Scandal: Liv's Lips

I love Scandal as much as the next person... each episode full of hoarse voice Harrison, questioning Quinn and Liv's lips... trembling, quivering and locked on Fitz! (Have they ever had an innocent kiss or only the intense, hard core, passionate kisses??)

Speaking of Liv's lips, she commonly wears a nude lip on the show or au natural lip I should say, which is not my favorite lip for her:

        

        

While the natural lip fits her role in conservative, political Washington, DC... she can definitely pull of one of her better nudes:

I think she can even wear color! Smear some lipstick on Fitz's cheek or collar!  All of the close ups deserve some better color play!

What do you guys think? Leave her pout au natural or put Liv in some colored lips??

RIP Whitney E. Houston

WHITNEY ELIZABETH HOUSTON
1963-2012

I grew up on Whitney's music.  As I kid you learned your ABC's, the National Anthem, and the words to Greatest Love of All.  Some of my fondest memories as a kid is singing along to Greatest Love of All and  bopping around to I Wanna Dance with Somebody.  The news of her death sent shock around the world.  I was en route to a party when the news came.  My stomach knotted up making it hard for me to drive to my destination

Whitney Houston had a highly successful career as old as I am.   I can't recount everything, but here are some of my favorites by one of the best voices of my time.  My prayers go out to her family.  We lost a legend, but I can't be selfish.

Check out some videos of my favorite Whitney moments:

Amber Riley's Glee rendition of  I Will Always Love You:



My favorite Whitney performance ever:



When she made her 'comeback', this was my favorite song and how I enjoyed her, upbeat and happy.
I'm not always in the mood for a heartfelt love ballad (even though she was the best at it).

Hard Candy Glossaholic Rise and Shine Energizing Lip Gloss Review, Video and Swatches

If you made it through the title, congrats!  LOL Now on to the review with swatches and video!

Hard Candy Glossaholic Rise and Shine Energizing Lip Gloss (top coat) is essentially Nubar 2010 or Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure for the lips in a previously seen MAC Wonder Woman lipglass packaging; a nice flaky gloss to add dimension and fun to your lips with a HUGE doe foot!  It caught my eye immediately, but check out my thoughts on it!

According to Hard Candy: "SUPER HUGE MEGA WATT LIPS One dip covers your lips! Ginormous applicator with gloss cup deposits gloss to your whole mouth in one swipe! These super lustrous lip glosses are infused with prisms of color that make lips appear fuller and plumper. Out of this world hyper-reflective prisms of pearl make lips sparkle like crazy! Feeling tired or wired? Two Glossaholic sparkling clear top coats are infused with mood altering elixirs to help you Chill Out or Rise & Shine! – You can wear alone or as a top coat. "

  In this range there are a total of 8 glosses, two of these are top coat glosses, Coffee and Vanilla.  I got the Coffee energizing gloss.  I don't like roasted coffee beans so close to my nose all day, unless that's your thing and gets you going.  The flakes reflect orange, gold and green.  The other option,  Glossaholic Chill Out, Vanilla, has a scent to calm you.  The flakes reflect cooler colors... light blue, purple.  The other six glosses have color with a good amount of sparkle.  Scent aside, the gloss is gorgeous and the flakes aren't too obnoxious, just enough to give you ample sparkle.

Bottom line: I want more! Only $5 a pop!

Green and Blue FOTD and Video Tutorial

I wanted to do a look not using my regular neutrals; I wanted color. I wanted to use blue to match my nails and green in honor of my friend who loves the color green! She recently got married and green was the color of her special day! Not quite in love with this look, but glad I did it.This gave me a chance to use unused or seldom used products in my stash.  This was my first time using Mighty Aphrodite Wonder Woman blush. I got this because it was said to be similar to having Nars Orgasm and MAC's Bite of an Apple blush in one pan. I didn't have either so this was a win for me. Wondergrass wasn't getting any love, but now it should feel a little special, lol.  Check out the look!

