Alpha Delta Pi Formal

At the time of this post, I am a senior in college, I have been in Alpha Delta Pi sorority for four years, but have never been to formal.  That's changing tonight.  For once, there isn't something else that was scheduled first, and I refuse to let tiredness hinder my good time tonight!  Of course, I will be sporting a more glamorous look tonight.  My full look is very 1940s classy with a dash of 1920s fun!

Primer:  Smashbox Photo Finish

Foundation:  Makeup Forever HD in 115

Concealer: Tarte Dark Circle Defense Undereye Concealer in Light/Medium

Cheeks:  Urban Decay Cream Highlight in Wicked

Powder:  Makeup Forever HD Powder
Eyebrows:  Anastasia Brow Whiz in Medium Ash

Eye shadows:  Urban Decay Sin and Buck (Naked Palette)

Waterline Eyeliner:  Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy in Black

Gel Liner:  Femme Couture in black

Mascara:  Rimmel Lash Accelerator, Makeup Forever Smokey Lash, Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara (all black)

Lipstick:  Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte in 18 Red Taboo

All the brushes I used are from the line Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman, which I will be reviewing soon, after I've used the brushes a few more times.

I channeled my inner princess today.  Everyone should at some point in time.

-M

For Those Who Like to Experiment and Swap

Hello, darling readers!  I have two beauty tools for those who like testing out new products.  The first tool costs a bit of money, but it is well worth it.  The second is free to join, but depending on how you work with it, you could spend a lot of money on your own projects.

The first tool is New Beauty's Test Tube http://testtube.newbeauty.com/, which is an amazing thing for sampling.  Its name is perfect for it is a big tube filled with deluxe sample sizes (most products last about a month) of different beauty products ranging from makeup to skincare to hair.  Along with this tube, you get a copy of that month's New Beauty full of reviews and tips for all-around beauty, a $20 gift card to Spa Look, and sometimes a special seasonal magazine.  The tube is sent four times a year, $29.95 for each tube, sent automatically until you unsubscribe.  The cost seems like a lot, but I think it is worth it if you actually sample the items.  A lot of the items are high-end, so I treat the samples like a special treat for my skin because I use drugstore to mid-price items.  Some of the samples do make me feel more pampered, others show no difference from my own toiletries, and some I automatically swap on Makeup Alley, the other beauty tool I'll be talking about.  I swap the anti-aging items because I don't need them right now.  I know that some beauty "gurus" say to prevent wrinkles with anti-aging stuff, but I talked to a dermatologist at home and he said that anti-aging products either do nothing or get your skin so used to the ingredients, they don't work when you eventually get wrinkles.  I'll prevent wrinkles with sunscreen, thanks.  Back on subject, if your are interested in sampling a lot of products to pamper yourself, this could be a good purchase.

The other beauty tool I started using that I love is Makeup Alley http://www.makeupalley.com/, a site where you can list your unwanted cosmetic, hair, and skincare items to swap with other members for their items.  It is a free service- you just have to sign up and list your items.  I've had some really great swaps from this site...and some that were less than fair.  Most have been amazing, though.  The way a swap goes down is either you see an item on someone's list that you would like and you send a message expressing interest.  If the other person responds with what they would swap the item for, you can negotiate, assuming they give you options.  If they give you only one option, you determine whether it is a fair swap.  Once you determine a fair swap, you exchange addresses and send your item and they send theirs.  You are expected to ship promptly or at least say when you will if you won't ship that day or the next.  The community is friendly and understanding if you cannot swap at that time or if you are delayed.  Just let the person know you forgot or ran out of time and let them know when you DO send.

When you are new, most of the time you will be asked to ship first.  You don't have a reputation yet, so you have to prove you are trustworthy.  You earn the community's trust through the distribution of swap tokens and comments.  The more positive tokens you have, the more trusted you are and you won't have the burden of shipping first.  If you get any neutral or negative tokens, explain the situation if you know you are at fault.  If you are not at fault and the person is just trying to smear your name, report them and leave a comment on their token, exposing them as a liar.  Some people label them as "swaplifters," a label usually reserved for those who do not send their end of the swap.  For either of those people, those who just award negative tokens  for no reason and those who essentially steal your items, report them and inform everyone on the forums.  If they are reported multiple times, they will be kicked off the site.  If you report them, they will be off that much quicker.

Even though that last bit makes Makeup Alley sound sketchy, I can assure you, there are very few people like that on the site.  I've only had one person who has not swapped back and no negative token-aholics.  I've had 40 swaps this year that have been amazing and I've gotten to try some new items and replenish my supply of favorite items without spending more money, just by swapping some of my unwanted makeup for it.  I highly recommend this to everyone who owns makeup.  It has been very useful and beneficial to me and many others.

