12:11 AM 24
Hi Bellas,

As you know, I will be in Costa Rica with my Get it Girls for the next 9 days. I'm so excited! I'm leaving Thursday at 7am!

A few things on our agenda:

-ziplining in the rainforest
-bathing in the hot springs fueled by the arenal volcano
-massage on Jaco Beach
-nature and animal reserve in Manuel Antonio
-canopy rainforest tour
-partying it up with the surfers and locals
-enjoying local Tico cuisine
-shopping in the Costa Rica marketplace

Thank you for all your suggestions on what to pack in terms of makeup...after reading your suggestions, I made a few adjustments and definitely sized down!

Take a look at all I'm bringing...
-MAC warm eyes eyeshadow palette (6 eyeshadows in one palette)
-smolder eye kohl with sharpenener (one black pencil eyeliner)
-nars multiple in palm beach (my bronzer, lipstick, eyeshadow, plus base all in one)
-smashbox sheer focus tinted moisturizer (as opposed to foundation, concealer and powder...thanks to Nicola for the recommendation!)
-chap stick (gotta have this-quench my parched beached out lips)
-nars lipgloss duo (two lipglosses in one)
-lash curler (no false lashes for me)
-mascara (MAC zoomlash)
-mini brush set (posh)



That's it! I think I have the basics down. I doubt if I'll use it all but I wanted to bring some girly items just in case the girls and I dress up to hit the town at night.

Here's a tip: when you pack anything that is powder and comes in a compact, put a bit of tissue or cotton balls in between the lid. This will prevent cracking. I also like to put my eyeshadow palette in one of those mini mailing envelopes that has bubble wrap inside. The rest of my products are cream so they should be okay.


I left my boyfriend instructions to upload a few videos in my absence. Up next are my Filipino Tag Game Video and Sephora/Ulta Haul video. Check out my youtube page while I'm gone for these videos to keep you entertained till I return. I'll miss you guys!

Ciao bellas!

10:55 AM 19
Hi Bellas,



Along my path to purse my passion of makeup artistry, my friends have been so supportive. They've passed out business cards, served as models, assisted me at gigs, helped cleaned brushes...I couldn't ask for more support. My bestie Alex (I know yall have seen her in a million entries) even sends her Mom pics of my new work. Her mom even reads my blog at work, he he. Isn't that too cute?


Well on Alex's bday her Mom flew into town for business and stayed the weekend to spend it with Alex. Alex told me that her mom wanted to have a photoshoot! Guess who was doing the makeup? In my head I already had a vision...a mother and daughter shoot like off the pages of Essence Magazine. We wanted to do some nice and natural outdoor shots.


For Alex I wanted to do pretty purples...I love that color on her. I used a combo of contrast, beautiful iris, and parfait amour eyeshadow. I also gave her individual lashes and per her request I broke out the contour powder he he.


On her mom, she wanted to wear some false lashes and have her eyes pop! I also gave her a little help in the eyebrow department and filled in her brows. I chose a nice pair of lashes from Ardell and then I went with a gold-bronze look for the rest of her face. Her mom always radiates beauty with her smile. She's definitely a second mommy to me.


This was definitely one of my favorite shoots. My other bestie came to watch the shoot and the whole time we were smiling and going "Awww" at how cute the shots were. You can definitely see the mother-daughter bond in the pictures.


Without further ado, the pics!






Alex's mom is hot!



I love how the colors pop in this shot. That's my blue necklace!





I love this shot of daughter fixing Mom's collar through the water.


I even got a couple of working shots ! Touching up the collarbone...



,

9:35 AM 21
Hi Bellas,


So I was doing some clean up on my blog...deleting draft posts that didn't make the cut or that I forgot to post. As I was browsing through I found this old post.


Many of you may or may not now, but I posted a video tutorial on achieving the Kat Von D look about 2.5 months ago. The video only had about 800 views before I took it down. The reason being is that about 1 minute into the video, it lost all sound. I tried redoing the video a couple of times. All was well in Windows Movie Maker but as soon as it was rendered to a movie file, the volume was gone! Talk about frustrating. After 3 times of trying it, I gave up. However, I still have the pictures! Luckly I also saved the list of products I used. If anything, I can still use this as a blog entry.


