Concealed with a Kiss!

Hi my sleep deprived, over worked, busy friends!

Those bags and circles under your eyes are making you sad, and frazzled! And you are an amazing woman, that wants to appear rested, even when you aren't! No one wants to look tired. It is such a challenge to find good concealer. There are a ton out there. You need to ask your self a couple questions when looking for concealer. How bad is the under eye area? Are you needing concealer to just even up your under eye area, or are there some serious baggage that is staking claim? Are the dark circles minor, or major? Do you like a concealer to be thick and creamy? Or more liquid-y and sheer? Understanding your needs is the most important factor when heading out to make a concealer purchase.

My needs for concealer are more to brighten my under eye area, and give it a glow, awake like look. I don't get very bad dark circles. On occasion my eyes will be puffy. But that is the extent. So I find that the Cover Girl Smoothers Concealer-Neutralizer works well for me. It goes on easy. Is on the thicker side, yet still creamy and blend-able. No matter what type of concealer you choose, the way you apply it is going to make the biggest difference in the results.

Most of us can get away with just focusing on the under eye area, patting gently and lightly. But there are the other extreme cases, and with extreme cases, an extreme technique should be used! You can even use this same method that I show in the video, without as much concealer, but using the same shape of the technique which is fabulous!

If you want to see this extreme concealer technique, then take a look below, to see what I mean. Like I said, you don't have to do as much concealer that I apply in this video, but I want you to understand that applying concealer does not have to be confined to just the little half moon under your eyes. It's not always the best method for some. I used Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser Concealer for this video.

Check it out, and let me know your thoughts, or if you know of any other application techniques that work for you!

I hope that this has opened your eyes to trying a new way of keeping those bags and circles at bay!

I also hope that you have a super fabulous Friday!

Kiss, Hug and Makeup!

XO

Singin' in the RAIN! And Dancing in it, and Loving IT!

Rain Cosmetic's that is! Have I told you lately that I love them? NO! I haven't, because I was a fail-er, and have not written a review on them, or done a video in a while, but guess what? I have now! I did a video last night, and it's up for all to enjoy! It was almost a month that I left you in suspense of seeing my purty little face! My bad! :)

For those of you that may recall, I have been on the search for the best blush in the universe. And I have found it! My search is finally over. And it makes me happy. It's like discovering a new best friend. It completes me. It is by Rain Cosmetics. Never heard of them.  I discovered them on Haute Look a couple months back as one of their featured events. Let me just say that my only regret is that I did not know how awesome their products were, and I should have bought more while all of their products were 1/2 off!

Rain Cosmetics is based in Las Vegas, NV. All of their make-up is heat, and humidity resistant. So they have staying power! Another fun thing, all of their names of their products are very "Vegas-y". For example a lipstick named "Prailine Dion" or "Berry Manilow". Or a blush named "Peepshow" and "Striptease". Fun! Plus their packaging is super cute! Their Glowing Blush is amazing! All of my needs have been met! High pigment? Check. Blend-ability? Check! Build-able color? Check Check! Staying Power? Oh heck YES! It stays put, and looks great all day!

Next I bought their Blood, Sweat and Tears lip gloss set. AWESOME! It is a really cool lip gloss trio.  Too much to rave about, just watch my video so you can see what I have to say:)



I realllllly hope that you try one of their products, because this company needs to be known for their great product! I think you will be sold on it as well! Next I will be buying their primer and I really want to try their concealer!

Here are some pics for you to enjoy!

Glowing Blush in Burlesque
Peachy/Coral/Bronze

Glowing Blush in Fantasy
Rose/Pink/Mauve

Blood, Sweat & Tears Lip Gloss
Blood-Red Tint/Stain
Sweat-Champagne Shimmer
Tears-Clear Gloss

Well kids, it's time to resume my day! I hope that your day is fantastic!

Kiss, Hug and AMAZING BLUSH!
YAY!



*All of these opinons are my own, and I bought these products with my own moola:) BAM!

Time to Spring into ACTION!

Hi my lovely friends!

