...ALLmEYEne...

Unpleasantly Purple

2011-08-19T10:00:00.001-04:00

Here's another look from the weekend. Its titled Pleasantly Purple, but in the pictures, it doesn't look too much like theirs too much purple ing the look. I guess I'll have to pull out the big gun camera for my photos when I'm doing softer/shiny looks. Anyways...this was on a Sunday right before washing my hair and I went to see the movie "The Help" with some sorority sisters. My jaw dropped when I walked into the movie theater. The demographic of viewers was NOTHING like I expected. I thought I had walked into the wrong theater at first. Well I didn't...LOL.

The movie was nice, it wasn't my sought after high violence, espionage, futuristic, award winning action scene movie, but I did enjoyed it. Just as shocked as I was walking into the movie theater I was even more shocked/floored by everyone's stares and remarks when I was leaving the theater. All these people at the theater were so into my hair, the volume, the commercial like shine and bounce (even w/ the kinks)...I felt like I was one of the actresses in the movie w/ all the questions that I got. A girl that I've seen in my Zumba class even asked if she could take a photo to show her stylist, so she could request her perm to look like mine!?!?!?! I couldn't do anything but smile...but, uhm...boo boo this ain't no perm.

Flattered none the less...I was a bit overwhelmed. Even at dinner my hair was the topic of discussion. I was totally burned out about talking about hair. So I bailed on dinner early so I could wash my hair, but I had to make a run to Target for some conditioner first. While there...more of the same...stares and questions from everyone. A couple of recently natural/transitioning college students asked me about my hair and which products to use from "that" shelf. "That" shelf natural ethnic hair shelf w/ over priced products (Miss Jessie's, Shea Moisture, Jane Carter, etc.). I gave what few recommendations I could and went on to buy my non-ethnic $2.84 Suave conditioner...only to realize those girls had me so distracted I bought shampoo by mistake. Not so good for a deep conditioner...trust me, I know. this is the about th 4th time I've done this. Suave change your bottle color for shampoos & conditioners like Tresemme. Hair wise...I was drained.

Anyway...enough about my rant...here's some more photos of the makeup...since this is a makeup beauty blog.

:: BROWS ::
Make Up Forever Brow Corrector - #4

:: EYES ::
Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP - Original), Inglot 434P, Inglot 423P, Inglot 378M, Inglot 46AMCS, Inglot 335M, Urban Decay 24/7 Liner - Zero, Maybelline The Falsies Mascara - Black

:: LIPS ::
Avon Glazewear - Plum Dazzle

:: FACE ::
MAC Pro Longwear Conealer - NC45, Evian Facial Spay, MAC MSF/Natural - Dark, Wet n Wild Bronzer - Tahitian Tan
* Ya'll will have to pardon my red nose...I have horrible allergies and I'm extremely allergic to Michigan. My Claritan-Benedryl-Amp-Benedryl combination wasn't working too good on this day.

Pretty much all of the color I used came from the Inglot palette I got on my recent visit to NYC. I have this huge Inventory of products (including swatches) that I store in my iPhone. When I went to update the inventory w/ the purhased shadows, I found out that I was DUPED!!! I hadn't updated my database before going to NYC, so I can't blame Inglot for using numbers as a "naming convention". Had the Polish based brand used a textual naming convention the likelihood of me repurchasing a shadow (that I hadn't even worn yet) would've been slim to none. DAMN!!! That makes me mad...but the shadows aren't inexpensive, so I'm not as mad if I had purchased an MUFE shadow. The color is 423P...its a nice plum shade. So maybe I will be a good daughter and create my mom a palette for the next time I see her.

QOTD:
Q: For product junkies (hair, makeup, et al) do you find yourself purchasing the same product by mistake.
A: To be honest, I have a ton of crap. My inventory says that I have 316 eye products, 233 of them being eye shadows (which shows when expanded). Over the years, this is the first time I've duped a product by mistake. Now I'll have to buy a single Inglot shadow to fill the void that the palette will soon have. Any color recommendations?

What have you repurchased by mistake?

Charlize Theron for Christian Dior Inspired Look

2011-08-18T18:00:00.001-04:00

This look was something I wanted to attempt after seeing the Dior VIII watch advertisements with Charlize Theron. The advertisement (seen here) is very eye catching and has a very soft look too it. My recreations was mostly just to try out a silver shadow in my crease. I can't say (or remember) if i've ever done a silver crease before. When I think of silver I think lid color...but challenging my own thinking (w/ the assistance of the advertisement) I pick up my silver shadow and went to town in that crease. This day was a very laidback day and I had a lot of running around to do. So I didn't have time (or energy) to do anything extra and I think total time spent on this face was about 8 mins...if that.

:: BROWS ::
Styli-Style 24 Hour Line & Seal - Black Brown

:: EYES ::
Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP - Original), MAC MSF/Natural - Dark, Jesse's Girl Eye Dust - Cafe au Lait, Inglot 420P, Inglot 434P, MAC Soft Brown, Maybelline The Falsies Mascara - Black

:: LIPS ::
In these pictures it looks like I have on a lip color, but if I recall correctly this was a Carmex only day.

:: FACE ::
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - NC45, Evian Facial Spray, MAC MSF/Natural - Dark, and Wet n Wild Tahitan Tan Bronzer

Okay, now here are some interesting (at least to me) photos and and learning. For the past few weeks, I've been wearing my hair in twists Monday-Thursday, and Twist-outs Friday-Sunday. Sunday is typically my wash day...starting the routine all over. This past Sunday, before the twistout pictured below, I used so much freaking oil in my hair (Shea Moisture Reconstructive Elixr...the only product I like from this brand). If I were to touch my twist during the week I could feel/see the oil. BUT at the end of the week this is the what I end up with...WOW.

My hair was extremely soft and shiny...its was actually pretty nice looking. My hair was groped by so many people...I was happy that I had it in gropeable conditions...LOL. So I was definitely having a happy hair moment over the weekend.

QOTD:
Q: What current advertisements catch your eye?
A: The Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes ads (see it here @ lancome-usa.com). It might be worth a shot to try it out.

What about you? What's catching your attention these days.

Blue Brown Blues

2011-08-16T18:34:00.000-04:00

For this look I was in the mood to either use MAC Club eye shadow or MAC Blue Brown pigment. Well Blue Brown won, and I ended up doing a jazzed up version of my everyday look. I really like using blue brown pigment. It has warmth and dimension that can go everyday or go more dramatic. In the past I've compared this to HIP Intrepid pigment and I have both. Maybe I'll have recreate this look using HIPs pigment just to show how similar they are. My only gripe is that it didn't pick up in the photos too well. The sheen is evident but not so much of the color. But trust me in real life its an awesome color.

I swear the lipstick that I have on was made using blue brown pigment. It is MAC High Top lipstick from the Fafi collection. It is a glaze lipstick so the color is very sheer, but it has the same color properties as Blue Brown pigment.

:: BROWS ::
Styli-Style 24 Hour Line & Seal (Black Brown)

:: EYES ::
Urban Decay Primer Potion (original), Inglot 337M eye shadow, MAC Blue Brown, MAC Soft Brown, Inglot 393P, Inglot #77 AMC Gel Liner, Maybelline The Falsies black mascara

:: LIPS ::
MAC High Top

:: FACE ::
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - NC45, Evian Facial Spray, MAC MSF/Natural - Dark, La Femme Naturelle

QOTD:
Q: Where do you store your makeup?
A: I have too much makeup, but what I have I store in a 2nd room and not in the bathroom. I think for a short moment when I was relocating after finishing college, I store my makeup in the bathroom, but for the most part I've always done my makeup outside of the bathroom.

Inglot...Have you Heard Enough

2011-08-15T00:58:00.000-04:00

So I've been away vacationing in NYC and I enjoyed "The City" excluding all the walking and extra cost for transportation. I'm from (and lived in) the Midwest and ummmm, we drive everywhere. The farthest I have to walk is from my office parking lot to my desk. So all the walking was getting to me. I felt like I was back in college, but worse. That was until it was time to hit up the Inglot store. YES YES YES!!! I couldn't resist going to their Times Square boutique. This was actually my 2nd visit to Times Square, but the first time I didn't tempt myself to go into the boutique b/c The Makeup Show was right around the corner. Now that I have had 3 months to play around with Inglot products on myself and on others I'm hooked.

After doing quite a few makeovers at a Girls Night Out event and a few event looks using primarily Inglot, I've been set on keeping these as staples in my full-sized makeup kit. Why? They apply d@mn near effortlessly so I don't have to waste so much time building up the product. I had originally planned on getting 3 more palettes, but the night we went (approximately 10:30 PM on Friday), they were out of a few colors that I wanted to pick up.

I even got my friend to try out some products. She got a few key eyeshadows (golds, bronze, coppers) and a blush. She was shocked that their shadows were so affordable and that you truly had the "freedom" to create a palette for your specific needs. I think she got the 1 blush + 3 shadow palette and then 2 eye shadow singles. For me...I just limited myself to purchasing 2 of the 10-pan Freedom palettes and a few other items. I've been sticking to fairly basic colors so that they are more universal (eyes, cheeks, etc). I wanted to create a Plum, Navy/Black, and Gold/Olive palettes, but I ended up leaving with a hodgepodge of stuff. Overall I'm really happy with what I got. With fall coming the plums will definitely come in handy for homecoming and the fall bridal season.

Here are a few thoughts on the products that I purchased from Inglot.

AMC Gel Liners
I picked up two more of Inglot's AMC Gel Liners, now owning a total of 6. They are really buttery and on myself I can really get a nice tight line w/o tugging. I'm hoping they stay this way but only time will tell. IMO, they are creamier than MAC fluid lines. This is great for application on mature eyes. Now I got a lime and an peach color but you'd be surprised how I plan to use them. I haven't tried using the gel liners as a base, so I have a green eye look that I want to create and I'll give them a try then.

Duraline
This is a liquid transformer. You can turn any powder into a liquid. I did try this out in NYC by using Inglot 63M shadow to create a black liner. Worked like a charm and it lasted all day/night. So I'm impressed. The associate (who was actually the associate that helped me at The Makeup Show) said that it probably wouldn't work as an E/S sealer, but I'm going to try to use it to foil a few shadows and see what results I get and how long it last.

Makeup Remover
At the Makeup Show I purchased their Makeup Remover. I really like it compared to my Neutrogena remover. I've never tried MAC remover, so I don’t have a mid-range remover to compare this to. But I am enjoying using it to remove my mascara since I have been loading it on these days.

Here are a couple of photos of my Inglot products and even showing how I label the shadows in the palette. Mostly for blogging purposes, but I do offer my clients a complete list of products I use on them. So far I'm sticking w/ the 10 pan palettes, b/c I like the size and how they fit in my various makeup cases.

If you look back over my last few blog posts (see the Inglot tag, or search Inglot), you’ll see that their products can produce some amazing looks.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. I've been interviewing for a new position at work and have been pretty consumed with those activities. Now that the decision has been made, I am no longer on the edge of my seat waiting and having ignore my moms question of "Did you get the job"...LOL. So I should get this blog back up and running and looking forward to transitioning into the warm fall colors.

QOTD:
Q: Have you tried Inglot? If not...what are you waiting for? If yes...What are you favorite eye shadow colors/numbers?
A: I waited a while to try out Inglot b/c I was afraid of disappointment (w/ all the hype) and the fact that I hate online shopping for makeup. If you're not living in 1 of 5 locations in the US you can't go "demo" these products. But now that I own quite a few shadows I'd have to say that my favorites are...(hmmmm, stay tuned...I’ll do an Inglot favorites post...or video).

Natural Bloom Magazine - A Must Read

2011-08-14T10:00:00.001-04:00

If you guys have not heard (or read) about the Natural Bloom magazine this is definitely one to check out. You will find a ton of interesting reads from cover to cover. I hope you find it as enjoyable as I did.

Open publication - Free publishing - More bobeam

To learn more about naturally textured hair check out The Natural Haven. This by far is one of my favorite blogs. To be honest this is the blog (not YouTube) that helped me to understand my hair and got me to the point I am today in terms of not being a product junkie. I still have a lot to learn but I am confident that what I need to know has been (or will be) covered on this blog. The magazine featured above is an extension to the science and natural hair and focuses on celebrating hair, style, and life. Enjoy !!!

Stopping in to Say...BRB

2011-08-10T23:45:00.000-04:00

Just stopping in to say hello...I'm off enjoying the summer. Where I live it might be snowing tomorrow, so I have to make the most of what little summer we have left. I'm behind on reading blogs, creating blogs, updating websites, even Facebook...well I'm not on Facebook much so I guess I'm not too worried about that...LOL.

I'll be back soon enough so don't go far. With the some upcoming activities I may have to switch over to mobile posts...we'll see.

I've also been gearing up for the Halloween season and have partnered up with a local organization to do "makeup" for their haunted house. So hopefully I'll get a few pics in here and there, but I'm also volunteering as well, so this will be fun. It will definitely be different and challenging, but i'm looking forward to it. The first challenge are advertisements. So fun times and great learnings are ahead.

Unashamed by my Foundation Fail

2011-07-28T15:45:00.001-04:00

I'm trying to break out of this purple phase...so I decided to go pink-ish today. Well I guess that's not too far away from purple on the color spectrum. I'm not a big fan of pink especially on the eyes. I feel like that it makes my eyes look redder than they already are. So when I do pink looks I always take extra allergy medicine and keep Visine on had. I really like this eye look, its a simple color combination...w/ a little sparkle to it.

In the upcoming weeks I want to try out an office appropriate blue look. I've done it before, but I'm tempted to try it again. I don't think blue is unprofessional...but its just those primary colors aren't the most understated colors. I'll give it a shot...you should too.

:: BROWS ::
Styli-Style 24 Hour Line & Seal - Black/Brown

:: EYES ::
Make Up Forever #2 Aqua Cream + Two Faced Shadow Insurance, MAC Heritage Rouge, L'Oreal HIP Unashamed, MAC Stacked 1! - lightest pink, NYX Dark Brown, MAC Blacktrack Fluidline, CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara, Make Up For Ever #151 - Cinnamon

:: LIPS ::
OCC Hush + Lo Fi + Clear (I believe this was the mixture)

:: FACE ::
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, Graftobian Soft Orange Neutral, Graftobian HD Creme Foundations (a combination of a few)....only to still get the color wrong :-(, MAC So Ceylan MSF

So why is this post titled a foundation fail...well a few posts back (specifically this one)...I talked about the routine I go through to check my foundation matching. So since I was trying out the Graftobian HD Glamour Creme's as well as foundation matching w/ different brands I definitely had to put this face to the test. I ended up mixing quite a few of the products together. The foundation looks fine in some of the pictures. I actually applied the foundation w/ my fingers. It was definitely easy to apply (but I'm thinking the primer aided w/ that). The only negative thing I have to say is that the product transferred...but that's partially my fault since I didn't set it. Anyway...check out the pictures below and you'll see why this foundation mix was a COMPLETE FAIL.

QOTD:
Q: What neglected products have YOU used lately?
A: MAC Pure White Chromaline, Auraline Brushes, Revlon PhotoReady Foundations

What about you ???

