I’ve been sick in bed, and thank my lucky stars I have a job where I can actually work FROM my bed. Yay! Pillows propped up, laptop perched on my lap.. love it, don’t love the coughing and sneezing and aches. Not only am I sick, but I received contact dermatitis from QuikSpray hand sanitizer, which contains 65% Ethyl Alcohol.. so my hands are burning to go along with everything else. To make me feel happy, I went on the Sephora website and discovered some new goodies I might try. I did a huge favor for a friend, and she is going to give me a bunch of makeup in return, so I’ll have a lot of reviews to do!!! Oh, Excitement!
You know me and my comb wand mascara obsession, right? (R.I.P Maybelline Lash Stylist) Well, thanks to Clinque, a new one has been born. Clinique High Lengths Macara ($14) is here! I’ve never been a fan of the Clinque mascara formula, it was always too watery. Ya never know, though, they could have reformulated… I can’t resist the comb wand!
I might be losing my mind to this cold, but are there too many colors in this boxed blush / highlighter thingy? This is Benefit Cosmetic’s new Sugarbomb. ($28) I see rose, peach, plum and pink, it looks fun, I dunno! I want to try it.
Now this.. I like A LOT:
Introducing… Tarina Tarantino Cosmetics! Are you serious!?!?!?!
I am more than excited about one of my favorite jewelry designer’s makeup line! These blushes look amazing.. I haven’t tried anything yet, but it must be great!
Tarina Tarantino Dollskin Cheek Color ($28) This line will only be at Sephora!
On November 9th, I celebrated my 33rd birthday! I received awesome gifts and even bought myself a gift for my aging skin. hahah!
I remember when Strivectin came out in Macy’s stores where I was working at the time, and everyone was obsessed with StriVectin. The product was originally made and sold as a stretch mark cream, but some ladies that received samples of the product thought it was for their face and they saw awesome results. So now, StriVectin is being sold as both a stretch mark cream and face cream.
I purchased the StriVectin Holiday Gift set at Beauty.com for $99. I thought that was a pretty good bargain since I just wanted to try the products and not commit the the expensive full size bottles. Here’s what you get in the kit:
- StriVectin Neck Cream – StriVectin Neck Cream is the first and only StriVectin formula specifically developed for the sensitive neck area (including the decolletage). StriVectin Neck Cream dramatically reduces the appearance of “turkey neck”. . .lifting, shaping and refining as it produces a smoother, younger-looking contour.
- StriVectin-SD Intensive Concentrate for Existing Stretch Marks – Clinically Proven to Dramatically Reduce the Appearance of Existing Stretch Marks (prominent because of their length, depth, texture, and discoloration). Alters the Appearance of Tone and Texture. Significant, Corroborated Results Seen by 93% of Subjects Tested.
- StriVectin-SD Eye Cream – Helps reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and dark circles around the eye. Includes additional soothing agents for the delicate skin around the eye. Same active formula as the original StriVectin-SD? without aromatic oils.
Nothing says Happy Birthday, you 33 year old like a bottle of wrinkle cream! Actually, I am loving everything so far. It seems like I am having minor breakouts, but not sure if it’s from this product. My skintone seems to be clearing up, as in, less red blotches and freckles, in just two days of using this product. The eye cream feels tingly, but the package says that is normal. I do feel like the puffiness is reduced after a few minutes. The neck cream is very moisturizing and although I have no issues with my neck (yet) I am going to continue to use this for preventative purposes!
If anyone has used StriVectin and either loved or hated it, leave a comment about your experiences!
Now on to the good stuff…
Brows
MAC Showstopper Matte shadow (Discontinued, but similar to Espresso) Used Brandon brand eye brow angled shaper brush. I applied Benefit High Brow under brow highlighter pencil BEFORE putting my brows on. It helps the brow powder go on smoother. See my brow tutorial : CLICK HERE
Eyes
I first applied Urban Decay Primer Potion in Nude (UDPP) to entire lid, except where the Benefit High Brow pencil was applied. I used my Mark. brand small, synthetic, rounded concealer brush to apply the MAC Chromaline Black Black Gel to the inner and outer sections of my eyes, only on the bottom lid area, leaving about a half inch blank space in the middle where the copper pigment eye shadow will go next.
I used what people sometimes call the “foiling” technique when applying loose pigment eye shadow. I washed off the above mentioned concealer brush and left it damp. I took a little bit of an old Benefit Cosmetics copper pigment, which looks exactly like the MAC Copper pigment, and applied that to the blank space I left on the bottom lid of my eyes. I used a patting motion to blend in the black edges from the black MAC liner gel. Very lightly! We are going to cover this area with gold glitter, so it doesn’t matter too much if it’s blended in perfectly.
