How to blend eye shadow

Blending colors together can be difficult at times leaving you with a muddy, muted look, but there is a technique that you can use to practice blending your colors.








What you will need to practice this technique:

Black eye shadow
White eye shadow
A large shader brush
A pencil brush
A tapered blending brush

If you can blend black and white together you can blend any colors together.
Leaving you with  a nice gradient of color movement.

I have demonstrated this technique in the video below so you can see how its done. Happy blending!

Let me know what you guys think?

Products I am loving right now

I have many products that I use daily. But there are only a selected few that I truly love, Here are a few that I won't live without.

Anastasia of Beverly hills Perfect Brow Pencil.
Anastasia.net says:
Anastasia specially designed this pencil to apply and blend color into the brow to achieve a brow look so natural it looks like your own. With a velvety-smooth pencil on one end and a built in brow brush on the other, this product is perfect for anyone who wants to achieve a fuller brow look. Portable and convenient to apply and blend color into the brow with less to carry in your makeup bag.

The Highlighter Pencil
This pencil brings subtle focus to the brow bone. Use the Matte side during the day to create a soft highlight.

The Lashes you can find them at www.ilovekara.com They Are AMAZING!!

What are your favorites?
And don't laugh at my madness!

Things you should do before its to late!

I didn't always take care of my skin when I was younger, and it caught up to me before I knew it.

Here are some things I regret not doing and think you younger ladies should keep up with.





Diane Keaton is one of my hero's and I hope I look as half as good as she does. Intelligent, witty and gorgeous! I'm giving Diane a Squiddy.

Things you should keep up with.

Treat your eye area better, they will start to wrinkle.

Protect your skin. child bearing will reek havoc.

Water, Drink it. Lots of it.

Moisturize Everything, Everyday.

Find your best eyebrow shape for your face shape and stay with it, it doesn't get any better.

Be gentle to your hair it's apart of you, don't kill it.

    Find a bra that compliments your shape, two sets ain't twice as nice

    Find your summer and winter shade in your favorite foundation.

    Use as many shimmery products as you can, because when you get older it wont look as nice.

    I will update this post regularly so follow my blog to keep up with this list.

   Also if anyone is seeing my videos on YouTube please gimme a like,comment or a sub.

   I love hearing your replies to my madness, please let me know your there in a comment, like or follow!

   Thanks, Love you guys!

Value yourself.

In my line of work, Which is mainly set around relationships. I do see a lot of people who don't value themselves. It seems to me that people don't realize how how amazing they truly are.

Here are a list of things I believe if you apply them to your life, you will see how special you truly are.

1. Remember where you came from and how far you have come.
2. Never forget that it was you who accomplished and attained all you have.
3. Always remember your a limited edition and anyone one would be lucky to have you.
4. Your dreams are yours don't put them on a shelf for no one ever!
5. Gossip is for the ignorant and dim witted.
6. Your life is your journey and you are the driver.
7. A Pretty face doesn't make a pretty heart.
8. Your opinion does matter.

9. Intelligence is dead sexy.

What would you add as the tenth to this list?

This post was inspired by Ciaobella

Big Dramatic eyes!

Big dramatic eyes can be seductive, alluring, sexy and most of all confident. I love this look and to make it I was going through the makeup i collected here and there. You know the basket, box or drawer where you keep all that un-filable makeup in? yea that's the one. anyhoo, I found this old palette I think it was either a flea market or my sister and she knows how I feel about makeup. I can't throw it out no matter how bad it is. And this is Bad. So I kept it, and I used it today. It didn't go well. First of all the colors were very pigmented it was a mix of matte and shimmer. I just realized i don't know how to spell matte, Dad would be proud! Mean while back at the ranch. I should spell check that. Bright vibrant colors very much like a BH cosmetics palette. For Christmas 2010 I bought my sister in law the whole product line. One night a few days before christmas and many cocktails we started the i'll show you your gift if you show me mine game. She loved it, I loved it, the kids loved it. it was great!

