I’ve mentioned this several times, but I did go to Sephora and plop down over $100 bucks to try out some of the newest and best-selling items. Needless to say, $100 doesn’t take you very far when you are at Sephora, at least for me.
Let’s start with the hyped up products first:
Tarina Tarantino Makeup Line by Sephora
Okay, this is a firm NO for me, a huge Tarina fan. I am completely disappointed by the quality of this line. It seems like the developers spent more time on the packaging than the stuff that’s inside. I tried everything, hoping to find one little gem to put in my basket (trust me, I got my tax return, money wasn’t an issue on this day) and I couldn’t find ONE thing that I liked. The blush looked very blotchy on my skin, the lip color on the model (above) wasn’t anywhere to be found, all of the lipsticks were very sheer. The eyeliner too waxy and wasn’t rich like the Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner. The eyeshadow was very blah, nothing really popped out, so I popped myself over to the Makeup Forever eyeshadow stand and continued to be impressed by the texture and price. I forced myself to find one thing to take home, so it was the Sparklicity Shimmer Dust ($19) and I am still trying to like it! Pictures of the product on my skin are shown towards the bottom of this post. Sorry, Tarina, I will buy your jewelry, but your makeup line.. epic fail! Good marketing though, great advertising photos, but where is that lip color?
Laura Mercier Smooth Focus Pressed Setting Powder – Shine Control ($32 – Only @Sephora)
The title of this product sounds impressive. It says to me that you are going to have a smooth complexion, flawless and all of your oils will vanish. Well, for someone like me, who gets oily around noon and seemingly oilier every hour beyond that, this powder didn’t do much for me. I need to use it about 4 times per day, and if going out at night, make that about 6 times per day. The powder itself is a greenish / bluish color, to cut the redness in the skin and even out blotchyness. The application pad it comes with is a double-sided velvet flocked pad with a sponge texture on the opposite side. When I use this applicator, too much product gets concentrated in one area, so I am now using my Chanel Kabuki brush with it and it’s working much better. This product is very similar to the Makeup Forever HD Microfinish Powder , but in pressed form. I don’t stay matte for very long and I can see the product on my face in certain lighting. I won’t purchase this again, as I think I need something with color to help keep the coverage of my foundation fresh. 3 out of 5 stars – Pros: nice quality, good packaging. Cons: I need something with color, look of powder is sometimes too noticable.
Laura Mercier Secret Finish Mattifying Gel ($27 @ Sephora)
This wasn’t available in Sephora stores when I went to purchase, but I was given a hefty sample and it was enough to come up with my verdict. I simply cannot put a gel substance OVER my foundation. I just can’t! I tried to do this very delicately and it really did disturb my foundation. I did noticed that my pores looked smaller since the product fills them in, but I didn’t stay matte at all for very long. I tried this under my foundation and I didn’t notice a difference except for the possibility that my foundation went on just a tad faster. I will continue to try this and use it in different ways, I’ll update this review if I find that I fall in love with it somehow. 3 out of 5 stars – Pros : No fragrance, no parabens, nice quality. Cons: Disturbs my foundation when used over the top, doesn’t keep me “matte”.
Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Cream Blush ($25 @ Sephora for .33 oz) – Was not availabe on my trip. I will check again soon!
Givenchy Le Prisme Blush Powder Blush – I saw it, but totally forgot to test it out. Sorry! Will check again soon!
Kim Kardashian fragrance (starting at $16) – Wow.. did I call it or what? I knew this fragrance was going to be a rip off of something, and it’s exactly Marc Jacobs. Did Kim think I wasn’t going to find out? Geez. Well anyway, it’s Gardenia and it’s totally Marc Jacobs. LOL!
Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation ($34 Only @Sephora)
Yay! I love this stuff. It’s like the old Revlon Colorstay formula from the 90s. Not AS good as the Revlon one, but really close. Full coverage.. I’d say it’s medium – full coverage. The color choice range is amazing and I found the right shade within 5 seconds of looking. 4 out of 5 stars : Close to perfection. Pros: Great coverage and color choices. Nice product quality. Cons: I feel like this will only last me a month.
