What's My Face Worth TAG!

The Lovely Ashley and Julie over at 20/30Glam Tagged me for this, you should totally go an check out their blog and see their results, but to me they are priceless :) Their blog has a little bit of everything beauty, hair , nails and they are currently in the market for the perfect red lipstick! So go check them out tell them the Squid sent ya :)

Okay, I need to give you a little background before we begin. I don't have a makeup box/bag, I have a makeup table. and everything is always their staring back at me shouting, try me, try me. So I found it hard finding out what my face is worth, so what I did was make a list of what I use most.

I will include pics of what I am using as a makeup table now and show you my old makeup set up, this was my baby and these pictures break my heart every time. Enjoy :)

Where I am now :)

Where I was :o

Sometimes you just have to be big girl and roll with the punches ;)

 Now on to this tag!

I am not going to post pics, but here it goes.

L'Oreal Magic BB Cream $34.00

Maybelline Fit Me foundation $7.99

Maybelline Fit Me concealer $6.49

Maybelline Fit Me Powder $7.99

UD Primer Potion $20.00

Naked2 $52.00

UD 24/7 $19.00

 TooFaced LashGasam $21.00

Oh la lift $22.00

Hello Flawless $34.00

Elf Blush Bronzer Duo $3.00

Chanel Rouge coco $34.00

Drum Roll please! $229.46 Oh, my goodness! 

I am ashamed and secretly  happy at the same time. LMAO!!!

You never really pay attention to it but these are products we use everyday

 for months so it evens out I hope :/

Thanks Ladies (20/30Glam) for this fun tag!

The blogs I tag are DenineBlondie, Lifeasamy1, LolliK Leigh-Ann and YOU!

( If I tagged you after you have done this sowy )

Disney Villains False Lashes by Ardell SALE!!

Disney Villains False Lashes by Ardell are at Walgreen's And they are on sale from 7.99 to 5.99 

for a few days only!

I am a nut when it comes to lashes and these are amazing! Each Villain has her own set of lashes and some even have rhinestones on them perfect for any glam look especially with Halloween right around the corner.

Lets see what these villains have in store for us tonight!

Cruella De vil

She is as bad as they come! A Fashionista and a Die hard bitch. She hatee puppies or anything that has a prettier coat then the one she wears, But these lashes are all about the drama! Long and full of statements. The bottom pair features rhinestones on the outer rim perfect for a winged liner look matched with a red lip. 

Oh, the villainy!

Ursula

Now this is a villain if there ever was! Even though she was a Squid at heart, her selfish ways brought poor Ariel down to her knees! She used her sensual eyes to draw your attention away from the fact that  she was half squid and could take you down in a millisecond. These lashes are sure to get the attention of your prey.

Maleficent

For years she has defined the art of the perfect arch and with the sexiest eyes of any animated character. She was the one you loved to hate but watched her just to see what she would do next. Captivating us with her surreal beauty and cold heart, Maleficent is the way to go to show, No isn't an option. To follow in her footsteps you will have to take matters into your own hands. The faint of heart need not apply here.

Evil Queen

What would it be like to have minions at you beck and call? Answering to your every whim? She embodies deathly beauty and determined eyes, no one will get in her way.  Sensual and powerful are the two main ingredients with any of the lashes from her set. Do you have what it takes to compete with the Evil Queen?

Well my friends our journey through the Disney villains has come to an end.

First of all I want to thank Ardell for these, even though I wont wear them often is was nice to go back down memory lane, even just for a moment or two! 

I think the Squidlet and I will do a Disney Villains makeover movie night since its the perfect season for it, yay for Halloween :) 

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did! It really took me back when I saw these for the first time. 

They took me back to when I was a girl and Going to the movies meant something. Another time and another place, but I will never forget these characters. Now I am all grown up, but I can still play!

My favorite has always been Maleficent never knew why maybe because she can turn herself into a Dragon.

Who is your favorite Disney Villain?

Thanks for listening!

Have a great day!

Eye Primer Eggsperiment!

Eye Primers. We use them to enhance the color of our shadows and give us a smooth surface to work on.

The three eye primers I have used are the three pictured here.

they all claim to do the same thing, but do they all do as they claim?




I decided to do my own experiment on these three primers using an egg, yes an egg.
I let the egg get to room temperature before I started.

In this eggsperiment I was looking for three things. Color payoff, Smoothing effect and Staying power.
In the video you will see my results enjoy!
Oh, and if you like what you see please subscribe to my YouTube channel here.

Please watch and let me know what you think. I plan on doing other experiments like this is the future Please let me know if there is any other product I should test.

Colgate Slim Soft Tooth Brush

Okay, I have to admit I was very skeptical on this tooth brush, I though, how good can a tooth brush be its just a tooth brush, right? Wrong!

Omg, this brush feels so good it like makeing love to your mouth!
And the bristles are so soft you can actually feel them getting in between teeth.
Also the bristles are so soft you can scrub your gums without worrying of any bruising or tearing.
They also included and trial size mouth wash and tooth paste.
As a trio they are great and the freshness last all day.

I am seeing a difference in teeth whitening I am a smoker and coffee drinker so its important to me to keep a bright smile and this definitely helps.

I will continues to use this brush and re-buy it when its time to renew!

I recieved the Colgate Slim Soft Tooth Brush compliments of  Influenster.com
this is a service that you sign up for and they offer free samples on all kinds or products.
I am happy I joined and happy for my new tooth brush! Thanks Infulenster and Colgate :)

sorry no pics the kids got to my box before I did LOL

Beauty and the Drugstore

Hi, everyone. I hope you are all enjoying the season so far.

I wanted to share something I experienced in Walgreen's the other day. So I walked in and made a bee line for the beauty section as I always do :). And there were these two lovely ladies that worked there named Laura and Jessica. As soon as I entered asked if I needed any help, I responded with a "no, thanks, just looking". 

I browsed around and found this funky mascara tester.

Which was cool in the fact that it lets you see what you would look like with amazing lashes.

So as I wandered up and down the beauty section there they were walking with me talking among themselves about beauty products, stuff they like and have tried themselves.

Then it started, we talked and talked for what seemed like an hour about beauty products! It was great, They helped me find my perfect shade in Foundation, concealer and a pressed powder.

