Rabu, 29 Juni 2011

Blue and Green

Sorry for the super lame title.  I did this look the other day and didn't get around to re-sizing my pictures until today.

I wanted to do something kind of dramatic because my makeup has been quite boring.  I wanted to do something using a black base, I used to do looks all the time with a black base but since I got my Inglot eyeshadows I really haven't used the black base too much.  Here's the look I did




I used NYX "Black Bean" Jumbo eye pencil as a base.  The green is NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in "Jade."  And then I used NYX "Black" eyeshadow in the outer v and the blue is a mixture of Inglot 428 P (a pearly navy color), and NYX ultra pearl mania in "Ocean Blue."  I used Inglot DS 496 as my highlight color.  I used MAC "Myth" lipstick under NYX Megashine Lipgloss in "Crystal Soda" which is a sheer peach/pink color with sparkles in it.  

I think this look is just eh.  It's ok but I don't think I'd do it again.  Thank you so much for taking time out to check this out!  I hope you guys have a great day!

Alice In Underland!!

Hey y'all!! So yesterday Kassie form the fabulous Unique-Desire tagged me in a Disney Princess post. I'll be honest, I'm not really much of a Disney fan...or a Princess for that matter!! But I thought what the heck, I'll give it a go. I Love Kassies blog, she creates some absolutely stunning looks so I really wanted to do her proud!! I thought I was going to struggle for inspiration as the only Disney thing I have ever Loved is Alice In Wonderland. I loved the book when I was a child (ahem even still now haha) and have loved all the different re-creations of it since. So imagine my glee when I took the challenge and discovered I was Alice - Yay. The questions were as follows...

Alice

*You have/had long blond hair...Check!

*You constantly day dream of another world...Always getting told off for daydreaming

*You have an active imagination...VIVID!!

*You’re very curious...This has often got the better of me :S

*You try to show off your knowledge...Hopefully in a way that helps others "/

*You are polite or talk very formally...I was brought up well haha

*You don’t like books without picture...Not true!! I love all books

*You love or have a cat...The gorgeous fuddah

*You tend to act more mature than your age...Mostly!! I have my moments though

*You have been told that you’re mad or not right in your head...Ha not to my face!!

So that gave me 8/10 which was the highest score I got for any of them. I've not included all the other Princess questions, but if you want to see them please pop over to Kassies blog and take a look. After you've answered all the questions you then have to do a look inspired by your Disney Princess. Now...those of you that know me will know I'm probably closer to Callow Lilys Alice as opposed to Disneys!! So what I tried to do was take inspiration from both, along with some of the scenery and other characters.

So anyway here's my final look...








I tried to make it look like I was falling down the rabbit hole. So whadayathink? For this I'm going to tag everyone that reads this, that wants to do it. Don't let not being a Disney lover put you off...it's fun.

Speak soon xx

Selasa, 28 Juni 2011

And You Thought Disco Barbie Was The Bomb...

Meet Shellac Rockstar!! The newest offering from CND. I've just started doing this in my salon and I love it!!




Shellac is definitely my favourite and most popular service so I think this will go down a treat. Any previous beef I've had with Shellac has merely been that I get bored!! But now with Rockstar I can have different colours and glittery textures...Hurray!! It's also prompted me to start experimenting with Shellac nail art too so I'm sure there will be some posts to follow about that. But anyway, enough of the chatter!! Have a look at some more pictures...




Isn't it Beautiful!! This particular mani reminds me of Crystal Barbies Shoes haha. I really don't know why I'm obsessed with Barbie at the minute?? But anyways, hope you all like it :D

Speak Soon xx

Minggu, 26 Juni 2011

John Frieda "Go Blonder Controlled Lightening Spray" review and a personal update

When I got my Allure Beauty Box, there was a bottle of this John Frieda "Go Blonder Controlled Lightening Spray" in it.  I know a girl from MakeupGeek uses it so I asked her a what she thought of it and she says she loves it.  I had my hair dyed in the beginning of May and my regrowth was really starting to bother me so I figured it was a good time to test this stuff out.

What their website says about it:
"Versatile, patent-pending formula with citrus and chamomile works with styling heat to gradually lighten and brighten for a natural-looking, blonder blonde. Contains thermo-protectant. Patent-pending technology combines fixative and conditioning polymers that retain hydrogen peroxide, allowing for control of lightening. Visibly lightens in 3-5 uses."