Yup, this is me on a morning before work. I am wearing the following:
FACE
- Laura Mercier Secret Finish Mattifying Gel – Before my makeup.. not on top.
- Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation – Used my flat top foundation brush (disc.) MAC – Pictured here
- Laura Mercier Smooth Focus Pressed Setting Powder – Shine Control – Used Chanel Kabuki brush, or any kabuki style brush will work.
- Sugar Bronzer Tropic Tan (disc. in big round compact) – Very lightly used to contour the shape of my non-existent cheekbones.
- Benefit Shangri-La Sheers – Lotus-ed You Looking (Shown below) – Old as the hills blush, but I bought 5 of them back in the day because I love it SO MUCH and I can’t find another blush to compare to this shade! It’s a lavendar blush.. who sells one!?!
- Tarina Tarantino Sparklicity Pure – I am not sure why I bought this. You don’t really see much:
It looks nice when piled up on your hand, doesn’t it? When it’s on your face, not so much. I think I will try applying it with a foundation brush and dampen it with water next time.
EYES
- Sephora Professionnel Platinum Natural Dome Smudge Brush #13 ($22) – In love with this new brush! I used it to do the smokey look on my lower lash line and it works like a miracle. Faux squirrel hair!
- Urban Decay Primer Potion (of course, keeps my eyeshadow on all day)
- I applied the Benefit Cosmetics “Lotus-ed You Looking” blush / shadow to my lids, then applied the Tarina Tarantino Sparklicity over the top. Used Benefit Cosmetics High Brow highlighting pencil right below my brow.
- MAC Chromaline Black gel eyeliner (PRO Shade) on top and inner rim.
- Milani Shadow Wear Quad Eyeshadow – Wild Violets (medium purple shade) on lower lash line, smudged.
- L’Oreal Carbon Black Telescopic Dramatic Lengthening and Intensifying Mascara – Flexible comb wand brush. Top and bottom lashes.. two coats.
LIPS
- NYX Lipstick – Spoiled with Maybelline Wet Shine Diamonds – Rhinestone Pink gloss (disc.)
Whew.. that’s about it, kids! I am still awaiting the arrival of my MAC Viva Glam lipsticks.. so stay tuned and I’ll be showing those off soon!
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Today is Valentine’s Day and I am getting ready to go out to din-din with my special man. I received a shipment from Revlon to try their new products: Revlon Fantasy Length Lashes and Revlon Color Allure glue-on nails. I am also going to review and post a video on how I use the L’Oreal Telescopic Explosion mascara (globe brush style).
Thank you, Revlon!
The point of these products is to make life a bit easier and to reduce expensive salon costs. The lashes are very natural-looking and easy to apply, the nails are not long and perfect for just wearing for a night on the town or to a special event. Why waste hours and money getting your nails done in a salon?? Well, there are definitely pros and cons to the Revlon Color Allure nails (runs about $10 per box) as I had trouble not getting the glue on top of the nails or on my skin. I accidentally glued my fingers together at one point and had to use nail polish remover to get them apart (as my fiance laughed and thought it was so damned funny!). The nail kit includes very strong nail glue, it’s just like crazy glue! You get a rather large 3g bottle of glue, enough to use to repair a broken lamp? There are enough nails to do them twice. Below are photos that I took right after I applied them. You can see the glue boo-boos that I made!
I pretty much have ugly hands to begin with, but I honestly think these glue-on nails are better than I expected.. and made my hands feel pretty today! I used to get the gel glitter tip nails and I would spend about $50 to $70 for a full set and $20-$25 for fills every two weeks, needing a full set put on every month, it seemed. A box of these nails are about $10, and probably last about a week. I’ll carry the glue with me just in case! I can’t wait to try the glitter tipped nails from the set Revlon gave me. Update: The nails lasted about a week and a half and basically fell off on their own. That is pretty nice considering if you have gel nails that you might have to have a nail tech remove them for you and it’s painful! I like to let my nails breathe for a while before putting fake nails back on.
