesome and unique gift ideas for the succulent wee ones.



Our gift guide for MEN: fun and original gift ideas for your scrumptious man.



Our STOCKING STUFFERS gift guide: assemble the most irresistible stockings with these great gift ideas.

And take note of our FREE SHIPPING promotion on all orders over $75. Read the deets here.