NYX "Golden Orange" FOTD

***Yes I will be working on a contour video soon focusing on the new sculpt and shape compacts, though it is pretty similar to the last contouring video I did, however I will do one using the new 138 brush as well as highlighting, stay tuned!***

I finally had the guts to do a fotd using the orange NYX eyeshadow I bought a few weeks ago: "Golden Orange".

At first I was a bit disappointed at the way it was turning out, let's say it was a tad bit TOO bright of an orange, so I then took a little bit of gold and a grey-ish color over it to tone it down a little bit, then I was happy with it haha...it's a nice change for me and I really like how simple and subdued it looks.

In case you are wondering how I did my hair, I had a crimper/waver I had for YEARS and thought id dust it off and bring it back to life, I actually liked it a lot because usually my hair is just dead straight since I am super lazy. I might just do it more often...





What I used:

Face:
- Smashbox Photo Finish Primer
- Silk Naturals Foundation

Cheeks:
- For contour I used "Sculpt" Powder
- Applied "Accentuate" on nose and apples of cheeks
- Blush: Milani "Luminous"

Eyes:
- MAC Paint Pot in "Painterly" as base
- MAC "Your Ladyship" Pigment over entire lid
- NYX single eyeshadow in "Golden Orange" on lower half of the lid just above the crease
- Milani eyeshadows "Sun Goddess" and "Mercury" (with a little "Storm") above the orange
- Nixie Liquid Eyeliner in "Black"
- Covergirl LashBlast Mascara in "Blackest Black"

Lips:
- AVON Lipstick in "Nude Pink"

Product Review: Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara

Price: 5 out of 5
Packaging (Brush Wand): 3 out of 5
Overall: 3 out of 5

What it claims: "Get a blast of lush, volumized lashes! LashBlast's patented volume-boosting formula and patent-pending brush are designed to max-out each and every lash, leaving you with the ultimate big lash look."

The truth: It does give you some volumized lashes however I didn't really notice the "big lash look" they described because it didn't really keep my lashes 'up'.

What I loved about it: It did volumize my lashes quite a bit, and I loved how it didn't get hard after it dried, my lashes were still soft to the touch despite the fact I applied several layers. Usually mascara gets really hard on my lashes causing that clumping, weighed-down effect as well as causing my eyes to itch, but this really was soft on my lashes!

What I didn't like: I didn't like how big the brush is, it's very wide and thick compared to its sister, the purple lash exact; thus making it hard to get into the tiny corners or smaller eyelash hairs. Also the tube itself is a bit thick making it hard to grip for some people.

Overall: For $7, it's definitely worth a try, I would definitely re-buy it.

Things I have learned this year and plan on accomplishing NEXT year....and of course my favorite makeup items this year!

They say, "You learn something new everyday". So here is a list of all the things I have learned this year:

1. It's hard to type with a band-aid.
2. I am allergic to Aspirin.
3. Certain situations in your life help shed light on who your true friends are.
4. There really is such a thing as a stupid question.
5. It's hard to run your own business, especially by yourself.
6. I am addicted to skinny jeans, cotton candy, pinkberry, and Halls's gingerale cough drops.
7. I am very sympathetic even at times when I shouldn't be. At least I donated to some awesome charities this year...
8. I am really in love, and he really loves me back. :)
9. Costco hotdogs are the best.
10. More makeup techniques, tips, etc.
11. I am very impatient. :(
12. I realized I really want to be a mom.
13. I spend so much money on things I don't need.

Things I want to accomplish next year:
1. Learn to be more patient and forgiving.
2. Control my spending habits.
3. Get a new place with the BF, either a townhouse or a small house.
4. Focus more on my photography.
5. Visit my parents more.
6. Start painting and drawing again.
7. Get my butt to the gym!