After I have gathered all me goodies it was time to check out and we headed over to the beauty check stand. I punched in my dads Walgreen's number (I always use my dads number because he fills his prescriptions in and doesn't understand the point system, and I am not going telling him). And she tells me I have 3000 points! I was like, wait! I will be right back and ran down and picked up a bronzer that was 4.99 thinking I would only pay 1.99, right?

No, Laura goes to the back of the store and brings out this folder full of coupons and finds the one for the bronzer and I ended up only paying 88 cents for a full size bronzer! I was so shocked that they were so helpful and all it took was a simple conversation! She gave me other coupons too that helped lower the total.

And this got me thinking, when we are sick and aren't feeling well we talk to the pharmacist and chat with them about what they think is best for us to use. But we never talk to the lady in the beauty section.

these young ladies offered to hold coupons for me next time I am in the store.

So my point is, make friends with the beauty lady at your local drug store they can lead you to great deals and they do know what they are talking about they are in there all day and use these products themselves so they kinda know whats up. And once they heard I was a BB they got even more excited! I am so glad I have met them and will continue going back to them again.

I have included a short video on the haul and the products I picked up that night hope you enjoy!

Have you had a drug store beauty experience like this?

I would love to hear it.

Thanks for listening and watching!

Have a great day :)

Counterfeit Beauty Products

Well, Ladies and Gents, in this post we will be putting brains before beauty.

This has been something that has been on my mind for sometime now and its been bugging me.
How would you feel if someone anyone re-posted your post on their blog passing themselves off as the author? Not good, Right?

Well this has been known to happen. And it is happening more often now then ever before in the Makeup and Beauty industry.

Now, I am all for a good dupe. A Dupe is not a counterfeit.

Dupe :  duplicate
Counterfeit: made to look like an exact copy of something in order to trick people

In a article I found online this is becoming a big problem.

M.A.C.com says:
"To counterfeit means to illegally imitate an item or good. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product".


Another Article on line at  CBC Canada states the following:

"We had the [fake] M.A.C cosmetic tested at an independent laboratory and those tests came back, [and] indicated that there were higher than normal levels of different metals in these counterfeit products and were apt to have caused that allergic reaction," said Gilmore.

Most luxury brand names refuse to speak publicly about the knockoff problem. An executive with one very popular shampoo company, who refused to be named, told CBC News that counterfeit product is an important subject but that the firms don't want to go public in case they create "brand confusion."

In another case, DeJoria said a store in Florida was stocked with what looked like Paul Mitchell shampoo, but was a knockoff made with contaminated water and full of bacteria".

You can read the whole story here.

Ebay Also issues a warning about buying discontinued items titled:

Use Caution When Buying Discontinued Beauty Products

You can view this here.

Not only are they hurting people in general, but they are also hurting our most beloved brands.

So I am urging you to support the brands you love. yes it will cost extra but in the long run everyone will come out ahead and happy with the purchase.

I have seen and tried Knock off  M.A.C Products before and they do not look/feel/smell the same.

They sell them in alleys in major cities all across the US and Canada.

Thanks for listening!

Have a great day:)

If this doesnt make sense to you let me know so I can delete this post. 

I feel Like I ranted for no reason hehe:)

Beauty Battle Blog Vs. Vlog It's on!

Okay, So I Have decided to do a little experiment Using my blog and my YouTube channel which I guess is called a Vlog. I post to both of them often and put as much effort into both equally. So What I want to find out if which of the two get more of a  response/feedback/comments/follows/subscriptions. I post the results daily up on my personal Vlog. The reason why I am posting it here is to get you guys involved. I want to let you guys know what I am doing and also letting you know that any new followers/subscribers I gain will be mentioned on the personal Vlog as well as like/shares and what not. If there is anything I am leaving out of this experiment Please let me know.

My YouTube Beauty Channel is here
My Youtube Vlog Channel is here

I am including the intro video to the experiment and the 2nd day follow up.
I feel like a mad scientist Muhaha ;)  Enjoy!

Beauty Blogger Tag!

Tags are everywhere! My girls Julie and Ashley at 20/30Glam tagged me for this. These ladies are beautiful, smart and dead sexy. Their blog is about everything beautiful from hair to beach themed candle holders. And between you and I,  I think they are shopaholics like me:) They have great haul videos and reviews on their YoutTube channel so hop on over and check them out!

Now on to the tag! There are rules and here they are.

Here are the Official Rules for The Beauty Blogger Tag:
1. State that the Tag was created by The Beau Bow
2. Tag other Beauty Bloggers
3. Title it "Beauty Blogger Tag"

Tada! There's the rules, those are some nice rules. Moving on.

Name a beauty Routine that you rarely do?
Who said I have a routine in the first place? sorry but I don't. I just kinda wing it.

Is washing your makeup brushes something you do regularly?
I do it like every two weeks deep cleaning. I kinda clean them every other day with the Sephora daily cleaner it comes in a spray bottle and I just wipe them clean on the surface.

How long will you last with chipped nail varnish?
When I have nails not long maybe a day or so depends on whats going on really. If I am painting or remodeling then I will wait until the project it done. But right now I have no nails, i'm a biter.

How long do you put off buying or replacing a beauty or nail product even if you need it?
I don't, if I am running low on something I replace it before its completely gone.

What is your worst beauty habit?
I smoke. I know this is bad for my skin. But if i don't smoke I will have no skin to worry about.
I don't ever get enough sleep, late nights early mornings, coffee. You should have asked what I do right because this can go on forever hehe :)

Name something non beauty related that you put off all the time.
cooking! I love cooking it the kitchen afterwards that I hate doing. When I had a house keeper She would help after dinner now that she is gone and so has the cooking!

When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready until the last minute or not?
No way. If I am not ready we aren't going lol! I am bad so I give myself time and plan ahead.

Can you commit to a spending ban?
Nope.

How organized are your makeup and nail polish collections?
I have everything in it own tubs separated  by face, eyes, lips, eye liners, lip pencils etc..

What is the longest time that you have went without writing a blog post?
2-3 days I guess.

Okay that was awkward. Now for The beauty bloggers I tag:

Denine Blondie
Betti boot

And if your reading this I tag you! have fun I know I did :)

Beauty Blogging, Tips and advice.

