The Much Anticipated Brow Tutorial!

Probably the most common request I get on my youtube page is a brow tutorial! I decided to make this one with pictures instead of video because when I tried it with a video, my hand was in the way the whole time. This is just much easier! I hope you enjoy!















1. Start with a clean brow, I didn't tweeze before hand but it's always a good idea for the perfect brow.






2. Get an eyebrow pencil, this one by prestige is great and has a little brush on its cap.














3. Make sure you sharpen it! To get a precise shape it needs to be sharp!















4. It should look like this :)










5. Start outlining the shape under the brow, going along your natural arch and keeping it clean and precise.











6. Line the top of the brow as well with a clean, stark line.














7. Fill in the tale, be sure to be very clean with the tale and make sure the angle is correct.

















8. It should look something like this right now.











9. Get a brow brush (a stiff angle brush)












10. Dip it in a brow powder similar to your own, mine is a dark blonde powder from Smashbox













11. Fill in the rest of the brow (inside the lines you drew with the pencil) with the powder, the powder allows for a more natural look.














12. Get a brow and lash comb.













13. Brush through your brows to help blend the powder and pencil for a natural look





14. Get a brow wax and highlighter, this duo from Revlon is great!














15. Go over your brows with the wax to help it stay in place all day and adding a subtle sheen















16. Line under your brows with a highlighting stick for clean definition.

















17. Take a fluffy brush and dip it into a highlighter, I'm using MAC's Nylon















18. Go over the highligter stick and blend it down your brow bone.














19. It should look like this!















20. Throw on some shadow and liner and head out the door!

Spotlight on minerals!

Taylor Made Minerals (taylormademinerals.com)

I love these loose mineral shadows! They are absolutely superior in quality. They are incredibly pigmented, the swatches below don't nearly do it justice! The colors I got (in the order of the first picture) are Midnight, Fuzzy Navel, Black Gold, Afterglow, Iris, Centaur, and Loot glitter. These are only $5.50 for a full 5 gram pot! I am absolutey sure anyone would love these. Shipping does take a while though, which is annoying but worth the wait!















Spell Cosmetics
Spellcosmetics.com

This awesome and generous company sent me a bunch of these mineral shadows to try which I was extremly greatful for! Initially I was a bit nervous recieving them. What if I didn't like them? I feel a need to be completely honest to my viewers about what I like and what I don't like, so would the company be upset if I didnt like them?? Well that didn't turn out to be a problem. These shadows are AWESOME! They are really well pigmented, and they blend like a dream! They are more on the matte side (with a bit of subtle shimmer) but they are so striking in color. The swatches I took on the lower picture didn't show up as well as I would have liked them on the camera, but in person they were even more gorgeous! I am going to be doing a look with these very very soon.

L-R top to bottom Spell lipgloss, Covet, Aurora, Intention, Confession

SMASHBOX Try Me Set

I was recently browsing one of my favorite stores (Ulta) and I ran across this amazing set by SMASHBOX. I love their foundation primer (even more than MAC prep and prime!) but it is verrry expensive (almost $40!?) Instead, I decided that I'd rather spend about 30 on a kit with all these great goodies! The photo finish is actually a decent size so I was happy. Also this came with a great clear lipgloss with a BRUSH applicator ( I HATE DOE FOOT applicators. blegh) An eye brightening undereye makeup, and this AWESOME palette for travel of 6 different cream liners and 3 brow powders plus a brow wax. On top of that you get a double ended brush (eyeliner on one end and eyebrow on the other end) which in my opinion would be worth around $30! For those unsure of how to use this kit, a dvd is also included. I couldn't get over what an awesome price for so many great products this is! I love everything included in this kit. Pick it up if you are looking to sample SMASHBOX products, because they really are exceptional!
Here are swatches of the palette on the left, and an upclose picture of the palette on the right.

Revlon Colorstay, Worth the Hype??

I have heard so many rave reviews about this product from just about everyone. I'm running low on my MAC NC 200 Hyperreal foundation, and since Im waiting a few extra days to purchase Studio Sculpt foundation (out on MAC counters the 7th) I decided to pick it up for around $9 ($6 with my $3 off coupon) at Harmons Beauty. I had been having problems with my Hyperreal foundation because it was accentuating my dry areas and fine lines. Yuck. So I rushed home to give this a try.