The look was all about strong makeup...dark brows, eyes, bold lips and contouring. After doing a bit of research on this Ms. Von D, I discovered that she is the bomb at makeup! For those of you who don't know who Kat Von D is...she is a celebrity tattoo artist with her own reality show called LA Ink. I truly think that if you're an artist in one medium...it often transfers to other aspects...i.e. makeup! Kat Von D has awesome blending skills. She has a makeup line at Sephora, but if you ask me, I think she uses MAC products. In one video, she definitely mentioned using vanilla pigment as a higlight color.


Since I don't have the video up, I'll write out the steps.


Here's What I Used (All MAC unless stated):

EYES
-carbon e/s
-sharkskin shadestick
-print e/s
-vanilla pigment
-technakohl in graphblack
-Ardell lashes
-Revlon Colorstay liquid liner in blackest black
-embark e/s
-spiked brow pencil


FACE
-select moisture concealer NW37
-msf natural medium dark
-sculpt & shape duo in lightsweep/shadester
-CRC rose blush
-MSF light flush
-Revlon colorstay liquid liner in blackest black


LIPS
-brick red lipliner
-mattene composure lipstick


Step by Step Instructions...


EYES
1) Apply sharkskin shadestick to entire lid up to the crease and into the outer V. Blend out the harsh lines with your ring finger.

2) Pack on carbon e/s on top of the shadestick using the 239 brush.

3) Apply print e/s to the other side of the 239 brush. Blend out the top edge of the carbon e/s near the crease. This will give you a nicer gradient effect.

4) Apply vanilla pigment to your 227 brush and apply it to your brow bone. Blend it down into the print e/s to make a seamless transition.

5) Line your water line and lower lashline with technakohl in graphblack.

6) Apply carbon e/s with your 219 brush and smudge and smoke out your lower lashline.

7) Line your top lashline with Revlon liquid liner in blackest black. Make sure to wing it out at the end.

8) Apply falsies to the top and bottom.

9) Blend in top lashes with false lashes with mascara.

10) Fill in eyebrows with embark eyeshadow and spiked brow pencil. Use an angled brush like the 266 to make the brows more angled and defined. We're going for a strong brow.


FACE

1) Apply concealer to dark cirlces and blemishes.

2) Apply foundation on top as usual.

3) Heavily contour using sculpt & shape duo--the shadester side

4) Apply rose blush on top of the contour to intensify

5) Apply light flush msf on top of cheekbones as a highlight

6) Draw on little stars on the left side of the face near the eye area...you don't have to be neat but try to vary the size and shape of the stars


LIPS

1) Line and fill lips in with brick red lipliner

2) Dab on mattene lipstick on composure

3) Use a lip brush to blend the colors together to get a deep cherry finish



That's it! Kat Von D watch out! he he


Now for the final look!










Till next time, Ciao Bellas!
,

9:41 AM 22
Hi Bellas,

How was your weekend? Mine was pretty good. I took an Abs class on Saturday and I'm still super sore. I've been getting ready for my trip to Costa Rica and i'm excited! I still had time on Friday to do a mini Ulta haul too, lol.

This weekend I filmed 5 makeup videos! I like building up a reserve of videos so I don't need to do them every night. One of the videos was the requested tutorial for the Spiced Chocolate quad from the Cult of Cherry collection. I liked how this look came out. Very pretty for the fall. I ended up using all the colors but saved the dark brown in the palette strictly for my eyebrows.

I hope you enjoy!