Okay, we all know that this is a picture of a beauty aisle. It can be located at our local drugstore or a super market. I know that when ever I am in one of these places I am going down that aisle no matter how big of a rush I may be in, I always make time for this aisle no matter what.

Now, I do always go For my favorites first, pick up what I am running low on or checking to see if there is a sale on any of my regular items.

But what if a new product calls out to me through the corner of my eye? What if it been something I wanted to look at before but never got the chance to give it a look/see?  Is it the way they have it displayed that is drawing me closer? Is it next to a product I already love? Is it yelling at me I can fix, Enhance or Make things easier on your beauty routine?


If you haven't figured it out by now, I am talking about blog posts. Earlier today as I was tweeting a fellow blogger Kellie at beautyeverafter.net was in a conversation about how often to post to a blog.

Now, if we see the beauty blogging community as a beauty aisle this will help to decide how often to post.
People will go for their favorites automatically, but maybe, just maybe,  you can catch there eye and get them to visit just like the new product in the beauty aisle I mentioned above.

Keep your posts coming, someone, somewhere out there, needs to hear what you have to say.
You ever noticed when picking up a product they put all the good information and key points upfront where you can see them quickly, turn it over and you have information that is even more important on the back, but lets face it the key words on the front brought me to the back of the product.

If you aren't getting feed back or views right away don't panic. Ask yourself this question. How many times do you have to see a product before you pick it up to look into it? For me this is about three to four times before I say okay let me see what this stuff is all about.

The look of the product is also important. Now I am not saying hire someone to redo your blog. But I am saying make it pleasant to look at, easy to read and most importantly only say what needs to be said.
We live in a  140 character society, so keep it short, simple and sweet :)

We read first with our eyes good photos that go along with your post draw people in. On blogger, bloglovin etc.. they show a large picture and a small caption about your post, so the pictures you use should be clear and relevant to your post, give them a reason to click through to your blog.

Oh, la lift, Watts up are great examples of a post title. Think about nail polish I can remember "I am not just a waitress" by O.P.I better then I can remember any other red colored polish. Why because I thought it was an awesome name for this red nail polish! yes, I say awesome, because its awesome :)

Make your post stand out instead of "Smokey Eye" why not "Seductive smokey eye that will drop his pants"
Silly but it made you think didn't it?

Think about beauty/fashion magazines their captions make us laugh, but we are turning the pages to find the article. I could go on but I won't. I have to practice what I preach. Wink, wink.

So to wrap this long winded post up, I am saying keep going, find ways to stand out. Your audience will find you. Hell, you found me and that means something :)

I hope this helps.
Thanks for reading :)
Have a great day!

P.S If I offended you with the word "Hell". I said it again ;)

The Autumn tag!

My beautiful friend at closbeautyspot.com tagged me for the Autumn tag. She is one of the most sweetest girls around and has a cute accent to back up her amazing beauty. She also has a YouTube channel that is getting more and more popular everyday! So catch her while you can she is going places fast :).

My other Foxy Lady Friend At betti2bootbeauty.blogspot.ca/ Also tagged me for this tag. What can I say about her besides Beautiful, Honest, Open, Real. She is one of the beauty bloggers out there, that I know that gives Real Reviews, raw and truthful. You know what your getting with her and I love that!! Its like getting a recommended product from one of your most honest friends :) So do check her out and tell her I sent ya :)

Now on to the Autumn Tag:

Favorite thing about Autumn?

Where do I begin? I love the smell of dried up leaves that fall on the ground. I love that I can wear my large knitted sweaters, boots :) and of course Halloween.

Favorite Drink?

Umm, Coffee hello! I don't do fancy drinks anytime of year. I am a straight plain girl when it comes to beverages.

Fave Scent/Candle?

Pumpkin spice in any brand as long as it has a lid. The smell after you kill a candle drives me insane and gives me a bad head ache.

Best Lipstick?

My lips are naturally quite dark, So I apply a thin coat of channel Mademoiselle to my lips for just a hint of mauve. With this I get a nice maroon type color. 

Go to Moisturizer?

Olive oil on my body. Clean and clear Dual Action moisturizer.

Fave Go to Color for the eyes?

A deep plum color from Tarte. Its in a palette I have but it doesn't list the name anywhere hehe:)

Favorite Music to listen to?

TheCure or Joy Division are faves for the fall, very reflective music.

Favorite Outfit to wear?

I love big sweaters, leggings, boots,scarves, lots and lots of layers!

Autumn Treat?

Roasted Marshmallows!

Favorite Place to be?
In my bed with my hubby and my kids watching a movie and eating popcorn!

okay, so That's all there is to that.

The beauties I tag are :

CiaoBella
I Know all the Words
Big Beauty Bag
Plovesfashion

If you were already tagged for this I am sorry, I know this tag is everywhere hehe :)

Not just a pretty face!

I don't want this blog to be just about a pretty face. I want this blog to be about smart intelligent women who know whats up and how to back it up with the knowledge of with what they are doing. its not enough for me to know what to apply. I want to know how to apply it to my face.

So I am going to start with color. Color can be scary or fun depending on where you want to go. It can be used as an all over shade or just as a liner the choice is yours, but, what colors to choose is just as important.

I am going to explain to you color theory. Color theory isn't just for decorating or painting a canvas.

This is a color wheel.
The color wheel or color circle is the basic tool for combining colors. The first circular color diagram was designed by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666. A color wheel is used to show us what colors compliment each other as well as what colors blend well with each other. We will be using him a lot in this post so say hi to Mr.Wheel :)

As you see to your right and above Mr.Wheel has Red on top and Green on the bottom. What does that mean? It means Red and Green Oppose each other Offering the highest amount of contrast. Now I am not saying if you are wearing Red, add some Green. No, what I am saying is that they contrast each other in the highest way. Look at the Blue in this image, now look over to that yellow on the opposite side. They oppose each other in the color scheme offering the highest contrast. 

Now, if your still reading, we will move on :)

This Image shows us three colors at the bottom of Mr.Wheel.