Revlon Fantasy Lengths Faux Lashes : Flirty
Revlon Fantasy Lengths Maximum Wear Glue-on Eyelashes – Flirty – Drugstore.com (Currently on sale $3.84)
I have worn false eyelashes for years and I’ve tried high-end and low-end cheapies from the Halloween stores. There are some excellent cheapies out there, you just have to hunt. These Revlon lashes are definitely everyday wear lashes that are not too long or too flashy.
I carefully peeled away the lash strip off the plastic base (still ended up tearing a few lashes off the end) these lashes seem really delicate, so be careful when taking them off of the package! I applied my eye makeup first:
Brows: Hodgepodge MAC pencil
Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion, bottom lid: Urban Decay Polyester Bride eyeshadow, crease: Milani Coffee Shop Runway Single Eyeshadow, brow highlight: Benefit High Brow pencil.
Liner: Estee Lauder Artist’s Eye Pencil in Softsmudge Black.
Mascara: L’Oreal Telescopic Explosion mascara ($7.99 @ Target)
Here is a VERY short video of me putting this mascara on. My camera ran out of space during the application!
This is the finished product! This mascara is pretty nice, a little strange to apply, but I am liking it so far. It doesn’t really add the dramatic thickness to my lashes that I like, but I am adding lashes, so I figure that this is enough!
So, now that my lashes are prepped and ready to go, it is time to bust out the eyelash glue and pop these babies on!
I dabbed a little bit of lash glue on the back of my hand and dipped the lashes right in it. The glue is white, but dries clear, so do not worry about it looking white on your eyes.
Here is another video, this time I am showing how I press down and separate the lashes with the end of a rat-tail comb.(Yes, that’s HOLE playing in the background heheh!)
After I finished up my eyes, I applied Sebastian brand “So Shy” blush which is a matte baby pink and a discontinued Tony & Tina lipstick which is a matte pink/red.
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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This worries me just a little. The already perfect Urban Decay Primer Potion just may have some competition coming its way. Not only is the Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer a Sephora exclusive product, but its only available to Beauty Insider members.
This product, which is $20 for .1 oz (UDPP is $17 for .34 oz) claims to help create the perfect canvas for eyeshadow application. The selling point is basically the ingredients:
The exclusive formula contains Phytomoist, a plant-based hyaluronic acid for ultimate moisturization and amino acids for skin-smoothing benefits. Soft focus pearls help diminish the appearance of fine lines on the lids while the patented Qusome® delivery system ensures all ingredients penetrate the skin to deliver effective results.
Sounds impressive, right? I know.. it does. I should give it a try. I don’t really want to be caught cheating on UDPP, but I think the fact that the Photo Finish Lid Primer has fancy Phytomoist and hyaluronic acid, I could be easily swayed by the “soft focus pearls”.
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If you thought that Urban Decay’s Primer Potion lasted long enough, then wait til you see this!!! Urban Decay decided to super size their already perfect eyeshadow primer into a 60% larger product! This is an Ulta cosmetics store exclusive item, so you can only get it here: Ulta.com : UDPP XL : $22.00
I have a tip for everyone that still has a tube of the regular size of UDPP. Remove the inner core and you will get 6 more months of product. No joke!!! I pull out the core, starting where the top rim is of the product, and pull out a long plastic core, using pliers. The wand will then be able to reach more product. I don’t know about you guys, but my UDPP lasts about a year. I wonder how long the XL version will last!!!?
OK, so I am on this tutorial kick this weekend. I also redesigned the site. You likey? Me likey a lotty.
Anyway, this tutorial is an Arabic makeup inspired look. Let me show you what I mean:
The makeup style is very dramatic, with use of at least three different eyeshadow colors. Shimmer is a must have!! I am adding glitter to my tutorial just for fun, you don’t have to use it, but I like it!
We are gonna start off using some different foundation than I used in the last tutorial. No purpose, just to show how different foundations look.
I used Estee Lauder Ideal Matte (a bit like Maybelline’s Dream Matte Mousse) in Ivory, using my fingers, and on top of that, I used a light coat of Jane Iredale Amazing Base in Cool Sand using my Bare Escentuals Handy Buki brush, which is a really stiff and dense brush that picks up a lot of product.
This is my usual MAC Showstopper shadow used as my eyebrow filler. Pictured is the Brandon brand brush which can be found at some beauty supply stores and drug stores, look for it online, I have seen it around.