So here's my hair before I washed it.  This is probably 4 weeks of regrowth
After one use:
After 3 uses:

As you can see, there's a visible difference between the before and 3 uses picture.  The product says to be used with heat so I didn't use this every time I washed my hair because I don't always blowdry my hair.  I have used it more times but my hair doesn't seem to be getting any lighter than the 3 uses picture.  

I think this product is great for dragging out the amount of time I can go between colorings.  Is it light enough for me?  No.  But it does a good job of making my regrowth way less noticeable.  I'd probably start using this around 3 weeks after a coloring and then do my regular hair color at about 6 weeks.  

I'm not sure how much this product costs as it came in my beauty box but I found it for $9.70 on amazon.com.  So would I buy this product?  Probably.  I'm not in love with it but I definitely like that after 7 weeks of not coloring my hair, it still doesn't look trashy (which it definitely would without this product).  

Now the next part of this post is going to be a personal update about the death of my nephew just in case you're not into the personal stuff.  

*Edit: Just so you know, so I don't feel like I'm lying, I have edited and deleted parts of this post.  Things from this post were taken out of context and flipped around and some things were too personal so I deleted them or edited them.*

Man oh man has this been one tough week.  I was in no way prepared for this.  I feel like I don't even know where to start.  Here's his obituary.
Asiah Maxam
His father's family put the obituary together.  My sister-in-law was upset that first of all, his middle name is incorrect (I guess he has too many kids to keep them all straight.  He has 7 children by 2 different women).  His middle name is actually Vincent.  She was also upset that my name wasn't in there next to my husband's and that his Uncle Alex wasn't mentioned either.

I was able to print out the pictures that I had of Asiah and give them to my sister-in-law.  We also got her a gold locket that has footprints on the front and on the back it says "it was then that I carried you" from that "Footprints" poem with a picture of him inside.  She cried and cried when I gave her the pictures.  The picture of her with Asiah is the only picture she has of the two of them.  It makes me so glad that I took it.



The funeral was on Friday morning.  It was awful.  Just as they had everyone sit to get the service started, the 2 1/2 year old ran up toward the front.  His dad grabbed him and picked him up to carry him to the back.  When he picked him up, he saw his baby brother and he started crying and reaching for him yelling, "But the baby!  The baby!"  It was HORRIBLE!  The most heart-wrenching thing I could ever imagine.

My mother-in-law I think is having a nervous breakdown.  She hasn't stopped crying and she keeps having convulsions.  She feels like she can't be in that house but because there's a rumor going around that they're going to kill Jamie as soon as she leaves (because the man who did this to her baby has a record of child molestation and they say she knew about it so they're calling her a baby killer), she feels like she can't leave.  So she definitely needs some prayer.  Please please pray for her.

We left last night and on the ride home, my husband called his mom to check on her and she told him how proud she is of him.  Which is something he's been waiting to hear for a long time.  She said, "I'm sorry I don't ever send anything to your Briana but I know that she's taken care of and these kids aren't.  Everything I have I give to these kids because I know yours has everything she needs."  She told him also that he's the kind of man she wishes she married because he stands behind his wife and daughter and provides everything we need.

But being home has been tough too.  When we were in New York we were running around and trying to be there for everyone else.  Being home, we've had a bit to sit still and think.  It's so so sad.  I'm so glad that someone invented waterproof mascara or this whole week would have been the biggest mess.

If you took time to read this whole thing, thank you.  I'm sorry.  I just needed to get some of this stuff out.  And I may have to vent some more on a later post.  This has been way too much.  He was a baby.  And he was murdered.  Who could kill someone who has no means of defense??  He's a sick, sick man.  He hasn't been charged with the murder yet and I'm not sure why seeing as they have DNA evidence against him.  And then I think about the boys again (who asked if they could come to our house with us) and it makes me want to cry.  I just can't handle it.  It's too much.

Hopefully I'll be able to get back to makeup posts soon.  I just really didn't wear much makeup this past week because I knew I'd just cry it off.  Thanks guys.  Thank you so much.

