Eye and lip products from COLOUR POP!

After seeing several Youtube Beauty Guru's posting videos on this new line of cosmetics, I decided to look into Colour Pop cosmetics. It seemed too good to be true; great color payoff, long wear, all for under $10 a piece??? BUT IT SEEMS TO BE TRUE! I went ahead and ordered 3 shadows and 2 lip sticks, the swatches are below.

Colour Pop Super Shock Shadows are super cushiony. It's almost like putting your finger on velvet pudding mousse. Because of their formula, you have to keep the lid on tight. Like the box says "Keep the magic in, close jar tightly after use" and I can completely understand why. These are the softest shadows I've ever felt! They can be used with fingers or with synthetic brushes. They recommend using the finger first to give better color payoff then blending out. I can't wait to play around with them other than the swatches! 

The first eyeshadow is Bill (on the left). It's a very soft almost fleshy-warm toned muted brown taupe. It comes off as almost pink. It's going to be a great wash color or transition crease color

 

 
The next color is simply spectacular. It's called Cricket. Normally I don't go for glittery/shimmer shadows, but this one just called to me. It's a gorgeous purple/wine metallic that is going to be stellar as a mobile lid wash of color.

The third shadow I got was Girl Crush. A muted  and dusty blue based taupe (think I love a good taupe?? YES) it almost comes off as a gray that will be a good transition or crease color. Though I'm thinking I could use it on it's own as a color wash too!

NEXT TO LIPPIES! I LOVE lipsticks that are easy to put on and build, each was swatched 3x to get the full color payoff. The tubes are skinny like a pen, slanted for easy precision and are twist ups. SO GREAT! The pigments are great, I can't wait to see how long they wear!

First up is Button. An easy neutral coral, I can easily see myself wearing this throughout the Summer into Fall. Very wearable but not nude, gives a good color for my fair skin. (Don't be fooled, for some reason I look tan in these pictures, I'm really pale in person.)

As I was shopping, I came across Frida. On the website it's billed as a "A warm mid tone nude pink with a satin finish" and that's true, but on ME it's much brighter, as you can see next to Button. It's coming across much more Pink Lemonade and it's SO CUTE! I love how it's so solid and playful, it's just warm enough to really show off my lips without a ton of effort.

So here's the swatches in a different light to try and show the beautiful colors, top to bottom: Bill, Cricket, Girl Crush, Frida lippie and Button lippie. 

Each eyeshadow and lippie were $5 US each. THAT'S IT. FIVE BUCKS!! When I placed my order, they had a free shipping with every $30 order in the US so SCORE! Colour Pop is made in Los Angeles so it was only a few days wait until my order showed up at my mailbox. I'm really looking forward to wearing all of these! 

And CHECK THIS OUT (from the Colour Pop website)

PS. We are 100% fur baby friendly, bunny approved, and only test our products on humans – the ones in our HQ to be exact.

How great is that??? Go check out Colour Pop and take a look! You might find out you love this line as much as I do!

Solving acne: The Easy Way

I've never been shy about my experience with acne. Whiteheads, blackheads, the dreaded cystic. I've had it all and even as an adult, continue to have to deal with these f*ckers.

All my weapons against zits have been topical and over the counter. I've been to a dermatologist, but for my eczema, not for acne, so I haven't gone through the hardcore prescription stuff like Accutane or Cortisol shots, but I have had major struggles. Especially with Cystic Acne and especially when I was a teenager. I have always been willing to try anything to help.

If you've been lucky enough to never have had a cystic acne experience, I envy you, but I'll explain what they feel like. They are hard, start deep under the skin, seem to take weeks to come to a head, they throb and are so painful! There's no head to extract or try to pop or lance; you wish you had a needle because if you could just get that stuff out of there the pressure would ease and give you relief! But just because there's no visible head, doesn't mean they are invisible! Ohhh no! The skin is swollen and raised for what seems like months. Then, if you are able to get it to come to a head and manage to pop it? IT GETS WORSE! The wound takes forever to heal! You try and get all the "ick" out, if you can get the sack you consider yourself lucky; however I've had cluster cystic acne before and let me tell you, no matter how hard you try, you just aren't going to get all the sacks the first time so the infection gets worse and it's just heinous. Blech! 

Topical/over the counter spot treatments can help, but they dry out the top layers of your skin which causes redness and flaky skin, making the acne more pronounced and sometimes more painful.

Sheesh!

I don't get the cystic acne as much as I used to, but I do still get them (and other spots). And now I have a new weapon in my arsenal.

Cut up piece of bandage!

Hydrocolloid Bandages.

What are those???

Hydrocolloid Bandages are blister band-aids! You know, those ones you use on your foot if your shoes are too tight/too loose and you wind up with a blister across the back of your heel? Yeah! Those!

I was watching one of my favorite YouTubers Rachel Whitehurst (she's awesome, but she cusses, be warned) and what she said blew my mind! Apparently she had been alerted to these helpful little beauties via Tumblr.

I immediately went to Ebates.com and placed an order for the Target Brand bandages, went and picked them up at my local Target (YAY site to store pickup!) and gave them a try.

Now, I didn't have a cystic zit at the time, I DID have a whitehead zit that had just surfaced and naturally I didn't take a picture of it. Because I had the dumb that day.

BUT I did what Rachel had suggested, I cut the bandage to fit (I actually made sure that the fattest part of the bandage was on the zit part) and stuck that sucker on there. I left it overnight and let me tell you that white part was completely gone the next morning!

