TUTORIAL: Bright Tropical

Here is a tropical, bright look inspired by the lovely Lauren (AKA the Queen of Blending)

Products:
(MAC unless otherwise stated)
Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion (UDPP)
Otherworldly Paint Pot (p/p)
Purple Haze eyeshadow (e/s)
Pagan e/s
Chrome Yellow e/s
Fresh Green Mix e/s
Humid e/s
Sea & Sky e/s
Blacktrack fluidline (eyeliner)
Fascinating (eyeliner)
Chill e/s

Process:
Start by priming the lid with UDPP from lid to brow bone. Next, take a white eyeliner pencil (Fascinating) and draw a line directly under your eyebrow, blend it out with a your finger. With a highlight brush, take a white eyeshadow (Chill) and lightly go over it. Use a bright blue cream eyeshadow (Otherworldly) to cover your entire eyelid to just above the crease. Take a bright yellow eyeshadow (Chrome Yellow) and put that directly over the white on your brow bone. Blend down into the blue cream eyeshadow with a lime green (Pagan), blending it out toward the edge of your eyebrow. Take a bright purple and blend into the inner corner, until it blends well with the cream eyeshadow. Note that if you have a bright blue eyeshadow, you can use that in place of the cream. Using a darker green (Humid) work it into just above your crease, blending into the lime green but leaving enough blue to be visable. Using a shiny lime green (Fresh Green Mix) line the bottom lash line and blend it outward. Line the inner corners of the lash line with a shimmery blue (Sea & Sky). Line your top lashline with a liquid liner (Blacktrack). Add fake eyelashes if you so choose or line your waterline (I didn't, mine is too sensitive) And you're done!

MAC Diet And Discontinued Products...

Okay, so with all the fabulous collections coming out late '08 and early '09 (holy shit, I graduate next year!) I decided to go on a MAC diet. Last time I went to the counter? Returned Jampacked, picked up a lipstick for B2M and bought ONE paint pot! I was so proud of myself. Usually I can't help but spend at least 50$ on a trip.

I've been lusting after Post Haste eyeshadow (bright pink, matte) and Blue Peep fluidline for forever and haven't gotten around to buying them because they were part of the perm line. Not anymore! I was shocked when I saw them added to the discontinued list so I of course had to scoop them up, and a rose-colored lipstick. There goes $43... but it was a special circumstance!

I love the holiday and mini collections because there's so much variety, and I'll almost always take a smaller variety pack over a single shade of one product. Meeeep, can't wait.

Holy Skincare, Batman!

I broke out like crazy the other week and went PSYCHO with the acne products to make the little buggers go away. I took some Biore acne wipes... squirted Biore Warming Blackhead Scrub, St. Ive's Apricot Scrub and Clearasil Ultra on it and wiped my face all over, washed it off. The results were AMAZING!! My skin cleared up the next day and was baby soft and smooth and my pores were cleared out.

Of course, using too many skin care products at once causes your skin to dry out because of the acid and alcohol. Fix? Anti acne moisturizer (Neutrogena) mixed with Bare Minerals' Bare Vitamins (also feels amazing!)

I've got serious OCD when it comes to skin care.

MAC Cult of Cherry Review

I'm not usually one to be easily swayed by upcoming trends for anything - clothes, makeup, hair, what have you. But I must say that I am absolutely adoring MAC's Cult of Cherry collection, which was released as a collection tailored to the dark lips and chocolate brown eyes predicted to be "in" for the Fall season.

You know me, I'm on a budget (the hours at GameStop suck!) so I didn't pick up as much as I would have liked to, but I looked at everything thoroughly enough to write an educated review. Here is what I did buy.

*Spiced Chocolate Quad
*Jampacked Lipglass
*Kirsch Mattene Lipstick

I will probably end up exchanging Jampacked for Cult of Cherry lipglass because Jampacked is so similar to Pop Mode, which I already own. I also plan on picking up the Shadowy Lady quad next time I have sufficient funds.

And now for the fun stuff, various product photos and goodies!


The Spiced Chocolate Quad: Love, love, LOVE it. I wasn't tempted to pick up the "Tempting" Quad (Haha, I made a funny) like everyone else seemed to be. I honestly thought that Sharp was really just a flat out ugly color... but I do love this quad as well as Shadowy Lady. This one especially flatters my eye color and shape, and I would venture would also look lovely on women with deeper skin tones. Great color combos, MAC!

Nanogold (Lustre): A lot of people dislike the lustre formula for eyeshadows, but I think it makes for an excellent highlight color at the very least. It's a sheer, golden-pink color that blends beautifully with Sweet Chestnut.

Brash (Veluxe Pearl): A shiny, rich bronze color similar to Amber Lights but with a better color payoff and smoother texture. I usually don't gravitate toward this kind of color, but the color payoff is fantastic.

