Reader Comment

Hey Nessa, I finally tried Vaseline as a base on my lids and just wanted to thank you for that wonderful tip! I was playing around with makeup and I just found the vaseline made it easier to blend and the colors came our more vibrant. I haven't tested it for lasting power yet though. Thanks again!

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A: Yay! I am glad it worked out for you, Vaseline does give it more vibrancy, but you just gotta be sure not to put so much because it will start to streak and put excess color where you don't want it, so a THIN layer is good enough. For some lasting power, try www.modelinabottle.com

Thanks for letting me know how it worked out for you!

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Reader Questions:

Q: Hi there. I just found your blog the other day and I'm loving it! I think you do a great job with your eyes. I'm not quite comfortable with colors yet so I'm totally jealous of your ability to wear color nicely. Anyway, I have a question and was wondering if you have the answer to it. I love the texture of cream shadows but don't know how to keep it from running off my face or causing the liner to smudge. I prime my lids with foundation and I use fluidline to line my eyes. What's the best way to make the shadow stay intact and the liner from shifting down my face? Is the only option to forget one or the other? Please recommend budget friendly items if you can. Thanks.
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A: Thanks for the compliment, glad you are enjoying the blog! I've always loved rainbows, and every color on the spectrum, and loved playing around with different colors and textures like matte and shimmers. You'll be surprised how many looks you can come up with just using 3 colors of eyeshadow.




To answer your question on how to keep your eyeshadow to stay on your lids and last:

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE MAC Paints!!! Let me tell you how absolutely AWESOME these are, there is no other brand on the market that is remotely close to MAC Paints. These eyeshadows go from creamy-to-powder, and is VERY easy to apply. The staying/lasting power is UNBELIEVABLE, lasts all day. I personally squeeze a little from the tube onto my finger, and apply it to my lid, then I take a FLAT Concealer Brush and push down and spread (like putting butter on bread), till it covers your entire lid. I use it as a highlighting eyeshadow UNDER my eyeshadow, so I apply it all the way to the brow bone.

I personally have Chiaroscuro, and am waiting to get "Stilife" and "Canton Candy". I also like "Bare Canvas", but it's almost like the Chiaroscuro.

Each tube is about $16, BUT TRUST ME, it is worth it, it lasts a long time, AND it stays on all day for me.





For perhaps a cheaper similar item, I also like Flirt! Cosmetics Eyeshadow Mousse ($10, KOHLS), I love "Sand Castle" and "High Maintenance", those also last a really long time and have a nice subtle shimmer to them, however they are a bit creamy, so be sure to let it dry before applying your eyeliner. Also, try using a liquid eyeliner instead of a pencil eyeliner, as pencil tends to smear with a mousse eyeshadow.

Closer look of the shade "high maintenance" (it's more of a deep purple/burgundy with brown shimmer tones):


For best results, use with "Model in a Bottle", a finishing spray that sets your makeup to prevent smudging, touchups, even from tears and sweat!

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Another great testimonial!

heya nessa!

i have started reading your blogs about a week ago, i must have read about 90% of your blogs from the very first to the most current. so first things first, THANK YOU much! i have picked up so many great tips and tricks from you! to be honest i have always been very skeptical about being adventurous when it comes to makeup, i preferred "light and simple", only using 2-3 types of brushes (out of my expensive 6-pc set from MAC that i bought maybe 5 yrs back...how sad. oh and not to mention i never knew how to use the rest of them HAHAHA).but i learned from your site how to be more playful and to try outside my comfort zone. i never bought any makeup thats not MAC until 3 days ago! mainly bcoz my skin is overly sensitive and i have this preconceived notion that using cheap stuff for my face/skin is disaster waiting to happen. now i won't have to purchase products for trial since you try them out for most of us, hehe. i don't know how i'd be able to afford the stuff you buy!
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Thank you Elle! I am glad you are enjoying the blog, thanks for the wonderful comments and I hope you can find more great things on here! :)

- Vanessa

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Another avid reader testimonial!

thank you so much! i enjoy reading your blogs!

I recently bought the ponds eye cream, it was 10$ at Walmart, i actually like it a lot! it works on me, and when i put it on, my usually puffy eyes are gone in the morning =]

I also bought the Fiberwig Mascara at Sephora that you recommended. it is an awesome product! i have asian eyes so my eyelashes are very thing and short but with the mascara it extends it without the clumps and heaviness of some mascaras. my only complaint about the product is that the fibers tend to get in my eye and irritates it. but other than that i love it!

also, the Evian spray is a great tool after putting on foundation or powder, because it sets it in without looking matte and makes you look fresh and clean!

your the greatest!

<3 jen

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Testimonial for EVERYDAYMINERALS!

From Miss Jacklyn Rose! Thanks love! I am glad the minerals turned out well for you, I love them myself! I will post pics soon!

Date: Jun 22, 2007 11:57 AM
Subject: hey girl!
Body: just wanted to stop by and tell you that I love reading your blog! you mentioned the everday minerals website and free sample kit. I just want to say thank you and a big thank you to whoever tipped you on that site. I have been looking high and low for a foundation to match my skin color. All the colors I have been choosing for some reason are either too light or too dark. I ordered the free sample kit and got the medium tan foundation and all I can say is WOW! I love it. It matches my skin color perfectly and it's not heavy on my face at all!

well just thought I'd let you know.

btw, I want to advertise your blog on my bulletins, is that cool with you? let me know, i want to share your site with all my make up whore friends too.. =)

ttyl girl!

