Yummy411: Queen Latifah and CoverGirl's Online Contest

Queen Latifah and CoverGirl are at it again! With such a great response from last year's Every Woman is a Queen contest, they are teaming up to do it again this year! This year's contest is a little different. To enter, you don't have to travel to a city that's no where near you because it will all be conducted online! That's right!

Queen Latifah is looking for everyday women of color, ages 18-48, to appear in an advertisement for the CoverGirl Queen Collection. Those wishing to be considered can log on to http://www.everywomanisaqueen.com/ to submit an entry from January 10th - 31st. All who enter will be required to submit a photo and a brief statement about why they feel that they too are a “Queen.” Queen Latifah will judge the online search and will select up to 5 winners to appear in a CoverGirl Queen Collection advertisement that will be featured in the June issue of Ebony magazine.

Last year, the fabulous ads were promoting the Natural Hue cream foundation from the Queen Collection. You all know how much I raved about that! This year? Wonderful lipsticks- Vibrant Hue Shine and Vibrant Hue Color! Vibrant Hue Shine gives lips a natural, high-gloss look. Virtually a gloss in stick form. Vibrant Hue Color offers rich, luxuriously creamy shades that last.

I got to check them out for myself!

Vibrant Hue Shine in Shiny CoCoa Bean and Shiny Sherry Shine

Swatches

Vibrant Hue Color in Bordeaux and Cherrylicious

Swatches

I'm more of the Vibrant Hue Color type of girl because I need color that packs a good punch! When using these, I would be sure to prime lips with moisturizer, concealer, lip primer, or whatever product you choose. The pigments may settle in fine lines, so give it a good canvas. Even though the Vibrant Hue Color lipsticks appear to be a touch matte, they are designed to lock in moisture by being infused with vitamins A and E and different emollients to keep your lips tender. Available in 12 rich shades. I can't wait to peek at the other colors available.

If you are more of the Vibrant Hue Shine type of girl, this lipstick may just be the formula for you. It's formulated with high shine properties to hold color and not disappear (or alter color); shiny brown should stay shiny brown. This lipstick offers 9 high shine shades.

I've been pleasantly pleased with the Queen collection line thus far and these additions keep up with the standard.

Give these babies a whirl, retailing at $5.99 a pop.

SMASHBOX: TIGHTLINING AND BLENDING

Hello All!
So you all know that I love YouTube videos for tutorials. YouTube isn't the only place I visit for some ideas and help. Check MySpace for some hot tuts and How-To's. I subscribe to Smashbox's blog. Here is a video on tightlining and lush lashes.

This video not only illustrates tightlining, but also dispels the mystery about blending in the crease! Watch!


Tips:
Tightlining- it was a little hard to see what the artist Hank was doing because of the limited space and lighting, but the purpose of tightlining is to give the appearance of a clean, but super thick bed of lashes. Whether you are using a brush like in the video or your pencil, you are drawing a line at the base of the lashes. Your target is the base, but inevitably you will be making your line through and on your lashes. It is important to do this before your mascara. This technique is done from the top or it may even be easier for you (doing it on yourself) to go under the lashes. Pull up your lid a little and get to the base of those lashes.... try it!
Blending- try blending as Hank did, but before going to high on the brow bone, practice it out and see what you think. Knowing your eye shape/type and the look you are going for will help in this process. Sometimes you don't get to that point until AFTER practicing this a few times.

Yummy glam!

msn style studio

Check out MSN's style studio for insiders tips on how to get the look of the stars, how to apply lashes (Apple Diva this is for you) and much more. It's so cute and fun!

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.

Weekend Wrap-up October 20-22, 2006

This weekend, I had a long, awaited date with Sephora. I needed to check out the new holiday gift sets in person. I have been adoring 4+ sets in cyberspace. Out of them all, the Stila Perfectly Kitten set caught my eye as the set to have, but I decided against it.
Cute bag, great all over shimmer, a dazzling pink champagne gloss, a smashing fall shadow for a great price of $42 with a $55 value; but I either own substitutes of these items or can buy from other collections. The lipgloss is a great shade, but you can use a number of different alternatives: MAC's Nymphette lipglass or even Nars' Orgasm gloss.
I am absolutely in love with all over face illuminator and the Kitten set includes a great illuminator that isn't yet sold alone. This fascination set me on another hour long journey in the quest to find all over face illuminators. This time I was searching for less glittery, more pearlescent potions. My all time favorite for an all over glow, bronze is Smashbox's artificial light, but may be out of season. It's fall and I don't want to always appear to be straight from Miami beach. Benefit does a good one, but I was concerned that it may be better suited for fair skin. However, I don't own MAC's strobe cream, which I will treat myself to for the holidays.
My concerns of dark under eye circles lead me to Benefits Lemon-Aid. This is a handy product from the Faking It collection, a formula to lessen redness on the lids. I bought it to use all around my eye, even for my dark circles. It doesn't brighten my circles as much as maybe a concealer, but its smoother and more blendable than other remedies. I also bought the IT concealer pencil. I'm new to using Benefit products... I may have to trade it for their Eye Brightner pencil, which I learned is for the corner of your eyes (Also, this can be achieved with a nice shadow.) Now, I didn't see the Realness of Concealness while I was at Sephora, but I might need to revisit the cosmetic heaven.