Products used (All MAC unless stated otherwise):
FACE
NW30 concealer
Medium Dark Studio Careblend Powder
Give Me Sun Mineralize Skinfinish Powder
Black Radiance Pressed Powder in Creamy Beige

EYES
Nubile paint pot
lightest shade (Fire In Her Eyes)  in the Smoke and Mirrors smoky eye palette (LE Holiday 2009)
Wondergrass eye shadow
Sea and Sky (deep blue side) mineralize eye shadow
Revlon liquid liner, black
Maybelline Falsies mascara in black
LA Splash green glitter liner

CHEEKS
Mighty Aphrodite (LE Wonder Woman Collection)

LIPS
1N lipglass (LE)

Happy Halloween and Bakugan

Here are the kiddies last night on Halloween. L-r: lady bug friend, Incredible Hulk (Nephew #2), Scooby Doo (Nephew #3, Nephew #2's brother), Bakugan (Nephew #2) and the kid ...an army general? LOL

This is Bakugan. Never heard of him. Obviously, I'm not watching enough Cartoon Network :p

Bakugan spent the night with his cousins at my sister Toni's house....

This is my sister Toni at church the this morning...

Bakugan strikes again!

(She says she was in a rush and had to improvise... lol!)

RHOA on Ellen!

I may be ultra late on this, but sorry... I work full time (daytime) and no TiVo/DVR. Blasphemy? Oh well, that's what YouTube is good for ;)

Either way, I enjoyed this clip of Ellen. If you haven't seen it, you will enjoy it too. Only Ellen can take a band of dysfunctional friends and make it into a bowl of laughter. Not makeup related at all, but I wanted to share.



Check out this article by Essence.com with Kim Z from RHOA on her current status and Kandi losing her ex-fiance.

Yummy411: Blush and Reality TV Makeup

Are you guys watching Blush on Lifetime. I know you makeup junkies are!
Last night's episode included a 'Bridal Makeup' elimination challege.

**SPOILER ALERT**

If you are waiting for Lifetime to re-air this episode, don't read any further.

Myke was eliminated because his look for his bride wasn't a classic beauty/soft, timeless bridal makeup. He chose to give the bride what she wanted versus using his best judgment as the artist, so the judges said. I wish I had the picture to show, but he used heavy liner around the bride's huge eyes and peach, really more orange makeup for eyes, cheeks and lips.

Question to artists, wives, brides-to-be and some-day-brides-to-be: How do you feel about what Myke did or according to the judges- his lack of judgment?

For me, at the end of the day, the bride is paying for what she wants. She has to feel comfortable with how she looks. I'll give her my artistic opinion, but she ultimately decides. I'm not on a reality TV show, where you have to chose how the bride feels (his bride LOVED her look) or your winning entry, so that's just me. What say you? What was your favorite bridal look last nite? Let's discuss in the comments!

In other reality TV news:

Tyra gives Isis her sex change

Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap! Which cast member do you feel wore the best makeup on the show?

From last nite's episode, I'm a fan.

Yummy411: TLC with Keisha Nash Whitaker - Who Are You Wearing?

(image: Concrete Loop)

Did any one catch the debut of Keisha Nash Whitaker's newest venture with TLC, What Are You Wearing? I'm excited for her on this new project, but I haven't seen it yet. Thoughts?

Wanna check it out (like me)? Check TLC's listing.

Yummy411: Clarins Bronzes Up the Gossip Girl Michelle Trachtenberg

Waiting for the new season of Gossip Girls? To hold you over, here's some insider info on one of your favorite Gossip Girls, Michelle Trachtenberg's makeup! These tips can work for anyone, but the recommendations match her skin tone (fairer skinned pretties).

Clarins Celebrity Makeup Artist, Nick Barose created Michelle's bronzey look.

To create the look, Nick says to:

1. Mix in a drop of Clarins Instant Light Complexion Perfector to your liquid foundation to add subtle radiance to the skin. It adds a slight sheen to the skin which makes fair skin look healthier.

2. Finish by setting it with a translucent loose powder.

3. On eyes: line along your upper lashes using a dark chocolate brown liquid liner.

4. Apply and smudge Clarins Waterproof Eye Liner Pencil in Bronze over the first color and also use it to line inner rims of the eyes. (Steps 3 and 4 can work for anyone!)

5. With a small eye shadow brush apply Clarins Soft Cream Eye Colour in 06 from the lash line up to the crease of the eyelid. Use the extra shadow on your brush to lightly smudge along the lower lash line.

6. Curl lashes and add a coat of Clarins Wonder Waterproof Mascara in WonderBlack.

7. Cheeks? Blend Clarins Sun Blush in Copper Sun on the apples of your cheeks. Add an extra glow by dabbing a rose-colored blush on top. Try Clarins Compact Blush in Rose.

8. For Michelle's kissable pout, line and fill in lips with Clarins Lip Colour Pencil in Nude. Apply pinkish/nude tone lipstick over the entire mouth. Blot then add an extra coat so lips look polished using Clarins Joli Rouge in Apricot Sugar.

