Tragic Brows - Eyebrow DON'Ts!

Once you review this chart, you will never look at others' eyebrows the same again!

I saw this on a closed makeup group on facebook.
I cannot remember the author, but it was so funny to me.
I can honestly say looking back on various photos of myself, that I am GUILTY of a few of these eyebrow bloopers.

Do you see any that you have ever done?

Which is the one you hate the most?

Lips Of The Day Featuring MAC Cult of Cherry

I love this lipgloss. I have been obsessed with some form of dark red lip for the past month and a half.

I was thrilled when MAC decided to repromote the Cult of Cherry Gloss!

Do you own this gloss?

MAC HEAUX and RIRI BOY Swatches

This may be my very last lip swatch. Hubby goes back and forth as to whether or not he wants my lips online.
This has also factored in to my lack of posts. UGH!

On a side note, I am eyeing a Lands' End Sweater the same color as the HEAUX lippy. UGH!

Do you ever match your lipstick with your outfit?

Does your significant other object to your posting photos of yourself online?

Nails Of The Day Maybelline Color Show KEEP UP THE FLAME and Sally Hansen Strips

I purchased the nail designs from a store called fiveBelow.
I thought this turned out very well.
Have you ever tried any of the Sally Hansen Strips?

Instagram Killed My Blogging Vibe

Recently, a good blogger friend of mine said this.
I wholeheartedly concur.
I have been working full time for the past few months and have had a lot less time to devote to my beauty blog. For those of you who have continued to support an encourage me behind the scenes, THANK YOU.
For those of you who have patiently awaited a post and have not unfollowed, THANK YOU!

I have tapered back my makeup spending and focused more or getting some wardrobe basics to anchor my closet. At this point, I do have way more clothes than any human being should have. If I didn't buy another stitch of clothing, I would not be naked at all.I'm focusing on weeding out unworn items and things that are too big for me. I lost about 25 pounds and have been able to maintain that weight. Although I have more weight to lose, wearing clothes that are too big are just unflattering and make one look bigger than one really is.

I bought some more earrings from LoveliiYou on etsy.
I decided to make my own.
What have you been up to lately?

MAC Prep N Prime Highlighter Bright Forecast

For about 3 months I have been following tredayy on Instagram.
I was awestruck by her highlight.
Finally I delved in and purchased MAC Prep N Prime Highlighter Pen in Bright Forecast.
It cost $25 for .12 fluid ounces. OUCH!
It has a brush tip.
I feel a little bit does go a long way.
I had to click this thing like 14 times in order for any product to finally come out!
I store this on it's side as recommended by the MUA online. 
.

I corrected my dark under eye circles with an orangey studio fix concealer.
I added a concealer 1 shade lighter than my normal skin tone. I added Bright Forecast and blended it with a damp sponge. I set it with Ben Nye Banana Powder. I added NARS Gold Highlighter from the Foreplay palette with a dual fiber small brush.
I set my entire face with Urban Decay All Nighter spray.









On first the day that I wore this outside, men were going out of their way to greet me.
I'm not promising you will get the same results when you wear this. I'm just warning you.

Do you own this product?
Would you consider purchasing it?
I would definitely purchase it again.

Fab Fashion Find - Blazers

I happened upon some clearance plus sized blazers at my local SEARS.
Apparently they were overlooked in the stockroom and they wanted to get rid of them, so they set a price point of $3.99! The original price for each of them was $44.00.

Of course I grabbed one in each of the colors available.

COBALT

Although they are not lined, they do have ruched 3/4 length sleeves and faux pockets on the front. The lapel is not too wide. I plan to wear mine with t-shirts, and jeans. They even dress up a button down shirt or can be worn over a dress. I find them great for hot days where the airconditioning is bone chilling.

PURPLE

They are on trend for Spring and Fall.

BLACK

Do you own any Blazers?
Which color is your favorite?

Vanity Lights

Hubby surprised me with these vanity lights as an Anniversary Gift! We recently celebrated our 21st Wedding Anniversary!
He purchased them from Home Depot.
They are from Hampton Bay. Each has four daylight bulbs which are supposed to last for 7 years.

I am excited about having more light to perfect my makeup application.

What kind of set up do you have for your lights?

Natural Hair Update 2013

So after my 3rd Big Chop, I decided to use protective styling for another year until I was comfy with the length of my natural hair. I went to a Dominican Beauty Salon for a blow out and to do an official length check. My hair is substantially longer in the back.
Check out the texture in the top!




























So it's officially collar bone length. YAY!
I need to invest in some Jamaican Black Castor Oil to regain my edges. My wig wearing kind of rubbed them out. Oh well!

Is your hair Natural? 

What are some of your favorite protective styles?

Nivea Care Soaps

I was able to purchase these soaps from a store called Five Below. They were $1.25 for each bar.
I just wanted to see if they were any good. I am still reviewing them.

Have you ever seen these soaps?

Wet N Wild Megalast Lipstick Swatches

Wet N Wild Megalast Lipsticks are my second favorite drugstore brand. My lips feel as if I've received a moisturizing treatment after having worn them. They are very affordable. I am not in love with the packaging. It is very cheap. However, I can live with that because of the rich color payoff.

