Tip of the Day: How to use MAC Prep + Prime Lip

Some of you have expressed difficulty with using this product or not liking it b/c it's not working for you so I thought I'd do a quick post on how to make this primer go the distance!

Prep + Prime Lip can be a little tricky to use.... put it on your lips like you would normally your lipstick, going a touch outside your natural lip line (this helps prevent any feathering or bleeding your lipstick may do), then blend it in to your lips using your finger. I like to use my pinky finger.

Here's the trick: LET IT SET! The primer needs to set on your lips for about 5 minutes so don't immediately apply your lipstick! Once the primer has had a chance to set on your lips, apply your liner, lipstick and/or gloss as usual and you're good to go. With all primers, eye/face/lip, I find that allowing them a few minutes to set before applying your makeup products allows them to work and live up to their true potential. That's just my personal opinion.

I have eaten lunch, drank water all morning and gone through half my day and my lipstick has stayed put come 3 o'clock! If you're having trouble with your lip primer, hopefully these tips will work for you and help make your lip products stay on for the long haul!

Hope you're having a gorgeous day!

xo

Tip Of The Day: Creating Natural Contours

Use MAC's Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in a darker shade than you normally use to create beautiful, natural looking contours on your face. MSFN is easy to use especially if it is your first attempt at contouring. ;-) Also, using a brush with softer bristles will really help give you that soft looking second skin effect and beautifully enhanced cheek bones!

I'm giving thanks and GIVING to YOU!

I've hit the coveted 100 Follower mark and I'm so thankful and excited!!! What better way than to give away some makeup!? What are the prizes? Well, take a look.....


Single Estée Lauder Eye Shadow in Pink Quartz (packaging differs from picture)





Physicians Formula Plumping Lip Color Lip Palette - Wines (pic is bottom view)




Physicians Formula Plumping Lip Color Lip Palette - Peach Nudes (pic is open view)




Bare Escentuals Mini Kabuki Brush




Too Faced Flatbuki Brush




Revlon Lustrous Shadow in Espress'o Yourself




Revlon Lustrous Shadow in Plum Like It Hot




Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner in Strike It Gold (LE)




Revlon Sugar Sugar Lip Topping in Lemon Drop (I love this stuff and bought every box on the shelf b/c they were a hard to find product!! I got an extra one to share with one lucky winner!)





I'll be putting two names in a hat and the first name I select has first choice of 1 of the lip palettes, 1 of the eye shadow palettes, 1 of the mini kabuki brushes and a choice of either the liquid liner or the sugar lip topping. They will also get the Estée Lauder Eye Shadow in Pink Quartz! The second name I draw will get the remaining 4 products.

I hope you guys like these prizes. I've got a big giveaway coming in December for the holidays so stay tuned for that!

I'm taking a page from Laura's book.... what do you have to do? Well you've already done it by following and subscribing to my blog. ;-) Just leave a comment below with what your preferences/selections are in the event you are chosen first and that's it! I will choose a winner on Thanksgiving Day because what better day to give thanks than on our US national holiday!?

I am truly thankful to all of you for finding me, commenting, sharing and stopping by. It means so much!

Stay Gorgeous,

xo

Depot Your Shadows in Less than 15 seconds!!

Ok so this is a repost from July but I thought I would put it up again now that my blog is growing and I have more followers. ;-) So welcome to you all and I hope this is a beneficial tutorial!

Here is a quick tut on how I depot my eye shadows. There are a lot of different ways in which to do this and this is my approach. Hopefully you find this helpful and try it out. If you do, let me know how you like it! This takes about 15 seconds or so per eyeshadow and is probably the fastest and best way to depot IMHO.

Keep in mind that in the intro, the iron is NOT ON. That is why I was able to pick it up by the metal end. :-)

xoxo

PS -- some people like to keep the tip on the iron but I find it hard to get the guitar pick in the hole and push the shadow pan out. It's all about preference so do what works best for you!

Look of the Day: Play on Plums

I haven't pulled out this MAC mineralize duo shadow in forever. It's like finding a new eye shadow!! This little nugget is from the Electroflash Collection that came out last summer 2008. 

 



"PLAY ON PLUMS" is a duo mineralize shadow has a marbled side that is a peachy gold with pink and bronze veining. The solid side is a bronzed burgundy, which is just gorgeous. What I love about this shadow from is that they take on the shade of whatever you pair/blend it with. For instance, if you pair it with browns, it reflects that. If you combine it with purples, it blends with that and deepens the look. If you put it with burgundy or bronzes, it just glows and adapts to those shades incredibly well, simply for the mere fact that those are the colors it is based in.