This is called Analogous color scheme. Analogous color schemes use colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. They usually match well and Blend wonderfully together. This is what most eye shadow trios use to take the guess work out and make it easier on us.This is best for beginners as it is hard to mess up. But, what if I bought the BH cosmetics 88 color palette? Oh, No!

Still here? Good :)

Now, here we have what they call a Triadic color scheme.

A triadic color scheme uses colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel. Using the form of a even spaced triangle over Mr.Wheel will allow you to see which three colors will work best together providing you choose your main color first. This is what most eye shadow trios use to take the guess work out and make it easier on us.With this method you will never know where you will end up in any eye look. Just make sure to let one color dominate and use the two as accent colors.

Mr.Wheel Can be divided by his warm and cool side

Warm = Open 

Cool = Closed

Thats the best way I can explain it. All of the colors will look great against a white base. But using other colors, this should help give you a better idea of where your going with your look.

If you are still confused? I apologize! I found this nifty little tool online. So you can have your own Color wheel any time! It is originally used for website design, but it uses color theory!  And I love it you can check that out here. colorschemedesigner

Well, I hope this has helped. I am not an expert but this is a theory I use when applying eye shadow.

Let me know what you think and if I went to far out there let me know hehe:)

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Images source colortiger.com

We didn't mean that! Using products not as intended.

Hello! Well This is going to be a bit different, Lately I have been on this mission in finding new ways to use old products or use products in a way that the makers of said products did not intend. Why, do you ask? Because I'm a Squid and this is what I do :) Today I am going to be sharing products that I use in different way then they were intended to be used.


COVER FX: Total Cover Cream Foundation

Sephora.com says:
What it is:
An antioxidant-rich, two-in-one foundation and concealer offering broad spectrum SPF 30 protection with medium to full, buildable coverage.

What it does:
This foundation provides an all-day radiant finish that nourishes and protects with antiaging benefits. The buildable formula can provide medium to full coverage and offers SPF 30, full UV protection, and all-day wear. This clinically tested product does not contain gluten, mineral oil, or talc.

But that's not what I do with it! I use this guys as a highlighter when I am contouring and highlighting my lovely mug. It goes on nicely and I don't have to use much. It is way lighter then my natural skin tone but blended out it make for a nice concealer/highlighter follow with a face powder of your choice and you are good to go!

BENEFIT COSMETICS: Hello Flawless!' SPF 15

Sephora.com says:

What it is:

A custom powder cover-up with a natural finish that builds from sheer to full coverage.

What it does:

Benefit "Hello Flawless!" SPF 15 is a blendable powder foundation with SPF 15 that goes on beautifully sheer and layers easily for customized coverage. Find your perfect shade and sweep it on with the accompanying brush for a sheer, natural finish; or apply with the sponge for full coverage or spot cover-up.

Now this shade "Nutmeg" is absolutely to dark for me. But! As a contour shade he is perfect. He blends amazingly well. He is a high coverage product so a little goes a long way and he comes is a wide variety to match any skin tone.

I find that using these two products together is just heavenly. I have provided a Video below as a demonstration on how well they work together.

So what products do you use that aren't intended for their use?
If you would like to see more posts like this let me know :)
Thanks for listening and have a great day!

The versatile blogger Award

A wonderful beauty blogger friend at Lolli K has nominated me for this wonderful award Called The Versatile Blogger Award. Lolli K  has a wonderful blog and she comes up with very useful ideas, so definitely check her and her blog out :). Thanks Lolli.

The Versatile Blogger Award is an award given to you from your blogger peers, for writing quality blogs that have somehow touched them, having good quality photographs, and the uniqueness of the subjects covered. The Award is to honor the bloggers who bring something special to your life :)

How It Works: -Display the Award Certificate on your blog. -Announce your win and thank the blogger who nominated you.

-Present 15 deserving bloggers with the award. -Link your nominees in this post and let them know of their nomination with a comment.

-Post 7 interesting things about yourself.




1. I love gaming, The Legend of Zelda series is my all time favorite game.

2. I once fell off my bike as a child and lost the left side of my face. Thanks God for vitamin E.

3. The Lord of The Rings is my favorite story of all time.

4. I love 80's music TheSmiths, TheCure, Joy Division anything new wave from the 80's.

5. I have been a size 36DD since I was 17.

6. I don't talk to my mom, and seldom talk to my dad only when needed.

7. I lost two younger brothers in 1 years time.

O.k so now that, that is over. whew!

I want to thank Lolli K for nominating me. Thanks, babe ;)

Now the bloggers that I nominate are:

20/30Glam
Sikglam
Betti2BootBeauty
BigBeautyBag
ABeautyMoment
Butfirstcoffee
TheeverydayContessa
fivetwocertified
BeautifulSolutions
AshleyBrooke
BritishBeautyAddict
ArtEvolve
ClosBeautySpot
MyPrettyObsessions
Beauty4free2u

I know my girl CiaoBella already got one so I didn't add her but you guys should check her out because I said so! And I think Lilliana got one too. Her name is so beautiful just like her :).

So that's it. I believe I got everyone Covered if I didn't I am sowy :(

Double duty beauty products.

We often get over loaded with beauty products that do certain things for us.  Some may highlight, some may lift. The list can go on with all the products out there that perform different effects. But, what about those special products that do double duty for us? These are a few double duty products I would like to share with you today. Yay for sharing :).

Benefit Ooh la lift

Sephora.com says:
A dream cream for the under-eye area.
Benefit Ooh La Lift is a wonder eye cream that works like an instant eye lift.With light-reflecting pigments and raspberry extract, this magic pink balm gives eyes an instant brightening boost.

What Sephora.com doesn't tell you is this can be used as a highlighter that gives just the right amount of highlight on your forehead, cupids bow,chin and brow bone. It goes on smoothly and blends flawlessly giving you a nice soft highlight with or without foundation. This is a great double duty product that I use often. It retails for 22.00 on Sephora.com, but as a eye brightener/highlighter that's only 11.00 versus buying two separate products!



Urban Decay Eyeshadow primer Potion

Sephora.com says:
A sheer nude eye shadow primer.
Eyeshadow Primer Potion is an ultra-sheer, totally nude base that glides onto the skin. The original, award-winning formula disappears instantly and is the ultimate eye prep for smoother, more vibrant shadow and all-day wear with absolutely no creasing.
The squeeze tube version of this product is exclusive to Sephora for a limited time.