Rabu, 22 Juni 2011

MIA. Quick update as to why

Hey guys, I know I said I'd try to be better on posting more and now I've gotten worse.  Well, I have a reason.  On Sunday night, my nephew, Asiah, who was 20 months old was killed.  It's my husband's sister's son.  So we're back in New York to be with her and the rest of the family. 

She has 5 kids with this guy who is hands down the WORST person I have ever met.  When they were together he was abusive to her and to the kids.  He has like 4 other children with other women, some kids are the same age as my sister-in-laws kids.  One time he had told my husband and I that he put a curse on us and that he worked for the devil, which in my head I thought 'good thing I have someone better on my side'.  The news here has made it appear that he's a good man which he is most definitely now.

It wasn't him who did it though, it was her new boyfriend.  He says that the baby fell out of his crib but the police have called it was homicide.  My sister-in-law wasn't home when it happened so she doesn't really know what happened.  Though she said to me that she believes him.

I just am asking you guys to think of us and pray for us in this time.  It's the worst thing you can imagine.  Pray for her other children too.  Thanks guys. 

Here's a link to what they said on the news about it.
UPDATED: Schenectady toddler's death ruled a homicide - News 10 WTEN: Albany, New York News, Weather, Sports

Summertime in Copenhagen

Dear Copenhagen


I have missed you for such a long time. Even though I've been right here with you, but I have felt the absence of sunshine on your roof tops, the glittering green copper towers and your blue waters.


I want to walk in your streets, singing about your loving arms and your harsh eyes. I long to dance in your alleys at night with a half-empty beer in my hands, talking off my stilettos, so I will not hurt your cracks and dirt and smell.


So here is a tribute to you, my love: 















I look forward to eat ice cream in your parks and gardens, drink beer at the canal or in my favourite relaxed bar and live-music-venue, I can't wait to paint whatever you put into my mind, and I love to bike my way over your harbour bridges and scream I love you more than words can say, Dearest, darling Copenhagen, and I will never desert you.

Here Comes The Sun...I Hope!!

Depressed by all the rubbish weather we're having I thought I'd make an offering to the Sun God Ra. Hopefully he will hear my prayers and send me some nice weather as I've got another six weeks before I go on holiday and I can't cope with anymore rain!!




To create this look I applied NYX JEP in Milk as a base above the crease and NYX JEP in Black Bean as a base for the lid. Next I used NYX Morocco in the crease and Sleek Acid palette Black on the lid. After this I added the Sleek Circus palette purple above the crease with Sleek Circus palette red above this. I followed this with Sleek Acid palette orange above the red, and Sleek Acid palette yellow above this. Then I used Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Pink to highlight. After this I lined my lash line and water line with Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero and Ransom. Then I used NYX Morocco to line the lower lash line and NYX Candy Glitter liner in Crystal over this. To finish I applied Girls Aloud Lashes in Nadine.



I also entered the look for MUG's weekly challenge too. Stop by and have a mooch at all the looks if you haven't already. Everyone's done a great job. Anyway, hope the weather's better where you are.

Speak soon xx

Minggu, 19 Juni 2011

Two looks inspired by Fergie Ferg

I became a member on a website called "Beautylish" not too long ago when the MakeupGeek Forum was down.  It's a similar concept to MUG but it's not quite as active.  Well I had posted my Pam Anderson look and someone commented that I look like Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas.  That was something I'd never heard before (and don't really see, I wish though!) but while I was looking at pictures of her, I figured I'd do some makeup inspired by her.

In a lot of pictures, her makeup is pretty simple.  It looks like she wears a cream shadow, black liner, and false lashes.  So my first look was inspired by that.
This video is her "Glamorous" video and if you check her makeup out around the 42 second mark, that's kinda what I was going for.



I obviously went lighter on the liner and didn't do false lashes, but I wasn't trying to replicate it.  I used Revlon Illuminanace Cream Shadow as a base (over TFSI) and topped that with NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in "Mocha" and used Inglot 395 P for the highlight.  I do not recommend these Revlon Cream shadows at all.  They crease like nobody's business.  I don't have a problem with anything else creasing on me but this creased in like 20 seconds.  

And this is the second look I was inspired by. 

