Product Rave: Kenra Shine Spray

So, being a brunette and having chemically-treated, very dry hair, I'm always on the lookout for a product that will give me a lovely, glossy shine. I've used a Redken product before, the ubiquitous Chi Silk Infusion, some serum or other from Victoria's Secret, and numerous other products (many of which are currently crowding up my bathroom drawers), but hadn't found anything that really worked. Over the summer, when I was having my hair done for a huge family wedding, my stylist sprayed this candy-smelling mist all over my hair when she was done. When I asked what it was, she informed me that it was Kenra Shine Spray, and that it was to make my updo of crunchy blonde highlights (yes, I was attempting to go from almost black to blonde....er, I got that outta my system real quick, along with the ubertanness that I was sporting at the time: gawd, what was I thinking?!) look healthy and pretty. Cool beans, said I, and I promptly forgot about it in the chaos of getting the bride finished and ready to go.

Fast foward 9 months, and I found myself wandering the hair product isle at Ulta hunting for something (I had itchy fingers and wanted to purchase something, anything, lol). Hark! The sparkling packaging of Kenra Platinum Collection caught my eye! As I perused the products, something deep within my sluggish and caffeiene deprived memory surfaced: Kenra Shine Spray! Yummy smelling shiny stuff! Sweet! There it was, the last lonely bottle on the shelf. Well you can bet I swiped it up (along with other random things I don't even remember..), along with a bottle of their Working Spray (a flexible hairspray). This morning, I used it for the first time and I really do heart it. It smells like fruity candy, which is to say, completely delicious and awesome. It doesn't feel slick or greasy or siliconey--nothing like the chi silk infusion or any serum I've ever used. To be honest, it doesn't feel like there is any product in my hair whatsoever. But it does impart a high-shine, long-lasting candy scent to my hair.

I don't know if you can tell from this picture (pardon my iphone camera quality), but it really did make my hair look shiny and healthy.

My method of use: blow-dry, and then spray a small amount on my ends. Straighten as normal, using my usual combination of products. Spray a fine mist over my whole head, with extra spray on my ends, and ends of my layers. Smooth over with a boar bristle brush, add hairspray, and you're done!

The shine spray retails for $15.00, and you can find it at Ulta, and most salons. Definitely a must-have product, in my opinion.

Have you tried it? What do you think?

NARS foundation=love?

I finally broke down and bought NARS Sheer Glow foundation (in Deauville, for referencee: I'm usually range from NW15, NC20, and NC25 in MAC foundations). I was never really interested in NARS foundation products, I don't know why. They just never jumped out at me. That changed once lollipop26 decided it was her new love, and as you all know, I adore her and always have to try everything she likes (does that make me a super creepy online stalker? probably.), so I went ahead and got it.

Finish: dewy, satiny--think JLO, but, it doesn't feel like it--it dries down and feels like a matte, without looking like one.
Coverage: surprisingly awesome, considering the very runny consistency (it's the consistency of Face and Body by MAC), but the coverage is medium and it is buildable as well.
Wear: Long-lasting. It survived, and looked nice, for the 12 hours I wore it yesterday (I did set it with NARS loose powder, MUFE HD powder, and MIAB).

I wholeheartedly agree with Laura--this is a really great foundation. At $42 for 1oz, it is a pricey option, but for those of you who are looking for a dewy, long-wearing, medium coverage foundation, this is an awesome foundation. I will definitely be repurchasing this product.

Dior Extase Mascara!

The new Dior Extase Mascara has arrived! It just launched on the Sephora website, and I called my local Sephora to see if they had it. Once I explained to the sales associate that yes, it was a product they carry as it is a Sephora exclusive, and convinced her to look for it (they really should educate their associates better, especially considering Sephora exclusive products), I discovered that yes, it has arrived in-store. Most stores, though, haven't put it out on the sales floor yet--you'll have to ask a manager to get it for you. I happily headed down to the store, and battled the insane after-Christmas shopping traffic and parking nightmare.