What they aren't telling you is that the primer potion can be used to cover and decress the visablity of fine line under your eye if applied under your eye and allowed to set into the skin near the inner eye area. This little bad boy retails for 12.00 on Sephora.com. So this is an amazing double duty product that is a must in any makeup collection.

MAKEUPFOREVER Rouge Artist Intense in "matte flesh"

Sephora.com says:
A highly pigmented, long-lasting lipstick that delivers rich color in one stroke. Formulated with 50% more pigment than the traditional lipstick, Rouge Artist Intense gives an immediate true-to-color result. A blend of three natural waxes, the creamy texture glides on effortlessly for a long-lasting hold. The extensive color and texture range provides unlimited creativity.

What they aren't telling you is that this lipstick is great for a base color on your lips. Instead of using a foundation or concealer to blank out color from your natural lip color, which can dry out your lips drawing more attention to fine lines on your lips. This product contains a formula of three waxes that leave you lips smooth and moist with a clean slate to make any other lip color you apply over just POP! I have been using this for about a year now and I just love what it does for my lips, since my lips are naturally dark and wash out any color that is applied :/. This product retails for 20.00 on Sephora.com. So not only are you getting a great nude shade but also a shade to help your other lip sticks pop with color.


I do own and use all the products I have mentioned above and recommend them highly.
This is a series I plan on doing more of in the future let me know if you would like more posts like this.
Well that's all I have for today on double duty beauty products.
What are products do you use for double duty? Please feel free to let me know I love hearing from you :)
Have a great day!
Thanks for listening :)

Just to say thanks!

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has followed my blog, followed me on twitter, liked me on Facbook, Instagram, Pintrest, Tumblr and any other social network I am on.

My family and I have been going through a lot these past few months. There have been times where I have looked around and said Oh, my God, I need a break. A break from life and all the havoc it can bring in the blink of an eye to a once peaceful life. I always wanted to blog and vlog about beauty but never had the guts or the right frame of mind to do so. I love it so much I cannot even comprehend a life without it. I mean I feel that if I don't do this something inside of me will die.

Right now isn't the best time to do this, But it gives me a peace of mind and the courage to face anything that life brings my way. You guys give me that whether its in a comment, re-tweet, sub or a like. You guys have become my strength. I just want to say thanks for being who you are, because you being you helps me be a better me :)

Now, don't get me wrong I am not perfect at it. But, I know how passionate I am about it.
I know that  now, after I have started no one and I mean no one can take this away from me.
It's not only the blog or vlog that has me feeling this, it is you guys and gals.

Everyone of you inspire me to become more then where I come from, more then what I was told I could be.
This is a very big and important thing for me, to know that you support me and are there for me even though it is just makeup.

Everyday I make a new friend, learn something new from someone thousands of miles away and I love each and everyone of you for it. So the next time someone tells me "its just makeup". I will respond "No it isn't and it is sad that you don't understand".

I love all the friends I have made and cherish everyone of you and If I forget to add you to a shout out or a tweet please understand that my list of friends is growing everyday and twitter only gives me 140 characters!

Love you guys <3

Thanks for listening :)

This and That Tag!

My girl @ Beauty4free2u  tagged me! Who was tagged by Betti2bootbeauty She has a great blog, you guys and gals should check her out she is a beauty.

O.k Lets get to the tag :)

MAKEUP:

1. Blush or Bronzer- I am a bronzing fool :)
2. Lip Gloss or Lip Stick- Lipsticks are very formal. I am a lip gloss girl.
3. Eyeliner or Mascara- Well I can wear eye liner without mascara, so mascara it is.
4. Foundation or Concealer- Is this a real question? both of course.
5. Natural or Colored Eye Shadow- Natural with a pop of color like a navy liner. Lovely :)
6. Pressed or Loose Eye Shadow- pressed. Loose products make me nervous.
7. Brush or Sponge- Depends on what I am doing to my face :)

Nails:

1. Opi or China Glaze- Opi!
2. Long or Short- medium- Active length! I need to be able to pull objects out of my sons mouth at any time! He likes to chew on things :)
3. Acrylic or Natural- I would love natural but they wont grow :(  so acrylic when I can.
4. Bright or Dark- Depends on my mood.
5. Flower or No Flower- I am not a flower girl. I do like lines and polka dots!

Body:

1. Perfume or Body Splash- Body Splash everyday Perfume if i am actually going to interact with other humans.
2. Lotion or Body Butter- I don't use Lotions. I have been using oils for about 10 years now and I am never going back!
3. Body Wash or Soap- Eeeow-soap? Who still uses that? I'll just leave beauty4free2u's  answer I like it and feel the same. :)
4. Lush or other- ? Lush! please.


Fashion:
Love fashion, my favorite designer at the moment: I don't have a favorite fashion designer I like, what I like.

1. Jeans or Sweat Pants - Leggings
2. Long sleeves or short sleeve?  Short but, I always wear a cardigan. I am always cold!
3. Dress or Skirt?  Dress
4. Scarves or Hat- Scarves in any color, I really like a thing scarf nothing too bulky.
5. Studs or dangling earrings- Studs
6. Necklace or bracelet- Both If i am wearing a necklace I need a braclet also and vise versa.
7. Heels or flats- depends on my mood
8. Cowboy boots or riding boots - riding.
9. Jackets or hoodies - ohh, hoodies.
10. Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe-  Charlotte Russe I am over 21 but I have found some nice pieces in there.

Hair:

1. Curly or Straight- curly
2. Bun or Ponytail - I wear mine twisted up held by a law clip
3. Bobby pin or butterfly clips - Bobby pin.
4. Hairspray or gel - depends on my mood
5. Long or short- Short
6. Dark or light- Dark
7. Side swept bangs or fully bangs - side swept.
8. Up or down- both!

Random:

1. Rain or shine- Sunshine is funshine
2. Summer or winter- I love them both equally.
3. Fall or spring- Fall
4. Chocolate or Vanilla- Chocolate.

People I tag are:

Ciaobella
20/30Glam
closbeaytspot
beautywithlily
myprettyobsessions
sikglam

Color and turning 40!

