Now you see me, Now you don't!

Hello my lovelies!

I was due for an update, and I figured I would fill you in on a product I discovered about 6 months ago. I know, I apologize for holding out on you for that long:) My bad!

People are always looking for amazing concealer. And I have dabbled in quite a few of them. Until I found THIS  Makeup Ally has some good reviews on this! And if you are like me, you are a review stalker!  :)

Glamoflauge by Hard Candy:



I can't rave enough about this. 1. It is SUPER affordable. I want to say I paid maybe $4-$5 dollars for it from Walmart, since I believe that Hard Candy is exclusively sold there. 2. It has amazing coverage for any flaws (under eye circles, tattoos, blemishes, etc 3. It is super creamy, blend-able, and light weight. 4. A little goes a LONG way. Seriously, a dot of this stuff will do the trick! The only thing I would suggest, is go a shade darker than you think you should, since it is very light once you start blending it in to your skin. I got Medium Light, and I should have just gone for the Medium or even maybe the next step from that even.

So a little about this, since you may be wondering why the pencil is included. That, my friends, is for covering up tattoos, or beauty marks, or and other imperfections. I will explain how you can cover a tattoo. So what you do is take the pencil, and outline and draw over the tattoo that you are covering. Next, apply a thin layer of Glamoflauge, and then set it with a pressed powder. You can repeat the steps as many times as you need to cover your tattoo, or blemish. I covered a tattoo and it took me about 3 times, since it was a black colored tribal tattoo. Not many drugstore bought concealers can do this! Especially cheap ones! So I was thrilled to have this in my kit. You could even use it for a contour cream if you needed to, since it is that dramatic of an effect. Pretty cool.

If you are in the market for a good concealer that has multiple uses too, then look no further! Glamoflauge is your answer!!

YAY!

Well til next time my pretties--

Kiss, Hug & Makeup!

XO

Hello? Is it me you're looking for?

Well lookey here! *brushing dust off of my blog* It's alive!!

I am back! I have been wanting to get back on here for sooooooo long! But life sometimes get's in the way, and blah blah blah. I remembered how much fun I had with my blog! It was so fun speaking to my friends and family, and getting to share my love of makeup. I pinky promise that I will keep up with this, now that I have way more free time!

What has been going on? I am now a stayathomemommakeupartistjewelryseller :) It's been such a  wonderful year getting to focus on my family, makeup and meeting new people selling Origami Owl. It's been greaet for my soul! Plus I have been able to make tons of stuff from Pinterest!!

I am still going to keep this blog for products I love, makeup tips, and clothes, but I think I will also share blog posts from my photoshoots! Cause it's a cool part of my life, and will give you a little behind the scene glimpse into them.

Yesterday, I got to work with an AMAZING team! I have worked with photographer Brett Loie www.brettloie.com a couple times and she is one of the best photographers I have worked with! She seriously kicks booty with her talent! The model was Kelsey Knickbocker, who I worked with back when her modeling career was just starting about 2 years ago. She has come a long way since in her career, so it was really great seeing her in action now! She rocks, plus she is so sweet too! I got to meet Aarika Walton, the wardrobe stylist, and she was also really cool, and brought some neat pieces for the shoot. It was a great shoot, and the feel that Brett was going for was a very bold, edgy fashion look. Kelsey started off with a very natural look, and then we moved to the smokey eye, and a bold lip. She had wet hair for the shoot, which was a cool effect when Brett shot it in black and white. It was a great time. We all shared some laughs, and it's neat when all talents come together to create cool pictures. Here is a little sneak peek:

Well, that was fun! I am glad to be back, and I hope you all still want to hang around! WOOOT!

Kiss, Hug and Makeup,

XO

March Favorites!

Holy Moly! Can you believe it is April already? That is nuts! Time is zooming by! Slow down life!

I am doing a video on this tonight, but for those of you that prefer reading, instead of  watching me babble, then I figured I would do a post covering all of the fun products that I enjoyed for the month of March!

I love trying new products! Even if they aren't brand new to the world, they are brand new to me! Some of you may have discovered these things months ago--- or maybe not!

