The Smartest Way To Save

Soooo.
Exactly how much fun did you have opening those credit card bills in January?
Stomach churning.

Regardless of how you used or didn't use the plastic fantastic for Christmas shopping
we still appear to be in a recession
and plenty of us are feeling the financial pinch.

And its not pretty.

New year, new decade.
No time like now to fix the financial track you're on.

Last year I was given a book called The Smartest Way To Save
by Sam Freshman and Heidi Clingen.


Quite timely really.
All things considered.

This book is full of hundreds of tips to keep you on track financially,
and keep you out of financial ruin.

It is a very easy read, with everything laid out in layman's terms.
Much of it you already know.
But evidently most of us weren't acting on that knowledge.
So you can use this one as a guide book or a road map.

It sits on my desk and glares at me when Mr Louboutin calls.

If you're hurting,
or if hurt might be on your horizon,
you may just want to take a look.

If you want a brighter financial future,
this is a good place to start.

Here are some words of wisdom from the conclusion of the book:

Remember...
It's not how much you make;
it's how much you keep.

It's not your income that makes you rich;
it's your savings habits.

It's not what your money makes of you;
it's what you make of your money.

It's not how much you own;
it's how much you owe.

It's not what you do;
it's how you do it.

It's not your habits that control you;
it's you who controls your habits.

It's not what you know;
it's what you don't know

It's not what you start with;
it's what you end with.

check out the website www.TheSmartestWay.com

xo

C

Test It & Tune It!

Last weekend was so much fun!
NHRA Test & Tune was in town.
At Firebird Raceway.
Aaaahh!
The season is nearly ready to begin...


Test & Tune is where the teams get to bring their cars out and check out new set ups etc.
Last year tons of teams came to Phoenix.
This year more went to Florida the week before, so the turn out was slim.
Yet fun!

There weren't too many folks out and about this time.

However.
We had a "Tweet up" going on.
Thats where a bunch of friends on twitter all get together.
The Nitro Twitter Gang flew in from all over.
They came in from Chicago, New Jersey, St Louis, Memphis, Sacramento
-many different places, for the 3 day event.


Here are some of us.
I had somewhat misleadingly led everyone to believe that if they flew out of the snow
the weather here would be gorgeous.

The 1st day was rained out.

Day 2?
Brain bendingly cold. Who knew?
I should have been running the bleachers.
But I didn't.

It was extra fun too, because the photographers who got me started in this whole NHRA business were there.
And they are fun.
So we hung out and had some laughs.


Day 3 the sun came out.


Drag Strip Girl shirt and the ever funny, ever high energy, wiley John Force.
He's such a character!


His 25th anniversary car looked awesome!

John Force Racing had three cars there this time.
Mike Neff is tuning John's car this year instead of driving.
Bummer.

Bob Tasca was there as was Tim Wilkerson.
It was quite the Ford-fest.

Brandon Bernstein was there in his new blue Copart car.
Odd not seeing him in red.

John's daughter Ashley Force Hood
brought the girl power for the weekend.


Ashley is one of the most glamorous, fabulous female pro athletes around.

and she's fierce!
This is her starting her first burnout of the day on Sunday.
Last year I wrote a blog post about the Western Swing, and asked readers who they wanted to win Funny Car.
The response was overwhelming!
From all around the world.
Who knew?
Sometimes over 100 hits per hour.
53% wanted Ashley to win.


Last year we saw the debut of the Al Anabi cars. They weren't here this time, but we were all excited to see Cruz Pedregon's new car.

Well, I was.

The Cruzer is often controversial (love that), makes for great TV (love that)
and you never know what he's going to say next (love that!)

This is an old picture of him.


The car looks cool.
Red cars go fast.



I have that exact same hoodie! I wear it on shoots.

NHRA is so fan friendly.
Drivers were coming over to say hi to that cute little boy.
That's John Force in the green suit.
He had just been high fiving him.
Little kids remember things like that.
Forever.


I went up to the top end with my photographer friends
while they were snapping the shoots deploying.


Wickedly cool.
Oddly quiet.
Especially after the high decibels at the starting line.

Had to tweet about it.

@NitroJohn meet at Wilkie's in 10? Roger that buddy...

I hope we have more Nitro Twitter Gang Tweet Ups.
Really cool folks, and tons of fun.
You should join us next time...

I'm so ready for the season to begin!

all pictures courtesy of Gary Nastase and John Amorosano. Apart from that one of Cruz...

Here Comes Superbowl!!!

Woo hoo!!
Superbowl is fast approaching.
And who doesn't love a Superbowl party??
I do!!!

But what's a girl to wear?
You want to look fabulous, feminine and fashion forward.
But you also want to support your team.
Or your boyfriend's team.

Your boyfriend's oversized Colts shirt isn't going to cut it.
(I'm saying "boyfriend", because it sounds more exciting than "husband", if you have one of those instead)

But don't worry ladies, I got your back.