Check out my swatches!

Do you own any of these colors?
Which are your favorites?

Nails Of The Day (NOTD) China Glaze FOR AUDREY and SNOW GLOBE

This was a hastily applied mani. I applied 3 coats of color over China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base and sealed everything with 1 coat of Seche Vite. I opted to layer China Glaze SNOW GLOBE and Sinful Colors OPAL GLITTER for accent nails.

I usually do my manis at about 3am.
I do my nails at my desk because it is the perfect height and I have sufficient light. Seche Vite affords me the opportunity to crawl back into bed and not get sheet prints.
I would love to change my polish at least twice weekly. I have been making more of a concerted effort in changing the colors. It is a challenge because of life's priorities.







How often do you change your polish?
Do you own any of these colors?

Revlon Lipstick Swatches

Recently I took advantage of 30% discount at drugstore.com to round out my Revlon Lipstick Collection.
I think I am finished! I love their matte formula as it is very pigmented and does not leave my lips dry like some other brands. Revlon lipsticks are definitely my favorite drugstore brand of lipstick! I love their sleek packaging. I love that they are readily available and affordable.

Check out the swatches!

Do you own any Revlon Lipsticks?
What is your favorite color/formulation?

Nails Of The Day (NOTD) Sinful Colors AMETHYST and FRENZY

This was a fun mani. I kept it simple. I only added glitter on the ring fingers and thumbs.

I did my standard base, 3 coats of color and Seche Vite top coat.

Nails Of The Day (NOTD) - Sinful Colors ENDLESS BLUE

I love this beautiful blue! It has to be my favorite by far!
It was so opaque, I could have gotten away with applying just 1 coat.
However, I am accostomed to applying 3. Old habits die hard.

Base: China Glaze Strong Adhesion
Color: Sinful Colors ENDLESS BLUE x3
Top: Seche Vite

This mani is old, but I wanted to capture it to share before I changed it.

Would you wear this color?

e.l.f. 100 Eyeshadow Palette

I picked up this palette for my teenaged daughter from Sears. It was on sale for $9.98! I believe that is the cheapest I've ever seen it. I have used e.l.f. eyeshadows in the past. I think they are ok. They work so long as I have a good primer and a secondary base. Not a bad price, right?




Do you own this palette?

LORAC PRO Eyeshadow Palette

I have been drooling over this palette for several months. After careful consideration, I just decided to buy it.
I already own several neutral palettes. However, this is an outstanding value. The quality of LORAC eyeshadows is outstanding. They are extremely pigmented. You do not need to use a ton of product to get good color pay off.

The case is waxcardboard. It comes with a mirror and a sample of LORAC eyeshadow primer.
I consider it a great value because of the quality and number of shadows contained therein. It seems like it would be great for travel. It sells for $42
The palette contains an equal number of matte and shimmery eyeshadows. There are sixteen in total.
They are very creamy in texture. The Taupe and hte mauve barely show up on my skin tone. I had to swatch them twice. The black is not the blackest I have ever seen, but it is suitable for deepening my crease.

Left to right...White, Cream, Taupe, Light Pink, Mauve, Sable, Espresso, Black

Left to right...Nude, Champagne, Gold, Light Bronze, Pewter, Garnet, Deep Purple, Slate

I LOVE THIS PALETTE! I am so glad I finally broke down and purchased it. I got mine from HSN.
It was sold out on Sephora's website.

Do you own this palette?
Which colors appear to be the most appealing to you?

Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo Metal Eyeshadows



Walmart Display



I procrastinated about purchasing these new additions to my collection.
That is because they are permanent.
I did not find them at Walgreens as some have. However I did find them at my local Walmart.
They retail for $5.94. I was thrilled to see they had all of the colors in stock so that I could purchase them and feature them here on the blog.










My most desired color 65 GOLD RUSH did not let me down.

I was also eager to pick up 75 ELECTRIC BLUE.

The other colors in the collection are

60 SILVER STRIKE

70 BARELY BRANDED

and

55 INKED IN PINK

All of the colors are shimmery metallic texture. However the GOLD RUSH has chunkier flecks than the other colors. I do not mind this at all because of the color! It seems one has to build the color to make it opaque. That is fine with me. I do not mind a little work for fantastic results.

These wore on me for 10 hours.
I did not test beyond that. I do not intentionally sleep in makeup.
As my eyelids are super oily, I always use an eyeshadow primer before laying down a secondary base.
I use this product as a secondary base to enhance colored eyeshadows. I set them with loose or pressed eyeshadow pigments.




Have you purchased these beauties?
Which colors do you like the best?

3 Drawer Acrylic Storage from The Container Store - REVIEW

I purchased these 3 drawer units last year to accommodate my makeup with a higher profile.
I elected to buy the model with the cut out area for finger pulling over the model with the knob on the drawer. I heard from a few of my makeup buddies that the "knobbed" model cracked and the knob broke off after a brief time.
I also wanted a more uniform look for my storage.
The finger cut out resembles that of my acrylic muji drawers.