I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!All that was left of that zit was a bit of redness that was easily covered up by my tinted moisturizer! IT'S A MIRACLE!

Ok, peeling off the well worn sticker wasn't painless, it is VERY sticky so it pulls at any teeny hair, but it's easier if you wash your face a bit first, then peel it off, then wash your face like you normally would.

How did that work???

The bandage was made to draw out moisture and any infection from a blister while cushioning the skin and not leaving it dried out. So yeah, it's pretty much the perfect product for acne that is too stubborn to rise to a head but too deep to apply anything topical to kill the infection! Now, the trick is to leave the bandage on as long as possible, that way it draws it all up into the bandage material; but walking around with a weird piece of flesh colored bandage may not be possible. So leave the piece on as long as you can, then peel it off to see if the blemish can be dealt with (extracted or treated topically). If yes, then do your thing, but if you don't want to risk scarring, leave the hydrocolloid on until you get the result you want. I didn't experience any itchiness or anything, and frankly, you know how everyone tells you "KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF YOUR ZIT" and you still touch it? Yeah, I felt confident that I could touch the bandage and NOT make my zit worse! A FIRST!

There are other options of hydrocolloid bandages available too! 

If you don't want to cut the pieces yourself, you can go to Amazon.com and try the Nexcare or Hydra-Band versions of a hydrocolloid bandage; these are pre-cut into varying sized circles so it's a
"peel and stick" option. I haven't tried those, and frankly the Target brand bandage that I have to cut is so much cheaper I don't mind cutting them to fit the size I need. 

So there! Something new to try that is inexpensive and fairly easy to obtain that won't cause the damage and scarring the old ways of dealing with your acne have been! Let me know if you try it and what your experiences are!

WHICH COLOR?? Why choose just one??

 

  Last night, I decided my nails needed a color change. So I dug into my collection* (I have way waaaaaay too many nail polishes, I had to get a storage system...) and started grabbing colors. I ended up with 5 in the same color family and the same brand.

Butter London lacquers are fantastic, they go on beautifully, (I put on 3 coats of each just to have complete coverage) and I've never had a problem with any of them.

The list of colors, from pinkie to thumb are:

Snog, Trout Pout, Dahling, MacBeth and Jaffa.

My entire nail routine is as follows: Melt-Away Cuticle Eliminator by Butter London, then I push back my cuticles (gently!) and nip them with the Mini Nail Rescue Kit by Tweezerman from Ulta.com, then I use OPI Chip Skip to clean my nails. Then I use OPI Original Nail Envy to treat my nails, since they tend to bend and peel on their own. I use Orly Bonder rubberized basecoat, it's the best one I've tried, it helps me keep the polish ON my nail instead of all over my finger. Two or three coats of my chosen color, then this amazing topcoat Glisten & Glow fast drying topcoat which works even faster than the Seche Vite topcoat but without the "pulling" on the polish (when the polish pulls back from the tip and exposes the nail underneath). And it's incredible! It dries fast enough that I can paint all 10 nails, then go straight to bed. I love it! 

My nail polish usually lasts 4-5 days, if I'm not impatient and change them first, which is nearly always the case!

The lacquers were purchased by me via EBATES and Ulta.com, and the topcoat was purchased at Glisten & Glow. 

HAIL TO THE LIPSTICK QUEEN

  

Does anyone else remember the "mood" lipsticks? They came in bright primary colors and turned a much different color on the lips? They looked cool, but they were terribly dry and waxy on the lips.

BEHOLD! 

Lipstick Queen has brought back the concept with Frog Prince. Bright Kelly/Emerald green in the tube, this super emollient lipstick feels more like the best lip balm you've ever had and gives you a flattering rosy hue, specific to your body's ph level. Because SCIENCE!

What the brand says:

"Get heads turning with Frog Prince, a remarkable emerald green lipstick that transforms into magical rosebud upon contact with the lips. Don't be fooled by the deep green hue of this semi-sheer lipstick - the green reacts with the warmth of your lips turning them an intense, fairy tale rose. No two pairs of lips will look the same as it adapts according to your pH and natural coloring, appearing entirely different yet beautifully flattering on everyone. Vitamin E and Shea Butter keep lips soft, hydrated and deliciously kissable. And just like true love itself, this enchanting shade was made to last. Lips remain their blissful pink all day long from just one lingering, magical Frog Prince kiss.

• Moisturizing Shea Butter and anti-oxidant Vitamin E soothe and protect
• Glossy, wet formula wears into a gentle, flattering and long-lasting pink tint
• Unique to you – Frog Prince adapts according to your pH and skin tone to create your most flattering shade of pink"

What I say:

Yeah! I would have to agree with them! The formula can't be beat when it comes to hydration. The product is sheer, but turns the skin an opaque color, which works like a stain so it gives you super long lasting color payoff! 

Below, you can see the original tube, the green product with the rosy pink packaging. The packaging is a pink metallic with a rubberized grip around the sides. It's very pleasant to the touch and easily found in a makeup bag! The top right pictures is me putting on the product, then directly under is a few seconds after, you can just make out the color starting to turn! 

I gave the product time to fully develop, about 15 minutes, then took another picture. Voila!

The color deepened, I'm not wearing any lip liner or gloss, and I'm loving it! Though the color isn't coming out in the picture, like I'd like. But that could be user error with the green background, you get it though, right???

I purchased the lipstick via EBATES and Ulta.com.

I really enjoy making money back when I use ebates, use the link above (yes I get credit) and sign up! Especially when the lipstick is $25 (US)! So sign up, you'll see what I mean!

