Sunday, April 29, 2007

Revisiting my Beauty Resolution

photo: Village Hotels
Back in January, I wrote a list of Beauty Resolutions. Smch... okay, I'm going to keep trying, but I did scratch off number 8 on my list!
(*Normally once you click a hyperlink, it automatically takes you to a post. With the new layout, it takes you to the homepage, you click on entries, then you will see the appropriate post.)

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Face Time: Mommy and me!


Here's my lovely, cooperative mommy. Yes, she's subjected to makeup too, over her morning coffee, LOL. Ummm, yes, a purple look. I have more purple than any other color in my collection. (Balloonancy Quad)




This is me trying a smokey purple look with one of my new fave colors, Twinks by MAC. I'm not feeling too sure about this, but again, I love the color (in the pot and on brown skin honeys)



This was my work face. Of course this would show nothing special, but I wanted to include it anyway =)... Honeylust shadow on my inner corner, shimmermoss out outer-lid with Shade fluidline liner. Cork e/s in my eyebrows.



And this little gorgeous guy is my BabyYum... wearing nothing but 3 y/o silliness of course =)

omigosh..i'm in lust

Roll Top Beauty Tote, $60
At this price, it's not lust at all.. When I saw this at Sephora, I knew I had to have it. This is what my purse really should look like (yikes.) Where am I toting this much makeup? I don't know, but my at home stash won't fit in this.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Women's Health Magazine



Check out Women's Health Magazine this month for nifty fragrances in your not-so-traditional packaging. (I personally have and love my CK Euphoria gel in a pump.) Also, check out in this month's issue how to care for your skin... shield it from the damaging particles from our environment.

Happy reading ladies!

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

FOTD: The Real Pandamonium Quad

Here's the look I did when I went out for a friend's bday party over the weekend. I followed a tutorial. Before I posted a purple look*, anticipating the Pandamonium quad from MAC. Here is the real deal!



Face- prep and prime face, black opal blotting powder, satin mineralize skin finish foundation, revlon skinlights loose powder, harmony blush and pearl sunshine beauty powder

Eyes- concealers nc30 and nw30, pandamonium quad, nyc black liner, cork e/s in brows, covergirl lash exact... didn't have time for the lashes I bought =( )

Lips- eaten off festivity l/s

Fragrance- YSL Young Sexy Lovely

Because it was a party, drinks: keylime martini and the eritrean samtini--this my friends is my new party mixer =)

(*Normally once you click a hyperlink, it automatically takes you to a post. With the new layout, it takes you to the homepage, you click on entries, then you will see the appropriate post.

*please pay no attention to the dead neck and chest, yikes!)


Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Sally Hansen Spray Hair Removal

Summer is approaching and it's all about glamorous skin! Want glowing legs to go along with glowing shoulders and sun-rich skin? Start with a new hair remover. Try Salley Hanson's Spray-Off Hair Remover!



"Just Spray & Wipe Unwanted Hair Away
Gentle Enough for Delicate Skin
For Legs, Arms and Bikini area
Works in 4 Minutes
Vitamin E, Chamomile and Aloe Moisturize Leaving Skin Soft and Smooth
Results Last Days Longer than Shaving
No Nicks, Cuts or Razor Burn
Reduces the Appearance of Hair Regrowth
Dermatologist Tested - Salon Tested "- Sally Hanson

I'm up to trying the spray, since I hate having that cream get everywhere, legs out of the tub...
Have you tried it? Would you recommend it? Tell me what you think!

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

confessions of 'me time'







(photo:pbs.org)

Here's another confession, since I realized my last confession* is totally normal amongst makeup junkies: I'm confessing about my 'me time.' Ah finally! Some me time! How do I spend the quiet moments without BabyYum and the daily stresses of life? I kick back with fruit and raw cookie dough (coconut macaroon) and watch some YouTube makeup tutorials... I don't know if that's a good or bad thing-- ok obviously the macaroons are bad, bad, bad, but what the hell!

I love most of YouTube's makeup tutorials, because they are by real people using products that are accessible to me. The latest videos I've watched are from a user named xsparkage. She's fun, a non-perfectionist and likes spunky makeup! Her dialogue and instructions are easy going and aren't loaded with a bunch of intimidating MUA jargon... she just shows us how to do it!

Miss Xsparkage has introduced me to a few new items that are going on my forever growing 'must have' list:



  • MAC brush #217- pencil brush for lining, and getting in small areas like the inner corner

  • MAC brush #219- a fat rounded shader/blender brush that helps with blending of color and highlighting of the brow. I think my favorite brush* right now is comparable, but I shall compare!

