Back in November 2010, my husband was laid off from work, mind you he was our only income. So since then, our lives have been a little bit of a struggle, but who isn't struggling right? Ever since the lay off, we've just been running into the wrong people and making friends with people who don't deserve our kindness and friendship. So, on a positive note, I say OUT with the old and in with the NEW! We are moving forward with our lives, and the people who have burnt their bridges will be left in the dust.
My husband and I are good people, very giving, kind and we love our family and close friends. Hopefully the New Year will bring us some better luck, who knows maybe we'll win the lottery! HA wishful thinking I know =). Anyway, I'm not trying to give you the sob story of my life. I just want to say, even though you are going through tough times, keep the people who love you near and dear. Don't let the negativity run your lives. Life is way too short to stress over something that's not even worth a glance back at. Take the rough times as a learning lesson, I know I sure will. Being positive and taking care of yourself and your family is the best way you'll get through your tough times. Keep your heads held high and keep it moving forward, because things will get better if you let it! =)
I know this is early, but I have been swamped with work and blogging for a Beauty store, but I wanted wish everyone a Happy Holidays and a Happy New Years. . . Take Care!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Renewed
So, I know I haven't been posting much of anything on here lately, but I've just been super duper busy with my new business adventure that I haven't even had time to do much of anything. I just renewed my yearly subscription to keep my domain so I guess I should keep up with the blogging =). I know I have been horrible at this lately LOL... But I promise you I will be back soon! There has just been soooooooooo much going on lately that I've neglected my blog. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Potty Training Twin Boys
I started potty training my twin boys this week, and boy it isn't fun. I mean I can totally handle the peeing accidents, but the poopage accidents make me want to barf! LOL. But I am going to be sticking to it and hopefully get these guys out of diapers soon because we all know diapers are not cheap, especially when having to buy double the amount.
For the most part, they both have been doing okay. Chayse has gotten it down a lot better than Brody, who had about 4 peeing accidents. But as the day went on Brody seemed to catch on a little bit better. I try to get them to aim for the toilet paper in the toilet, and then when they are done we do the "pee pee dance" and flush the toilet and they both say goodbye. So overall it's been going okay. I know it will take some time for them to get use to peeing in the toilet. Hopefully they catch on sooner than later!
<3
For the most part, they both have been doing okay. Chayse has gotten it down a lot better than Brody, who had about 4 peeing accidents. But as the day went on Brody seemed to catch on a little bit better. I try to get them to aim for the toilet paper in the toilet, and then when they are done we do the "pee pee dance" and flush the toilet and they both say goodbye. So overall it's been going okay. I know it will take some time for them to get use to peeing in the toilet. Hopefully they catch on sooner than later!
<3
Friday, August 26, 2011
Transitioning
So I know I haven't been on my blog in forever and I want to apologize for my absence. Summer has just been really crazy for me with my son being home from school for 2 months and then my grandma's passing kind of threw a curb ball my way. I also wanted to say that I am transitioning this blog from beauty to and everything in my daily life. I do still have a beauty blog that I now host on Wordpress, Beautiful Inside and Out, but I haven't posted much on there either because I am now a part of the Beauty Collection blog team so I've been pretty busy with that. So be on the look out for some new content on this page.
<3
<3
Friday, June 24, 2011
I'm Back!
So, I've been out of commission for a little bit because my computer overheated on me. Anyway, I am back, just not fully back. Summer's here, my son's out of school so I've been busy with the kiddos. Just wanted to say hello and hope everyone has a great weekend!
Also, I will slowly be transitioning this blog into an every life blog, hence the "Story of My Life" title. Don't fret, i will still have my beauty blog up just on another platform (wordpress) at Beautiful Inside and Out. Check out the beauty stuff there =)
<3
Also, I will slowly be transitioning this blog into an every life blog, hence the "Story of My Life" title. Don't fret, i will still have my beauty blog up just on another platform (wordpress) at Beautiful Inside and Out. Check out the beauty stuff there =)
<3
Thursday, June 9, 2011
BlushingNoir Giveaway
lSo, I've been following BlushingNoir for a little while now and I must say she has some awesome giveaways. She also has some great reviews of a lot of products. Check out her blog if you haven't yet. On that note, she recently won a giveaway from Kayla Shevonne, who has some spectacular nail art design that she does free hand. They are amazing, if you can, please check out Kayla as well. Anyway, check out the giveaway BlushingNoir is doing below.
"I win, so you win" - Giveaway hosted by BlushingNoir
Includes:
* Gena Tea Tree Oil
* Sally Hansen Salon Effects - Laced Up
* Ardell Lashtique
* Sinful Colors Neon Collection - 5 mini shades in a cute pouch.