Sweet Chestnut (Frost): A frosty burgundy, this is what drew me to the quad in the first place. A peek inside my makeup collection and you'd see I own WAY too many purpley colors. It's almost the exact same color as Artifact paint pot, but in powder form.

Spiced Chocolate (Matte): I already own Brun, which is a similar color in a different texture... however, this is very dark and smooth. Love it as a crease color.



I took some swatch pictures of the lippies, but they didn't turn out. If you really want to see them, may I please direct your attention to the external link section on the right side of your page? Specktra and Temptalia and fantastic resources for swatches and other things. :) But I will review them for you!

Kirsch (Mattene): I love matte lipstick, but not so much the dryness of it. Mattenes are the compromise for people like me. Semi-matte with more moisturizing power! I was originally looking at Bing, but decided on Kirsch as a slightly lighter and more wearable color. It's a lovely dark plum that can be dabbed on for a light berry color instead.

Jampacked (Lipglass): Beautiful jam color with subtle copper shimmer, looks lovely on top of Kirsch or by itself. Like I said before though, I'll be exchanging it for Cult of Cherry because I own something similar.

Overall, I highly recommend this collection for people who either like dark lips or sexy smokey eyes in a variety of colors. The quads are also a great bargain... it's like getting one and a half MAC eyeshadows for free. However if you're a bit wary of wearing dark lips or are afraid to look "gothic" perhaps steer away from the lips. The quads would be an excellent choice for people who like more subtle looks because it does give you the ability to create natural looks. One of my favorite, easy natural looks now is Nanogold all over the lid with Spiced Chocolate blended into the crease. Simple!

Latest Haul

I have a photoshoot coming up next week, and so had to go to the mall and pick up a few things that I could use...


Rebel Lipstick: Gorgeous berry color. I was expecting it to be darker, but it's so pretty that I don't mind. Besides, adding a dark lipglass over it gives the effect I was hoping for anyway.

Sally Girl Glitter: Cheap and pretty. Had to pick some up. :)

Beauty Marked Eyeshadow: I adore using this for a smokey eye. It's a dark burgundy packed with glitter.

Lotusland Eyeshadow: From the new Starflash collection. Honestly I was considering returning it because the color payoff isn't what I was expecting at all. It's almost... so shiny that you can't see the color.

Sea & Sky: If you read my review on the MAC mineralized eyeshadows, I loved them so much that I just had to pick up another one. And I will tell you I adore this color duo SO much. I haven't been able to stop swatching it and using it in looks.

Feline Kohl Power Pencil: Also from the Starflash collection though it's a repromote. Everyone seemed to excited to pick it up that I had to, too. It's very good for smokey eyes, but I don't like it on the waterline because it feels sticky.

Fascinating Eye Kohl: Everyone needs while eyeliner. The possibilities are endless.

Bare Minerals Review

I purchased the Sephora $60 starter kit for Bare Minerals foundation a little over a week ago. I decided to wait a bit before posting a review because it was supposed to be "good" for your skin and show improvements.

The contents of the kit include:
*An instructional DVD
*Concealer Brush
*Flawless Coverage Brush
*Full Coverage Kabuki Brush
*Bare Vitamins Skin Revver-Upper
*Two shades of Bare Minerals Foundation
*"Warmth" all over face color
*Mineral Veil

Instructional DVD:
Honestly, I didn't watch it. I read a few other reviews before the purchase and they all said that it was basically a gigantic ad for other Bare Escentuals products sprinkled with a couple tips on how to apply what you already purchased. I didn't need to be tempted into buying anything more!

Concealer Brush:
Surprise! the Bare Minerals foundation can also be used as a concealer with the use of this brush. Sythentic fiber allows the product to go on very creamy like any other concealer, and compacts the product so that it will provide more coverage. It also has a pointed end to be able to reach delicate areas such as directly under the eyelashes and spot-on to blemishes. I absolutely adore the brush as well as the idea of using my foundation as a concealer because it doesn't look cakey at all, and you can't tell it's even there. I used this on my friend Brittany a few days ago. She has a lot of redness around her cheeks and nose. After applying the foundation I promptly took the concealer brush and added more coverage with it in these areas and the redness was practically gone. It's wonderful!

Flawless Coverage Brush:
This brush is for lighter coverage in comparison to the Kabuki brush included in the kit. I personally prefer fuller coverage and so ended up using this brush for the "Warmth" face color which needs to be applied very light-handedly. When I washed the brush it lost a lot of it's shape and frayed out, which you can see from the picture. This can easily be fixed by dampening it and tightening the bristles while it dries, but none the less it's a bit of a pain.

Full Coverage Kabuki Brush:
As Kabuki brushes go, this brush is for fuller coverage because of the density of the bristles. I prefer using this brush to the Flawless Coverage brush. It's quite soft and fluffy, however I would recommend placing it on top of your makeup table rather than putting it inside a drawer because laying it on it's side can ruin the shape.