What it is supposed to do (taken directly from sephora.com):
"DiorShow Extase provides built-in treatment benefits and high-impact lashes in a single stroke! The spherical-shaped Black Pearl Pigments create a 3D volume effect and the exclusive Metamorphosis Powders expand in size by up to 50% after application. Also, SR38 Patented Ceramid brings additional care, reconstructing damaged lashes and promoting stronger and fuller lashes.The Extase mascara features a "Tiered Brush" that is inspired by the "tiered" couture dresses created by the House of Dior. The brush is designed for performance and contains an Exclusive Duo of Fibers: The Black Elastomer Fibers brush out and define the lashes for panoramic fringe and the Gold Nylon Fibers hold and deposit formula, generously coating each lash for outstanding volume."

Ummm...ya. While I haven't used it for long enough to decide whether or not helps to grow or promote healthier lashes, I did give it a shot today. The "tiered brush" is interesting. It's full, but not as full is Diorshow, and the tiers of it really do help to get the product into your lashes. I definitely feel like each and every lash was completely coated in product, even smaller lashes towards the inside of my eyes and my lower lashes as well. It is a very lengthening formula, and it does help to hold curl as well. It's not a hard formula either; my lashes don't feel crunchy or stiff, instead, they're very soft and natural feeling, almost as if I wasn't wearing mascara. I admit to wishing that it was more thickening, like Diorshow, but all in all, I do like this mascara. I'm going to try layering it with a thickening formula to see how it does. Is it worth the $28 price tag? If you like length and perfectly coated lashes, this is definitely for you!

Christmas Haul!

So while some will undoubtedly think this haul is just an attempt to brag about what gifts I was lucky enough to receive, that's really not it. I'm just incredibly excited, and my fiance, while happy for me, just does not understand the happiness a black box can bring. Also, one of my personal favorite types of blogs to read is a haul (and what's in my bag), so there. You think I'm bragging? Fine, don't read. Won't bother me, I promise.

And now onto to the haulage!

Firstly, some reading material. My dad gave me "Digital Sports Photography," by G.Newman Lowrance. My dad is an avid, and amazing! photographer and camera collector. When I was in high school, he kindled quite the interest in photography and photo editing in me, which later became eclipsed by my sudden passion for make-up artistry. Recently though, I've decided to delve again into the complicated (to my mind), world of lighting, exposures and all other things photo-related (how Francios Nars of me, no?) Knowing this, and having given into my care a professional, though slightly battered, amazingly powerful (and heavy) camera, he thought that I would learn something from these books. I've yet to read them, as the past two days have been a whirlwind of present unwrapping and feasting, and now work, but I'm very excited to study the glossy pages and hope to absorb some of the wisdom of those masters of the lense. Maybe I'll post some of my efforts here....I was also lucky enough to receive "Make Up Your Mind," by the talented NARS founder himself, Francios Nars, as well as "Face Forward" and "Making Faces" by the legendary Kevyn Aucion. I've wanted all three of these for some time now, and never got around to ordering them (my local borders NEVER has them in stock). So much inspiration is to be found between their covers...if only I had more friends in my new town to model for me. Ah well.
Making Faces: http://www.amazon.com/Making-Faces-Kevyn-Aucoin/dp/0316286850/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261866164&sr=1-1
Face Forward: http://www.amazon.com/Face-Forward-Kevyn-Aucoin/dp/0316287059/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261866205&sr=1-1

Make Up Your Mind: http://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Mind-Francois-Nars/dp/B002VPEA6C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261866229&sr=1-1

Now onto the assorted cosmetic and beauty-related items I begged Santa for.
--YSL's Parisienne parfum--yes, I've wanted this since I seen the incredibly sexy and glamorous commercials featuring the amazing Kate Moss--before I even smelled it! Having tried it on at Nordstrom's, I could not picture my life without it. It's so sexy, sweet, floral: the essence of a young woman living life to the fullest. I know I sound like an ad, but really, do try it; the way it smells is just as fabulous as the way it makes you feel. http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P247202&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=1070