Eye've been busy - but here's a Two-Fer!

Terrible pun, but still.

I've made some purchases lately that I wanted to share. Both concerning eyes.

Photo from shueumura-usa.com

 

 

 

Firstly, the new eyelash curler from Shu Uemura via the Ebates.com site, New Generation Eyelash S Curler. This oddly shaped curler is reminiscent of a Tweezerman for Laura Mercier curler from awhile back; the surface area is at least 1/3 of the size of a normal wide-mouthed curler and has a definite learning curve when it comes to use. 

Just like the "Bite Bite Bite" method from my previous post; start at the base or as close as you can maneuver the curler, you can use the top white pad as a guide (when you feel it touch your lid, stop!) or just eyeball it. Squeeze with a firm but slow pressure, then release softly, tilt your wrist up (thereby tilting the curler) slowly and do another short squeeze and repeat at least twice. You get SUCH a deep curl out of the S Curler! Because the actual surface area is smaller, it also allows for more precision which also translates into take your time when using this curler. Do NOT rush it! Yes, you can get into the inner and outer corners and curl just about every top eyelash you have, but if you rush you risk yanking out lashes in sections.

The Shu Uemura New Generation Eyelash S Curler retails for $24 US.

On to the next!

PHOTO FROM INGLOTUSA.COM

I've been searching for years, YEARS I TELL YOU, for polymer wrapped Tight-Lining product to NO AVAIL. 

Until now!!! This little beauty is the INGLOT AMC Eyeliner Gel in 77. It's a deep, DEEEEEEEEEP black with a putty-like look but an INK-LIKE texture! It's FANTASTIC! I was first turned on to it by YouTube User AnneThenSheSaid during one of her tutorials. She used it to make a fierce cut crease and by the look of it, I WANTED IT! I commented her video and asked if it was good for Tightlining (demonstrated in my previous post - How to Tight Line) and she told me it was GREAT and SHE WAS SOOOOO RIGHT!!!

I was STUNNED at how BLACK the eyeliner is and how creamy and easy to apply in the lash line! And let's have a half-second to talk about the price, on the INGLOT website, it retails for $12 US...I'm sorry, are those angels singing???? That's $12 US for 5.5g of pure black inked amazing-ness.

My only concern: it's really really inky. And you need an oily remover to get it off. Of ANYTHING. It took me a good 5 minutes to clean it off my hand and brush. It sets like crude oil. But I LOVE IT!!!

Below is a picture I took of my eye this morning, (sorry it's so yellow. I couldn't get the light to adjust right) I'm wearing the tiniest bit of eyeshadow (mainly because I accidentally pushed through my lashline while tightlining and COULDN'T GET THE SMUDGE OFF), the Inglot liner and mascara after curling my lashes with the S Curler. 

You can see, the curl is DEEEEEP y'all. The liner is solid and tight. And I fully expect all of it to stay that way ALLLLL DAY. 

(I also have my brow stuff on, but that's another post)

  

Has anyone else tried the S Curler or the Inglot Liner? I'm curious. There's 16 shades of liner on the Inglot site, including the most gorgeous red I've ever seen...obviously not for the faint of heart; also warm and cool purples, a teal that I'm drooling over and more!

Now this??

Ok, this is going to sound like a commercial...and it almost is.
I signed up with Ebates guys, and do you know what?
SEPHORA AND ULTA AND AMAZON AND TARGET are ON THERE!

I can't even tell you how dumb I feel having shopped directly from sites in the past. ALL THIS TIME I could have been racking up money and getting paid part of it back!! I FEEL LIKE SUCH A FOOL!!

When I first saw the commercials for Ebates.com, I thought "What a scam! It's probably for super obscure websites that I would NEVER shop." I'm gobsmacked, just about every online purchase I've made in the past year, I could have been earning part of my money back if I'd used Ebates.com.

I just barely signed up myself, but NOW IS THE TIME, they pay out quarterly, so you can start banking your bucks now! Also, you can have them send you a physical check or submit to your paypal account, love the options!

Anyway, here's the direct link too, it's my referral link so if you click and sign up (WHICH IS FREE AND SO SIMPLE IT'S ALMOST STUPID) that would be nice, there is a referral rewards program: http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=gzzJ6d7juT1HBVaoQmmnaQ%3D%3D

I know, this isn't a product junkie post, but dudes...seriously??? MONEY!!

What's in the Box?? (October 2013)

Guys, I've been meaning to confess, I've been a subscriber to Birchbox for a few months now.

Voraciously watching my email for my notification of "your box has shipped!" and checking and double checking the tracking link until my box arrives and I can tear into it like Christmas Morning. IT'S SO FUN!

I haven't been too excited about any of the boxes, some of the products have been fine. The random nail polish, the random lip color, etc. None have really caught my attention quite as well as two of the five products I received for October.

My October Birchbox (photo from Birchbox.com)

photo from Birchbox.com

I'm familiar with The Balm Cosmetics, having purchased a concealer pot from them several years ago and never hitting pan no matter how much I used it. Which, is incredible. So even though I knew their products were great and affordable, I never really purchased more.

I might actually buy this when I run out!

The Balm Staniac is a little tube, about the size of a cotton swab, of cherry colored jelly with a doe-foot applicator that is easily used as a lip stain or cheek stain.  Yes the tube is small for a price point of $17, BUT it travels better than the fantastic lip and cheek stain BeneTint by BeneFit. (Which is widely recognized as the best lip & cheek stain)

photo from Birchbox.com

I'm a big fan of lip balm, BIG fan. From my first swipe of a LipSmacker, I was IN. But ChapStick, never really was appealing to me. Too waxy, smelled weird, etc.

