2010 Beauty Pet Peeves

I'm not really in the best mood right now, so this blog is very fitting. These are things that I have observed the past year in trend and beauty that I simply cannot stand. I'd love to know what you think! Hope it makes you laugh :)

Open Toe Booties

This shoe is an oxymoron. A boot with the toes cut out, really? Is this where fashion is heading these days? So, I can't wear it in the winter because my toes will freeze and I can't wear it in the summer because my feet will sweat. Good job, guys.

Colored Contacts on Brown Eyes

Being of brown eyes myself, I will admit I rocked some green-hazel contacts back in the day (I'm talking middle school. They were my mom's and I would wear them to school with lots and lots of mascara and liquid liner. I looked like a psychotic cat) Was it a good idea? No. You could see my beautiful poop-brown color poking through every corner of those contacts, and it just looked stupid. It especially concerns me when I see people trying to pull off "violet" eyes. That's not even a real color. If it's for Halloween, fine. If it's for every day, please, stick to clear contacts. Especially if you are of ethnic or Asian descent. You aren't fooling anyone, we all know God gave you some brown ass eyes LOL Wear them proudly!

Big Girls in Skinny Jeans

Now, I'm not as big as these ladies here, but I AM curvy and I will not wear skinny jeans. You literally have to be a size 2 or below to pull these off. Please, for the love of God, do NOT wear skinny jeans unless you are an Olson twin or less than 100 lbs. Just don't do it. Period.

The Hand-On-Hip Pose

It isn't so much that the "hand-on-hip" pose is unattractive, but more that too many girls are doing it these days in photos. It just looks phony, or fake. We get it, you want your arm to look skinny. But trust me, no one cares what your arm looks like. I ESPECIALLY can't stand when more than one person in a photo is posing this way. How stupid do the Kardashians look with 25 people in their Christmas photo doing the "Hand-on-hip"? Kill me now. I've already covered this on my Facebook page, but I thought it was worth bringing up again. My 2011 New Year's Resolution is to never strike this pose myself again. Time for something new and original!

Web Cam Pics

Two words: NIGHT MARE. It really doesn't matter who you are, you will always come out looking like a rapist or a serial killer in these web cam photos. In this day and age, where everyone's cell phones have access to taking pictures and uploading on to your social networking sites, there is just no excuse. The lighting is always terrible and the quality is hidious. Death to the web cam photos!

Pale Girls with Too-Dark Hair

Evan Rachel Wood



Evan Rachel Wood



Here's an example of actress Evan Rachel Wood (formerly Marilyn Manson's girlfriend). She is absolutely stunning as a red head, which is closer to her natural color than that aweful charcoal black she is trying to rock in the bottom photo. Dark hair comes with a lot of maintenance if you are naturally lighter. You MUST darken your brows with pencil, gel, etc. You MUST wear a stronger blush, and possibly bronzer. You MUST bring out your eyes with liner (please, no violet contacts, haha!). If any of my pale sisters out there are vying to be gothic brunettes, you CAN do it, but your makeup and wardrobe has to completely change. The worst is when those little Emo girls do it, and have no idea how to fill in their blonde eyebrows or cover their mass of freckles. Oye.

My First Makeup Tutorial

I am excited to present: my first makeup tutorial video! Clearly, my editing skills need work, and I am already saving up for a nice video camcorder with better picture. I recreate one of the many looks Christina Aguilera wore in the motion picture Burlesque.

What started out as a personal Youtube is now a place for me to express my creativity in all things beauty. Please visit my Youtube Channel for tutorials, products reviews and more!

Click to subscribe to my Youtube Channel !

Winter 2011 Product Review

Happy December!

I am excited to share with you a plethora of beauty products that I recently got on my last (few) trip(s) to Sephora. I've recently started branching out and trying different brands. Most of my makeup career, I've relied heavily on MAC Cosmetics products, mostly because of my training there for 5 years and also because I get a SWEET discount with them. However, lately, I've felt a craving for more... variety. I mean, I can't call myself a good makeup artist if I mainly use one line of cosmetics! This recent urge has taken me on many trips to Sephora and several beauty counters, as well as poring through Youtube tutorials and online reviews. Every waking moment I have had the last few weeks has been spent educating myself on all the different brands and TRYING everything! I feel like I have a whole new world at my fingertips, but also, like I am doomed because of course all of this is COSTLY up the wazoo. Anyway, below are my new findings and what I thought of them.

