Showing posts with label makeup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label makeup. Show all posts


Soo...all my little beauty forums are talking about "Jizz Lips."  I honestly didn't know what this term meant.  That said, I got the link to the video where a popular You Tuber and guru posted about "Jizz Lips."  Honestly, I didn't want to watch it for selfish reasons.  I know that it makes view counts go up which equates to more $$$ for the partner.  About the thousandth time I heard, "Whatever, my bills are getting paid while you sit and watch and hate...blah..blah..."  I cannot stand an idiot  individual to think a dissenting opinion is equal to hating on them.  I wish that term would die a painful death, but it is what it is.  So, many people were offended and/or felt they were targeted.  The bitch in me says, if you think it's about you then it probably is.  The part of me who thinks any platform that is used to insult rather than educate is posting.  Just because an arrogant pompous jackass says something doesn't make it true. 
On the other hand, we all have room for improvement.  So, let's think....Jizz Lips is disgusting, and no woman body should be spoken or referred to in such a derogatory term.  Even people who get paid to perform lewd acts don't deserve that.  We don't judge unless we walk in one's shoes here right? Right!   I know I have made enough fashion, beauty, life, etc. faux pas to fill a library.  So, let's say you really like that look but it's a bit extreme.  For instance, Lady GaGa for Mac gives me the "powdered doughnut" look.  The fix?  I need a dark base to balance the extreme harshness of the opaqueness.   How?  I can line my entire lip with a darker liner, fill in my lips and apply that atrocious color on top and keep it moving.
In defense of those who like the look, it's quite editorial and can be pulled off.  I don't think Latoya Luckett gets much criticism

jizz? silver?


"giiiirl *shakes neck*"

I have to say, I loathe when people pull their "ghetto fab" card and attempt to "school" black women.  It's quite insulting to think in order to get a point across to black women you have to be ignorant.  Speak to me the same as you would a non black woman.  Thanks.  We don't all have the "hood" mentality. Really it's beyond old.  We ALL have a professional demeanor and our "relaxed" demeanor.  Regardless of your ethnicity, you speak differently in business than you do with your friends shooting the shit breeze.   Granted, some looks are strictly for editorial and you wouldn't wear them for a corporate engagement. But we know what those looks consist of.  I must give credit to an artist I really admire.  Her name is Eily and she has a YouTube channel, although I haven't been up to speed on if she's, in fact, still on their. 


GORGEOUS not Jizz!


In short, whenever someone says something you either don't like or disagree with, consider the source.  Many times people don't think and just act, which in turn we react which just makes things messy, feelings get butt hurt and no one wins.  I believe most people don't intend to offend, but when they do, it's usually based on something they need to deal with and are projecting it onto others.  Again, I care not what most gurus care about how I choose to look, many of them aren't flawless and have room to grow i.e. a guru speaking about eye makeup but has bad skin, or weight issues, doesn't need me to say, "You may have great skill in (insert technique) but you could lose a few pounds or work on that breakout."  It serves me no purpose other than for them to shut up or notify all their "e-friends" and I get cyber stalked and bullied. 
Believe in yourself, know your worth and remember: Confidence will take any look to another level and at the end of the day, if you love you, you are way ahead of most people!  *blows kiss*



photo credit
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I hate dumb people. Ignorance is one thing, because no one knows everything, but people who are just dumb abhor me. I'm on hold with MAC inquiring about a color from the Art Supplies Collection. The girl who answers tells me, they don't carry Grease Paints. Really? Considering the display was there this morning I find that strange. She puts me on hold, and here I am. The reason for this post is not to promote this even though I love grease paints. I have several and I'm doing a CP for a reader who is being charged an insane price. Unfortunately, there are some colors which are exclusive to this collection which I don't have in my makeup collection at all. Not under any other brand especially Urban Decay who has loads. I've looked.
Fortunately, L'Oreal HIP offers the exact same product for less than $3.00 USD. They are revamping the line at most stores, so in places like Walmart, they are clearanced which means Dollar Store here they come! In the top left is the MAC Grease Paint. It's lovely no? Glides on creamy, and makes a great base, or liner. I cannot attest to smearproof because anyone who guarantees any product not to smudge or transfer is foolish. We all have different levels of ph in our bodies as well as oil production so, for me, the paints are always primed if used as a base, and I don't use them as liners on clients ever. Notice that it has an attached sharpener? Well, that liner is pretty useless, you lose loads of product unless you freeze it first. Now look at the crayon from L'Oreal.