My Favorite Makeup Products This Year:
1. MAC 180 brush
2. Milani "Luminous" Blush
3. MAC "Gentle Fumes" Smokey Eye Quad
4. MAC Beauty Powder in "Drizzlegold"
5. L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara
6. Indelible Gel Eyeliner in "Black Out"
7. AVON lipgloss on "Chic Mauve"
8. MAC Pigments...all of them, but if I had to choose one, it would be "Your Ladyship"
9. EDM Blushes
10. Model in a Bottle
11. Silk Naturals
12. MAC Paint Pot in "Painterly"

MAC Heatherette Collection & Sculpt & Shape Haul

*Image courtesy of Specktra.net

Not a lot of details have been released yet regarding the MAC collaboration with Heatherette (which is a clothing label btw), but here is a sneak peak and boy am I just loving the packaging! Reminds me of GEM with all the super cute pink packaging and gems!



I went to the MAC store yesterday and finally got my hands on one of the Sculpt & Shape powder duos, I bought accentuate/sculpt, even though I have sculpt already, I thought it would be nice to just have in my purse rather than bringing the entire palette with me. Also it fit well with my skin tone, the bone beige/emphasize compact was nice although the highlighting powder (emphasize) was TOO white, and I mean it was WHITE! And the bone beige was more of a yellow brown. So I settled for accentuate which was a nice light shimmery peach color. The other two compacts were too dark for me.

The only thing that really grabbed my interest about this collection was the 138 brush, Anne and I tested it out at MACY'S, and I fell in love! It was super soft, and I love how unique this brush is, has a fluffy pointed tip, PERFECT for contouring and getting in those cheekbones, as there are times where my 136 brush is TOO wide for certain applications. The MUA at the MAC store said they only got 3 in their shipment and that they had no more (what the heck right!??), so we went to Nordstroms and the MUA's there didn't even know what the brush looked like! I had to describe it and they didn't even have it on display. Luckily the MUA was REALLY helpful and checked the back and sure enough....they had it! They were even shocked that we knew about the brush because they didn't and it wasn't even out on display yet. Apparently they got the shipment of the brushes but didn't put it on the counter. Thank God for the internet. We gals honestly know A LOT more than the MUA's do sometimes! So I was really lucky to get one since they were selling out like hot cakes!

The MUA said that the 138 brush is actually the only brush that will be part of the PERMANENT line! Sooooo with that being said, you ladies don't need to rush to get this brush as it it not LE. However, I must warn you, this brush was a frikkin' $52!

I know! $52 for a brush!??? Even though I AM a makeup addict, I am not usually that willing to shell out $52 for ONE damn brush. When I bought my 180 brush for $42 (or was it $45), I was already saying that it was too expensive...but I justified buying this brush simply because it was really soft and I have not found any other brush on the market remotely close to this one that's just perfect for contouring the face. I used it this morning and I love it!

Christmas 2007 & Purple, Green & Blue FOTD

This year was the first Christmas where I really felt like an adult. As a kid, (and being the only child for 9 years!) I got everything I wanted from Santa, we had a true white Christmas with blankets of snow...and more! I would always make wish lists for my parents, and really be into Christmas because it's my absolute favorite holiday! But being that I turn 26 years old next year, I am starting to see that Christmas is for the kids...and I think for me its hard to accept that I am no longer a kid sometimes. I feel like I grew up too fast, especially since I am the eldest I had to play mom to my little sisters at one point. I think in general, I just miss the ENTIRE family coming together under one roof, and nowadays since all the kids are in college, and everyone moved out of state, it's just Christmas with my boyfriend, parents, and grandparents.

Don't get me wrong, I still love Christmas and I am still young at heart and I am like a little kid. My dad always says no matter how old I am, I am still his little girl....but now instead of getting questions like "What do you want from Santa?", they are replaced with "So when are you getting married?", "When are you having kids?", haha I just think its crazy how time flies by so fast. I really do miss Christmas the way I remember it being as a child...

Just some pics from this past holiday:

Cooking up a storm at my house:


Got my Pure Luxe order!


My sister reading her card:


My youngest sister surprised she got the #1 item on her wish list: a PINK nintendo DS!


Jon opening up another gift...