* OPI Burlesque Little Teasers - 4 mini shades of Rising Star, Take the Stage, The Show Must Go On, and Ali's Big Break
* OPI Teenage Dream Mini
* OPI Black Shatter
* China Glaze Crackle Glaze - Cracked Concrete
* China Glaze Crackle Glaze - Broken Hearted
* China Glaze Crackle Glaze - Lightning Bolt
* China Glaze Crackle Glaze - Crushed Candy
Check out the link above for more details on how to enter this giveaway! Good luck and don't forget to tell her I sent you! =)
<3
"I win, so you win" - Giveaway hosted by BlushingNoir
Includes:
* Gena Tea Tree Oil
* Sally Hansen Salon Effects - Laced Up
* Ardell Lashtique
* Sinful Colors Neon Collection - 5 mini shades in a cute pouch.
* OPI Burlesque Little Teasers - 4 mini shades of Rising Star, Take the Stage, The Show Must Go On, and Ali's Big Break
* OPI Teenage Dream Mini
* OPI Black Shatter
* China Glaze Crackle Glaze - Cracked Concrete
* China Glaze Crackle Glaze - Broken Hearted
* China Glaze Crackle Glaze - Lightning Bolt
* China Glaze Crackle Glaze - Crushed Candy
Check out the link above for more details on how to enter this giveaway! Good luck and don't forget to tell her I sent you! =)
<3
Monday, June 6, 2011
Purple
I felt a little purple today... So I decided to play with my 1st Edition BH Cosmetics Palette. I love this palette, it has so many pretty colors to choose from! Anyway, check out the picture below. Everything on my eyes are on the 1st Edition Palette, accept for my eye brows, top lid eyeliner and mascara.
<3
<3
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Mary Kay (review)
I’m always trying new products, or at least trying to try new products, if my wallet will let me. I was looking for some water/smudge proof items like mascara, eye liner and eye shadow. Mary Kay had these items I was looking for and I’ve always heard great reviews about the product line. But I was a little hesitant at first because water/smudge proof is kind of a big deal to me especially since I need these items for my Vegas trip at the end of July (you know what Vegas in July means right? Pool time!). I didn’t know how well any of this makeup will hold up. I mean would it wash off right away? Will my mascara run down my face and make me look like a hot mess? Will the mascara get all clumpy when I apply it? Would the eye shadow and eye liner smudge all over my face? Will the eye shadow even stay on? These questions were running through my mind like crazy! But, what better way to find out if these items truly are water/smudge proof like it says then to use them at the R.O.C. Race I had a few weeks ago.
Review:
First off, I was a participant in the R.O.C. (Ridiculous Obstacle Course) Race held in Del Mar on May 21st. Think Wipeout (the television show), but just not as intense. It was a lot cardio with obstacles, water and mud everywhere. The race was a blast though, loved it!
With that in mind, let me tell you, the make up actually held up pretty well.
As you all know, I always have to define my eye brows before I go anywhere, yes even for a race I felt the need to fill in my eye brows. I used the Mary Kay eyeliner in a Deep Brown, very easy to use and color was perfect. I also used the deep brown on my top and lower water lines. I added the Cream Eye Color in Apricot Twist all over my eye lid. Love, love, love this color. It’s kind of an orangey bronze sheer color which is what I was looking for. And of course I applied the waterproof mascara.
The eye liner didn’t smudge or run, which was amazing because if it did, my eyes and brows would have looked a little freakish, like Halloween freakish. The mascara definitely held up to its waterproof name and it wasn’t clumpy during application. The Cream Eye Color also did its job well, even though it’s a sheer color, it still stayed on and gave my eyes a bright bronze summer look. After my race, my face was still intact, nothing was washed off or running down my face and I definitely didn’t come out looking like a hot mess. Score!
What I loved best about these items were that they really did hold up very well. I loved the Apricot Twist color the most because I didn’t need a whole lot of eye makeup to brighten up my eyes. I could definitely use it as an everyday quick wear. The mascara was a triple score because I am very picky about my mascara. It was waterproof, smudge proof and it also lengthened my already long lashes. The eye liner was perfect, it didn’t smudge and the color was perfect. I would totally recommend these items to any of my friends willing to try them.
<3 Sammie
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Tropical - Blues, Green and Beige (tutorial)
Since summer is coming and the weather has been semi nice (I say that because the weather in Southern California has been pretty funky lately), I wanted to do a Tropical look with some blues, green and beige. It might be a little dark for some of you guys, but don't forget that I am really tan so I do opt to go a wee bit darker. I also like to use shimmery eye shadows because they work best with my skin tone. So check out below for a tutorial. Enjoy!
Step One:
I always have my eye brows defined in the first step, force of habit. Primer first, here I used E.L.F.'s Eyelid Primer. Then I went ahead and used the Beige/Goldish color and a Medium Blue color from my 1st Edition BH Cosmetics palette.
Step Two:
BLEND! This is where you blend your Beige and Blue colors. Once you're satisfied, add in the Green color and BLEND. Notice how I didn't cover up my Beige color? I went about 1/4 of the way from the inner corner of my eye and applied green all the way to the edge of my eye. You can also use your finger to blend. Again all of these colors are from my 1st Edition BH Cosmetics Palette.
Step Three:
Now, once you've blended your medium blue, green and beige, add a Darker shade of blue to the outer corner of your eye and blend about half way through your crease. Here I used more of a dark green blue color. Very pretty color, again from my 1st Edition BH Cosmetics palette.