It truly is a different color that changes depending on what you put with it. I paired it with Satin Taupe so I could play with the burgandy brown and silvery bronze of that shade. Satin Taupe is so versatile and blends well with almost anything so you can't go wrong. I sprayed my 239 brush with some Fix+ and it went right on. As I sit here and type this @ 11pm, my eyes look exactly like they did this morning when I put it on. It hasn't budged, smudged or moved!

**Extra Tip -- this duo (either side or both!) can be used over a clear lipgloss for some added drama. Meoww!

Face:

• Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation
  
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Foundation
  
• Makeup Forever Concealer Palette #1
• Makeup Forever HD Microfinish Powder
• Nars Blush in Orgasm
  
• MAC Cream Color Base in Pearl (as highlighter on cheeks)
  

Eyes:

• MAC Painterly Paint Pot (base)
  
• MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow in Play on Plums
  
• MAC Satin Taupe
• MAC Orb
  
• MAC Shroom
  
• MAC Eye Kohl Eyeliner in Smolder
  
• Revlon Liquid Eyeliner in Black
  
• MAC Brun for brows
• Avon Super Lengthening Mascara & Avon Super Shock Mascara
  

Lips:

• MAC Lipliner in Dervish
  
• Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in Pink Wink

Online shopping at Pebble.com!

What is Pebble.com?

Pebble.com is a new kind of comparative shopping website. Not only do they tout some of the best products from the world's leading merchants, but they enhance that experience by providing a forum for users to ask and answer questions about those products - making it easier than ever to find exactly what you're looking for. They offer a place for users to pose those questions to other shoppers, who can then provide answers based on their first-hand knowledge of the products. Bottom line: it's a one stop shop where you can browse products by brand name and ask all the questions you may have on a specific item. How cool is that!??

For me, I usually go to eBay to search for limited edition or hard to find products that I want and usually end up paying way more than is probably legal! With Pebble, I'm finding that the prices are usually about what you would have paid in the store or are only a few dollars more and it makes me feel better that someone isn't just trying to make a buck (read: ripping me off!). Another cool thing that Pebble does is they will compare prices from Sephora.com, Beauty Encounter.com, Cosmetic America, Amazon and many others e-retailers. Now if you go searching for MAC Cosmetics products, be sure to either input "MAC Cosmetics" or "MAC eye shadow/lipstick/etc." or you'll end up with the other Mac (computers). Doh!

BTW -- I found Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners for $11.50!!! They normally retail for $17.00. Another great find on Pebble is Maybelline lipsticks, which are selling for as low as $3.89! Woot!

I love to online shop, even at Sephora.com when there is a Sephora store only 10 minutes from me. Lazy? Perhaps. Convenient? Hell yeah! Especially when I get the urge to look up makeup and create looks at 11.30pm on a Wednesday night. I certainly can't go to a store, now can I? Haha! Online shopping is so much fun and now that I found Pebble.com, I have another place to browse and enjoy finding and purchasing makeup.

I hope this info helps you guys find some great deals and add a new online store to your repertoire! Hit me up if you have any questions.

Stay Gorgeous!

xoxo

Bronzer isn't just for Summer!

I can't believe how quickly time is flying by and that it's November already.... what!?? Wasn't it just August? I swear.... so anyway, I was reading the November issue of Glamour magazine and they had some great tips about utilizing your bronzer (which most of us use for contouring or to brighten our cheeks!) after the summer months have gone and left us to our pale selves and all throughout the year. Check it out:

1. Play Up Your Eyes -- Grab a shadow brush and put a dark bronzer on your lid creases and upper lash line. Add shimmer in the inner corners; apply mascara. This technique will make your eyes look huge! -- makeup artist Elan Bongiorno
   
2. Play Up Your Body -- Sweep sheer, sparkly bronzer over your neck and collarbone with a fluffy brush. "It catches the light when you move," says Bongiorno.

Don't like to use bronzer or don't own any? A great alternative to #2 above is Too Faced Absolutely Invisible Candlelight Powder. I love this product and it's a must in my kit. It's especially effective if you've pulled an all nighter painting the town red, up studying, catching up on the last season of LOST or if your skin is looking dull. It's a bit steep in price at $25 but it will last you forever and a little goes a long way. I mean, who doesn't want to "glow" all day!?? LOL!

Inspired by actual candlelight, this product is formulated to set makeup while imparting a soft-focused glow. For all its immediate, "glowing" results, it's also packed with a powerful dose of skin-saving antioxidants that protect and soothe tired skin as the golden-peachy tone warms and illuminates any complexion—reducing the appearance of fine lines and imperfections.

