Current Fixations: Red Red Wine

I may be a big talker, but I’m not a big drinker.

When I do get my drank on, I tend to stick to the sweet or fruity drinks. Drinks like buttery nipples, margaritas, Japanese slippers, peach or raspberry lambics and Three Olives grape and Sprite. Not a mind-blowing selection by any means and that’s ok. My goals for going out are usually to listen to good music, dance and socialize. I’m not there to be the annoying drunk girl who falls down stairs, pukes everywhere, gives random BJs in the parking lot and professes her love for everyone in the bar.

Lately, I’ve been on a sweet red wine kick.

For years I believed that sweet reds didn’t exist. Well, I’ll take that back. I knew about the communion wine that we would pretend to be buzzed on as kids. But when I would go to restaurants and ask for one, servers would look at me like I was touched in the head. So I gave up hope and just stuck with my Moscato d’Asti .

Last month, a friend introduced me to a semi-sweet and a sweet red wine. Those wines were Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz and  Debonné Vineyard’s River Rouge. I’m not a wine connoisseur so don’t expect to read about acidity, aromas, structures or  textures. I will give you info from the label and my honest opinion.

Chalet Debonné River Rouge

Source: MidAmericanWine.org

Description: SEMI-SWEET RED WINE
Light red with classic grape flavors and aromas from predominately Native American grapes. 3% residual sugar.

I’ve never been to Debonné Vineyards, but I used to hear commercials for it on the old one-oh-seven-three, the waaaave. For those who don’t know, 107.3, aka The Wave, was a smooth jazz and R&B station. When I was in high school, I went through this David Sanborn-Boney James phase and I would listen to the waaaave a lot. They also had a great Brazilian jazz show called Sounds of Brazil that would come on Sundays at midnight…ok, rambling.

Back to the wine.

Anyway, I’ve heard that Debonné Vineyards has nice jazz concerts, so I might check the place out one day. As for the wine, I thought it was pretty darn good. It was smooth and not syrupy sweet. It also went well with the fruit and cheese we munched on that night. It’s only $8.49 on the Debonné website so you won’t break the bank if you decide to try it.

Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz

Source: CapeClassics.com

Description: This fresh, fruity, semi-sweet wine displays aromas and flavors of ripe blueberries, blackberries and raspberries with dark chocolate undertones. Refreshing and approachable with a perfect balance between sweetness and acidity, it pairs equally well with meat dishes, cheeses, and desserts. Best served slightly chilled, Jam Jar offers luscious, fruity goodness in every sip!

Yup, that’s about right.

I guzzled this South African wine down with my Fourth of July feast. It went well with ribs, mac ‘n cheese and my red velvet cupcakes. I was surprised because my first encounter with a Shiraz was not a good one. I remember it being very acidic and bitter. It practically burned a hole through my chest.  Jam Jar was sweeter and much better. I’ll definitely be buying more of this one.

Both of these wines can be found at World Market.

In closing, I leave you with this:

Source: YouTube

Stay thirsty my friends. 🙂

Current Fixations

Hey kids! Time for another exciting installment of Current Fixations.

This week, I’m reviewing two more stellar products. Those products are Clinique’s Quick Eyes Cream Shadow and Essie polishes. I’ve been using both of them faithfully and I am really pleased with the results.

Clinique’s Quick Eyes Cream Shadow

If you don’t know by now, I am a born again Clinique stan. Their Superbalm is always in my purse, I absolutely love their acne line and don’t get me started on the Chubby Stick! Ok, I need a moment to compose myself. I just got my pressure up thinking about all my great finds!

On Mother’s Day weekend, I stopped by the counter to stock up on my products and was introduced to yet another magical thing. That thing was Quick Eyes Cream Shadow.

Source: Clinique

Here is the product description:

Have a beautiful eye day, all day. Light, velvety cream glides on vibrant colour that wears up to 10 hours, stays beautifully crease-proof and colour true. In pearly shades from subtle to high-lustre. Ophthalmologist tested.