Step Four:
Add your highlight color under your eye brows. Here I used Avon's mineral in Bronze Stone (I love this color, can't get enough of it, I always use it as my highlighter color). Then of course add your finishing touches, eye liner, mascara, then dust the underneath your lower water line with the same colors you used for the look. When I am using bright colors like this i try not to go overboard with thick eye liner because I want to showcase the colors. For my eye liner I used Mary Kay in Black (same for my eye brows) and my mascara I used L'Oreal's Volumnious in Carbon Black. Voila! You're done!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Picture Of the Day
So I know I haven't posted in a while, I've been busy trying to keep up with the Facebook Group and the Wordpress Blog. Anyway, I just wanted to share my POTD (picture of the day). I used mostly Eye Kandy Cosmetics to achieve this bronze summer look. I used their minerals in Sugar and Spice for my base and then used there Caramel for my countour. I also mixed Candy Corn and Black Bart and used that as an eye liner. For my lower water line and eye brows I used Mary Kay's eye liner in Dark Brown. Hope you like it!
<3
<3
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
"IT" Girl Search
So, I entered into the IT Girl search hosted by Refinery 29 Inc for Smashbox Cosmetics. I wish I would have seen the email earlier because then I would have entered in it earlier. Anyway the contest ends on May 25, 2011, but the finalists will be picked on May 10, 2011 and will be picked by the public. I hope that you all could go to IT Girl and vote for me, I'd really appreciate it. You will have to log into your Facebook in order to vote. So please hop on over and vote for me!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
500 Members Giveaway
As you all know I do have a Facebook group page, which is of course open to anyone and everyone, so please come and join us. We are at 500 members! We got there so quickly, it's amazing how much love and support I feel in that group. I just wanted to thank everyone who is in the group and who has also stayed in the group. Everyone is so helpful and knowledgeable, whether it's about makeup or hair. Anyway, to the point, because we have reached 500 members I am hosting a giveaway. Not just any giveaway, but a HUGE giveaway. Check out the details below.
I will be posting a picture of everything together once I get these products in.
I also try to make my giveaways fairly easy to enter. When I get in more products I will also be starting some contests such as makeup looks and what not. So if you have any suggestions on contests, please email me.
500 Members Giveaway Details
Dates: Ends May 30, 2011
What's in it?
Tons of fun stuff :-). But to be more precised, here's a list and description of what is in this awesome giveaway:
Haircare: Frederic FekkaiAdvance Brilliant Glossing Kit, 6 items total (Beauty Collection)
"Inspired by nature with its winning formula containing olive oil, Brilliant Glossing now features encapsulated technology that helps deliver even reflective shine from root to tip, and refreshes your shine as you comb your hair for brilliant hair throughout the day."
Makeup Brushes: Sigma Naughty in Black Travel Kit, 7 brushes total (Sigma Beauty)
" The Sigma Makeup travel kit Naughty in Black contains 7 essential brushes to achieve a flawless look on the go. Take Naughty in Black to your favorite travel destination or keep it in your purse for a quick touch-up during the day or a night out. All brushes are individually stored in a stylish black clutch equipped with a convenient pouch to carry all your must-have makeup items."
Makeup:
- BH Cosmetics 2nd Edition Palette (BHCosmetics)
"Sashay down the street in a glimmering color fantasy! You'll create that and so much more with the exciting Second Edition 120 Color Eye Shadow Palette. Every new shade is a tiny treasure just waiting for your vivid imagination. Explore beautiful sea foam greens and luminous pinks. Mix them with impossibly rich rubies and shimmery golds. One hundred and twenty dreamy, versatile colors feel light and lovely on your skin. They're double-stacked in an elegant, glossy, black 9" x 6" hard case."
- Shimmer Lip Gloss Collection, 5 lip glosses total (E.L.F.)
"Shimmer and shine with this dazzling assortment of Shimmer Glosses. Mix and match colors to create your own custom blended shade or pick your favorite individual color to reflect your personal style. The satin smooth formula glides on easily to instantly hydrate lips for a beautiful long-lasting shine."
Sun Safety: 5th Edition Sun Safety Kit, 11 products total (Sephora)
"Sephora and The Skin Cancer Foundation are proud to present the fifth edition of the Sun Safety Kit. One of Sephora's most popular sets, this year's mix includes past favorites and new products that we can't resist. The bonus tote bag is both travel and beach-friendly. You'll also get a Sun Safety Tip Card. It's everything you need for sun-safe fun this summer"
Gift Card: $25.00 (Sephora)
How to enter:
1.) "Like" our Beautiful Inside and Out Facebook Group. I will be posting this giveaway link on there daily. One like equals one entry.
2.) Subscribe to my blog, Beautiful Inside and Out. You will receive 5 one time entries. YOU MUST SUBSCRIBE to Beautiful Inside and Out AND comment on the 500 Members Giveaway to let me know that you have subscribed, or else your entry will not count! (If you are already subscribed, please just leave your name under the comment section. Also, if you do not wish to share your full name, just a first name and the initial of your last name is fine.)