Check these out:


from the very fabulous Halftime Designs (ladies who have the fashionable football fan's best interests at heart).

You Indy fans can wear the Coltini. A blue and white martini glass with a horseshoe.



Saints fans we have the black and gold hurricane glass, rocking it New Orleans style.

Halftime Designs shirts are designer cut and quality.
You'll look hot!

You can find them at Halftime Designs (www.halftimedesigns.com)

Order yours quickly though so it can ship to you on time.
And you will be oh so super-sexy-cool!

I can't for the life of me decide who I want to win this year
as these are two of my favorite teams.

But that means that either way I'll be happy at the end!

Have a fun Friday!

xo

C

Smoke It!!!

So check this out!
This one is for the Nascar fans.
The Tony Stewart Nascar fans.
About a billion of whom follow me on facebook and twitter.

How would you like to park your booty in Tony's chair?
(unfortunately, he won't be in said chair at the time)

This contest is from my friends the RacingFashionistas
Check out their fabulous blog.
My re-posting skills are somewhat lacking,
but here's their post.

(It just got sweeter too, as their buddy Tony decided to autograph each chair!!!)

We like to run contests every now and then for our readers and we have the exclusive opportunity to give you a chance to win one of two limited edition No. 14 Tony Stewart NASCAR® High-Back Leather Bonded Chairs from Office Depot. The Chair features an actual autographed signature as well as an embroidered signature from Tony Stewart.

All you have to do is send us a photo of your desk or office decked out in Tony Stewart fan gear. We want to make sure that one of these fab chairs will accentuate your place of business. The two top fan photos will receive a chair! We will run this contest starting today through February 12th. Both winners will be announced prior to the running of the 52nd annual Daytona 500. You can email the photos of your office/desk to info@racingfashionistas.com

And a little more about the chair....The luxurious red and black bonded leather upholstery chair is cushioned for all-day comfort. It features a padded armrest to help alleviate shoulder strain, gearshift styled gas lift knob, a cushioned seat offering exceptional comfort and lumbar support and sleek racing wheel casters with durable base and scuff resistant foot pads. The chair also features an autographed signature from Tony Stewart, as well as an embroidered autograph. It is priced at $229.99.

Now I personally know several gorgeous ladies who would give their right arm for one of these chairs!
If you're a Tony fan enter this contest quick!
If not, please re-post, reTweet, facebook and/or email this one out to all your Nascar friends.

I can't wait for the season to begin.....

Eye Cream Giveaway!

Hey everyone!

I made you a little video
about the eye cream giveaway.
Time's running out,
so make sure you enter today!

Here's the vid





Here's the link to the eye cream giveaway post
NV Perricone Advanced Eye Therapy Giveaway

The SAG AWards

So this weekend we had the SAG Awards.
There were a few fabulous and noteworthy moments on the red carpet. More so for the dresses than for the makeup.
But here are my faves:

Kate Hudson In Pucci.
This dress really showcased her phenominal body - check out her back!
And I really did like that sunkissed, neutral toned makeup.

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Dianna Agron.
Loved the makeup!!
The bold lip is gorgeous

a href="http://view.picapp.com/default.aspx?iid=7635534&term=dianna+agron" target="_blank">

Marion Cotillard, as always, looking stunning.
Perfect dress, perfect hair, perfect makeup.
Cannot wait to see what she does on Oscar night!!

Diane Kruger worked this dress like no other.
Love the dress, LOVE the lips!!

Fox 10 Golden Globes Recap

Were you watching the Golden Globes segment we did this morning on Fox?
I think only the Arizona crowd could access it.

We were duplicating my favorite makeup looks from Sunday's red carpet,
so that you can pull them off yourself, and wear them out this weekend.
Fun!

So here's what I used:

My favorite look of the night was the gorgeous Christina Hendricks from MadMen.

Her makeup artist, Vanessa Scali, used the new Depsea and Egerie collection from Shu Uemura.

I used Julie Hewett eye palette in Soiree, applied with an Oval Shadow brush, a Chisel Fluff brush, and lined her upper eyelid with Makeup Forever Aqualiner in black, using a Bent Liner brush.
Then I added some Star Powder from Makeup Forever to make it glisten.

To create that gorgeous, perfect red lip I used my favorite red of all time, Julie Hewett's amazing Rouge Noir lipliner and lipstick and the CorinnaB Lip brush.

Sandra Bullock's makeup artist, Angela Levin used an assortment of Chanel shadows and Beige Felin lips to get this look.

To recreate this beautiful violet eye, I used Dolce by Julie Hewett, with an Oval Shadow brush, then Nars shadows Barbuda with the Chisel Fluff brush and Night Fever with the Angle Blender brush.
Using the Taklon Liner brush I ran some of the slightly sparkly Night fever through her lash line to get a shimmery liner.
I finished her eye with a touch of Julie Hewett Pixie, applied with my finger.