Here’s the deal.

I was looking for an eyeshadow primer because I was tired of my shadow creasing all of the time. For those who might not know what creasing is, creasing simply means that your shadow is building up in the folds of your eyelids. This can happen if you use a rich eye cream, put foundation on your eyelids or have oily skin. The shadow ends up mixing with the oils and looks streaky.

Anyhoo, the beauty advisor introduced me to Quick Eyes. She told me that it worked better than Clinique’s Touch Base for Eyes and lasts even longer. I was skeptical at first because in the store, the Cocoa Shimmer shade looked waaaaay too dark. But I let her put it on my lids and it blended in nicely. The beauty advisor then grabbed some shadow from the MAC counter and put it on top of the Quick Eyes shadow.  It looked great and held up well.

I use this on a regular basis under my shadow. Sometimes I’ll even  wear it alone for a natural look. It is easy to apply with the wand but I like to buff it in with a fluffy shadow brush like Sonia Kashuk’s Crease Shadow Brush. You don’t need a lot and I just use it on the lid.

Quick Eyes Cream Shadow comes in nine shades and costs $15.50 at Clinique.

Essie Polishes

 

Source: Essie

A long, long, long time ago when I was cracked out on Allure magazine, I decided to try Essie’s Ballet Slippers polish. Allure swore this was a great natural shade and because I took their word as the gospel truth, I bought some. I was über disappointed in it. It bubbled, it chipped and I was mad that I forked over my hard-earned cash for it.  So I decided to give Essie the cold shoulder.

Fast forward to May 14, 2011.

I strolled into Trade Secret in search of the latest OPI shades. I didn’t see anything that stood out so decided to leave before I started sympathy buying. On my way out of the store, I saw a display of Essie polishes. They were BOGO, so I decided to check them out. Two bottles for $8 was a good deal but I wasn’t too sure if I wanted to pull the trigger on the purchase. I talked to the sales associate and she said that she liked Essie better than OPI. She also said that Essie actually was formulated for natural nails and OPI worked better with acrylic nails. I don’t know how true that is, but I figured spending $8 wouldn’t destroy my American dream or anything.

I bought Escapades and Lacy not Racy. All I can say is that I love both shades and when used with Seche Vite, my manicures have lasted for at least two weeks.

No bubbling and no chipping so far. So I guess my bad experience was due to user error!

Essie has a wide range of colors and you can find it at Ulta, Walgreens, Tarjay and Rite Aid. Trade Secret in my hood (Summit Mall) probably won’t carry it anymore, but they’re getting China Glaze instead. That’s cool with me too!

Once again, I don’t get any moolah for plugging these products. I’m just giving my honest opinions and sharing them with you!

Smooches!

 

Current Fixations

And now it’s time for another exciting edition of Current Fixations. Since it’s supposed to be spring (I say this because it’s still slightly wintry in Ohio), I’ve decided to switch to brighter lip and nail colors. Right now, I’m all about corals and hot pinks.  So here are some products that are in my current rotation:

MAC Cremesheen Glass in Double Dare

Source: MAC

I love gloss, but I tend to stick with the peachy/pink colors. I’ve tried to venture into red lip gloss territory but when I wear them, I always look like I just made out with the Kool-Aid Man. Oh yeah! Anyway, I was feeling adventurous before my birthday so I decided to try a bright color again. I ended up trying on Double Dare and I fell in love with it.

MAC describes Double Dare as a “coral-red.” I think that description is just about right. In the package, it looks like more of a berry color. But it’s very vibrant on. The color actually reminds me of strawberry Runts candy.

The Cremesheen Glass isn’t sticky and the staying power is pretty darn good. I ate sushi and a sundae, and it stayed on my lips. I only remember touching it up maybe two times during my night out. Double Dare is my new favorite color and I am so glad I bought it. I love it so much that I even swiped some on right before taking my driver’s license picture!