3.) Become a follower on my blog through GFC (google friend connect), Breen Life. Please make sure you comment on the Breen Life 500 Member Giveaway (it's easier for me to track if it is commented on both blogs separately) with your GFC name and you'll receive 5 one time entries. For those of you who are already followers, you'll automatically be entered unless you email to let me know you decline being in this giveaway. If you don't comment on Breen Life's 500 Member Giveaway, your entry will not count!
4.) Share this giveaway on your blog and you'll receive 5 one time entries. If you do share this on your blog, please comment with a link back to your page on this giveaway to let me know that you have shared.
All of these items were purchased solely by myself. I will choose a winner via Random.org at the end of the giveaway date. When we have a winner, I will email that person and they will have 2 days to respond. If I don’t receive a response within 2 days I will choose a new winner. Once the winner has acknowledged and accepted their prize I will post it on our Facebook Page, Beautiful Inside and Out and on Breen Life.
**This giveaway is open to EVERYONE** If the winner is not from the U.S. Please allow 15-30 for shipping. If the winner is from the U.S. please allow 7-10 business days for shipping.
<3
I will be posting a picture of everything together once I get these products in.
I also try to make my giveaways fairly easy to enter. When I get in more products I will also be starting some contests such as makeup looks and what not. So if you have any suggestions on contests, please email me.
500 Members Giveaway Details
Dates: Ends May 30, 2011
What's in it?
Tons of fun stuff :-). But to be more precised, here's a list and description of what is in this awesome giveaway:
Haircare: Frederic FekkaiAdvance Brilliant Glossing Kit, 6 items total (Beauty Collection)
"Inspired by nature with its winning formula containing olive oil, Brilliant Glossing now features encapsulated technology that helps deliver even reflective shine from root to tip, and refreshes your shine as you comb your hair for brilliant hair throughout the day."
Makeup Brushes: Sigma Naughty in Black Travel Kit, 7 brushes total (Sigma Beauty)
" The Sigma Makeup travel kit Naughty in Black contains 7 essential brushes to achieve a flawless look on the go. Take Naughty in Black to your favorite travel destination or keep it in your purse for a quick touch-up during the day or a night out. All brushes are individually stored in a stylish black clutch equipped with a convenient pouch to carry all your must-have makeup items."
Makeup:
- BH Cosmetics 2nd Edition Palette (BHCosmetics)
"Sashay down the street in a glimmering color fantasy! You'll create that and so much more with the exciting Second Edition 120 Color Eye Shadow Palette. Every new shade is a tiny treasure just waiting for your vivid imagination. Explore beautiful sea foam greens and luminous pinks. Mix them with impossibly rich rubies and shimmery golds. One hundred and twenty dreamy, versatile colors feel light and lovely on your skin. They're double-stacked in an elegant, glossy, black 9" x 6" hard case."
- Shimmer Lip Gloss Collection, 5 lip glosses total (E.L.F.)
"Shimmer and shine with this dazzling assortment of Shimmer Glosses. Mix and match colors to create your own custom blended shade or pick your favorite individual color to reflect your personal style. The satin smooth formula glides on easily to instantly hydrate lips for a beautiful long-lasting shine."
Sun Safety: 5th Edition Sun Safety Kit, 11 products total (Sephora)
"Sephora and The Skin Cancer Foundation are proud to present the fifth edition of the Sun Safety Kit. One of Sephora's most popular sets, this year's mix includes past favorites and new products that we can't resist. The bonus tote bag is both travel and beach-friendly. You'll also get a Sun Safety Tip Card. It's everything you need for sun-safe fun this summer"
Gift Card: $25.00 (Sephora)
How to enter:
1.) "Like" our Beautiful Inside and Out Facebook Group. I will be posting this giveaway link on there daily. One like equals one entry.
2.) Subscribe to my blog, Beautiful Inside and Out. You will receive 5 one time entries. YOU MUST SUBSCRIBE to Beautiful Inside and Out AND comment on the 500 Members Giveaway to let me know that you have subscribed, or else your entry will not count! (If you are already subscribed, please just leave your name under the comment section. Also, if you do not wish to share your full name, just a first name and the initial of your last name is fine.)
3.) Become a follower on my blog through GFC (google friend connect), Breen Life. Please make sure you comment on the Breen Life 500 Member Giveaway (it's easier for me to track if it is commented on both blogs separately) with your GFC name and you'll receive 5 one time entries. For those of you who are already followers, you'll automatically be entered unless you email to let me know you decline being in this giveaway. If you don't comment on Breen Life's 500 Member Giveaway, your entry will not count!
4.) Share this giveaway on your blog and you'll receive 5 one time entries. If you do share this on your blog, please comment with a link back to your page on this giveaway to let me know that you have shared.
All of these items were purchased solely by myself. I will choose a winner via Random.org at the end of the giveaway date. When we have a winner, I will email that person and they will have 2 days to respond. If I don’t receive a response within 2 days I will choose a new winner. Once the winner has acknowledged and accepted their prize I will post it on our Facebook Page, Beautiful Inside and Out and on Breen Life.