Bare Vitamins Skin Revver-Upper:
This is a skin vitamin treatment to be used before moisturizer or alone. It has a bit of a chemically smell. Not a bad smell, but it's there, in case you're someone who doesn't like putting things with aromas on your face. The pump squirts out almost the exact same amount every time rather than measuring the amount of pressure that you put on it. Have something directly under the nozzle and ready to catch it because it comes out fast! Apply it all over your face like you would a primer, it will supposedly minimize pores.


Bare Minerals Foundation:
Swirl. Tap. Buff. This is the mantra of Bare Mineral's foundation as well as instructions on how to use it. With the cap still on, turn the foundation upside down and shake a couple times. Place right side up, pull the cap off and "swirl" your brush around the lid. According to Bare Minerals you should "tap" off any excess on the outside of the brush, but I skip this step just because I don't like to waste product. And like any powder, it isn't going to go directly into the cap after you tap it but rather make a little cloud before disappearing. And now for "buff", which means to work the product onto your skin in a circular motion. You have to be quite careful how much you put on, because while being a creamy product, it can end up looking powdery if you put on too much. However, with the right amount it made my skin look absolutely flawless and my pores practically invisible. Definitely going to be using this as a part of my regular routine!

"Warmth" All-Over Face Color:
When I purchased the kit I assumed this was going to be a bronzer type thing, which I'm not fond of because I actually enjoy being pale and see no reason to try to fix it. When I actually tried it however, wow! It isn't to be used as a bronzer at all! Instead work very, very lightly from one cheek bone, across the bridge of the nose to the other cheekbone. The color is so subtle and yet so beautiful, it does just what it says, gives a "warm" glow to your face without looking like a bronzer at all. I love it and if nothing else I would certainly buy this again.

Mineral Veil:
The purpose of the mineral veil is to be used as a setting powder for the rest of your foundation. However, I really do not like using it at all. It just ends up making my face look way too powdery for my taste and I feel like I have too much product on after I applying it. Skip!


Overall...
If you're interested in trying out some mineral foundation I was certainly suggest looking into buying this starter kit. $60 may seem steep but when you consider how much you're getting and the value of it all (though the products aren't full size as they would be individually) it is most certainly a steal.

How to Apply Lipstick

To some it may seem to be the most trivial task of their makeup routine, others dread it to the point where they skip the step all together. However, if applied correctly lipstick can give you the most perfect pout you could possibly dream of, and even completely reshape your lips and add a little "pop" to your face! Paying special attention to my application method today, I've come up with some tips for those of you who are a bit lipstick challenged.


1. Exfoliate:
This is a step that can be skipped if you deem unnecessary, but every few days you should gently exfoliate the skin on your lips to give a smoother canvas. How do you go about doing this? Depends. I like to take a soft toothbrush designated solely for this purpose soaked in hot water for a moment, and then gently scrub back and forth on my lips. Other people like to use this method with a wash cloth as well.

2. Primer:
Always start with some sort of moisturizer under your lips before applying your desired lipstick, this provides a smooth base for application. I use chapstick, MAC Prep&Prime lip is also a popular choice for those willing to spend a little extra. Lipbalm, vaseline, etc. will also work fine.

3. Lip Liner:
You can also skip this step altogether if you choose, some people don't like the Chola-esque ring-around-the-lips look (myself included) however, if thats what you like feel free. In all honesty I don't have much experience applying actual colored lip liner, I use my previously reviewed clear lipliner from Benefit Cosmetics. For that, I apply it around the outer boarder of my lips, paying special attention to the shape. For example, my lips are very plump so I "curve" the bottom lip slightly to give it more of a pinched look. I wish I had an example picture for this, but I don't.

4. Yay, Lipstick:
Some people suggest applying lipstick with a brush rather than straight from the tube. To me this method seems a bit too tedious, however if you prefer as always, your welcome to do so. I find that just keeping the tip of your lipstick pointed helps to give more precise application. Start in the middle of the bottom lip with heavy pressure, and slowly start to lighten as you work your way out to the edges. Do not simply go straight across, you may need to move the stick from side to side as if you were painting. As you work your way to the outer corners, start to bring your lips in toward your mouth to help make the area smaller. Follow the same technique for your upper lip, except bring your lips out into a wider "fish face" when you start to head toward the outer corners. Once the "basic" application is in place, be sure to go over the corners of your mouth, people seem to forget this or the little amounts that were applied are accidentally wiped off. After you make sure you have the right shape and such, if you have big lips like me stick them out a bit and get the inner wet area of your lips. This can be difficult since it doesn't stick well to moist areas, but if you apply it as if you would eyeliner on your waterline (persistently) it should stick. If you skip this step, after a while it can look as if you only have lipstick around the outer area of your lips and not in the middle (yikes!). Also, be sure to define the cupid's bow!

Hope this helped, if you have any questions feel free to comment.