MUFE meets MAC

2011-07-27T18:00:00.001-04:00

So I got the feeling/urge to pull out some more products that I haven't used in a while b/c of how they worked out last time. The product(s) I'm talking about are the Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams. Those things have amazing color and they look really good. The only thing is that they way they apply is quite cakey and not consistent. If you've ever used a MAC Paint Pot or even the beloved/dreaded NYX Jumbo Eye Shadow pencils you know that those products are more emollient (creamier) and are fairly easy to apply.

I have a total of 2 of MUFE Aqua Creams (#5 - orange & #2 - pink). I LOVE THE ORANGE. I've worn it in previous looks as seen here. I struggle applying it there as well...but since I've been in the mixing mood (w/ every freakin thing) so I mixed the Aqua Cream with Two Faced Shadow Insurance. This definitely transformed the product while maintaining the intense color. So I was totally happy...seriously. The only thing now is to find the best tool to apply it with...any advice? Well enjoy the look.

* It definitely got nice and ~~warm~~ hot by the end of the day.

:: BROWS ::
Make Up For Ever #04 Brow Corrector

:: EYES ::
Two Faced Shadow Insurance (TFSI), Make Up For Ever #10 Aqua Cream, MAC Genuine Orange, MAC Papparaz-she, MAC Blue Brown, MAC Plummage, MAC Soft Brown, Stars Makeup Have Unzipped, Inglot #87+ #77 AMC Gel Liner, MAC Free to Be, Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

:: LIPS ::
OCC Beta + Grandma + Feathered + Clear (applied very sheerly...finally I'm starting to get the hang of these things).

:: FACE ::
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, Revlon ColorStay Foundation - Carmel

For the aqua creams, if you've tried them...what do you think about the consistency?

QOTD:
Q: Getting hot...how is your face/foundation routine holding up?
A: OMG...today, not too well...I guess that's what I get for riding w/ my windows down instead of cranking on the A/C. Its not that it looks bad. I guess its the same feeling as a guy getting the 5 o'clock shadow.

Textured Purples

2011-07-25T20:00:00.001-04:00

Well I recently had to go to a work related happy hour with my old team members. I could've worn a spiced up beige, but I was still in the mood for purples and still enjoying playing with my MAC Pure White Chromaline that I purchase quite some time ago. It was once a neglected product, but I have been enjoying using it over the last couple of weeks.

The MAC Pure White Chromaline is great. I've never owned the NYX Milk Jumbo Pencil, but I've owned others and I'm not impressed with them and I can't understand the love that others have for them. But anyway, the Pure White Chromaline has been great and brightening up my looks lately...and its fabulous on the lower water line and its easier to apply than Fascinating Eye Kohl. Anyway here's a purple look that could be semi-neutral.

:: BROWS ::
Styli-Style 24 Hour Line & Seal - Black/Brown

:: EYES ::
Urban Decay Primer Potion, MAC Pure White Chromaline, MAC Texture, MAC Signed, Sealed, MAC Tete-a-Tint, Inglot 386M, MAC Arena, Inglot #74AMC Gel Liner, Maybelliene The Falsies - Black

:: FACE ::
Smashbox PhotoFinish Primer, Revlon ColorStay Carmel

:: LIPS ::
OCC Demure + Lo Fi + Clear

QOTD:
Q: Do you tone down your makeup for work? What about work related outings that happen after work hours?
A: I tone my makeup down somewhat for work. It usually gets a little more interesting towards the end of the work week. If I'm hanging out w/ co-workers/peers after work hours...then no. I don't go w/ lime greens or anything but I will increase the intensity of the shadow.

Hidden Jewel

2011-07-24T22:36:00.000-04:00

A few days ago a friend asked for ideas for an eye makeup look containing pink, purple, and yellow for an evening out. She's one of the few friends that I have whose more of an adventurous makeup wearer and she fell in love with bright lips last year. I showed her a couple of different looks but this is one that I thought she'd be able to pull it off fairly quickly. I think she's mastered the color in the tear duct and wears it frequently.

I actually used a pigment to create a liner. I'm trying to venture away from the black gel/liquid liner...but its like a staple in my routine. I think the darker the eye liner the better the look. I've tried brown as well and its...its just not the same.

:: BROWS ::
Styli-Style 24 Hour Line & Seal - Black/Brown

:: EYES ::
MAC Pure White Chromaline, MAC Parfait Amour, MAC Chrome Yellow, Stars Makeup Haven V.I.Pink, MAC Sketch, MAC Shadowy Lady, Taylor Made Deep Purple Pigment, MAC Soft Brown

:: LIPS ::
MAC Girl About Town, MAC Pure White Chromaline

:: FACE ::
MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45, MAC MSF/Natural - Dark, Black Radiance Plum Sorbet Blush

QOTD:
Q: Are your friends makeup enthusiasts or just plain janes?
A: Most of my friends are plain janes and wear makeup maybe 3 times a month.

Neutral Glow

2011-07-19T19:30:00.001-04:00

Wow...so I've finally gotten around to some more neutral makeup. Using the Wet n Wild Vanity palette...INITIALLY. My skin is definitely getting caramelized by the sun. I could tell when I headed out for my Zumba class that the color of my skin was changing. I also twisted my hair b/c its going to be nice an toasty in the midwest. And for some odd reason the ladies (+ the two or 3 men) at my Zumba class go crazy...its weird. Now this is a class of about 100-125 people and they also go crazy for the neutral makeup I wear too. Maybe I look more approachable when I wear neutral makeup...LOL...oe not so crazy. So here' s the look and I'll explain why I hopped from Wet n Wild to Inglot down below.

:: BROWS ::
Styli-Style 24 Hour Line & Seal - Black/Brown

:: EYES ::
Initially the look was done w/ the Wet n Wild Vanity palette (see below for why I switched). MAC Groundwork Paint Pot, MAC Pure White Chromaline, Inglot 357M, 328M, 421P, 404P, 392M (these colors are almost exact dupes for what's in the Vanity palette), Inglot 74AMC Gel Liner, Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

:: LIPS ::
In the top pic I'm wearing Viva Glam Gaga (the first one). In the remaining pics I'm wear MAC Lustre and Avon Mirage Glazewear

:: FACE ::
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - NC45, MAC MSF/Natural - Dark, Wet n Wild Bali Bronze Bronzer

So I was watching AfricanExport on YouTube the other night and she proclaimed never to purchase another expensive shadow again and that lower priced shadows work for her and perform just the same....WHAT !!! I'm not in total disagreement, but I disagree. In terms of performance at times there's no contest. There's typically more product that is needed to achieve similar (not the same...but similar) results. So this morning I pulled out one of the drugstore palettes that I really like and its getting rave reviews. I applied the same look you see above using the Wet n Wild Vanity palette (primed w/ UDPP and Groundwork). I swear by the time I got into the office (approximately 30 minute commute) the shadow had already lost its ummpfh (vibrancy so to speak). My makeup still looked good, but not the way it did when I initially applied it.

Now in terms of makeup application on others...I don't know about ya'll...but in a wedding, fashion show, photo shot or any time critical scenario (me running late for work)...building up the shadow is not an option. Speaking for myself, but I'm sure others can attest. I can appreciate value brand products (and there are some good ones), but I need a product that can due diligence.

QOTD:
Q: What are you thoughts on the topics? Value brand products over mid-high end products.
A: At the end of the day...my Dad always says (and I'm just finally getting it)...you get what you pay for. If you can't afford it save and spend your money on quality.

Attempted Neutral

2011-07-18T18:21:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I was supposed to do some neturals over the weekend, but that's didn't work out so well. This look started out netural (for me) and then it was just a little too boring, so I had to jazz it up a bit. I guess since its summer time I feel that color is a requirement of some sort...LOL. So I stuck to my recent purple fetish and spiced up my lower lash line and crease a bit. I even started out w/ a neutral lip, but couldnt' help but to go BOLDER. Since I was going out w/ makeup-less faced friends, I decided I'd have on enough for everyone...LOL. I forgot to take some pictures before the evening got started, but you guys can enjoy the sweaty aftermath photos of hanging around partying...and I even got bitten in the face my a mosquito :-(. Well enjoy the photos just don't discredit me and my red eyes...since these photos are around the 3am-ish timeframe...and I was exhausted.

:: BROWS ::

Make Up For Ever Brow Corrector #04 * I've been recently using my Styli-Style and I've enjoyed using the pencil much more than the brow correctors. Its funny how we return to our old stapes. :: EYES :: The look started with... MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45, MAC Naked Deep Dark pigment (I'm not loving this at all). MAC Brown Down Eye Shadow. The looked ended w/ the addition of the following... MAC Tete-a-Tint, MAC Sketch, MAC Shadowy Lady, MAC Pure White Chormaline, Inglot 335M, Inglot 386M, Inglot 325M, Inglot #77 AMC Gel Liner, Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

:: LIPS ::

OCC Animie + Katricia + Clear

:: FACE ::

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - NC45, MAC MSF/Natural - Dark, MAC Bronze Hero Lustre Drops (but there's no evidence of it in the photos.).

QOTD:

Q: When your friends ask you to do their makeup, do you ever get disappointed by what they want.

A: YES...totatlly...this is w/ almost every friend I have. I only have 2 friends that are comfortable w/ wearing any and every shades and/or the darkest smokey. Everyone punks out. I did a girls makeup and its was a very light gold and purple...I took the purple into the crease...and she didn't like it. So I wiped it off and applied beige. I thought the look was cute, but she was totally uncomfortable w/ it. Oh well...

Neutral w/ Yaby

2011-07-17T15:00:00.000-04:00

So here's neutral for you...I actually did this during the week, but I guess I forgot to post it. Hmmm!!! We'll it was me playing around more w/ the Yaby Best of Both Worlds palette. I'm really trying to love the palette in its entirety and trying to embrace it as a staple for my kit. But I'm struggling w/ it just a bit. I'll explain more down below.

This look kind of reminds me of a look that I did back in 2009 (see it here)...WOW...I've seriously been blogging that long. Where the hell did the time go. Well the time hasn't gone too far b/c I'm wearing the same jacket...LOL.

:: BROWS ::
Styli-Style 24 Hour Line & Seal - Black/Brown

:: EYES ::
Yaby Smoked Maple (ES330), Yaby Cocoa Powder (ES 231), Yaby Fresh Earth (ES168), MAC Soft Brown

:: LIPS ::
I have no idea...I think this was some left over OCC mixture.

:: FACE ::
MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45, MAC MSF/Natural - Dark, La Femme Naturelle Blush

So this relationship that I'm having with the Yaby shadows in the Best of Both Worlds palette is a little strange. When I'm applying the products I don't get the pay off that I'm expecting. What pay off am I expecting...well sort of Inglot-ish like pay off. Inglot (in my opinion) has completed altered my expectations of what I'm inclined to see the minute I lay the shadow on my eyes. I don't get this with the Yaby shadows...and I feel disappointed when i'm applying my makeup...BUT...and a big ass BUT...the end resulting looks are always amazing (in person and on camera). Its so weird, but you can see some of the end results of my Yaby uses here, here, and here. On all of these looks I was not happy w/ the Yaby product while doing the look, but LOVED the end results. I'll keep at it. I'm just a little hesitant to take this on the road w/ me and use it on various folks.

QOTD:
Q: For any that's used Yaby on someone else...how do you find that it works? Is this staple in your kit? How do you feel about the basic eye shadow compared to the pearl paints?
A: I've been reading up on this and a lot of MUAs love it and use it frequently...I'm honestly not sure. I have a few engagements coming up where I will give it a try...but I seriously need something that works quickly. Any thoughts ladies??

More Drama

2011-07-16T13:44:00.000-04:00

So here goes another bright look...I think over the weekend I'm going to switch it up a bit. I'm not exactly sure, but I may go NEUTRAL or maybe a true SMOKEY eye. I don't think I've ever done one and actually posted it here before. But I haven't done neutral in quite some time...so I guess I'll be pulling out those palettes. Don't hold me to it. I change my mind frequently...LOL...I have far to many products to choose from. Any recommendations/request from anyone...I'm open for suggestions right about now.

:: BROWS ::
Styli-Style 24 Hour Line in Seal - Brown

:: EYES ::
MAC Pure White Chromaline, Yaby A Doll's Pink (ES057), Yaby Gremolie (ES448), Yaby Just Orange (ES241), Yaby So Vein (ES296), Yaby Smoked Maple (ES330), Inglot #87 AMC Gel Liner, 1/3 strip lashes (from Dollar Tree)

:: LIPS ::
Carmex, Revlon Peach lipstick

:: FACE ::
Revlon PhotoReady Carmel, Revlon PhotoReady Cappucino, Everyday Minerals Summer Stroll, Ben Nye Neutral Set

No here's the look w/o the flash and even one that I call the "club photo" because I take the pictures in total darkness allowing the flash to fire. Its the top right picture below. I always try to take a picture like this to validates the look for me...its like my own personal quality assurance. Taking a flash photo in complete darkness reveals EVERYTHING...all blending mistakes, foundation demarcations, poor highlighting, etc. I try to do this when I do make up on others as well...but sometimes depending on the location its not always possible. Try it out.

QOTD:
Q: What techniques do you use to "validate" your own makeup application?
A: I use a few, but the one that's the most reliable for me has been taking a flash photo in complete darkness. I typically try to take it on the lowest caliber camera that I have and one that easiest to use. So that means my iPhone 4 is used for this most of the time. And its convenient too. :-)

What about you...what techniques do you use?

Extreme Wing

2011-07-15T17:47:00.000-04:00

Interesting...I'm not sure where my head was at but obviously something made me want to use my Yaby shadows and pull out my neglected MAC Pure White Chromaline. Oh...I know why...I'm doing my friends makeup and I want to try to work w/ the Yaby shadows so that I'm more comfortable w/ using them and have a better idea of how they perform. So once I got started (w/ no plan in mind) this is what I ended up with. I wouldn't even know what to call this. I just started playing with the greens and then the bright orange in the Yaby Best of Both Worlds palette caught my eye...literally.

Okay, so I'm not sure if the anyone was tuned into the product listing or not so I'm going to try something different.

*** Scream loudly in the comments if you object to the change in how I list the products. ***

:: PRODUCTS USED ::
Styli Style Black/Brown 24 Hour Line & Seal, Yaby Psychedelic Catepilar (PP071), Yaby Just Orange (ES241), MAC Femme Noir, MAC Provedence, Yaby Gremolie (ES448), MAC Pure White Chormaline, OCC Lip Tar Grandma + Feathered + Clear, MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - NC45, MAC StudioFix Powder - NC45, L'Oreal Sweet Ginger Blush, MAC Sheersheen Loose Mineral Powder - SheerBronze

Wow...that was a whole lot faster than typing up my product list before...trying something different b/c I don't now if anyone reads that stuff anyway. Well here are some more pictures without the flash on my camera and close ups.

For the Yaby shadows...the Pearl Paints are really nice. But it took me forever to work w/ the Just Orange color (in my tear duct). I'm thinking that they need to be applied over a cream color base or something. The bright green on my lower lash line was applied over the MAC Pure White Chromaline and it was so much easier to apply and work with. I'll see if this is true...I'm going to try another look w/ the Best of Both Worlds palette without using any of the pearl paints. Does anyone else feel the same way about the Yaby shadows? Any tips for working w/ them?

QOTD:
Q: What's your favorite BRIGHT color to wear?
A: ORANGE...or anything along that color range (peaches, corals, etc)...preferably matte too. What about your?

