80's LOOK CHALLENGE!

I was born in 1982, and naturally I have always loved the 80's. Listening to the Bangles with my mom, using her hairbrush as a microphone and pretending her bed was the stage. I remember jelly sandals, stirrup pants, leggings under skirts, and of course, bright colored makeup and big hair. And who can forget the coming of "New Kids on the Block"??!



So for the 80's look, I just did really bright makeup and bold pink lips since that was "in" during the 80's, I did a slight teased poof with my bangs.

It was just for FUN, and I would never wear this out, LOL.







Right eye with black eyeliner on waterline, left eye without for comparison...








What I used:
Face:
- Monistat Chafing Gel as primer
- MAC StudioFinish Concealer in NC30
- Silk Naturals Foundation

Cheeks:
- MAC "Dollymix" Blush

Eyes:
- MAC "Violet" Pigment applied wet on lower half of the lid and lower lashline
- MAC "Bright Fuchsia" Pigment (PRO PIGMENT) applied wet and dry on outer-V and contour
- Makeup Forever (MUFE) eyeshadow #26 applied on outer half the lid and contour, as well as lower lashline
- MAC "Your Ladyship" Pigment as highlight
- Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eyeliner in Black
- L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara
- Glitter stars I had lying around....

Lips:
- MAC Mattene Lipstick in "Immodest"
- Lancome Lipgloss in "Seashell"

Check out other 80's FOTD's:

Lakahna
Yummy411
Nilla Cookie
Divine Blackness
Seymone
Habitual Beauty
Mrs. Lynne
Slvrlips
Christiana
Muse
MissJaclynRose

Reader Questions

Here are some questions some of you have asked:

Q: Did you really use Monistat Chafing Gel as a primer?

A: YES! I know it sounds weird and you're like WTH, but don't let the name fool you, it's the INGREDIENT that's the primer, which is dimethicone, and if you currently have another primer, look at the ingredients and you will see dimethicone or other forms of ingredients that end in "cone". CLICK HERE for my review on the Monistat Chafing Gel and the comparison against my other personal fav, Camellia Rose's Skin Soothing Primer.

I have heard of Monistat being used as a primer LOOOOONNNNG time ago when I first got into mineral makeup, I just haven't used it because at the time I had TONS of primers to use up, Sephora Makeup Base, Laura Geller Spackle, etc. and when I ran out of my favorite (her store was closed due to so many orders), I had to settle for the Monistat one, and I love it because it works, and is the same consistency as Smashbox Photo Finish.

Q: Where did you get the Humectress Leave-In Spray from Nexxus?

A: I bought it at Wal-Mart for about $10.

Q: What are some alternatives to MAC?

A: I personally love NYX Cosmetics, available on CherryCulture.com, many of you ask what my favorites are and I like them all personally. For the NYX Round Lipsticks, I love "Rea, Pandora, Circe, B52, Thalia", for the Black Label Lipstick I like "Dusty Rose" for the eyeshadows.. I like "Deep Purple, Golden Orange, Blondie, Rust, Burgundy Pearl, Slate", pretty much all of them are great colors! For the Mega Lipglosses: "Barbie Pink, Beige, Golden Pink"

Q: Are you selling MAC Pigments?

A: I am still NOT selling MAC Pigments at the moment, I hope to soon but I have just been so busy and have not bought any jars for it. I also just hate dealing with those that say they want it and I never hear from them, etc.

Q: Where can I get Mario Badescu samples?

A: You get the samples with any purchase of a full-sized item on www.mariobadescu.com. I purchased his Buffering Lotion, hence I got the drawstring baggie full of samples.

FOTD: Laker Colors!

I am sick. Bleh. The BF is always hot and I am always cold, so he wants the fan full blast AND the windows open, while I want a thick blanket with the windows closed. So I woke up yesterday with a sore throat and my sinuses and eyes were so dry, and last night I couldn't sleep because I was coughing every 10 minutes. But now I am just sucking on Ginger Ale flavored cough drops by Halls, yummy!

So last night the BF and I went to the Lakers vs. Grizzlies game at the Staples Center, my boss got us boxed seats up in the stadium with an open bar and food, we had a lot of fun just hanging out with everyone. It was actually my first time at a basketball game EVER.

Here is my FOTD using Laker colors, and two purple and yellow heart stickers (I love stickers!)