Look great in the summer with these good for you Clarins products and tune in this fall for more Gossip Girl!

Yummy411: My Beauty Today and Other Random Stuff

Listening to: Sarah Bareilles- How many the miles (check the sidebar on the myflashfetish music player)

Song of the week: Usher's Love in the This Club. I love the R&B disco feel! Not feeling Jeezy. LOL @ Mark's review.

A drink in hand, contemplating taking a club piece home... hell naw!

Musical confession: anticipating the album of Tiffani Evans. I was forced fed Miley Cyrus, what do you expect?!

Choice of lipgloss today: Viva Glam 6 SE

Makeup: None yet...

Beauty product of the day: tarte's bronzer in Park Avenue Princess.

On my nails: Still Milani's Purple Passion. Next- MAC's Nightfall. I'm over the black phase, but I never got to try it (black with silver frost, that sometimes looks blue, gray or black).. or Girls Will Be Girls.

Fragrance: Would have been Deseo, but I'm seriously contemplating returning for my crush, Marc Jacobs Daisy. I told you the bottle was mesmerizing!

Surprise product of the day: Dove Pro Age Day Moisturizer. Creamy, light and non greasy! Score!

You should know: Target has a lot of stuff on clearance in the beauty and health aisles. Loreal HiP is BOGO again at CVS (thanks Brit!) LashBlash is on sale with CVS card as well. I got my waterproof version! Oh yeh, in honor of Sey Sey and Nikkia, Maybelline's Define a Lash is BOGO as well. The Strobe Collection is up on MAC's site.

Thoughts on makeup: Nikkia and I were talking about our comfort zones with makeup and how we don't really go outside of that. I need to step out of my comfort box when it comes to makeup. For example, using mineral concealers like Christianadivine showed us. Looks so easy, but I'm still a bit apprehensive. Do you have one? What's something different that you'd like to embrace in makeup?

Shows that kept me glued to the tube: Best Dance Crew, Making the Band 3 (I swore I was not watching) and BET College Hill Reunion (I loved College Hill 4 Virgin Islands.. *VANESSA* is preggers!)

What's going on with you ladies today?

Upcoming posts:

EcoTools Brushes

TUBEYourLash Mascara product review

Coastal Scents product review

Yummy411: The Art of Drag Makeup

Hey all!


Part of my makeup obsession stems from the intrigue of the transformation properties of a great makeup job. One of the wearable forms is drag makeup. I am in awe of guys that go from Bob to Brenda. How can makeup make a man such as RuPaul look like a better woman than me! Even though I'm not interested in wearing my makeup as heavy or exaggerated, there is quite a lot to take from these artists: contouring tips, eye shadow placement, blending and more! Perfecting the art of transformation is one heck of a talent! Take a look at some videos that I've gathered in one place for your viewing pleasure!

Now stay tuned over at Slvrlips Beauty and Music Haven for more insightful articles on all of the mystery behind drag makeup!


From Trippy1806




From DrawLove




The infamous Jessica Dimon. Did you see the pink hair shot (towards the end?)

You didn't?

Omg fab!

How about those eyebrows? What did she do with her natural brows???? Grae Phillips shows us!





One more...



From Angelcalg


For some crass humor, here ya go!

Yummy411: Weekend Wrap Up, Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Well my lovelies, I had a pleasant weekend. I braved the mall with a small window of time. I had a baby shower to attend, but I needed to make some runs that otherwise would not get done.

First, I stopped at Smashbox in Nordstrom to return my palette that I was not impressed by. It was my opportunity at a Soft Lights blush/highlighter =(( very sad, but I had to pass it up because I was not happy! LOL I didn't have time for the MA to sit me down and try on anything, but what other choice did i have if I wanted to really experience a color. In the pots, the eye shadow colors appeared ordinary, but I knew they were capable of a bit more. I sat in the chair, asked the MA for something outside of neutrals and to not do my brows (they are a challenge for anyone other than me and can be time consuming).

Here's what she came up with:

Wait for it..........................................................................

............................................................................................

............................................................................................

Are you ready? No.. wait................................................