This little beauty, ChapStick Hydration Lock, was a special "find" from Birchbox. Which means it wasn't really a part of the monthly box, but IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN! 

 Reluctantly, I opened the package and swiped on the product and was instantly impressed! My lips felt smoother but not waxed over (a huge complaint of mine for ChapStick products) and they looked smoother! I've been battling with a super dry and flaky patch on my lower lip for weeks and the ChapStick Hydration Lock completely obliterated the look of it! And did so for at LEAST 4 hours. Which to me, is an eternity when it comes to lip balm reapplication!

The product states that the "flavor" is Vanilla Creme, but I couldn't smell or taste anything. I'm probably desensitized by my use of the EOS lip balms. 

There is no price point on Birchbox.com for this product since it's a "find", but I'm sure you could find it in your local drugstore or box store.

I can't wait to see what's in my next Birchbox!!

The Essentials: A Solid BB Cream and a GREAT brush? What a concept!

I've been a fan of the BB Cream, specifically SmashBox BB Cream in Light. So when a solid/cream form of my favorite almost-foundation I was desperate to get my little hands on it!

Enter in Too Faced Air-Buffed BB Creme Complete Coverage Makeup! It's got the lightweight feel of a BB Cream and tinted moisturizer (once applied), but the coverage is so much better! It's build-able but still feels like there's barely anything on my skin! And you can't argue with the result:

On the LEFT: My bare face. On the RIGHT: My face with the BB Creme!

You can see the major difference! My skin looks smoother, more uniform without looking flat. The redness is virtually non-existent with the Too Faced BB Creme! AWESOME! The color that matched my skin was Vanilla Glow.

The Air-Buffed BB Creme comes with a little brush that clicks directly into the top of the cap. Convenient? Yes! Did I want to use it all the time? Nope. It'll do in a pinch, but with regular wear, I was going to need something more substantial.  To which I purchased a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush from Ulta and could not be happier. The brush is terrific, I highly recommend spending the $8.99 and picking one up. (Actually I bought 2! The price is so great, and you never can have enough good brushes!)

The Expert Face brush is synthetic fiber shaped in a short dome which makes applying creamy products absolutely effortless. Building the coverage of the BB Creme was easy; I just stippled some of the product where I needed the extra help then blended further out. The finish is a soft matte, so I  could set with a translucent powder or let it dry down on it's own. Voila! 

The BB Creme retails for $39 (U.S.) and comes in a small range of colors, only 5 to date that I could find. Which isn't the best, but it's what's happening right now. If the product sells well I hope the color options will increase. 

Recommendation: I say go check it out! Find your nearest retailer that carries Too Faced and see how the Air-Buffed BB Creme works with your skin! I purchased the products myself, and I love them!

BIIIIIIG volume without needing earplugs!

I have thin hair, a lot of hair, but it's thin. It's also long, longer than it probably should be (...yeeeeah I really need a haircut) which means that it gets flat against my head pretty much daily.

Annoying!

I can hear you thinking "Duh, why not just backcomb it?" I'll answer, because I can't seem to do it successfully and I'm a hair-toucher. I have a tendency to run my fingers through my hair or touch it in some way, and if it's back combed my fingers get stuck and while that's hilarious to watch I'm sure, it's not very awesome.

I've used volumizing shampoo, conditioner, gel, mousse, and *deep breath* even a Bump-It to try and get a lift outta my locks!

One day while shopping at Ulta, I came across Got2b Powder'ful Volumizing Styling Powder and thought "Well, I like hair powders, I'll give it a shot!"

I AM SO GLAD I DID!

The good: It's relatively inexpensive (I paid $5.99 plus tax US) and while the bottle is very small and yeah, I shook several bottles to make sure that I wasn't buying an empty bottle, the product is virtually weightless in the container! It's not really powdery, the only way I can describe it is "teeny-tiny-plumping plastic". It feels like gum in your hair, but dry. HEAR ME OUT!! I know, "gum in your hair??? GROSS!" except it FATTENS your hair and changes the texture to what I can only describe as able to hold up the Moon. Plus you hardly need any to get the height and texture you want.

The wacky: It feels weird! It shakes out like powder, but looks like teeny tiny granules. When you go to "emulsify" it between your hands, it doesn't disperse. It disappears.  But it's still there, the texture is on your fingers now, so you can place the product directly at the root of your hair with your fingertips. This takes a bit of getting used to. You can also try and lightly shake the product onto the roots of your hair, but it's harder to control and you might wind up dumping a bunch onto your noggin. (...yes, that happened to me)

The meh: You really can only use it the one time as you're getting your style together. It bulks up the hair so much, you will have a hard time re-styling should you change your mind and want to curl or brush or comb through your hair. Once it's in there, it's IN there. You can't really style around it, or at least I couldn't, but my hair is long so maybe that was part of the problem.

The verdict: This stuff is AWESOME! Once I got used to how it worked, I found it easy! And it is completely undetectable! Unlike dry shampoos that can leave a white residue or colored residue depending on the brand you're using, this product VANISHES completely. I really like it! 

WEN Fall is almost over!



Photo by QVC.com


HURRY HURRY! The Autumn scent of Wen is almost gone! To be locked away for 3 whole seasons!
This lovely, warm and spicy miracle is one of the best haircare products I've ever used EVER!
As told by my previous love-post here.