*Crawling out of hibernation*

We made it! To Spring! Up here in the "Mitten" it feels more like summer! I was not ready for this 80 degree weather, nor were my toes:( Eeeeek. But the weather, it's a changin' and I am thrilled! I have already started my summer-ifi-cation-ness. Yes, I made that word up. But what I mean is, I am starting to get some golden color going, getting my toes prettified again, changing my skincare routine, and setting out to spruce up my Spring/Summer wardrobe.

First things first, my skincare routine needs to merge into something else. Like the weather changes, so does our skincare needs. The foundation that I normally have been using L'Oreal Smooth Absolute Visible Lift Foundation which is a full, all-over coverage, will not be my go to foundation. Instead I will be using my Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. Which delivers sheer coverage, refreshing moisture, and an SPF, all in an effortless, and light-weight application. My eye makeup routine becomes minimal, and natural with more peaches, corals, pinks, coppers and bronzes! And this summer I will add a pop of turquoise. And tangerine! Just for fun:)

On the horizon, I have lots in store for you for videos:

Rain Cosmetics Review: This is going to be on the 2 blushes I have, which are amazing! And also their Blood, Sweat, and Tears lip gloss set!

Different Ways to Apply Your Concealer: I will show you a couple different ways that you can apply concealer that will give you a whole different view on concealer, and this may even help you revive a concealer that you aren't crazy about! :)

How to Contour your Face: I will teach you how to contour your face to give you a slimming, sculpted look. I will even show you how to contour your shoulder and decolletage for all of your summer tops.

Summer Makeup Tutorials: I will show you a couple pretty summer looks that are gorgeous! I will have a beachy/coral look. A "mermaid eye" look which everyone can pull off! And a natural look, with a pop of color! FUN, FUN!

Pretty "Mermaid" Eyes!

Now I have all of these ideas, so I just have to find the time in between enjoying this gorgeous weather, bbq'ing, and enjoying the outdoors!  :)

Oh, and on a side note: Who else is excited for the HUNGER GAMES movie debut? Meeeee! If you haven't read the books, do! If I can find time to read them, you can! They are quick reads, and very entertaining:) Maybe I will be inspired to do another tutorial on some Hunger Games inspired makeup!


Have a gorgeous day my friends!

Kiss, Hug and Makeup!

TOP 5: Mascaras!

Hi y'all!

I know I promised you a video review on my fave blush---but I ordered more products from them yesterday, so I am going to wait to do the video review on my secret fave cosmetics once those arrive! So excited to share it with you! I was inspired by this post from a good friend that posted on my wall on FB. She wanted to know what my favorite mascara was. So that sparked my post, since I do have a lot of faves! And then I think I am going to do a post like this every week naming my "Top 5" products! Oh happy day!

I want to share with you my top favorite mascaras of all time! (well to this point in my life) since I am sure there will be a plethora of mascaras I will try. I have long lashes. Yes, lucky me. But they are not as voluminous as I would like them.  So when I set out to find mascara these are the qualities that I prefer, which may not be what you seek--- I look for a mascara that thickens without clumping, does not flake, feels natural and not ooey gooey, or dry, and that is buildable and just plain awesomeness. Oh and I only want to put on 1-2 coats of mascara. So the one's that I favor all do those things.

Here they are in no particular order:

P.S. I never buy waterproof mascara, but if that is what you prefer, then all of these mascaras offer the waterproof version. Also, all mascara's I buy are about $6-10 in price range:) I'm cheap like that. I also wear contacts, and all of these are suitable for contact lens wearers.

1. L'Oreal Voluminous Volume Building Mascara

Choosing a mascara formula is similar to choosing nail polish in my opinion. You know when you get a lower brand of nail polish, and you end up having to do a million coats for the color to pop--since the formula is so thin? Not cool. That is why I love this mascara! 1 coat is all you need, and you have great lashes that are thick and long! Consider it like the OPI of mascaras! It is not an ooey gooey formula, so it doesn't feel all clumpy, and my lashes look amazing! And it's my all time favorite!