Earlier today I hopped over to one of the regular blogs I visit at iknowalthewords.com and she has written a wonderful review of some shadows that are lovely and colorful. After reading the review and writing a comment it hit me. I am an older gal. I am not ancient, but I am 3 years from 40. Yikes!

Now, I love eye shadow of any kind color with the exception of glitter and really shimmery kind.
But when it comes to color will I have to let go of all the colors I love? I don't mean to offend but I do not want to look like the old lady wearing too much eye shadow.

I do feel pastels and electric colors are a bit too much for my age range.  But I still can do color.

Now, I know this is an older palette, but Tarte makes some gorgeous deep toned eye shadows that are amazing. The colors are in muted rich earthy tones that can work for young and not so young alike.

They go on flawlessly and blend very well.

I obtained this palette while in Sephora with my step mom. She was picking up some stuff and while we were at the register she said "pick something", so I thought to myself  dad hasn't bought me anything in a while, like 20 years, she picks out most of our gifts and just sticks his name on them, so I quickly grabbed this palette. It retails for around 44.00.

The blushes are very nice not shimmery but they do give off a nice glow on your face.


So bottom line is, I don't have to give up color, just certain kinds of colors and I am okay with that.
Come on 40! I am ready and waiting for you ;)

What are your thoughts on age and colored shadows?

Thanks for reading :)

Great coverage Foundation and BB cream

Hi!, I wanted to share my favorite foundation and BB cream with you guys.

I was a bad girl when I was younger and did not keep up with my acne so now I have scars :/

I have gone through many products in search of the perfect coverage for my skin problems, large pores and scaring. These are the two that I have found that Fill my needs.

TarteCosmetics.com

For every day I use The Tarte bb cream I do use it in a darker shade because I exfoliate everyday so my face is brighter then the rest of me. The color I use is tan. I honestly love the feel and coverage I get from this product and it is build-able. My bottle is the old packaging from Sephora.  It retails for 34.00. I know that for a bb cream that is expensive and it was a impulse buy, but it was worth every penny. I am sad as I am running out and in search of a replacement not at the same price though.

Sephora.com

When I want to get all dolled up especially in my Youtube videos I do wear my MakeupForever Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation. I love this product with every ounce of my soul! It covers all my scars and doesn't leave me looking like a cake face, a little goes a long way with this product. Im either honey beige or golden beige depending on the time of year. This product retails for 36.00. I will be repurchasing this product, this is like my 4th bottle already and I love it. I do highly recommend either of these products if you are looking for a good coverage long lasting product, just be prepared to shell out the bucks.





Have you tried either of these products? And if so, how was your experience with them?
I am in the market for a replacement on the bb cream so if you know any good one please let me know!

Thanks for listening :)

Everything a BBlogger should know part: 2

So you picked out a name for your blog. You got your layout and color scheme just right. But how do you get people to visit your blog and hear what you have to say about that amazing palette you just bought?

Networking! Building up a network is a great way to get your blog off and running.

Here are a few tips to help get you going.

Join bloglovin Its a good way to network with other bloggers and they can easily find you as well.

Google has a follow this blog widget that is also similar to bloglovin this will also help build an audience.

Twitter,Facebook,Tumblr, Pintrest and Instagram  are all a must. Now if you feel these are too many social networks for you to handle, I have good news! They all have a way for you to link them all together so that what you post on one shows on the other the trick is to know which one will affect all of them.

Twitter and Facebook connect to each other easily.

Pintrest connects to Facebook.

Instagram connects to Facebook,Twitter and Tumblr.

Pretty much any social network can be linked to another in some way or another. Yes you will have to keep up with them if you want to build a audience.

Add a Grab it button to you site. This way you can exchange links with other blogs. The more links you have out there the more Google Gods like you :).

When you leave a comment on another blog as a signature leave a link to your blog. When you get attached to another bloggers site you wont have to do this all the time, because now you are friends and they know where your blog lives. Good etiquette is two links max on any blog, that is for me anyway. You don't want the other blogger to feel your using them for link only purposes.

Don't be a social advertiser and spam your blog, This can become annoying and you will lose followers.
I know I hate seeing spam about someones post. Post it two times a day max along with an eye catching title
And the Hashtag  #BBloggers  has become very popular USE IT!

Now this is just me, but I don't like following blogs by email. As you go your inbox will become over loaded with other things as a beauty blogger and you might miss the blog your following during a mass deletion of emails. But this is your option.

Please know that most of your first followers and subbies will be other bloggers so don't do anything you wouldn't like done to yourself.

Add Google Analytics to your blog. This is  your real site counter. This will help you see who is visiting as well as what site brought them to your blog. You can sign up for that Here. This tool will tell you how many visits you actually have.

Now this is very important! You may see your visit count go very high right of the bat, But this traffic is not real traffic. There is a site called vampire stat that keeps hitting blogs especially blogs through blogger.
these do count as views, but its a bot and not your biggest fan! Do not click on this link, I repeat DO NOT CLICK IT. Just leave it be, it will go away once you start getting real traffic.

So, I think these tips will help you get on the right track with social networking for blogging purposes.

If you need help in any way I am here.

I also do graphic design so if your looking for a logo, banner, buttons, custom follow buttons, backgrounds email me or Facebook message me on my Facebook page!

O.k I am done!

This post was inspired by CiaoBella :).

Have a Great Day!





 

Looking away from eyebrows and posts and how important is it!

I am at a blank! I have one thousand ideas in my head and I cant get them out of there. I did everything I was supposed to do, picked up some products that I absolutely fell in love with. And after swatching and trying them out, I get on  my laptop ready to write the review of the century and...nothing.

I do find this very frustrating and annoying. So when I do find myself at a loss for words I stop what I am doing and go down a completely different path, watch T.V, Tweet, call my sisters and get my mind off it for a while then go back after a while. And find myself refreshed and ready for a good in depth post.

I learned this from my eye brows, yes my eyebrows. When I am filling in my brows I notice they get thicker, wider and weirder as I go. So I learned to Get them somewhere near where I want them and then I look away, either mess with my hair, blend my shadow some more or look at my smart phone. And after a few seconds I look back at them and adjust what needs to be adjusted. By doing this you see them from a different perspective. Sometimes to get what we want we have to look away for a few moments and see things from a different perspective.