Notice the difference? Me neither, and I have them both. We've seen what the black swatches look like so, they are both solid black with no shimmer, glitter or duochrome. I hope this post has saved you a bit of money, or at least been informative enough that you will consider this when you cry in your tea over the "limited edition" unavailability which will no doubt be in CCO's. Remember Hello Kitty? Yep, in my CCO going on six months now.
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I guess I am doing my end of the year shopping.  When I got the Revlon PhotoReady, the nice lady at the store was putting these on display. They were $6.99 and, of course, buy one get one free.  The pictures are a tad dark; however, this is not something I would tell anyone to run out and get.  It is in a gel form, and does not state that it is "eye safe" which poses a concern for me.  In addition, you would really have to layer or use this as an eyeshadow gloss for an evening out.  A rare evening out, like New Year's or Halloween because it's really an odd concept.  Creme eyeshadow would never be so sheer, and it doesn't stay sticky.  In addition, glitter would not be so sparse, which once this is sheered out with a brush or fingers, there's no glitter, and the glitter isn't like other glitters which sparkle and catch your eye, it's rather muted.  Imagine taking hair gel, and putting craft glitter and shaking it up.  Well, that's what this has the texture of.  I waited for it to dry but not too long as I wanted to return it and ask that they take it off their shelves.  I wouldn't give this to my neice to play with on her dolls or use to make me crafts or artwork to hang on my ice box.  This product is one of the worst attempts at becoming new or innovative and to be honest, most of what Milani has been doing since it pulled their original line has left me unimpressed.  I would not recommend, repurchase or even blog about this, but I hope it saves another makeup addict their "allowance" and not be suckered like me.















xoxo
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I really think "flawless skin" is an anomoly in most cases but the idea that people can show others "how to get a flawless face!" is a bit of a misnomer.  The only way, short of genetics, to get a "flawless face" is via photoshop.  Sure, there are a plethora of ways to improve your skin's appearance, but makeup is just a bandage.  There are tons of theories and studies about the impact of: water, greasy foods, birth control, chocolate, et al. which has some great arguments both pro and con.  I would like to offer some solutions for anyone looking to improve their skin's appearance before tweaking everyday imperfections such as under eye bags, spots, and skin discoloration.
  1. See a dermatologist!  A medical practitioner can help you detect and direct you to what will best suit your skin's individual needs.
  2. Discuss medications which may help or are hurting your skins ability to clear itself with a medical advisor.  Over the counter remedies are good, but there are some products (Accutane, birth control, retinoids, etc.) which may help improve your skin's appearance.
  3. Don't stress!  Everyone has times where there skin get angry.  I've stated repeatedly how nothing works to slow the production of oil my glands produce.  I've accepted it and keep a napkin or some form of blotting tissue with me all day and follow a regimen.
  4. Once you establish a regimen that works document your skin's progress.  You want to know if there is any improvement or reaction as a result.  You should not have skin that is itching unless your medical practioner indicated there may be a side effect, in which case, contact them and let them know.  Don't wait six weeks, when a simple call or follow up may determine this method is not working and your skin is having an allergic reaction.
  5. Don't compare your face to anyone else's!  We are not all created equally the same.  Some people put in   a bit of work before you see the final product.  You will learn to do the same.
  6. Research!  Get out there and start researching any and every skin care board you can.  Before you spend hundreds, or even thousands of dollars on products which may or may not work, do research.  People will sell you snake oil with a promise of it being the fountain of youth.  Claims that any cream is better than Botox can't be so effective if people are still having the procedure done.  Creams are topical, they moisturize, protect and soften your skin, but that's just a small portion.  Go to MUA's skin board and interact with the people there, they have a plethora of knowledge and are willing to share.
  7. Give your skin time to heal.  I've heard that human skin does not "breathe" per se; however, it does help to ease up on the amount of product we put on it if for no other reason than the plethora of ingredients in each item (primer, concealer, foundation, powder, contour, blush, highlight, etc.) Each of those are composed of various ingredients.  If you do wear all of this, WASH YOUR FACE!!
  8. Accept yourself, flaws and all!  We all have them, some may not be on our face, some have the cellulite, others have cankles, but what you look like is not who you are.  Stop comparing yourself and focus on things you are good at and as if by some magic you will realize you spend less time obsessing about what you look like.
xoxo