What I used:
Face:
- Monistat Chafing Gel as primer
- MAC StudioFinish Concealer NC30
- Meow Cosmetics Priming Powder
- Silk Naturals Mineral Foundation

Cheeks:
- MAC Fafi Blush in ""Fashion Frenzy"
- Milani Blush in "Luminous" on apples

Eyes:
- MAC PP in "Soft Ochre" all over lids
- Pure Luxe Mineral e/s in "Sunny Day" (applied wet using a sponge tip applicator on inner part of the lid)
- MAC "Golden Lemon" Pigment over "Sunny Day"
- Pure Luxe Minerals e/s in "Grape" applied wet first, then dry OVER it, on the outer-V and contour.
- MAC "Your Ladyship" Pigment as highlight
- Nixie Liquid Eyeliner
- Ardell False Eyelashes in "Babies"
- Ardell Magic Lash Mascara

Lips:
- MAC l/s in "Scanty"
- NYX Lipgloss in "Beige"









Of course the LAKER GIRLS!




They had guards guarding the court to prevent anyone from just walking on it...


What's a game WITHOUT FOOD!??? I had some cotton candy, nachos, and a caramel apple!

FOTD: Using She Space Minerals

I am watching "America's Best Dance Crew" right now, and I am hoping Jabbawockeez wins! I am going to miss seeing them on the show, and gosh are they cute! Jabba-hotties as they say! LOL.

So here is a FOTD I did today using some of the SheSpace minerals I got awhile back; very similar to also the mermaid look I did recently, but just using some of the SheSpace minerals and variations of teal. I also used "Melrose Mood" and "Starlet Kiss" from the Heatherette Collection. I am going to a Lakers game tomorrow at the Staples center with my company, our CEO got us boxed seats since we acquired another website to add to our repertoire. So you know I am gonna be rocking some yellow and purple makeup!

The color was more vibrant in person, so I apologize if it looks a bit washed out...











What I used:
Face:
- Monistat Chafing Gel as primer
- MAC StudioFinish Concealer NC30
- Silk Naturals Foundation in "Buttery Gold"

Cheeks:
- MAC Fafi Blush in "Fashion Frenzy"

Eyes:
- MAC PP in "Soft Ochre" as base all over lids
- SheSpace Mineral e/s in "Make Believe" applied wet on inner corners of the eyes
- SheSpace Mineral e/s in "Bed of Nails" applied wet on outer part of the lid
- KT Naturals "Cornflower" on outer part of the lid
- MAC "Fuchsia" Pigment applied wet on contour above the two colors
- MAC "Vanilla" Pigment applied dry on browbone as highlight
- MAC "Violet" Pigment applied a little on the middle of the lid and wet on lower lashline
- Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in Black
- Tiffa Mascara Base
- L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara

Lips:
- MAC Melrose Mood lipstick
- MAC Starlet Kiss Lipgloss

Product Review- Nexxus Humectress Luxe Moisturizing Leave-In Spray

Product: 5 out of 5
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Price: 5 out of 5
Overall: 5 out of 5

What it claims: New Humectress Luxe goes beyond your daily conditioner to provide the ultimate in hydration. This lightweight spray continuously nourishes and hydrates hair to keep it looking radiantly healthy and shiny.

This luxurious leave-in treatment, with Vitamin E, Coconut Oil, and Honey Extract seals in strength and intense hydration while it nurtures hair back to a bouncy, healthy condition. Hair looks and feels salon beautiful as glistening agents impart deep-dimensional shine.

PROS: Smells awesome! It has a coconutty smell that isn't too overpowering for me and makes me feel like I am on the tropical islands! I love how skinny the bottle is, yet has so much product because it made it so much easier to pack when I went to NY. Makes my hair super soft, manageable and shiny! Price is also great, $9!

CONS: None for me!

Overall: I think this is perfect for anyone, whether you have short or long hair, it's great. It doesn't leave your hair sticky or oily, smells great and really makes my hair nice and smooth, I spray it on after my shower and my pillows smell awesome too! ;)

Question of the Day- Do you think matching your makeup to your outfit is tacky?

I think this is a very good topic because I can see both sides of this statement and I actually know a few people who agree it is tacky.

I personally like matching my makeup to my outfits because I think both the makeup and the colors on the outfit compliment each other and bring you and your features out more, just like how some people match their shoes to their outfits at times. I can't imagine myself wearing blue eyeshadow and I am wearing orange, so hence I would wear a coral or orange eyeshadow or lipgloss to sorta make the outfit seem more in sync with each other. I don't think matching makeup to your outfits is a must, I think many colors go well with neutrals such as a white or a black outfit, but I personally like matching my makeup to my outfits. As long as you don't go TOO overboard and be too "matchy-matchy" as in the accessories, makeup, outfit, and shoes are all the same solid color, I think anyone can pull off something simple like one or two things that match, but that's just MY opinion, I know everyone is different.

So LADIES, what's your take on it? I would love to hear both sides, and if you DO think it's a makeup faux-pas, tell us why!

Some lipstick swatches, teasing comb and new wedges!

So I received my order from Cherry Culture, I got mostly more of the NYX Round Lipsticks, I ended up returning two of them because just by looking at it the color was off from the swatches on their site and was a tad bit too dark for me.