3 Dimensions of Teal + Blue Lips

2011-07-14T18:30:00.001-04:00

So this look was completely unintentional. I wanted to play around in some makeup last night and this is what I ended up with. I ended up with 3 dimensions of teal in my crease...a cut crease at that. I think I may try to do a video for this...maybe. If I re-do this look I'll actually take my time and try to make it look nice. I believe that by the time I actually decided to play in makeup it was around 10PM. So I knew I was in for the night...so I could get a little crazy w/ things. I'd be interested to see how this looks as a rainbox color scheme or even w/ purple.

:: BROWS ::
Styli-Style Black/Brown 24 Hour Line & Seal

:: EYES ::

Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP - Original) was applied to the lid with fingers. Next I applied Inglot 372M into my crease with a large crease brush (about the size of a MAC 224). Next I took Inglot 338M and applied it in the crease just shy of the farthest point of the 327M. I applied this with a MAC 223 brush. After that I applied MAC Black Greasepaint stick in my deep crease with a Sigma 210. I went over that line with Inglot 340M and brought the line all the way into my tear duct area. I lined my upper lash line with Inglot #77 AMC Gel Liner and winged it out quite a bit. I filled in my lid first with Jesse's Girl Cafe au Lait Eye Dust. Next I used Hard Candy's glitter glue (waste of money) and stuck MAC 3D Copper Brillant Glitter on the lid area. It looked really nice while it lasted (which was all of 7 mins). Now on my lower lash line I wasn't sure what I wanted to do so I lined the water line and the lower lash line with MAC Fascinating Eye Kohl. I think took Inglot's 327M and packed it onto my lower eye area and extended it down. Next I used the Inglot #77 AMC Gel liner and drew a black line between the white and teal shadows on my lower lash line. For lashes I used #43 Demi Whispie's from Nigels. Oh and for a brow highlight I just used MAC Arena.

:: FACE ::

For my face I wanted to use some more neglected products...Revlon PhotoReady foundation. I actually like these foundations but the colors are so off. So I mixed Carmel 010 and Cappucino 011 to create a highligtht color (in the T-Zone). Then I just applied 011 Cappucino to the rest of the face. I used MAC Soft Brown to blend the highlighted area into the Inglot 372M that was on my lower eye area. For a cheek color I used Make Up For Ever #161 - Cinnamon and then highlighted the cheekbones and nose with MAC Bronze Hero Lustre Drops.

:: LIPS ::I ended up doing 3 different looks.
1. I used NYX Brown Lip Liner and topped it with NYX Gold Sparkle gloss (I think that was the name of it)
2. MAC Kissable Slimshine <- This packs a lot of color and is a little moisturizing on the lips.
3. OCC Lip Tars Rx + Lo-Fi + Clear (+ Feathered to highlight)

So that's about it. I'm not sure if its completely video worthy but if anyone is intrested let me know in the comments.

QOTD:
Q: For your jewelry choice...silver or gold?
A: Silver...all the way. I only tend to need gold jewelry when I'm going out and never have any to wear. pencil

Kind of Sketchy

2011-07-12T21:30:00.001-04:00

So I guess I'm still in a purple mood these days and even decided to pull out some of my neglected products. I'm sure most of you out there are beauty junkies and have a ton of neglected products. One of my neglected products is MACs Sketch eye shadow. I remember purchasing this shadow soooo long ago, and had big dreams of hitting the pan. Uhm, when I looked at it in my shadow it looked brand new. Too many products to enjoy...so I seriously need a hiatus from buying new makeup. Anyways, here's the look that I put together. Check out the other neglected products that I used today.

:: BROWS ::
Styli-Style Black/Brown 24 Hour Line & Seal pencil.

:: EYES ::
I started off by applying Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP - original). Next I used my MAC StudioFinish Conceal - NC45 on my brow bone followed by applying MAC Constructivist paint pot on my lid and into my crease. I blended those 2 products with a Sigma 217. Next I applied Jesse's Girl Cafe au Lait Eye Dust over my entire lid covering most of the paint pot I applied. Next I took MAC Sketch and applied that into my crease with a MAC 223. I took MAC Purple Haze and applied it to the outer 1/2 of my lid to make the eye a little more interesting. For liner I used Inglot #77 AMC Gel liner and winged it out (a little to thick though). My mascara...uhm a bit too much clumping, but I used Maybelline The Falsies mascara.

:: LIPS ::
I did quite a bit of mixing to come up w/ an interesting color. I mixed OCC Katricia + Lo-Fi + Clear to create a really gray sheer mauve like color and applied it with a Simply Simmons #8 Filbert Comb. Next I added Jesse's Girl Cafe au Lait Eye Dust to give the gloss some sheen.
*Now I don't know if I used too much clear but the gloss didn't last as long as if I just used the lip tars full strength. But I got a few hours wear out of it.

:: FACE ::
First I applied Mehron No Sweat Face Prep (trying this out since I was headed to workout). For concealer I went back to my MAC ProLongwear Concealer - NC45. Next using a damp Sephora Collection Mineral Powder Brush #45 and applied MAC MSF/Natural - Dark. Lastly for my cheeks I used MAC Bronze Hero Lustre Drops with a 188 like brush.

QOTD:
Q: So what neglected products have you used lately?
A: MAC (Sketch, Lustre Drops, ); Jesse's Girl Eye Dust (Cafe au Lait), Ben Nye Magicake Aqua Colors, 120 Color Palette.

Purple Shooter

2011-07-11T20:00:00.001-04:00

So today was another wedding day where I was playing assistant photographer. I really feel like I did worse this time around than the first wedding I assisted at. The set up made it difficult to shoot...good thing for that bride & groom that I'm not the primary photographer...LOL. I'm just learning. Anyways...its was a very early start since the bride wanted to capture the entire day. So the salon was first and then the sutie, then the church...you know the rest. I really enjoyed shooting at the salon. There was actually a Makeup Artist there (Pugeut Makeup, Inc.) I believe was the name and she was doing makeup for this naturally curly woman. I couldn't help but keep looking in that direction...LOL.

Well anyway I got plenty of compliments on my own look. Even though I was being a shooter at this wedding I need to run somewhere immediately after and I would have no time to glam it up. So I had to start my day w/ this face. Unfortunately the day was so busy and had such an early start that these were the only pics I got at the end of the day when I was completely exhausted. So enjoy the look, but pardon the red eyes.

:: BROWS ::
Styli-Style Black/Brown 24 Hour Line & Seal
* I've been getting lazy in the mornings while doing my makeup. Pencils are just so much easier to use.

:: EYES ::
Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP - Original), MAC Indianwood Paint Pot was applied to my lid and then topped with MAC Amber Lights to warm up the gold color. Next I applied Make Up For Ever #58 - Dark Raspberry with a MAC 223 and blended it out with a MAC 222 brush. This keeps the spread of color very shallow. Next I used the Sigma 226 to apply Make Up For Ever #92 - Purple shadow in my deep crease covering the outer 1/2 of the crease. I layered the #92 shadow to get a nice intense color. I used a little bit of MAC Trax on the inner 1/2 of mycrease to keep the look sort of warm. On my brow bone I used MAC Texture mixed with a little of MAC Soft Brown. I lined my eye with Inglot #77 AMC Gel liner. For mascara I used the Maybelline Lash Discovery.

:: LIPS ::
On my lips I only wore Carmex. I didn't have time for anything else.

:: FACE :::
I used MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45 to conceal underneath my eyes followed by an application of Revlon ColorStay Carmel foundation. I applied it again with the Sephora Collection Mineral Powder Brush (#45). On my cheeks I'm not exactly sure what I used, but I believe it was MAC Love Joy Mineralized Skin Finish
So one of my friends asked me while we were out to dinner, that since I have really bad allergies and my eyes are constantly irriated how in the world do I manage to rub my eyes and keep my makeup in tact. Its like that whole "sleeping pretty" thing...if you know what I'm saying...LOL. So here's how I do it girl. I take the skin beneath my eye (w/ no eye shadow) and push it up causing my lower lash line to cover my eye...and then I rub that bare skin and not my eye...no makeup harmed in the process and the look always remains in tact...LOL.

For your little face quirks (hands on chin syndrome, itchy eyes, etc) what techniques do you use to address those little mishaps without messing up your makeup.

QOTD:

Q: For eye shadows: Make Up Forever or Inglot ???
A: That's a tough one right....well not for me. I'm in Inglot's corner right now. Like I said before the MUFE shadows that I wore over the weekend were fading by mid day. I haven't tried them out on my lids, but if I consider the output, the consisteny, longevitiy, color range, and price...Inglot hands down.

What about you? I'm going to NYC soon and I'm planning on purchasing a bunch more Inglot products.

Pafait Amour

2011-07-11T00:21:00.000-04:00

Over the course of this entire weekend (Fri-Sun) all of my looks sort of had a pink purple vibe. Well not sort of...they did. Here's 1 of the looks that I wore on Friday. I finally pulled out one of the Make Up For Ever shadows that I purchased recently. I had to go digging to figure out which shadow it was b/c the pan is not labeled...but its the very warm pink color in my crease. Very nice...but over the 3 days I've worn it, I've noticed that it would fad throughout the day...what's up with that...MUFE. I actually notice it w/ #92 as well. I usually don't put primer in my crease, but I may have to w/ these shadows.

:: BROWS ::
Styli-Style Black/Brown 24-Hour Line & Seal pencil.

:: EYES ::
Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP - Original), Estee Lauder Lilac Petals Cream Shadow (similar to a MAC paint pot). I applied MAC Parfait Amour to the lid w/ a flat shader brush. Next I used Make Up For Ever #58 - Dark Raspberry in the crease using a MAC 224 followed by applying Make Up For Ever #92 - Purple in the outer portion of my crease with a MAC 223. On my brow bone I used MAC Soft Brown. On the inner crease I applied MAC Shale to help open up that area of my eye...its hardly noticeable, but its there. I used MAC Blacktrack Fluidline to liner my upper lash line. Next I used Maybelline Black Lash Discovery on both my upper and lower lashes. I made it a bit clumpy so you could see my lower lashes better. Lastly I applied a small segment of false eye lashes to the outer corner of my eye (I'm not sure what brand or number they are sorry).

:: LIPS ::
I applied some Carmex to my lips, then swiped my finger in MAC Style Demon Mineralize Skin Finish and applied it to my lips. The Style Demon is typically used as a blush, but its very bold...but I think its makes a nice lip color for me.

:: FACE ::
I first applied MAC StudioFinish Concealer - NC45 followed by using Revlon ColorStay Carmel Foundation applied with a Sephora Bronzer brush. I used MAC Style Demon on my cheeks applied with a Sigma 131 brush to finish up the face.

The look is sort of bold, but its not over the top. For me it would be totally work appropriate...but I didn't wear this to work. I actually just wore Lilac Petals w/ a little bit of the #58 Dark Raspberry color. I added the dimension and intensity when i got home to enjoy my Friday evening. Here are a few photos of the look without the flash...

QOTD:
Q: Is anyone planning on purchasing the new Mineralized products from the Semi-Precious collection?
A: There are a few shadows and 1 mineralize skin finish that has caught my eye. I'm not to sure about the brushes, but I really want to try the MAC 225 brush b/c its a little smaller and narrower than the 227.

Anyone have anything to share about this collection. I've been hunting around on the web trying to make my list...I'm not sure if I will purchase anything immediately...but I may just wait for the items to hit my local CCO. I have more than enough makeup...LOL.

Red White & Blue (Pics + Video)

2011-07-06T12:53:00.000-04:00

Happy Belated 4th of July to everyone…this was my 4th of July look. Yeah I’m a little late w/ posting but making a corresponding video for looks adds additional time to my posts. I’ll get better I’m sure as I make more videos. This look isn’t over the it’s just a not-so-everyday patriotic look. All I can say is that HD video is totally unforgiving…sheesh. Making the video was fun, but I don’t see how some folks talk through their videos so eloquently...hell maybe I need to take a speech or public speaking class. I guess that’s something that will come with practice as well…but I’m truly an IT person at heart. I will text, IM, and email the hell out of you before I even think of picking up a phone…LOL. Its much easier to do the voiceovers but personally I favor videos where the content creators talk through their looks. Well here’s the video and pictures for the look..

* see more pictures below

:: BROWS ::
Styli-Style Brown 24 Hour Line & Seal pencil was used to fill in my brows, after a workout and a nap and not additional grooming that’s what I ended up with.

:: EYES ::
Two Faced Shadow Insurance (primer), MAC Brown Script was used in the crease with a MAC 224. On top of that color I applied a Bloody Mary red eye shadow (I purchased from Hot Topic) with a modified Loew-Cornell Maxine Mop. I applied Yaby Butterfly Blue (PP066) to my lid only using a smaller Loew-Cornell Maxine Mop brush. Using the Evian Facial Spray I saturated a Simply Simmons #4 Filbert Comb brush and loaded it with the bright silver from my Manly 120 Color Palette applying the color to the tearduct area of my eye. Using a Sigma 226 I applied Stars Makeup Haven Unzipped to my crease. To blend out the red I applied MAC Soft Brown to the brow bone with a Sigma 224 brush. On my lower lash line I applied L’Oreal HIP Blue Spark Liner and MAC Fascinating Eye Kohl to the waterline. Followed up with Yaby Silver Dust (ES109) on the inner ½ and then Yaby Butterfly Blue (PP066) to the rest. After cleaning up the eye area I applied my false lashes. I layered 2 pair of the cheap lashes I got from Dollar Tree (as seen here).
* These lashes were horrible. The strip is made up of some sort of white paper material. So I was able to use some black glue to conceal that and apply them. They turned out looking okay, but you will never see me posting about Dollar Tree lashes without me giving them a thorough examination in the store.

:: LIPS ::
Now this is the grand finale of the look. I started off by applying a light coat of OCC Lip Tar in NSFW. For just a basic red lip, this is where you’d want to stop. But for me…I had to keep going, so next I took a C.O. Bigelow MenthaLip Gloss in Coral (I needed a menta gloss b/c my lips were ridiculously dry) and mixed in MAC Reflects Rust glitter. After mixing those together I got this very thick tar-like consistency. I picked up a disposable brush and plastered my lips with this mixture…WOW. A very nice lip…I tried to get some close-ups of the lips that would showcase the reflectiveness of the look, but the pictures are an understatement…LOL.

:: FACE ::
I used Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation primer. Then I worked with some of the RCMA foundations. I tried them out a few times, but I think I’ve finally got the trick to making these works and I must say I like the results that I got. For a highlight (cheeks and nose) I applied MAC Bronze Hero Lustre Drops with a 188-like brush and blended it out into my cheeks a little. Next I took La Femme Sienna Blush and applied that to my cheeks just below the lustre drops (not really a contour…just a blush color).

All right…here are some more photos for you all to enjoy. I’m really loving the lips and if you went to The Makeup Show there was a preview for a product called Bionic Lips…and just adding the Reflects Glitters give me similar looking results. Has anyone else seen these in person?

With just a basic red lip...

Here's a close up of the eyes...

Now with the amazingly bright glittery lips...