**This giveaway is open to EVERYONE** If the winner is not from the U.S. Please allow 15-30 for shipping. If the winner is from the U.S. please allow 7-10 business days for shipping.
<3
Eye Kandy Winner
Hey all, I just wanted to thank everyone who participated in the Eye Kandy Giveaway! I had about 250 entrants. It was awesome. But we do have a winner and she has accepted! So congrats to Linda from Escondido. I hope you enjoy your goodies! Don't worry we have plenty of giveaways, just check out my giveaway page to see what else I have going on.
<3 Sammie
<3 Sammie
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Brown and Bronze Look
So I was a little bored today and my roommate asked me to do her makeup because she was going out for a friends birthday. Of course I said yes, I will take all of the practice I can get, even though some say I am already good at what I can do, I just love to play. Anyway, today I did a bronze gold color with a reddish brown color on her. She is a light skin complexion so any color would look fabulous on her.
It's kind of hard to see in the pictures, because my cell phone camera has been acting funky and was not focusing right so the pictures are a little blurry.
The products I used today were Avon's Smooth Mineral in Bronze Stone, I love this color by the way, it's nice and light and shimmery. The contour color I used was also Avon's Smooth Mineral in Russet Rock, this color is awesome, it's kind of a mix between a dark brown with a reddish clay color. Then I added MAC's pigment in a bronze golden color, I say this because I don't know what the actual name of the color is but it's very pretty and shiny. I also used Maybeline's Stiletto liquid eye liner for her top eyelid and Avon's Ultra Luxury eye liner for her top and bottom water lines. For mascara I used L'Oreal's Voluminous. Anyway, hope you like it!
<3 Sammie
It's kind of hard to see in the pictures, because my cell phone camera has been acting funky and was not focusing right so the pictures are a little blurry.
The products I used today were Avon's Smooth Mineral in Bronze Stone, I love this color by the way, it's nice and light and shimmery. The contour color I used was also Avon's Smooth Mineral in Russet Rock, this color is awesome, it's kind of a mix between a dark brown with a reddish clay color. Then I added MAC's pigment in a bronze golden color, I say this because I don't know what the actual name of the color is but it's very pretty and shiny. I also used Maybeline's Stiletto liquid eye liner for her top eyelid and Avon's Ultra Luxury eye liner for her top and bottom water lines. For mascara I used L'Oreal's Voluminous. Anyway, hope you like it!
<3 Sammie
500 Members
I have a Facebook Group page, Beautiful Inside and Out, which I am trying to get us to 500 members to do this incredibly huge giveaway! Our page has about 350 members right now, and I have been giving subtle hints about what will be in the giveaway. Once we hit 500 members, I will definitely post everything in the giveaway in detail. But for now, we need to reach 500 members. So please come and join us, we are open to everyone, men and women. Everyone in the group is so wonderful with helping each other answer questions on products or product advice and reviews. It’s such a great group and I am so thankful to have all 350 members in the group so far and I am hoping it will grow. Anyway, come check us out, if you have any questions for me please feel free to contact me, just click on the contact link above.
<3
<3
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Beauty Collection
I had a $10 gift certificate from Beauty Collection, and I ordered Smashbox's Photo Finish and an Under Eye Brightener. I haven't used these items yet, but cannot wait to. I just wanted to give my two cents about how easy my ordering process was. The website is very easy to use, and my package came fast! I cannot stress enough how well my items were packaged, they were fit snug into a box filled with little Styrofoam "peanuts" so nothing was broken or out of place. My order came within 5 days, and shipping is free with orders over $40, plus you get a free sample. My receipt came in this nice black pamphlet envelop with a free sample of Tekkai's Technician Color Care and a coupon for 10% off my next order (I love getting free samples and coupons!). They also have so many different awesome products, which I will try when I get the chance to browse through their website again. There's all sorts of makeup, skincare, haircare, mani & pedi, even items for men, and much more. They also have tons of giveaways if you follow their Facebook Page or Twitter, I mean who doesn't love giveaways? They also have a great Blog where you can get tips and information, someone is always there and ready to answer all of your questions. Overall, I love Beauty Collection and I am looking forward to ordering more products from them! Thank you for giving a great online shopping experience. So, on that note, don't forget to check out their Blog, Facebook and Twitter, just click on the links.
<3 Sammie
<3 Sammie
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Spring Look - Brown and Coral
So, I've been meaning to put up a tutorial on my Spring Look and I am finally getting to it. This is just an eye shadow tutorial and I will listing the products that I use as we go along. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy!
Step One: In this step I always have my eye brows filled in, force of habit I guess :-). Then PRIMER! Always use primer, it really helps the eye shadows to stick and not lose too much color. Another tip, I usually apply my eye shadow with a damp brush and pack it on because you will be blending and most of the time the blending will take away some color. Not to fret though because if your color needs more color, the solution is to add more if you need more.