Here's What I Used (All MAC unless otherwise stated):

EYES
-hush creme color base
-spiced chocolate quad: nanogold e/s, brash e/s, sweet chesnut e/s, spiced chocolate e/s
-Revlon colorstay liquid liner in blackest black
-kohl power pencil in feline
-shu uemura lash curler
-model 21 lashes with dark duo lash adhesive
-l'oreal telescopic mascara

FACE
-Laura Mercier primer
-Temptu concealer wheel - medium shade
-Makeup Forever HD foundation in shade 128
-invisible set pro powder
-NARS multiple in palm beach

LIPS
-spice lip pencil
-lightly ripe lipstick




9:50 AM 18
Hi Bellas,


Last night I had another photoshoot. The model was an up and coming recording artist whose style is like Jon B meets Babyface. He was having a photoshoot done for his new album. I did the basic male makeup routine...conceal blemishes, fill in hair line and beard, chapstick...takes under 10 minutes to do. Easy breezy! Too bad the shoot ran overtime...now i'm paying for it!


So I don't think I've mentioned it, but i'll be going out of town starting on Thursday. Me and the Get it Girls (my lil girl clique) will be taking our yearly vacation. We're going to Costa Rica! I'm trying to film some videos and get some posts done in between...that way I can give yall something to look at while I'm gone, lol. I think the next videos will be a spiced chocolate quad tutorial and then a review on Pur Minerals Makeup.


Meanwhile, my over organized OCD self is going into packing mode! Just ask all my friends...I'm the kind of person that makes typed up packing lists weeks in advance. I already have our day by day itinerary on Excel. Pretty much, I like to be super duper prepared but pack light at the same time. I'm the kind of person that will not remember the little things so I need lists to keep me in track.


One thing that i've been trying to narrow down is packing makeup for the trip. I feel as if I can tone down the makeup since it's mainly beaches and rainforests I'll be visiting, lol. Therefore, I'm looking into minimal makeup that won't crack or be damaged in transport, as well as multifunctional beauty products. On top of it all, I have to resist my urge to buy new makeup products (ahemm...Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer I've been lemming) just for this trip, because the budget for the trip is already at maximum capacity.


So far this is what I'm packing:

-NARS multiple in palm beach (a pretty bronzey color good for the cheeks, eyes, and lips)

-NARS lipgloss duo in sunset beach/orgasm (two very wearable colors in one)

-select moisture concealer

-mascara (no falsies on this trip!)

-eyelash curler

-warm eyes MAC eyeshadow palette from the 2007 holiday collection

-cream blush in sweet william (that way I can wear blush without worrying about the powder cracking)

-sample size 5 gram jar of loose setting powder from Silk Minerals (to set the concealer and cream cheek products)

-revlon colorstay liquid liner in blackest black - gotta have this!

-rimmel professional eyebrow pencil

-a few brushes in a travel brush sest

-i'm debating on what kind of foundation to bring...pressed mineral, tinted moisturizer (which I would have to go and buy), cream compact...but it's hard to decide especially since i know i'll be getting tanner...and I don't want to wear anything too heavy.


Do you guys have any tricks for packing light for travel?


Any great and reasonably priced makeup products to recommend? lol


It's amazing how NOT helpful google is being on my search for travel makeup...lol

After I get all the suggestions and get my final list together...i'll do a picture post to show you the final results.

Till next time, ciao bellas!

9:38 AM 17
Hi Bellas,

A few months ago I did a makeover and shoot on Amy, a Filipino Publicist and Internet Radio Personality in the Atlanta area. Ever since then, she has made me an honorary client...booking me for new opportunities and events when they come her way.

In her former life, Amy was actually a teacher of the deaf. She even translated for the former Pope! Anyways, she showed my pictures to a former student of her husband (also a teacher of the deaf) and from there, I booked another shoot!

This was definitely an interesting experience working with someone who I could not verbally communicate with. Despite this, I was able to get along really well with Charity--our model. I even learned some basic sign language along the way. Charity had recently lost a significant amount of weight and she was ready to show it off to the world. She doesn't really wear any makeup, so I wanted to give her a subtle look.

I used some of my new colors from the starflash collection and smudged stubborn brown powerpoint pencil. A subtle pair of false eyelashes made her eyes pop!