So when I bought this I was like eww. so me being me I kept it, I never used it. Maybe subconsciously I just like what it brought to my makeup table. A click here a clack there. I love that noise! maybe I like that it can be a coaster or maybe, just maybe a palette for depotteds? I know that's not a word but I like it! Done right it could become a flat brush holder for traveling? Either way it's always there feeling un-loved un-wanted.

I began looking at its sleek good for a copy slim casing. Grabbing it flipping it over and opened. It was smashed here, smashed there but she was still there. Looking her over, deciding where tonight's Adventure will take us. Hot vixen or holly The Hottie Homemaker? NOT GOOD.

But I knew i needed to give her a little bit. So I did a managed to work something up.
I put up a Video of my adventure.

I would Love to hear if you have any un-lovables and how long have you had them? Screw yew Spellcheck!

Makeup brushes and how to use them.

Makeup Brushes

"A makeup brush is a tool with bristles, used for the application of make up or face painting. The bristles could be made out of natural or synthetic materials, while the handle is usually made out of plastic or wood. When cosmetics are applied using the appropriate brush they blend better in the skin tone". -Wikipedia.

Blend better? Appropriate brush? You have a millions brushes or close to it and your a blending fool! But do your looks still end up muddy? It's not always the color combo that makes a look go muddy. And don't go blaming your brush brand for your muddy eye, its actually you that's causing the mud.

Ever wonder why makeup artist have so many brushes? well the truth is its size and it does matter.

My sister has these large eyes lids with a very little hood, a perfect canvas for any eye look.
Myself on the other hand, lets just say I have to adjust my crease for it to even be seen.

So I got to thinking, my eyes are pretty small. So why would I use the same brush size my sister uses?
I mean if I wore her shoes it would make any outfit look pretty sloppy. So why do the same with a makeup brush?

Here are the most commonly used brushes and how to use them.

I broke this video series into two parts eyes and face. this series isn't about a certain brand of brush or type, its about size. Because size does matter when it comes to your eyes. let me know what you think?

The Liebster Award

My fellow blogger Ciaobella Passed on this amazing TAG for up and coming bloggers.

"The Liebster Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. So, what is a Liebster? The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. Isn't that sweet? Blogging is about building a community and it's a great way to connect with other bloggers and help spread the word about newer bloggers/blogs."

So it gives new bloggers a chance to shine, however there are rules that im a going to copy and paste from Ciaobella. Oh and you guys should check her out she is pretty amazinng! Thanks so much.

here are the rules!

Link back to the person who nominated you.

Answer the eleven questions from the person who nominated you.

Write down eleven more questions.

Nominate eleven more bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

Let the bloggers you've chosen know about it!

Here are the questions Ciaobella sent me.

1. Where are you from? South Carolina

2. How old are you? arghh 37 Not Fair!

3. What do you like to do for fun? things like this

4. What got you in to blogging? beauty and life

5. What is one beauty product that you cannot live without? my smashbox primer

6. What is one fashion product (clothing, shoe, or accessory) that you cannot live without? Diamond stud earrings

7. Where do you like to go to relax? my room 

8. Choose one: Mani or Pedi? Why? pedi I love open toe shoes

9. What's your favorite food? chinese

10. What's your favorite food? chinese

11. Where's your favorite place to vacation? whats a vacation?

These are my eleven questions

1. whats the first thing you think about in the morning?

2. what is your signature color?

3. how long have you been blogging?

4. What is your favorite form of social media?

5. If you could have lunch with one historical figure who would it be?

6. who is your favorite band?

7. Favorite cosmetic brand?

8. what kind of music do you like?

9. Mac or P.C?.

10. I Phone or Android?

11. do you know how awesome you are? Because I do. :)

the eleven Bloggers I nominate.

TwentythirtyGlam

Olive oil in your beauty routine.