photo source
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I know the YouTube market has been inundated with products with promises to do everything but
take you to work every morning. Alas, I open my inbox and there it is.  For a mere $16.95 plus shipping and handling you get an ounce of this High Definition foundation.  I think it's a great deal if it works.  However, if it's something wholesale, simply repackaged then I can't say I'd stop using my current foundation.  My quest for the holy grail of foundations. 
In my opinion, this stuff is not quite up to par for my idea of high definition due to the ingredients.  There are a lot of "cones" and it has titanium dioxide, which means it will have a grey cast in flash photography.  So, if you are interested, please go to Coastal Scents and read more.  I believe they will answer questions and offer a forum for those interested in learning more.  Good luck, and report back if you happen to make a purchase.  Something tells me I will be seeing reviews and videos about this soon.
xoxo






Here are the ingredients for your viewing pleasure:

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Cyclopentasiloxane, Talc, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Mica, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Copolycol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Lauroyl Lysine, Sodium Chloride, Fagus Sylvatica Extract, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Proplyparaben. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides. Made in P. R. C.
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I have always thought of myself to be one of the most patient tolerant people.  I accept everyone regardless of race, religion, sexuality, carnivore, vegan, atheist, et al.  I have learnt I don't.  I temper my views and opinions and have chosen to remove any person, place or thing which causes me anything other than positive experience, or a negative but learning experience.  Well...I guess the more I eliminate and detox from the more critical I am.  I don't enjoy this about myself; however, I do feel the need to explain.
I have spent a LARGE part of my time learning new skills, techniques, terminology, styles etc when it comes to all things beauty, fashion and hair.  If there is a forum, I've either joined or perused it at one time or another.  I've always been open to learning.  But, lately I have no tolerance for these social outlets.  I find there to be a lot more b.s. than previously.  If not, I must have been oblivious.  I have gotten to the point where I don't log on to YouTube (which babysat me when I moved to California), most forums unless it's for pictures, sale info. or product reviews, and now I'm not interested in many of blogs.  I don't subscribe to thousands, but I do love to learn from others and think it's a great way to (again) challenge myself and my learning curve. 
I don't know what to do...I don't condone some of the rubbish (hater vs. non hater vs. criticism, gurus who are full of crap, themselves or both and the racist, homphobic, and ignorant comments many gurus deal with.  Seriously, I read Pixiwoo's disclaimer re: black skin and thought, "Can we not say black, white, ...skin anymore?"  Not that I have an account, but it's not fun anymore.  Not to mention the shilling, competitiveness and backbiting gurus do to each other.
I ran to forums and most topics were slagging and dissing other peoples style, makeup, technique, shape, etc. and it all got too much for me.  I guess the internet is something I may have to rethink.  I'm truly blessed to have learnt so much from people I have never met in my life who spend a lot of their time doing things to my benefit, but seriously calling a man a "f*gg*t" for educating people on makeup application, telling a black woman she's an "ugly n*gg*er" or a forum post just to gossip about someone else who we don't know seems so pointless.
Speaking of pointless, so was this post, but I need to vent every now and again.  I cannot change the world, but I can acknowledge things I wish to change.


xoxo

Monday's Madness

by on 4:06 PM
I have always thought of myself to be one of the most patient tolerant people.  I accept everyone regardless of race, religion, sexuality, c...
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Yay, I am still a work in progress in my skills with camera and photography, so if anyone reading this needs better swatches, please leave a comment.  I purchased some of those daylight blue tinged bulbs, and I'm going to get a book on picture taking...On with what matters.  I didn't label them so I will give the names from left to right:  Glimmer (Metallic), Pop (Radiant), Pixie (Radiant),Whimsy (Radiant), Spirited (Metallic), Moody, (Radiant), Star (Radiant), Soiree (Metallic), Love (Radiant), Glimpse (Metallic), and Celestine (Metallic).  To be quite honest, these were not what I expected.  I love eyeshadow bases.  I knew these weren't going to be crease proof, so I wouldn't be disappointed for any sort of creasing which may or may not occur.  That said, the tube reminded me more of a lipstick than an eyeshadow cream.  So, when I opened the tube (see below) I was a bit put off.  I like applying either from a pot or stick, but usually the sticks have a pencil shape so I can get to the tear duct area of my eye.  This bit I can sort, but ...I thought, "It would annoy and take more product to use a brush, but I cannot just swipe it from the tube...or can I?" In addition, there is a very creamy consistency to the finish, therefore, if you have really oily lids, I would not recommend this product unless you don't mind the extra work of layering both under and over this creme. 
They aren't very pigmented, so it takes a few swipes against my complexion (dark) so be advised of that.  Overall, I would not recommend this with the exception that Glimpse is a dupe for Sharksin Shadestick by MAC.  I have high and low end creme eyeshadows, and the Maybelline ones at the Dollar Store are better quality than these for those who are budgeting.  If you love Hard Candy and want to have these in your collection, go for it, but you may not reach for them often.  I do love the variety of colors and the creme vs. shimmer finishes, but in terms of practicality, I'd prefer better packaging.  I will say if you lay these with any of the shadows from the 88 palette, you will love the result, but again, don't expect to go a whole work day without creasing.  I hope this is helpful.  Love yourself and remember you are the most beautiful person you have seen today, and your attidude will surprise you and those around you!