I didn’t use a brow stencil this time, I just freehanded the arches, using short strokes.
On to the eyes! From the left: Sample size Urban Decay Primer Potion, NARS eyeshadow Duo (discontinued) Mediteranee, Urban Decay Heavy Metal gold glitter eyeliner, EMANI loose mineral shadow #167, Maybelline Lash Stylist mascara.
I primed my eyes with Urban Decay’s Primer Potion, patted down a light coat of the lighter color of the eyeshadow duo (light gold shimmer) and lightly patted a layer of the EMANI mineral shadow under the brow and in the inner corners and outer corners of the eyes.
This is the tricky part! The hardest part of the tutorial.. so pay attention!!! hahaha! Using a flat eyeshadow brush, I picked up some of the darker orange shadow from the NARS duo, and patted it down the middle of my eyelid, stopping in the crease. Some of the shadow may fall on the lashes or face, that’s okay, we will clean that up after we are done with the eyes.
Next step is the contour color, which is the awesome and versatile MAC eyeshadow called Sketch. It’s a beautiful dark burgundy shade with a slight reddish shimmer. This shadow looks awesome over the top of black eyeliner, which I won’t do in this tutorial, but I am just suggesting that you try it out.
Make sure you wipe your brushes off when changing colors! I tapped my flat eyeshadow brush into the MAC Sketch eyeshadow and very carefully patted the shadow next to the orange stripe, up into the crease. Do not blend yet, just leave it there!
Using a very small shadow brush (I used Lancome’s Smudger Brush #10 $24.50) I lined my bottom outer corners with the Sketch eyeshadow, bringing the line up into the crease.
This the part where people have the most trouble. BLENDING! Ugh.. I know, it’s a total drag, but if you practice enough, you will be a pro. I used a MAC #224 tapered blending brush . Starting from the outer corner of the lower lid of the eye, I use small light strokes to bring the burgundy shadow into the orange shadow. Once it looks blended with no seam, I start bringing the outer edge of the crease into the center, blending over the orange and towards the inner corner of the eye. I had to pick up more of the burgundy shadow to make the crease color a little darker. The trick to blending the outer corner crease color is to use circular motions with the brush. See the blended eye on the left, unblended on the right to see the difference. If some of the orange shadow faded a lot during the blending process, pat a little bit more back on and blend.
Above is the finished blended look. I had to add a little bit more of the EMANI loose mineral shadow to the corners of the eyes and brought a little bit up into the corner of the crease of the inner eye to help blend the burgundy shadow a little bit more.
I lined my eyes with Bobbi Brown Gel eyeliner in Black Ink , lining the inner rim of my bottom lid is pretty easy with the gel liner.
This is totally optional, GLITTER!!! To add more drama and glam to your look, add a little glitter. I really love this Urban Decay Heavy Metal glitter liner, it is really easy to use and stays on all day. I dabbed a little in the inner corners and painted a line of glitter right above my upper lid eyeliner, as you see in the photo.
I finished off my eyes with a bit of Sketch shadow lining the bottom lid line using that lovely Lancome brush I mentioned earlier. I dabbed a little glitter in the inner bottom corners. I used my favorite mascara, Maybelline Lash Stylish on top and bottom lashes. In this picture, I added Benefit’s Dallas blush in the hollows of my cheeks (I made the fish face and sucked in my cheeks to find the hollows!)
After I applied Dallas to the hollows of my cheeks to create a slimming and bronzing effect, I applied Jordana blush called A Touch of Pink, which is actually not pink, it’s more coral/orange, but it’s cute! It’s a matte blush which I found at the 99 cent store. Jordana is a very inexpensive brand and you may find it at Long’s drugs, flea markets, but check online if you can’t find it there. I wanted a little highlight on my face, but I wanted to try something that I had in my makeup collection that I had not tried in a while. I used Pop Beauty Glam Jam in Spring Time. It’s a highlighting product that I find hard to use because it’s moist. I usually prefer powder highlighters, but I liked the pinky gold tones in this and I wanted to give it a shot. I squeezed out a small amount on my fingers and pressed it into three other fingers, patting it on my face, not rubbing. I concentrated on the cheek bones, bridge of nose and forehead areas.