Olive oil has been around since the world has been round. its mainly used in cooking recipes especially as a salad dressing. Not many people however know of the properties that this oil possesses. 

Sofia Loren used to bathe and moisturize with it. Olive oil was apart of her daily beauty routine. She even took two teaspoon doses daily.

Here is a list of ways you can use this effective and cost efficient product you already have in your kitchen.

Moisturizer:
Adds moisture to the skin, the Vitamin E inside helps heal flaky and broken skin. helps with scars, dark spots, dry patches, eczema, sunburn, and yes wrinkles. this soothes and promotes healing.

Mask:
Mix olive oil, natural brown sugar and oatmeal to create a face mask that will help with scars, dark spots, dry patches, eczema, sunburn, and yes wrinkles. this soothes and promotes healing. If you have oily skin. just by putting it on your skin for five minutes and rinsing it off  can help reduce excess oils that your skin maybe creating. This can be used daily.

After Bath: Apply all over still wet skin for a soft moisturizing experience, in almost three years since using olive oil I haven't needed a body lotion. I highly recommend this to anyone.

Makeup Remover: I used to purchase the $10 bottle of waterproof eye makeup remover from Sephora and I did love it. But at $10 a bottle I was going through a bottle like it was nothing. So I tried Vaseline it was to heavy and my lashes hated it. Then I did some research on line and found out about olive oil as a skin treatment and I tried it and well all i'm going to say is that i'm in love. 

Its doesn't irritate my eyes, doesn't feel greasy and did I mention its affordable and is available almost everywhere. 

I put mine in a bottle and keep it on my makeup table.
This is one product i know will always be apart of my routine.

What are you using to remove your makeup?

Let me know I wanna hear your voice!

Dry and Wet Contouring blenders and brushes

Contouring isn't just for the cover of supermarket magazines anymore. its walking down the isle with baby in tow. Its at schools, hospitals and the drug store. It has become a staple in everyone's makeup routine to achieve that perfect sculpted face.

kimkardashian.celebuzz.com

The Technique isn't very hard, darken what you want to hide and lighten what you want to enhance. There are also many products and applicators on the market to use.

Bronzers that aren't to shimmery but more in the matte side are very popular. A lot of bronzers however come in a duo compact that offers two colors that complement each other to achieve the look easily.

however these compact duo's don't always come with an applicator or a very useful one is that, my guess is packaging. 

I personally prefer the single shade type, i'm not a fan of glitter on my face and I will never use that other product and it will just go to waste. If your starting out on your own mission for perfect cheeks bones then this is the way to go.

Tools, brushes,contour sticks,contour pencils, kabuki. wet or dry you achieve the same results, its up to you pick your poison.

Sephora.com

Beauty Blenders

Sephora.com says:

These small sponge applicators help to achieve the same flawless finish with all makeup formulations. The BeautyBlender Pro has the same suede texture as the original. With unique curves that fit the contours of your face, it leaves your makeup dazzling and undetectable. 

What else you need to know:

This non-latex product is hypoallergenic and can last up to three-four months if cared for properly. Beautyblender is an Allure Best of Beauty Award Winner.

I say they are right they do exactly what they say they do and they feel amazing on your face like little kisses of goodness.

Sephora.com

Angled Contour Brushes

Sephora.com says:

This unique, angled contour brush ideally applies all types of formulas and provides expert definition. Effortlessly apply blush, bronzer, foundation, and even concealer with this multipurpose brush. The angled bristles pick up more product than a normal brush, resulting in a truly sculpted appeal. The slant of the synthetic bristles forms a chiseled edge, allowing for accurate placement that sweeps flat against the skin and delivers even application. The pointed side easily reaches facial contours with ease, making coverage around the nose and eyes a breeze.

Once again they are right, the thing is there is no right or wrong way to contour. it basically boils down to your preferences and how you like to do it. I did find in my own musings that a wet contour is a bit more light feeling. I mean if you put on a bronzer, blush and a powder to set it all, that's three products. 