What ever product you are using to fill in your brows remember. Your brows are sisters not twins.

I usually do my brows before I apply shadow, this way  I have a direction on where to take my shadow.
I do leave small imperfections in my brows so I look Human.

I heard it once said "never let a person with bad eyebrows give you advice". This I find amusing, for a while there I had none! Through trial and many errors I over plucked and then some.

Now, I just do a quick clean up daily and I shape them to what works for me. I have a few grays showing up here and there, but its nothing my brow pencil can't handle.

Here are a few tips on how I got my brows back:

Don't apply lotion to your brow bone. Lotions tend to be in the "lets make less hair grow" trend.
Eye creams are fine they are made for this area of you face.

Let them grow out, just hide our for a while or wear sunglasses lol.

Talk to your eyebrow tech, tell them to just clean you up, but not to shape, for a while anyway.
I know this is hard because no matter how many times I said this they did what they wanted anyway :(.

And finally, they are your eyebrows! Take care of them like any other part of you that you love!
Eyebrows are the most expressive part of our body.

I don't like a perfectly symmetrical brow, because I don't have a perfectly symmetrical face.

One of my brows arch higher then the other, one of my eyes always looks like it is thinking devious thoughts.

So If you find your at a loss for words, having a bad brow moment, don't stress! Take a breather and when you return you will write the review of the century or achieve the perfect arch.

What do you do to get a different perspective on things? 

Thanks for listening! Love you guys ;)

What's in a review? Something every BB should know!

Well, People my Muse at Ciao Bella Inspired me once again!

What's in a review? When I am looking through blogs I see many reviews and they are all great. But how many of the reviews we see are we going to act on? What Drives me to take the advice of this person writing this review?

Trust is one. I feel I have to know this person in some way, if not I feel like I am watching or reading an Ad.




Reality is the second. Is this a real person? Do they do the same things I do in my daily life?

Quality is the third. Is this just a passing phase? Or is this a normal part of their routine?

Image is the fourth. I'm not saying you have to be a size 0 and have perfect skin. What I am saying is, are you a all around person? or do you stick to one type of beauty look? (e.g Glam,Natural,etc..).

Layout is the fifth. Is your content and instruction if any easy to understand?

Communication is the sixth: I like the idea that I can ask a question and not just say, hey great post! or your so pretty!

I have made friends through my blog, some really smart and beautiful people and I am liking it. I really listen to what they have to say as opposed to Just running through it glancing at the pictures on my way down, just to get my link in the comments section.

What I am saying is, don't lose sight of why we are here. To share our thoughts, ideas and passion for beauty. Don't turn your passion into work, you will just end up hating it. If it brings in a few bucks awesome!
But even after that, Why make beauty ugly? Remember where you started and don't forget your foundation! (pun intended).

Okay, so there are just a few and as I go on with this I will add more so follow my blog to keep up with any updates I make. Please leave me some suggestions and I will give you full credit for the suggestion when I post it.

All I know is, this is how I personally feel about reviews I have seen or read.
Let me know what you guys think and if you would like to see more posts like this.

Thanks for reading!

M.A.C Powder Blush!

Now I know this product has been around for a while, But is an oldie but a goody!

I use it as a contour shade and I love it! It adds just the right amount shade for contouring and looks very natural for everyday and its matte!

Goes on smooth and lite leaving just a hint of color.
its perfect for that quick everyday routine, leaving a flawless natural look to your face. Just Lovely!

Have you tried Prism as a contour? Do you use blush as a bronzer?

I am not a label whore!

Now I want  this stated and noted " I am not a label whore". There I said it. I love my big name brand products don't get me wrong. But There are Products out there that you find for a lot cheaper.

Cheap doesn't mean its cheap. When I say the word cheap I feel like I am degrading the Product, so from now on I am going to try to say something else to describe a product that is not expensive.

I found these goodies at a local dollar store! And I am very proud of my find. I was there to buy a small trash holder for my vanity area. I find that with tissues, Q tips and pencil shavings my little one was not cutting it anymore.

As my 15 year old squidlet and I were walking through the aisles, I noticed a few Milani Products hanging from the display among other makeup products. So I picked out a few lip liners and some cute Rimmel of London eye shadows, Then my squidlet Found a bin full Milani single shadows. I was in heaven, there were so many most were broken of course, but I picked up the once that were in perfect condition, in every color of course!

Now for a dollar these were amazing the color pay off is great! I will admit the Light Pink from Milani did not go very well. I feel it is my skin tone that was the problem. I am olive toned but with a primer all is good.

They do have a bit of a sheen to them, but I don't mind. My favorite is this deep navy that I feel is perfect for fall.

The Liners are amazing, creamy and they go on so smooth I am in love.
The E.L.F Shimmering facial whip has a big pay off and is perfect for highlighting.
The Rimmel products are so cute the packaging and the imprint on the powder are adorable that I almost don't want to ruin it!

Rimmel of London swatches

Precious Rose 140
Urban Green 120

Milani Swatches

Garden Mist 02
Evening Sky 19A
Flare 04
Illusion 03
Heavenly Pink 20A

Milani Lip Pencil Swatches

Berry Charming
Mocha Splash
Red Velvet

Okay, this is my Rimmel, Milani and Elf haul. Even though they are very affordable I love them and they make me happy! So happy I found them :). 

What word would you use to describe more cost efficient products?

Let me know what you guys think! Have a Great and Wonderful day :).

Put your face on!

That's right ladies, put your face on!

Ancient warriors use to paint their faces before going to war, ever seen brave heart?

As women we have come a long way from using rose petals for lips stick and pinching our cheeks for a touch of color.

We have brushes, primers, tinted moisturizers, even false lashes. We can make our selves look cute and girly all the way to hot vixen on a mission. We have options when it comes to how we look.

Makeup gives us that pep in out step and that extra I can do anything boost we need even in just applying a bit of bronzer and we have a game face.

A confident Woman is something to recon with. When she has her game face on watch out she is able to overcome any situation with confidence and  Beauty.

Here's to you Ladies! and all that you do, you do it beautifully!

My confidence booster is my foundation it hides all the blemishes on my face.