Next for the lips. I really do love the Urban Decay 24/7 lipliners.. especially Naked. It’s the perfect nude shade, a little on the mauve brown side, and it stays on a pretty long time. The lipgloss I used was a limited edition Tarte lipgloss from the Purse your Lips collection. These glosses are all wonderful and packed with vitamins and minerals.. even acai berry extract!! I highly recommend purchasing this adorable limited edition collection. Although I do not know the name of the gloss, it is a peachy – gold – pink sheer color. A bit iridescent. Over the top of that, I dabbed a very small amount of the EMANI loose mineral shadow that we used earlier, in the middle of my bottom lip and pressed together. I blended it around a little with my finger.
All done! You can see the full effect of the EMANI mineral shadow under my eyebrow and the Pop Beauty shimmer cream on my cheek bone.
After I heard that Megan Fox was single, I immediately started looking for photos of her.. was she sad, happy.. did she dump Brian for another man?? I was obsessed. I really like how she does her makeup, especially the coral bronze look, so I wanted to experiment a bit and see what I could do.
Note that some of these products are discontinued!!
From left to right: Perfekt primer , Revlon Colorstay in Tawny Fauve, MAC 180 Brush for foundation, Prescriptives concealer in Warm 01, DiorSkin Nude 10 powder foundation, Bare Escentuals Handy Buki brush, & Benefit Ooh La Lift.
Time to get the skin perfected. I currently am broken out really bad due to a foundation stick that I was trying out, my skin is red and blemished.. sorry I am not posting the “before” pic.. I just don’t want to humiliate myself on that level! I started out using the Perfekt primer just on the T-zones to smooth out enlarged pores. I only use my finger with this stuff. Right over the top of that and on the entire face, I apply the Revlon ColorStay foundation with the MAC 180 brush until I get the desired affect, which is blended and smooth skin. I always apply concealer AFTER I apply foundation because sometimes the foundation does a good enough job covering imperfections. I applied the Prescriptives concealer with my ring finger under my eyes and on my nose, where an annoying zit is brewing. I finished everything off with a light dusting of my new favorite powder, DiorSkin powder foundation, using the B.E. Handy Buki brush for extra coverage. I applied Ooh La Lift on both top eyelids and patted until the puffiness was gone.
Lord help me.. I am brave for posting this.
I applied NARS Zen blush (on left) as a bronzer right under my cheekbones, on the sides of my nose and dusted a little on the forehead, under the chin and anywhere I think I needed a little tan. I applied a light dusting of Wet N’ Wild shimmer Silk Finish Blush (it’s a champagne color) to highlight my face (cheekbones, bridge of nose, above lip, forehead). In honor of Megan Fox, I decided to go for a dark, exaggerated, thick brow. Since I do not grow thick brows naturally, I had to do a lot of work with my Anastasia eyebrow stencil (pictured) and chose the High Arch tempate. Using MAC’s dark brown matte eyeshadow in Showstopper, I patted and brushed my brows in using an angled brow brush made by Brandon (avail. in drug stores, beauty stores) It takes practice and patience to use brow stencils. It’s very hard to get both brows to match up, at least for me. Sometimes I have to use a straight edge of paper just to find the place to put the stencil. In the picture below, you can see the brow, and where I used a Q-tip to wipe excess powder away.
Don’t worry, we will clean up the area.
Next I need to prime my eye area. I’ve already used Ooh La Lift to take away the puffies, next I need to smooth the skin and prep it for eyeshadow application so that it will last through the day. First I used a little bit of the MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study (on left) on the outer corners of my eye, using a light touch with my finger. I also use this Paint Pot to highlight areas on my face, like the bridge of the nose and cheekbones. Next, I drew a couple dashes under my brows with Benefit’s High Brow big pencil (second from right) this highliger pencil is great for smoothing out and concealing fine hairs that are growing back after your brow waxing. I then patted Urban Decay’s new ‘Sin’ primer potion on the bottom lid and into the crease, also touching a bit into the corners of my eyes with a finger.