So here they are, in no particular order:

MARCH FAVORITES

Fekkai Technician Color 3 Minute Mask

I got a sample of this in the mail from Target. I figured I would give it a shot, and it happened to be the night I needed to wash my hair. So I gave it a whirl. To say that I was amazed by this is an understatement. I have thick, course hair, which is color treated with blond highlights, so my hair can be dry at times. This 3 minute mask restored my vibrancy, I had bounce and tons of body and volume! I was blown away! It is like I just stepped out of a salon and got my hair blown out! Awesome. You use it on damp hair, int he shower, and then let it chill for 3 minutes, and then rinse it out and blow dry/style as usual. It is kind of pricey. I got mine at Target for $35.00. Yikes. But its a really good sized tub-- 7 ounces, and it will last a long time. It says to use 1-2 times a week. And I will look forward to those days:)

L'Oreal Hydra-Renewal Moisturizer

Okay-- since fricking Proactiv jacked my face up, I was in the market for some heavy duty moisturizer to repair the damage that was done to my purty little face. I should have realized that Proactive was the devil after I saw what it does to my towels. If it bleaches towels--imagine what it did to my skin. Yup, it dried the crap out of it! :( To the point that it hurt to laugh---I only used it every other day even. Then I broke out like a mo' fo'. I can go into more details about Proactiv, but this is not that kind of post.   Anyway-- so I hadn't done any research on moisturizer, but I knew that it needed to be heavy duty moisture, non-greasy, and long lasting. I found this. And it restored my moisture. And made me happy. My dry skin cleared up in 1 day. I only use it at night though, because it does leave my face with a bit of a shiny moist like dew on my face. I wake up in the morning, and even after rubbing my head all over my pillow, my face is still moist. I still am needing a daytime moisturizer, so for now, this will do for at night--- but I am still in search of a good one for the day time. So any recs, let me know:) Oh, and this was about $6, and it's in a cute little glass jar, which makes me feel fancy when it sits on my bathroom counter.

Sahag Revitalizing Drops

Here is another product for my hair. After I had mah babeh, my hair changed a lot. It got all weird on me. My ends decide to get all strange and frizzy, and it used to not be like that. Tear. But luckily there are products for that. And my hairdresser told me about this one, and I really like it. It can be used on dry or damp hair. I really like it. It smells kinda manly, but like a good smelling man, and it helps tame my frizzy ends. It's light weight, and not greasy. I prefer using it on my dry hair, before I heat style. It does not leave it greasy. You only use a tear-sized amount, which is like one pump of it. It was kind of pricey, but it will go a long way. I paid $27 at my salon, which I am sure you can get this for cheaper online.

Stay Matte but Not Flat Powder Foundation

I got this to use for photo shoots on my models since it was for High Def film. I love it! I got Soft Beige, which is a good color, and then I got one for contouring as well--- Caramel! I even loved it so much when I used it on my models, that I went out and bought some for me! This is by NYX, and it's about $10. And very much worth it. I use a brush to apply it, not the sponge. Using a brush gives this almost like a mineral veil type effect. Shiny skin goes away, and it set's the makeup in a flawless finish. If you use the sponge that comes with it, it's more of a powder foundation finish. Very nice product!

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo

I really love cream shadows--sometimes. At times I am not impressed. But these I was pleasantly surprised with! I have 4 colors: Too Cool (White), Pomegranate Pink (Mauve) Tough as Taupe (Taupe) and Tenacious Teal (Teal Blue). I love them. I will be getting all of these. They are great to do more edgy looks. Or good for neutral. By far the Taupe is amazing! And I pair it with Tease from my Naked 2 palette. And its great! These can be used alone. They go on creamy, and blend well. They take a bit to dry, which makes it fun to play with. They stay all day, and don't crease or budge! They can also be used like a primer. They are less then $6 so no breaking the pocket book if you want to try it. I really enjoy all of these colors. The Taupe was the hardest to find--seems that it's a fast seller. If you can find that one, I say get it! The purple and the green one's are next on my list to purchase.

Lip Magnet Primer

I had never heard of Pop Beauty. But it was on sale at Haute Look, and my mom was in the market for a lip primer to fill in her wrinkles on her lips, and to decrease feathering of her lipstick. I was pleasantly surprised by this. It goes on silky smooth, and really felt great and smoothly. My lipstick stayed, and my mom really liked how it filled in her wrinkles on her lips to give them a more youthful appearance. The only downside, was if I had a day where my lips were chapped or dry before I put this on, it clumped in the flakiness. So I make sure to exfoliate my lips really well before I put this on so that doesn't happen. I got this on sale for $4--but it looks like the going rate is $15. Worth a shot if you are in the market for a lip primer:)


NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil

I love jumbo pencils, for my eyes, and my lips! They just are really fun to work with! I got this one, not in the color of the pencil I have pictured, called "Pink Brown". Which is more like a coral pink, shimmer.  A go-to for all the coral lover's out there! And a great color for summer! These pencils go on silky smooth, and last a very long time! Wonderful color selection also:) And only $4.50!


So there ya have it! All of the wonderful products that I tried out for the month of March! Looking forward to what April will bring in the wonderful world of beauty:)

XO!

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