Here's what I used (All MAC unless otherwise stated):
FACE
-prep and prime
-Cinema Secrets foundation
-Graftobian dual foundation powder
-shadester and definitive sculpting powder
-housewine blush
-msf in warmed

EYES
-spiked eyebrow pencil
-espresso eyeshadow - brows
-indianwood paint pot
-grand entrance e/s
-bold and brazen e/s
-embark e/s
-stubborn brown eye kohl
-l'oreal voluminous mascara
-ardell falsies

LIPS
-chesnut lipliner
-viva glam V lipstick
-bateaux lipglass

Now for the pics! You can click on them to enlarge.










Till next time, Ciao Bellas!

9:28 AM 21
Hi Bellas,

Happy hump day! I'm really starting to enjoy watching all these olympic games...they suck you in till 2am! LOL Yesterday after I cooked, I was good and finally got to depotting and pigment pressing--two items on my list that have been neglected. I depotted 9 eyeshadows (mainly from the starflash collection). I also pressed about 8 pigments that I have. I figure i'll use them more once they're pressed and in my palette. I pretty much neglect them unless I'm looking for a particular color. Today, because of it...I'm wearing jardin aires pigment on my lid and a little bit of antiqued e/s on my outer v. Wearing makeup on a work day is a big accomplishment for me, lol.

Back to the post...

A few weeks ago I was able to participate in another fashion show here in the ATL. I was commissioned to do one of the designers and ten female models. The show started at 10pm and I arrived just before 5pm with more than enough time to prep the models. I had to leave work early for a "cough cough" dentist appointment, he he. Luckily, despite some crazy rain that day, I made it to the show before 5pm as stated in my contract.

I had met with the fashion show coordinators before hand and showed them a face chart of a look that I wanted to reproduce on the models. They had already mentioned that they wanted really bright eyes and neutral everything else. This was to go with the vibrant colors of the clothing lines that were to be modeled.

Here's a picture of the face chart I did.

Here's What I Used (All MAC unless otherwise specified):

EYES
-soft ochre paint pot
-shore leave e/s (highlight)
-bright sunshine e/s (inner 1/3 of lid)
-orange e/s (middle of lid)
-purple from the pandamonium quad (outer 1/3 of lid and crease, lower lashline)
-false lashes
-l'oreal voluminous mascara
-fluidline in blacktrack
-kohl pencil in smolder

FACE
-primer - either MAC Prep & Prime or Monistat
-cinema secrets foundation
-MAC pro invisible set powder
-contour powder (sculpt, definitive, or shadester)
-blush (from my CRC blush palette)-fix plus

LIPS
-either cork, creamola, or chesnut lipliner (depending on skin tone)
-saplicious lip gelee

I finally used some false lashes that I got from ebay. I can't tell the brand name because they're not written in english, lol. I do know that they were shipped from Hong Kong with a batch of about 60 pairs! I honestly really don't like these lashes because they're too plasticy and it is difficult to keep the edges of the lashes down. I actually glued two eyelashes together to make them thicker. So in total, each model used two sets of false eyelashes. I was more than happy to use these up though...because I'm trying to get ride of these lashes and order some new ones!
I left the show around 12:40 in the morning! It was pretty exhausting but really fun and exciting at the same time. Luckily, my two besties came to assist me and they made the experience so much easier. You have to learn to be ready for all kinds of unexpected occurances at a show...models showing up really late, people walking out, inadequate lighting...you just got to be a pro and suck it up! There's always drama going on backstage at a fashion show...luckily none of it involved me lol. Here's a tip...if you're working a show, make sure to bring snacks and plenty to drink. Luckily they had food later on, but if it wasn't for my snacks and Monster energy drink, I wouldn't have made it!
Luckily my besties were able to snap a few pictures for me. The lightning was a little overexposed so you can't see the vibrancy of the makeup as well. I'm telling you though, in person the colors were super vibrant!

Now for the models!






A group shot of some of the girls! I loved the clothes!




Till next time, Ciao Bellas!
,

9:31 AM 23
Hi Bellas,

I wanted to show you a haul from about two weekends ago. I didn't have a chance to post it till now but I'm still excited! Unfortunately I haven't been able to try all the products yet but I will soon.