--Several MAC goodies: Naughty Noir eye bag (I wanted this primarily for the full-sized Shimmertime pigment included, but am adoring the travel-sized 109 and Zoomlash mascara and full-sized Fluidline--I have a multitude of fluidlines, but now this one sits happy in my purse along with some duo, feline kohl power, the 109 and zoomlash ((in the mini silver bag with turquoise detailing included with the set, of course)), which is perfect for lash mishaps, or a quick winged liner and extra mascara if I find myself needing to amp up my look for whatever reason.) The House of Mirth deep lip bag which contains a small Cedar lip pencil (which is my new love--so beautiful on!), Fantasia lipstick (l.e., of course) and Get Rich Quick dazzleglass, which I already knew I loved. The Fun in the Sun mineralized set which contained a full-sized Play on Plums shadow, Nuance blush, Shimpagne mineralized skinfinish (my main reasoning for lusting after this), and an SE181. I also got the Haute Hijinks warm mini pigment set, containing mini sizes of Reflects Gold Glitter, Museum Bronze, Copperized, Rushmetal and Jardin Aires pigments. I'm very happy about that seeing as my tiny samples of Rushmetal and Jardin Aires and basically gone!Jingle Jangle dazzleglass and Surprise Me lipstick from the holiday color collection as well--both gorgeous colors; Jingle Jangle being bright pink and Surprise Me being an intense pinky coral. All items can be found here: http://www.maccosmetics.com/whats_new/collection.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT1889&cm_mmc=YahooSSP-_-Feeds-_-TLP_QL-_-Holiday

--Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips in Katie: sounds rather random, considering my known dislike for Bare Escentuals products, but truth be told, I do love their Buxom Lips gloss. Very pretty colors, not sticky, great texture and the plumping effect is to die for! A supremely mentholy feeling that last for hours, rather than minutes, like MAC plushglass. This color is a soft baby pink with silvery glitters. Great everyday color. http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P174213&categoryId=C20221&shouldPaginate=true

--Model in a Bottle (the original formula). I've wanted this for a long time, but again, never got around to ordering it. I wanted it even more after MakeupGeekTV (Marlena!) reviewed it and loved it. As for the usefulness of the product, my makeup has been on for almost 6 hours at this point, and while being a bit shiny (that's due to my over the top use of Shimpagne this morning--really what possessed me to dust it all over my forehead?) it hasn't moved around AT ALL--even after eating, sneezing, resting my face on my hands, etc, and I've yet to touch up. Huzzah! For those curious, it will not replace your Fix+. Fix+ will rehydrate and refresh your makeup and can be used however many times you want; MIAB is applied once, right after your makeup application, and creates a sweat, tear and smudge-proof makeup--and yes, even eye makeup--it's hairspray for your face! For those sensitive to smells, order the Sensitive version. The original has a strong smell, rather floraly or something, which doesn't happen to bother me, but it would bother someone sensitive to scent. I strongly recommend this product. http://www.modelinabottle.com/

--NARS blushes in Deep Throat and Lovejoy. Beautiful products, each of them. Deep Throat is very similar to Orgasm, but slightly deeper and less pink. Lovejoy is gorgeous pinky bronzey awesomeness. I adore them both--and have renewed my pledge to own every single NARS blush. I can't help it. I really do need therapy. http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P2855&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=3976

--Make-Up Forever concealer palette in No. 1! I've really wanted to try this out for a while, and I gave it a whirl this morning, and so far I like it. It's very creamy and easy to work with, but it does dry town and stay put, which is great. I'm not sure if I got the right color yet, or not. I love the green and peach correctors, but I feel like the other 3 shades may be a bit light. I'm going to compare it to No. 2 when I go to Sephora later this week. http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P147417&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=4028

--Several pairs of pjs: I have an obsession with lounge wear, and the whole family knows it.
--A new coffemaker! A Cuisinart, complete with two cute Starbucks mugs and some Christmas blend (probably my favorite coffee ever). This is the "family coffee maker"--my in-laws have it and we all lust over it, so when my fiance's brother got married, they got one and now we have one too! It's amazing. It's of course programmable, and you can even decide if you want a stronger brew by pushing a button! The best part is that it's self-grinding: simply pour in your water, pour in the whole beans of your choice, and it grinds them, measures out the perfect amount to go with your desired strength and amount of water, and presto! Instant awesomeness. I used it this morning and I really, really heart it. You can find it (on sale right now!) here: http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=88293&CategoryID=7715
--I also received some lovely jewelry, including some that was handmade for me by my fiance's aunt! That makes it all the more beautiful and special.
--Several ornaments including Cinderella and a diet coke can! I love collecting ornaments. Oooh, and a super nice tree skirt. It's adorable!!
--My fiance was also generous enough to get me a present after just buying me a car three weeks ago (it wasn't my fault! My other car was ready to explode....the engine made very ominous sounds, lol.) He got me this Marciano bag I've wanted for a while now, especially after I saw it on an episode of Gossip Girl! Hell yes! I got mine in chocolate (he even knew I'd been wanting a chocolate bag, wow. What did I do to deserve him?) and you can find it here--and it's ON SALE!! Go buy it now!! http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3052815?Category=&Search=True&SearchType=keywordsearch&keyword=marciano&origin=searchresults
He is also taking me to get some of the products from the new launch by MAC, Warm & Cozy. He knows I've really been excited about it, so he's going to take me shopping :). He's also going to treat me to some NARS loose powder (I've heard its fabulous and have been really wanting to try it), and their Sheer Glow foundation (lollipop26's influence again!). I may pick up some mascara, too. I'm running out, and can't decide what to get...I may go back to my all-time favorite, Diorshow, or maybe try something else..MUFE smokey lash is great too. I've heard good things about so many--it's impossible to decide! Maybe I'll get the lash stash instead, so I can test drive some...any recommendations?