One of my favorite products is Bare Escentuals Shimmer powders. There are so many colors to choose from and I have A LOT of these to play with at home. I dipped my Beauty Strokes eyeshadow applicator brush (drug stores, beauty supply stores) into the B.E. Shimmer powder in the color Tropics. It’s a pretty gold/coral shade that also works great as a blush.
If you want to go for a really natural look, you can just throw on your mascara at this point, but since I am going glam, I am taking further steps to glamness.
I thought I took a picture of this product, but I didn’t see it coming off my memory stick.. SOOO.. I used the Bobbi Brown cream liner, black, with the brush that the kit came with (it was a limited edition kit, expensive, and not sure if it’s still avail.) You can also try MAC’s Fluidline cream liners too.. they work just as good and are more affordable. I started at the inner corner of my eye and worked the liner across, making a little extended tail at the end. I applied a small amount of matte black powder shadow on top of that to soften the look and seal the creme liner in.
Everyone always hears me bragging about Maybelline Lash Stylist. The above picture speaks for itself. That is ONE coat of the product. No primer, nothing fancy, just the best mascara ever. There is proof that it can make puny, light red lashes into nearly fake looking glam lashes.
I said we were going glam, right? So I decided to take my lashes to another level. I used MAC’s Hello Kitty Lashes.. they are corner lashes, not a full strip, and they are so comfy and easy to wear.
I applied the Bobbi Brown creme liner to the inner bottom lid area, then added a bit of the “Tropics” shimmer under my bottom lash line with the angled brow brush dipped in water. I wiped the brush off, then applied a little of the matte brown MAC Showstopper shadow to the outer corners, blending it into the Tropics shadow below my lash line. I forgot to apply mascara to the bottom lashes, but oh well, I don’t think it needed it now!
I wanted a really POP coral lip. Like miss Fox! I thought that MAC Lipglass in Red Devil, & MAC Dame Edna lipstick in Coral Polyps would be perfect to pack that coral punch. I lined my lips with RIMMEL’s 1,000 Kisses lipliner in Red Dynamite, which is an orange-based red. I applied Coral Polyps, and blotted, then Red Devil Lipglass topped everything off just right.
On the balls of my cheek, or the apple, whatever you want to call it.. the fat part? I applied Coralista by Benefit,which is a total copycat of NARS Orgasm, but I thought the box was totally cute.
Ta-da! The finished face. The only thing I wished could have happened here was tanner skin. I was planning to go out this evening with my man, so I didn’t want a tan face and white arms, so for this photo, I didn’t use as much bronzer as I would have liked for this look. I also wished I would have waxed my lip, but I can do that next time!!!
I love doing these tutorials, don’t get me wrong, but I have no time for these! I will try to do one at least per month. (Once per week would be great.. but.. )
I really wanted to love this as much as I love the original Primer Potion. This product reminds me of so many other products out there.. sigh.. but it’s okay, I’m over it.
I have used a lot of MAC paint, paint pots, and the fluidline products, and they are all pretty much like “Sin”, which to me is a liquid eyeshadow and not really a product that holds shadow on. I also have a product like this from Biotherm (no longer in stores, but online) and Lancome, where the product was in a tube and you basically used it as an eyeshadow or base, but really didn’t have the staying power that the original Primer Potion does.
My final thoughts.. well.. I am sticking with the original potion. It works for every shadow, even creme shadows, and doesn’t crease at the end of the day. I did find with “Sin” that I had a minimal amount of creasing at the end of my work day and I did have to pat it around with my finger to make it smooth again.
First off, let me just tell you that Maybelline finally emailed me back. They told me that the stores are the ones choosing to not re-order Lash Stylist… and I am sorry, but I don’t believe that one bit. How could stores across the nation all decide not to carry the same product? If Target is affiliated with Rite Aid, then maybe I would understand, but my mom has gone through hell in a handbasket looking at drug stores for my mascara. Even my friends have looked around. I think that (this is just me) someone or a group of individuals got hurt using it and are suing Maybelline. Lawsuits are usually frequent in the world of cosmetics.. I know this first-hand and I could tell you stories that would make you laugh for weeks.. people sue for the dumbest shit. So, I will give this about 6 more months and if I still do not see my Lash Stylist in the store, I will assume some idiot poked their eye out.