The Many Uses of Fix+ Spray!

By special request from the lovely and gorgeous Karen, here are some alternate uses that I like to use for MAC's Fix+ Spray. There are many ways to enjoy and utilize this product and I'm sure you all may have some of your own so please comment and share and pass on the love!!

The product description per MAC website:

An aqua-spritz of vitamin and minerals, infused with a calm-the-skin blend of green tea, chamomile, cucumber, topped off with the fresh, natural, energizing scent of Sugi. Adds radiance, finishes makeup. Spray it on. Skin drinks it up!
100 ml / 3.4 fl oz

• This fabulous fine misting spray is great for setting your makeup and helping make it last longer.
  
• I love using it to help de-mattify my face if I want a dewier look or if a client has changed their mind and don't want a matte look.
• Probably the most common way this is used is as a mixing medium. There are two ways to do it and it's all about preference: 1. spray your brush with Fix+, shake off any excess (so it's not wicked wet) then work with your eye shadows, pigments, etc. and it will make them pop and be super vibrant! 2. the other way to do this is to pack the shadow, pigment, etc. on the brush first, then spritz the brush with the Fix+ spray and apply to your eye as usual, just be sure you don't use it on your matte shadows or it will ruin them! They'll get cakey and crumbly and be gross. Boo! Hiss!
• To the point above, spritzing your face brush of choice then swiping it across or swirling it into your Mineralize Skinfinish Foundations before applying to your face will give you a beautiful, natural finish to your look. The end result is awesome!
• Because of the healing ingredients in this product, it's a great skin refresher, rejuvenater, healer! If you have redness or acne, spritz your face and you'll notice a reduction in irritation. It's especially wonderful to people with sensitive skin, like me. ;-)
• Because this has caffeine in it, it wakes your skin up and gives it (and you!) a bit of a boost and little pep in your step!
• I love using this in my hair. Yup, you read that right. It's incredibly conditioning to the hair follicles and your scalp. It also helps with frizz! When I was at IMATS this year, LA was experiencing some sporadic rain and by the end of Day 1, my hair looked like I had stuck my finger in a light socket. No joke. I made a bee line for the MAC Pro store down the street and spritzed my head all over, massaged it gently into the roots and voila! Not-so-scary-me was back! Hahaha! It was all smoothed out and calmed down and I didn't look like the bride of Frankenstein.
• A dampened powder puff using MAC's Fix+ Spray is a great way to absorb excess oil and moisture from the skin without moving the makeup.
• How about a moisturizer for your skin!?? Sure! I tend to only do this in the evening as I like to wear a moisturizer with an SPF of at least 30 in it (sun and UVB = bad for your skin!) during the day, but after washing my face instead of applying my normal moisturizer, I spritz Fix+ and I'm good to go.

Overall, this is just a "makes you feel good like a big 'ol hug" product that I think everyone should have. LOL! It smells wonderful yet it's such a light "barely there" perfume scent that it's not heavy or overpowering. If you really don't like any scent whatsoever, then this is definitely not the product for you but check it out first b/c you may find it's ok for you!

These are just the main ways I use this product but I'm sure there are tons of other ways that people use it so please share your tips!

Happy Gorgeous Saturday, lovelies!

xo

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Mascara Dupe??

Thanks to the lovely Esther for the heads up!! Avon is indeed coming out with their own colored mascaras in the upcoming Campaign 25 book. It's none other than one of my fave mascaras: Supershock!

The mascara is called "Supershock Intense" and it will be available in Emerald, Violet, Sapphire, and Burgundy! Woo hoo! Very cool. It says nothing about it being limited edition so don't fret if you don't get to it straight away. It is regularly priced at $8.50 but the intro price/sale price is $4.99! Yay for everyone! If you don't have an Avon rep of your very own, you can shop online here.

Hopefully this good news will brighten your Monday. Have a wonderful day and I'll see you all back here real soon!

I'm still recovering from my all day Halloween sessions with 2 clients on Saturday. LOL! It was wicked fun and they turned out gorgeous. I'll post some pics of my work if you're interested. I did one client in beauty makeup - she was a sexy ninja! The other client I call "Dead Red" as in "Little Red Riding Hood". She fought the Big Bad Wolf and won (his head is in her basket as a trophy), but ended up dying later anyway. We did a fake prosthetic of slashes on her chest enhanced with some fake blood but kept her "sexy dead", not zombie-ish. LOL! That's what the client wanted and it worked. She turned out amazingly gorgeous. I'm very happy with it, but more importantly, so was she!

Stay Gorgeous,

xo