Gone Green...

              

I was checking out some videos on you tube, looking for ideas for my Coastal Scents “Fall Festival” palette and I ran across a look that I thought I could rock…  Now I’m not one to do a great deal of color, but I do tend to play with colors on the weekend.

So here it is, and please tell me what you think!

 The Final Look...  Not feeling the lip gloss but I'm pleased with the overall look!

A closeup...   

Another closeup...  this time with open eyes.

Coastal Scents Fall Festival Palette

I guess you guys would love to know what I did and how I did it, huh?  I primed the eye with UDPP, then I used the NYX jumbo eye pencil in black bean on the lower lid and slightly above the crease...  note:  I didn't use the black bean on the entire lid I left the area near the inner eye/tear duct  blank.   I put the light green (1st color on the 2nd row) all over the black, then I blended it out...  Once the light green was in place I used a deep brown (1st color on the 3rd row) from the outer corner to the crease...  then I went in with the dark green (3rd color on the top row) and then I got my blend on!  lol  Once all was blended I went in with my milk NYX jumbo pencil and I put a dab in the inner eye at the tear duct and then followed up with a matte beige (1st color on the 1st row) in the inner corner as well as my highlight for the brow...

Eyebrow Awesomeness…

Hola Makeup Mavens! I know it’s been awhile since I hit you with my tales of makeup bliss but a girl has to work, and go to school, and of the course the biggest and most rewarding job is to raise “the boy”!  But never fear I’m here to hit you with another fabulous find…  

But first, let me pose a question or 2 or 3…  lol

Have you ever looked at a YouTube video and thought to yourself:  Dammit, I won’t eyebrows like that?

Have you ever looked at your eyebrows and said: Dammit, I need to let me eyebrows grow in so that I can achieve my desired eyebrow?

Hell, have you ever looked in the mirror and said:  Dammit, I ain’t got NO eyebrows?!?!?

What’s a makeup maven to do?

 

Well, I’m here to tell you what to do…  

1^st off you can Google “eyebrow stencils” and shop till your heart stops!  lol  or you can go to your local Sally’s and purchase a set of Ardell eyebrow stencils…  and if you are an E.L.F. fan you can always purchase a set of stencils at the E.L.F. website for all of $1.00!  Yes, you read that right --- one whole dollar…

These things are creative genius… and I am hooked, and I must admit I’m on a mission to purchase more defined stencils…  whodathunk that eyebrow stencils exist?  I sure as hell didn’t know there was such a  thing…  call me slow but when I saw them on the E.L.F. website I got all giddy and immediately ordered them and I patiently waited…  and boy did I wait (that E.L.F. takes forever to drop off their goodies)…

So, I received my stencils at work, and boy was I excited…  I came close to leaving work early just to play with them, and suddenly I realized that I cannot, I will not, lose my job because I want to go home and draw on eyebrows!  Who does that?  ME, I tell ya… I DO THAT!   But I woke up and decided I would patiently wait until 5pm ---- did I mention that the box was sitting on my desk at 9am?  

Any who, I opened the package and there they were…  my eyebrow stencils…  4 perfectly shaped brows!  My eyebrows as I know them will never be the same again…  Now I’m excited, elated, over joyed and in comes my coworker professional makeup artist extraordinaire and she says and I quote “Girl I got tons of those at home”…  Can I just say that I wanted to kill her!  lol  but seriously she’s my girl, whenever Ms. GiGi tells me that I did a good job on my eyes, I feel like I’ve accomplished something, cuz this girl GOT SKILLS…

Moving right along…  so, I get home and I immediately wash my chocolate brown smokey eye and I start to play with my stencils.  All I can say is this, if you are eyebrow challenged or you are simply looking for  a different shape, eyebrow stencils are the way to go!

Now, I’m not going to endorse any one product because I can only speak for E.L.F., but I will say this, so far so good…  out of the four shapes that came with the kit I found 2 that work for me…  I tried various methods for drawing in the stencil.  I tried my angled flat liner brush, I tried a sponge smudge brush and I tried a very old angled brush that was once flat but is now very full… I must admit the older brush worked for the fuller shapes and the flat angled brush worked well for the thinner shapes…

Oh, and one more thing…  they are super easy to use, and they stick to your skin.  Now, I use a small piece of tape to hold them in place, but using your fingers work well too…  and the only reason I use tape or hold them is to  make sure they stay put.

So now you wonder what the verdict on the eyebrow stencils is:  It’s simple..  Stop reading, drop in on Mr.Google and get some for yourself, its well worth every dollar spent.

Storing "les brosses"

I found myself in Target looking for halogen lightbulbs and a WWE magazine for my son...  I left Target with lightbulbs, the magazine, and 2 pots that I felt would be excellent for storing a few of my prize possesions: My Makeup Brushes!  

Not bad for $2.97 huh?  if nothing else they'll serve a purposes until I see something that makes my heart sing and is worthy of housing my babies....