Makeup For Ever HD Foundation-- $40

 I don't know where this foundation has been all my life, but I am AS excited about this as I was about NSync in high school. For the first time in my life, I am applying foundation on with my fingers. It glides on smoothly and gives beautiful coverage without feeling heavy. The color dries down true to what it looks like in the bottle, which is hard to find, as most foundations end up drying down darker than they look, or more yellow or pink. It looks gorgeous in photos as well as in person. Long-wearing and even a little sweat-proof. 

FRESH Magic Wands Mini Mascara Duo -- $10

I bought these in the checkout line at Sephora. Fresh's full size mascaras are a bit pricy, so I wanted to try them out before I committed. Supernova (the black one) looked beautiful at first, then slowly weighed my lashes down. It also doesn't dry fully..it feels like gel even hours after you apply it. Firebird (the blue one) however, is AMAZING. The wand can whip any flimsy lash hair into shape and LIFT your whole lashline. Dried down well and stayed on all day. 

Tarina Tarantino Sparklicity Pure Gold -- $19

This is part of Tarantino's limited Gold Collection and is simply divine. The light reflects off the mineralized crystals in this golden dust and just heavenly. I applied some MAC Cream Color Base to my cheekbones and dusted it on with a flat-tipped blush brush. The result? ETHEREAL 

Makeup For Ever Waterproof Eyebrown Corrector-- $19

Once again, where on God's green earth has this been all my life? I have always been very disappointed with the quality of eyebrow-filling products in the market, until this. I've tried everything: eyebrow waxes (too greasy), eyebrow liners (to harsh), eyebrow gels (crusty and pointless), and eyeshadow-as-eyebrow-filler (not strong enough). I hate when people's eyebrows dissappear in photos because of the flash, or just look faded or even worse SHINY because of the product they put in them (mine included!). This silicone-based gel feels more like a cream and is applied with an angle brush. The color STAYS PUT (even through a workout at the gym), stays MATTE and stays SOLID. Washes off with soap and water. One tube will probably last you a lifetime, and no, I'm not joking. The only jest I have is that it only comes in 4 shades. I'm hoping they expand this line because it's honestly amazing.

Attention Blondies: This product also doubles as a lash darkener when applied with a clean mascara brush! And on graying sideburns and mustaches, so Grandpa and your Dad will be happy campers as well. 

FRESH Prime & Glow Duo-- $10

Freshface Primer and Freshface Glow

Once again, I was trying not to break the bank, so I bought the sample-sized version of these two products in the checkout line of Sephora. The Freshface Primer smells amazing (like roses!) and a tiny bit does go a long way. I'm not sure if it's worth the hefty price though ($36) , since there are so many other primers that are cheaper and can do the job just fine. The Freshface Glow  ($36) is a moisturizer with a red pearl glow. It's really gorgeous, but reminds me of MAC's Strobe Cream ($29), which is slightly cheaper. My thoughts? If you got the $$ go for it. If not, there are cheaper options.

Sephora Face Wipes (25)-- $8

What...an utter dissappointment. I jumped at the price-- 25 wipes for eight bucks!-- but gravely regretted it later. First of all, the wipes feel like they are SOAKED in Palm Olive. Secondly, it didn't remove jack sh*t. After using one wipe, I looked like Heath Ledger's The Joker. I still had to wash off the remainder of my makeup with my Philosophy Purity cleanser and warm water. I still stand strongly by MAC's wipes (45 for $18).



I think I have a problem...

A LUSH problem! Their holiday stuff is out. Here's what I got:

• Holiday Bath Time Favorites tin, which features 9 baby bath bombs: Butter Ball, Winter Bath, Sex Bomb, Avobath, Honey Bee, Big Blue, Cinders, Li'l Lush Pud, So White. Trust me, it's a better deal.

• Candy Cane Bubble Bar (left)
• Christmas Eve Bubble Bar (purple with the moon)
• Gingerbread House (cupcake lookin')
• *Not pictured: Rub Rub, a tub of ocean-scented body scrub. 

May I suggest Cinders bath bomb and a touch of Gingerbread House? It was honestly the most scrumptious bath I've ever taken. Not too sweet and just spicy enough. MMMmmmm I love the holidays!

Seein' Spots

Herrow!


Here's a silly video of me rocking my leopard look from last week. There are literally a million photos of my mug! The song is a Muse cover of that old jam "Feeling Good." Hope it makes you laugh, smile and feel inspired. Enjoy...