QOTD:
Q: For my Makeup Artist (or anyone who’s tried both of these products) Do you prefer RCMA, Cinema Secrets, or Graftobian foundations?
A: I recently picked up 2 Graftobian Crème foundation sampler palettes and I must say that these are definitely a bit creamier which would probably make these better to work with on mature/dry skin. The RCMA foundations are a little bit drier to start, but once its warmed up they perform beautifully. I’m still testing these out and need to see how they perform on different folks, but one thing I will say about Graftobian is they definitely have colors for the sistahs…seriously. I have 3 really dark skinned friends that would love the color range, so I’m going to try it out on them. I’ve never tried Cinema Secrets.

Tribal-ish Look (+ Video)

2011-07-03T10:54:00.000-04:00

So a few weeks back I inquired if anyone was interested in the look I previewed here...I got a few response, but I decided that since I had already recorded the video I might as well finish editing and post it on my YouTube channel. I think I really enjoyed doing this look that I did it a 2nd time which is the video that you'll see below. And the Ben Nye Magicake Aqua Color are so easy to wash off...seriously just water. Now if I could only get my mascara to wash off as easily I'd be happy. So here's how I got the look...

:: BROWS ::
A mixture of MAC Blacktrack Fluid Line and L'Oreal HIP Brown Cream Color Truth Liner.

:: EYES ::
MAC Arena E/S, Rimmel Black Lash Accelerator Mascara

:: LIPS ::
Jordana Sedona Red Lip Liner, MAC Red Romp Lip
* The first time I did the look, the lip color was a bit darker.

:: FACE ::
Ben Nye MagiCake Aqua Color - Cloud White, Stars Makeup Haven The Great White Shadow e/S, La Femme Sienna Blush, MAC Sheersheen Loose Mineral - Sheerbronze, MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - NC45, MAC Pro Longwear Foundation - NW45

Here's the first time I did the look. I think I like my first attempt better, however it was my first time using the MagiCake Aqua Colors so that white line was so jacked up. I believe the lip color was a combination of OCC NSFW and maybe a black lip liner? I can't remember.

Here's the look featured above...this was my 2nd attempt. That white line was popping. There were some picture that I took (in automode) on my camera and the brightness of the white line threw the photos off. I think this look is more clean, except for my lack of blending around the temples.

QOTD:
Q: Has anyone ever tried an sort of aqua color as an eye shadow base? What do you think about it?
A: I have tried it before when I did the Super Base video (as see here) a while back. I will say that they do add a make the colors more vibrant, but I find that they are had to blend over...at least the Ben Nye color. I'm seriously trying to hold off on purchasing the MUFE Flash Color palette...but I haven't a feeling that I won't be able to hold back any longer...since I have a lot of bolder looks that I want to try out this summer.

Guilt by Association - ARCHIVE

2011-07-01T16:15:00.000-04:00

So here is another look that I pulled out of the archvies of November 2010. I remember this day b/c I was trying to do some sort of twist-out on my hair. I wasn't really feeling it, but I was like "WTH I might as well roll w/ it...at least my make up looks nice." I won't go any products used, b/c I can't remember the exacts. But I know it involves the MAC Pro Longwear line, and MAC Guilt by Association. After that...I couldn't tell ya. For the lips I wanna say that was the Viva Glam Cindi l/g again, but not 100% sure about that.

I'm pretty sure the bottom 2 pics are from the end of the night. So throw in about 5 hours of partying and that's what I looked like when I got back home. No too bad I suppose...I'm just glad I'm just glad I can make a look last and don't have to worry about scattering when the club lights come on :-)

Its going into the 4th of July weekend. I took part of the day off today and I'm exhausted. I've literally been sitting in the same place on my sofa since 11am. I've been working on a website...but I haven't moved. The sad part is...I feel so exhausted. I need to run errands, but don't feel like it. I need to do a makeup look, but I don't feel like cleaning my brushes. Have you ever had one of those days where it seems like the day has gone and you've accomplished nothing. I'll claim this blog post as an accomplishment.

QOTD:
Q: Do you ever feel like you need vitamins to keep yourself going.
A: I probably should be taking vitamins, but I always go for an energy drink :-(

Headshot - Look #2

2011-06-30T15:10:00.000-04:00

This is the 2nd look that I wore for my little photo shot. I put it on in a flash. I guess I should've had an idea of what look I wanted, but I didn't. So the photographer said bright green & orange so this is what I came up with.

With this look we did a bunch of creative photos. I think we both enjoyed it a lot. Where we live there's not much in terms of creative photo needs, so the photographer got to flex here creative muscle. However this required me to bend my body in all sorts of way. I was exhausted once we were all done, but I think these photos will come out the best.

This was just added on top of my first Headshot look, so I will only list the products that I added in between shots.

:: BROWS ::
MUFE #04 Brow Corrector was applied with a tiny stiff Crown Angled brush

:: EYES ::
I added Yaby Seashell underneath my brows to create an frosty/vivid highlight. Next I worked Inglot 335M (burnt orange) into my crease with a MAC 224. On top of 335M I added Inglot 391M to my deep crease using a Sigma 226 and blended that in a "V" shape to meet the lower lash line. I applied Inglot 386M (purple) on the lower lash line and blended it into the 391M that's on the outer portion of the lower lash line. Next I worked 2 greens onto my lid which was Inglot 342M (inner lid) and Inglot 58AMC (outer lid). I added a little more of the 335M to the crease to make it pop more (didn't do a good job of blending afterwards). The last thing I did (which didn't do anything for the look) was used Inglot 70AMC in the tear duct.

:: LIPS ::
Sinful Colors - Yearning lip gloss.

:: FACE ::
I added Inglot 335M to the back of my cheeks and sort of into my temples. I think this helped the highlight to pop more.

That was it for the 2nd look. I think I put this on in approximately 6 minutes. That was definitely a challenge, but I'm sure that's a very realistic timeline for changing a look between shoots. The photographer and I had way more fun w/ this look and some of the props that I brought with me.

Product Spotlight: Crown Brush - Small Stiff Angled Brush
I purchased the brush at The Makeup Show and its everything that I wanted. Its a brow brush and its is perfect. The bristles are short making them stiff (but not too stiff). The bristles are sort of rough which makes it great to use on the brow especially if you're using a powder. This brush deposits color to the brow amazingly. And with this brush I've been able to get the perfect tip on my brow.

QOTD:
Q: What brush do you use for your brows?
A: I've used HIP angle brushes (that come with the liners), a synthetic angle brush from walmart, and the Crown Brush that I just purchased. I really loved the HIP brushes, but they get wider after a few uses and the handle is short. But its always an option.

An Old Blue Flame

2011-06-29T16:12:00.000-04:00

This look is quite old (e.g. November 2010) and I will probably be posting quite a few old looks that I've found on my computer. Since this look is from last fall/winter I can't exactly recall what products I used. I'll try to see how good my memory is and list what I remember from this deep blue lid with an intense reddish/orange crease color. I'm not exactly sure why I didn't post this look, but I was archiving my photos/looks and saw that I hadn't shared this with you all. Can can you believe I was actually going nowhere. I had on a t-shirt under that leather jacket and jogging pants...LOL. Maybe I was going to Walmart...maybe Target b/c that's a little to fly for Wally World (Walmart)...LOL.

Here are the products that I remember using...so long ago

:: BROWS ::
Styli-Style Black/Brown 24 Hour Line & Seal

:: EYES ::
MAC Blacktrack Fluidline (as a base), MAC Blue Flame, MAC Rule + MAC Brown Script (crease), MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - NC45

:: FACE ::
MAC Pro Longwear Foundation - NW45, L'Oreal Sweet Ginger Blush

This look was done right around the time the Pro Longwear launched. I was really loving the products too. I think now its just a little much for day-to-day wear, BUT on days/nights where I need a bullet-proof look I ALWAYS go for the Pro Longwear products.

QOTD:
Q: Do you guys keep all the self-portraits pics that you take of yourself and why?
A: I keep just about every look that i've done since 2007. I keep them locally on my computer for about 3-6 months and then I start to archive to my external hard drive.
*This sounds like me giving my status update for work...LOL.

The reason I keep them and I have this blog is so that I can see the progress I've made, what works, what didn't work, and learn from myself. When I look back on some of my old looks I'm shocked at how I accomplished those looks b/c I didn't know much of anything. Its amazing what we can teach ourselves to do and how we can improve.

What about you?

Headshots - Look #1

2011-06-28T20:00:00.002-04:00

I have been doing freelance work here & there over the past few years and decided that I might as well take the MUA activities to the next level. My biggest agenda this summer is self promotion and really getting exposure and experience in the various areas of makeup artistry. So I have to build my reputation. One of my many projects this summer is buiding up a website. Now youl could go without a website, but my background is IT and I'm one of those people who will often pass on a business b/c they don't have a web presence. So I'm setting up a simple website that will list services and a few shots ths that I have scheduled for the summer.

On Sunday I went to my friends studio to get a basic headshot and then do a few creative shots that I could use. So here's the first look that I started off with. Its some thing very simple. It can look overdone but I know on the final photos that this will look very neutral...at least that's what I was going for, so we shall see once I get the proofs.

:: BROWS ::
Styli-Style Brown 24 Hour Line & Seal was used to fill in and shape my brows. I went w/ a lighter brown so that my brows didn't look too heavy in the photos. I used my spoolie to disperse the brown even through the brow.

:: EYES ::
MAC Constructivist paint pot (a bronzey color) was applied over the lid with my fingers and make sure to bring it to the crease. Next I apply MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45 underneath my brow and pulled it down to the crease (to meet the p/p). At this point it'll look a little weird, but take a clean blening brush (I used Sigma 217) and blend the two products together by sweeping back and forth in the crease. Since they are both creams and both sort of neutral colors the blending creates a nice netural brown crease color w/o adding any new product. I usually stop here on work days, but to give the look a little more polish and pop again the black eye liner I add a shadow/pigment that's a similar rose brown like the Constructivist p/p. on this day I used MAC Gold Dusk p/m, but NYX Walnut Bronze is a nice potted alternative. Next I used Inglot #77 gel liner and lined my upper lash line. I diffused this out a big w/ a Sonia Kashuk pencil brush. I took the same liner and rimmed my waterline w/ it to define my eyes more. Next I applied Stardell #747 lashes to my upper lash line and topped w/ a little bit of mascara to blend my lashes to the false ones.
*This is a look that I'm absolutely loving. I've worn it for a week now. Its really easy to do and requires very few products.

:: LIPS ::
Carmex + MAC Viva Glam Cindi lipglass.
* It looks a little too corally in the photos but it looked okay on the little small screen of the photographers camera.

:: FACE ::
I had to go w/ some fairly relaible products here that could get me through sitting under hot lights...which was MUFE #20 Camouflage Color Corrector, then I applied a mixtures of MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - NC45 mixed with MAC Pro Longwear Foundation - NW45 and applied it with a MAC 187 brush. To highlight underneath the eye area I used Ben Nye Neutral Set translucent powder and swept away the excess with a Sigma 138 brush. On the cheeks I used MAC Bronze Hero Lustre drops. To intesify the color a little more I applied MAC Rule E/S as a blusher just underneath the lustre drops and swept it up to the hairline.

And that's it folks...a very simple look (at least the eyes are). If you saw it in person you definitely wouldn't call it natural looking, but the colors get completely washed out. On the small screen of the photographers camera everything looked okay, but we shall see what the proofs reveal. I did a 2nd look for some more creative photos...I'll post those a little later.

QOTD:
Q: What makeup looks are you guys planning for the 4th of July?
A: I think for that weekend...ALL of my looks will be really really bright. I may even try a red-white-blue look, but we'll see.

120 Palette...Abort Missing...Photographer's Assistant

2011-06-28T00:32:00.000-04:00

120 Palette...Abort Mission...what?!?!?!?!? I can't say if anyone of you was that enthused about the challenge, so I'm raising the white flag and moving on. I have so many things that I have tasked myself to work on this summer. One of them is photography. I'm definitely not interested in being a photographer...more of an enthusiast. I really like taking good pictures and being able to look back on them and understand what's going on, the mood, emotions, etc. just from a pic. I'm always the one out the group w/ a fancy camera as my friends would say. But I just appreciate technology.

Anyway...a few post back I mentioned I purchased this new Canon camera that I had been eye balling. Its a DSLR (entry level)...but the photos are amazing and what that camera can do like WHOA. I recently tagged teamed with a photographer, so I've been following her around on the various shoots that she's done. The best way to learn (IMO) is to learn by doing...and not by doing it in the "automatic" mode either. So when I'm not assistant (holding reflectors, posing people, and find the scene) I get ato be a "shooter". What does that have to do w/ makeup. NOTHING, but this past weekend I was a "shooter" at a wedding. So I went to church...a presbyterian church. My mom would be so proud (even though I had to google the spelling). I was in the balcony taking aerial shots w/ my camera. Most of the photos were throw aways, but nonetheless its practice. So since this was a wedding I decided to wear a fairly simple look that I've been LOVING...

I will mention the products in an upcoming posts b/c I wore the same look in my own personal shoot for headshots. Like I said...I have a lot I've tasked myself with this summer :-) Now, even though I was going to play photographer and not makeup artist I could resist packing up a kit for just in case. I didn't use it though :-( even though the bride seriously needed it. But at least I got a chance to try out that set bag and packing a light kit + camera. I was a little worried about that clear bag getting seriously hot while sitting in the car and melting any cream products...but it didn't. I guess that's what I got tinted windows are for right.

My hair looks a little weird in this photo, but when I do a twist out i don't add to it. I just untwist my hair and let it do what it do. Swells fabulosity...if i separate too soon, then its just a frizzy mess.

QOTD:
Q: For any bloggers (fashion, beauty, lifestyle, etc)...does it ever feel awkward to take photos in public places w/ spectators. Does it feel weird.
A: Yes a ~~little~~ lot. Actually I think its even more weird when I'm taking photos of myself (in the car, in the grassy area of my apartment, etc). But i'm slowly getting over it...so hopefully more interesting photos will be coming soon. I just need to drink some confidence juice and get to it.

Do you guys every do public self portraits. Do you try to sneak in a photo when no one is looking? Or no one is driving along side of you? HAHAHAHA.

Golden Skies

2011-06-24T15:23:00.000-04:00

So here I am…still completely off of my 120 Color Palette challenge…but at least I’m posting. I’ve been really busy in the evenings (which is a good thing right…having a life J) so I haven’t been tempted to play around w/ that old palette. Since I have so many new products that I need to ~~play in~~ test out I may have to modify my 120 palette challenge and reserve those looks for Sunday evenings or something. I’ll make it work. I’m at least proud of the few looks that I did starting off.

I think I need to completely avoid that Beauty Studio of mine. So last night I get home w/ this long list of to do’s…which includes cleaning my makeup brushes for this weekend and a photo shoot I’m doing on Sunday. But instead I go in there and sit down and start play in the Inglot shadows I purchased for myself. This is sad you guys…I sit down w/ an agenda and this is what happened…

:: BROWS ::

Styli-Style 24 Hour Line & Seal – Black/Brown pencil (I had to renew my stash of these pencils)

:: EYES ::

Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP), MAC Indianwood paintpot, MAC Studio Finish Concealer – NC45 applied underneath the brow and blended down to the crease. Using a clean MAC 217 brush I blended the Indianwood and the Concealer together to create the initial crease color. <- This was the day look. Later I added Inglot 338M to the outer ½ of my lid over the paint pot. Next I loaded a flat shader brush with Inglot 340M and worked that color just onto the outer edge of my eye and into the outer ½ of my crease. Using a MAC 223 I applied Inglot 325M (deep purple) shadow just over Inglot 340M (deep teal) and blended it into the middle 1/3 of my crease. I then took Inglot 368M and applied it to the inner 1/3 of my crease (creating a straight line). To make sure the outer edge of my crease was blended I used the MAC 217 and blended MAC Tete-a-Tint from the edge of my crease and up to the brow bone. It was late, so I didn’t do anything w/ the mascara or eye liner L. I did take Inglot #38M, 340M, and MAC Tete-a-Tint and applied them to my lower lash line.

