Get Ready With Me: Natural Look for the Summer Heat

Here's a new look where you just want a minimal amount of makeup to last throughout a hot, sweaty summer day.  Today is perfect to post a new video because as the sun is beaming through my bedroom window, it reminds me that today is Father's Day.

As I did for Mother's Day, I'm going to write a small blurb about the fathers in my life...

Everyone in my life knows that I'm Daddy's little girl (even though I have a younger sister).  Everyone who knows me knows that I'm my father's "mini-me" and my daughter is my father's "mini-him".  I've inherited a lot of my Dad's personality and mannerisms.  He raised me to always put family first and to deal with life issues once "we cross that bridge".  He has been so supportive in every decision that has changed my life.  My Dad has that special touch when he does anything whether it's the movement of his finger or a word out of his mouth.  Let me explain- on the day of my wedding, I was getting anxious and nervous before the ceremony began.  I was up in the bridal suite with my mom and future mother-in-law pacing back and forth from the room into the hallway and back again.  I haven't shed a tear yet, but I just wanted things to start already.  Suddenly, I heard someone play a song on the piano that brought me back to my childhood.  It was my Dad playing a tune that he would play every morning to wake us up.  I didn't have to lean over the balcony to know that it was him- rather, I started to break down in tears sobbing like a little girl.  Geez, as I'm typing this, I'm already starting to tear up.  Anyway, throughout the wedding, I didn't see my Dad shed a tear or try to keep it together.  He just had that great smile and great host personality with all the guests who were enjoying the wedding.  It wasn't until our "father-daughter" dance that I felt like I was still his little girl.  The world froze around us as we danced to "Butterfly Kisses".  Even though I married the love of my life, my Dad knew that he would always (and forever be) the first man in my life.

Sleeping beauties circa 1987 (?)

Wedding day circa September 2011

So to all the fathers out there, you are the only man in your little girl's life.  You will never be replaced. Rather, you crafted your little girl to be tough and independent so that when she meets "her" man, she expects them to be as great as you.

Here's the video that you've been patiently waiting for.  The items I used are below:

- Peter Thomas Roth CC Cream (Light/medium)
- Maybelline Erase Dark Circles (Medium)
- Make Up For Ever Pro Finish (163)
- Ck One Brow + Gel Duo (400 Crafty Raven)
- Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon Trio (Walking On Eggshells)
- Urban Decay Naked Basics
- Tarte Multipleye Liquid Eyeliner
- Rimmel London Lash Accelerator Endless
- NARS blush (Rotonde)
- Mary Kay True Dimensions lipstick (Color Me Coral)

Get Ready With Me: Coral & Brown for the Day

I've been in a coral crush lately and my makeup can stand up for that.  Every time I see a coral makeup product, I get this sudden urge to purchase it.  Coral has become such a spring/summer fashion and beauty statement.  There's a great range as to how deep or soft you want coral to be.  Well, I've been mixing the colors coral and peach and have created a soft, daytime look that's very easy.

I have a video posted on my YouTube channel for steps to re-create this look.  Items I used are listed below.

- Peter Thomas Roth CC Cream (light/medium)
- MAC Oil Control Lotion
- NARS Sheer Glow Foundation (Stromboli)
- Maybelline Erase Dark Circles (medium)
- Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
- CK One Brow + Gel Duo (400 Crafty Raven)
- UD Naked Palette (Naked, Buck)
- UD 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil (Sin)
- UD Single Eyeshadows (Freelove, Secret Service)
- Tarte Multipleye Liquid Eyeliner
- Maybelline One by One mascara
- Rimmel Lash Accelerator mascara
- Benefit Hoola bronzer
- MAC blush (Peaches)
- Mary Kay True Dimension Lipstick (Color Me Coral)
- Bobbi Brown lipgloss (pink lemonade)

Enjoy the video and this beautiful weather we've been having!

Face of the Day

Morning! Big girl is taking on the Big Apple today.  I want to have this up before I head out to New York City for a job fair with the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority).  Hopefully my luck will change by working in the public sector.  My dream job before going to college was to work for a public agency because I wanted to make a difference in a person's life in an indirect way.  I'm just crossing my fingers that the MTA will take me in since I worked on a project with them before...