                    

Ok, Chantal is going to kill me for posting it, but I really don't care. The image on the right is a look from Makeup For Ever. I recreated it on my favorite guinea pig, my little sis. I also call this look "Pretty Cholla" ;)

Black & Gold

Hi peeps!

Anyone who knows me well knows that my favorite color combo is black and gold. Imagine my delight when I went on a mad spree at Sephora and found that the Chic Prints I've been wanting to try came in BLACK AND GOLD. They are easier to apply than they look. 

1) Rub the sticker-like nail print to warm it up, then peel off

2) Rub your nail with alcohol to remove all natural oils from your finger.

3) Apply Chic Print very carefully, then cut the excess with a scissor. 

* The directions said to file the excess off, but let me just tell you how unsuccessful that was. Like drugs, just don't do it.

*Today is Day 4 and they are still holding up. The ends got a little frayed but I just smoothed them down. I also found that applying clear top coat to the edges of your nail will keep the Chic Print on longer. Just don't apply it ALL over the Chic Print.

Why did I only do one nail on each hand, you ask? Well..if I had anywhere to go I would have done all 10 digits. Also, I didn't want to scare everyone at the office with my metallic geometric fierceness!

Interestingly, as I was writing this blog, a Sam Sparro song came up on my iTunes. It's called "Black & Gold." Coincidence? I think not... 

*Go to Youtube for the "real" video...it's pretty dope!

The White Queen

I had some fun over the weekend with an idea Chantal actually came up with. She found this photo below of the Anne Hathaway as the White Queen from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. I recreated the look and thought I'd share. This was super fun to do, I just wish my wig wasn't so haggard. Let me know if you have any suggestions on what I should try next! PS I hemmoraged a ton of money at Sephora's over the weekend and I have ZERO buyer's remorse...is that bad? I can't wait to share all my new product reviews with you!

Holiday Gift Ideas!

Click the name of the cosmetic brand to find the link to these great gifts! Enjoy...

 

 Candy Cane Lane

PHILOSOPHY

$22.00

Includes Shower Gel, Body Lotion and Lip Shine all in Candy Cane Flavor



Great Skin Home & Away   

CLINIQUE

$59.00

Includes Full-Size Liquid Facial Soap Oily Skin Formula, Full-Size Clarifying Lotion, Full-Size Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, Travel Size Liquid Facial Soap Oily Skin Formula, Travel Size Clarifying Lotion, Travel Size Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel.

 

Sugar Plum Let It Glow!                     FRESH                                                                                     $28.00                                                                                     Includes Sugar Plum Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15, Supernova Mascara, Twilight Freshface Glow, Citron de Vigne Eau de Parfum                                      

Beauty In A Box: NARS Junkie      NARS             $69                                                                                              Includes Essential Eye Palette, Ophelia Lip Gloss, mini Orgasm Multiple, mini Bronzer in Laguna

                                                                                                                   Rock For Ever                                        MAKEUP FOREVER                                             $49                                                                                              Includes HD High Definition Microfinish Powder, Sens' Eyes Waterproof Sensitive Eyes Cleanser, HD High Definition Microperfecting Primer, Smoky Lash mascara in Extra Black and Aqua Eyes Mat Black 0L

12 Days of Christmas                                LUSH                                                                                           Price ranges from $20 - $300                                                      Includes a variety of Lush bubble bars, bath bombs, shower gels, etc 



Moxsie: Coupon Giveaway

Happy Tuesday Ya'll! I just bought this killer pair of high heels at Moxsie.com and got a one-time only $15.00 coupon off off anything from their site. I thought I'd be generous and share with my followers and readers.

Here's the catch. It's a one-time use only coupon. It's valid until Friday, November 12.

I will give it to the first person who leaves a comment on this post! I've never done a "contest" on my blog before, but MOXSIE is a pretty awesome site, especially if you're like me and always shopping for UNIQUE, FUN & STYLISH clothing and accessories.

Zombie/Dead Mermaid

Everyone has been asking how I did the Mermaid Zombie look this past Halloween, so I'll try to explain. (I know...I need to start doing YouTube tutorials).