My favorite part is putting the glitter on! (For more detailed info and pics, see my Glitter tutorial!) I used the MAC Gold Glitter, which is a Pro MAC product and can only be purchased at a MAC Pro store location (or ebay.com). Sometimes MAC comes out with limited edition glitter sets that include the gold glitter. You could even find glitter at a craft store, but make sure it’s not huge chunks! The MAC glitter I use is pretty fine. I use eyelash glue to apply the glitter to my lids. It works the best for me and doesn’t fall off while I am out dancing, partying, etc. I use the Ardell lash glue, which comes out of the tube white and dries clear. I made a small dot of glue on the back of my hand, then put a small amount of glitter next to it and mix them up. Using my clean synthetic concealer brush again, I apply the glue/glitter mixture over the top of the copper pigment. I did not put too much on, I wanted the copper pigment to show through just a little bit. I used a hair dryer on a low setting to dry the glitter and glue.
Next, it was time to start doing my crease shading and lining the eyes. I used MAC Sketch eyeshadow in the upper crease, using my NARS Angled Eye Shader brush to blend the crease. I dipped the brush into MAC Star Violet Eye shadow (brown/plum shimmer) and swept the color ever so slightly across that crease just to give it a touch of the shimmer from the shadow. I lined my eyes using the MAC Chromaline Black Black gel liner on top and bottom, then used the MAC 219 pencil brush to fill in the MAC Star Violet eye shadow under the lower lash line.
The mascara used was Lancome Fatale comb wand mascara in black.
Pegasus pendant by Betsey Johnson.
Face and cheeks
For foundation, I used two different brands and formulas. I first filled in my pores and covered blotchy areas with Boots No7 Intelligent Balance Mousse Foundation, in Almond, which is a very thick mousse foundation that leaves your skin a bit dry when used alone. I applied a small amount all over of Maybelline Superstay 24Hr Makeup in Sand Beige. The only powder I used was a very light dusting of MAC Belightful Pressed Powder, which is a heavy shimmer powder, so I concentrated most of it on my cheek area. I applied MAC Pink Swoon blush. (Bright pink, doesn’t look like the picture on the MAC Pro site.)
Lips
This is sort of my signature lip look since I made it up and people keep emailing me about it! hahah! RAD! I used YSL Rouge Pur Lipstick #22 Pink Celebration (Cotton candy pink), over the top of MAC Pinkie Pro lip liner. On top, a coat of MAC Lip Varnish in Polish Me Pink. (Discontinued, neon pink sheer lip gloss)
Hair
I used a huge barrel curling iron (1.5 or 2 inch, I don’t know!) to curl my entire huge head of hair. It took about 20 minutes total. People ask me how I swoop my bangs and it’s SO easy I could die. Instead of curling my bangs under with the curling iron, I curl them up towards the back of my head. First, I spray a very light mist of hairspray that has a light hold. I part my bangs to the side, combing them through to make sure all knots and kinks are out. Holding my bangs straight out in front of me, I curl the bangs up towards the back of my head and hold for about 5 seconds. I let the curl cool off before combing it out. Once it’s cooled off, I start combing downwards and hand-styling them with a little hairspray sprayed on my fingers. I spray everything with a mist and then go!
I had an excellent birthday week, starting off with a great dinner at the Rainforest Cafe in San Francisco. I got some awesome gifts.. check it out!
My fiance gave me an iPod Classic, which holds 40,000 songs. Amazing! Why doesn’t everyone have this??
My mom got me the most comfortable pair of red Cole Haan shoes. They are patent leather red Mary Jane type athletic shoes. I think they are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever put on my feet.
This is the Coach Gramercy embossed accordian zip-around wallet, given to me by my lovely close friend who obviously has great gift-giving taste.
Now this is what I call a deluxe makeup gift! My awesome friend knows exactly the way to my heart.. makeup and cuteness! This adorable box set by Too Faced cosmetics, “World Domination”, is too freaking amazing. There are eye shadows on top with powder liners and brow filelrs, lip palette on the bottom and bronzer and blushes that pop out on the side of the box. Not to mention.. it’s a music box! Needless to say, it was one of the best birthday’s ever.
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Buy this: per-fekt beauty – 1 ounce – Skin Perfection Gel $57.50 @ Sephora
This tinted skin perfecting gel leaves your skin flawless without a greasy feel, and is contained in a very convenient, lightweight pump.. great for makeup artists and those who travel. The description of the product, as described by Sephora:
A multitasking all-in-one vitamin enriched, sweat-resistant and water-resistant skin perfector.
What it is formulated to do:
Glides on effortlessly to instantly improve skin tone, reduce redness, and help minimize the appearance of enlarged pores and fine lines. Enriched with powerful antioxidants including the universal antioxidant alpha lipoic acid, and vitamins A and E to help repair, protect, and fight future environmental skin damage, this lightweight gel helps maintain hydration leaving the skin with a healthy, even glow by locking in moisture and absorbing excess skin oils. And the best part? You can take this handy mini size with you anywhere. Oil Free. Fragrance-free. Paraben-free.
