Todays Look - 11/26/09

Here's the look I am wearing today:

Products Used:
Lids - Urban Decay "Kiss"
Crease - Urban Decay "Fishnet"
Inner Corner - MAC "Pink Venus"
Brow Highlight - MAC "Shroom"

Free Gift w/ Purchase!

Have a Sephora store near you?

Go here and print out this coupon to get a FREE Kat Von D Tote
with any $25 purchase:

The coupon can be redeemed in stores or even online using
the code "TOTE09" at checkout!

$25 can easily buy just one product at Sephora stores or Sephora.com, and so I say go
ahead and use this promotion as an excuse to do a little splurging for the month ;)

Here's a list of some of my favorite Sephora products which would qualify for the free gift:

NARS - "Orgasm" or "Angelika" Blush ($25)
Benefit - 10 Bronzer ($28)
NARS - Laguna Bronzer ($30)
Urban Decay - Deluxe Shadow Box ($38)

HAPPY SHOPPING ;)

Deal at Sephora!!

This Week Only:


Sephora stores and Sephora.com are giving all customers 20% off on Bare Minerals starter kits.
The kits typically include - concealer, two face powders (one for each season), and a bronzing powder PLUS brushes!!


My friend recently purchased a starter kit and she loves it - especially the bronzer!!

HAPPY SHOPPING ;)

Claire's Eye Shadow Palettes

Hi Everyone!

So, a while ago I was browsing through Claire's (the accessory store) and came upon their "mini" eye shadow palettes. Because the palettes were only $5.99, I decided to take a chance and purchase the neutral palette without any insight into the pigmentation of the shadows. When I arrived home and opened my palettes to test colors, I was pleasantly surprised by the pigmentation of even the darkest colors!

Although the palette is made up of neutrals, the colors vary from golden beige to a dark black (comparable to MAC's "Black Tied"). All the finishes are somewhat shimmery and frosty, but not overly so - you can definitely wear these shadows every day without seeming gaudy. My favorites to use are the burgundy and purple shades.

Today, I did a look using purple on the lid and black and grey in the crease:

(the palette pictured above)

The Palettes seem to come in 3 main color schemes: Neutrals, Pastels, and Brights. As of now, I have only purchased the safer neutral option, but I most definitely plan to go back and buy the brights palette!

HAVE FUN!

Quick Tip!

Angled Eyeshadow:

To try an interesting and more intense look with your eyeshadow without using necessarily bright colors, pick up good ol' scotch tape. Break off a piece of tape and place it diagonally from your eye's outer corner to the end of your brow. This will serve as a guideline for your eyeshadow, so now you can apply all your makeup normally and end up with a finished product like this (once you remove the tape):

fun huh??? :)

Products Used:
UD Primer Potion, MAC "Blanc Type", MAC "Shroom",
MAC "Pink Venus", UD "Ransom", UD "Peace", & UD "Zero".

HAVE FUN!

TAG

What's your favourite make up look?
I love bronzer paired with super contoured cheek bones, a sexy smokey eye, and of course nude lips. Essentially, what I call "clubbing makeup" !!

Do you have a beauty vice?
I am obsessed with blush, bronzer, and MAC MSF's. I'm running out of space in my blush drawer :(

What part of your body do you love?
I like my eyes, they are the window to the soul after all, haha ;P But truthfully I do like them because they are sometimes green, sometimes blue, sometimes even grey!!

Who is your beauty icon?
SOPHIA LOREN. She is the ultimate ideal of beauty in my opinion, classy but still exotic and beautiful.

What beauty product makes you feel instantly sexy?
A nude lip :)

How do you look after your skin?
Wash my face with face wash every morning and night, then do a full body exfoliation once a week (or whenever I feel like I need it), plus use dermatologist prescribed acne treatments.

What is your signature scent?
I don't really have one yet, but for now I use Bath & Bodyworks Body Mist - Sweet Pea.

What are your hair care secrets?
I use a TON of conditioner so my hair stays soft, plus John Frieda Frizz Ease!!

How do you pamper yourself?
I get Manicures once a month and Pedicures once every two months, super fun :)

What is your beauty pet peeve?
Eyeliner that has been applied crooked, lipstick over dry lips, and un-blended foundation!!

What would your desert island must haves be?
Conditioner, Mascara, Lip Gloss - I can work with those three things haha...