I was able to smell Sexy Little Things by Victoria's Secret. The fragrance comes in a box that whistles at it's receiver! I bought the scent in the pocket size with the roller ball applicator. I love their new line of perfume and cosmetics. Great stocking stuffers.
I was caught in the advertising frenzy at Macy's and needed to get away from fruity florals, and amber (oh how it's being abused on the market!) I wanted to go back to some classics and revive my sense of smell. I was lured into purchasing more than too much of Ellen Tracy. My fragrance appetite was held over with the Sexy Little Things scent, but I just may be on to some Baby Doll by YSL. I traded all the Ellen Tracy back in for (drum roll please) MAC's face brush set.......... all of that just for the 187SE brush. The other stuff I already own and don't use as much (gasp!) So beware, that purchase may turn into a full sized 187 brush and my much loved VivaGlam V lipstick. I need the brushes for my eyes, if anything and Sephora sales a comparable set for about $32.

I went to MAC wanting something yummy and being in love with chocolates and plum colors, I found a nice polish called Seadip. It's a gorgeous frosty brown. Not the dark almost-black-vamp brown that I was looking for, but it's a nice color nonetheless. Check your MAC store. It's not on the website.

Lastly, I visited the drugstore. I had been tempted for a long time now to try the new Cover Girl mascara, LashExact. The cute purple tube, and purple bristles had won me over, but it didn't have anything to do with volume. I tried it anyway because I love the purple tube. Besides, Queen Latifah is endorsing it so hey, let's give it a whirl! This cool tube of mascara lived up to it's word; definition and length! The small brush with soft plastic bristles coats your lashes and makes you feel darling! The brush has a small tip so that you can get to your small inner lashes and work on your lower lashes. If you want soft, defined, long lashes I say pick up a tube.. why? Cuz you're worth it! =) Check out their website here on how to get a free tube of LashExact.

Now why didn't I think of that??

YOUTUBE HELP

Sooooooo... the new rave in web fascination after myspace.com is definitely youtube.com. Senseless videos from anyone who has a webcam is definitely junk in cyberspace.. but alas! There is actually good use of youtube other than for a daily laughs......

Did you guess what it was?

Makeup tuturials!!!!!!!!
I ran across some that are noteworthy:
(put the user's name in a search for their vidoes)

• philleif (celebrity make up artist)- get some inside info on applying blush, concealer, bronzer, removing oil from makeup etc.
• CityVanity- gives shorts on freshening up your face, trying to make a quick application of makeup after work for that happy hour get-together and more.
• expertvillage- even shorter shorts on make up. Great for those who like to play it safe with makeup.
• thechuckt- tricks of the trade
• anyhthing else you find by searching videos: makeup
• Amy04

MAKEUP TOOLS

One of my tips that I learned recently is to use those wedge applicators. Fingers are the natural applicators, but using other tools can definitely help in a variety of ways. I used the wedge foam applicator for my cream blush. Yes, a new step for me! Out of the shimmery shine of summer, cream blush is a nice texture against powder and very natural for a great fall look. I used my fingers to apply, but to keep my hands from being tacky of makeup, I used the wedge. The wedge applied the cream blush to the surface of my skin and made a lot go a long way. In comparison, my fingers warmed the product (which can be a good thing) and I naturally wanted to rub the product into my skin, which was being rubbed into the skin of my fingers as well.... losing double amounts of the product!

Angle brushes

1. small firm angle brush (mac #208)
2. medium angle brush (mac #269)
3. medium angle brush (mac #275)

There are basically three types that concern us (there are many others, but there are three main purposes.) From brush #1- a small firm angle brush is used to fill in brows or even create a line for liner (the cream, wet shadow types). Often times, you can find this brush on the opposite end of a lash/brow comb. #2 brush, the medium angle is for lining, shading or shaping the eye. The third brush, #3 is used for shading and blending, a fuller, softer brush. Remember, the softer the brush, the softer it will apply color. These are the differences for us that are graduating from using supplied sponge applicators.

MORE FROM MAC- LIP VARNISH

For all of us that love gloss and powerful color, here's something else from MAC for our pretty pouts, lip varnish. I will be asking a MAC Pro exactly what the heck the difference is between lip varnish and lip lacquer (a creamier lipstick with gloss)! Noted colors: cute yet sexy (pinky peach with peach pearl) and softease (cool tan with pink pearl.)

CELEBS- RIHANNA

Rihanna is looking quite stunning! The hair, skin, makeup, lashes, dresses....... she is gorgeous! Purple, one of my fav colors now. Great look on the red carpet for the Teen Choice Awards.Dressed up or down, Rihanna looks fab in my yummy purple!Just for extra: Monica is back with her new album The Makings of Me releasing 10/03/2006, getting even more gangsta, showing us how the 'A' does it... is it me or does she look like Mary J. B.'s little sister?

Isn't this a scene straight out of White Chicks? This isn't a good look ladies, Lol... Nicki and Paris on runway.

(Photos: Teen People)

Stay yummy!