FOTD 10/29/11

Hey guys!  I thought I would share a face of the day with you.  I was in the mood to get slightly glammed up, but nothing over the top.  Most week days I'm up really early and don't really have much time to wear anything but tinted moisturizer or BB cream, concealer, mascara, and bronzer.  So on this Saturday I was really missing time with my brushes and all my different fun eyeshadows and colors!  Here are some pics and a list of everything I used:

Face:
Mix of Neutrogena Healthy Skin foundation in Nude and Loreal True Match in N3
Maybelline Dream Mousse concealer under the eyes
Maybelline Superstay concealer in Light on redness and blemishes
Maybelline Fit Me pressed powder
NYC Bronzer in Sunny
ELF Studio blush in Pink Passion (LOVE)

Eyes:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Tarte Amazonian Clay Cream Eyeshadow in Shimmering Taupe
Mac Sketch eyeshadow
NYX Glitter Cream Palette in Sweet Chocolate Browns (Pink glitter on the end)
Maybelline Chai Latte quad (light brown)
Highlight color from WnW Vanity palette (matte cream color)
WnW creme eyeliner in Black
Tarte Lights Camera Lashes mascara
Revlon Beyond Natural Defining lashes

Lips:
Jordana Baby Berry lipliner
Rimmel Airy Fairy lipstick

Sunday Evening Freelancing!

Today was awesome!  I had the opportunity to attend a photoshoot and work with an awesome photographer and a really sweet model named Lara, who let me do her makeup.  In this post I will provide a list of products I used on her for both of the looks we did, and also a few pictures of the finished product!  First of all, let me just say that it was a really fun day....I love doing makeup, and it was so cool to see how that translated into professional pictures!

So for the first look, we went for a soft golden brown smokey eye with neutral light pink lips.  Even though Lara has some of the longest eyelashes ever, I thought it would add a lot to the look if we went for some thick and wispy falsies.  Overall I thought she looked beautiful!  I really can't take much credit for that though, since she her skin is naturally flawless! :)

Products Used for look #1:
Face:
mix of Loreal True Match foundations in Classic Tan and Natural Buff
Maybelline Superstay concealer in Light (she really didn't even need it!)
ELF Studio Mattifying powder
NYC Bronzer in Sunny
ELF Studio blush in Pink Passion

Eyes:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Naked palette shadows: Half Baked, Darkhorse, Virgin, Naked, Buck
Loreal HIP Black gel eyeliner, winged out on upper lashline
UD 24/7 black liner pencil in Zero on lower waterline
Maybelline Full N Soft mascara
Salon Perfect lashes Demi Wispies
Maybelline Define a Brow in Dark Blonde

Lips:
NYX lipliner in Sand Pink
Rimmel lipstick in Airy Fairy

For the 2nd look, Lara wanted more drama and some bright red lips!  Basically I just added onto what she already had on her face, and removed the pink lipstick.  I added some Creep from the Naked palette (which is just a black eyeshadow) to the outer corners of her eyes.  I also changed her blush from a bright pink to more of a peachy tone.  For that I used NARS blush in Torrid.  And she wanted bright red lips, so I lined her lips with NYX lipliner in Plush Red and she used her own red lipstick.

I think both looks turned out really well, and I'm convinced that she is one of the lucky ones who can totally pull off any makeup look!  Thanks so much, Lara and Guy, I had so much fun and I really hope you like the looks as well! :)

Simple Glam Makeup

Well......this is a tad ridiculous.  My last blog post was in July!  I've neglected my poor blog. :(  Sorry, blog, but I'm back now! :)  Today I did a super pretty look, complete with a full coverage foundation routine!  Almost everything is drugstore, with the exception of one MAC product.  It's super duper easy too, and so pretty!  It's more than just a natural look, but it's not dramatic or over the top either.....just some definition on the eyes and a pretty stained-looking sheer red lip!  Enjoy!

Products Used:
Face:
Rimmel foundations: Clean Finish (Natural Ivory) and Lasting Finish (Soft Beige)
Maybelline Superstay concealer in Light
MAC Studio Fix powder NW 25
Mark Bronzer in Pro Glow
ELF Studio blush in Pink Passion
Jane Natural Blush highlight

Face:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
WnW trio in Walking on Eggshells
NAKED palette shadows in Buck and Smog
WnW creme eyeliner in Black
Revlon Natural Defining lashes

Lips:
NYX Mahogany lipliner
ELF Studio Conditioning Lip Balm in Romantic Rouge

Easy Navy Smokey Eyes!!!

Hi lovelies!  Today I filmed a new video for my youtube channel, and it shows you how to achieve a really simple and inexpensive navy blue smokey eye.  Navy is a great alternative to the typical black, brown, or gray smokey eye....although they are equally fierce! :)  To view the video, just visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5YABdnf_Hk  Hope you enjoy, and for other makeup looks and live tutorials, visit my youtube channel!  It's www.youtube.com/casmakeup!