Maybelline :: FIT me Foundation

  

I've been on a makeup kick for weeks, I spend my free time perfecting looks and recreating looks that I see on you tube...  in the process I'm using a great deal of my somewhat expensive MAC foundation, and I had to put a stop that…   seriously I’m sitting here putting on a fresh face at 10pm, and washing it off at 11:00pm, only to start to the process all over again.  Changes had to me made!  

Sidebar:  I look at some these you tube videos and blogs and I wonder how in the hell are some of these ladies making this happen?!?!?!?  This is not a cheap habit… granted it’s nowhere near a crack habit, but it’s still pretty darn costly…

Back to the topic at hand…  So I decided to find a drugstore foundation that I would use when I'm in my at home makeup zone...  Maybelline FIT Me, is a great drugstore foundation, its matte, it's forgiving, and it's LIGHTWEIGHT...  I like it so much that I have found myself reaching for it on the weekends! And get this, it's $8.00!?!?!?...   (where dey do that at?) Someone pinch me!  Never in a million years would I have considered a drugstore cosmetic...  I still want some NARS, and dammit I'm gonna get it...  by hook or crook I see NARS in my immediate future.

 (320 is my color of choice...  I'd say the only downside to a drugstore product is one must know what colors work for them, and if you're new to this whole makeup thing, purchasing a drugstore foundation will present a true challenge...  but for $8.00 bucks you can afford to make a mistake or 2)

If you are on a tight budget, and just starting out I would give this a try, it’s not bad for 8.00 bucks.  Not perfect, but not bad…  

Product Details from Maybelline.com:

Why You'll Love It:

It's makeup that fits you.

• No oils, no waxes, no nonsense
• Natural coverage that leaves skin the way it was meant to be…fresh, breathing, natural  
• Exclusive translucent base and lightweight pigments allow skin's natural highs and lows to show through
• Non-comedogenic, dermatologist-tested

For Best Results:

Apply smoothly and evenly to your face and blend with your fingertips. 

Let’s get NAKED with the Urban Decay Naked Palette….

I am pleased to report that I am the official owner of the uber popular NAKED Palette.  Now I contemplated this purchase for sometime – however the short supply pretty much helped me in making the decision to NOT purchase the palette (or should I say the short supply stopped me from seeking out the palette).  Low and behold I’m out and about shopping in my local town center and I made a pit stop into ULTA and to my surprise there were 2 NAKED Palette’s waiting to be purchased, and although it wasn’t in my budget I splurged and I whipped out the credit card.

I was sooo excited to get home and play with this palette, but I had to run errands so I settled for sitting in the car and opening the package. I took in every inch of the palette (did I mention that when I opened the package I swear the heaven’s gate opened and I heard the all important AHHHHHHHHHHHHH?)…  The first thing that impressed me was the sexiness of the chocolate brown velveteen palette which in my opinion is tres’ chic, and the next thing that impressed me was the feel of the shadows, it was like touching silk, and since I’m making comparisons to fabric, I may as well go all the way and add that the shadows glide on the lid like satin gliding off of one’s skin (it IS that NICE)… 

WHAT a great purchase, and since I’m on a quest to embrace “barely there” makeup I had no choice but to get NAKED with the Urban Decay Naked Palette.   It has become my new go to (everyday) palette. 

So let me tell you my pros and cons of getting NAKED with the Urban Decay Naked Palette…

Pros:

•  At 44.00 bucks you can’t beat the price!   You get 12 awesome colors (virgin, sin**, naked**, sidecar, buck**, half baked, smog, darkhorse**, toasted, hustle, creep, and gunmetal**), a 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in two colors (and this pencil GLIDES on) and the oh so popular Urban Decay Primer Potion (affectionately known as UDPP).  Now, $44.00 bucks might be a little steep for some of you, but as I always say, you get what you pay for, and this palette of joy is pure quality… (asterisks’ = absolute favorites)

•  If you let your creative mind wander the possibilities are endless with this awesome palette.  Most importantly the palette can be used for both day and evening looks, and all looks in between!  lol you can “Smoke it out” “Glam it up” or “Get your NUDE on” ---  I can’t stress this enough, the possibilities are endless…

• The packaging is awesome and makes for a perfect palette for ladies who spend a great deal of time on the road, or in the air…  or better yet for the ladies who spend a lot of time at her “boo’s” house!  lol

• A major plus for me is that this palette is perfection for us women of color…   

• A little product goes a very long way… no need to be heavy handed with Urban Decay’s NAKED palette, so remember to start out light and build as you create.

Cons:

• NONE!

• On second thought… being the matte junkie that I am, I wish there were a few more matte textures.

Now, I’m new to this whole makeup blogging thing, I have yet to post pics (soon to come), and other than the fact that I simply adore all things beauty I have no true credentials, so with that said, I would highly recommend purchasing the Urban Decay Naked Palette… the quality of the eye shadows are phenomenal, it offers a nice mix of textures from glitter to shimmer to matte,  and the palette can take you from day to night, and it’s a lovely palette for a beginner.

What are you waiting for?  Stop thinking about it, and GET NAKED!