:: LIPS ::

Sinful Colors Tempting L/G (one of my favs)

:: FACE ::

Using a synthetic fluffy concealer brush I Make Up For Ever #20 Camouflage Color Corrector (orange). I set it with NYC Loose Translucent powder underneath my eyes to set the concealer. I then applied a heavier coat of the powder to catch any fallout that I may have w/ Inglot. I haven’t done this in what feels like 2 years, but after doing it on a 120 look and getting great results…its back. I swept the loose powder away with a fan brush and then spritzed my face with the Evian Facial Spray and applied MAC MSF/Natural – Dark using a Flat Kabhuki (Sephora). For blush I used another blast from the past product…MAC Bronze Hero Lustre Drops applied with a 188 like brush. I also applied this to my nose as well.

* I have to say that going back to some of my old habits/products has been great. I wonder why I ever stopped doing them.

Well I really like the look and working with the Inglot shadows made it accomplishable in 10 minutes. I’m really looking forward to using these Inglot shadows on clients just to see how they perform under pressure (lol) and if they cause any irritation. I used so many blast from the past products (and techniques) that I realize I need to keep them in my arsenal. I really miss using my MSF/Natural wet. The only problem is once the brush gets damp it creates a “shell” on the surface of the product. So I’m out hunting for alternatives to use on myself as well as on others.

QOTD: Does anyone know of any good mineral foundations (preferably in a stack)?

* This is high up on my priority list since I have a few friends/clients with very sensitive skin.

Catching Up

2011-06-23T14:58:00.000-04:00

You all will have to pardon my brief interruption. I'm sure you all have noticed that I've slowed down on my 120 palette FOTDs. I have good reason (at least some) for this degraded schedule:
1 - I'm truly exhausted from all that traveling and I'm now training on new projects for work
2 - I've been spending the last few days (through Saturday) catching up on my blog reading
3 - I'm infatuated with the Inglot products that I've recently purchase (they truly put that 120 palette to shame)
4 - I'm planning out my vacations for the rest of the year
5 - Honestly I think I've lost interest in that palette...LOL

Here are a couple of looks that I've done that are a little more day-to-day wear. I did 1 look using Yaby eye shadows and the other is with Inglot shadows, both of which were purchased at the Makeup Show.

I'm loving the bright lips in the 2nd look :-) And those photos were taking with my new Canon. OMG is the clarity of the photos from that camera off the chain...I guess the sensor does make a huge difference. I may have to do a spotlight on my new camera, but for the most part I love it...can't say I know how to use it all the way though :-(

Product Spotlight: Inglot Eye Shadows
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I've jumped on this bandwagon. I haven't fully endorsed the Inglot brand yet, but I am highly impressed. Since Inglot has stormed the scenes, we (all the makeup junkies, artists, enthusiast, etc) have been flocking to the brand in droves. I held off on purchasing them until I saw a few of my favorite artist using the palettes in their kits. So it was my agenda to try out these shadows. My Two Cents: The shadows are amazing…some (i.e. AMC) can be a little undwhelming at first, but add a little primer and viola. I wasn’t so sure about the palettes but I honestly think there was a great deal of innovation used to create them. You can see the colors in the palette (sort of Z-palette like), but the frosting on the cover makes it a little more professional looking IMO. I am however totally disappointed about the availability of the brand and the website.
I have a feeling that once they create this huge following they raise prices (again) or shrink the size of the pans, just like any other brand. I’m sure some of this would be to keep up with the deman of the product and the other…well greed. Any who they are worth a try and I’m looking forward to purchasing more shadow (even though I don’t need them) on my trip to NYC in a few weeks.
* I think I could/would say the same about Yaby, but I'm truly addicted to these Inglot shadows right now.

If you are interested in my thoughts/swatches on the products I purchased, along w/ my plans for using them (as a freelance artist) then let me know. Otherwise I'll sneak a few Inglot looks in here and there.

QOTD:
Q: How do you keep up with all the bloggers you follow and maintaining an active blog?
A: I try to get email subscriptions (i.e. FeedBurner) to the blogs that have it, so that I can see all their post via email, but not everyone has it :-(

What do you ladies do?

[120 Palette] Sun Kissed

2011-06-19T23:28:00.000-04:00

Today's looks is a little more wearable than most of the previous looks. After finishing up the look, it sort of reminded me of something bridal-ish, like something that can be worn by someone attending the wedding. Its all up to you I suppose. I don't follow many of the "traditions" of wedding anyway, so I wear what makes me happy.

To make this look even more wearable you can probably swap out the bright yellow & gold w/ the more neutral shades the line the middle of the palette. This will definitely make the look softer and maybe more comforting to those of us that prefer neutrals. Check it out...

:: BROWS ::
Makeup Forever #04 Brow Corrector (applied with an angle brush).

:: EYES ::
<-- Click the photo to enlarge.
To start off the entire look I took Ben Nye Chestnut powder and NYC Translucent Powder and added it heavily underneath my eyes to catch any fall out since I would be using most of the colors dry. I then applied #1 and #2 to my lid w/ a damp synthetic brush loaded with Evian Facial Spray to create a base and the shape of the lid colors. I applied #3 (damp) with a MAC 222 brush into the crease and extended outward to create a pinkish backdrop for the lid. At the end of this color I applied #4 (dry) right at the top leaving a small amount of space between the color and the brow. To make the yellow lids stand out I added color #5 (dry) just to the outer crease area. After this was applied I took color #6 and dropped it in the tear duct. I highlighted my brow bone using colors #9 and then added #6 so that it would go to bright. Next I worked brows #7 on my lower lash line. I lined my waterline with Urban Decay's Whiskey 24/7 pencil. I then added Red Cherry lashes (can't remember the number). I wanted a more natural look, so I left off the black liner (but looking at the close ups I should've at least done a thin line since my lashes aren't as close to the lash line as they could be.

:: LIPS ::
I used OCC Hush thined out with the OCC Clear.
* OMG, this made the biggest difference. This was my first time thining out the pigmented tars and wow is all I can say. I need to order several more clear for this matter.

:: FACE ::
I swept away the loose powders that I had under my eye and since I used a colored powder I didn't need to conceal much. So I just applied MAC MSF/Natural - Dark to the rest of the face. I did sprtized my face with the Evian Facial Spray to get a more dewey finish. Lastly, I went blush crazy. I applied MAC Love Joy to my cheeks and then right on the apples I used color #10 pictured above.

Here's a close up of the eyes loaded with fall out...

The blush looked really cute though...IMO. In some of the pictures its hard to notice, but on the close up flash photography shots you can notice. But me like it.

QOTD:
Q: What big events do you have coming up to prepare a nice look for?
A: I'm going to be doing some head shoots and other photos for myself to use on my site, publications, etc...so I need to figure out what works best...any recommendations? What to do or what not to do?

[120 Palette] Stay in your Lane

2011-06-16T12:06:00.000-04:00

After going to The Makeup Show | Chicago its very tempting to use all of the new products that I have. Fortunately I have been able to refrain from doing a blog post w/ these products and continuing on my 120 Color Palette challenge. But even with temptation setting in I reached past my new products (that I still need to trial) and grabbed my 120 color palette to put together this look vivid look.

This look stemmed from a request my friend had for a peacock inspired look. I did one attempt while traveling but I just didn't like it at all. So today I went in w/ the same color schemes and came up with this look using my 120 palette, trusty Evian Facial Spray, and the Simply Simmons #8 Filbert Comb synthetic brush (craft store). Take a look...I've noticed that I take way more pics of looks that I really like...LOL.

I often turn my lights out and take flash photos on both my cameras as well as my iPhone just to get an idea of how the makeup will look in a bar/club setting. I'm can't have any mishaps. So this is how its everything looks on a camera with the flash on...

I also like to turn off the flash and walk around my place to the varying light sources I have (light sources...fancy huh) and take photos as well. I just like to understand how the products look in all lights, low quality cameras, etc. So this is the makeup looks in sort of natural light (no flash)...

*** I've got to get this macro eye photo thing together. This is an almost, but not quite...I look a little cross-eyed. ***

:: BROWS ::
Make Up Forever #04 Brow Corrector was applied using a double-ended spoolie/angled brush (from Walmart). I guess the color doesn't look so bad, I just have to apply it sparingly.

:: EYES ::

I applied this look over that which I wore to work (b/c I will do brights at work from time to time, but this isn't very office appropriate for my place of employment). I started off by mixing my Evian Facial Spray into the matte aqua color and applying it over the inner 1/2 of my lid and up past the crease. Next I mixed the Evian Facial Spray into a pearl finished blue (w/ a little), leaving a slight gap between the colors. Next I applied a pearled finished lime green color right into that alley of those two colors. I did a slight amount of blending from blue to green and from aqua to green using really really short strokes as not to interrupt the purity of the green color too much. Next up I added a rich brown into the crease (MAC 223) just to create some depth and sultriness to the look. I took the same brown and added it to the point where the socket and bridge of the nose meet. For the highlight I took a pearlized gold and applied it (dry) with a MAC 224 brush. Now for the lower lash line I took the two matte greens (pictured) and applied the lightest one (wet) and then packed it on dry. I added the darker green closer to the lash line. I left an open space on the outer corner so I filled that in w/ the orange (wet), then packed on more color (dry) to make it more vivid. The lashes are EverLash (they were the ones already out so that's what I used). I took a really small amount of Inglot #77AMC gel liner to the inner corner so help the strip blend in a a littler better.
* You can notice the dark brown I added close the bridge of my nose in the eye close ups.

:: LIPS ::
I didn't want to just do a nude lip here b/c I get bored w/ seeing vivid looks w/ nude lips. So what I like to do is go for a bold sheer (oxymoron right...LOL) color. I used MAC Hello Kitty l/g which gives a nice visible pink color to the lips that not opaque and overpowering. I like the results.

:: FACE ::
None of my fall/winter go to foundations are working so I'm having to switch my products up a bit. I used MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - NC45 (this isn't matching too well...so I may have to go purchase NW45). For foundation I used a mixture of MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - NC45 and Revlon ColorStay - Carmel and stippled the foundation all over the face using a MAC 187 brush.
* This combination worked really well and in the photos I didn't see too many lines of demarkation that I would see other times. I know this won't last long once I get some more sun.

The thing that I need to work around now is getting the shadows to stay put. After I finish every look I notice one thing...fall out on my lashes (post mascara). Its a little frustrating, but typically goes unnoticed by the common eye. You can see it really well in these two photos...

Tomorrow I will try to do something a little more wearable, but that can be hard since most of the colors in that palette are BRIGHTS!!!. Since there are so many colors, I'll have to take the challenge even further...

QOTD: Are there any colors (or color combos) that you'd like to see w/ me using this palette?

[120 Palette] Pink Fusion

2011-06-15T18:23:00.000-04:00

I'm not the biggest fan of wearing pink eye shadow. I've never been the biggest fan of pink. Honestly I'm more of a crimson and cream person ;-) but every now and then I try to work w/ a pink or two. I usually prefer a small amount of pink combined w/ another color. But for this look I decided on all pink.

And when I say all pink that's what I mean. I had eyes and pink lips. The lip color was fierce and probably should've been worn alone, but I was playing around w/ mixing lip colors again. That lip color was great too. I'll have to stash the mixture for a nice subtle eye look. Well here I am all pinked out using the 120 Color palette.

:: BROWS ::
NYX Dark Brown e/s.
* I believe this product works best w/ some sort of base and doesn't work well on bare skin alone. It took me a while to get it to do anything and I still wasn't satisfied w/ the results.

:: EYES ::
I used the following colors as pictured (click to enlarge the picture). The pink was applied to my lid with a damp brush (Simply Simmons #8 Filbert Comb synthetic brush). I then added I added a MAC MSF/Natural - Dark as the brow highlight color...nothing special. I lined my upper lash line using Inglot #77 black gel liner. For my lashes I applied Maybelline Full n Soft Black mascara.
* It was a seriously simple day you guys, I guess I didn't feel like doing much.

:: LIPS ::
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Demure mixed with a small amount of Anime.

:: FACE ::
MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45 blended out from my dark circles and outward. I then spritzed my face with the Evian Facial Spray and blended the concealer out even further. On my cheeks I believe I'm wearing nothing. It was a lazy day, so I didn't feel like doing much.

This was a really simple look using very few shadows. What surprised me the most is even after I applied this shadow (containing some glitter) to my lid wet it dried to a powder finish and still maintained its sparkle. NICE!

QOTD:
Q: On average, how many eye shadows do you use for a single eye look
A: Hmmm, 3 (lid, crease, and highlight). If I really want a blended look that easily goes to 5.

[120 Palette] Underlining Reds

2011-06-14T23:47:00.000-04:00

Whew...I almost let this palette get the best of me today. I was attempting to use the eye shadows without using the Evian Facial Spray. I was sort of going for the Rihanna look w/ the bright red lower lash line. The lid is where the frustration came it as I tried to use the eye shadows in powder form. Anyway, I made some many mistakes in doing this look, but I HARD EVER wipe my makeup off to start over. I have to Tim Gunn it and "make it work"...so I did.

So I started off the lid with a translucent loose powder to give the powdery shadows to adhere to. WELL, that didn't work out so well. After the frustration set in I decide to go back to what was working...using the Evian Facial Spray.

Even when using it on the mattes its almost like creating aqua color base. Seriously all the colors see to be "water activated". So check it out...

:: BROWS ::

Applied Smashbox Brow Tech with a synthetic angle brushUsing the 120 Color palette deep brown and black (as pictured) I filled in my brows with the same brush

:: EYES ::

Using a Nicole Miller I applied a little too much MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45. Then I applied a NYC translucent powder over my eye with a Sigma 227 brush. I attempted to apply the light orange w/ a natural haired shader brush (wasn't working). Then I tried patting the shadow...still wasn't working. Next, I spritzed some Evian Facial Spray on a palette, dipped the brush in to dampen it and created a mixture of the light orange and brown and spread it all over my lid with a Simply Simmons Filbert Comb #8 synthetic brush. Powdered on the light orange color and dusted it off slightly with a brush from Auraline. I used a combination of the dark brown and the vivid orange to create the crease color applying it with a syntethic brush from Walmart and blended it into the concealer on my brow bone. Dipping my brush into the Evian Facial Spray I created a creamy consistency of the reddish orange color and applied it to my lower lash line with a Simply Simmons #10 synthetic brush, I kept building up the lower lash line color until I was content.