xoxo
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One  more day!!! I get a new computer and can blog it all out!  *Happy Dance* In some ways it's been cool not to access the world wide web.  For instance, I spend more time getting out and about and having a "real life."  Week one, I loathed going home.  No blogs to read, no forums to peruse, no YouTube, just silence.  By week two, I was reading all the books I had set aside, and by the third week, I was about taking pictures of people, places, and windowshopping.  The world is really cool when you look at it from the lense of a camera. I'm no photographer, but some of the simplest things become so amazing.  Like architecture, rustic buildings, squirrels, flowers and the elements have a different element to them.  You see them quite different.  In addition, going to cosmetics counters in person as opposed to blogs and forums is quite interesting.  There arae so many beautiful women of various ethnicities, ages, skin tones and I found so many different ideas and experimented with products I had never touched.  Well, big thumbs down for Giorgio Armani...boo, hiss, I'm so upset.  This is one of the leaders in the fashion industry so, quite naturally I would be interested in their cosmetics.  But, unforutunately they don't have foundation in my skin tone??? What the frack is that all about?  I mean, the last I looked it was 2009 and black women are some of the consumers which keep this billion dollar industry in the black (pun intended).  No matter what's going on in my world, I was told as a child to make sure if I only had one outfit, make sure it was clean and pressed and if I could not do my face right, to have one lipstick that would flatter me.  I think it's sad that both women quite pale, and those who are darker are hard pressed to find a foundation to match our skin tone.  We exist, our money spends the same, and guess what, we aren't diminishing in number, we are learning more about how to emphasize our God given beauty and we'd like to get in on the action.  I felt more sorry for the sales assistant who took me to Chanel and still couldn't match me.  I'm not very dark, but I applaud those companies who do realize they have a demographic who would love to purchase their products.  End rant!

xoxo
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Whilst shopping my stash I came across a product I purchased at ULTA quite some time ago called Amazing Concealer by Amazing Cosmetics.  I am embarrassed to admit I cannot remember how much I paid for it, but it was new at the time and only came in the large size.  Currently, it runs about $42.00 USD for the large and $28.00 USD for the small size. 
I love this concealer and don't know why I stopped using it.  In fact, I didn't use it simply for a concealer, I used it as a foundation as well.  The texture is not thick, but it's not runny either.  Think of when you squeeze a bit of gel for your hair onto your palm...that's the consistency.  It's that perfect mixture.  It's opaque so make sure you match yourself properly otherwise you will look sick or "off."
A little does go a long way, and this works well for oily skinned ladies like me who also worry about fading, or creasing.  I haven't tried it with a primer; although I can't imagine it having a negative effect.  I wore this today and a co-worker asked if I had on no makeup.  I lied and said, "Yes, why?" and he said, "You look pretty and sweet today."  That's guy speak for my makeup looks better simple than when I wear my over the top eyeshadow combinations.  Oh well, can't please them all.  Yes, I looked him right in the eye and lied.  What?
xoxo
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E.L.F. is Doing it Again!
I have the Studio line of brushes, and though I haven't done a thorough review, I can say they are good to have if you need something and don't want to shell out ridiculous amounts of money for high end brushes.  If you are doing makeup for yourself and don't require a brush that will survive ridiculous amounts of washing and heavy usage, give e.l.f a go, they are quite nice.
xoxo