Products Used:
Face:
Revlon Photoready foundation in Nude
Maybelline Superstay concealer in Light
EFL HD powder
NYC Blushable Creme Stick in South St Seashell
Rimmel Natural bronzer in Sundance

Eyes:
UDPP
NYX Jumbo pencil in Slate
NYX shadows in Atlantic, True Taupe, Aloha
Sally Girl shadow in Midnight
Loreal Extra Intense Liquid Eyeliner pencil in Black
Maybelline The Falsies mascara
Ardell demi lashes
WnW brow pencil in Taupe

Lips:
Mac lipstick Viva Glam V
NYX Megashine lipgloss in Smokey Look

Pretty Coral Plum Eyes

Hi girls!  I'm back with another makeup look for you!  This color combo was a total accident, but I really love how they work together.  The products I used are a mix of drugstore and department store, but just use whatever similar shades you have, and your look will turn out great!

Here is a list of products and some pics!

Products Used:
Face:
Loreal True Match foundation in Warm Beige
Maybelline Superstay concealer in Light
Benefit Erase Paste concealer in Fair
Maybelline Dream Matte powder
ELF contouring bronzer
NYX blush in Terra Cotta

Face:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Revlon cream shadow from Not Just Nudes palette
WnW shadow in Penny
Mac shadow in Trax and Sketch
NYX shadow in White Pearl
Highlight color from WnW Vanity palette
WnW gel liner in Black
Loreal Extra Intense Liquid Liner pencil
Maybelline The Falsies mascara
Revlon Defining lashes
WnW brow pencil in Taupe

Lips:
Revlon Fairest Nude lipstick

Urban Decay Review

Hi makeup gals! :)  So about a month or so ago I saw that Urban Decay was on sale on hautelook.com.  I've been a member of that site for quite some time, but never ordered anything.  In case you don't know what hautelook is, it's a website that sells high end and designer products for really reduced prices.  I got a great deal on some things from Urban Decay, and I thought I would review them on here for you and tell you whether or not I would buy them for full price (remember, I'm a cheap-o lol).  So here is a pic of the products I purchased:

Before I begin my review, I'll first tell you what the products are, the original price, and the discounted price on the website.
From the left:
1. Urban Decay Pocket Rocket lipgloss in Julio
    Original price: $19
    Discount price: $5

2. Urban Decay Single Eyeshadow in Purple Haze
    Original price: $17
    Discount price: $5

3. Urban Decay Urban Defense Tinted Moisturizer in Body Guard
    Original price: $30
    Discount price: $10

So...yeah...that's pretty much an unbeatable deal, right?  I was super excited.  If  you purchase from hautelook, I will warn you...shipping takes forever.  I had heard that from other people as well.  I ordered   the products at the beginning of the month, and it arrived like 3 weeks later.
  So, we'll start off with a review of the tinted moisturizer.  Here is a pic of some of the product on my hand:

Now of course, it won't be this opaque when you spread it across your skin, but this is just to give you an idea of the consistency.

Now I'm going to show you a pic of me with absolutely no makeup on so that you'll be able to see the true coverage of the product.  Here goes:

Now here is a pic of me with just the tinted moisturizer on, no concealer or any other products.

As you can (hopefully) see, it did help to further even out my skin tone and reduce the darkness under my eyes.  Of course my flaws still need extra concealing, but for a tinted moisturizer I think this is pretty good.  Just to show you how well it works with concealer and powder, here is a pic of my finished face.

Bottom line: Would I pay full price for this product?  *Sigh* I'm all about saving money.....I can't justify paying $30 for a tinted moisturizer.  I just can't do it.  A high end foundation....maybe.  I do really love this product, and I would absolutely repurchase it.....but only if it's on sale. :)

Next I got a really pretty purple eyeshadow called Purple Haze.  It has good pigmentation and blends soooo easily!  It can be worn sheered out, which creates a bright fuschia shade.  Or it can be layered to get the shade you see in the pan.  Here is a swatch for you:

Here I have this shade applied to my crease area.

Bottom line: Awesome awesome shadow.  I love it!  But again, I'll just wait to catch the shadows on sale.  Even MAC eyeshadows are cheaper than $17! :)

Ok, last and least is the Pocket Rocket lipgloss.  I do have to say that the packaging is adorable.  Each shade has a different little guy on the lid and if you turn it a certain way, he goes from being fully clothed to being in his underwear! Lol...kinda funny.  The shade I have is called Julio and it's a white/clear color with beautiful tiny glitters in it.  It's a gorgeous lipgloss, has a nice texture, and looks really pretty on the lips.  However, I can't stand to wear it because of the smell.  Omg.  My friend, Kristen, helped me to pinpoint the smell of this lipgloss.  Imagine the scent of burnt marshmallows.  It's just really really bad, and I totally can't even bear it.  I was so disappointed.  I can't say that all of these lipglosses smell this way, because this is the only one I've ever tried.  But yeah, I would definitely pass on this.  I couldn't even find anyone to give it to because they couldn't handle the smell either!  But just to show you how pretty it really is, here is a swatch of it on my hand and also one on my lips.

Haha....threw that last one in there for ya. :)
Bottom line: I don't think you even have to ask.
Even though some are hits and some are misses, here is a pic of all the products working together to get the final look:

I hope you found this review helpful!  Thanks so much for reading!!!

