Archive for January 2010

FOTD-Hello, Ms. Kardashian

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Here's what I did with the Kim K look. I toned it down a bit, because I feel like red carpet looks need a little bit of translation to make it workable for day to day wear. Also, I am not nearly as tanned as she is, nor do I feel the need to contour my face quite as much. Eyes: UDPP, NYX single eye shadow in Eutopia and Mink Brown, NYX Chrome eye shadow in Panic, Revlon Matte Eyeshadow in Aubergine, e.l.f. Cream Liner in Black, Estee Lauder Artist Pencil in SoftSmudge Black. Brows: NYX brow powder in Taupe and aloe vera gel Skin: Monistat AntiChafing Gel, NARS concealer in Custard, Revlon PhotoReady in 004 Nude, Sephora Sundisk Bronzer in #1 Lips: Avon Ultra Liner in Nude, Burt's Bees lip bal...

February is now officially a No-buy month.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

I've really been meaning to try to control my spending habits, swear to Bob. I'm not going to lie, since joining MakeUpAlley, my desire for makeup has increased, exponentially. I mean, you can't crave a product if you don't know about it. But MUA creates this database of products- fabulously detailed reviews all at your fingertips. Not to mention, a continuous stream of advice from real people- the human element you just can't get when you look at ratings. But these people are also great enablers- it's a struggle to keep my habit in check and let me tell you, I'm not winning! Just this morning I stumbled out of bed and logged on to read about a Lorac bundle (which I ended up buying, of course) that seemed like a really good deal. It's the New Year's Neutrals set, and it seemed like a...

EOTD-Soft smudge brown with a hint of lemon

I got this look from playing around with my new NYX products. Sorry about the fallout on the lashes, I was in a hurry! The brown is very basic blending of the crease, but the lemony yellow gives it a bit of interest, as well as dimension to the eyes. -NYX Eyeliner pencil in Canary -NYX single Eye Shadows in Eutopia, Mink Brown and Salmon -L'oreal Double Extend Mascara Waterproof -NYX Taupe/Ash Brow pow...

FOTD-Twiggy inspired look

I'm kind of on a vintage kick, let's see how long it lasts. I am neither pale nor do I have flawless skin like Twiggy, but I decided to go for hugely exaggerated mod falsies today. Instead of purely nude lips, I added an element of baby pink. Face: Hard Candy blush in Pin Up, NARS Custard concealer, Revlon PhotoReady 004 Nude Lips: NYX lip pencil in Rose, Beauty Rush clear lipgloss, touch of concealer Eyes: MAC Blanktype, Fluidline Blacktrack. Diorshow Mascara Lashes: Top, e.l.f. Hollywood Lashes, Lower, NYX Individual lower lashes ...

The Search for Cheap Plum Eyeliner

You know how Greek heros like Hercules had quests? Well my quest is to find the perfect smokey purple eyeliner under $5. Is it that unreasonable to hope that there is a beautiful plum out there, slightly shimmery but not too much smokey grey in it? Is it also too much to ask that this eyeliner stays on all day, doesn't smudge and happens to be waterproof? I bought 3 different liners, and tested them out. The first one is from e.l.f., I bought for a dollar. Now usually when I review a product, I leave a bit of room for the possibility that I might be wrong about a product and let the reader decide if it's worth the investments. This isn't one of them. This product is the single worst cosmetic purchase I have ever made. It's hard to draw a line with it- sure, it performs well when you...

FOTD- Bettie Page Inspired

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

What up, 50s pinup. Bettie Page is an idol of mine. She was so unbelievably sexy- but she had this classy element to her that modern day counterparts can't touch. Some of her pictures are rather raunchy, yet she looks impeccable. So here's my modern day salute to her. I can't quite get the bangs, mine are much too long to get that meticulously perfect edge. Lips: NYX Eros, Sonia Kashuk Lip Liner in China Red Eyes: Lancome Honeymoon and MAC's Cork (tiny bit in the crease), L'oreal Double Extend Waterproof and Diorshow Mascara Face: NARS concealer in Custard, Revlon PhotoReady in 004 Nude &nbs...

High Beam Dupe

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

So a couple of weeks ago, I posted this video about a very good BeneFit High Beam dupe. Here's the video, the answer is below! The High Beam is on the right side of the screen, the Boots N*7 High Lights is on the other ha...

A Tale of Two Hauls

Monday, January 18, 2010

Here's a couple haul videos that I've done recently. Enjoy. <3...

My Makeup Philosophy

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Ok, I took a long hard look at my makeup philosophies and came up with my makeup 'values'. This really helps me cut down on spending. It forces me to really evaluate how much I want a new product- will I really use it? Or am I attracted to the packaging, its too good to be true marketing? I won't lie, I do get excited every time MAC launches a new campaign (ok, excited is an understatement. I jumped up and down and screamed 'Lillyland! last time) and nothing pleases me more than beautifully photographed models. However, after much internal debate, I decided that I wasn't really a trendy makeup follower. I don't drastically alter the colors or the techniques I use each season. In fact, I could even clearly recall each season's makeup looks. In the spring, my confidence...

Ulta & Me: A Love/Hate Relationship. (Mini Haul)

Monday, January 11, 2010

My history with Ulta has had it's up and downs, much like a crazy relationship with an ex-boyfriend you just can't seem to cut out of your life. My wonderful fiance, when asked by his parents what to get me for Christmas told them to get me a gift card for Ulta because he knew they sold makeup. On one hand, I'm thrilled because it's money... for makeup! On the other hand, I've had my share of bad customer service and just plain rudeness at Ulta. Anyways, I couldn't say no to a gift of makeup and the gift card was burning a hole in my pocket. So I went and splurged on a wide array of things. Here's what I got: The stars denote things that were on sale. Ulta brand lipstick in Vegas, Baby!* NYX round lipstick in Indian Pink* Essie nail polish in Lollipop* BigSexyHair...

BeneFit To Go

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

One of the many Sephora emails I get prompted me to browse through a few $10 dollars or less items that they had, and I walked away a happy camper. Possibly the best thing I purchased was a BeneFit best sellers sampler pack. It contained a little compact of Some Kind-A Gorgeous, a little tube of High Beam, a mini Posietint and a small bottle of That Gal. Here's the break down for those who've never tried BeneFit's products before. Some Kind-A Gorgeous- is not a true foundation- but actually a primer/foundation mix. It's in creme form and is very light to the touch. This is great for people who usually use tinted moisturizer and want to move to the next step closer to true foundation. I think people with oily skin will find that it a little too sheer, and that it doesn't stay...

Pretty in Pink Look

Friday, January 1, 2010

A Salute to Youth There's no better universal girly look than pink eye shadow. I do declare that this look can make anyone look as sweet as icing. Believe it or not, I have seen pink eye shadow go horribly wrong on one occasion (Pink eye, anyone?) To make sure that you don't appear as though you've got a swollen eye, pick out a pink that melts into your skin. Usually, that means a peachy pink, and if you have one that has gold shimmer, that's perfect! If you don't- you can supplement it with a soft gold, not too yellow but more beige than metallic (Try Sally Girl mini baked shadow in Gold or Ulta brand eye shadow in Aztec Gold). We're really pushing youth and glow here. Let's begin with finished skin- all the primer, concealer, foundation etc has been applied (check out my stippling foundation...