So here are some swatches and comparisons, I wanted to compare Rea, Circe, and Fleshpot and Myth from MAC because they all looked similar or at least in the same color family, but I was surprised how dark Rea is compared to the other ones! Also "Peach" is NOT that dark, it's actually more of a dirty rose, like a pink mauve color, totally wearable, for some reason it looks deep red here, but it's a pink!



I like "Sunflower" even though the swatch does NOT match on the website, it's an orangey/coral color that goes perfect with my orange shirts. It's nice and soft, not bright like MAC's "Vegas Volt" lipstick which was BRIGHT ORANGE.



I know some of you probably don't like "Fleshpot" from the recent Heatherette Collection because it makes some look "washed out", but I love it, especially paired with smokey eyes. Arashi asked whether it would work as a lip base in comparison to MAC's "Lip Erase" and I honestly do think it works well in place of the lip erase; to neutralize the color, although I do find MAC lipsticks to be a bit drying on me, I usually just put a layer of chapstick before I apply their lipsticks and top it off with some gloss. So if you wish to use it as a base (as I know some people don't want to stick their fingers in a pot like you would if you had MAC's "Lip Erase") then this can be a great alternative, or at least any neutral lippie like Myth will do too.

I am also selling a BRAND NEW MAC eyeshadow in "Steamy", most of you MAC Addicts have this color already I am sure, but just in case you don't, I am selling it in case you are interested. I have a similar color so I obviously have no use for it...$15 INCLUDING SHIPPING, email me if you are interested.



I went to good ol Sally's (Sally's Beauty Supply Store), and picked me up a teasing comb. I have so much hair I figure I can put it to some good use and tease the crap out of the sucker to at least look somewhat nice. It has 3 rows of teeth perfect to do the job and get some volume, I will test it out hopefully tomorrow morning...




I went to WetSeal and fell in love with these white wedges!

I love Mario Badescu!

When it comes to skincare, I am all over it like white on rice. I spend quite a few dollars when it comes to my skin, because like many of you, I want something that actually WORKS.

Luckily, I don't have much to worry about because I take preventative measures with my skin, BUT if I get careless, my skin can become super dry, or oily on the forehead, and occasionally I will have a pimple appear magically in the worst spots where my bangs can't hide it. Argh. So even though my skin is naturally like a baby's bottom (CON: people still think you are in high school!), it does get blemishes especially now that I am getting older and with all the junk we put on our faces and the environment, our diet, etc.

I tried Mario Badescu's skin care products such as their Buttermilk Moisturizer, Ceramide Eye Cream, Seaweed Cleansing Soap, and their buffering lotion, and let me tell you how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE his products! I noticed a dramatic change in my skin and I have only been using it for 2 weeks!

So you can get a better idea of the difference it made on my skin, let me tell you how my skin was BEFORE...my skin was dry around my cheeks, nose, and chin, but oily on the forehead. Also since I have bangs, the natural oils from my hair was not helping, hence I would get tiny pimples on my forehead, one after another, or Milia, and it would be so devastating for me because you try all these products from high-end to low end, work hard to maintain nice decent skin, only to make things worse or not help at all. After using his seaweed cleaning soap and the buttermilk moisturizer (which I love and it smells great), my skin actually STAYS blemish free, NOT dry (thank God!), and it actually glows and looks radiant to me then it ever did.

I tried so many products that would work for a few days, then just STOP working completely. Products that would over-dry my skin, making it raw and patchy, or ones that contributed by adding another monstrous, painful pimple. Imagine how much money some of us our wasting...the frustration of finding something that works for you. Aye.

But ever since I have been using his products, I have not received anything even remotely close to a pimple, my complexion is even, smooth and glowy, and I actually feel like it's really clean and moisturized. The buttermilk moisturizer isn't heavy or greasy to me like some people mentioned on Makeup Alley, and again EVERYONE'S NEEDS and EXPERIENCES are different, I can only speak for myself, and I personally LOVE his products so much, they may be pricey for some, but for me it's worth it rather than having to spend $7 or $8 here and there for drugstore brands only to toss them out because they did nothing for me.

I am buying full-size bottles of his stuff!

5 Beauty Crimes I am guilty of...

I've been tagged by Mandi! So here is a list of 5 beauty crimes I am guilty of...

1. I don't clean my brushes as often as I should, probably once a week IF that, but since I live out of a suitcase since I am either traveling or out of town, I hardly have time to sit there and really shampoo my brushes (I use Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo to clean my brushes in addition to a brush cleanser, I figure if it's soft enough to use on a baby's head, it'll work...and it does!), so I often find myself using makeup wipes to do a quick clean-job on my brushes!