Anyway back to what I really wanted to say- I posted a picture on Instagram yesterday (@elaiine27) of my face of the day which I'm wearing this morning.

Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Bronzer
NARS Sheer Glow Foundation (Stromboli)
NARS Concealer (Ginger, this is the old packaging)

Maybelline 24HR Color Tattoo (Barely Branded)
Korres Lip Butter (Jasmine)
Maybelline Define A Brow
Lorac Front of the Line PRO
Maybelline Master Drama Eyeliner

MAC Blush (Small Vanity)
Urban Decay Theodora Palette
Covergirl Clump Crusher
Maybelline One-by-One Mascara

This is another natural all-day look that's simple and easy to put together.  I wonder if I should do a tutorial on this... Have a great day everyone!

DAILY GRINDS

♥ What is up with the weather last night?  Despite my weather app telling me it was suppose to snow, I didn't expect a ton of it to be on the ground.  Man, mother nature doesn't want us to enjoy the fact that spring is just around the corner.

♥ I'm obsessed looking at other people's vanities.  People are so creative with a budget of $100 or $1000.  My vanity is currently a work in progress, but I love seeing pictures on Instagram.

♥ I want a makeup sleepover.  Can someone arrange that for me?

Get Ready With Me! [ Winter Edition ]

Here's my go to look for this winter season.  My signature look is simple eyes and face with a bold red or berry lip.  My lip collection has doubled since the holidays with the bountiful amount of dark lip colors that I've purchased nonstop.

Check out my YouTube channel [link] for the tutorial.  Don't forget to thumbs up and subscribe so you are up to date with my latest videos.

- Mary Kay Timewise Matte-Wear Liquid Foundation (Beige 8)
- Maybelline Define a Brow
- Maybelline 24HR Color Tattoo (Barely Branded)
- Urban Decay Naked Palette (Sidecar, Buck, Darkhorse)
- Lorac Front of the Line Pro
- CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara
- Maybelline Rocket Mascara
- MAC Eye Kohl Pencil (Powersurge)
- Maybelline Lash Discovery Mini-Brush Mascara
- NARS Bronzer (Casino)
- MAC Blush (Small Vanity)
- MAC Prep+Prime Lip Primer
- MAC Lip Pencil (Soar)
- Tarina Tarantino Lip Conditioning Sheen (Floriculture)

Makeup Review: Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara

The latest mascara from Maybelline claims explosive looking lashes that look 8X longer and clump-free volume.

The patented Supersonic Brush with micro bristles delivers smooth application on every lash and volume instantly.  The brush is rubber and the wand is stiffer so you have more control when applying the mascara.  The Rocket mascara comes in different colors: brownish black, very black, and blackest black and also comes as waterproof.  The one I have is blackest black and is not waterproof.  When testing out this mascara, I did not curl my lashes as I wanted to see my natural lashes reach to the sky.  My lashes aren't short, but stick straight out.

After applying my first coat, my lashes looked spidery at first until I worked on the second coat which made a huge difference.  With much wiggling from root to tip, my lashes started to really separate and volumize in the middle of my eyelid.  It's hard to tell from these profile pictures, but I noticed a difference in my lashes.  Overall, I really like this mascara.  My One-by-One has to move over as my favorite volume mascara has arrived into my makeup collection.

Featured in this month's Allure magazine on shelves today!

Have you tried this mascara?  You can purchase this at any drugstore or makeup provider store.

February Beauty Makeup Haul

The beaming sun through my window is giving me energy to start my day on the right foot.  Also, it reminded me to post my latest beauty haul on my YouTube channel.  This is a massive haul of makeup products that I purchased towards the end of January.  The purpose of these items is to replace the makeup that I have finished or tossed out which turned out to be a lot.  Isn't that a reasonable excuse to purchase more makeup? LOL... Anyway, I'm starting to reach into my makeup caboodle (yes, I store a majority of my makeup in my leopard print case) and pull out items I haven't used in a while.