Mix the Evian & black to create an liner and applied it to my upper and lower lash line as well as the water lines. I dusted off my lashes and applied Maybelline Lash Discovery Mini-Brush Black mascara to the upper lower lash lines. Lastly I added a 1/2 strip of false lashes I got from Dollar Tree,

*** Later I applied some MAC Ruby Glitter using the Hard Candy Glitter Adhesive ***

:: LIPS ::

I applied a mixture of Wet n Wild Mega Lash Lip Color in Mocha-licious and Bare It All

:: FACE ::

After dusting away the translucent powder (which was a life saver after deeling w/ the shadows) I applied MUFE Camouflage Color Correct #20 and topped it with MAC Studio Finsih Concealer - NC45. I stippled on Revlon ColorStay foundation in Carmel, added MAC X-Rocs to the cheeks.

Now here's the look after I decide to test out the Hard Candy Glitter adhesive that I was finally able to purchase since neither of my local Walmart's had it. Its hard to capture pictures that pick up the glitter, but it looked really good, even though it was applied very messy at 1AM :-(

QOTD:

Q: With makeup (and maybe nails) are you a glitter or no glitter person.

A: I would say I'm a glitter person, but not everyday. I think I like subtle glitter on a regular basis, especially when going out.

[120 Palette]: A Silver Prune

2011-06-14T01:15:00.000-04:00

This is a looked that I previewed the other day, using the 120 palette (again). I think this look turned out nice too. Its probably my favorite (after the Mardi Gras seen here). I remember tying to work these shadows back then only to give up. I almost ran into the same problem here, but I kept going. Maybe the manufacturer's of this product should label them aqua colors b/c that's exactly how I've been using them for pretty decent results (sans primer too).

I really enjoyed this look. A friend had asked what colors work with silver. I told her black would always go...then she asked for more colors...and my response any color goes with silver, at least in my opinion. So here I used a dark purple along w/ my initial black & silver recommendation.

:: BROWS ::

L'Oreal HIP Cream Color Liner in Brown applied with a synthetic angle brush

:: EYES ::

Eyes shadows from the Manly 120 Color palette applied in the sequence as pictured using a Simply Simmons Filbert Comb #8 synthetic brush. No eye shadow primer was used.

1 - applied damp over 3/4 of lid

2 - applied damp in the outer 1/2 of lid and directly into the crease

3 - applied damp just above the crease to blend out the black eye shadow

4 - applied damp where the sliver and black colors met

5 - applied dry to the brow bone area

6 - applied dry just at the peak of my brow

On my lower lash line I applied 1, 2, and 3 damp with the brush mentioned above

I used Clinique Bottom Lash mascara on the upper and lower lashes...I like it.

:: LIPS ::

MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45 applied w/ my finger. I then highlighted the inner portion of my lip with E/S #5 pictured above.

:: FACE ::

I heavily applied MUFE #20 Camouflage Corrector underneath my eye, then dabbed on MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45. Once the two were on and warmed into my skin, I buffed them out with the double ended fluffy concealer brush (Paris Presents from Walmart). Since I applied quite a bit, I made sure to buff this stuff in really well. I followed up with Ben Nye Colorless Face powder applied with a Sigma 168 brush. I only concealed my undereye area (no foundation was applied). For blush I used La Femme Magenta blush that I had to buff out really well b/c its BRIGHT.

Now I've been using my 120 palette with the Evian Facial Spray...even with the mattes. The black and the pink are both matte eye shadows. Some of the matte shadows are great, but others leave little to be desired. I attempted to blend the dry shadow over the crease, but you can see here the fall out that I got (pictured on the left). However when I wet my brush and used the shadow damp, I got less fallout and the color was actually visible on the crease


	*When the matte's are used wet, they dry darker.

QOTD:

Q: With eye shadows and lipsticks...what do you consider too dark for the summer?

A: NO RULES...I wear what makes me happy.

[120 Palette] Olives

2011-06-11T13:08:00.001-04:00

So more play with the 120 Color Palette. So far the challenge is going pretty well. I've slightly fallen off w/ the daily FOTD's but at least it got me back of the groove of making regular post on this blog. Well this looks was sort of last minute. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do, but I wanted something that was wearable. I was in a small town and didn't want to scare the locals...LOL.

I think this look turned out really well considering I was use my ~~hated~~ not-so-hated 120 Color palette. From my last few looks I think this entire palette was meant to be used w/ some sort of liquid b/c it really makes the product stay put. I remember wearing an eye-look for 24 hours in Jamaica and it still looked pretty good after being bombarded by my own sweat, sea salt, and chlorine. Anyways..here's an Olive look that made it through a steamy ~~summer~~ spring day.

:: BROWS ::

L'Oreal Cream Color Truth Liner - Brown applied using a Paris Present synthetic angle brush (Walmart). Then I added a little bit of MAC Blacktrack fluidline just at the bottom and the tip of the brow

:: EYES ::

I applied two faced shadow insurance as a base then applied the colors in the sequence pictured. I applied the Olive Green (#1) damp with the Evian Facial Spray using a Simply Simmons Round #8 synthetic brush. The rest of the shadows were applied with the same brush, so they were essentially applied damp. I applied Fresh Super Nova black mascara to the upper lashes. I create a liner by mixing the #1 and #4 together damp.

:: LIPS ::

Can't remember, but I actually think I used an orange and brown shadow(s) from this palette on top of my Carmex.

:: FACE ::

For Concealer I used a mixture of MUFE #20 Camouflage Color Corrector and MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45. I spritzed my face with the Evian Facial spray and blended out the concealer. For a blush I used MAC Rule E/S applied with a Sigma 109 brush. i think this will be my go to blush color for the summer. It looks really good.

QOTD:

Q: Do you use your eye shadows for multiple purposes?

A: Yes, whenever possible since I have so many of them things...LOL. I mainly use them as a blush or a lip color. For the brighter shadows, I've played around with them in my hair.

[120 Palette] Iced Purples

2011-06-09T17:37:00.000-04:00

So lets get this 120 Color Palette Challenge started. After trying that gold look (seen here). I decided that it wasn't too bad, just a little rushed when I did it. But that Evian Facial Spray was quite impressive. So my thought here was that it was merely a fluke, which is often how I classify successful look I create with this palette. So I decide, to stick with some of the chunkier colors since it seemed to respond really well to the Evian Facial Spray.

So here's a purple look that created with eye shadows solely from the 120 palette. And I will have you know that this is at the very end of the day...I'm talking past midnight. This eye shadow look made it through a full 12+ hour day with me running around in the hot sun taking photos of my brother and the city of Minneapolis. SERIOUSLY. I was shocked. When I got on my plane and the flight attendant (whose makeup was fierce) complimented my eye makeup I was thinking she's probably laughing in her head at how creased and blotchy it looked...only to find that my e/s was still intact...WOW.

Unfortunately, can't say the same about my tinted moisturizer...I think I'm going to have to let that go b/c its too hot for all that. Its about to be correctors and concealers only.

Here's what was popping off at the end of the day.

:: BROWS ::
L'Oreal Cream Color Liner - Brown and added a small amount of MAC Blacktrack fluidline toward the end of the brows using the Paris Presents: Hi-Def Double ended angle-spoolie brush.

:: EYES ::

I sprtized some Evian Facial Spay on the back of my hand, and dabbed a Simply Simmons Round #4 synthetic brush into the droplets and started to apply the medium purple shade. Using the same brush (and re-moistened) I applied the darkest purple to the outer corner of the eye. I applied the light purple to the inner corner of my eye with a Loew-Cornell brush. I blended out the top edges of the color with a MAC 223 loaded with the brown pictured on the left. I used the Smashbox Proof E/L palette (the color is a dark purple...I applied it too sheerly) Lastly I applied Fresh Super Nova Mini Mascara.
* I don't recall highlighting my brow, but I could've just forgotten.

:: LIPS ::
Uhm, I didn't have on any lip products around midnight, but in the first few pics my lips were so nasty look that I put on Urban Decay Crush lip junkie.

:: FACE ::
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Walnut. I think this could be a great product for mature women or those with dry skin. For me its a little heavy so I have to add a lotion/moisturizer to the tinted moisturizer.
* This product oxides and dries so much darker than what it is in the bottle. My Mom got samples of this so I told her to get the shade that was an immediate match in the store and then get the one that's lighter. I haven't heard back from her yet on my theory.

QOTD:
Q: Do you like the tinted moisturizer or the idea of a tinted moisturizer?Any brand you favor?
A: I like the idea, but I've only tried one brand and I'd be wiling to try others. But I like the longevity I get from a light-medium coverage foundation better.

June Challenge....Whose With Me???

2011-06-09T00:39:00.000-04:00

I’m at the home stretch for my project (for work) so that means no more travel L. On a positive note at least I’ll be able to resume my normal life and leisure activities (especially those workouts). So I think I’ve figured out my new challenge for the month of June...

USE THE 120 COLOR PALETTE DAILY !!!

That’s right; this month’s challenge is on. I will use my 120 color palette every day for the entire month of June. Meaning... at least one color from my FOTD (if not all) will come from the 120 color palette.

There are many companies that offer this particular palette and there have been several versions of these large quantity eye shadow palettes (mattes, shimmers, neutrals, etc). I’ve said in the past that I would not recommend, especially to a beginner. So this type of review is way over due from when these palette’s first hit the scene, but I know there are still quite a few Beauty Newbies out there that may benefit from this. So here are my thoughts on the original 120 Color Palette...

PROS

+ extensive color range (120 colors to be exact)

+ removable tray that fits into the lid (great for laying the palette flat and seeing all the color)

+ you get a lot of bright colors without having to break the bank for a single pot

+ small in size and easy to travel with

+ cheap as hell

CONS

- the matte colors are not equally pigmented

- no texture descriptions

- no color names/numbers (I actually like having names)

- they don’t stay put very well

- very powdery (prone to excessive fallout)

- very powdery (not very easy to blend w/o interrupting the color)

- inconsistency in color application (some of the light color mattes you really have to pack on the color)

- very few neutrals (I would’ve liked to see 2 rows of neutrals)

- way too much internet hype about how good the product is makes it even more disappointing when you're not satisified

Here you can see the powdery-ness of the shadows. From a distance (if you got back 1 post) it looks okay, but up close its not so pretty.

Having all these colors is great too, but man they were a big DISSAPOINTMENT...until Evian Mineral Water Facial Spray.
*I've even tried these w/ MAC Fix+ Spray and had never gotten results like these. Plus evian is cheaper.

Product Spotlight: Evian Facial Spray (mineral water)

I swear this product transforms these shadows making all of the CONS go away. I’m so serious ladies. I’ll do a review on this product b/c I absolutely LOVE this facial spray (especially for summer) and LOVE what it has done for unused 120 Color Palette. I’m still playing around with this some of the shadows, but from the looks that I’ve done so far, it’s a winner...it even made the matte shadows work better.

My Two Cents: WINNING

My main reason behind doing this is I’m trying to talk myself out of getting the Yaby palettes...but I think I want to use them in a makeup kit b/c I love how compact they are. Everyone says they are the better quality and totally different from the 120 palettes, but I have a feeling that they are similar...LOL.

Another big reason is that I have never used 75% of the shadows. I mean NEVER. I’ll be the first to admit that most of these colors are not everyday appropriate, but as much as I sit and play in makeup I should have used these a little more. I figure if I want to freelance and use the title makeup artist, I should not get defeated by any product or tool.

Here’s a glimpse of the looks that I’ve done recently (using the Evian Facial Spray...the full post will be coming soon.

QOTD:

Q: What products have you given up on?

A: 120 Color Palette, Sigma Brushes (I’m almost to that point), L'Oreal HIP and Ulta Palettes (just b/c I had too much stuff), L'Oreal HIP Black Cream Liner. I usually hold on to products for a while before I throw in the towel. I guess I need to work harder at undersanding my products seeing how things are going w/ this 120 palette.

FOTD: Sephora Inspired Look

2011-06-03T02:54:00.000-04:00

My last FOTD post for my May challenge. Whew...when life/work/etc gets in the way it can definitely take a toll on the blog. But I'm determined to work through them this time. This final look is aqua-y. I was trying to figure out what colors to use, so I started looking at Sephora Beauty looks and found the Tango in Buenos Aires look to be eye catching at that very moment.

So what do I do...pull out my 120 Color palette of course. I don't have all of the nicer blended bright eye shadows w/ me. This is one of the main reasons the 120 palette travels with me. So I reach for it and start working from blue to aqua...check it out.

:: BROWS ::
A mixture of MAC Brown Down E/S and NYX Dark Brown E/S was applied to the main area of the brow and I used Stars Makeup Haven Unzipped E/S to create the tip of the brow. Following creating structure to my brows, I wanted a polished look and needed something to blend these vibrant colors into, so I applied MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45 to sculpt the brows and down into my crease (stopping just before I hit the lid).

:: EYES ::
All of the E/S on the upper and lower eye are from the 120 Color Palette. Sorry no names and no picture to showcase the ones that I used. After loading up the matte colors on the lids I used MAC Blacktrack fluidline just to my upper lashes (no wing, just defined my lash line). Lastly I applied Maybelline Full n Soft Black mascara on my upper lashes.

:: LIPS ::
Avon Coral Beat Glazewear

:: FACE ::
This was the trouble maker. Since the shadows are so powdery I kept getting blue fall out just about everywhere on my face, especially underneath my eye area. I cleaned it up at least 7 times. Afterwards I was a little fearful that I'd put on a concealer and it would blend out to a blue/green color. So I went for my MUFE #20 Camouflage Corrector and stippled an ample amount of this directly underneath my eye. The point was to neutralize any blue that may have stained my skin. Afterwards I followed up with MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45 applied with a double-ended synthetic concealer brush from Walmart. I made sure to blend this really well. I used Revlon ColorStay foundation in Carmel over the entire face. I contoured my nose with La Femme Sienna blush, and applied the same blush to the cheeks.

I will try to stop bashing this product b/c I believe there may have been some improvements. However here's an up close and personal as to why I don't reach for this palette very often...

QOTD:
Q: How did I do w/ the FOTD posts for May? I'm really interested in your feedback.

The goal is not to take a break after this. I'm headed one of my last roations here at work, so the summer will be makeup as usual. If you have anything you'd like me to try or maybe a product review...if I have it, I'll definitely give you my thoughts.

FOTD: 120 Palette Play w/ Golds

2011-06-03T02:30:00.000-04:00

I've been playing around with my 120 Color Palette. I travel with this in hopes that I'll pick it up and try to work with it. That's usually not the case, but I'm in Minnesota...the middle of Minnesota bored out of my mind. So in thinking that I would learn to find beauty in the products I dislike I reached for my 120 Color Palette.

So here I am playing around w/ my shadows. I think I was watching a YouTube video and there was dialog about analyzing your products. I decided to do tha w/ these shadows. I'm so used to buying products (specifically) MAC where the texture is clearly stated on the packaging and you sort of know how to work the product based on that description. Well there's no texture description and definitely no creative name behind each color. I started looking at the chunkier blended shadows and decide to try it wet w/ my new Evian mineral Facial spray (I'm really loving this stuff, but give me a few more days with it). In doing that I got this awesome creamy almost opaque spread of the shadow I swatched. So it had me going...and this is where I ended up.

:: BROWS ::
MAC Brown Down was applied to the main area of the brow and I used NYX Dark Brown E/S mixed with Stars Makeup Haven Unzipped E/S to create the tip of the brow. I followed this step with an application of MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45 to sculpt the brows and hide growth.