QVC.com is the place to get the best pricing I've found (in the U.S.) though occasionally you can find it on amazon.com.

I WISH IT WOULDN'T GO AWAY!!! However, the brightside is that Winter is coming! And that means the Winter Wen Scent is on it's way! HOORAY!!

And the new WEN Summer Scent is....

MANGO COCONUT!!
And it is WONDERFUL!

I got my new WEN scent from qvc.com yesterday and could not wait to use it!
Much to my surprise; the stronger note in the bottle is the MANGO and not the coconut! I thought for sure I would smell like suntan lotion/the beach experience upon using the shiny new concoction, but no! The scent is strongly fruity, but not super sweet. Unlike other WEN scents, this one lingers long after. The smell is sweet but not overly so. Completely lovely!

photo courtesy of qvc.com community picture

My recommendation? If you're already a WEN fan, give it a shot! I'll be ordering another bottle soon.

Stained your nails? EASY fix!

Have you ever used a dark or colorful nail polish, then after taking it off eventually you discover *GASP* your nails are stained BIG TIME?

Me too! My best friend (HI SCHMOOPS!!) gave me a terrific tip on how to remove the stain with minimal effort but maximum results:

Lemon juice and baking soda! That's it!
Spoon or dump some baking soda into a bowl, then add lemon juice and mix until you make a liquidy paste. It should feel very gritty, but not dry. You need it to stay liquid for ease of use. Then, dip your fingertips into the grit and massage your finger tops with opposing hands. Just like you would wash your hands normally.

It takes about 3 minutes, then wash your hands! Repeat if necessary, but I only needed to do it once and my darkly stained nails were pristine! (Naturally I didn't take a before or after picture of my nails. Frankly because I didn't think it would work as well as it did!)

The clean-up is as easy as every other step. And it's cheap! You probably have the elements in your kitchen already. Give it a shot! You won't be disappointed!

Don't forget your Top Coat!

If I hadn't purchased and tried this product for myself, I wouldn't have believed it.

Enter in Seche Vite fast dry top coat!
When it says fast, it means FAST! After applying two coats of nail color on each nail, starting at my pinky I applied one coat of the Seche Vite to each nail and by the time I was finished with my second hand, THE FIRST HAND WAS DRY TO THE TOUCH!! I'm not even kidding! Not "sticky" or "tacky". Slick and dry! (Granted, if you stab the polish, you're going to nick it still)

I first tried the top coat ten minutes before leaving for a night out; by the time I'd reached for my car keys I was marveling at my freshly painted fingertips and picking my jaw up off the floor that they were DRY!

I can paint my nails with regular polish, use the top coat and go straight to bed! Anyone who's learned the hard way that wet polish and bedtime equals ruined manicure by morning knows what I'm talking about.

Not with this little beauty!

Pricing varies, I suggest shopping around. I relied on my trusty amazon.com and was not disappointed.

The only downsides were the smell being very chemical and if I have a small cut it burns burns burns! Honestly, any polish burns when that happens.

To maintain my finger paint, I alternate days of application. Putting some OPI Nail Envy on first then the quick coat.

I highly recommend this top coat!

Never fear: Bold Colors ARE Wearable!

Bold colors are always beautiful. But how one pairs them and wears them can be a challenge. Without going "Full Drag", adding bold colors can seamlessly be incorporated into your eye makeup repertoire!

Maybelline New York has really upped their game when it comes to long-wearing, affordable and easy to use products. Their EyeStudio Color Tattoo 24 hour Cream Gel Shadow works fantastic! The pigments are bright. The formula is creamy but controllable. The top layer does tend to dry out and can crumble when you're dipping into them; but once you're past that slight film, the product is undeniable.

The two brushes I used were a flat liner brush from Sephora.com and a lip brush by e.l.f. Cosmetics. Both are synthetic hair that stain easily. Neither one was expensive so if I need to replace them, it's no big deal.






I purchased the Tenacious Teal and Fierce and Tangy simply because I've always loved a good ocean-y blue and years ago in my stint as a makeup artist I found that bright orange is a really fun and workable color. Both colors are beautiful and really do go well together! The cool of the teal acts as a great accent color to a wash of the orange on just about everyone. Though it's not a combination that most would wear. Don't be afraid! It works!!

Using the smaller e.l.f brush, I put a small wash of the orange from my inner lid towards the outer corner. Once I had the orange placed, I used my finger to smudge the color to cover the majority of my lid. (This creates a good background for your lashes.) Next I used the flat liner brush and tap-swept the brush along the outer lid area until I'd built up a good color saturation. Going little by little ensures you can blend any mistakes away. After I'd gotten the top line, I ran the same flat liner under the lower quarter inch or so of my lower lashes. Again, it's all about contrasts. Because I'm so pale, the cool blast of teal really pops without making the undereye look heavy. (Additionally, putting a little color on the outer edge helps draw attention away from my darker undereye circles.) With the Color Tattoo products, working quickly is a must. The product sets quickly, and as promised, lasts. Zero and I mean ZERO fading. I didn't even use an eyeshadow base. These suckers are on. Next, I used the Tightlining Technique and Products from my previous post. Curled my lashes and put on a good coat of Cover Girl 24 Hour Lash Blast Mascara and I was done!

The Maybelline New York Eye Studio shadows were under $9 US each and since so little needs to be used, they will last both on my face and in my makeup case! The general rule is less is more when it comes to bold and bright colors; but don't be afraid! Play with them! They are really fun and are worth the little time it takes to get used to them! Happy painting!

From the Infomercials: Spring Wen!!