1) FACE-- I applied a sheer layer of MAC Chromacake "White" all over with Fix + Spray to wet it and a big buffer brush (think Kabuki). Followed by a LIGHT LIGHT dusting of Landscape Green Chromacake.  I then took a clean blush brush and buffed in Swimming Eye Shadow (a grass green shade) over all over it. I topped everything off with Invisible Set Powder. Highlighted with Lavender FX Hyper Real/Pressed Powder and contoured with Taupe blush. I went over all the contours with Femme Noir (a black-green eyeshadow) and a crease brush. Be sure to get the inner parts of your eyes, from the top of your eyebrows to underneath the eye. Go around your nostrils and under the lower lip. 

2) EYES-- Um, what didn't I have ON my lids?! I'll skip the little stuff here. Various Fluidlines used as bases. Blue Brown Pigment on the top lids, applied WET, with like 5 different shades of dark greens and purples in the crease. Under eyes were also a variety of purples and reds, and I lined the inner rim with Foxy Lady (a true RED eyeliner). Lashes from Sally's, believe it or not.

3) LIPS-- Velvetella creme liner (my FAVE) with Cyber lipstick, and a shimmery burgandy lip glass that was limited. Blood Gel by Cinema Secrets was carefully "dripped" on each corner of the mouth, but not before drawing it out with Velvetella first.

4) CHEST-- I applied the same Chromacake technique to my chest and shoulders as I did to my face, including the contouring. Then I drew a stencil out of canvas paper for the "ribs" and used Femme Noir eyeshadow with a big fluffy brush in between it. You can also get this look from an airbrush machine but A) I was too lazy and B) Who has time to clean an airbrush machine?

5) SCALES-- I used some fishnet stockings as a stencil and patted Ostentatious Fluidline on. Viola! ;)

*All the products (except for the lashes and blood) used for this look are from MAC Cosmetics, many from their Pro line. Click the link in my other mermaid look to find a Pro store near you.

Pretty Little Wwwitch!

This is Connie, who was dressing up as a Sexy Witch for Halloween. She requested fantasy eyes, so that's what I gave her. Glitter "Snake" created with Rhinestones & Pearls from the crafts store, and MAC Neon Yellow Glitter (Pro only, see my Mermaid post on where to find a store). Hope you had a bewitching night, dollface!



Armenian Mermaid

Happy Halloween! I hope everyone had a fun weekend. I am EXHAUSTED. And in the next couple of days as I post blogs, you will see why. Friday and Saturday were full of appointments, but they were well worth it. I actually stayed in Sunday, the 31st because I was officially out of steam! This year, I decided to go with the mermaid costume, but I wanted to be my OWN kind of mermaid, not your typical Ariel. I made fish scales on my chest, shoulders and face using fishnets stockings as a stencil. I wanted to look "wet" so I used tons of Light Green Glitter by MAC (only in Pro stores, click HERE to find one near you) You will notice that I took these photos before I put on my lipstick and gloss, but there's a reason for that: I needed to eat a slice of pizza! LOL So please forgive me for my half-done lips...

 

* Click to make the photos bigger!

BoO!

Hi Everyone! I know it's been a minute since I updated my blog, but I'm back and in full force with Halloween Arts & Crafts lol! Check out my pumpkin patch below and my BoO-licious nails.

• Pick your pumpkins. You need "perfect" ones for decorating. Looks for smoothness, evenness and color.
•  Buy cheap ribbon and other crafts from your local art store.
• You will need a glue gun.

• I used Essie's "Chinchilly" nail polish
• Then added Cina Nail Art Decals from Sally Beauty Supply
• Finally, I topped it off with my new favorite glitter polish to give it that "Starry Night Sky" feel, Sparkle-Icious By OPI

Little Miss Munchkin

IT's A GiRL! Producer Amy wanted to capture her second pregnany with professional photos and some maternity body art, so she let me go to town on her. Here she is in her home garden in-between takes taking a breather. She's a trooper...it was basically an all-day shoot, scorching hot weather and she was approximately 8 months pregnant here.

It's always such a cool experience for me as an artist to do maternity paintings. It's takes quite some time to finish the belly portion and I can always feel the baby moving around and reacting to the (light) pressure of my brushes. Amy's baby was relatively mellow, so a special thank you to Miss Munchkin for "holding still" for me.

I only wish we had more time for me to add more flowers. Enjoy...

Dia De Los Muertos

Hi Peeps! Anyone who knows me knows my love for Mexican culture. The food is amazing, the music is inspiring, the language is ancient and the ART is beautiful! I have always been fascinated with the Mexican version of Halloween, "Dia de Los Muertos." I researched a few face masks and found the perfect one I wanted to recreate on my face. Fun, huh?