So, don't judge me for these purchases!  I already returned a couple of items because I have a duplicate from a previous purchase and/or its twin has been stashed away in my closet.  And others have turned out to be a disappointment or I just wanted my money back because buying into the label wasn't worth it.  Don't forget to check out the video!

DAILY GRINDS

♥ My husband and I are going to a beer convention tonight with a few friends.  I figured I'd be DD since I'm not a heavy drinker.  But later realized it'd be pointless for me to go if I go as DD.  So tonight we'll be sipping on beers from around the world.  Cheers to Beerfest!

♥ I'm constantly searching for a makeup vanity for my new house.  I've stumbled upon different kinds from a simple desk to very ornate ones that are over the top.  I want one that has a decent size mirror, a drawer under the table and maybe a side drawer so I don't have to purchase a lot of storage units.  Where can I find a decent vanity???

♥ I'm rooting for the Baltimore Ravens this weekend!!!

Date Night Makeup

I rarely do date night with friends or with my husband.  When you're a parent, date night consists of any valuable time where there's no noise resonating in the house.  The minutes after your child falls asleep is positively the best part of the night until you or your husband starts cleaning the house, falling asleep on the couch while watching tv, or your husband starts drifting into his computer gaming world.  So, when I saw a date night makeup tutorial on YouTube, I wanted to give it a shot and recreate the look with what I have.

Elegant Blue Eyes Makeup Tutorial

It's been a while since I've done a makeup tutorial, but I had a great time filming this most recent one.  Today's look is all about the color blue.  I always thought I couldn't pull off the color blue because in the end, it would turn out looking purple.  But, after months of practice and learning how to use certain makeup brushes, this is my first time debuting a blue eyeshadow look.  Check out my video on how to work this look.  Products used can be found below.

PRODUCTS USED:
- Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer (medium)
- MAC Pro Longwear SPF10 Foundation (NC40)
- MAC Studio Fix Powder (NC40)
- Tarte 12-hr Smoothing Eye Primer
- Maybelline Eyestudio (Saphire Stylist)
- Urban Decay Smoked Palette (blackout, kinky, freestyle)
- Josie Maran Long-Lasting Eye Liner (black raven)
- Maybelline Line Stiletto
- Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara
- NARS Bronzer (casino)
- MAC Blush (Pinch Me)
- MAC Cremestick Liner (Sublime Culture)
- Korres Mango Butter Lipstick (Natural Pink 13)

Favorite Items of September

Hey everyone and happy end of the month (almost)!

Below is a list of my favorite items that I've been using on a daily basis and/or have been helping me look awesome when I step out of my house.  You can also see me rant about these items on my YouTube channel.

- Clarisonic Mia with Deep Pore brush head : This is a great at-home cleansing device that cleans deep into your pores and removes all dirt, oil and makeup.  It leaves your face feeling smooth and refresh.  With this particular brush head, it has helped remove all my blackheads on my nose and reduce the size of my pores.

- Clean & Clear Finishes Pore Perfecting Moisturizer : This is very similar to benefit POREfessional (if you use this).  This softens the appearance of pores with light-diffusing minerals to give you a beautiful finish.  It's lightweight, oil-free and has SPF 15.

- Jouer Matte Moisture in Hazel: Absolute favorite of this month!  This foundation is lightweight, medium coverage and evens out imperfections leaving your skin with a smooth, matte finish.  This is perfect for all skin types with SPF 15 protection from UVA and UVB rays while Vitamins A, C and E deliver rich antioxidants to the skin.

- Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer in Medium: Best under eye concealer by far!  The smooth, easy-to-use applicator gently spreads the product evenly under your eye and instantly erases dark circles and fine lines leaving your eyes looking radiant.

- Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Pink Bellini: This is part of the Bobbi Brown Instant Pretty Collection at QVC.  I believe this is exclusively sold only at QVC unless you eBay it.  The shade is a neutral, light pink with a lilac shimmer.

- Maybelline Volum' Express One By One Mascara in Blackest Black: This mascara de-clumps every lash and coats each one from root to tip giving you the volume that you want.