e.l.f. Brush Sale

by on 3:15 PM
E.L.F. is Doing it Again! I have the Studio line of brushes, and though I haven't done a thorough review, I can say they are good to ...
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Hello Beautiful Ones,
I hate Wednesdays...but I love makeup and I'm really trying to curb my enthusiasm for products, but bloomin h*ll, I go to Nordstrom's and they have this collection entitled, "Jazzclub" on display.
I must admit, I have never been into Christian Dior nor have I owned anything other than a few fragrances by this line *cough, price tag, cough* but I am all about the roaring 20's. I don't know if it's because of the style of dress, the elegance of the women and the mens Zoot suits but despite the depression, everything about that era appeals to me.
Granted, what I know has been via films, books and replicas and not all that shiny is glitter, but hey, a lot of women have expressed an era they wish they had experienced or one they feel suited their style best, and the 70s afros, bell bottoms and music didn't inspire me ever! I know a lot of kittens who can do the 80s Madonna, Flashdance, Neon, leggings, etc, but that era and I = epic fail. So, inspired by Josephine Backer and Dorothy Dandridge, I fell for the 20s and 3os and can rock a pin curl like no ones business. Yes, I bragged, what? I have to have something that I can rock, you all can't just floss and expect me to sit down can you? Don't answer, it's about this:Don't tell me you can't see yourself sporting this lovely number? A clutch inspired palette? Get the fack out of here! Come on now...what's a girl to do! Oh, you aren't the clutch type? That's sweet, they got you, here you go:

A palette with purples, buttery soft and no where near chalky. I understand why so many felines were pawing this little number. I got a swipe in, and it's so pigmented. I only tried the purple, as I try to maintain calm, cool and composed at Nordstrom because they don't play there. I have seen them "escort" women out for getting stupid over those monthly MAC releases and I'm not trying to lose favor with any sales assistance until Friday "cha-ching" so, yep it's on hold for me, and straight away after work, no cocktails, no chat over tea, it's about:
losing my virginity to Monsier Dior. We have a date and I'm going to be Anita Bryant and make sure I am "Giving him the best that I got" which is $25.00 nail varnish, $56.00 for the palette and $65.00 for the clutch, BUT it's my first, and your first time is supposed to be the best, and most memorable, so that dent in my check? I will remember it for 2 weeks to come. No credit cards=no lunches, cocktails, or movies. I guess I should make an account on Match.com for a dinner or movie *shrug* Besos!

xoxo

source: Nordstrom

Dior Jazzclub

by on 7:56 PM
Hello Beautiful Ones, I hate Wednesdays...but I love makeup and I'm really trying to curb my enthusiasm for products, but bloomin h*ll, ...
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Yes, loves another one.
You know exactly what to do!


Click it now!

xoxo
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Hello Gorgeous!!!
I am really excited for British soul songstress Beverly Knight's decision to give it a go and take on the cosmetics industry. Due to frustrations with the limitation in foundations for darker skinned women, she took the problems into her own hands and thus became her signature line. Her line launches into Selfridges on September 17 followed by other retailers and online from October. She told Hello! magazine, “There’s always been a schism in the cosmetics industry when it comes to meeting the needs of darker skinned women,” she said.

“If you were black, your choice was Bobbi Brown, MAC or Iman - and even that’s almost impossible to get hold of now. You’d end up having to mix up your own from what’s out there or having to go to companies who do custom-made make-up. Whichever way you do it, it’s expensive. So you make do.”

“As a black woman, you feel like you’re outside of the beauty loop,” Beverley continued. “Before Naomi Campbell, the only black models were very light-skinned so you never felt part of it.”

Hopefully her line will be a huge success and we in the US will be able to try it out for ourselves. Granted, Sephora has made enough room on their shelves for other "new" lines, so maybe ULTA would be willing to give it a go. The industry is so saturated but I am really *taps wood* hoping this line is well received.