Finally, do you have a beauty philosophy?
Makeup is Art, so don't be scared to try new things and get creative :)

Makeup Look of the Day - 10/30/09

This is just a quick peek into what makeup look I'm sporting today:

The look was done using one of my favorite, budget friendly, eye shadow palettes from Claires (neutral eye shadow palette - $5.50). This palette comes with a beautiful range of soft, blendable neutrals. All the colors have a metallic sheen to them, none of them are matte, but they can easily be used for a night OR day look. Best of all, Claires Cosmetics does not test on animals, so you can enjoy being beautiful guilt-free :)

I'm thinking of doing this occasionally, so let me know what you think and if you would like to see more of my makeup looks!

Halloween Makeup

Halloween is coming up this weekend, and it seems that I already have a list of people lining up for me to do their makeup. For anyone who enjoys doing makeup, Halloween is an absolute dream. The "crazyness" of the holidays allows such a flow of creativity and freedom when creating a look that any other day may be deemed "too much".

Wether you're sticking to the traditional costumes, like witches and vampires, or trying something a little different, like your favorite movie character or celebrity, makeup can be a great way to showcase your talent and passion to the extreme.

Dont have any ideas on how to do your makeup?

• If you're dressing up as a celebrity, choose a look they are well known for, and embellish it. Going as Jennifer Lopez? Give her famous bronze makeup added glam by pressing gold glitter onto eyelids and out into a "cat eye". Kim Kardashian? A fan of long lashes, take a tip from Kim and grab the longest lashes you can find and pair them with a sultry smokey eye!
• Going for a more "typical" Halloween look? Visit maccosmetics.com (under Artistry - MAC looks) and take a hint from the free face charts. Under the "Style Black" collection, there are some excellent ideas for vampire and undead costumes using pitch black shadow and lipstick, plus gorgeously contoured cheek bones.

(black fire)

So take advantage of Halloween this year and go all out: glitter, bright colors, and fake eye lashes give instant POP and FUN to any look!!

HAVE FUN!

Quick Tip!

Have a favorite perfume or signature scent?

Many of us do, but I have talked to a lot of women and girls who are dissapointed with the lasting power of their favorite perfumes and body spray's. To help your favorite scent last longer and stay fresh throughout the day, spray a light mist of whatever product you are using all over your hair. The fragrance will hold in your hair the same way a scented shampoo does!

Try it out and let me know what you think, hopefully this will diminish the amount of perfume or spray you have to use for each sitting, therefore saving you money :)

What I recommend:

Bath & Bodyworks Body Spray -
"Sweet Pea"

Fragrance Top Notes: Sweet Pea, Watery Pear, Logan Berry, Rhubarb

Fragrance Mid Notes: Cyclamen, Freesia, Raspberry

Fragrance Base Notes: Musk

(via www.bathandbodyworks.com)

HAVE FUN!

Hot Fall Trend: Nude Lips

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to post a quick blog talking about my new, absolute favorite, lip color for fall. Nude lips are BIG this year and look both classy and sexy, if done properly. Nude lips are super tricky, so its essential that you find the right shade of nude lipstick or gloss for your skin tone.


As you can see in the photo above, each celebrity has taken into consideration their hair color and skin tones when choosing their "nude" shade of lips. Blonde's and those with fair skin should stick to neutral pinks, whereas those with slightly darker skin should stick to tan and bronze shades (see also Beyonce at right). The purpose of a nude lip is to "blend" with ones natural skin tone, and so you should look for a pink, yellow, or even blue based shade to match your actual skin's undertones.

Nude lips can be worn many different ways, depending on what sort of look your going for. If you're attempting a retro look, try a nude lipstick with a matte finish (something almost impossible to get with a gloss). Only attempt this look if you are absolutely comfortable with nude lips, as you are now combining two very tricky elements of makeup. Make sure to majorly moisturize lips before applying any matte lipstick, as they contain little to no moisture and can make lips look dry. If done properly however, matte nude lips look stunning when paired with a smoky eye (see left)! Nude lips also can be worn with a frost or gloss finish for instant glam :)

My Favorite Nude Lip:
Lately I have been wearing this combination nude lip ALOT and have gotten a ton of compliments on it! I love it because its neutral enough to wear everyday, but totally glamorous and dressy enough to wear out to dinner or clubbing. First, I moisturize my lips by applying a little bit of my overall face misturizer onto my lips.

Then, I apply Revlon's Matte Lipstick in the shade "Nude Attitude" (this was part of a limited edition collection so it may not still be available, check your local drugstre just in case). Lastly, I coat my lips with MAC's Lipglass in the shade "Viva Glam V".