Was she serious? I know I told her I was a bit pressed for time, but really was she effin' serious? I didn't know whether to laugh or slap her! I cleared my throat and told her that I felt the colors were too dark. I proceeded to find something else, because I knew she wasn't going to be much help. I ended up with Tint, a soft light, which actually acts like a beauty powder.. boo! That's not what I wanted. I wanted this, but they were out of stock *angry* Oh well, I have it now and I'm going to make it work. I will not exchange twice! I walked away from the counter embarrassed. I couldn't even manage to walk past the MAC counter. Someone there would notice me and think I was deranged! I immediately headed to the women's lounge to take these pics, just for you all! Bad quality photos? Doesn't matter, the makeup was some ish!

Off to return my Uppity at MAC. All of the new collections were out and so were the shoppers, but luckily enough someone was there to give me some personal attention. Score! The MA agreed that Uppity was nothing to write home about. I returned it and used the price against a beauty powder, Sunspill. The only beauty powder that stood out to me. It's the same one Divine Blackness got =)

Here's a swatch:

Close to my coloring, a bit of sparkle. Can you see it? I now want a few other beauty powders to mix and match =))

I also decided to keep my Engaging mineralized eye shadow. It's so beautiful, in the pot of course! It was so sheer after applying, I was very unsatisfied and wanted something else. However, I pulled out some bases and tried to make it work. Concealer didn't do the job, didn't try UDPP, but did try my Shimmersand shadestick! Bingo!

Here's a swatch (Engaging m/e/s over Shimmersand on left, Engaging alone on skin to the right):

Alot better, right?

As I'm blogging, I'm watching the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on CBS. Here's the recap: Beautiful wings and women who started out as Brazilian babies, who now aspire to be mothers of a gang of children. LOL I'm sorry, but all of the profiles said that the girls hailed from Brazil, discovered at 14 or 15 and now they all hope to be mothers of many children in the near future. Did I lie or something? The Spice Girls lip sanc (is that the past tense for sync?) a very pop, bubble gum, light spirited number. Yes, the Spice Girls that I remember!

I want to give a shout out to Melanie G, who I saw at the baby shower. She told me that she frequently checks the blog for updates. Thank you so much for your support! It really means a lot to me.

Great weekend folks! How was your weekend?

Yummy411: Makeup and Reality TV

So everyone talks about The Hills and other pop culture reality tv. Apparently, too many folks are interested in Pepa's bad facelift. To this day, most of the hits I get on my site are for that one post when I was shocked to see Pepa's facelift. Since then I haven't seen much tv, as I don't get to watch as much as I'd like. My at-home status tonite granted me access to all the shows. I was able to catch up on a few reruns... of course watching for fab makeup all the way! =)



Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is- Season 2
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Keyshia's makeup. She rocked a smokey eye one set, a turquoise eye that matched some slouchy suede turquoise boots the next-- the makeup was just fierce! I'm desparately seeking the makeup artist that contributed to her show this go around. A lot of times, makeup artists are so devalued that they get no love. I'm on a quest to find out who this person or team is!
Recap: Keyshia's sister, Neffy, goes to therapy to hash out some issues and to a gyn appointment, finding out that she's expecting her 4th or 5th child. I can't keep up as I don't get to watch much television. She is married to a guy behind bars, with whom she has a turbulent history, but her 'on the side' activity has caught up with her. Keyshia has a big listening party down in Miami for her new album. Her mom surprises her to join in on the fun as it is her mom's birthday as well. Her mom didn't feel well received, but Keyshia says it's all love.

I love Keyshia and how she's matured since the last season. Since reconnecting with her fam and mom, she doesn't care that they are recovering from drug abuse and other issues, just having them alive and well is good enough for her. Her mom was really cutting a rug at the listening party and would have put me to shame, but for Keyshia she was glad that her mom was having a good sober time.

Sunday's Best
They have narrowed the competition down to four fantastic finalist- three ladies and one gentlemen. No makeup to take note of here, but people went Pentacostal in the house and had church in the middle of competition! Praise God!

American Gangster
Jeff Fort was profiled on this edition.

BET College Hill: Interns
I'm on a mission for the makeup artist on this set as well. I want to think that many of the girl's do their own makeup, but they usually have brows that are on point. The most impressive has been the makeup of Kathy. She uses vibrant colors that compliments her style and eye shape. I love it! Did you catch my last post about Cover Girl's Queen Collection Natural Hue Foundation? I'm sure the clip was planted, but Tionna was using it! I was so excited to see that, as I'm a fan of their makeup.
Recap: (These shows were reruns.) We find out that the fundraiser for BET's Rap it Up competition was won by the Red team. Letia's boyfriend is her main motivator for keeping her on the show (wtf?) and is the same person about to get her kicked off because at this point she cares more about her relationship than her participation on the show. Kathy's sexuality is challenged as she tries to back up her claim of her sexual level being higher than anyone else's. She takes on her flirting partner Kasheef. That's all the show needed- a lesbian licking on a hot guy!