Despite all the hardships that our family has been through this year, this was an absolutely amazing Christmas. We were so blessed to be able spend time together, laughing and having fun, enjoying the incredible feast that my father-in-law made for us on Christmas Day, as well as the spectacular repast my mother served on  Christmas Eve. We are so lucky to be able to spend our time together, and to show each other how much we love and appreciate each other through fun, thoughtful and amazing gifts. I feel so blessed, thankful and grateful to be living the life that I am, and to be surrounded by such special, generous and loving people.

How was your holiday? What fun things did you get (or even give!)?

Dexter?!

Did anyone else watch the finale tonight? It totally blew my mind. It's strange when you are at the point that you identify and empathize with a serial killer, though. But I mean, really, screenwriters, why Rita? She was such an innocent. And why continue the family baptism in blood? Just horrible. But you bet your ass I'm watching next season!

Is it just me?

Or do the holidays feel a bit lackluster this year?  Maybe it's the economy (could that be any more of a bullshit excuse?), maybe it's the fact that it's my first holiday after the move away from my hometown, maybe I've changed? I look forward to the holidays all year: I adore the weather, I heart sweaters, I love holiday food, I can't wait to decorate--I love everything holidays. This year, my apartment is seriously lacking in holiday festivenessity, due to the strict budget I find myself living on after buying a car spur of the moment--my living room doesn't even have a tree! I've been waiting all year to drive up to Apple Hill and direct the fiance in the cutting down of the perfect tree, yet, somehow, we never got around to it. We're buying a tree off the church fundraising lot near our house tomorrow. I haven't collected any new ornaments--I haven't even picked up my childhood ornaments from my parent's house! No holiday baking has occured (though, considering my desire to lose weight, that could be a good thing.) and I've meticulously collected recipes all year! I haven't even really gotten to Christmas shop, thanks again to that whole budget issue. I'm making gifts this year, cookies in a jar and the like (another thing I have to do tomorrow). Maybe I'm missing the true meaning of Christmas or something, but it just feels to me that this holiday season is not satisfying my need for holidayness. Seeing as it's my first holiday in my new town, that could probably be part of it; this doesn't feel like home, doesn't feel like my winter weather, doesn't feel like my anything. Does that even make sense?  Not that I don't like where I live...I just haven't been here long enough for it to have the sense of comfort and familarity that my hometown has. I miss home, which is something I honestly thought I would never say. I find myself missing a lot of things lately; I am a wealth of unused and discarded potential.

Enough useless whining. My house isn't going to clean itself, unfortunately.

So last night, whilst watching my recorded version of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (I didn't get to watch it when it aired as the man was busy watching some basketball game or something), and stuffing handfuls of chips dipped in cheesy jalepeno crab dip into my face, I had a realization: I have an addiction to food. Now, I haven't been happy with my weight for some time, and I've tried Jenny Craig (during the course of which I lost 20 pounds that I immediately gained back), and watching what I eat and all of that, but I can't never stick to it, and could never figure out why. But I really believe it's an addiction; i come to food for a sense of comfort and security, a sense of momentary happiness and fulfillment. I don't even think I eat when I'm hungry--it's more out of boredom and dissatisfaction. I even associate food with happy feelings too; the holidays center around food for me, as does my birthday, or any other happy or celebratory time. I can't even think "I should meet up with a friend," instead, I say to myself "I should meet her at Cheesecake Factory for lunch..." So obviously, this poses a large roadblock to the 40 pounds I'd like to lose before my wedding. Don't they say knowing you have an addiction is half of the solution? Let's hope that will hold true.