I'm one of those people who fell for the infomercial and am now hooked for life when it comes to Wen by Chaz Dean!

I started with the regular formula Sweet Almond Mint, and ordered every single scent. All of them.

Last fall, a seasonal scent was introduced Ginger Pumpkin (the only word I can use to describe it is WARM. It smelled WARM) followed by the Winter Vanilla Mint which smelled softer than a peppermint candy, but more like a soft white chocolate mint smell.

Now it's spring, and I was apprehensive that they would go the flowery route and it would be overwhelming and I would hate it. I am happy to report that I was wrong! Well, sort of.

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com/QVC.com

The new spring scent is Spring Gardenia Green Tea and let me tell you, it is delightful!! Soft and subtle, the gardenia is not the in the fragrance forefront which made me very happy since I cannot stand overwhelming gardenia. The green tea gives a fresh, clean, but not stringent smell that makes using this Wen flavor fantastic!

The product can be used as instructed, as a cleansing conditioner, however you do have to use a lot of the product if your hair is shoulder length or longer. And it isn't cheap. The prices vary from site to site. (Available at Wen by Chaz Dean, QVC, and Amazon.com or you can google/bing it for yourself and try to find it)

The water in my city is hard, so I use a different shampoo (le gasp! Sorry Chaz!) on occasion but I use whatever Wen is in season and/or the original Sweet Almond Mint whenever the mood strikes me, as my conditioner and leave in treatment every time I wash/condition my hair.

I've been converted, I'll be a WEN girl for life, I love love love it!

Gimme that Base!

Sometimes finding the right eyeshadow base can feel like big game hunting on the Moon. Impossible.
Creaseless eye art is the goal, and I've found a couple contenders you may want to try.



Photo courtesy of BeneFitCosmetics via Amazon

 Stay Don't Stray by BeneFit Cosmetics

1. The Good: Cost is $26 US so it's affordable. Available online and in department stores such as Ulta, Sephora, most Macy's, BeneFit Cosmetics, Amazon.com, etc. The texture is liquidy. Easily spreads with finger or cream shadow brush and keeps the eyelids oil free. You can use any type of shadow on it; cream or powder or cream to powder or loose shadow. It keeps your shadow on and if you can use it under your eye, it keeps your concealer in line as well. It color corrects so you may end up using less under eye concealer in the first place.

2. The Meh: It comes in a pump, so you will end up using too much until you get used to the "half pump" and even then, you'll end up with too much. Additionally, you can't see how much product you have left so if you run out mid-application, you're out of luck. It only comes in one color so if you have a tan or are darker complexted, you're in trouble. It'll end up looking chalky and dry and no matter how much you try to color correct, it doesn't blend out. You're stuck. Because of the pump, extra bits of product leak out and can make a bit of a mess. It can be difficult to blend your dry powder shadow if you don't have a light hand.

3.The Verdict: If you have the time and patience to work with it, travel a lot and need to have products that double their use, and are very fair skinned; Stay Don't Stray is fine for you. However I do recommend stopping into a store to physically see and feel the product for yourself.





Photo courtesy of Laura Mercia via Amazon.com

 Laura Mercier Eye Canvas

1. The Good: Cost is $26 US. Available online and in department stores such as Sephora, some Macy's, Amazon.com, LauraMercier.com, Nordstrom, etc. Five colors are available right now. Spreading a thin amount of the creamy base creates an almost magnet-style attraction for eyeshadow. You end up with a true to color result for your shadows. Cream, powder, cream to powder and loose powder shadows work well on this shadow base. Brightens and color corrects the lid, removing any redness and creating a good neutral-skin colored canvas for your colours of choice. Dries down quickly so there's no waiting to put on your eyeshadow. It's easy to blend your eyeshadow on this product even if you accidently get a little heavy handed. The wear is fantastic, I checked my shadow application after 15 hours and my look never faded!

2. The Meh: Though it comes in 5 colors, the color range doesn't go deep. So the same applies here; you could end up with a chalky look if you don't use it sparingly and have a deeper complexion. If you don't have a cream shadow brush, you can use your finger but you'll use too much. Trust me. Plus, you don't want to put your finger into the container, the oils from your fingers break down the product. The pot is glass and the lid plastic which means if you drop it just right you could end up with a shattered eyeshadow base or a cracked lid and the product is garbage bound.

3.The Verdict: I love this product! I recommend testing it yourself to find the right color, but other than that, GO GO GO! I purchased the EC1 (the lightest shade), and it brightens and makes the eyespace look more open. The texture is lovely and creamy, doesn't drag on the tender skin of the eyelid and you can't argue with results. It worked so well after a particularly trying evening of karaoke, dancing around like a maniac and of course, adult beverages; I was thoroughly impressed. Not a single greasy-lookin' crease and the colors were the same as when I first applied it. Highly recommended!


What counts the most is that your eyeshadow base does it's job: keep your eyeshadow looking the way you want it until you want to take it off. If what you use right now (or if you don't use any) isn't cutting it; give one of these two a try! You might find a whole new world in your pallette of shadows once your base is doing it's job.

How-to: Tightlining. The better way to line your eyes.

Eyeliner, is not just for the top of the eyelid anymore! Well, it hasn't been for some time, but the Tightlining Method isn't as popular as it should be.

What is Tightlining?
Tightlining accentuates the existing lashline by coloring the space between the eyelashes. It allows for more room on the eyelid for color (helps those of us with "hooded" eyes) and gives a more natural emphasis than a pencil or powder liner. Sounds hard you may be thinking; it's not. It's surprisingly easier to master with the right tools and a just a little practice.