  • I must break down and buy a mixing medium (or make some with glycerin and water) if I want to continue to purchase pigments. It will help the color payoff.

I think the cookie dough is giving me heartburn =p Off to bed!



*To access linked articles that are on my site, click the 'entries' tab on my home page located on the navigation menu, left side. You will then see the linked article.

"Put Your Freakum' Dress On!"

That Beyonce' song is my jam, but I'm usually in a jam when going out and don't have anything to wear. What do I wear when I want to be grown and sexy? Here are a few...

Monday, April 16, 2007

i'm going green!

I'm going green with Green Tea ,that is, for my soul!

This past Saturday, I enjoyed the company of friends and the live music of Green Tea and the Soul Food Band at the Artmosphere Digital Cafe in Mt. Ranier, MD. What a time we had! The live band set the atmosphere right in the cafe and art gallery venue. I love Green Tea, a great friend of mine, that shares her stories of love and relationships and most importantly she stresses the message of loving yourself. She is a poet, singer and great story teller hailing from my neighborhood and the illustrious city of DC. We rocked to her music and vibed to a positive experience.



We not only had a great time, but one handsome guy in particular new that that night after the show, was the right mood and time to propose to his girlfriend. What an ending to a night of love! If you'd like to go green, in the music sense of that statement, check out Green Tea on myspace where you can check out her calendar and her music. Her CD is available for purchase now! Go ahead, have a cup of Green Tea.

I know that Green Tea is a fellow makeup junkie (I can't sing, what else would we have in common?? j/k), so she would appreciate this. If you'd literally like to be green beautifully and help save our earth, here are some environment friendly products for you:


*Nubar nail polish - organic nail polish (pictured in Sexy Red)

*Plant Love Botanical Lipstick by Cargo- shine and color in a biodegradable tube, but also plant the box for some spring flowers! Portions of the proceeds benefits St. Jude's Research Hospital.



For more organic beauty products and reviews, check out The Organic Beauty Expert.. tell her Yummy411 sent ya!

Scratching my head...


Was anyone else shocked to see Mikki Taylor on Charm School?

I didn't intend to watch, but other household members were curious... so I stuck around to view. It's a little Flavor of Love and a little ANTM. I think Mo'Nique wants to keep it Oprah/Tyra, but the girls are so uncouth, it makes the show a bit unbearable. I was all too surprised to see Mikki Taylor, Essence magazine's beauty editor a part of the crew. She's full of style and grace, but its nothing graceful about being with those girls. In an Essence.com article, she tells Cori Murray about being a part of the show. She tells us that everyone has given up on Flavor of Love girls, but they are there to give them guidance. I hadn't planned to watch, but seeing her on there has changed my mind if I can take watching those floozies. I'd like to see if they give the show a more sophisticated spin or will we see what I expect: that it's all about the money! LOL!

Umm?

The update on the film contest with contestant Kiri Davis.

Friday, April 13, 2007

ooh lala


Leroy Jenkins (urban fashion designer) paired with Royal Elastics for a Fall 2007 release. Ugly funky... I like!

This is my current shoe that I'm wearing to death =p Nike Whirl Shox

Thursday, April 12, 2007

May Issue of Glamour Highlights

My Glamour finally came a little while ago. It's such a peeve of mine to see mags on the newsstands before I get mine in the mail. Anyhow, I got the mag and it's a pretty decent issue. Kate Beckinsale is on the cover looking young, fresh and all-American. The mag makes me yearn for summer.

Here are some highlights:
*Great swimsuit choices for all body types... and they show real bodies..120lb bodies-200 lbs bodies! Glamour rocks for keeping it real! (swimsuit special pgs. 110-120)


gap.com


Tommy Hilfiger



*Along with the fun in the sun looks, they advise readers of the dangers of the sun and the importance of SPF. Sun burns contribute to skin cancer. (skin cancer handbook pgs. 129-146)



*Body by Glamour- cool tips on eating healthy and making it a lifestyle. A body toning routine and a month's worth of food planning. Best tip: Keep a food journal.. not in a pad, but take pics of what you're eating with your cell phone! You'd think I would have thought of this... lol (body by glamour pgs. 153-163)



*A great autism story, since we're upon autism awareness month (life & happiness- open diary, pg. 196)



*Fragrance guide! With some suggestions that may surprise you and some that I definitely want to try like YSL's Young Sexy Lovely (pgs. 282-285)




*The Glamour global diaries is always a must read as Mariane Pearl tells stories of amazing women as she globe trots.. this time going to Uganda and experiencing the AIDS epidemic. (pgs. 230-234)
*Coupon to finally try Revlon's makeup eraser pen! I've definitely been curious..




Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Eyeliner Help..

Apple Diva asked for some eyeliner help. Yummy411 has got some basic tips for you!

Start out with a sharpened pencil. We have options of eye pencils/kohls (pencils), technakohl liners (various names for various companies; pencils that don't need to be sharpened), liquid liners, and gel based liners. Pencils are easiest to use, so we'll start with that. My picks: MAC eye kohl liner in Teddy or Prunella, N.Y.C. liner in Black, or Lancome's Design Color Duo Pencil in Posh Purple. Keep your pencil as close to the lash line as possible, starting from inner corner to outer corner. This isn't law, but whatever works for you.


It should look like this:


Did your line turn out like this instead?:


Don't worry.. it takes practice, but until you get a good straight line, you can take a smugde stick, cotton swab or the shadow applicator that comes with a lot of drugstore cosmetics and go over the line, like this:


Here's what both look like:
(My left eye is straight pencil and my right is smudged out.)


Putting on liner seals and neatens eyeshadow. Using different colors accentuates the eyes and compliments shadow colors. The smudged out liner, is part of the steps to creating smokey eyes!

Now, we are going to line the bottom of the eye. This time with a gel based liner. My choice MAC Fluidline Liner. To do this, I'm using my trusty, flat brush on my two sided eyebrow brush.
Don't laugh at the busted comb side. This is my friend and I use it frequently! Hush! I'm getting my nails done soon too! lol



I dip the brush in the potted color and go from inside to outside corner, more or less brushing my bottom hairline. A lot of people get a clean, sleek look by putting the color on the waterline (the part of the lower lid that is wet) but that's pretty serious and should only be done with a lot of practice. I won't do it here, but this fluidline is a good coating on the waterline. You'll find that a lot of liners just rub off because it's wet there. There are other brushes that can give an even better effect like MAC's #209 brush*, but we can upgrade when we get really good at this. (*sigh* I have to add brush #209 to my wish list. My double sided eyebrow brush is better for the upper lid than the lower lid.)
Here's what we have:




To clean up down there, I used my smudge stick. Even in my efforts not to hit my waterline, I still managed to get more closer to it on my left eye than the right. Tip: Dip brush light handedly and then add as needed. Also, when I'm doing my makeup, I use liner before mascara as to not mess up my lash work =)




Practice, practice, practice! Some people prefer just to line the lower lid, some only line the upper lid (like me.) I usually do all around when going out for a more sultry look. Have fun! Hope this helped and let me know what you used and what you did..... =)

*Please don't think that I feel MAC is be all, end all. I just love their products and can think /refer to their products a little easier. There are all different products for your needs in different places.

KEEP VOTING!

You guys are getting the word around and are really voting for Kiri Davis in the Cosmo Girl's Film Makers Contest! I'm so excited... she's pulled up a bit in the lineup. Keep voting! You can vote once per day until Friday, April 13th @ 12pm EST.

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Beauty Inspirations/Balloonancy


I love the new look that Christina Ricci has... grown, sexy and sultry. Reminds me of another star that's found her grown and sexy look... Christina Aguilera with that old time glamour.

I think Beyonce was inspired by another recent look being promoted in the media and beauty world...
I love the look!
Now here is Rihanna with purple eyes and nude mouth. Definitely inspired me to do my Balloonancy face. For a while now, I've been wanting to buy a purple palette from MAC with some of my fave purple shadows such as Stars and Rockets, but with the release of all the latest collections I put the palette on the back burner. Becoming more and more of a Milani fan and realizing that they make some of the same colors are comparable to those sold behind the counter, I picked up the Wild Violets quad to add to my recently purchased Viz-a-violet pigment from a MAC haul. (I initially wanted the Balloonancy quad, now I'm thinking of buying it again because the matte purple is immaculate.) Rihanna looks as if she's wearing the viz-a-violet pigment.
Here's me:
Eyes: concealer, Milani quad, mothbrown e/s and NYC black liner. Cover Girl VolumeExact mascara.
Brows: I picked up the Fantasy brow liner and gel from Revlon (it worked great for Jill)...don't like the liner. It's too dark for me. The gel ehhh... maybe i'll use it with my regular liner... or RETURN! LOL
Cheeks: Harmony blush ... ah fab!
Lips: Festivity l/s and Pas-de-deux l/g (MAC)
Nails: had to show my Vin Goth polish.. er before I get my nails redone =)