Everything in my haul is from Ben Nye. For those of you who aren't familiar, Ben Nye is a theatrical makeup brand that makeup artists have been using for years! The color pigmentation, foundations, and special products are absolutely amazing for both theatrical and conventional makeup. For those who know about it, Ben Nye is what's up! I've been wanting to get into this brand for a while. So many have done reviews on the Lumiere Eyeshadow Palette. For some reason I actually had self-restraint and convinced myself that I had enough eyeshadows to forego the palette.

But now i've made up for it and purchased a bunch of Ben Nye products from a local theatrical shop here in Atlanta.

Look at all the bright, pretty colors! :)

This is my entire haul...I spent about $100 for twenty items. Not too shabby! Especially compared with brands like MAC.



Here are the Magicolor creme pencils. They were only $3.50 each (very comparable price to drugstore brands) and the colors are super vibrant! I got 8 of them...pretty much all the colors they had, lol. In my head I can picture doing fun face and body drawings using all these colors. From L to R: bright orange, misty violet, lime green, violet, yellow, kelly green, tuquoise, and blue.




Next we have the Creme Colors. The red color is actually a Creme Rouge aka blush, but to me they're all the same. When I saw them I was immediately reminded of MAC's creme colour bases. They go on very pigmented and creamy. The only difference is that these are much cheaper--only $4 each! I'll definitely use these as eyeshadow bases (with UDPP underneath though because they're super creamy). I can also see myself doing some face and body painting with these colors. I'm excited about finally finding a yellow base! L to R: gecko green, bright pink, red, vivid violet, and yellow.



Here we have the Lip Colour pencils and Lip Glosses. I picked out colors which I though were wearable so I could add them to the kit. The lip pencils were $8 each but they're about 2 inches longer than my normal MAC pencils...a lot more product! I got the pencils in Vino (a dark wine color) and Caramel Rose (an awesome nude lip liner...I actually like this color better on me than MAC's stripdown liner that I usually wear). Next I got lip glosses in Nude and Champagne for $6 each. I like how it's a gloss in a pot because I can scoop out the product using a palette knife. Usually I struggle getting the product out of the tube when using them on my clients. This is because I don't use the actual applicator (for sanitation purposes). Instead, I usually transfer the gloss from the wand to the palette and it usually takes a few trys to get enough product. Hence, the reason I like pots, lol. I think the nude color looks very similar to Viva Glam V lipstick-my fav! The champagne color adds a subtle gold glow. The lipgloss reminds me of the consistency of MAC's slimshines. Love them!



Here we have a new mixing palette. I love how this palette is larger than my Graftobian Steel palettes. That means less cleaning and more surface area. The product is plastic with a really smooth surface that wipes clean with a baby wipe. I think it was about $10.

I also picked up the Ben Nye Concealer wheel for about $20. There were two concealer wheels to choose from. One was slightly lighter and the other slighty darker. I asked one of the workers for help in deciding between the two. I told him I was a conventional makeup artist and needed to know which one he suggested for regular concealing. He told me that I should go with the lighter ones if I'm working with models because models are usually lighter. I was like WTF!?! My boyfriend was with me and I looked over to see if he caught that comment and he definitely did, lol. That was definitely ignorance at its best. I mean come on, we're also in Atlanta...lol. Needless to say, I picked up the darker concealer wheel! In terms of the consistency, the cream is very thick...which makes sense since it's a concealer wheel for theatre makeup. I would use this for heavier coverage.

I also picked up two cake eye liners in black and dark brown for $5 each. They are the consistency of a powder eyeshadow. I've never tried a powder liner before. I dampened an angle brush slightly and then tried to apply the black eyeshadow. I was a little disappointed...not sure if i'm doing something wrong but it didn't give me the vibrancy I wanted. I'll try again...any suggestions guys? Maybe try it dry? Use a mixing medium?



Here are the swatches of all the colors. Super colorful right? The little lines on the left are the pencils, on the right are the creme colours, and then underneath you can see the glosses and the lip liners. I'm super excited to try them out! Unfortunately they've sat a bit untouched since I've been testing out a product line for a company that wanted me to review. I'll post some looks using these soon!