The last product is a bit of a splurge (retailing for $14), but every cent of your purchase of any "Viva Glam" product goes towards MAC Cosmetics Aids Fund, which educates about and helps prevent Aids through research. So why not splurge occasionally if it benefits the world somehow?

HAVE FUN!

Makeup Bag Essentials

Whether its just a makeup bag you carry around campus or an emergency, overnight stash, the products you include in your cosmetics carrier should be well thought out. Here, I will give a list as to what I consider important from my own experiences.

As most of you probably know, having an even and fresh looking face is one of the most important aspects to consider when applying makeup. Think of your face as a clean canvas and your makeup as the paint you use to express yourself. That is why it important to carry a good concealer with you, as you can use this for emergency spot treatments yet not have to carry around a messy powder or liquid foundation. A concealer that comes in a tube and/or can be applied with a wand is best (try Revlon ColorStay Concealer).

Eyes are also important, but no one wants to worry about applying a complicated array of various shades of shadow the morning after a wild night! My first suggestion, to prevent the creasing of any eye shadow during the day, is to invest in a good base. This is one area where I wouldn't necessarily try to scrimp on cash, as that may also skim on quality. Instead, let yourself splurge on a MAC paint-pot or my holy grail for eye shadow bases, Urban Decay's "Primer Potion" (available at sephora.com). As for morning after eye makeup, I carry around a travel sized version of Benefit's "Bad Gal Lash" Mascara for full and luxurious lashes anywhere (also at sephora.com, $8.00). It's the perfect size to carry around and adds enough "oomph" to your eyes so that nothing else is really necessary, just make sure to coat both your top and bottom lashes!

Finally, the lips. A handy tip/trick is to find a shade of (preferably matte) lipstick that you can double as bot a lip AND cheek product! This can be easily done by just testing the blending ability of any lipstick on your hand at the store. One thing to be careful of when applying the lipstick to your cheeks is to not use too much product. Simply apply three dots of the lipstick onto your cheekbones and then blend using your fingers; nothing fancy there :)

Now, after applying the same lipstick lightly to your lips, take a clear gloss (try the one by NYC aka New York Color) and apply it to just the center of your bottom lip, the slightly blend. This will gives your lips the illusion of being more full and "juicy".

Hope my tips for what to carry in your makeup bag were helpful, see you again soon!

Review: Rimmel Glam Eyes Mascara

Hello Everyone!

Recently, I found myself running out of my beloved "Plush Lash" Mascara (by MAC Cosmetics). Although "Plush Lash" will always have my heart, I am not necessarily currently in the position to be spending $12 + on a mascara. And so, I took the bus downtown to the local drugstore and began my search for a suitable (and comparable?) mascara to try out in the mean time.

There were two things that I was looking for specifically in the beginning of my search: 1. I wanted a volumizing mascara, and 2. I was looking for cheap! These two criteria brought my attention to Rimmels "Glam Eyes" Mascara. The product claimed to increase lashes volume by up to 70% and was on sale for a mere $5.99, not to mention the packaging is abesolutely adorable :)

Anyways, I decided to give the mascara a try. The first time I applied it, I was a bit skeptical about the flimsy looking plastic "brush", yet as I began to coat my lashes I loved the way it looked. Although I'd say this mascara does more lengthening than volumizing, one can achieve both by simply carefully adding more coats of the product (dont let it clump though!). I got the shade "Extreme Black", and the pigmentation lived up to its name. My lashes looked deliciously dark, just the way I like em'.

I have been using the mascara everyday since my purchase, and although I do not consider it my holy grail in the slightest, Rimmel's "Glam Eyes" Mascara is definetly usable, even likeable, for a cheap and college student/beauty queen approved cosmetic product!

Final Rating (out of 5): ****

HAPPY SHOPPING ;)

Welcome!

Hello Everyone :)

So this blog is part personal outlet and part career move. To explain this I will firs introduce myself:

My name is Mara, I was born in Southern California but am completing my first year of College in BC, Canada. An aspiring journalist, it is my dream to write for a fashion & beauty magazine so that I can discuss one of the things I love: MAKEUP!

Although I love me some MAC Cosmetics, simply adore NARS, and go crazy for Urban Decay, I am, in the end, the cliche broke college student. So, the real purpose of this blog is to showcase any great cosmetic deals I find all while specializing in keeping the college budget in mind.

Thanks for visiting and I hope to hear from you soon!