:: EYES ::
I spritzed some of the Evian Facial Spray on the back of my hand, then dipped a Simply Simmons Round 4 synthetic brush into the liquid. I loaded the brush with a mid-tone gold and painted this across my lid. IT WAS BRIGHT...and I got excited...LOL (noticed I didn't use a primer). I next applied a warm gold to the outer 1/2 of the lid with a MAC 242, then applied a yellow-ish gold to the inner 1/2 of the lid with the same brush. Still working from the 120 Color palette I grabbed a reddish brown (a little more brown than MACs Brown Scrip) and softly worked that into the crease with my beloved MAC 223 (great for powdery shadows, especially matte ones). I took a deeper brown and went over the crease to intensify the color. I took a little dark gray from the palette and worked that into the outer 1/2 of my crease with a MAC 223 (starting from my lash line). This to me frames out the lid more. I used a pale gold and highlighted underneath the brow bone. Applied Smashbox's Caviar liner (I should've used a black). I skipped the mascara again and you can see all the powder build up on my lashes.

:: LIPS ::
Urban Decay Crush Lip Junkie from the Roller Girl palette.

:: FACE ::
MUFE #20 Camouflage Concealer applied with fingers. Next I applied MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45 with a double-ended Paris Presents brush.

QOTD:
Q: If you are a makeup artist do you use the 120 color palettes (or the like) on your clients??

One more post to go and that will make 31....then I'll move on to the next challenge.

FOTD: Sephora Color Flip - Look 2

2011-06-02T21:54:00.000-04:00

Something vibrant but not too overwhelmingly bright and that's one of the reason I'm really liking the Sephora Color Flip palette right now. I think a lot of neutral makeup wearer crave something bright in their look every now and then. They may get turned off by the brillance some colors have or some may not have enough. Well I think this is middle ground for you ladies.

My Mom bought this palette and I forced her to sit on a bathroom toilette while I applied her makeup...that's love ain't it. THANKS MOM !!! For her we used the rosey color on top of the grayish plum color, but for my 2nd look I wanted color.

:: BROWS ::
I applied Smashbox Brow Tech eye brow wax (I purchased this recently after reading rave reviews about it from working MUAs) with my double-ended spoolie/angle brush. Using MAC Brown Down E/S and NYX Dark Brown E/S I swept it through the brows. W/ the wax it definitely helps shadow adhere better and I think my brows look a little better (I'm long overdue for facial hair grooming :-(.
* I also used the Brow Tech on my Mom the 2nd look I did on her and it performed beautifully.

:: EYES ::
PRODUCTS USED AS PICTURED BELOW. I primed with Two Faced Shadow Insurance and use MAC Studio Finish Concealer-NC45 under my eye. MAC Blacktrack fluidline was applied and winged out quite far. Forgot the mascara...bummer.
* The purple colors didn't perform the way I expected...its a little soft and reminds me of a lame version of MAC Stars n Rockets. I didn't apply a colored base, so I'm sure that will help it out next time.

:: LIPS ::
I used the brown lip color from the Sephora Color Flip Pallette (which is show below as the 3rd from the right of the visible lip colors). This was nice as well too.

:: FACE ::
MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45 applied with my finger. I stipped on Revlon Carmel ColorStay liquid foundation w/ a MAC 187 brush. Now here's where the palette fails for me....I applied the cheek colors and both were a little to dusty for me, so they will turn into additional e/s. These may work better for me in the winter, but I was not having it.

QOTD:
Q: For your brows do you use a gel, cream, wax, etc. to tame unruly brow hairs?
A: I typically use a gel (i.e a clear mascara or MACs brow gel)...but I wanted to give this a try...mainly after doing makeup a few weekends ago, it seemed like everyone that stopped by missed their waxing/threading appointment...sheesh.

FOTD: Sephora Color Flip

2011-06-02T21:07:00.000-04:00

Here comes another round of posts as I finish up my challenge. This look was done over Memorial Day weekend. I spent time in Minneapolis/St. Paul area with my brother and favorite nephew :-) He must be one happy baby or knows his bloodline b/c I haven't seen this baby in 6 months and he was still an infant. My Mom even came down for the weekend too. Since I don't have any kids, spending time with them is limited to 1 hour increments. So I made my Mom go with me while I hit the town. I bought a new camera and took her makeup shopping in Sephora.

I only had 1 thing on my list, Smashbox's Brow Tech. But when in Sephora, you must browse. I managed to escape w/ only 2 Smashbox items but convinced my Mom to get this Sephora Color Flip that was in the "Try Me" section at the front. This little flip came w/ 8 shadows, 8 lip colors, and 2 check colors and it fits in the palm of your hand. After my Mom bought it I had to test it out for her. It was pretty nice so I went back and got my own (plus more stuff). Here's the look I did using my mom's Color Flip palette...

:: BROWS ::
MAC Brown Down E/S mixed with NXY Dark Brown E/S applied with a double ended spoolie/angle brush from Walmart.

:: EYES ::
I primed my eyes with Two Faced Shadow insurance and then applied the colors as indicated in the photo. I applied a small amount of MAC Studio Finish Concealer-NC45 underneath the brows (attempt to hide what needs to be threaded). I used Caviar from SmashBox Proof Cream Eyeliner Palette (I'll need to do a spotlight on this). Lastly I applied Maybelline Black Full n Soft mascara.

:: LIPS ::
Nothing...these photos were taken at the end of the day after I drove 2 hours to the middle of no where.

:: FACE ::
MUFE #20 Camouflage Cream to correct discoloration with a Paris Present double ended synthetic blending brush. I applied MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45 on top with the same brush. I stippled on Laura Mercier's Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer in Walnut with a MAC 187. I used La Femme Redwood Blush on my cheeks.
*I'm not a fan of double ended brushes, but I really like these. I wish the bristles were just a little bit shorter. I'm also becoming a fan of synthetic brushes too.

That's it...I have another look to post using this palette which I really like. I wish I would've had this sooner. The things I purchase from Sephora are pretty interesting buys (IMO). I spent more than I expected, but I'm elated w/ the purchases.

QOTD:
Q: Do you guys like to watch haul videos? or ready haul posts?
A: Sometimes they can be hit or miss. I may try one...but make it more interactive where I"m actually using the products (and after I've used them at least 3 times).

Let me know if you'd be interested in either.

[FOTD]: More Simplicity

2011-06-02T02:00:00.000-04:00

Here's one more day of simple to shove down you alls throats. I promise this will be the last neutral look I post for the remainder of this FOTD challenge I put myself on. This neutral w/ liner is a bit softer than yesterdays. So for my serious netural makeup wears you may like this.

All you need is a dark shadow to use as liner. I used black here, but I KNOW that a deep plum, navy, green work great as well if you want to spice it up a bit.

FOTD: Keep it Simple...Never Fails

2011-06-02T01:42:00.000-04:00

When you're in a rush and you still want to have a polished look, keeping it simple never fails. You can even go simpler and skip the liquid liner look. I could show you all that, but uhm...I like makeup and I'm sure most of you are tuned in to see a little more excitement...LOL. The next few looks may bore you b/c I need to get to work, but...I'm sure you all understand that my employer is not paying my salary b/c of my makeup abilities.

Over the next few weeks I'll be at sites that are in the middle of america...which means out in the middle of no where. Here's one of my quick out the door looks w/ some subtle jazz of a gray liner.

FOTD: Beauty Blunder - What Was I Thinking

2011-06-02T01:25:00.000-04:00

What was I thinking was the only title could think to give post. LOL. I'm definitely the type of person to learn by doing and I learn even more if I make a mistake or two. Here's one of them. This is the week that I had purchased Urban Decay's Roller Girl palette. I really liked the 3 brown/neutral shades which sort of remind me of MACs Mega Metal shadows. However the pink shade (Woodstock) wasn't getting it for me. So I decide to "make it work" as Tim Gunn would say.

This started as something simple, but then turned into a buffet of me trying EVERYTHING from peaked brows, to a teal lip color, to a cut crease...to a complete mess. But I thought I'd share it with you...LOL.

No need for a full breakdown of what I did, I'll just list what I used to create this foolishness.

:: BROWS ::
MAC Blacktrack fluidline, MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45

:: EYES ::
Urban Decay Roller Girl palette (all colors), MAC Marked for Glamour SuperSlick L/L, Stars Makeup Haven Unzipped E/S

:: LIPS ::
Uhm...yes they are teal. Milani Aqua Liquif'eye Pencil, MAC Brave New Bronze L/S.

:: FACE ::
MAC Pr Longwear Concealear - NC45....I go fed up w/ myself and only half-assed my face so I blended the concealer out as far as I could. You may be able to see a few lines of demarcation there...LOL.

The one thing that I learned that a horrible look w/ a decent structure can look great as a black & white photo...LOL. All the B&W pics don't look so bad, but full color is a different story. So I guess my learning w/ this look is creating contrast for B&W photos.

QOTD:
If you do a look and its not exactly what you were hoping for what do you do?
   A. Grab the makeup remover and start over
     B. Correct on parts of the look
     C. Rock it just the way it is b/c its all about confidence
     D. Other (please explain)...

FOTD: Turquoise Plums

2011-06-01T21:57:00.000-04:00

This is look from November of 2010, when I was first starting to travel for my project. I was stranded in Knoxville, TN b/c there were so many thing gone wrong with the project. So I was there for 3 weeks. Luckily I had brought my 120 Color Palette. I was so consumed with work the first 2 weeks that I didn't get a chance to work with this palette. However, one Friday night I decide to pop on some color and hit the town.

There are a ton of colors in those 120 Color Palette and I find that they can be hit or miss when working with them. One minute I think I have it figured out and then the next....NOPE. If anyone cared about my 2 cents, I wouldn't recommend this to a beginner b/c it can get quite frustrating. I managed to get this aqua'y blue to stick and a purple..

Anyway, from what I remember, here are the products that I used.

:: EYES ::

120 Color Palette - Aqua & Purple (applied with a Loew-Cornell 1/2 Brush), MAC Brown Script E/S, MAC Soft Brown E/S, Maybelline The Falsies Black Mascara, MAC Blacktrack Fluidline,

:: BROWS ::

Ugggghhhhh, don't they look horrible. I believe I was using MAC Brown Down E/S

:: LIPS ::

I wore either Avon Pink Mauve Glazewear L/G or MAC Viva Glam Vi Special Edition

:: FACE ::

MAC Pro Longwear Foundation - NW45

I think this is definitely a look that I will attempt to recreate using some better quality products. Oh and my hair was looking nice. I remember this 3 week trip. I had done so many styles with my hair...it was exciting. Maybe I'll go for this look over on Saturday.

QOTD:

Q: Would you recommend any of the 120 Color Palette to someone for personal use? for professional use?

A: Like I said, its hit or miss, but uhm...NO.

FOTD: Aqua Cream #5

2011-05-25T23:15:00.000-04:00

This trip I decided to pack more than just my 120 Color Palette. I brought along some worthwhile products that I could actually enjoy...LOL. I brought my 2 Makeup Forever (MUFE) aqua creams. I really like these and from my experience last summer, they earn the claim of waterproof (w/ a base). I really like the # aqua cream which is an shimmery orange which I used in this post last July.

The only thing I don't like about them is that they aren't as creamy as lets say a MAC Paint Pot or the NYX Jumbo E/S Pencil, so they can be a little hard to apply and don't spread as well. You just have to work fast to put them on. I tried to apply them with a 217 once....didn't workout so well, so I'll continue to use my finger. I'm sure I"ll try a synthetic brush, but my fingers work for now.

:: BROWS ::

Styli-Style Black/Brown 24 Hour Line & Seal These things are getting out of control !!! I missed my 1 month appointment, so now I have to struggle through the growth and groom them myself until I get home.

:: EYES ::

MAC Studio Fix Concealer - NC45 applied underneath the brows with a Nicole Miller Concealer brush. MUFE #5 Aqua Cream applied to lid with finger. This product actually creased on me at the end of the day. I tapped a small amount of NYX light gold from the Anti-Diva trio E/S on top to make the gold stand out from the pink a little more. Using a Sigma 222 I swept MAC Brown Down into the crease making sure not to cross over the lid. To intensify the separation of the lid and crease I applied NYX Dark Brown on the bottom edge of the Brown Down and then flicked the color outward to match the line I'd create w/ my liquid liner. I combined MAC Brown Script and MAC Tete-aTint to blend the edge of the crease. MAC On the Hunt E/L was applied to the lash line and extended outward. I tried not to make it such an exaggerated wing. Milani Aqua Liquif'eye E/L was applied to the lower lash line and extended out the same length as my black L/L. I wish Milani would come out with some more colors of these (i.e. pink, white, a bad ass yellow and/or orange would nice too). I then used some concealer and went between the top line and bottom line...nothing special and it was a last minute decision. Maybelline Full n Soft Black on the upper lashes.

:: LIPS ::

MAC Brave New Bronze L/S

:: FACE ::

MAC: Pro Studio Finish Concealer - NC45 (applied just under dark circles with my fingers)

Laura Mercier Walnut Tinted Moisturizer using MAC 187. La Femme Mocha Blush

In these two pictures you can sort of see what I was attempting in the crease area. I pretty much get great results on 1 side, but without fail the other side will be off.

QOTD:
Q: Excluding E/S what's your favorite MUFE product? What's your least favorite?
A: I only own 3 MUFE products (#92 E/S, and 2 aqua creams, and the HD powder)...so my fav other than E/S would be the Aqua Cream. Least fav is the HD powder. That stuff is is definitely not flash friendly...However on video and in person its the truth.

FOTD: Roller Girl

2011-05-24T23:23:00.000-04:00

Yes...I'm having a good good night. Well only b/c I was stuck at the site I"m working at helping people until 8:15 PM [...sighs loudly...]. It's all worth it in the end, if I think about it, helping those people helps me to buy more makeup...YEAH !!! Tonight when I got back to my hotel room I was exhausted. A big family had checked into multiple rooms and are bogging down the wireless network.

I'm excited to play around in my first Urban Decay shadows that are palletized with the Roller Girl collection they have going right now. I've always looked at the shadows and kept it moving, but I couldn't pass these up. take a look at what I came up with using the Roller Girl Palette...

:: BROWS ::
Styli-Style Black/Brown 24-Hour Line & Seal brow pencil.

:: EYES ::
MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45 applied underneath the brows with a Nicole Miller concealer brush. Urban Decay Darkhorse E/S applied to the entire lid w/ a Loew-Cornel maxine mop. I blended Urban Decay Verve into the inner crease and slightly above it. This was meant to go in the outer crease, but it wasn't working out. Applied Urban Decay Suspect right underneath the arch of the brow. Using a Sigma 214 I placed Woodstock over the entire lash line and blended in some NYX Dark Brown toward the outer 1/2 of the lower lash line. I added a line of Blacktrack fluidline (that I recovered from dryness) to my upper lash line and lastly applied Fresh Firebird Mini Mascara to the top lashes.

:: LIPS ::
Urban Decay Crush Lip Junkie
* What shocking results I got from this product. It was truly a sheer color, but you could actually see the color.

:: FACE ::
MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45 applied with my middle finger. I'm trying to figure out why I stopped liking this as a concealer. Laura Mercier Walnut Oil-free Tinted Moisturizer stippled on with a MAC 187. Ben Nye Neutral Set Colorless Face powder brushed on with a large powder brush. La Femme Magenta blush (not for anyone afraid of color...and it definitely requires some blending) and lastly La Femme Stormy Rose applied just above the applies of my cheeks.