Till next time, Ciao Bellas!
, ,

10:14 AM 19
Hi Bellas,

How was your weekend? Another busy one for me, lol. I spent Friday through Sunday shadowing an experienced makeup artist and learning her craft. From every makeup job, I always ask myself "What did I learn from this gig...and what can I do to make myself better?" By holding myself accountable, I continue to improve and grow as a makeup artist. Even the most experienced will say that there is always something new to learn. The best in the business are where they are today because they never settled with good...they strove for great.

A few items on my "to learn" list are:
-cutting the crease
-doing more creative/artistic looks-venturing beyond conventional makeup
-working more with jewels and other adornments in makeup
-mastering working with mature skin
-working with semi-permanent eyelashes

Over the past few weeks my goal was to invest myself in learning airbrush makeup in several forms. For the face, I can now apply foundation, eyeshadow, blush, eyeliner, highlighter...all with an airbrush. Like most people, I thought airbrushing was mainly for foundation...boy was I wrong! Eyeshadow is definitely more tricky with airbrush, but it looks amazing! Also, the smoothness of airbrushed foundation is truly incredible. I haven't been able to achieve the same look with regular foundation.

The makeup artist I worked with this weekend is absolutely amazing. She is an emmy award winner and has worked for such productions as Good Morning America and CNN. I can honestly say that she is one of the most generous people that I've ever met. She had no qualms about teaching me her craft because she loves teaching just that much. If I could give any advice to aspiring makeup artists right now...I suggest you find a mentor. The experience is invaluable.

My mentor helped me fine tune my skills and has given me several tips in terms of running my own business. She's a master airbrush artist and her family even owns one of the biggest airbrush companies out there--temptu. I can't stop singing the praises! With her help, I'm able to offer more services including airbrush makeup for the face, airbrush body makeup/tattoo and scar cover-up, temporary tattoos and body art. I will say that airbrushing the body is a completely different ball game than the face. You need different equipment, different makeup...and it's more difficult in terms of color matching.

So that's my two cents on my amazing weekend.

I didn't get home till 11pm on all nights this weekend, but luckily I had time to film a tutorial for the Cult of Cherry collection. I used the tempting quad because I couldn't wait to get my hands on the green eyeshadow-sharp.

I did the makeup pretty conventionally...the bright color on the lid, the lightest color on the browbone, the brown on the crease, and the darkest brown in the inner crease. Honestly, I tried other combinations but I liked that combo the best. To make up for it, I took my time with blending to perfect the look.

I wore my fav lipstick from the collection So Scarlet and it gave the look a nice pop of color!

After reflecting on this quad, if you have similar colors, I really don't think you need to go out and buy it. You can definitely reproduce this look with other colors.

Here are some suggestions:
sharp - bitter
dark edge - ground brown, espresso
next to nothing - llama...any cream colored eyeshadow with a hint of pink
tempting - this is permanent so you can go ahead and pick up the color anytime you want,

Check out my video tutorial!



On to the pics!






Here's the look with a more natural lip. I used Lightly Ripe l/s from the collection. I probably could have wiped off a bit more of the So Scarlet lipstick, lol, but you get the point.


Here's What I Used (All MAC unles otherwise stated)

EYES
-bare canvas paint
-tempting quad: next to nothing e/s, tempting e/s, sharp e/s, dark edge e/s
-Rimmel professional brow pencil and cork e/s - for eyebrows
-Anastasia eyelights in pink
-stubborn brown pencil
-Revlon colorstay liquid liner in black brown
-model 21 false lashes

FACE
-select moisture oncealer in NW37
-Pur Minerals foundation in med dark
-msf natural in dark
-Pur Minerals blush in plum adamite

LIPS
-plum soft cremestick liner
-so scarlet lipstick
-for the natural lip - lightly ripe lipstick
,

9:50 AM 22
Hi Bellas!

Friday at last! This week actually flew by for me.