Can’t help but want to try this product, right? Well, you should! The price is a little up there, but it’s almost like having a makeup primer and moisturizer in one.
Personal experience PROS: Easy to use, no break-outs from this product, minimizes the look of pores and scars, perfect makeup base, face feels good after washing the product off.
Personal experience CONS: My skin is oily, and I didn’t see too much of the “absorbing of excess skin oils” going on, but all I had to do was pat my skin with a tissue and I was fine. I tried putting this product on over makeup and it balled up on my face and I could not blend it. It seems to always be out of stock on Sephora, but was available on beauty.com in 5 different shades!
Overall: This product works great with any of my current liquid foundations and setting powder. I was having a problem with enlarged pores and now you can barely see them after the product is applied. I feel like my face is more refined and soft after I wash the product off, almost like it’s a wrinkle treatment working while I wear it.
Not that: Benefit Some Kind-A Gorgeous – .34 ounces – $26 @ Sephora
Why: Don’t let the cute packaging fool you… especially with Benefit Cosmetics. (Trust me, I worked for the company for 5 years) They have a lot of good products that are worth the money, but with products like this (above) it makes me wonder how they stay in business. The product is very unsanitary and gets pretty gross-looking after you have used it a few times with the sponge that lives underneath the product. The product actually doesn’t last too long since you have to reapply it several times per day, and at only .34 ounces, it’s definitely not worth the price.
Pros: Umm.. the mirror that comes inside the compact is cute, I guess.
Cons: Just another “cute” product by Benefit. It looks okay for about 2 minutes, then it starts to look like you just ate KFC in about 105 degrees..greasy, oily.. and what do you end up doing??? You grab the sponge and you pat more product over your oil, and it all transfers onto the sponge and lives there for the remainder of the product’s days. No so sanitary. This product is available in only two shades. I broke out from using this product and there are NO “Benefit”s to using this product.. no vitamins, minerals, antioxidants.. but did I mention it had a cool mirror?
I was thinking about putting together a little intro for you folks out there. Whoooo am I? Well, I could just tell you to look at my bio on my lovely page, but there is a little more to me than what is just written there.
I basically lived most of my life as student. Let’s see.. kindergarten.. high school.. college for 11 years!?!? Wow, this adds up to a lot. I went from wanting to be a marine biologist, to an elementary school teacher, to a computer programmer, to web designer, to makeup artist, hell, throw rockstar into the mix, too. Very broad, right? Well, thing is, I am scared of sharks and other sea creatures that may bite my legs in the ocean, so being a marine biologist wasn’t such a great idea. The computer programming thing, I thought it would be a great money making career, but it was incredibly boring, and there really wasn’t anything sexy about typing codes all day.
When I started to take art classes, I really started to enjoy school. I looked forward to sculpture class, glass fabrication class and most of all, my graphic design classes. I starting making websites for people who wanted to get their small business somewhere on the web, when the web was fresh and new. I was getting paid for these gigs and started feeling like it was going somewhere. I was going to college at the time and decided that I really needed to declare a major: Digital Graphics. Wow. While I was going to school, I needed to work, so I applied at Macy’s during Christmas time and had a group interview. In this interview, there were about 30 people wanting jobs in various departments. I really wanted to stand out from the crowd and start talking about myself, loudly. I made a few jokes, talked about my excellent customer service reputation, and I was approached by a woman who thought I would be perfect for sales in cosmetics. She sent me to the Benefit counter and I was “tried out” by one of the sales girls. Basically, I had to stop people as they were walking past me and had them sit down and try a few products. At first this was really intimidating, and people were either really loving the products, or thinking I was nuts for making them sit down on a stool. I honestly didn’t like forcing people to do things they didn’t want to do, and although the products were pretty good, I would have liked for them to come to ME. I looked around for jobs all the time. I wasn’t making money at Macy’s and I was getting pretty sick of it.
I ended up working at the Benefit Cosmetics boutique store in Berkeley, CA, and it was a whole new world. Waxing brows and bodies, lash tinting, eyebrow tinting, the works! I loved working in such a beautiful store, I had the time of my life! The thing is, I really wanted to branch out. I wanted to try different brands and have a more intimate experience with my clients. When I started doing a little bit of freelancing work, I felt like I was the one in control. I had a little bit of M.A.C. products here, a little bit of NARS there, and with a dash of Chanel, I was feeling like a real makeup artist. I had a wide variety to choose from and my cosmetics collection was growing like crazy. With 5 years experience under my brush belt, I was feeling confident and thought that maybe it was time to really go wild and start my own cosmetics company. This is something I’ve researched and thought about for a while.. and it’s my current project besides trying to establish an awesome website to go with it. Do I have the brains and the braun to go forward with this project? Let’s allow this blog to be a starting point, see if it creates a buzz and then move towards the bigger things.
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