I’m not a huge makeup guru. I usually throw on some eye makeup, blush, and lip gloss for the day and add some dark liner and lipstick to transfer to the night. Being a techie and a fashionista, the natural question for me is: How do I look my best and what gadgets can help me do that? Surprisingly, there are a lot of gadgets out there that can add to your beauty regimen, costing anywhere from a few bucks to a few hundred. I tried two of these gadgets out; one I am absolutely in love with because it didn’t hurt my pocketbook, and one I was just curious about, so I decided to splurge.

1. USB Lighted Mirror

This little baby is pretty cool. It’s surrounded by light, making lining your eyes that much easier, and you can put your picture on the mirror to make a personal photo frame. It’s powered by USB and has four feet of cable. Very cool, very chic, and very cheap… only $15 dollars from USB Brando.

2. The blu_ray™ Collection by Cargo

Okay, it’s not a gadget… but the technology is amazing. My worst two fears in life are ending up in the emergency room wearing an old pair of underwear, and inadvertently getting my 15 minutes of fame looking a hot mess! Now with high definition TV, looking good doesn’t even cut it anymore, you have to look perfect. Cargo made this makeup line especially for makeup artists shooting in high-definition situations. The technology used includes photochromatic pigments, optical blurring, and hyaluronic spheres…in layman’s terms, the technology prevents your pores from looking big enough to drive a truck through. Shown from left to right are Lip Gloss, Blush/Highlighter, Pressed Powder, and Mascara… And don’t worry about being on TV, you can use this makeup in everyday life, especially if you’re prepping for your wedding day, special events, or a photo shoot. You can only buy the line at Sephora. The entire collection is $130.00, but it’s on sale now for $59.

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Innovation has redefined itself as “small”; from VHS to DVD… smaller, from car phones to cell phones… smaller. Today everyone wants their gadgets to be small, compact, easy to use, and light. The only problem is sometimes you have to sacrifice power for the size.

I took a look at a few ultra sleek, small, and stylish devices that could be incorporated into any fashionista’s style without sacrificing either technology or your wallet.

One of my favorite sites, ThinkGeek, features a Credit Card Size Digital Video Player for $99.99. It’s cute and sleek and big on power with an 8 hour battery life, heat-sensitive glowing buttons, 2GB of storage, expandable memory card, FM Radio, audio and voice recording, and much much more.

This next small and very cool gadget I ran across is my favorite. It’s called the iStraw and you have to check out the website to really get a good feeling for how awesome this small product is. iStraw is a “straw fitted with a special membrane, which uses Micro-filtration technology and is suitable for personal use to protect against water borne bacteria and protozoa found in tap water and ice in many countries.”

Wouldn’t you love this if you were a contestant on Survivor! It kills 99.9999% of germs and only cost $39.99!

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Spring 2008 is coming fast and the styles range from Global (think Angelina Jolie mixed with the Queen of Sheba) to Goddess. I’m really excited about the new trends because they reflect the women of today: powerful, business-minded, eco-friendly goddesses and traveling divas. And of course, gadgets are needed to make these trends come to life! Here are four of my favorite Spring 2008 Trends and my suggestions on how to “gadgetize” (to accessorize using gadgets) them.

The Global Woman
Spring 2008 brings in a global theme that focuses on tribal-like patterns, bright colors mixed with earth tones, and natural but strong makeup! Every global woman needs a multilingual electronic talking dictionary. Try this one, the E15C800, by Ectacto which includes a car charger, headset, microphone and power converters for any country. Pair it with this cute global-inspired dress from Etro’s Women Spring 2008 Collection and you’re ready for any tribal adventure.

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When I walked into my first job interview in the Information Technology field six years ago, I got a few funny looks, I laugh now when I think about it, but back then it wasn’t too funny. Just to give you a visual image: think Legally Blonde, but with way less pink, and substitute law school with technology. It’s an industry myth that tech geeks just don’t care about fashion; they don’t care about carbs; they don’t obsess over fashion blogs; and they definitely don’t show up to work with great hair, the latest accessories, and a bedazzled version of the latest cell phone. I quickly changed my style for future interviews; maybe it was a little sneaky on my part, because the minute I landed a supervisory role, I went right back to my personal style, which includes an eyebrow arch and nail appointment every Monday at lunch.

After coming home from St Louis around Thanksgiving of last year, I decided that I had had enough of the whole theory that fashion and technology don’t mix. Why are women in technology afraid to show that they obsess over fashion? From experience, it’s just too stressful to hide your true self, not to mention just plain stupid. I decided that I would pave the way for a new kind of woman, the Tech Geek Fashionista (TGF) by starting my own blog, The Technology Starlet, and proving that my audience, readers like me, should be taken seriously. This was supposed to be a great hobby, but then something weird happened. After a month of emailing and networking, people in the industry and readers started to respond. They did want to know what cell phone a fashion addict would choose, how to customize their laptop, and what web application would help them shop online and find their inner TGF.

So, from one TGF to another, I hope you stay tuned in as I promise to deliver information, reviews, and my personal obsession on the latest gadgets, the coolest laptops, and the best of the mobile world, from a TGF’s perspective (of course), right here on the Tastemaker Diaries. I hope you remember that your laptop, your mobile phone, your desktop, and your cute bags and covers should represent your style. Below are a few definitions that describe a TGF and I encourage you to ask yourself, what makes you one?

Tech:(tĕk ) n. A technician or abbreviation for technology or technical work

Geek: (gēk ) n. A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept.

Fashionista: (fa-shə-‘nēs-tə ) n. designer, promoter, or follower of the latest fashions

Tech Geek Fashionista: (tĕk gēk fa-shə-‘nēs-tə) n. A designer, promoter, or follower of the latest fashion who is accomplished and single minded in technical pursuits and is known for being a socialite.