Last night I had a photoshoot and didn't get to bed till after 1am! Tireddddd...but the shoot came out really well. I did a look on the model that I loved. I used blacktrack fluidline to contour her eyes and came out with a really Mod inspired look. I'm excited to get that one in my portfolio. I couldn't believe that the model was only 16! I guess I thought she was older because she was so tall. But I will say, her skin took to makeup nicely...no bags or dark circles that I needed to worry about covering up. Sighh...I miss those days, lol. I'll post pics soon!

This weekend I'll be busy again...Friday through Sunday I'll be shadowing a seasoned makeup artist and learning her trade. I'll keep you updated!

In the meanwhile, here's an email that my bf sent me with some really great advice to get you in the right state of mind for the weekend:

AWESOME ADVICE!!!!!
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today. I am thankful for_________ _____'

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

12. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

17. Forgive everyone for everything.

18. What other people think of you is none of your business.

19. GOD heals everything.

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch!!!

22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

'The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.'
Unknown

9:00 AM 1

Hi Bellas,


My girl May has an amazing offer for you Canadian bloggers out there. You don't even have to do anything much.
The first Canadian 50 readers to send May an email at may@changingfacesbymay.com will receive a free mascara from Annabelle. Email her quick so you won't miss on this great deal. She'll give you a free code for the website as soon as you contact her.
Makes me wish I was Canadian! Ciao bellas!
, , ,

9:21 AM 17
FYI: Long post...pic heavy!

Hi Bellas,

Tuesday night I was able to go to the MAC pre-release party at my local freestanding store. I was rolling deep! I brought my two besties and my two friends also met me there. While I was there I also met a few of my youtube and blog readers! They were so sweet...if you see me on the street don't forget to holler!

Check out my haul vid!


On to the pics!

Funnily enough, I had already made a list of products that I wanted to get before I even got there. Like many of you, I did my research on specktra beforehand. I got everything on my list except for one lipstick which I switched out for a different gloss. I'm trying to spend wisely because I have some large makeup expenses coming up which I'll be sharing with you soon :)

Spiced Chocolate quad and Tempting quad


I picked up 4 lip products. Truly, the lippies in this collection were to die for. It takes a bit to get used to some of the darker colors but they are great items to add to your lip collection. They have many colors which are in the cherry color realm...but there are also 2 pretty neutral colors for those who prefer a toned down lip.

Bing matteen, Lightly Ripe l/s, So Scarlet l/s, Jampacked l/g


Bing Matteen
First off, I picked up Bing. This is a matteen lipstick and the color reminds me of a dark eggplant. This is definitely a high fashion/editorial lipstick for the fall. If you can step out of your comfort zone, this lipstick is truly gorgeous. It's pretty dark but you can see the purple radiating through. I'm saving this for a future fashion shoot. In my haul video I'm wearing this color. My tip to you all is that if you are wearing a bold, dark lip, please make sure to add some color to your face. I was wearing bronzer...if not, bold lips can tend to make you look drowned out and more gothic than glamorous. Of course, if that is your style, rock on!

So Scarlet Lipstick
Next I picked up So Scarlet lipstick. I loveeeee this color! Truly gorgeous...if you're afraid of a bold, red lip, this is the perfect compromise. It has a bit of a berry tone in there so it is more user friendly. The finish is Amplified so you know that it goes on super creamy. I can't wait to wear this new color. You'll definitely be seeing it in my next tutorial.

Lightly Ripe Lipstick
I also picked up Lightly Ripe lipstick. The finish is a lustre which makes it even more perfect for an everyday lipstick. I tried it on and I fell in love...it's exactly my lip color but better! I'm going to buy a backup or two for myself and my kit. I really don't see anyone going wrong with this color. Before this, Viva Glam V was my go to color...but Lightly Ripe is giving it some steep competition.

Jampacked Lipglass
The last lippie I picked up is Jampacked Lipglass. I chose it because it was a beautiful plum color. I definitely don't have a similar color in my collection. It reminded me a bit of Viva Glam VI but a little darker. It's definitely good to have some plums in your collection for the fall. It has just enough plum in it for you more neutral girls and you can also amp it up by wearing a coordinating liner or lipstick underneath.