I. Am. In. Love.

I have never been so impressed with a foundation. It was light, yet covered flawlessly. It dried to a semi-matte finish but not too matte...it was dewey enough to still look like fresh clean skin. The color match was perfect, better than any other department store makeup I have bought, and that was pure luck. The smell is a little...different. It's not bad but...I can't describe it. Here are two pictures I took of my cheek, a before and after. The color looks completely different but its just the lighting differences. As you can see I have a problem with redness to my skin. My skin is pretty clear, I have a bit of a breakout right now on my chin because I decided not to continue buying proactiv as I think it was aging my skin, but nothing serious. As you can see, the coverage is beautiful and I dont have that "mask-like quality". It also stayed beautiful all day, I only had to touch up a bit of concealer here and there that night before going out. I will definitely buy again for sure! Let's see how studiosculpt compares in about a week, you can read about it right here! :)

UDPP VS. L'OREAL DECREASE eye primers!

I finally got around to buying Urban Decay Primer Potion which I'm sure as we all know has reached cult status. Everyone seems to love it! I on the other hand I have been using L'Oreal Decrease which I felt would be comparable to UDPP.

UDPP Pros:

• It does REALLY intensify eyeshadow color
• It is easy to use
• A little goes a long way
• It is a neutral color so you can use any shadow over it.
• Makes eyeshadow look and feel fresh all day long

UDPP Cons:

• Price. $17 for something that goes UNDER your shadow??
• In my opinion, it can be a bit tacky which may lead to blending problems at first
• Packaging is oh so cute but its impossible to get all the primer out without eventually chopping it up.

L'Oreal Decrease Pros:

• Intensifies eyeshadow
• Helps it look and feel fresh all day
• neutral color
• CHEAP! AT 4.99, sometimes less with coupons this is a STEAL.
• Readily available
• Blending is a breeze with this product

L'Oreal Decrease Cons:

• It is kind of small
• It doesnt intensify shadows as much as UDPP, but only by a small margin.

These are swatches of Bright Fuchsia pigment on my hand. The top left is UDPP, the top right is L'Oreal Decrease, and the bottom is no primer at all. As you can see, primer makes all the difference! When I swatched these, the UDPP swatch was a bit brighter than the L'oreal swatch, but I like the dry formula of Decrease on the right which makes blending effortless. The bottom swatch with no primer looks pretty good in the picture but in actuality it was flaking off pretty badly :)

The WINNER??
In my opinion, L'Oreal Decrease is the winner! I prefer its formula over UDPP, and its cheaper and readily available! But that doesnt mean I'll stop using my UDPP. It all depends on the mood I am in. What do you think??

HIP Cream Liner Review and Photos

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

These cream liners definitely peaked my interest while I was browsing CVS. The colors looked gorgeous, and the packaging suggested they would be comparable to my beloved MAC fluidlines. I purchased Teal and Midnight Blue.





When I swatched the colors on my skin, I noticed that the liners were well pigmented, but they didn't go on as smoothly as I would like. Gel liners definitely have a more fluid and smooth consistency. I felt like the HIP Cream liner had me doing more work in order to get a nice smooth line. Also what I didn't like about it was the fact that it was a bit flakey. One pro is that once this liner set, it did not BUDGE. Even when I attempted to remove it with makeup remover I had to spend a bit of extra time to get it to come off, so if you're at the gym, I don't see a problem with this liner running or smudging. With my MAC fluidline, it goes on smooth, intense, and it does not budge yet it easily comes off with makeup remover.

I probably would not purchase these again as I am completely spoiled by MAC fluidlines. I just think gel liners are 1000 times better than cream liners. :)

Here's some pictures from my halloween!