For her cheeks I used Julie Hewett cheekie in Vampie.

On her lips, Chanel's Beige Felin applied with the CorinnaB Lip brush.

To recreate Marion Cotillard's exquisite look, I used the Julie Hewett eye palette in Petite Four. I used the Oval Shadow brush to apply soft pinky Beurre all over, then the Chisel Fluff brush to run Mica over the eyelid.
I lined her eye with MAC Slate pencil liner, then using the Smudger brush I buffed the line out with a soft gray shadow.

That perfect, sexy, soft lip I used Julie Hewett lipstick in Simone

All makeup brushes are from CorinnaB.com
Julie Hewett products


Here is some of the fun from this morning



Don't forget to sign up for the Perricone Eye Cream Giveaway!
Sign up now!!

NV Perricone Advanced Eye Area Therapy

Back to the glorious skin!

We've talked about cleansing, we've talked about your daytime moisturizer.
Now we are going to talk about eye care.
They say that your eyes are the windows to the soul.
Turns out they are also the windows to premature aging.
Great big windows with flashing neon lights above them.
There's no hiding it.

Using a high quality eye cream is one of the most important things you can do.
The skin around your eyes is actually the thinnest, most delicate skin on your body.
It needs its own special moisturizer.
And plenty of tender loving care.

Eye cream every morning and every night.
No excuses.

If you give your eye area the love, and keep it hydrated
it will love you right back.

I am in love with Perricone MD's Advanced Eye Area Therapy.
N V Perricone is a world renowned anti agin expert, award winning inventor and board certified dermatologist.
He gets written up everywhere.

And oh so close to my heart, he has devoted his career to keeping us youthful.
His skin care philosophy and products have revolutionized the industry.

His products are spectacular.

Just so happens I've been using his Advanced Eye Area Therapy for quite some time.
Religiously.
And I love it.
This one works on several things at once.
Fine lines and wrinkles and discoloration,
its tones and firms the skin around the eye area,
and it gives the skin a luminous, smooth appearance.
Magic in a bottle.
Love!

Remember me telling you there would be some cool giveaways in 2010?

Well here comes the first one!

One lucky reader is going to win a fabulous
Advanced Eye Area Therapy
from Perricone MD.
Thats a $95 value!

Here's what you have to do to enter:

1. Go to CorinnaB.com and sign up for the newsletter.
Your info is kept private.

2. Put a comment on this post. Tell me why you need this product - tell me about what products haven't been working for you, or what you're noticing with the skin around your eyes.


3. For an extra entry, RT this post on twitter. (And let me know you did by posting your twitter address in the comments section and telling me you RT'd!)

The winner will be drawn on February 4th 2010 and will be announced here on February 5th.

If you are the winner, you have to put a product testimonial in the comments section of the post, after you've been using the product for a while. Tell us what you think!

Disclosure: This promotion includes products/prizes that were provided by the manufacturer/PR Firm for the express purpose of this giveaway.

This giveaway is for U.S residents only

Breakfast TV With Fox

So last week I taped a segment with Fox for their breakfast programming.
We shot it at the gorgeous Arizona Biltmore,
which is hosting a Bridal Bootcamp with the ever amazing Victoria Canada at the end of the month.

This is a fabulous opportunity for brides to get up close and personal with all the vendors,
and get to talk weddings without being crushed in a bridal fair crowd scene
where everyone is trying to sell you something.

It's actually a super fun, super fab event.
Will and I will be there talking hair and makeup, and doing demo's etc.



Here we are doing some final touches on my model, the lovely Jennifer.
She is fantastic fun to work with - just how I like it!


We talked about beautiful radiant skin, and soft glowing cheeks.

Here we are at the end.
What fun!

If you are in the Arizona area, or are thinking about getting married out here, you can check out the Bridal Bootcamp on The Arizona Biltmore's page
or on facebook

Makeup Trends 2010

Oh dear!
Not quite sure that it is humanly possible to have
a more unflattering camera angle.
Or a worse hairdo.

The info is spot on though.

I apologize if these shots of me make your eyes bleed.

But here are the big new makeup trends for spring/summer 2010

Golden Globe Love!!!

I so loved the red carpet for the Globes last night!
Some year's the fashions aren't so fab, but the 67th Annual Golden Globes,
despite the pouring rain, were sensational!

I'm a little late getting today's post up, but between flying back from LA and racing to a magazine cover shoot, we're just gonna roll with it...

Today we're talking makeup, so lets look at the hottest looks from last night.


My absolute, most favorite moment on the red carpet was Christina Hendricks from Mad Men.
She absolutely rocked it!
I love a red head in a red lip at the best of times, but this was so completely fabulous.
She stood out the moment she stepped onto the carpet.
Fresh, modern, beautiful and alive!
Loved it!