My fridge is stocked with fruits and vegetables, ingredients for healthy dinners (recipes courtesy of http://www.sparkrecipes.com/), and my freezer packed with lean cuisines (to take as quick lunches during the workweek). I have vowed to myself to eat breakfast every morning, whether it be a yogurt or a small bowl of oatmeal, and try to control my Starbucks intake. I am a huge Starbucks fan, and love to start my morning with a white mocha, peppermint mocha, pumpkin spice latte, or caramel macciato (though I drink them nonfat, they still pack plenty of calories). Also, I plan to avail myself of the 24 hour gym in my apartment complex; it is state of the art, often empty, and despite the fact that it is located less than a minute away, I have never been able to haul myself there. So here's my plan, with a little help from http://www.sparkpeople.com/ :
-Limit calorie intake to 1200-1500 calories a day
-Drink a minimum of 8 ounces of water a day
-Strength train for a minimum of 30 minutes a day, twice a week
-Cardio (most likely a fast walk on a treadmill) a minimum of 30 minutes 5 days a week
-Control my Starbucks cravings: no bigger than a size tall, always nonfat with no whipped cream, and sugarfree when possible).
According to sparkpeople, should I manage to keep myself to this plan, I'll have lost the desired 40 pounds by the end of April! That seems a bit ambitious to me, but what do I know? I'll have to trust the experts at sparkpeople. Have you check out sparkpeople? It really is a very helpful website. It builds meal plans for you (should you want them), exercise plans, forces you to be accountable and track everything you eat (so that you know how many calories you're eating), and it's sister site sparkrecipes.com has a huuuuuuuuuge selection of healthy, user-rated and delicious recipes to try out. I guess that's my plan?  We shall see how much success I'll have with it...

Outfit of the day

 My apologies for the bad quality. I love my iPhone, but it's camera leaves a bit to be desired.

Anyhow, here's my outfit for work today.
Earrings (impossible to see): DSK jet black dangling stars
Necklace: DSK jet black star and golden moon
Watch (hard to see because of my blazer): Citizen 
Top: (It's actually covered completely in sequins, but you can't really tell) Express
Blazer: New York and Company
Pencil skirk: New York and Company
Handbag:  Hayden Paniterrie for Dooney and Bourke
Shoes (not pictured): Franco Sarto patent leather wedges



Would you guys like it if I kept doing outfits of the day?

Absolutely obsessed: DSK jewelry

So I'm sure most of you have heard of DSK jewelry by now, right? It's been featured on bubzbeauty's youtube videos, and others as well. Steph (the owner of DSK) is absolutely amazing. She has super creative, handmade jewelry--all of which is incredibly sparkly as she only uses high-quality swavorski crystals. Each piece is totally unique; nothing you can find at forever21 can ever compare! Her range is a bit limited right now as she is attempting to move across the country, so you may have to wait a bit, but believe me it is well worth the wait! Also, after she is caught up from moving, I think she'll be taking custom orders again. I'm planning on having her create custom jewelry for my wedding next year (cool, right?

Here are pictures of the few pieces I've been able to get my hands on so far:

I have this with a black star and a golden moon. I also have matching dangling star earrings in black.

This was the first thing I ordered from DSK! I love this necklace: the color is soooo beautiful! I also ordered matching dangling titanic heart earrings as well.

I can't wait to keep collecting more DSK! I want a bracelet next...she's been debuting some gorgeous charm bracelets !

Go check out DSK at dsk.blogspot.com .You're going to love Steph, and love her jewelry even more!