Check out the slide show below for steps

Fimo Cane Nail Art

Ok, I went a little over the top with my nails, but when I saw these little gems at Sally the other day, I just couldn't help myself! They are by a company called FIMO Cane and are sold in beauty supply stores all over. I couldn't find them on Sally's site, so if you are interested in purchasing,  CLICK HERE. The craziest part is that these nail decals are made of CLAY and can be used for decorating not only nails, but cell phone covers, vases, etc. They look like fun little Lisa Frank erasers (throw back to 1990!) I half expect a little dolphin to jump out of a rainbow at me! You can buy them in the "cane" form and slice them up, or just do what I did and buy them in a package that's already cut up and ready to use. I bought the flower/butterfly package, but I did notice they have a Fruit Slices one as well. I'm on a hunt for other themes (Nautical, anyone?), because I am now obsessed!

I waited until my nail polish was tacky (in between wet and dry) then used tweezers to pick each lil' guy up and pressed it onto my nail. I coated each nail with clear top coat afterward. It's only Day 2, and they still look good. Here's hoping they will last a week! Enjoy...

Lady C's Beauty Survey

1) Mood- Super Charged! I'm doing Quick Trim and it's give me an extra boost of energy... doesn't help that I had a cup of coffee too. 

2) What's one lip gloss you find yourself buying over and over again?-  I legit own about 100 lip glosses, and I'm constantly wanting to try new ones, so I never have one that I use all the time. I'll use one lip gloss a week and then dip into my collection to try another. I die for Chanel's LÈVRES-SCINTILLANTES though...God they are gorgeous.

3) Something You'd Like to Improve about Yourself? I'm not the most patient person. Everything in my life is a rush. I'm easily annoyed with everything from waiting for a reply to an email I have sent, to driving in rush hour traffic, and really, all this being impatient only makes my life harder to live. I so wish I could be more patient, and enjoy the present instead of always doing things 5 years ahead of time!

4) Guys with Beards-Hot or Not? My man has a baby face, and every once in awhile he grows out a goatee per my request. I love it either way. Just don't enjoy that 2-day stubble.

5) Eyes/Lips/Cheeks- EYES: MAC's "Painterly" paint pot, Blacktrack eyeliner. LIPS: Bingo! Plushglass by MAC obvs, CHEEKS: my summer cheeks, Goddess blush (bright orange, limited edition MAC) and Apricot shimmer dust

6) What are You Looking Forward to This Summer? My girl Holly visiting me, going to the LUSH party in Bev Hills with our dogs (yay!), going to San Diego with Dylan and hitting up the beach with my sister, once this ridic weather clears up! Oh and the LAKERS WINNING THE CHAMPIONSHIP! I'd always like to squeeze in a couple of Dodger games. I love summer!

7) What's One Random Thing You're Great At Doing? NAILs! I don't know what it is, but I find it so therapeutic to do my own and others' nails, and, depending on how gross your feet are, I'll even do pedicures. I just enjoy the art factor of doing nails and all the pretty colors. *sigh*

8) What's Your Favorite Eyeliner? HANDS down, MAC's Fluidline, in any color. If you're looking for super long wearing, water-proof-to the-point-that-you-could-scuba-dive in, I also recommend MAC's LiquidLast. I know. I'm a total MAC whore.

9) Outfit: Jeggings, black Gladiator sandals, black sequin tunic, black Wayfarer sunglasses. I rock.

10) Weekly Goals: Get back into the gym and work.it.out. Book more clients for July spots. Get Nancy Grace in SKY magazine. Spend time with my sister and bf. They are my life, ya know.

Bridesmaid Beauties

This bridesmaid and Maid of Honor just needed their eyes done at a recent wedding. Their dresses were eggplant, so I did pinks and deep plums on Serena (L) and a smoky plum eye on Kat (R). Topped both off with lashes, of course. :)

Gorgeous Matte Skin in the Summer

Last weekend, I went to a fabulous vineyard wedding in Northern California and did the makeup for the bridal party. Here is the Mother of the Bride. She wore a navy blue long gown with crystal accessories. Her skin is on the oily side so I packed her down with MAC Matte Cream, Prep + Prime Skin and Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder. The powder can be worn on top of or underneath foundation. It's such a shine-saver! 

I gave Becky's olive complexion coral cheeks and lips to make it pop and matched her eyes to her dress.