Now for the swatches! Top L to R: So Scarlet l/s and Bing Mattene
Bottom L to R: Lightly Ripe l/s and Jampacked l/g




The Blushes
I skipped out on the blushes on this collection because the pink blush seemed a bit too light for me and the purple blush didn't really catch my eye. My bestie picked up Plum Du Bois...I might see how she likes it and go back for it if it's a winner.


The Quads
I did however purchase two quads. I skipped on the Shadowy Lady quad because I had two of the four colors in the quad-shadowy lady and deep truth. If you don't have too many similar colors, I highly suggest purchasing these pre-made quads because the colors coordinate really well and it's actually a better deal.

Tempting Quad
First off, I knew I was getting the Tempting quad. The bright green color was too gorgeous to resist! I'm a sucker for bright greens.

Swatches from L to R: Next to Nothing (frost), Sharp (satin), Tempting (lustre), Dark Edge (Satin)

Here's a little bit of info on the eyeshadows:
Tempting: Tempting e/s (one of the better lustres) is a permanent color that I already have. However, I don't mind having a backup because it's a beautiful bronze color that would look good on everybody. I actually wore this color in my Hepcat e/s tutorial.
Next to Nothing: This is a nude colored frost which would make a perfect highlighter. I like the tone of it because it's perfect for blending out harsh edges of eyeshadow. I'm not usually excited about the highlighter colors included in quads, but I really like this one.
Dark Edge: This satin eyeshadow is a dark brown color. Everybody needs a color like this in their collection. It's great for lining the eyes, and contouring the crease.
Sharp: Save the best for last! This satin e/s is extremely pigmented and just as vibrant as it looks on the pan. I'm a sucker for bright eyeshadows.

Spiced Chocolate Quad
This perfect for you neutral lovers out there. I love how the colors compliment each other and I think this quad would look really great on women of color.

Swatches L to R: Sweet Chesnut (frost), Spiced Chocolate (matte), Brash (veluxe pearl), Nanogold (lustre)

Spiced Chocolate: This is a great matte brown color. Since it's a matte, you can definitely use this to fill in eyebrows. It's a good essential for any eyeshadow collection.
Nanogold: This lustre is actually a color I originally picked up from the N Collection. It has a bit of pink to it which makes it a nice highlighter color for reddish/pinkish looks.
Brash: I love veluxe pearl eyeshadows. They go on so smooth. This is a gorgeous color that is the color of a penny. I don't think there's a similar color out there.
Sweet Chesnut: Many say that this lustre is a dupe of Cranberry e/s. Fortunately I don't have it so I was really excited to pick this up.

In my bag, they also included an extra - a cult of cherry apron. Too cute!

Now on to the promo party!

I decided to recreate a look I just saw on Kim Kardashian's blog. She just posted some new video tutorials on her famous smokey eye. The look is actually unbelieveably easy. I only used two eyeshadows!

This is what I Used (All MAC unless otherwise stated):
EYES
-bare canvas paint
-shroom e/s (in the video she used Naked pigment which I didn't have)
-contrast e/s
-kohl pencil in smolder
-lashes
-zoomlash mascara

FACE
-strobe cream
-select moisture concealer in NW37
-mineralized satinfinish foundation in NC42
-msf natural in med dark
-sweet william creme blush

LIPS
-stripdown lipliner
-fresh brew lipstick
-c-thru lipglass

This picture shows my actual skin color a lil better. I broke out the digital camera for this one.





Oh la la, check out the goodies! They also put the Overrich collection out.



As you can see, it was pretty packed in there!


Me and the promo model. She looks just like the model from the ad. But she's not, lol, cuz we asked her!


Me and the besties with our fabulous drinks! I had a chocolate martini (I couldn't even drink it because it was too strong!) and Sai had a cherry vodka thing-a-majig. And here's the bartender that made the super strong drinks!




They had a bunch of yummy hors d'oeuvres with cherries in all of them. The lil caterer man was really nice too!


That's all for now folks! Till next time, ciao bellas!
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