Armani Foundations

While I may have a rather obscene collection of various MAC foundations (ok, let's be honest, at least one of each formulation, including airbrush and tinted moisturizer), I find myself becomming bored and dissatisfied. This lead me to branch back out into the higher-end cosmetics lines, and I happily left Nordstrom's earlier this summer with the HD foundation ($38)from Smashbox. This foundation looked lovely at first (though it was quite sheer and required either building or extra concealer), but it's wearing ability was almost nonexistent, even paired with various primers.I have incredibly dry skin--yay for early aging!--, yet, four hours into my workday I would look like I had just jumped face first into a bucket of fried chicken. Delicious, yes, but pretty, no. Logic would have that I simply needing a touch more of blotting powder--but no. Everytime I took a brush (an emmaculately cared-for and incredibly soft brush, at that) to it, it would disappear! Visibly so. This was even worse for someone like me; at the time, my body was very tan and my face was incredibly pale (I never tanned my face, and there was about 23458696696 shade differences between my face and the rest of me), so when my foundation would disappear, I would be left with bright white spots and various areas of my face. Not a good look!



Determined to find something that would make my skin look flawless, I ventured out to Nordstrom's once again. I had a few foundations in mind to look at. I wandered by the Dior counter first, having heard wonders of the "forever" foundation ($44) in their line; a friend of mine used to work for them and she swore by this waterproof, medium coverage foundation. However, seeing that the girl working the line was wearing a foundation at least 2 shades darker than her skin tone, I decided to move along. Next I paused at the Giorgio Armani counter, which was right next to Chanel--perfect, I thought, since I've used Chanel before and knew that it worked for me; I figured if nothing else, I could try another Chanel product. I was greeted by an impeccably dressed older gentleman who turned out to be the business manager for the line; he'd worked for MAC way back in the day, before the company was sold to Estee Lauder, and opened the Armani counter at Neiman's in the city. I explained my situation, and mentioned I was interested in the Luminous Silk foundation ($58), which I'd read about on lollipop26's blog (yes, I'll admit to wanting to try it just because she is so fabulous, and I'm hoping some of her glamour will rub off on me if I use the products she does :p). He informed me that while Luminous Silk was a lovely product, he wasn't sure if it was meant for me, seeing as a.) it was quite a luminous finish, and I was tired of looking oily, even though I'm not, and b.) it is a sheerer foundation, while I prefer more coverage. He directed me to the Designer Shaping Cream Foundation ($65). It was hydrating, radiant, but not oily, very long-wearing, and a more medium to full coverage. He proceeded to apply it to one side of my face with their version of a foundation brush, called the "blender brush" ($47), which I'm considering picking up; it's unique in that it is half-natural and half-synthetic fibers, a similar shape to a 190 from MAC but smaller, more rounded and quite dense, and apparently is guaranteed not to streak your foundation. Very soft, too. I was impressed: the color matched my skin perfectly, it was subtly glowy, very skinlike in that I couldn't see where the foundation began or ended, and though I could see my skin through it, like my freckles, which I happen to like, it gave superb coverage, completely masking the acne scarring on my chin, as well as the carnage from a popped pimple. It also dried down in a unique way: it didn't feel dry or powdery, nor did it feel wet or creamy. It simply felt like my skin. It was also incredibly comfortable to wear--feels like nothing at all. After he had evened out the other side, he proceeded to give me a gift including their Nera eye cream, a full sized brow gel, a deluxe sample size of the fluid sheers in #2 (another review on those, as they are a fantastic product), and a deluxe sample size of the luminous silk foundation, so I could decide which I preferred. I've since worn it for three days in a row, and I am absolutely in love. It wears incredibly well, never gets shiny or greasy--it actually looks even more gorgeous as the day goes in as it seems to bond with your skin somehow and blend in so flawlessly that it looks as though you have nothing on. I also wore the luminous silk foundation for the first time today, and while I agree that it is a more sheer foundation, I really like it. It's not as greasy as I thought it would be and it wears very well. Great option for weekends or days when I want less coverage. All in all, I am very satisfied with my experience with Armani. I think I'll branch out to more products. :)


Sorry this was so long--I wanted to make sure it was in-depth.

Was this helpful for some of you?

Smokey eyes!

Here's my go-to smokey eye for anytime I'm out with friends or my man, or just wanna rock it out at work. Hope you like it!

Products: (all MAC unless mentioned)

Painterly paint pot

Blackground paint pot

Phloof! eyeshadow

Print eyeshadow

Texture eyeshadow

Copperplate eyeshadow

Carbon eyeshadow

Feline eye kohl

Rapidblack penultimate liner

Diorshow mascara

Honey B. lipliner

Gel lipstick

Icescape lipglass

Neutral color pop!

Hey everybody! Today I did a neutral lid with a little pop of color underneath my eyes. Hope you like it!