Here I used E.L.F.'s eye lid primer, Avon's smooth mineral in Bronze Stone. For my eye brows I lightly used my Rimmel eye liner and then brushed it out with an angle brush so its not so "sharpie" looking.
Step Two: Add your contour color. Once you've added that BLEND. I seriously cannot stress enough that eye shadow MUST be blended. Blending helps give it a more natural look verses seeing someone's eyes done and you can tell where they totally did not blend. So please, take a blending brush or even your finger and blend. Trust me, you'll thank me later.
Here I used E.L.F.'s Studio Line in Coffee Bean, I love this dark brown color from E.L.F. Its really pretty and not too overwhelming especially for a spring look and its CHEAP.
Step Three: Once you've blended your brown and beige color together add a nice bright coral/orange color. And then, you know what to do, BLEND! In this step I actually took my pinky finger and just brushed the coral upwards into my brown. Seriously, using your finger works wonders, because it doesn't take away a lot of the color while your blending. Again, if you start to lose color, just add more and blend. Once you've blended the coral, add your highlighter color under your brows and BLEND downwards into your brown. I also added more of the Avon's Bronze Stone color to the inner corner of my eye.
Here I used MAC's pigment, I honesty don't know what the color is called but its a Coral color. For my highlighter I used E.L.F's Studio Line in Butter Cream.
Step Four: Usually I use a liquid eye liner to line my top eyes, but in this look I just used my Rimmel eye liner, then brushed it out just a tiny bit so its not so dark. Then I used my Eye Kandy Sprinkles Glitter and put it over my thinly lined eye liner. The Sprinkles Glitter colors I used were a mixture of Caramel Apple, Toffee and Ginger Snap. I love the glitter because it gives your eyes a bit of a pizazz. Also I used the Rimmel on both my top and lower water line. For my mascara I used L'Oreal's Voluminous in Carbon Black. I also added the eye shadows underneath my water line, going a third of the way with each color, don't forget to blend that as well. And VOILA you're done!
<3
Step One: In this step I always have my eye brows filled in, force of habit I guess :-). Then PRIMER! Always use primer, it really helps the eye shadows to stick and not lose too much color. Another tip, I usually apply my eye shadow with a damp brush and pack it on because you will be blending and most of the time the blending will take away some color. Not to fret though because if your color needs more color, the solution is to add more if you need more.
Here I used E.L.F.'s eye lid primer, Avon's smooth mineral in Bronze Stone. For my eye brows I lightly used my Rimmel eye liner and then brushed it out with an angle brush so its not so "sharpie" looking.
Step Two: Add your contour color. Once you've added that BLEND. I seriously cannot stress enough that eye shadow MUST be blended. Blending helps give it a more natural look verses seeing someone's eyes done and you can tell where they totally did not blend. So please, take a blending brush or even your finger and blend. Trust me, you'll thank me later.
Here I used E.L.F.'s Studio Line in Coffee Bean, I love this dark brown color from E.L.F. Its really pretty and not too overwhelming especially for a spring look and its CHEAP.
Step Three: Once you've blended your brown and beige color together add a nice bright coral/orange color. And then, you know what to do, BLEND! In this step I actually took my pinky finger and just brushed the coral upwards into my brown. Seriously, using your finger works wonders, because it doesn't take away a lot of the color while your blending. Again, if you start to lose color, just add more and blend. Once you've blended the coral, add your highlighter color under your brows and BLEND downwards into your brown. I also added more of the Avon's Bronze Stone color to the inner corner of my eye.
Here I used MAC's pigment, I honesty don't know what the color is called but its a Coral color. For my highlighter I used E.L.F's Studio Line in Butter Cream.
Step Four: Usually I use a liquid eye liner to line my top eyes, but in this look I just used my Rimmel eye liner, then brushed it out just a tiny bit so its not so dark. Then I used my Eye Kandy Sprinkles Glitter and put it over my thinly lined eye liner. The Sprinkles Glitter colors I used were a mixture of Caramel Apple, Toffee and Ginger Snap. I love the glitter because it gives your eyes a bit of a pizazz. Also I used the Rimmel on both my top and lower water line. For my mascara I used L'Oreal's Voluminous in Carbon Black. I also added the eye shadows underneath my water line, going a third of the way with each color, don't forget to blend that as well. And VOILA you're done!
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Weekend Looks
I know I need to put up more tutorials, I just haven't done it because it takes so much time trying to get the picture to take right on my Evo and having to cut and scale it down on Photoshop. So please bare with me I will try to get out as many tutorials as I can, especially now that spring is here. I have some great ideas on how to do spring colors on darker skin tones. Anyway, I do almost always take a picture of my eye shadow looks over the weekend so check them out. I'll probably start a "picture" page soon too so you guys can see all the different looks I like to do for fun or to go out in. These are only a few that I have on my Evo, I couldn't find my other pictures, but there will be more to come. Enjoy!