People give this show bad reviews, but it keeps me entertained!

BET had me on lock tonight, but when American Gangster and licking lesbians got too much for the Disney watchers, I flipped over to MTV for my fav.... RUN'S HOUSE!

Run's House
The show starts with Angela at a photoshoot with Omarion and Bow Wow, where she gets the big idea that she loves what she's doing and wants to start her own mag. Guess who's on set? Danessa Myricks. At my beauty school, she's a super star. I'm all too familiar with her name, so seeing her in action was a treat!
Recap: Angela thinks that her Yorshire dog, Juicy, is pregnant so the dog goes to the vet and gets an x-ray. This is also the time that the family is opening up and talking to Russy about the birds and the bees .. er.. female dogs and male dogs lol. Diggy wants to start his career in the entertainment world like Chris Brown,, dancing while Angela who works for Word Up! magazine wants to start her own. She works on planning a launch party before the actual magazine... umm?

Aaahh the joys of tv. Now I must retire folks! Good night!

Yummy411: New York's Eye Embellishments

Jess and Baby Doll... I watched the episode again too, watching closely for the glistening eyes! This is the only and best pic I could find of what we were speaking of. You can see the sparkles best when she was going through her decision making process; debating over the guys as she looked at their framed pictures. Yes, I do think she used micro rhinestones for this look. I will have to try those on my eyes.

Yummy411: Salt N Pepa, Pepa Has a Facelift?

Saturday night found me lazily in front of the tube watching reality TV that I never get to watch. VH1 is total guilty pleasure! I caught up on that mess of I Love New York 2, Rock of Love Reunion, and the plenty of trailers for other things to come this season including Gotty's Way, Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Salt N Pepa. I think the talk of the season will be around the Salt N Pepa show. Wow Pepa! One commercial I saw the Pepa that I know and remember. The next commercial, I didn't know at whom I was looking! Take a look for yourself!


Before- 2006 Hip Hop Honors (photo: MTV.com)



After....

Didn't people learn from Lil' Kim and her plastic surgery woes? She looks nice, but from the commercials her face doesn't move as fluidly as a natural face and it appears that makeup has to aid her greatly with her new look. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to this show very much. Salt has changed her platform to that for the church and Pepa is still Pepa from the group Salt N Pepa. This will be an interesting combination. I hope Spindarella will be a part of this show at some point. She was a part of the group! Check out VH1 for their celeb- reality line up for your guilty pleasure =)


Lastly, I caught Sunday's Best, an American Idol of gospel. I enjoyed the contestants, the MC- Kirk Franklin (one of my faves!) and the judges include Tina and Erica of Mary Mary and BeBe Winans. They make great judges and Kirk is my man! LOL. I do have to mention one contestant, who I call the Keyshia Cole of gospel. She came out on the stage in her shades, tight jeans, a belt buckle with the word "Sexy" and sneakers. She gave a very street and hood soul, if you will, performance. Very Keyshia and Mary J. She stepped the beat as she sang Mary Mary's Can't Give Up Now. Yikes! I'm all about the progressive and contemporary gospel, but 'sexy' on your belt buckle without a hint of church in your sound.. hmmm.. Of course, they kept her for a second round, as a pet project and as a talent to groom. BET is trying to step up their programming. Viacom has even helped with their online image.



I hope to schedule in the movie Why Did I Get Married very soon. I'm looking forward to seeing Denzel in American Gangster (based on a true story), from another BET hit series American Gangster. I read an article by the daughter of the profiled gangster in Glamour. Any programs that I need to catch that have you all hooked? Any movies that you are anticipating? Share!

Yummy411: America's Next Top Model, MAC Holiday

I was over at Spoiled Pretty (dontcha love her blog?) and she was giving us the low on ANTM. I visited the link she provided to view the makeovers that the models had on the show. Can you believe these pictures? See this is why I L-O-V-E makeup! Look how amazing a brush stroke and a swipe of glimmer across the lips can do! Aaah!

If you've been wondering about any images of MAC's Holiday collection, you have to stop by Specktra's Beauty Blog for the run down. Janice gives you the images, description and pricing... what are you waiting for? Get over there now!

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.

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.

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.