What is your confidence boosting product?

Thanks for reading! May all your looks be flawless :)

Adventures in winged eye liner

Okay, I admit it. I have a problem flicking, Winging, Cat eyeing my eyes. I think I have a lazy eye that is to lazy to be a real lazy eye. My eyes are different from one another and they are hooded. Over the years I have come up with personal ways to correct this with the illusion of eye shadow.

My eyes are hooded also adding to my problems, I'm not saying I hate my eyes, Because I don't.
I am actually very happy with them once they are done the way I like them. However I do have a problem with a winged liner. You see, right at the outer corner of my eye they take a dip for the worse.

It has taken me years and a lot of trial and error to perfect this and get it down. I am not saying this method is the way everyone should do it. But it works for me to achieve the Look I want.

Some Products I have used to achieve my wing:

Milani Eye Tech Liner
MakeupForever Liquid Aqua Liner

I love the Milani EYE TECH Liquid Liner. It goes on matte, the formula does get dry fast, so what I do is dab some on the back of my hand and dip is into the liquid then apply. It has wonderful staying power although it isn't as dark as I would like it to be, But that isn't nothing a black eye shadow on top wont handle.

Milani.com says: Full color flow thru system that delivers & defines a perfect line in one stroke. Felt tip nib applicator is easy to use, provides precise control with no skipping or pulling.







I do have a problem with the MakeupForever Liquid Aqua Liner. It is too shiny and it makes my liner looked like black wrinkled foil. It does irritate My eye some but Learned to use it as a sealer for my false lashes to cover and blend any unevenness pertaining to my lashes.It does last forever and a day.




Makeupforever.com says: Rich in polymers, this superior eyeliner offers an impeccable hold that guarantees water-, tear-, and smudge-proof color. Its ergonomic, foam-tip applicator is designed to resemble a makeup brush handle for the quickest, easiest, and most accurate application.

Some of my buddies from Youtube have suggested I do a tutorial on how I wing my liner. But it isn't an actual wing, I like to call it an illusion of a wing. I will be calling the tutorial "How to fake a cat eye".

I hope it will be useful and helpful to some people who find this hard or difficult to do.
After all that's what makeup is right? Mute this, emphasize that? So that's what I am doing today.

Once I get the Video up I will be adding a Link to it on this Post. Wish me Luck!

Have you tired these liners?
What are your thought on them?

Thanks for stopping by, May all your looks be flawless! :)

How do you choose your look?

Good morning everyone!

Well I just opened my eyes and as I am coming to my self,
I can't decide how I want to look today?
Do I want to wear a pear of sweat pants and take on that load of laundry?
Or do I want to look cute, preppy or business like?
The list can go on as to how I will look today.
But What decides this? Is it our mood when we awake? Is it our plans for the day?

What is it that influences how you will look like today?

 Is it your mood or what the day has in store for you?

Have a great day!

Liebster Award is going around!

Well my lovely fellow blogger Liliana Ayala at beautywithlily Nominated me for another Liebster Award!
First I want to thank Liliana for the nomination and all the people who have followed and commented on my posts. You guys are amazing Liliana, Ashley, Pilar, Denine from Youtube and My Girls at TwentyThirtyGlam.
I love that we are all different and come from all walks of life, yet our common interest brings us together.

So enough before I start sobbing and ruin my mascara. I am going to answer Liliana's questions.


What blog do you follow religiously?  I follow all mentioned above, the one I visit most is Ashley's she was my first connect here on blogger.

What is your DREAM job?  OMG are you seriously asking this question? Makeup Artist or Artist as long as I am  working with color I am  happy.

Your go to makeup look? Neutrals with a glamour liner kick.

What is one beauty/fashion trend you don't like? I Cant answer this, I like them all in their own way.

Describe yourself in 3 words... LMAO!! Bitchy, Survivor, hence the bitchiness and Curious.

What is your signature scent? diaper/febreeze  aue de my son.

What are 2 beauty products you CAN NOT live without? Bronzer and Mascara.

What advice would you give new bloggers? Be yourself, people can tell.

If you could have a celebrity spouse for a week, who would it be? Antonio Banderas

Describe your blog in 3 words... arghh,  I wanna share.

Why do you blog? It makes me happy.

Lmao! that was great I love these things!

eyes that pop!

Fall is here. The leaves are turning, the sun will be going down earlier.
But does that mean everything will have to tame down with the season?

Of course not! there is a whole color spectrum for us to choose from and right now this is a color combo I am loving!

Among my treats I found this gorgeous teal color from SmashBox pallet I got a while ago at Sephora.



I Love these colors. And I think they are perfect for this time of year with summer still in the air.
In this look I used this lovely brown that has just a touch of shimmer but goes on matte, which if you know me, you know I adore mattes. Along with the Teal at the inner corner for that pop of color. I lined my eye using the MakeupForever liquid liner which I find irritates my eyes and a set of falsies from KARA.

I truly love this look and think it will look great on any eye. I used the Anastasia of Beverly hills brow pencil on my brows I love the formula and its ability
to keep my brows in place.


Let me know what you think about this look for this time of year.?

A little about me.

I just wanted to take a minute to introduce my self properly. My Name is Laurie, I am 37 and I live in South Carolina. I have four wonderful children and a great husband who supports me because I told him to.

I want to thank everyone for the warm welcome into the community. I am going into this alone, for reasons I will keep to myself, I have none of my personal friends or family that know of my blog or Youtube channel. So i'm alone is this sea of people with just my laptop and a four year old camera. I know one day they will find out, but i'd rather them find out on their own.

See a woman putting herself out there, on the net, Youtube is frowned upon, but I cant help it. I have to do this if not I feel like something inside of me is going to die.

Beauty and makeup have been a passion of mine for years now. I truly Love it with every ounce of my being, it makes me happy. Almost too happy.

I don't claim to be a expert. I don't claim to know everything about beauty, But I do know what I know.
And I know I love this. I love sharing, ideas, products as well as learning new things from you all.

I also know I don't have good grammar so if I mess up please let me know so I can correct my mistakes.

I hoped this helps you get to know me a little better and if there is anything else you would like to know about me please feel free to ask.

Have a great and wonderful day!

Laurie M. Themakeupsquid.