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4/16/2011 Purple with a Periwinkle Blue |
4/16/2011 Dark Purple with a Periwinkle Blue |
2/2011 Bronze Browns with Black |
2/2011 Bronze Browns with Black |
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Sigma - Miss Taylor Kabuki Brush Review
I recently did a giveaway sponsored by Sigma for their Miss Taylor Kabuki Brush. I finally got the chance to use it the other day. One word, fan-freaking-tastic! Ok, I know that's not a real word, but it's how I felt when I used the kabuki brush. I used it for my powder and blush applications, and I love it. The bristles are really soft, I didn't get any kind of irritation from the bristles, everything went on smoothly and the color of the case is beautiful, its a really bright shiny purple. It retracts really easy and is such a perfect size for its use and storage in my makeup bag. I totally recommend this brush to all of my friends and peers and I cannot wait to buy some new brushes from Sigma. Anyway check out the picture below, sorry if it's blurry, I am so not steady when it comes to taking pictures with my Evo.
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Monday, April 18, 2011
Excitement
I am so excited about my Eye Kandy Giveaway. I have almost 200 entrants and the contest is over on April 30th. I've also had a few followers add me, so this is all very exciting for me. The more page views and comments I get, it motivates me to do more giveaways and get some more products in and do tutorials. But, I have no clue what to do next for the next giveaway? I'll figure it out though. In the meantime thank you everyone for stopping by my page.
Please be on the look out for a spring and summer picture tutorial. I had some rave reviews on my coral eye shadow, so that will be next!
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Please be on the look out for a spring and summer picture tutorial. I had some rave reviews on my coral eye shadow, so that will be next!
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MIA
I know I have been MIA this past weekend. We had a family passing last week so I wasn't able to be on my computer much over the weekend. I may be MIA a little bit this week because my son is on Spring Break, yippy. Then this weekend I'll be at a funeral. So please bare with me on more tutorials. On another note, I hope everyone had a great weekend and up coming week!
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Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Brown with Blue and Purple
I know Spring is here and everyone is all about the bright and pretty spring colors. I love the bright colors, but since my skin tone is a little bit darker, I feel like I can't do the bold pops of corals and pinks. So what I did today was sort of stuck with my usual brown tones, but added a bit of blue and purple to give my normal everyday look some pizazz. Now, the blue and purple are darker, but they are pigments from MAC so they are super duper bright, but I love it. I am going to try to take you step by step through this picture tutorial. So hopefully you guys get the idea of the look, which is kind of like a Peacock but with out the greens. Maybe my next tutorial will be a true Peacock, so for this one we'll call it the Unique Peacock.
Step One: I always fill in my eyebrows because mine are so scarce. Once you have that done, primer, primer, primer. I cannot stress enough that primer is a must, especially with people with the darker skin tones like mine. Now if you have a white eye sick use it as your base because this will bring out the color more. (I don't have one). I started on the inner corner of my eye with a beige sparkly mineral from Avon, the color is Bronze Stone, which I love cause its so pretty.
Step Two: In this step I used my ELF studio line to contour my crease, the color is Coffee Bean. Notice how I didn't fill in the middle part of my eye lids because I'm saving that for the next step. It is okay to pack it on, because you will be blending it out. And of course if you need to add more color at anytime, please do so to keep the colors going.
Step Three: BLEND your browns. You can use a blending brush or even your finger. Finger you ask? Well I've learned that using your finger does not hurt at all. It actually works really well if you just take your fore finger and just kind of smudge your eye shadow back and forth and up and down. Or just use a blending brush and go from outer to inner back and forth. Add the Blue and Purple, in here I used MAC's pigments, I don't know the colors because I ordered these pigments on Ebay so I honestly do not know if they are even real MAC colors. But they work just the same. Anyway, once you have those colors on, blend again. Then once you've blended your eye shadows together, add your highlighter underneath your eye brows. I used ELF's studio line Butter Cream color. Love this color because its not too shimmery but it has a sheen to it, very pretty.
Step Four: Add your eye liner and mascara to your top lids. For my eye liner I used Maybeline's Stiletto in Blackest Black and my mascara I used L'Oreal's Voluminous in Caron Black. What I also did in this last step was use 4 of my Eye Kandy Glitters to put on top of my eye liner. I just mixed up the Hard Candy (blue), Tiny Tart (purple), Toffee (brownish color) and Black Bart (black). You don't have to add extra glitter to your eyes if you don't want to. Then line your water line on the bottom and top of your eyes, I used Rimmel's pencil in black. Next, take the same colors you used for you eye shadow and put them underneath your water line. and Voila you're done!
I know some of those steps were a bit long to read, but please bare with me until I get a video camera to start doing video tutorials. Thanks for reading!
<3
Step One: I always fill in my eyebrows because mine are so scarce. Once you have that done, primer, primer, primer. I cannot stress enough that primer is a must, especially with people with the darker skin tones like mine. Now if you have a white eye sick use it as your base because this will bring out the color more. (I don't have one). I started on the inner corner of my eye with a beige sparkly mineral from Avon, the color is Bronze Stone, which I love cause its so pretty.