I purchased the units for $14.99 US each from The Container Store. I paid $8.50 for shipping.

I find them to be relatively flimsy in comparison to the sturdy muji drawers.
However, it was essential that I get them to store my taller items, such as eos lip balms and loose setting powders.
They do stack, however they are not secure. I would recommend slipping a bit of that gummy stuff you find on the back of gift cards between the units to prevent accidents.

I would purchase these items again despite the cheaper quality as compared to my muji drawers. I like the look of uniformity.


Do you own anything like this?
Do you have items with higher profiles that will not fit in your muji drawers?

Homemade Yellow Setting Powder

I love to shop my stash! I have been lemming Ben Nye's banana powder forever. I am reluctant to pay shipping. The advantage to using it, is it isn't as HARSH as white powder when the flashbulbs go off.

I got this bright idea to combine my Coastal Scents Silica Spheres with a couple of MAC Pigments from my collection. I used 1/3 cup of the silica spheres, and 1 tsp each of MAC Primary Yellow and Chrome Yellow Pigments.












I have yet to perfect the application process, but that is the fun of playing in makeup.

I used a sponge today. I will try a brush tomorrow. I neglected to dust off the excess powder before setting with spray. I still plan to purchase the BEN NYE Banana Powder. This experiment wasn't a total failure. I say that because it was a learning experience.

Always a clown, I never take myself so seriously that I can't post a BAD picture of myself. If I can help someone learn, then I've accomplished something.
I hope this was helpful to someone.

Do you use colored setting powders?
Which are your favorites?

Lips Of The Day (LOTD) - Featuring Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Love - OUTLAW

I'm a sucker for lip products.
I am in love with MATTE lippies.
I do love the option of being able to add gloss to change the look of a matte lip product.
















Kat Von D
Everlasting Liquid Love OUTLAW

I saw a video on YouTube featuring LakiaStar using this.




Wear Time was about 4 hours straight with no feathering or transfer.
When I drank some water, the product began to transfer.
It felt like my lips were beginning to dry at the 6 hour mark.
I would suggest taking the product with you if you want to do any touch ups.

The product came in a black box. The tube was actually glued to the inside of the box. I had to wipe off the glue. That was a little bit annoying. I do like the sleek tube.

This product retails for $19 US at Sephora.


Do you like matte lips?
Would you purchase it?

Updated Muji Storage 2013

Top to bottom,
Row 1
Acrylic Book Organizer from Staples Office Supply. Contains Pigments, Larger Eyeshadow Palettes
1- 2 Drawer Unit. Contains pigments, Paint Pots and Eyeshadow Primers
2 - 5 Drawer Units. Contains Maybelline Color Tattoos, Pigments, Single Eyeshadows and Drugstore Eyeshadow Palettes
Row 2
1 - 2 Drawer Flip Top Unit. Contains Liquid Foundations, Setting Sprays, Facial Cleanser, Toner and Moisturizer plus Brush Shampoo & Cleanser.
Overflow Drugstore Eyeshadow quads and a few blushes.
2 - 5 Drawer Units. Contains Bronzers, Cream Blushes, Powder Blushes, Lipgloss
Row 3
Pampered Chef Tool Turn About with Makeup Brushes
2- 3 Drawer Units from the Container Store
Contains Setting Powders, Concealers, Pigments, Bronzers, eos Lip Balms, Beauty Supply 3 in 1 Makeup Pencils, Mascaras and Eyebrow Pencils.
In the front, 3 - 36 Lipstick Holders.

This setup is constantly changing.
I do plan to procure another 3 Drawer unit from the Container Store for my lashes, and Cotton products.
I would also like to get some alternative storage for my makeup pencils. I saw some acrylic drawer inserts from the Container Store, as well as some Pencil Caddies on the Muji website. I have not made up my mind which I would enjoy more.

Do you own any of these storage solutions?
Are you planning on reorganizing your set up anytime soon?

Nails of The Day (NOTD) - China Glaze DOROTHY WHO

This is a beautiful mid tone blue with flecks of light blue shimmer.
I used 3 coats for this application, although I could have gotten away with only 2.

Base - China Glaze Strong Adhesion
Color - China Glaze DOROTHY WHO
Top Coat - Seche Vite

Do you own this color?
What do you think of it?

Funky Platform Booties

I was thrilled to have seen these cuties on sale during an impromptu visit to
my local Ashley Stewart.
The redline clearance is 50% off the hardmarked price. I was able to snag these for $23.99.
Often I see such styles at my local Bare Feet Shoes. However I do not buy them because they do not carry wide. The shoe SNOB in me tends to stay away from shoes that do not come in a box. Let alone shoes that are clipped to a peg. But I figured I would indulge myself this time for the sake of fashion. Shoe lovers can justify any new shoe purchase.

I elected to get size 11 as my heels jut out in the back like Foghorn Leghorn. I did not my normal size ten would cut the mustard.
I cannot wait to wear these. I'm not sure where I will wear them, but I will.




I should go back and buy them in red.

You may still be able to purchase the black pair from the website. However the price will not be as good as in store.

Which pair do you like better?
Would you wear these shoes?