Cremesheen Glass sells for $18.50 but is worth the investment. It’s perfect for those that want the creaminess of a lipstick and the shine of a gloss.

OPI’s Too Hot Pink to Hold ‘Em

Source: Amazon.com

This color is part of OPI’s Texas Collection. The collection is made up of 12 colors, and six of those colors have a “sorbet-like finish” according to the company. Too Hot Pink to Hold ‘Em happens to be one of the sorbet colors.

I am often drawn to OPI because of their range of colors, but sometimes I am disappointed by the wear of their polishes. OPI polishes can cost between $5-9.50 depending on where you buy them. I figure if I’m going to pay $8-9 for a bottle, the polish should not bubble or chip off within a few days. This has happened to me before with OPI so when I find color I like, I’ll check out China Glaze or even Zoya to see if they have a similar shade.

But for some reason, Too Hot Pink to Hold ‘Em kept calling my name every time I walked past the Texas Collection display at Ulta. So I finally bought it a couple of weeks ago. The color is a cross between a cherry red and a hot pink. It goes on well and has a creamy finish. It does seem to be a little sheer though so I had to apply about 3-4 coats. I also covered my nail tips with it and topped it with Seche Vite. The color held up well and lasted about a week and a half. As for my toes, it’s still going strong.

OPI’s Too Hot Pink to Hold ‘Em sells for $8.50 at Ulta.

Current Fixations

I don’t think I’m the bomb all of the time, but when I put on a special outfit, swipe on some lip gloss or spray on my favorite fragrance, I go from bum to bombshell in no time. If you’re one of my Facebook friends, you know that I love to share some of my obsessions. So I created the Current Fixations section to spotlight the things I’m feeling.

When I buy clothes, I usually stick with my holy trinity…Banana Republic, Gap and Old Navy. I can usually find great deals with my friend Clarence (clearance), or online. And if there is a higher priced  item that I want, I have no problem playing  the waiting game. The pieces hold up well and some even stay in my closet for years.

I haven’t been too inspired lately when it comes to buying clothes. But I think  the weather had a lot to do with it. When it’s cold, I’m more concerned with staying warm than being fly. That all changed when I made a little visit to Gap last week. You get inspired real fast when you see those sale signs. I bought two button down shirts, a wrap top and a ruffle cardigan. Thanks to a gift card, I only spent $50. That was great considering some of the pieces have much higher prices online!

Anyway, after the trip to the store, I went online and found this stunner:

 

Gap's Maxine Dress

 

Source: Gap.com

Say hello to the Maxine dress. Yes it’s a LBD (Little Black Dress), but it has a lot of possibilities. You could wear it to work or for a night out on the town. My stylist, otherwise known as my friend Dana, suggested that I try this dress out with another one of my current fixations, nude/flesh-toned, patent leather shoes. I think gladiator sandals would work well too. The Maxine dress is exclusive to Gap.com and is currently listed at $69.50. I’m going to wait for it to drop before sealing the deal.

As I mentioned before, I have this thing for nude/flesh-toned shoes. I’ve seen celebs and celebutantes alike rock this trend and I think the average woman can pull it off as well. I love how slick nude, patent leather  shoes look. For some reason, when I see them I always think of that perfect nude lip.  The look is simple yet oh so chic.

Thanks to Aldo, I can try this look out for a reasonable price. At first, I was a bit skeptical about Aldo. I didn’t think their shoes could handle my monster truck feet. But I bought a pair of cute wedges from there for $40 last year and I really loved them. So  I think I might splurge on a pair of these:

 

 

Aldo's Withey Pump

 

Source: Aldo.com

These suckers are a little higher than what I’m used to, but my stylist said the platform makes them feel more like a pump.  If I go to the store and get overwhelmed by the thought of being a glamourpuss, I’ll just try this trend in a sturdy wedge.  Lord knows the last thing I want to do is hobble around a club or lounge with a confused look on my face while carrying a cute pair of shoes. To me, that is the ultimate walk of shame.