The Tools You'll Need
Originally, I was taught the Tightlining method with a pencil, wet to dry eyeshadow, brush and water. The result was great. Incredibly messy, but great. The pencil and wet/dry shadow thickened the base of the lashes and made the lashes mimic false eyelashes. Then the process was consolidated to a cake eyeliner which was fantastic, until the cake liner formula was changed and now it crumbles and flakes. Boooo! What oh what to do?? Most conventional liquid eyeliners come in some sort of brush-in-handle combination where the brush is built for top of the eyelid application. Doesn't help for tightlining.

I found an alternative! Actual liquid liner, no brush included in the cap! For about $20 US, the MakeUpForever Aquarelle paint is perfect. It wears great due to Film Forming PVP Polymers, translation? The pigments dry down and bond quickly which means minimal flaking and long wear without being waterproof. Why don't I want waterproof tightliner? Because waterproofing agents can irritate your eye. The Tightlining technique puts the liner right near the eye. Unless you want to be rubbing your red eyes all day, you want to avoid irritants.

The brush below is a must. Believe me, I've tried and tried to find something similar and every brush I've tried has failed compared to the Mercier brush. The brush itself is about $24 US, but it was absolutely worth every penny. The bristles are thin and flat enough to get right where you need to. Other brushes that may look similar almost always end up being too square or too thick or too flimsy. This brush was MADE for this technique. It's one that use every day and I've had it for over 8 years. Washing it is easy, just don't squish it and it'll bounce right back to the flat and thin shape you need.

Aquarelle in Black (301) by MakeUpForever 

Laura Mercier Travel Sized Flat Liner Brush 

The Tools I use.

 What's in the cap should be enough for both eyes. 

 Use the back of your hand as a pallet! It's the perfect spot, plus you'll wash your brush and your hand after your done anyway.

 Using your lashes to guide you, take the flat brush and wiggle the bristles in between the lashes. Think of it as coloring in the spaces between them.

 Go back to your pallet as needed, keep the brush thin and flat so you can get between each section. Keep going until you finish the whole lash line.

 See? Like this. Sometimes I "blink down" onto the brush, but not a full blink! Just enough to put a little pressure on the brush and get the eyeliner liquid in between the lashes.

 Now a quick curl of the lashes and some mascara and all done! 

 As you can see, the eyelid is liner free, but my eyes are still defined!

  The befores.

  The afters! Quite a difference, right?? And no other makeup, including concealer or eyeshadow base was used!

Tightlining is very easy once you get a hang of it. My tricks are to look down into a mirror, that way I can see without having to try and hold my eyelid up and wiggle the brush into my lashes. A handheld mirror has become my super friend for that.

Also, when you're just beginning to tightline, do it first! You can always put your concealer or eyeshadow base over any oopsies (I've done it) that you smudge on your lid. 

Tightlining looks great on everyone and is very easy to build on as far as whatever eyeshadow art you intend to do. From natural to cut creases, from shimmers to mattes! Tightlining is like a little black dress, it's perfect for every look!

Give it a try, see for yourself!

Happy New Year!!

I probably should've posted about this fantastic find before the New Year, but hey it wasn't readily available (I'm not sure it's even worldwide released yet!) and I needed to give it a good solid try so I could gather my thoughts. Here goes:
THIS IS THE BEST MASCARA I'VE EVER USED!! I do not use those words lightly. I've become somewhat of a joke among my girlfriends because I'm always looking for new mascara. I follow the not-so-widely-known-nor-practiced rule of Department Store Mascara should be replaced after 3 months, Drugstore Brand Mascara should be replaced after one month. The discrepancy has to do with the levels of preservatives in the formulas and that clumpy-lumps that cling to the bristles and your lashes are the results. Never mind the bacteria (barf!) I know some people not only don't know the rule, but they don't really care. It's up to you, but I would rather shell out a few bucks for a fresh tube than fight the uphill battle of trying to separate my lashes from one another from a cruddy mascara application. MOVING ON!
See above: RE BEST MASCARA:

This is the newest member of the CoverGirl LashBlast Family, however I've yet to see it turn up on the website. I've been a fan of the chubby tubed LashBlast since it launched, however I was dissatisfied with the curl hold. It gave volume in spades, but one half coat too many and my lashes would lose any and all curl. So on with the search I went. With the release of this newest formula, I can say, with complete conviction that this mascara meets all the criteria of amazing.

1. Volume - LashBlast is known for volume, the brush helps to build up volume in lashes without leaving bulk
2. Hold - I curl my lashes the way I like then apply the mascara. Once I'm done with the coating, the curl will stay all day until it's time to wash my face. I have yet to experience any loss of eyelash curl throughout my wear. That's remarkable! Usually there's at least some, but not with this little beauty!
3. Length - just like the other LashBlast mascaras, I find the "added length" to be adequate. Unless a mascara has actual fiberous elements (which can flake off and irritate the eye), most lengthening mascaras don't actually add to the lash. Since most lashes are blonde at the tips or lighter brown, adding color (aka mascara) makes the hair look longer. It's an illusion.
4. Wear - Since I haven't seen a commercial or ad print about it, I don't know if they are touting CoverGirl LashBlast 24 hour mascara as waterproof, and I prefer non-waterproof formulas of mascara (they tend to make my lashes brittle in the long run) so I can't say for sure if they will in the future. There's no flaking or fading and my lashes aren't hard or crunchy. However I can tell you from experience, this mascara must must must have a separate makeup remover in order to get it off. I tried the baby shampoo trick I posted about, but that mascara barely smirked at it. I tried an oil based makeup remover, and had to use it 3 times at least before washing my eye area with the baby shampoo. I ended up buying the CoverGirl Makeup Remover which is a creamy remover and using a cotton round, found that it works the best. However, I definitely recommend doing the baby shampoo trick after since it leaves the eye area covered in residue.