Here's me as poison Ivy...
Product list:
Pagan e/s
Wondergrass e/s
Coppering e/sCarbon e/s
Red glitter
Nylon e/s
Blacktrack fluidline
Plushlash mascara
Ardell lashes #105
Faux leaves

(Left) Here's my boyfriend, I made him up as a dead JFK
Product list:
Mehron smooth white cream make-up
Aire-de-bleu pigment
Knight Devine e/sCarbon e/s
Electra e/s
Blue cream make-upBlack cream make-up
Latex special effect pieces
Spirit gum

NYX Jumbo pencil in milk

Fab n flashy e/s by mac

Rule e/s by mac

Carbon e/s by mac

Gold glitter from sally beauty

Nylon e/s

Crystal avalanche e/s

Blacktrack fluidline

Bootblack liquid liner

Myth lipstick

underage lipglass

Halloween Beauty to Die For...

LUSH witches ball bubble bar $5.95 www.Lush.com

Bewitch your bath with this awesome little bath melt! Its scent is so envigorating and entirely herbal, so beware if you're not a fan of strong fragrances. LUSH has some of the best products around, as they are natural and not so processed :)


Philosophy The Haunted House $30 www.Sephora.com

Seeing as how I am a big fan of philosophy's bath sets (I am very loyal to the gingerbread house around Christmas) these 3 awesome bath gels in cute haunted house were a no brainer for me! I'm honestly a sucker for cute packaging so I squealed like a 3 year old when I first laid my eyes on this product. Why not give it a try? It's so fun!


Healthy Sexy Hair Pumpkin Line (various prices) Sleekhair.com or Ulta stores

I can't say enough about these products. I heavily highlight my hair to the point where if I didnt take excellent care of it, I would'nt have any. These products not only smell delicious (like a sweet and spicy pumpkin pie) but they leave my hair soft, silky, and shiny.



Bath and Body Works Liplicious Lipgloss in Candied Apple $7 www.bathandbodyworks.com

This lipgloss leaves a nice berry color (not too deep) and shine on your lips, and tastes so nice and sweet! Come on, every girl needs another lipgloss. Plus, it's buy 2 get one free, how can you go wrong??

MAC and Hello Kitty: March 2009!

Thats right everyone! For those like me who drool over mega MAC collections such as Barbie loves MAC and Fafi, this is very exciting news! Don't get me wrong, I'm also excited for Red she Said and the Dame Edna collection, but theres always something so magical about MAC's main collaboration. And ya know what? Even if you're not sure if you'd be into this, they will have an event for Hello Kitty (just like for Fafi and Heatherette) where you can get a free beer or martini and hors d'ouvres just for showing up! Let's cross our fingers for some hott colors that might rival either Barbie loves MAC or Heatherette!

Traincases for everyone <3

Every make-up maven needs a great way to store and transport his or her make-up, but not everyone has the same budget. Here are a couple great traincases for every budget that will keep your make-up organized and protected for travel whether you are going on vacation or off to do a photo shoot!

1. Caboodles Silvertone Pro Cosmetic Case $26.79
http://www.target.com/

This little train case is amazing for its price! This durable, spacious metal cosmetic case features 4 fold-out trays with central
compartment, sturdy metal design, durable handle, lockable case comes with a key. 10Hx11-1/3W"

2. Sephora Metro Train Case- Gunmetal $98
http://www.sephora.com/

This is another great choice for a train case. It is relatively spacious, good quality, and comes in different colors! As the website says,"It sports snap locks, plus a lock and key to keep your items secure, fully adjustable inner trays,a four tier fold out tray, plus a detachable shoulder strap."





3. Juicy Couture Velour Train Case $125
http://www.nordstrom.com/

Ok lovelies, let's be honest. There is not much function here for the true make-up junkie or artist. But this is sooo cute if you can justify the money For those fashionistas looking to store a few lipsticks and eyeshadows, here's the perfect little case for you!


4. ESCA Pro Series 3 Layered train case by Solia $160.00
http://www.folica.com/

Now THIS is what I'm talking about. This train case is every make-up artists dream! I know from personal experience that it is tough lugging a bunch of handheld traincases to and from jobs. Not only does this have the room some of us need for our enormous kits, but the rolling suitcase feature it has saves our arms and backs. Three stackable compartments, locks, pull handle, etc. This is a great deal!