2. I don't drink water...like AT ALL. I know it's bad, but I hate water because I hate the taste of my own mouth (I am weird like that), and I just hate not having any flavor, and flavored water doesn't work for me, nor does dropping a lemon wedge or mixing it with powdered anything as it defeats the purpose of the goodness of water with all that unwanted sugar. I know water is good for you since our bodies are made mostly out of water and yada yada yada...but studies have shown that there are some people who can taste the actual chemicals found in vegetables (like pesticides) or water, and I might just be one of them. So I guess I disprove that myth that you need to drink 8 glasses of water to have great skin, I just take really good care of my skin without the help of water, HA!

3. I USED to shave my eyebrows with an eyebrow razor, not anymore, but back in the day I did because I hated tweezing (even now I hate it), I am sensitive to any sorta pain, so I am always trying to take the easy way out to avoid it; but I actually like how clean they look when I find time to wax them, speaking of which I need to do them soon!

4. I never used to curl my eyelashes. I do NOW, thanks to Shu and Shiseido eyelash curlers, but I never did simply because I would forget or be in a hurry and just forget to do them. But curling your lashes to me is an important step because it really opens up your peepers and makes you look more awake.

5. RARELY do I go to bed with makeup on *gasps*! But like I emphasized, RARELY as in twice a year. No joke. There are times I will get home at close to 5 am from a night out on the town and I just wanna go to sleep and not be woken up again by me washing my face, so I go to bed with makeup on. But even if I am in those situations, I try and reach for my Neutrogena makeup wipe and at least try and get as much of it off. But nowadays I can't go to bed without washing my face or I feel dirty.

So what are YOUR 5 beauty crimes? I am sure everyone is tagged already, but if not, let us know! :)

What ingredients are in YOUR makeup? And how hazardous is it?

Wanna see what kind of chemicals you are putting on your face? My friend Kat sent me a link of a site that shows what is in some of the makeup products you are probably using right now AND the hazardous level in terms of the chemicals that have been linked to allergies and cancer...scary isn't it?

http://cosmeticdatabase.com/wordsearch_free.php?hq=mac¬hanks=1

Also, Urban Decay is having a HUGE SALE!

Video: Take-off! Nail polish remover & battery-operated nail file...

Here's a little video of the take-off, I don't know why but take-off in planes is amazing and is honestly my favorite part of trips! I always sit by the window just to get an awesome view!



I am going to be catching up on emails! So I apologize in advance for any delayed responses! Some of you were asking where I got my green dress from my previous post and what makeup I used, I got the dress from Old Navy and the makeup I used MAC's "Emerald Green" Pigment. I wanted to use my Milani "Shamrock" eyeshadow, but I couldn't find it only to realize at the airport it was in my purse the whole time!

The new site is unfortunately taking a backseat at the moment since I've been so busy trying to finalize other things, so I am hoping it will be done soon...I feel like I never really "settled" since I got back from NY, there's always something to do.

I went to Wal-Mart and picked me up a battery-operated nail filer (similar to the ones they use at the salon), it was only $8 and it comes with different heads you can interchange to file, buff, shine, shape, etc. It's awesome, a lot faster than filing and I love how it really sands my nail down so there are no ridges creating a nice smooth surface to apply my nailpolish.







Also, Simply Basic's Nail Polish Remover is SOOOOOO much better than the Cutex Twister Nail Polish Remover, why? Because the Cutex Twister has a sponge UNDER the plastic part that encases it eventually causing discomfort and not thoroughly removing your nail polish and perhaps causing damage to your nail. With the Simply Basics one (available at Wal-Mart), it's PURE SPONGE, soaked in acetone so there is no discomfort whatsoever and removes nail polish in a cinch! (Sorry for the "shadowy" pics)









And Jon's niece Alyssa Jolie! She is just too cute!

Pictures! Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! Sorry for the lack of updates, I am still catching up on sleep! I finally had time to unpack the luggage, only to pack it again weeks later for my San Francisco trip...argh!

So here are some pics from my trip, it was honestly crazy how earlier in the week I was wearing boots and gloves, and today I wore flip flops! Gotta love the West Coast!



Another airplane pic, this time it was from NY to LA, I just loved the overcast as it was raining that day:








It got so cold during the flight that there were frosties on the window!


NY Traffic!










We saw the infamous NAKED COWBOY!




Relax! It was a "Shirley Temple" (I am allergic to drinking alcohol)




Me and my co-workers:










Waiting for the shuttle...


Here are some pics I took of that one year old's birthday right before I left for NY...






Mommy and Ayden


Daddy and Ayden

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Of course I had to get something from the Heatherette Collection! I only got two lipsticks and two lipglosses: Melrose Mood, Fleshpot, Bonus Beat, and Starlet Kiss.





Bonus Beat looks similar to "C-Thru" Lipglass but a lot more sparkle:


No primer, "Fleshpot" lipstick by itself:


"Melrose Mood":