My gorgeous, yet bratty sister and lucky her, she doesn't need much makeup, but we just lined the eyes, added some mascara and gloss, and some sephora blush :


My outfit:


The hair! haha


The sibling and me:



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FOTD

This look I created to match my dress which had prominent colors of purple, green, and a turquoise blue. I used some of my Pure Luxe Minerals I received....











What I used:

Face:
- Smashbox Photo Finish Primer
- Silk Naturals Foundation

Cheeks:
- MAC "Dollymix" blush
- Pure Luxe "Haydria" blush

Eyes:
- MAC e/s in "Wondergrass" (as base on inner corner, 1/3 of the lid)
- MAC Pigment in "Golden Olive" and Pure Luxe "Tart" e/s (on top of "Wondergrass")
- MAC e/s in "Parrot" (middle of the lid)
- Pure Luxe e/s in "Shameless" (over "Parrot")
- MUFE e/s #9 (outer part of the lid)
- Mad Minerals e/s in "Kunzite" on outer-V
- MAC e/s in "Nocturnelle" on outer half of lid
- MAC "Violet" Pigment (on outer half of the lid and on outer corner of the lower lashline)
- Pure Luxe e/s in "Shameless" (on lower lashline)
- MAC "Vanilla" Pigment and ULTA eyeshadow in "Shell" and "Gold Leaf" (highlight)
- Indelible Gel Eyeliner in "Black Out"
- Covergirl "Lash Blast" in Black

Lips:
- Wet N' Wild Lipstick
- MAC "Scanty" Lipstick

MAC Sculpt & Shape Released!

Yes ladies, I know you all have been waiting for this day for a very long time, and the MAC Sculpt & Shape Duos are being released today! Featuring a nice 2-in-1 compact of both a highlighting and contouring powder. $21

The darker powders are for contouring, of course depending on your skintone. And the lighter powders are for highlighting or adding a little more color to your face and other features. My favorite is the "Sculpt" Powder, I use that to contour the sides of my nose, and cheeks. "Lightsweep" is for just a touch of contouring, I guess you can say a more softer version of sculpt in my opinion. "Shadester" is perfect for receding certain unwanted areas such as the hairline, or sides of the face to give you more shape.

Christine over at Temptalia.com has pictures and swatches of her powders from the PRO store, these are not the compacts that are being released today, as these were available for quite some time now at PRO stores only (hence my sculpt powder which I got in NY). She also explains each of the duos in great detail!


Bone Beige/Emphasize


Accentuate/Sculpt


Lightsweep/Shadester


Warm Light/Definitive

Merry Christmas/Feliz Navidad

From my family to yours....Merry Christmas! I'll be posting some more pics and junk soon, just enjoying time spent with family before they head back to Washington. :)

I hope all of you get everything you wanted from Santa....

Cat Eye Tutorial by Temptalia, Navy Blue FOTD & Special Gift I received!

***In addition to my eyeliner tutorial, the cat eye look is best shown by Christine over at Temptalia.com, she shows you step by step pictures in how to achieve the cat eye look!

One of the companies I write for sent me a special holiday gift, it was the Sephora Smokey Eye Brush Set! It was totally unexpected and I was totally floored by the sweet, warm gesture. I blurred out the company for privacy and contract purposes, but I emailed them a special thanks! I totally love the brush set and it even came with an eyeliner brush which I was meaning to get just because I only have one at the moment that I really like, and was looking for another pointy one, and came with volumizing mascara, can't wait to try these out!





I also got my MILANI haul (some of which I will be selling):


I also did a navy blue FOTD a few days ago, I was happy to finally use my mineralize eyeshadow in "Silversmith"!









What I used:

Face:
- Airbrush Primer
- Silk Naturals Foundation
- Model in a Bottle

Cheeks:
- EDM Blush in "Email Me"

Eyes:
- MAC Paint Pot in Painterly
- AVON Eye Pencil in "Lightning" all over the lid
- EDM eyeshadow in "Bundle Up" all over the lid
- MAC Vanilla Pigment all over the lid
- MAC "Silversmith" (blue side) on outer-V and contour
- MAC e/s in "Deep Truth" and Milani "Blue Ice" on the middle and outer half of lid
- Milani "Atlantis" on Lowerlashline
- NYX "Aquamarine" Trio
- Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in "Black"

Lips:
- MAC L/S in "Scanty"
- Covergirl Lash Exact in Blackest Black

Parakeet FOTD & Lumiere Pre-Brush Buy Arrived!