Venting my frustrations :(

Hello my fellow makeup lovers! Even though this is a blog mostly about beauty related topics, I think every now and then I may need to use this space to vent or just share a few things here and there about my personal life. So I just had a really bad weekend. Like really bad. I mean things can always be worse, but still...ok you're probably wishing I would just get on with it and spill, right? Well here goes...so this past saturday started out great, just like most of my Saturdays. My fiancée and I lounged by the pool, soaked up some rays, and then headed about an hour out of our hometown to meet up with his family for a birthday celebration dinner. Awesome right? Well we decided to do some shopping before dinner. I have been planning for seriously like 2 months to bite the bullet and get myself a MacBook pro so that I can have awesome quality makeup videos and do some really cool editing. So here I go into the Apple store, purchase the one I've had my eye on, and we leave just as happy as two pigs in a blanket. :) we still had some time before the rest of our crew arrived so we decided to do a bit more shopping. My new computer was all wrapped up in a plain white bag, and was nestled safely down in the floorboard of the car. After making sure the doors were locked and everything was in place we headed on into Marshall's. Scott (my fiancee) shopped for about 10 minutes and realized he left his checkbook in his car. He went out to get it to pay for his stuff and realized he couldn't find his blackberry. Soon I joined the frantic search and we came to the horrible realization that his cell phone and my brand new unopened MacBook had been stolen! And of course the security camera had been pointed away and didn't capture the thieves. After waiting outside our car for 2 hours a police officer finally showed up and took our report. So we missed the birthday dinner, and we didn't get back home until well after midnight...we walked through the door tired, dirty, and defeated. My heart was broken and we felt kind of....vulnerable. I mean a complete stranger waited until we were in the store, popped the locks on our car and took our belongings in probably under a minute. I've been trying to put things in perspective....I mean at least no one took my most valuable belonging, which would of course be my precious baby, Sammy. And I still have my engagement ri g Scott gave me last month. And we ourselves weren't hurt or threatened in the process. But it still sucks majorly. Thieves make me sick. I work extremely hard at a very high stress environment. And I do that for a reason, which is to pay my bills and have the ability to buy myself things I want. Like a new computer. Ok I'm not going to get myself going too much, but it just sickens me that I workEd so hard and saved for that computer and someone felt they could take it upon themselves to just....take it. And same goes for the phone. Ugh.....I know things could be a lot worse, but it's just bad. When the time comes for me to go get yet another MacBook pro, it's going to be my last stop of the day and when I'm walking out of the store, if anyone looks at me twice I'll be ready to break their legs! Lol, ok so I'm not really that tough. But let's not tempt fate! Haha thanks anyway for listening! I feel slightly better.....:)

Bronze and Coral Summer Makeup

Hi makeup friends!!!  I absolutely LOVE summer, and one reason for that is the beautiful bronze and orangey toned colors that remind me so much of this particular season.  There is something carefree and super fun about colors like these.  Today I've created a look around these shades that I think epitomizes summer perfectly!  Bronze and light gold on the eyes with some pretty lashes, peachy cheeks, and bright coral lips!  And what's even better is that I did this look using really affordable products that are really easy to gets your hands on! :)  Here is the look including a full list of products.....hope you enjoy!

Products Used:
Face:
Loreal True Match foundation in N3 Natural Buff
Benefit Erase Paste in Fair
ELF HD powder
Maybelline Dream Matte powder (for eyes)
Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Dance
Milani Baked blush in Rose D'Oro

Eyes:
UDPP
Wet n Wild Color Icon palette in Vanity
Wet n Wild gel liner in Black
UD 24/7 liner pencil in Bourbon
Maybelline Define a Brow in Dark Blonde
Maybelline The Falsies Black Drama mascara
Revlon lashes in Defining

Lips:
Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick in Nostalgia
Revlon Superlustrous lipgloss in Coral Reef

Tropical Summer Eye Makeup

Hi ladies!  So...way back in cold, dreary January, I created a fun bright makeup look.  Now that it's summertime I felt like that look was ready for a redo!  This time the colors are brighter and more vibrant.  It's a very basic blending technique, but really packs a punch.  Pull out your bright colored products and give it a try! :)

Here is the original look:

Although the colors definitely looked brighter in person, they're still fairly muted compared to this summer's look! (I used the Coastal Scents 88 palette for the original look.)

Here is today's look!

Products Used:

Face:

Loreal True Match foundation in Natural Buff

Benefit Erase Paste concealer in Light

Maybelline Dream Matte powder

Wet n Wild bronzer in Goddess

NYX blush in Pinky

Eyes:

NYX Jumbo pencil in Milk

BH Cosmetics eyeshadow palette 2nd edition (yellow, orange, light pink, highlight, purple)

Ben Nye pigment in Azaela

Loreal Lineur Intense liquid liner

Loreal Liquid Liner Pencil

Maybelline The Falsies Black Drama mascara

Salon Perfect lashes #13

Maybelline Define A Brow in Dark Blonde

Jessie's Girl Eye Dust in Sunlit Cactus

Lips:

Revlon Colorburst lipstick in Soft Nude

Revlon Superlustrous lipgloss in Life's A Peach