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Sheila this one is for you!

Sup nessa. I tried the Telescopic mascara... all I have to say is THANK YOU! I love it! I haven't really tried NYX shadows. I don't know, I guess I'm wary of trying something that is not MAC and I find it harder to believe something that is $3 is worth a buy... haha... but you're changing my mind more and more by reading your blog, because your shadow jobs look great. Is the NYX pigment just as strong strong as MAC?

A: I am glad you love the mascara! It's one of my favorites along with the 'Panoramic Curl' (I tend to switch depending on my mood haha). Well I always say, "Better isn't always best". I love MAC, I honestly do, they have been the epitomy of makeup since before I was even allowed to wear makeup, haha; and I actually have a few of their eyeshadows. I suggested NYX because they are actually really great eyeshadows for people who are on a budget. For ONE MAC eyeshadow at $14.50, you can get almost FIVE NYX eyeshadows! The pigments of a NYX are almost the same as MAC if not the same. I noticed that I use the same number of "swipes" on my applicator with both MAC and NYX. So if you like, you can definitely BUY ONE and see how you like it, I personally like the NYX loose pigments more than the eyeshadows because they deliver a nice shimmery boost of color EXACTLY like MAC's, so try those. [pictured below]. Like I mentioned before, my eyeshadows are MIXED, so one color could be L'Oreal, one could be MAC, one could be Flirt Cosmetics, or one could be NYC. I never use the same brands of eyeshadow for one look, not as a rule, but I just noticed I never do.

It's best to play with different brands of makeup to achieve different looks, if you stay with one brand, you are limited to how many different looks you can do. I like ALL brands of eyeshadow, Sephora brand eyeshadows work well too ($10), and I love the bright colors L'oreal has.

For a "base eyeshadow" (or what they call a highlighting shadow), there isn't much sense to spend $15 for it when it ends up being covered by your actual eyeshadow, which is why I absolutely cannot live without Revlon's "White Whisper" ($7) and Flirt's "Limelight" ($10) which comes in a super cute compact with a mirror. (Available at Kohl's).

These are some of the items I recently purchased to add to my growing collection of what my mom likes to call "junk" (aka "makeup"):



I also bought a "kabuki brush" [picture to the very left], this is great for getting more control of applying powder or brushing off excess shadows on your cheeks. And of course my bf Jon has to make a cameo!





Again, these are the ones you want to get, I believe they are $2.99 each and they are equivalent to MAC's Pigments in my opinion.

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Testimonials

I have honestly received A LOT of positive feedback from this blog, and I am really happy to hear that you all enjoy reading my entries and can learn a few things and try them out yourselves. I wanted to do something like this for a long time because I too, love makeup, but had trouble getting reviews on products I was interested in, or saw a lot of great looks on people, but never knew how to achieve it, or some wouldn't say because it was a "beauty secret". I would get so flustered spending lots of money and having products not work for me, and then- not being able to return some of them was even more annoying.

But this blog is MORE than just makeup, it's to make you gals feel good about yourselves and achieve confidence that you are beautiful no matter what. I am in no way condoning that OUTSIDE looks overcomes who you are on the INSIDE. I think there are a lot of people who may be HOT on the outside, but when you get to know them you'll see that their personality is a bit shallow, yet you look at average looking people, and they have a heart of gold. I want the outside, to match the inside. And everyone has potential to be something great. Again, these are just tips and how-to's, what works for me may not work for you and vice versa, so if you tried something that i've mentioned, and don't like it- don't be mad please! haha. But if YOU DO like something you are currently using, please share it with me so that I can post it on here.

Anyways, I received this WONDERFUL comment from such a great person who sounds like she has such an amazing heart:

I just wanted to say thank you. I'm sure just like everyone else we all have our busy schedule and I really appreciate someone like you who gives a bit of their time. This is really a lot of help for us girls, especially with me. I love makeup and fixing myself up, but i'm totally lost on what stuff to use and how to use them. Hopefully, you keep this up.

To whoever you are, thank you for your kind words, it's people like you, who are such an inspiration to me and others. Us gals can relate how busy our lives can be, and how we rush to get to school and work, with little time to get ready and look glam. I am hoping that I can help other gals who are in the same situation who kind of don't know where to start and what products might be good for them.

So keep on reading! My next posts will be another eyeshadow visual and makeup cases/boxes!

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One satisfied reader!

Special thanks to the beautiful Miss Christiana...she went out and bought some of the products I suggested on this blog and tried them out and was happy with the results! She tried the heated eyelash curler, and she has a photo of her humongous eyelashes that really open her eyes! Check it out here: her blog

NYX Eyeshadows are really great because one stroke is already a lot of color, and they come in a variety of great, complementing shades. Other eyeshadows you have to cake it on to get the right amount of color you want. Eyeshadow palettes are also great to keep in your purse, in case you need to dash out to a dinner, or a party after work, you can switch up your colors with ease! Some palettes even have a blush and lipgloss combo.

Eyeshadow Palette by Urban Decay ($34)



Laura Geller's "Face Folio" comes with pressed powder, concealer, mascara, eyeshadows, blushes, and more!($48)



Another palette great for the HOME is Sephora's Blockbuster Palette ($36):



My favorite is the palette from SUGAR Cosmetics, it folds!



On a budget? Try Sephora's palette, only $6!


CLICK HERE

If you don't want to carry a big 'ol palette in your purse, try these compact-sized eyeshadows by Pop Beauty called "Eye Cake", CLICK HERE

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