Lately I have been buying some bright, and I mean BRIGHT eyeshadows, and i've been wanting to use them and finally had a chance to! This look reminded me of a pair of parakeets my cousin used to own, they were both yellow and green with a tinge of blue feathers. I used my new "Parrot" eyeshadow on a little part of my lid however blue mixed with yellow makes green, so it just ended up blending with "Wondergrass", so instead I used it on my lower lashline.

Inspiration:








What I used:

Face:
- EoB Airbrush Primer
- MMBB Medium/Dark Beige Foundation

Cheeks:
- Everyday Minerals "Email Me"

Eyes:
- MAC Paint Pot in "Painterly" (all over the lid)
- MAC e/s in "Chrome Yellow" (lower half of the lid above the crease)
- MAC e/s in "Eyepopping" (middle of the lid)
- MAC e/s in "Wondergrass" (on outer half of the lid)
- ULTA eyeshadow in "Shell" as highlight
- MAC e/s in "Parrot"on outer-V and lower lashline
- Indelible Gel Eyeliner in "Black Out"
- Covergirl Lash Exact Mascara

Lips:
- AVON Lipgloss in "Chic Mauve"


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I also got my Lumiere Pre-Buy Brushes finally! Long Baby Kabuki and Long Handle Kabuki, they are suuppppper soft! I love 'em!


And I also got my Valerie cosmetics blushes today in "Smoking Mocha" and "Coquette", gorgeous colors with a hint of shimmer.

MAC "The Originals" (Parrot e/s) & MAC Haul

Yesterday was the release date of "The Originals" which features re-premotes of popular items, most specifically, the most talked about, sought out eyeshadow, "Parrot". This eyeshadow surfaced in forums awhile back and it has always triggered my interest because I was like it can't be THAT gorgeous....searched for it on eBay and no one was selling it, then I found out it was being released with the originals, so I just had to see for myself! I didn't like too much out of this collection as I thought I would, I went with fellow blogger Anne to the MAC store to check out the new goodies, and the lipsticks were a bit too sheer for my taste. The lipglasses are gorgeous, but didn't get any this time...I also saw my girl Chas there too! :)





It's a gorgeous color, but seriously, it's not to die for...as you can see below, it bares an UNCANNY resemblance to my Covergirl eyeshadow in "Aqua Paradise". However, I ended up buying two because I thought they were gonna sell out fast, etc. so if anyone is interested in buying the other one, let me know.



I was going to get eyeshadows "Memorabilia" and "Alum", but noticed that "Nocturnelle" is very similar to "Memorabilia", and "Alum" looks very similar to "Cumulus" from the Blue Storm collection, however when I got home, cumulus looked a bit more silver, so I might just go back and get "Alum", as it's a darker grey compared to cumulus. I also picked up "Satellite Dreams" refill, and stocked up on "Soft Flame" beauty powder since it's LE (Limited Edition), and of course, "Golden Olive" Pigment which is just gorgeous!











Picked up more NYX eyeshadows in "Aquamarine", and the other one didn't have an overall name, I just remember "Ocean" was one of the colors...


NYX Chrome Eyeshadows:


Random Pics of the growing collection, speaking of which I am SELLING Metal-X Eyeshadow in "Cyber" (silver one), for $16 including shipping, only used ONCE.







And I am also SELLING some leftover pigment in the actual jar, there's about 35-40% in each one, almost halfway, enough to last a long time as a little goes a long way! $10 including shipping.

***SOLD***


***SOLD***


Lemme know if any of y'all are interested, it's on a first come first serve basis. I am also offering samples of "Soft Flame" beauty powder for $5 each including shipping.