To read more go here and find out more.

source
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Hello Beautiful People,
If you are anything like me, you have enough pigments to fill the Grand Canyon. You have pressed them, foiled them and can't resist logging on to the plethora of mineral makeup lines to purchase more. Fyrinnae anyone?
Can you blame us? The colors are so pretty and the pigments are so versatile. Whether you use them primarily on your eyes, or you are on the creative side and add them to your nail varnish, moisturizer or mix them and create your own, they can be cumbersome at times.
My last trip to ULTA I came across this primer for pigments by LA Splash cosmetics. I have to admit I was not keen on their products for the most part, but I figured I'd give the primer a go at a modest price tag of $3.99 USD.
I am so happy for this find, I tried, was thrilled and went back to purchase a back up. I don't know if this product will last seeing as the market is saturated with new cosmetic lines launched daily, so I had to make sure if these babies were moved over to make space for...I don't know, By Lauren Luke :) I wanted to have another in my arsenal.

With primer:

Without primer:


The Good: This product is inexpensive dries to a clear tacky finish. Think of what it would be like to have double sided tape on your eyes, the product sticks on, but it wants the pigment and it works like a magnet despite the fly paper tackiness. It's inexpensive, and notice the payoff and lack of fallout. I used one light stroke of pigment for each eye.

The Bad: The stickiness feels odd. When you blink you feel like there's tape on your lids and it feels that way until you add pigment. I don't know if that makes it susceptible to creasing; however, I only used this on my lid.

The Result: I could not be more impressed with this product if I made it myself. If I weren't daft with electronics (just look at my photos) I would do a review and post it online; however, I'm still learning so I'll stick with writing.

Beauties, if you have pigments, and want an alternative to foiling your pigments to get a good payoff, this is a definite to try. I used a light color and light application to emphasize the payoff against dark skin. The pigment is a soft silver almost grey, but you can see the difference the primer makes. The next time you are near an ULTA, give this a go on the back of your hand. Let me know how you get on with it.

Cheers darlings!
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Is that really Adriana Lima looking like Marilyn Manson? Wow, who would have thought? At first one is hard pressed to think it has to do with all the fuss about vampires and Twilight. If that is the case, then Edward and Bella had a marked interest in the fall fashion shows in London, Milan and Paris as many models sported dark lips, pale skin and the absence of brows.

Kimmy's artist used the wax you can purchase from theatrical/costume stores to block hers. You can do the same with spirit gum, concealer, glue sticks and by soaping the brow. Soaping the brow consists of taking a bar of soap, rolling a dry brow wand over it and applying the texture over the brows and following it up by using a heavy coverage foundation.

Not to fret my felines of color here's a vamp look which looks great on us.

It's all about thinking outside the box felines, no you don't have to be a supermodel and this isn't an everyday look; however, it can be fun to surprise your mate with a new look every once in a while to spice things up a bit. It also gives you the practice of applying different looks so you feel more comfortable with your makeup artistry applications. Remember, skill can be learned but creativity surrounds us from externally to internally.

Meow for now,


B.P.
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I was perusing the urban decay website to check out their collection for the Fall of 2009 and happened upon a contest they're hosting.
Awhile back I did a review on the "pocket rocket" and it appears they are looking for more men. Well, I don't have a man who will allow me to submit him (not that I asked) but I did enjoy perusing the submissions. If you are so inclined, or want to submit your tomcat just click here and follow the simple steps. Who knows, your guy may just be the one on everyones lips...;)

Meow for now kittens,




B.P.

Eye Candy!

by on 12:32 PM
I was perusing the urban decay website to check out their collection for the Fall of 2009 and happened upon a contest they're hostin...
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Hey Cherubs:

It's amazing to me I have been in the makeup industry and am just hearing about camerareadycosmetics! The sight is owned and operated by Mary Erickson, a makeup artist located in Southern California. Mary has been such a blessing for me. I have placed several orders from her and have been impressed with how fast her shipping is, and how helpful she has been. For example, you know when a website has the "contact us" button and you ask a question with hopes to hear something back, but expecting nothing and if you're lucky you may get a reply that your message was received but then you never hear from them? Mary has been patient in answering all my questions, AND she even helps with product recommendations. I am so impressed. I know this blog is not popular, but I am not blogging for publicity so I get nothing by promoting this woman. My goal is to put out there that there are people who own business, who also work in the industry who are willing to help newcomers. This woman has an amazing portfolio, a resume one can only dream of, and a program for makeup artists looking for help getting into the field!
I am so excited to have found her link and other information so I can get as much information and useful tips as possible. The woman knows her stuff and she's dedicated to securing the sanctity of the makeup industry for all others. I can't tell you how many times I've contacted gurus, "high profile" makeup artists and bloggers and they don't take the time to acknowledge me under the guise of being too busy, too many subscribers, e-mails, etc. I completely understand, but how is it that someone who has more credentials, their own business and a store has the time to help me? Many of the top gurus were posting on forums AFTER me, and due to YouTube are now calling themselves "professional makeup artists" but have yet to work for a designer or a fashion show.
What's more, I ordered all my OCC lip tars from her site because the owner and CEO was a jerk to me at IMATS because he was too busy with the "gurus" and I mentioned my unhappiness about that. I am paying full price for the products from Mary rather than the discount because that is how much I enjoy her website, shipping and service.
If you are looking into becoming a makeup artist, want to buy great products such as Yaby, OCC, Face Atelier, and so many more, I strongly encourage you to go to her website. The lip tars were cheaper at IMATS, but it's worth it to me to support business owners who care about me as a customer. Again, I am not paid any compensation of any kind, (products, money, etc.) to write this, and my purpose of this blog is to try my best to not be all about me, pictures of me, etc. so thank you for reading.