So there's my first recommendation of 2012! CoverGirl LashBlast 24 hour Mascara, follow this link to an Amazon storefront with the details on the ingredients, you can also find opportunities to purchase on ulta.com, target.com, soap.com, etc. 

From the Infomercials

I'll tell you straight. I've become a bit infatuated with infomercials about beauty products and have come to giddily love watching QVC beauty nights. It's a guilty pleasure. It's also resulted in some terrific finds! Allow me to introduce the TOPSTYLER!!

*Picture courtesy of some dude probably on ebay, I just google-imaged the picture of what all came in the box I purchased as opposed to what the infomercials sell. (They sell less C-Shells and have an extra comb and some weird little prong thingys that are a styling aid. I don't have those and actually don't really want them anyway)

I have a lot of color treated (boy howdy is it color treated), wave-tending , fine hair. When I blow it out, I like to blow it out with a round brush and get what my stylist (HI RENE!!) calls Porn-Star hair. Straight but with BIG volume and body. However, I love love LOVE a head full of curly, bouncy hair. 

From the people that brought you the Instyler (google it, it's a brush with a barrel rolling curling iron attached. It looks like a good idea from a stylists point of view {styling someone else's hair is a WHOLE 'nother ball game} but terrifies me because all I can see is my hair getting trapped in it and having to tearfully cut off sections of my hair.) this looks like a strange and mysterious set of....very strange and mysterious things!

When I first saw the infomercial I was curious. Having grown up in the 80's with a mother who LOOOVES my hair curly (HI MOM!!); I've always considered myself to be a bit of a curling implement expert. I've had Hot Sticks, traditional hot rollers, sponge curlers, Caruso Molecular Hairsetter (sponge rollers with a steam unit), teeny tiny curling irons, plastic heated curlers that looked like little buns in my hair, sleeping on wet braids, sleeping on numerous wet braids rolled up in sponge curlers; all to get that wave, that pouf, that volume, that CURL I so desperately HAD TO HAVE! In my adventures in curling, I was always disappointed in the very ends of my hair. From my roots and middle of each section I would have this lovely bouncy wavy curl and then *GAH* my ends would pouf out like dry straw. Completely ruining the look. Especially when the look inevitably falls (which they ALL DO) the ends would look so strange and crispy and  let's face it...UGLY!

What first intrigued me to the TopStyler was, HOW IN THE FRAK DO THEY GET IT TO WORK??
Answer: It's old school "pin curl" type thinking. Pinning a hot/warm curl up always ALWAYS results in better curl. Why?? Because the heat goes AWAY and the hair will cool in the same position, CURLED! It works on any kind of hair type (so says the manufacturer).

When I first tried the TopStyler, it took me about 30 minutes to put all the C-Shells where I figured they should go. Now, when I use it, it takes me 15 and I'm always trying new section combinations of the 10 large and 5 small C-Shells all over my head. Sometimes I use a little light hairspray (American Elnett hairspray is the finest mist I've found) before wrapping the hair around my FINGERS, tucking and pinching the curl at the base of the section and then putting the C-Shell around the curl and letting go. There are many MANY youtube videos out there to show you how to do this. I'm not going to post my own video. Mostly because I don't know how...I'm just starting out this place!

The important thing to remember is to begin with dry hair. If the hair is even the slightest bit damp, the curl won't hold. But that's try with any heating curling element really. Frankly the ones that are damp to dry tools freak me out. The steam looks like smoke and smoke coming from my hair is terrifying.

Like any new fancy toy, this one takes some getting used to. However I've completely fallen in love with the consistent results and the fact that it's shaved off nearly an HOUR of my morning routine. AN HOUR people!

*I've been using a "two finger" curl (wrap the hair sections around two fingers instead of one for a looser curl) in regular, large and small sections and THIS has been the result almost every single time! The other times I used too much hair or twisted it before wrapping it and it gave an interesting result, but not exactly what I wanted at the time.

The TopStyler is terrific! It also comes at a terrific price. I had seen it on an infomercial, but then saw a more in depth QVC beauty night demonstration. The infomercial had less product (the C-Shells) than the QVC version. I was all set to order the QVC version when the price tag popped up. $99.99 plus shipping and handling and taxes. Yikers. I thought "Ok, I want it, but I'll wait" so I did. But I would watch wide-eyed every time it came back on the screen. Confessing my newest obsession to my bestie and roomie, Amanda (HI AMANDA!) she too confessed that she'd been drooling over it too!!

How lucky to find it AT A TARGET!!! The same unit, 10 big C-Shells, 5 small C-Shells, comb, instructional DVD and booklet! Hang on, again with the $99.99 US. Ok. So the thing is expensive....I bought it anyway and I'm so glad I did! It takes the place of every curling set I've ever purchased (which reminds me I need to toss or donate those bad boys, anybody need some Hot Sticks??) and have make my hair shiny, curly, big and bouncy.

Ok, enough of my prattling on. If you have any questions feel free to leave it on the comments or if you want to comments, please do the same!

Bottom Line: I love the TopStyler and highly recommend it to anyone who wants an easy way to get great results in hair curling!