If you have any questions regarding these tools, shoot me a message.  I'd be happy to go into more details with these websites.

Stay beautiful and have a lovely Easter!


-M

Quick Tip: Eye Shadow

While working on some Lady Gaga looks for my friends going to a concert, I thought of a quick tip for you all.  If you have an eyeshadow that seems to have little payoff (it doesn't show up, looks paler, etc.), try applying it wet.  A little water, eye drops, mixing medium can make all the difference in the color.  There are different ways to apply eye shadow this way; just use the technique that you feel most comfortable using.

1. Moisten your brush with water or whatever you're using and dip it in the eyeshadow.  Tap off the excess and apply.
2. Put a drop of your liquid on the eyeshadow, run your brush over it, and apply.
3. Put the eyeshadow on, it doesn't have to be neat, then moisten the brush and go over the shadow.
4. (My favorite) Scrape a little eyeshadow out on a plate, mixing tray, or something similar and put in enough drops of water to mix to the perfect consistency.  (2-3 drops, give or take.)

The only drawback to this trick is that it takes a little longer to set than dry eyeshadow, so you have to keep your eyes closed until the shadow has dried.  I say it's fully worth it because the color payoff is intense and lovely and it lasts!

This is not a trick for all eye shadows.  Some don't do well when mixed with liquid, so test this out before you attempt to work it into a look.  Eyeshadows that will always work wet are baked eye shadows.  Most usually have a statement on the packaging that it can be used wet or dry.  Any eye shadows that don't have this statement might or might not work, so you have to test it out first.

This trick can also be used on some blushes, so if you have a blush that doesn't seem to give you any color, try applying it with a little bit of water.

I hope at least some of you find this tip useful or at least fun to try.  I love knowing that I can transform my eyeshadow color with just a drop of water.

Stay beautiful, whether you're subtle or intense.

-M

Quick Tip: When to Set Your Makeup (a.k.a.: Learn Something New Every Day)

I have seen on different videos different times to put powder on one's foundation to set it.  I followed the Chapman Sisters' (Youtube's Pixiwoo) lead by powdering as the very last step.  To me, it was just a finishing touch, tying together every step done on the face.  Now I know the reasons concerning why they insist on applying powder last:  1.) foundation will cake up if powdered too quickly and 2.) powder will diffuse any harsh lines from blush or bronzer and blend the color(s) into your skin, creating a natural finish.


I love learning new techniques and the reasons behind them!  If you ever learn one, please let me know; I'm always up for trying new approaches in makeup.

Color Correctors II: Taking Care of Dark Circles

As a student who loves makeup, color correctors have been an amazing find.  This one is the trickiest to work, but once you find what works for you, you'll never want to let it go.

Color correctors for under the eyes can vary.  They come in the following colors:  Yellow, peach, and salmon.  Again, you will have to test them to see which color works best for you.  I'm more of a peach/salmon user.  (You'd think with my yellow corrector for red skin would pull a double duty...)  There are also different formulas:  liquid, cream, and mineral powder.  If you have very dry under eyes, I would suggest liquid or very thin cream because they won't drag like a thicker cream or patch up like a mineral powder.  Lucky balanced-skin people can use whatever texture they like best- no matter what, the formula will more than likely work for you.  If you have oily under eyes (The oil is more from different areas of your skin because there are no functioning oil glands on the under eye skin.), a liquid or cream would work best.

I have several recommendations in different cost areas.

• Physician's Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Correcting Concealer (Liquid)
• It's a 1-2-3 step liquid concealing system
• Correct with the yellow
• Conceal with the Skintone color (sadly, only available in light and medium)
• Highlight with the pink

I tried this out and loved the formula, but the corrector was not the type for my skin.  I love the highlighter, though.  It has been quite useful.

• Tarte Dark Circle Defense Natural Under Eye Corrector in Light-Medium
• It's a cream concealer, not extremely thick.
• This is more of a true concealer, but it has exaggerated undertones in pink and yellow

This is my favorite concealer right now.  It brightened my eyes up for ADPi's formal and it did not budge or crease, which can be a problem with people who have oily skin.

• Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy Fast Fix Concealer in All-Over Brightener
• It is a pinkish cream to just brighten up dark circles.  
• Use it under your regular concealer...
• ...or on its own, unlike the other color correctors.

I use this every now and again to perk up my eyes when I don't have a lot of time to conceal and whatnot.  It brightens up the under eye just enough.  One big tip:  Only dab a little bit on your dark circles.  It is so easy to use too much of this product and you will look like you have pink circles under your eyes.