Meow for now loves,


B.P.

Lastest Obsession

by on 12:26 PM
Hey Cherubs: It's amazing to me I have been in the makeup industry and am just hearing about camerareadycosmetics ! The sight is owned ...
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The eyes have it!
Felines, it sucks that we have to learn the hard way that embracing our natural beauty also means, accepting some of our flaws. Well, flaws or not, we're quite blessed if all we have to worry about is concealing our flaws.
Some people have gotten confused when they come to me about their goals when trying to conceal the area under the eyes. Short of a lower blephorplasty, there is only so much makeup can do to hide under eye imperfections.
First, it's important to differentiate between darkness, under eye bag and under eye hollows. Darkness is the easiest.

See the purple area underneath the eye? That's what is referred to as "dark circles." I wish this were my only problem. Largely genetic, the way to conceal this is bar far the easiest. You will apply your foundation first. This way you have a good grasp of what if anything is left to conceal. Depending on your foundation's coverage, you may be fine. If not, you will select a corrector based on the opposite on the color wheel to neutralize or "cancel" the color out. For this little guy, we want to use either a light or dark yellow depending upon the intensity of dark under the eyes. Behold our color wheel:

The other complaint is under eye bags. These are caused by many things such as aging, hereditary, sodium, diet, allergies, etc. Unfortunately, they are a bit harder to conceal as they are fat pockets or fluid stored beneath the surface of the skin. Behold:

I know, it looks bad, but there are some people who have reported success using over the counter things which contain caffeine, tea bags, and creams catered to shrink the size of the pockets. If this is really troubling you, speak with an ocular specialist about it before spending boat loads of money on creams with false guarantees. Companies prey on the insecure and desperate. Also, be careful when concealing this area, do not be fooled into using an eye concealer two shades lighter than your foundation. Remember when Black Panther told you some posts ago, light draws attention as in highlight you want to use the same shade or one shade darker with setting powder. Never, ever go light here.
Next we have my issue. Under eye hollows. Yuck! I know we all have something, but when I look at mine, I have a love/hate relationship here. I get that I will never be perfect, the image above? She's been photo shopped! She has no pores, lines, wrinkles, etc. That is the image used to make us humans feel inferior in an effort to get products off shelves. She doesn't exist. Take this to any photographer and they will reiterate this. Hollows? Here:

Like that? Yeah...lovely. I look tired when I'm refreshed, and look deathly when I'm tired. So what can you do? Hollows are tricky. Some times hollows are accompanied by darkness and bags, so you have to call for back up and cross your fingers that you don't look like there is cake batter under your peepers.
What causes hollows? The same, genetics, allergies, fatigue, stress, eyestrain, weightloss, you name it.
You will conceal these but only to a point. Whenever you keep your head down and eyes look up, you'll see your "friends" looking back at you. I joke that I wish I could inject air in there to give my face fullness. I haven't considered having fillers yet, but I'll never rule it out. Concealer the same shade is what you'll use, but it should be the same color as your foundation, but you want to make sure it's budgeproof as well as not too oily as it will settle into lines and separate. Again, application is key as is a slight dusting of finishing powder.
Keep the questions coming, and if you wish to have a tutorial or photos, please let me know.


B.P.

Hello Sex Kittens!

by on 12:14 PM
The eyes have it! Felines, it sucks that we have to learn the hard way that embracing our natural beauty also means, accepting some of our f...
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