2.  Maybelline "The Falsies" Volum Express in "Black Drama"

This mascara works wonders for making your lashes fuller and longer! It contains fibers too that really "plump up the volume" and give you the illusion of "fake lashes", but without looking too dramatic. The brush on this is curved, and it really helps you get to the base of your lashes with ease. I really liked the formula for this one. It is buildable, but if you put too many coats on, you can look a smidgen clumpy, so stick to only 2 coats of this one. Wonderful mascara!

3. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

This was the very first mascara I ever owned. My mom had it in her makeup bag, so naturally it was my first one I purchased. They have come a long way with it since it first came around. This mascara has so many wonderful qualities! The applicator is an awesome size to get those little lashes that are hiding. The formula is silky smooth. And the blackest black color is great! Plus my favorite part of this, it is so easy to remove and wash off. A lot of mascaras are not the easiest to remove, but this one is! Also, this one is good for the girls out there that want more of the natural, less thick lashes, and are looking for a good coating, with length. If this mascara had a motto it would be "Simplicity is Genius".  :)

4. Maybelline Intense XXL Volume + Length Microfiber Mascara

This mascara is super cool! I like this for special occasions where I really want to wow people with my peepers. The first step is to apply the "white microfiber coat". Then step 2 is to apply the intense color top coat! I actually put 2 coats of the white, and then follow up with 1 of the black. Talk about thick and dramatically awesome lashes! This one is also non drying, and very easy to wash off as well. The only downsize is if 1 of the 2 steps runs out before the other, then you tend to not want to finish the product. But other than that this one is a fun one to use, but I don't use it every day.

5. Rimmel Glam Eyes Mascara

Whenever I try Rimmel products, I am pleasantly surprised by the product, especially for the price! Plus they have cute packaging. I am a sucker for marketing, and when I saw this, I thought about black kittens wearing pearls, and sitting on a pink tufted chair. So of course, I had to purchase the mascara, due to this vision. And I was so happy with this mascara! Looks cute, and is purrrrrfect.  ;) I loved how teeny tiny the wand was. Because that part makes a big difference. You can get all up in there to those small lashes, and get really close to them! It separates them nicely, and is not drying. It's buildable too for daytime, and simply throwing a coat on for the evening!  Very great mascara, and a very great price!

So there you have it folks! Those are my Top 5 Mascaras that I highly recommend to you!  If you have any other ideas for the Top 5, let me know!

Have a wonderful day my lovely friends and fam!

Kiss! Hug! and Luscious Lashes!

xo

Outfit of the Day!

Hi Friends!

Want to see what I wore today? I know you live your whole life waiting to see what I wore? Don't you? No? Well, shoooooot. I will still show you anyway!  :)

Here it is! Look at how scrumptious I look!

This was one of the shirts that I got from Charming Charlie! I love that it has pockets! And fun sleeves too. Its a neat giraffe-ish print. I paired it with my skinny black pants, and my tall black pumps. Yay for cuteness!

ANYWAY--

Next up, I have found the world's greatest blush! Finally, my search is over. I am soooo happy that I have discovered it. I will be telling you all about it's amazingness in a video I will be doing, hopefully this weekend! So excited for you to know about it, since it is NOT from a well known company, but it's amazing, and I will be buying all of their colors of blush! I will save some for you, promise--- lol  And since their blush was so amazing, I will be trying more of their products as well. I feel so complete now that I have found this blush, and I can't wait to share it with you:)

SO that is what is coming up next! I bet you can't wait!!

I hope you all have a lovely day!

Kiss-Hug and Makeup!

Yours truly--Michelle :)

Puttin' on the Lips!

Hi my lovely people!

It's been too long since I have made a post. Sorry about that. I have been busy, busy! I did a great shoot recently with a talented photographer, Color Impact Photography/Jim Toreli, and a model who was so talented and sweet, Stephanie Lynn! It was so much fun! I got to do 3 looks on her. Look one was more natural, look 2 was more of a fun look, and then 3 was a smokey eye look!

Check out the pictures here on my Model Mayhem Profile: My Model Mayhem Profile

I love photo shoots! It is so fun to work with other creative people collaborating on different looks. It really makes my soul happy:)

So anyway, back to my post.