And so bold to pair a red lip with a peachy champagne dress, but so completely perfect!

My favorite color showed up this year, and looked totally spectacular.
Beautiful, vivid purple.

Sandra Bullock pulled it off to perfection with her violet eye makeup.


Makeup artist Angela Levin created this gorgeous look with a combination of Chanel eyeshadows
Silky Eye Duo in Orient Express, and Soft Touch Eye Shadow in Trace. She lined the eye with Chanel's Long Lasting Eyeliner in Violine, and used the lovely Rouge Coco lip colour in Beige Felin.
All of which I am sure will have sold out nationwide before today is over.


I am always excited to see the exquisitely beautiful Marion Cotillard.
She is consistently sensational on the red carpet.
This event was no exception.
She was magnificent.
Clear, radiant skin, a soft blue/gray liner, and I loved the lip color.
It looks like Bibo from Julie Hewett.


I could be mistaken, but it looks like Mr Jimmy Choo peeping out from her hemline too...


And then, of course, always perfection, the divine Miss Penelope Cruz.
She never, ever lets us down!I loved the deep berry tones in her eye makeup.
She never looks less than stunning.
Love her!


The two themes that I most enjoyed at this year's Golden Globes were the soft, feminine hairstyles, and the slightly elongated eye.
Both looks are lovely on everyone, you and me included!

Have a gorgeous day!

xo

C

The Globes Are Coming!!

I'm so excited!
My favorite season is here.
Award Show Season!

That means all the fabulous fun of the red carpet.
This year I'm not in Hollywood working on the shows,
but I will be watching every moment,
checking out every dress,
every accessory,
and all the makeup and hair.

This weekend I am excited to see what Penelope Cruz will be wearing.
She has been rocking the red carpet at the Nine premieres (and everything else she goes to)

Here she is at the LA Premiere


London, freeeezing in Dec!
yet oh so beautiful



I hope she gets best supporting actress.
I also want Marion Cotillard to win
Rob Marshall
Jeff Bridges
Robert Downey Jr

Oh!

I. Can't. Wait.

9 Essential Pieces For Your Makeup Wardrobe

New year, new decade. We've been cleaning out all the old, icky makeup that we have no more use for...
So now its time to make a list of the basic products a girls needs to build her makeup wardrobe from the ground up. Most of you wont need all new products. Use this list as a guide to fill in the missing links.

Look at building your makeup wardrobe the same way as you build a really fabulous clothing wardrobe.
Select great quality, well made products that will serve you well for a long time, not just a season.
A few key pieces can take you beautifully through any event.
The following list makes up the staples for your collection. Think of them as the LBD and black high heels of makeup...

1) Primer.
This is going to give you a pre-makeup base for your foundation to adhere to, to help it stay even, keep it matte, and in general will make your makeup look beautiful, longer.

2) Concealer.
I'm loving Makeup Forever's HD concealers and Julie Hewett's Omit concealers.
I wear one of these two brands every day.
Make sure the concealer you buy can be applied super sheer, so you don't have creasy, gooey or crepey looking concealer showing through your makeup.
Not a good look.

3) Foundation.
Buy the best that you can afford. If you can do a flawless base your makeup will always look great. Try to buy quality.



I normally have a slightly fuller coverage foundation for going out at night, and a lovely sheer, fresh base for day to day.
Be aware too that most of us are a different color during the winter than we are mid summer, so be prepared to have a couple of different shades as well as formulations in your makeup arsenal.

4) Powder.
You need two powders, one loose to set your foundation, and one pressed to do touch ups with.
Ideally get a powder that is colorless and translucent.
When buying powder one of the most significant factors is how finely milled it is.
The smaller the particles, the less you will see on the surface of the skin.
A good powder will be colorless and very finely milled, and will disappear into the skin when applied.

5) Highlighter.
Somewhere along the line its nice to add a highlighter to your product list.
Create a little sheen to the upper cheekbone, keep the skin looking dewey and healthy.


6) Blush.
Invest in a beautiful, soft blush.
This year we will be seeing a lot of soft, beautiful cheeks, so look for gentle hues rather than intense colors that deliver a more angular, defined cheek.

7) Brows.
The look for brows right now is soft, natural and unstructured.
Put brow pencils aside and move into a soft shadow for your brows.

8) Mascara.
I'm not a fan of drug store mascaras.
You dont have to spend a lot of money on mascara, but do get a quality one.
MAC has several that are inexpensive and good.
If you're not going to be swimming or crying, avoid waterproof.


9) Lip Balm.
Every night, every morning, keep your lips luscious.



Eyeshadows and lip colors are more seasonal, so I'll be showing you different products as they come along, but this list should get you started on building a makeup wardrobe that will take you through any season, to any event, or just day to day wear.