I thought the shape was interesting.  So here's what I did



Sorry for the terrible pictures.  I almost never remember to take pictures on the weekend when my husband is home but I did remember last minute and took these really quickly in the kitchen haha.  I look like a meanie here.  And again for this look, I wasn't trying to recreate her look, my look was just inspired by her look.  Haha and then once I was all done with my makeup, my daughter came inside with the mail holding my newest Allure magazine.  I'll bet you could never guess who's on the cover... yup, Fergie.  I thought that was funny.

Oh yeah, for this look I used.... umm... NYX "Black" eyeshadow, NYX ultra pearl mania in "Black", Inglot 376 (a grey color), and MAC "Blanc Type" on my highlight area.  I thought it was a fun look, I'd probably wear it again.  

I'm sorry I've been slacking on my posting, I'll try to be better.  I hope you all had a great Father's day and an amazing weekend!  Thank you all so much!!!

Rabu, 15 Juni 2011

Bronze and Royal Blue

When I ordered from NYX, I saw this beautiful bright blue liquid liner and I was on a bit of a colored liner kick (which is not usually my thing) so I ordered it.  When I got it, I couldn't wait to use it.  I've used it probably 3 times now but I've forgotten to take pictures haha.  Here's what I did with it today
I did kind of a bronze smokey eye with the pop of blue on my lower lashline because I've been soooo boring with my makeup lately, I wanted something a smidge more dramatic (at least compared to what I've been doing haha).  And I decided I would do a tutorial on this look so here we go!

-First I applied my eye primer (Too Faced Shadow Insurance) and then I applied a thin layer of my MAC fluidline in "Rich Ground" to get a nice, bronzey base (clearly it does not need to be perfect haha)
-I then applied a warm orange/gold color on my lid (Inglot 307 P)
-I went in with a brown (Urban Decay's "Twice Baked") in the outer v area but I applied it with a fluffy brush so the dark color isn't too harsh
-I applied a skintone color under my brow down to the brown to help blend
-I applied just a little more brown and blended up a bit
-I filled in my brows (since I don't like to apply my highlight color without my brows being filled in) and applied MAC "Vanilla" pigment as my highlight
-I added a bit of Urban Decay's "Baked" eyeshadow which is a beautiful copper color above the brown and blended that up into the highlight area
-Add liner to the top lashline and to the waterline.  I used Bobbi Brown gel liner in "Black Ink"
-I don't want the liner to be too severe so I applied some of my dark brown shadow on top of the liner and I added a bit more to my outer v as well.
-And now for the blue on my lower lashline.  The brush on this particular liner is very flimsy so I applied a blob of color to my hand and dipped an angled liner brush into it and applied it with that

-The liner went on a little too dark for me so I applied a light layer of a similar eyeshadow color (for me that was Inglot AMC 70) and made the line a little softer 
-Now add mascara.  I used L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black

And ta da!  You have a beautiful bronze smokey eye with a pop of royal blue!  Dramatic enough for me but not anything crazy.


I used the ELF blush/bronzer duo and NYX's "Peach" blush on my cheeks with MAC "Vanilla" pigment as my cheek highlight.  And I have MAC "Myth" lipstick under NYX Megashine Lipgloss in "Nude Pink" on my lips.

Here's some more pictures of the blue liner I used
The color is "Extreme Blue"

The brush compared to the Wet 'n Wild liquid liner brush.  The brushes are very similar: small and flimsy.

However, you can get a nice thin line with this.
I definitely like the liner.  When you get it wet, it doesn't run off, instead, it kinda flakes off in chunks.  I LOVE the color though and would definitely recommend it (I think I paid $3 for it???).  I just don't love the brush at all, it isn't stiff enough for me.  

I did almost this same look only with a black/grey smokey eye with this liner on the bottom and I really liked it.  I did wear it alone on my top lashline one day too and my husband really liked it on me.  I said to him, "It's weird.  I've been doing a lot more natural looks lately" and he said, "I like it better."  Well it stinks to be him because I'm definitely not sticking just with natural looks haha because I like my dramatic/bright looks too much to give them up!  Not that he wants me to but he prefers a more natural look.

I hope you all like this (even though I've done similar looks before)!  I want to thank you all again so much for all of your support!  I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to read this and to comment.  I'm so lucky that I have such a nice group of followers!  Thank you all sooo much!