Products used: (all MAC unless mentioned)

Eyes:

Painterly paint pot

Dazzlelight eyeshadow

Honesty eyeshadow

Tete-a-tint eyeshadow

Saddle eyeshadow

Smut eyeshadow

Print eyeshadow

Rapidblack penultimate liner

Diorshow mascara

Bankroll pearlglide liner

Pale yellow pro pencil

Cheeks:

Brunette MSF

SuperwhiteFX hyper real powder (pro product)

Makeup Forever HD powder

Lips:

Spice lip pencil

What a do! lipstick

Soft wave lipglass

My updated skincare routine/semi-review

So I've recently decided to update all of my skincare. I really believe you can never find your ideal products unless you experiment. Anyway, here's what I've been using!

Cleansers: 

Skyn Iceland Glacial Wash: This stuff is amazing! It has a fabulous cooling and soothing sensation when you lather it on your skin, smells great, and feels light and creamy. I have noticed that it is definitely helping with my redness and irritation. I really love that it leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean, but never dry or stripped. 

Bosica SmoothingFace Polish: Without a doubt the best exfoliator I have tried! It smells great and it feels so gentle. Its very foamy, so you only need a little bit, and even though it doesn't feel very scrubby (haha), it really does leave my skin feeling soft, smooth and glowy. 

Toners: 

Dior Soothing Alcohol Free Toner: Yep, still using this. It really is the best toner that I've found for my skin. It's very gentle, very light. My skin always looks glowy and soft after using it. It also really helps to prep my skin for the rest of my skincare products.

Serums/Moisturizers:

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum: This stuff is awesome! Well worth the money. I use it morning and night. It's almost an oil that you apply all over your face--you only need a little, by the way, and it really smooths out your skin and allows your moisturizer to penetrate a lot better. I've noticed the biggest difference around my eyes since I started using it--there is a definite softening of the lines I was beginning to develop. 

Estee Lauder HydraBright Moisturizer: I recently switched to this from my Chanel and I love it. It's very hydrating, but never leaves me feeling greasy or looking shiny at all. What I love the most is that it is formulated to help with dull skin and uneven tone, which were both problems for me due to my dry skin. I have noticed more of a "natural" glow in the 4 months that I have been using it, as well as decreased redness in my cheeks. It even kept me hydrated while I was in the freezing windy weather of Nebraska!

Estee Lauder HydraComplete Eye Cream: An excellent eye cream. It really keeps the skin around my eyes very hydrated, but it soaks in quickly which is ideal for putting on my makeup. With my previous eye cream I had to wait 5-10 minutes for it to absorb before I could begin apply my makeup. This is also supposed to help even tone, but I'm not sure if I've noticed that yet or not. All in all, an excellent eye cream.

Acne products:

Boscia WillowBark Acne Treatment: LIQUID GOLD! By far the best acne product I've ever used. It works wonders on white head or even those bumps that stay under the skin. I use it morning and night when I have a blemish or feel when coming on. When I apply it to an already formed blemish it disappears within a day or two, and when I apply to one that is still under the skin, it never shows up! The best part is that it does this without drying out the skin around the blemish, or creating that crusty white dryness on top of a blemish. I can't live without this stuff. 

Random:

Skyn Iceland Angelica Lip Repair: BEST LIP PRODUCT EVER! It smells awesome, tingles, feels great, heals lips better than carmex, and it has a shine like a gloss! I can't put it down. You can wear it alone, under lip products or on top. It's definitely my latest obsession.

All of these products, with the exception of Estee Lauder, can be found in a Sephora store or on http://www.sephora.com . As for the Estee Lauder products, you can find them at your local Macys', Nordstrom's, Sak's, or Neiman's counter.  

Any questions? Feel free to ask! :)

Sweet Lust Tutorial

Hey everyone! Here's the list of products from my "sweet lust" tutorial, as well as a few pictures! Thanks for looking and commenting :)

(all MAC unless mentioned)

Painterly paint pot

Perky paint pot

Mylar eyeshadow

Bamboo eyeshadow

Sweet lust eyeshadow

Blackberry eyeshadow

Sketch eyeshadow

Fig.1 eyeshadow

Rapidblack penultimate liner

Christian Dior Diorshow mascara in Prune

Honey B. cremestick liner

Lovenectar lustreglass