After my bi-weekly trip to the MAC store where I back-to-MAC'd 18 empties for three starflash shadows, I still didn't feel like I got my make-up fix for the day. So what did I do? I dragged my poor boyfriend to Sephora. I've always liked Sephora, but I felt un-impressed by it for the past couple of years. I'm not quite sure why, and its not just because I am a MAC addict. I just didn't see the innovation I was looking for. Fortunately or unfortunately for me, I was like a kid in a candy store running from display to display this time around. All the brands seemed to be stepping it up with their new collections! Everything felt fresh and of great quality. Even the packaging was so well thought out by the different brands, and I am a SUCKER for cute packaging. Here are a few standouts, some new, and some classic that I definitely recommend you check out!

1.Make-up Forever Eyeshadow
$18 www.sephora.com

These eyeshadows are too DIE for! The pigmentation is absolutely amazing, especially on the bright matte colors. I find that with a lot of matte eyeshadows, you run the risk of looking chalky, but these are almost creamy. I tried the purples (including cult-fave 92), the hot pinks, and some more brights and I could not believe how pigmented they were and how even the finish was! These are super blendable, and a must for any beauty junkie or make-up artist. Too bad they are too big to fit in my MAC pallettes!

2.Stila Backstage Beauty Eyeshadow Pallette: The Red Carpet Look
$40 www.sephora.com

I am not going to lie, I was very skeptical on this trio. I am not sure why, but I have never been the biggest fan of Stila (please don't throw stones.) They just never seemed original to me at all. To be honest, when I glanced at this pallette in Sephora I was still underwhelmed. That is until I swatched it on my hand just to make sure. It was GORGEOUS! The darkened gunmetal shade is buttery smooth and has such a beautiful multi-toned irredecence. I was completely shocked. The other colors although not as much of standouts are still absolutely beautiful. And there you have it, I was actually wrong! Haha!

3. Kat Von D True Romance Eyeshadow pallette: Beethoven and Ludwig
$34 www.sephora.com

I know I already raved about the travel brush set in all its cuteness, but both of the pallettes are simply amazing! I really didn't think the quality would be there because as much as I love my L.A. Ink and my Kat Von D, I thought of the whole idea as a bit gimmicky (still cool though). I finally decided to check out the eyeshadows for myself and they were surprisingly smooth, easy to blend, and the colors were stunning. Another reason I like these pallettes is that they really are versatile for you can definitely get just as many soft pretty looks as you can dark sexy looks.

4. Napolean Perdis Loose Eye Dust
$5!!! On SALE! www.sephora.com

Get your hands on these! I literally had to ask my boyfriend to remove me from this display. I was ready to pay full price, and then I saw the most glorious thing ever, the SALE sign! These are phenomonal! They are kind of like MAC pigments, and they are just so beautiful I can't stand it. And $5 a pop?Heaven. You can get so many colors for that price! I can't believe these don't sell well, they are definitely underrated. Pick up a few and see what I'm talking about!

5. Hourglass Dusk Color Link Pallette
$75 www.sephora.com

I love the pretty packaging of this pallette, but I also love the product itself! I never really have heard of this brand as I am so loyal to MAC and make-up forever, but it is definitely really great! The standout shade is the black eyeshadow with glitter. Its like their version of MAC's black tied, but DARE I say so much better! I find that with black tied, you can't really get the glitter to show up well. This version looks on your skin the exact way it looks in its pan! I really can't rave enough!

6.NARS The Multiple: Orgasm
$37 www.sephora.com

So, I know, it's not like this is a new product that I am introducing or anything, but it really is an excellent addition to your make-up bag! This is so multi-purpose that it's worth the the price tag. It gave my fair-medium toned skin such a beautiful glowy flush that I instantly felt prettier. I would definitely use this as a cream eye-shadow as well because the color is so gorgeous! NARs really does never get it wrong...

7. Urban DecayLipstick
$22 www.sephora.com

The packaging on this lipstick is so hot that I pretty much wanted it even if I didn't like the colors. It has a little sword on the end stuck into it! SO CUTE. I'd probably break mine, but whatever. I took a look at the colors, and they are all very pretty! The only drawback is that most of them are sheer. Some people like sheer lipstick, but I prefer one with a satin finish. Oh well! I still found about 3 colors that were just so pretty (even though they were sheer) that I would make them work for me! So definitely check these out!