I started off playing around in these shadows and I created a mess trying to use Woodstock in the crease. But at the end of it all, I think it turned out fairly decent. And that little lip thing impressed me w/ the color it gave.

Product Spotlight - Urban Decay Roller Girl Palette
This is definitely a must have for multiple reasons. The obvious is that it an Urban Decay palette and the 2nd is well...you see my afro'd diva on the packaging. Urban Decay has become notorious for their packaging. I'm usually able to go without, but for this one I had to buy it. I don't need the colors, but my purchase is an endorsement to Urban Decay for have diverse packaging...LOVE IT. My Two Cents...Darkhorse is currently my favorite color in this palette. I think it'll be good for some daytime smokiness...the two mid-tone colors...are ehhh and with Woodstock (the pink) I had the hardest time working with.

QOTD:
Q: Does the urban decay packaging stimulate your want for a palette.
A: No...all the other palettes are excessive (IMO)...especially the ones that pop up and add no value to my makeup collection.

FOTD: Dark Blue in a Rush

2011-05-23T23:50:00.001-04:00

Today I was in a serious rush. I had a nice agenda planned for the day, but that was completely thrown off by my own procrastination and a few unscheduled interruptions. I literally rushed to put this look together in about 7 minutes. I may not have even spent that much time. The blending was horrible, the colors were blotchy, there were inconsistencies all over the place. Just a plain ol' mess...but on the camera (and from a distance) it doesn't look 1/2 bad. I was rushing through this look so that I can pack for my last 3 weeks of travel and get on the road before it got to late. So this is what I can produce in a rush...I'm not happy with it at all. It just makes me want to learn my products more and understand the texture and application consistency of some of my value brand shadows.

The other part of this look is that all of my go to products were already packed away in my suitcase. When I sat down to rush through this look...I was like damn. So it forced me to work with products that I don't use on a regular basis.

Since my brows are covered by my hat, there's no since in explaining that, so lets just straight into the eyes...

:: EYES ::
Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP) applied from the lash line to the brow bone. NYX Nutmeg Concealer Pot applied underneath the brows with a Nicole Miller Concealer brush. I applied MAC Cool Heat E/S directly on top of the brow bone in a C-shape. In the crease I followed the same C-shape with MAC Plummage E/S. Getting close to the lid I created the same c-shape with NYX Space E/S (which was not cooperating). In doing this stacked technique it sort of created a small round shape on the lid, which I filled in with Pacific Rim from Stars Makeup Haven. This too was not cooperating, so I had to apply it wet and seriously smash the product into my lid which smeared the blue/green shadows creating blotchiness. I applied NYX Ocean E/S to the inner corner. After finally getting the Pacific Rim shadow to adhere to my skin, I plopped what was left to the lower lashline...and qute randomly I might add. I used MAC On the Hunt Superslick L/L and a Jordana Black E/L on my lower waterline.

:: LIPS ::
MAC Lustre L/S topped with Avon Mirage glazewear

:: FACE ::
Revlon ColorStay Foundation in Carmel applied with a Japonesque angled foundation brush. Everyday Minerals All Day Girl Loose Mineral Blush.
* I was so hot from running around that I didn't want to use this but I knew it would be quick and would match.

I'm almost caught up with my post...I have 3 more to blog tomorrow and then I'll be back on track.

This look definitely stand out underneath the my denim CK hat. I knew the look was okay, but the camera and hotel bathroom lighting makes it look sort of nice. So after all of that rushing and trying to get to my site...I ~~realized~~ thought that I left my brushes and makeup remover at home!!! I'm literally kicking myself. I've been traveling a lot and I KNOW how to pack. It wasn't until click the Publish button that I realized that I tucked my brushes away into one of the million pockets on my bag. Thanks brain for finally working at midnight.

Q: Do you ever do you Mom's makeup?
A: My Mom has unknowingly volunteered to be my practice canvas over Memorial Day weekend.

FOTD: Genuine Orange

2011-05-23T22:46:00.000-04:00

Taking left over products from the previous FOTD...I added some very pigmented colors over my eye and intensified the hot pink crease color. At this point the lip mixture I was wearing had been on for well over 18 hours and it made it through sleep and all. I had to freshen up the inner portion, but that's about it. Looking back I should've smeared out the cupid's bow...but I'll be all right.

I was doing my friends eyes who doesn't wear much makeup and doesn't do dramatic very well and is very picky. I was going for a pick/orange/black look and I could tell she didn't care for it much. So I took the organe and decided to run with it. It was MACs Genuine Orange pigment. I've talked about this before and I can just saw it never lets me down.

:: BROWS ::
L'Oreal Cream Color Liner - Brown and added a small amount of MAC Blacktrack fluidline toward the end of the brows using the Paris Presents: Hi-Def Double ended angle-spoolie brush. I applied the product with the angled end and used the spoolie to try to blend it into my brows.
* I typically like more black in the brows, but I guess the brown makes it look a little less harsh on camera. I still think the black/brown combo looks better in real life.

:: EYES ::
MAC Studio Finish Conceal - NC45 applied with a Nicole Miller Concealer brush (similar to a MAC 242) and blended it across the brow bone with the brush and downward into the crease with my ring finger (as seen in my Super Base re-create look). Packed on MAC Passionate E/S using a Studio Tool Smudge brush right at my brow bone. Using a Studio Tool Shadow brush I applied MAC Genuine Orange p/m all over the lid until it met the Passionate E/S. MUFE #92 was applied to the crease where the two colors meet using a MAC 226. I attempted to use The Great White Shadow by Stars Makeup Haven, but its not so great IMO. I combined the white and orange using MAC Dusty Coral p/m. Dusty Coral was lightly applied to the upper lash line and heavily to the lower lash line. Those lashes...WOW right. I used Maybelline Very Black Lash Discovery Mini-Brush Waterproof Mascara 3 coats which is my norm.
* I typically use the Mini-Brush mascara on my lower lash line, but out of laziness in trying to find my Rimmel I decided to work it out on the top lashes as well. I'm definitely impressed. It gives the "doll" look. The product doesn't look black on the wand, but it dries to a very back color. NICE.

:: LIPS ::
Mixture of OCC Katricia and Anime lip tars added with MAC Heritage Rouge p/m. Somewhere in between taking pictures and surfing the web I realized my lips were a little dry so I added Avon Pink Dazzle glazewear on the inner lips.

:: FACE ::
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - NC45, Revlon PhotoReady Foundation - Cappuccino mixed with Revlon PhotoReady Foundation - Carmel, MAC Genuine Orange p/m was applied to the cheeks with a Sigma 130. I lastly applied MAC Sheerbronze Sheersheen Loose Mineral Powder to highlight the cheeks.

Here's what the makeup looks like without the flash. Yes it's still bright but it doesn't look as intense in person, but I guess "intense" depends on the person looking at it.

* Here's more of the weird eye alignment...HAHAHAHA.

QOTD:
Q: Have you every been totally shocked and blown away by a product (specifically a value brand product)?
A: Maybelline Very Black Lash Discovery Mini-Brush Waterproof Mascara, Jesse's Girl Eye Dust, Wet n Wild Mega Last Lip Color, La Femme Blushes

FOTD: A Warmer Pink

2011-05-23T19:10:00.000-04:00

My friends have our makeup challenge going and today was the day for hot pink on the eyes. Pink is not a color I like to use on my eyes, but I guess that's why we challenge ourselves. I just did something basic and worked with mixing a little bit. I mixed up my lipstick and my own lipliner. Doing that, didn't take too long and it makes me want to start mixing even more products/pigments and spending less on well...liners and lipsticks ;-)

:: BROWS ::
L’Oreal Cream Color Liner – Brown (applied mostly to the middle of the brow and then blended out with a synthetic angle brush). I applied just a little bit of MAC Blacktrack fluidline to define the tips a little better. I blended out the inner portion of the brow using a spoolie. I actually like them today.

:: EYES ::
MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45. Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP) applied to the lid with finger tips. MAC MSF/Natural - Dark applied over the lid with a kabuki brush. I applied MAC Passionate E/S to the crease and the outer 1/2 of the upper lash line area very lightly with a MAC 217. I applied MAC Brown Down E/S just over the bottom of the Passionate E/S with a MAC 222 sort of crossing over the "V" shape I created so that some of the passionate would show on the lid and in the crease. Tapped on Jesse's Girl Cafe´ au Lait eye dust over the inner lid. Using the Jesse's Girl Eye Shadow Transformer mixed with MAC Heritage Rouge p/m I lined my upper and lower lash line. I applied MAC Fascinating Eye Kohl to the inner 1/3 of the lower lash line and blended it into the Heritage Rouge (creating sort of a pink tone). I took what was left on my 222 from the Brown Down and deposited the color just on the outer portion of my lower lash line. For the mascara, I can't remember, b/c I've misplaced my Rimmel Lash Accelerator :-(

:: LIPS ::
Mixture of OCC Katricia and Anime Lip Tar and added a bit of MAC Heritage Rouge p/m. Again I'm loving mixing up things right about now.

:: FACE ::
MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45 (this gave me a really yellow under eye) so I decided to use my Revlon ColorStay Carmel Foundation to bring it down a bit and topped my cheeks with LaFemme Cinnabar blush.

QOTD:
Q: Do you custom mix any of your products (i.e. foundation, lipsticks, etc)
A: I have mixed lip colors in the past with the lip tars and even did some mixing over the weekend when I opened the doors to the "beauty studio" for a few make overs.

I'm really loving the OCC lip tars...do you guys know of anyone blog/vlog or anything that shows some good OCC lip tars mixes and w/ pigments too? Do you guys have any fav lip tars or fav mixtures? I don't own very many...I got the sale they sold you all 5 of the popular lips tars and decided to get a clear one too. On myself I love Anime and Katrica together. It creates a nice mauve-y or fuschia color depending on the ratio. My mom, used to always wear a fuschia lip stick from Mary Kay...Maybe I'll do an ode-to-my-mom post one of these days....I'll have to pull out the photo albums and get her permission to post her photo.

FOTD: A Little Cloudy

2011-05-23T01:18:00.000-04:00

Getting close to the end of the week and preparing for my last bit of travel required for the project I"m working on :-(. So with that there's a ton of stuff that I have to do in order to prep for the work that I have to do and the stuff that I'm leaving behind. So things definitely got a little hectic and the weather got really cold w/ a nasty overcast. I didn't get a chance to snap very many photos (or decent photos), so here's what I have to share with you all.

:: BROWS ::
L’Oreal Cream Color Liner – Brown and applied with a double ended spoolie and synthetic angle brush (from Walmart)

:: EYES ::
wo Faced Shadow Insurance E/S primer applied with the ring and pinky fingers, MAC Bough Grey E/S applied with a Studio Tool medium shader brush, MAC Cork E/S applied into the crease using a MAC 222 brush, MAC Pandemonium E/S applied to the outer lid and outer crease w/ a MAC 222. MAC MSF/Natural - Dark applied with a 227 to the brow area. MAC Marked for Glamour Superslick L/L. Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara in Black.

:: LIPS ::
MAC Flashtronic L/G

:: FACE ::
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - NC45 (applied with a MAC 224), MAC MSF/Natural - Dark applied over face with a Sigma 138. MAC Ripe Peach Blush Ombre applied w/ a Studio Tool 187 dupe (can't think of the name of it right now).

QOTD:
Q: At work, do people expect to see you with or without makeup?
A: With.

FOTD: Not Safe for Work (is Safe for Work)

2011-05-20T18:29:00.000-04:00

Last year around this time I challenged my friends to a colored lip challenge. They both only wore sheer lip glosses...where’s the fun in that. Both did really well, but one of them took the challenge really serious...and she loves her some lip stick now. So I’m challenging them and YOU !!! That’s right...grab those lip sticks (or lip glasses) that you are afraid to wear (or never wear) and lets put them to use.

I have a ton of lipsticks....here’s a quick list of those that need some attention:

MAC: Ruby Woo, M’Orange, Kissable, Please Me, Lollipop Loving...

Wet n Wild: All of Mega Last Lip Colors (these are awesome for the price by the way)...

OCC Lip Tar: NSFW, Grandma, Hush, Katricia...

That list could go on and on, but instead of talking about it, I’m gonna be about it. So I started off today with the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) - Not Safe for Work (NSFW) Lip Tar.

:: BROWS ::

A mixture of MAC Blacktrack Fluidline and L’Oreal Cream Color Liner – Brown and applied with a double ended spoolie and synthetic angle brush (from Walmart).

:: EYES ::

Two Faced Shadow Insurance E/S primer applied with the ring and pinky fingers
MAC MSF/Natural – Dark applied over entire eye w/ a Sigma 109
MAC Brown Script swept through the crease with a MAC 217
Added a wash of La Femme Mocha Blush to my lid
MAC Brown Down E/S applied to the outer corner of eye with a MAC 217
Urban Decay Zero E/L applied to the outer 1/2 of my upper lash line. I the line got gradually thicker as I got to the edge of my lashes. Blend the line out with a synthetic angle brush.
Urban Decay Zero E/L applied to the outer 1/2 of the lower lash line and blended with the synthetic angle brush
MAC Fascinating Eye Kohl E/L applied to the lower waterline
Fresh Magic Wands Mini Mascara - Supernova Black applied w/ multiple coats to the upper lash line and 1/2 of the lower lash line.

:: FACE ::

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer – NC45 applied with a MAC 224
MAC MSF/Natural - Dark applied with a Sigma 109
La Femme Russet blush applied with Paris Present Synthetic blush brush from Walmart.
MAC Sheerbronze Sheersheen Loose Mineral Powder applied to cheek bone and bridge of nose

:: LIPS ::

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics NSFW Lip Tar was applied with a Simply Simmons #4 round synthetic brush. I apply the product avoiding the line of my lips. I’ll give it a few minutes to set and then i’ll stroke/blend out the edges to meet my lip line. This helps with the feathering that could be caused by these or eliminates me needing a lip liner. Towards the middle of the day I added some Red Romp l/g

NSFW: Pre-Workout at mid-day (6:30 PM), added Red Romp @ 2PM

Post-Workout/End of Day (9:45PM) added Carmex to inner portion of the lip at 7PM

Product Spotlight: Fresh Magic Wands Mini Mascara

I got the Fresh mascara double pack from Sephora trial section that’s strategically placed at the registers. These are the cutest and tiniest mascaras containers (with medium sized brushes), one if for length and the other is for volume. Since they are so compact they are FABOLOUS for traveling and/or keeping in your purse (which is where I keep mine). Don’t let the small size fool you b/c you can get great results w/ these. I really love the Supernova (volumizing one) especially when you get to a 3^rd coat. Best use...on days that I’m running late or don’t want to wear much makeup...pop these on before you head into work.

My Two Cents. Great, compact, and convenient. Don’t work out w/ this on though b/c uhm, you will have particles of mascara all over your eye and in your eye and end up knocking over equipment. I’m speaking from experience...LOL.

QOTD:

Q: Shephoranites...what products have you trialed from there trial section?

A: Fresh Magic Wands Mini Mascara, NARS Face Primer, Urban Decay Up All Night, MUFE HD Powder. I think this is definitely a good idea that Sephora has. Most of the products in the trial area are higher end products and the full sizes cost a lot. So its great b/c you can try these products w/o spending an arm and a leg only to realize its something you don’t like.