This post is brought to you by the letter F. For frustrating! You know what's frustrating? Finding that perfect shade of nude, or pink, or red lipstick! I, still to this day, have picked the wrong shade! Gasp! I know your pain! I wanted to share a few tips and tricks to finding your perfect shades, and also ways to remedy a not so perfect color you may have gotten stuck with!

First thing that will start you on your path towards lipstick enlightenment...choosing the store that you will be buying your lipstick from. If you are budget minded you may head to your nearest drugstore. TIP: find out their return policy on makeup. For example Rite Aid lets you return makeup even if you have opened the package to try it, same with Ulta. Since drugstores or other stores that sell makeup, like Target, don't allow you to try before you buy, knowing the return policy will help you, and your pocketbook, feel less sad if you end up buying the wrong color!

If you are one to want to shop at Sephora, Ulta or a fancy department store with higher end makeup, you can sample shades, or even seek the assistance of a friendly worker! Sometimes you can even get free samples! Then you can go find a similar version of the sample for cheaper! Lol see how that works? So choosing a store when buying lipstick can be a factor in getting you that much closer to the lipstick color that rocks your socks!

I could sit here and type to you how you can determine your skin tone and undertones, but let's face it. I can't see you. And it can be hard for people to tell what color category they fall in, especially if you are one of those people that are in the neutral category, that can go either warm or cool. UGH. Makes anyones head hurt trying to figure that whole, "am I cool, or warm,or neutral?" BLAH. Frustrating.
So instead of guiding you towards that, I am going to change your opinion all together. I am going to tell you to go choose a color that you LOVE. That's it. Go right now, to the aisle with all 8,513,437 different lipstick shades. And find out which color is speaking to you. Too many? Okay. Start with this. I think each lovely lady needs to have these 3 colors:  Nude, Pink and Red. Basically there are a billion variations of these. But if you have at least 1 of each of these 3 color categories, you have done well.

I am giving you a homework assignment. Here it is:

Buy 3 different lipstick shades. 3 is the magic number. Buy a light nude one, that matches your lip color. Next buy a more pinky colored one. And lastly, buy a red one that you think rocks. If you are at a store where you can sample before buying, then sample the 3 shades:) You can determine your colors by process of elimination. Say you try on the nude, and it's too light-- find one that is 1 or 2 shades up from that. And vice versa if it is too dark, then find 1 or 2 shades down from that.

Say you just have no energy to go back out and rid your self of the bad lipstick choices, then to salvage these colors, pair it with a lip gloss with some color to change the look of it! No need to toss it out! Too much pink in that lip color? Tone it down with say a light pink shimmery gloss. Voila, you have turned it into another color!

Oh and another tip! Lip liners are waaaay cheaper! Buy a couple lip liners in shades you like. Apply them all over your lip. See if those work. If yes, go find a lipstick that matches. If no, back thee to the drawing board:)

In a nutshell, do NOT be afraid or discouraged in selecting the wrong shade. You did not just tattoo color to your lips, so it comes off, and if you chose the right location to buy your lipstick from, and saved your receipt, you can take that lipstick right back to the store, no feelings or pocketbooks hurt.

Makeup is FUN! And you can experiment! And it should not give you a headache. The more you try to add scientific research to it, the less fun it seems! Don't put yourself into a little color box, where you think you are warm, so you can only wear this color, etc. Those are tips for starting you in the right direction, yes, but the path can be all swervey! And twirly! And it's okay that you buy a funky color! It's all good in the hood:)

And when all else fails, and you give up, just throw some leopard print lips on lol. Or not! ;)

Have fun, and if you feel overwhelmed still--- just contact me, and I will guide you more!

Kiss, Hug and LIPSTICK, the good ones hopefully!

My What BIG Eyes You Have!

Hello there!

This post is for all of my lovely peeps out there that wear glasses, especially the nearsighted kind. If you are nearsighted (can't see far away), you know that your biggest drawback when wearing your glasses, is that your lenses make your eyes look small. Booooo.

I made a video showing a couple tips and tricks for making your eyes behind your lenses appear large and in charge!

So put on your glasses, and watch the fun!

I hope you all have a fabulous day!

Kiss, Hug and Larger eyes behind those glasses, and Makeup

XO!!