- Mary Kay Satin Lips Set: This exclusive lip duo from Mary Kay is a god-send for those who have dry, cracked lips or for those who like to pick or bite your lips.  The two-step system gently exfoliates dead surface skin cells and moisturizes lips for at least 6 hours.  I use these items at night and in the morning, my lips are still moisturized.

- Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie: This lipstick is a butter balm with beautiful shine and gives you soft, smooth and hydrated lips.

Just Another Manic Monday

Hey friends!  With a great response to my "Manic Monday" a few weeks ago, I decided to continue using Mondays as my day to highlight new makeup items.  I did a spontaneous shopping spree at my local drugstore and spent most of my time at the Maybelline section.  I wanted to try the Color Plush eyeshadow quads that are horizontal.  I own a few of the Expertwear eyeshadow quads and I don't like the quality.  The ones that I have contain gold glitter and turned out to be too glittery.  The pay off isn't worth the aggravation of continuous application.  So I finally decided to pick up a few of the Color Plush quads (thank goodness for the "buy 1, get 1 50% off" deal).

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow in Irresistibly Ivy (90) is very rich in pigmentation and is great to wear as we start to transition into fall.  The colors are soft on application and can be worn together or alone.  Once I started applying the colors onto my eyes, the shades reminded me of the feathers of a peacock.

With flash

No flash

L-R: Light, shimmered champagne beige; orange-copper with gold shimmer;
mixture of sea green and teal with gold shimmer; and deep red-copper.

Using a flat eye shadow brush, I brushed the copper color over my eyelid twice so that the color is really compacted on.  Using the flip side of the same brush, I applied the red-copper color on the outer half of my lid.  With a crease brush, I applied the teal on the outer part of my crease then blended inwards.  For this part, you can apply more color on the crease depending on how much you want the color to stand out.  Finally, I applied the champagne color under my brows and on the inner corners of my eyes.  Overall, I was quite impressed with the teal because if you apply it on top of the red, it turns to a darker green.  I suggest using an eyelid primer since the colors are soft and silky.

Have you used this specific color or others?  Let me know!

Favorite Items of June

Here's an end of the month recap of my favorite makeup and skincare products.

You can check out my YouTube video and hear me ramble about these items.

ITEMS MENTIONED:
-Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser: A black, cleansing gel that when rubbed between your fingers has a warming effect that deeply cleans and detoxifies your complexion.  I use this every or every other night as part of my PM skincare routine.

-Boots No.7 Total Renewal Microdermabrasion Exfoliator: An intense, at home exfoliating treatment that's great to use as it works to remove dead skin cells, revealing radiant skin.  I use this once a week on a Friday night.  Since this is an intense treatment, it's advise to use this at most twice a week.

-Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 (medium): A beauty balm (or "bb") that moisturizes, primes, perfects, protects and controls oil all in 1.  I use this as my daily foundation and don't need much product.  This is light to medium coverage since it evens out your complexion and it can be worn by itself or under foundation or powder for more coverage.

-Maybelline Dream Matte Powder (medium/beige): A pressed powder that's super soft for a smooth application.  I press this on my T-zone or in areas that are oily to set my foundation.  Since this powder is matte, it won't leave your face looking duey.

-Urban Decay All Night Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray: A weightless, setting spray that keeps your makeup from melting away throughout the day and night, whether it's hot and humid or cold and windy outside.  I spray this over my face once I'm done applying all my makeup.  There's no fragrance and it doesn't feel sticky once misted over your face.

-Urban Decay NAKED Palette: A shadow palette that everyone can use for that neutral, everyday look.  The 12 shades range from glitter to shimmer to matte.  What can I say- I use this regularly and love this!

-Benefit CORALista: A blush powder that is a beautiful pink coral color with gold shimmer.  This smells amazing and the packaging is so cute.  You won't find any blush compact like this!

-Korres Mango Butter Lipstick SPF 10 (natural pink-13): An ultra-conditioning lipstick that's sheer and moisturizing.  This is my go-to lipstick since there's SPF protection and a hint of color with a glossy finish.

Thanks for reading this.  Until next month's favorite items...