On a much lighter note, one of the most amazing limited edition collections is coming to MAC. Hello Kitty. Yes.. effing Hello Kitty. That cute little pussy has been around since the year I was born in 1976, and I am truly excited to be invited to the unveiling of the product line at the MAC store at Valley Faire mall in San Jose. Once I get my paws on it, I will be posting pics. I don’t even know what it looks like, to be honest.
Due to hard economic turmoil.. I haven’t been makeup shopping, so I am sorry there haven’t been much updates. I saw the Dame Edna line at MAC and I wanted to cry.. I love that drag queen! What MAC needs to do is push the limits with Porn Star limited edition body foundation.. or something like that. Jenna Jamison line? Dude.. I know marketing.
By the way, MAC has updated their site and it’s looking amazing so far. MAC Cosmetics
Urban Decay. Ok.. so I love the line, and I really love the Primer Potion. What could be better than Primer Potion with a bit of sparkle and a dash of color? YESSS.. it’s here.
It’s called Eyeshadow Primer Potion – Sin. Here is the marketing text for your enjoyment:
What it does:
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion – Sin combines incredible staying power with a shimmering champagne hue that complements almost any eyeshadow. This two-in-one beauty miracle can be worn alone to give eyes just a hint of tint for when you’re in a hurry or in need of that “no makeup” look.
I am SURE this is going to rock.. but you never know. I am going to purchase ASAP.
Welp.. hoping everyone is having a good year so far. If you hear about an amazing new product.. let me know!
Seche Vite Top Coat for Nails:
I have acrylic gel nails and normally my nail polish doesn’t chip at all on synthetic nails. I have trouble getting nail polish to dry and I work with computers all day and night.. so if I want to change my color, I feel as if I can’t use the computer all day!(or use the restroom..)
So, I heard about the Seche Vite top coat on ebay, with rave reviews. I found a bottle at Target in the Professional Nail section of cosmetics and purchased it at $9.98. I found this to be pretty expensive for a clear top coat. I even have trouble buying OPI at $7 dollars! I wanted to give this top coat a whirl since I heard so much about it on here and I have ZERO time for drying.
It’s pretty thick like honey, but it def. makes my nails look awesome. It dried my nails in about 60 seconds. I was able to touch nail to nail and they didn’t stick together or feel tacky. The downside to this product is that it peels terribly. I think the product is a good emergency item to have if you need your nails dried in 30 seconds… but prepare later on for the peeling.
Urban Decay Primer Potion:
This is one of my “Can’t Live Without” = CLW beauty products. If this product ever becomes discontinued, I will hang myself because life won’t be worth living. Ok, that is really bad of me to say, but let’s just say that I will be really pissed if this product goes bye-bye any time soon.
UDPP is the acronym for this product that I will use throughout the blog.
UDPP is an eyeshadow primer, with staying powers beyond anything you can imagine. The product looks small, but it lasts for two whole years! I have tried many products that claim to keep the shadow on, but all have failed except for UDPP. MAC paints.. you can keep those.. because they never have worked for me. With UDPP, my eyeshadow does not crease, get greasy or fade away.
How do you use it? Well, I normally place some product on my finger (clean finger!) and pat it on my entire eyelid. I don’t use a lot, just a little is enough. When the product seems to be getting low, I start using cotton swabs to get more product out.
Maybelline Lash Stylist Mascara:
This has got to be the most underrated mascara in the world! This is another CLW for my collection. The brush looks like something that Satan might torture hell’s “noobs” with, but it’s just a mascara wand, it’s just not as fluffy and cute as the ones you grew up with.
I wish I had a video of how I apply this mascara, but I am on vacation and lazy at this point, so I will try to explain. I start at the base of my lashes and wiggle the brush upward as I comb it through. I comb it several times and I do not add a second coat. I do the bottom lashes very carefully.. just take your time and practice and you will get good at using the special comb brush. This formula is thick, so the mascara will only last you a month, but the price is nice.. around 5 bucks.. and you will have Saturday night – cocktail slammin’ lashes.
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