Dont get me wrong when i go out on the weekend or a special occasion i will deffinetly powder it up.

But for everyday I find the stick form really nice sutle and light feeling. No its not the Kim K. heavy stuff.

Its...drum roll please!  The milani secret cover concealer stick. I use the dark 03 shade for my skin color.

SECRET COVER

Milani.com says:

An oil-free, concealer stick that instantly covers blemishes, scars, dark under-eye circles and age spots. Enriched with Vitamins A & E to soothe and protect. Dab or slide stick on areas that need to be concealed. 

Now I  know your going to say but it's a concealer. Yes it is, and if your like me there are scars on my cheeks that I would like to hide! So the bottom line is this.

It doesn't feel heavy.

I can use a brush or a blender or finger tip if need be.

easy to use point and shoot.

blends effortlessly. 

soothes and protects.

I'm glad I tried it and I will definitely be buying it again.

So how about you? how do you contour? Let me know I wanna hear your voice!

Find yourkind of beautiful,
The Makeup Squid 

Here I am tumblr

http://themakeupsquid.tumblr.com

Clear skin Not!

I've never had problems with my skin growing up. it was always clear and smooth.
but the acne Gods had other plans for me, after my second child I was 21-22  and it was down hill from there. It was bad cystic and all over my cheek, forehead and chin. Not greasy, just there and it was horrible when i wore makeup it only made it more noticeable. I was never a big makeup wearer until the last 2 years.I started watching you tube and all the gurus kinda made me think hey! maybe there is a whole bunch of crap on my brushes? or hey maybe that golden sparkly blush is making them pop up more! So I listened, I tried and tried. then I went to Sephora the mother of all makeup stores the holy grail! I fell in love,so much I would hate going with another person because I felt rushed or hurried. anyhoo, I would go once a week and would ask,ask and ask! I asked everything how do I find my outer V, how do I hide dark circles, whats this brush do! 

Well lets just say I went so much that every week I always got the 500 point perk. as I collected things I liked and things I didn't. I saw a video about the Clair sonic on YouTube I don't want to lie whose video it was but I broke down and bought my Mia. OMG I couldn't believe it. the feeling! it was great. so I got my machine down. now I needed a face soap, toner and moisturizer.  I was using tea tree oil but it was horrible I smelt, my eyes were throbbing. I saw a video on people using antibiotics as a treatment for acne. light bulb! i thought hmm maybe I have a bacteria that's causing this. so I went to look for an antibacterial face soap. I found Triple Clean Anti-Bacterial Lathering Cleanse
 its an antibacterial face wash, but hard to find. I also seen a video about a toner by 
Dickinson Brands, Original Witch Hazel, Pore Perfecting Toner
  It has witch hazel in it that helps with the oil. now I knew I needed to exfoliate so I went for the clean and clear deep action exfoliating scrub.and I purchased purity made simple by philosophy to clean my brushes but I ended up using it for removing my makeup as the others I couldn't get near my eyes or it was to thick for the eye area. I also started using the clean and clear Persa gel 10 along with advantage-acne-control-moisturizer and a the Oil of Olay Active Hydrating Cream from the original line. 

So with my Mia and products in hand I started my regimen and I was faithful. and to be honest the more I used it the more I loved my face. I loved the feel the look sure ill never get a natural tan on my face again. but its nothing a bronzer cant fix. I use my products in a certain order if that has anything to do with it I don't know but I also don't care! all I know its been working and i'm not changing it. I guess as long as I stick to the antibacterial, exfoliate, witch hazel, moisturize rule no matter what brand or name. but for the price i'm good with this.  I would love to hear what your doing even if its nothing! let me know. Thanks for Reading!
Links down below!

sephora.com
clarisonic.com
www.noxzema.com
www.philosophy.com
www.olay.com