Step Two: In this step I used my ELF studio line to contour my crease, the color is Coffee Bean. Notice how I didn't fill in the middle part of my eye lids because I'm saving that for the next step. It is okay to pack it on, because you will be blending it out. And of course if you need to add more color at anytime, please do so to keep the colors going.
Step Three: BLEND your browns. You can use a blending brush or even your finger. Finger you ask? Well I've learned that using your finger does not hurt at all. It actually works really well if you just take your fore finger and just kind of smudge your eye shadow back and forth and up and down. Or just use a blending brush and go from outer to inner back and forth. Add the Blue and Purple, in here I used MAC's pigments, I don't know the colors because I ordered these pigments on Ebay so I honestly do not know if they are even real MAC colors. But they work just the same. Anyway, once you have those colors on, blend again. Then once you've blended your eye shadows together, add your highlighter underneath your eye brows. I used ELF's studio line Butter Cream color. Love this color because its not too shimmery but it has a sheen to it, very pretty.
Step Four: Add your eye liner and mascara to your top lids. For my eye liner I used Maybeline's Stiletto in Blackest Black and my mascara I used L'Oreal's Voluminous in Caron Black. What I also did in this last step was use 4 of my Eye Kandy Glitters to put on top of my eye liner. I just mixed up the Hard Candy (blue), Tiny Tart (purple), Toffee (brownish color) and Black Bart (black). You don't have to add extra glitter to your eyes if you don't want to. Then line your water line on the bottom and top of your eyes, I used Rimmel's pencil in black. Next, take the same colors you used for you eye shadow and put them underneath your water line. and Voila you're done!
These are the items I used for this tutorial |
I know some of those steps were a bit long to read, but please bare with me until I get a video camera to start doing video tutorials. Thanks for reading!
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Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Eye Lash Extenoions - By Michelle
I have always been told how nice and long my eyelashes are and yes, they are REAL! So I've never had to invest into fake eyelashes or eyelash extensions. I know a lot of girls out there who have to and it looks great, I'm not knocking on those that need to wear the fakes or get the extensions. On that note, my cousin in law recently got her eyelashes done, and they look amazing! She didn't just get the regular black, which is still pretty awesome too, but she did a variety of colors! It's so pretty and I love it because I haven't seen anyone do the eyelash extensions with different colors. Looking at her pictures it makes me want to get some colors into my lashes just for fun. Anyway, her friend Michelle does them, so please check out her Facebook Page and see for yourself. Go to the info section of her page and check out the pricing list. She's located in San Diego, so all of you San Diegans go like her page! =)
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Nail Polish with an Eye Kandy Twist
I love nail polish! It totally gives my hand a little umph to it. Lately I have been wearing black, because black is my all time favorite color. I've tried so many different brands of nail polish, usually I grab whatever is cheap. Right now I am using this Kleancolor brand that my sister bought me, and let me tell you, it works pretty good. I use 2 coats and its perfect! I don't really use a base coat, I don't know why, but I just don't. For a top coat I've always used Salley Hansen's Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat. I love, love, love this top coat! It dries your nails so fast, and stays on for 1-2 weeks. I say 1-2 weeks because it really depends on what you do with your hands, for example, if your washing dishes a lot of course your nail polish will more than likely last you only about a week. Now, if you had acrylic over your nails and then put nail polish on, your nail polish will last you a good 3-4 weeks. I have the tools at home to do my own acrylic, but it just takes so long and I hate the smell of the nail liquid. I mean I love acrylic nails, I just don't have a whole lot of time to do them myself anymore, and I don't have the cash to keep up with them every two weeks or so at the nail salon. So for a more cheaper route, I chose nail polish.
Today I had a little bit of time to paint one hand and do an "Easter" Twist, as I call it. Of course I used black as my base color and then I added the Eye Kandy Sprinkles Glitter for a little bit of fun. You can do any design you want, I just went for diagonal lines, then add your clear top coat and Voila! Pretty sparkly and festive nails. I know I didn't do a perfect job, but it beats going to the salon and having to pay $2.00 extra for a design, not to mention the $20.00 manicure. Don't get me wrong I love going to the nail salon, but when you're out of time or cash, its funner and cheaper to do it yourself. Sorry if it's all messy, but you get the idea.Check it out below.
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Today I had a little bit of time to paint one hand and do an "Easter" Twist, as I call it. Of course I used black as my base color and then I added the Eye Kandy Sprinkles Glitter for a little bit of fun. You can do any design you want, I just went for diagonal lines, then add your clear top coat and Voila! Pretty sparkly and festive nails. I know I didn't do a perfect job, but it beats going to the salon and having to pay $2.00 extra for a design, not to mention the $20.00 manicure. Don't get me wrong I love going to the nail salon, but when you're out of time or cash, its funner and cheaper to do it yourself. Sorry if it's all messy, but you get the idea.Check it out below.
"Easter" Twist |
Sprinkles Glitter Colors:
Double Bubble - Pink
Tiny Tart - Purple
Green - Pixie Stick
Hard Candy - Blue
Eye Kandy Sprinkles Glitter, Liquid Sugar and Large Brush |
Love the Insta-Dri from Sally Hansen |
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