Color correctors are a great step in makeup because it eliminates the need to cake on tons of makeup just to cover one little bit on your face.  The fewer layers of makeup needed, the better.  I hope you all found this useful.  Have fun hunting for your perfect corrective color!

-M

Color Correctors I: Counteract Redness

Hello lovely people!  Hope you all are doing well.  If you are like me, you are looking for ways to use less makeup on your face to make your skin look its best.  In a previous post, I stress the importance of cleansing and moisturizing, but there are some things that cleansing cannot help.  There are discolorations in every type of skin.  Some people have redness, some have dark under eye circles, and some have areas that need to be brightened.

I hope you're not having too hellish of a time with allergies like I am.  While your main focus should be clearing the snot out of your nose and not coughing yourself into oblivion, I have a makeup tip to help with the redness your nose will develop in this time.  This way, if you have an important event to go to, like an interview, you will look pulled together and not under the weather.  If you have redness, use a green or yellow color correcting base, concealer, or powder.  I personally use yellow because green makes the red areas on my face too dark.  Just experiment and figure out what looks good on you and what formula works best for you.

I have mild rosacea, which means my skin- my cheeks, to be more specific- turn red easily, especially in harsh weather conditions, and stay that way for a long time.  This sometimes eliminates my need for blush, but other times, it is too spread out and I need to get rid of the redness.  For those times, I reach for my yellow color correcting powder.  I am really loving the one from Sally Hansen and Carmindy.  It works really well, it doesn't cost too-too much (drugstore item), and a little goes a long way so the product lasts a long time.


I hope this helps those of you with an overabundance of redness.  Next post, I will talk about correctors for dark under-eye circles.  If you would like to learn more regarding the application of the correctors or recommendations, leave a comment or shoot me a message on Facebook.

Stay beautiful and don't let allergies get you down!

-M

P.S.

Leave comments as to what you would like to see on this blog.  I have a few step-by-step looks in my mind, but I'd like to know what looks/techniques you all are wanting to learn or try.  I'm open to any and all suggestions.

Quick Tip: Make High-End Products Last Longer

I love my skincare products.  They usually keep my skin in top form (Nothing is going to clear my skin in times of hormones and stress!) and all of them are high-end because I am trying to eliminate sulfates and parabens from my skincare and not many drugstore items are free of both.  Here's the thing, my skincare products last me from three to five months!  How is this possible because high-end products come in small bottles and jars?  Simple trick: emulsifying the products.

Most high-end cleansers and creams are super-concentrated; a tiny dab is all you need.  For cleansers, use an amount that is about half the size of a dime, rub between your fingertips and apply to a very wet face.  This will help the cleanser lather up and spread across your face, cleansing it all with just that one dab.  For moisturizers, it is a similar process.  Get a dime-sized amount and rub it between your fingers a couple of times and apply it to your face.  If you don't use a toner, use even less moisturizer while your face is still damp.

This is not to say that this cannot be used on cheaper products, but most are not as concentrated as higher-end products.  It is worth a try, though.  With this tip in mind, you can feel pampered for longer and you can really make your Sephora samples last.

Keep it beautiful and remember that less is more!

-M

Hello! (Again for some of you...)

Hello everyone!  For those who do not know, I had another account with Blogger under the same name, but it was giving me tons of trouble after I changed an email address in my account, so in a fit of rage and frustration, I deleted the account and decided to start fresh.  If you were a follower of mine before, please follow me here!  Also, if there was a tip or a product that you liked on my old blog, let me know and I will gladly re-write the post. 

To those who have never seen my blog, I am a makeup enthusiast who wants to share the information and tips I have learned through the years in hopes that someone else picks up on the information.  I am big on paying it forward.  I will never call myself a makeup artist because I am not a makeup artist.  I have not gone through the proper training, I don't do it for a living and I will fully admit, I make too many mistakes to be a true makeup artist. 

I believe that makeup should be used in two ways:  to enhance the beauty that one already has and to create a new persona whenever one feels like it.   New persona?  What are you talking about?  I'm talking about how one acts differently when they use makeup for different occasions.  For instance, I feel like an oh-so glamorous movie star when I put on my favorite red lipstick.  When I make a smoky eye, I feel really sexy.  Get it?  What makeup makes you feel like a different person?

This blog will be dedicated to passing along beauty information so everyone can be their most confident and beautiful.  By no means do I mean to say that everyone should cake on the makeup.  I believe that everyone is naturally beautiful, but if you feel like covering up your blemishes will make you feel more confident, I won't stop you.  I will however, give you advice on how to cover said blemishes so you use very little product so your natural beauty will shine through. 

Please give me feedback and suggestions! 


Stay beautiful, everyone!

-M