Television Just Got Awesome

You know what I'm doing tonight at 6 Central? I'm watching the premier of Paranormal Paparazzi on the Travel Channel! And do you know why I'm watching (besides the fact that it's going to be awesome)? Well, it's hosted by friend of Fighting Owl Films, Aaron Sagers, who runs the fantastic blog, Paranormal Pop Culture, that I contribute to, occasionally. As a matter of fact, I'll be recapping the episode of Haven that comes on later tonight. It's going to be a really cool show, and Thomas and I couldn't be happier for Aaron. If you have a free evening (or free DVR space), I highly suggest checking it out.

For more information on the series and Aaron, there's a wonderful article in The Hollywood Reporter. You can read it here.

More Vile Villainy...For Guys AND Gals!

Over the Summer, the nice folks at Threadless threw a little competition to see who could design the coolest new t-shirts featuring Disney Villains. The winners have been chosen, and now there are fifteen brand-spanking-new shirts to choose from, all bearing the likenesses of baddies from The Evil Queen to Dr. Facilier.

And. They. Rock.

The thing I've always adored about Threadless is its artistic integrity. These are not your run-of-the-mill, found this at [insert department store here] designs. These each bear the stamps of the amazing artists who created them. Some are deco, some are nouveau, some are more abstract...all are incredible, and well worth the $23.50 price tag. Here are my favorites:

 Hook by Brian Cvejanovich

 All Powerful by Bert Segunial

Photo Credit (This and All): Threadless

 Magnificent Maleficent by Winona Hwang

Pretty, Pretty Princess: Sephora's Cinderella Collection

What girl doesn't want her Cinderella moment? Whether it's your wedding day, a new job, or the day you're finally able to fit into your skinny jeans or manage to remember to line both eyes (hey! Some days, that's an accomplishment!), we all want to feel beautiful and special. Well, Sephora and Disney have teamed up to create a line of products that celebrate the princess that lives in each one of us...even us big, grown-up girls.

The collection consists of an eyeshadow palette, an eyeshadow quad, a set of four lipsticks, a set of six nail polishes, one perfume in three different bottle options, and a compact mirror. Prices begin at $19 for a rollerball and go up to $175 for a Swarovski crystal encrusted fragrance bottle.

Here's the kicker: right now, you can only get these online, and only if you're a Beauty Insider. Everyone else has to wait until October for these beauties to hit stores and become available online. Of course, October is almost here, so that's not too bad a wait time.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, I give you: The Cinderella Collection!

This set of twenty shadows features shades customized to the original Pantone colors from the Disney film. The palette runs $55, and is paraben-free.

If you're more into smoky looks, this pretty, paraben-free palette will only set you back $30.

This set of four paraben-free (loving that trend!) lipsticks come in glamorous silver packaging, and feature names such as Lady Tremaine and Pumpkin. At $25, this could make a wonderful Christmas gift, or even be broken down into luxe stocking stuffers.

If you like glitter, here's a set of six mini-polishes in pink, blue, silvers and golds. If you don't like glitter, you might want to skip out on this. $24.50, and easily broken up into smaller gifts for co-workers, classmates, or bosom buddies.

So This Is Love is a 1.7 oz fragrance that is housed in a gorgeous bottle, reminiscent of Cindy's pumpkin coach. According to Sephora, the perfume features notes of Fresh Aldehydes, Plumeria, Dewy Hyacinth, Tuberose, Sheer Jasmine, Solar Accord, Musks, Plum, and Creamy Woods. It retails for $58.

A roller ball version of the fragrance is available for $19, and while the packaging isn't quite as opulent, it's still very pretty and elegant.

Of course, if opulence is what you're going for, you can't get much more extravagant than a Swarovski crystal-embellished bottle. The fragrance is the same, but this version will cost you $175.

Photo Credit (This and All): Sephora

Lastly, a princess needs a magic mirror. This one may not have special powers, but it certainly is magical to look at! This $20 beauty mimics the iconic clock from the film. 

Overall, the collection is enchanting. The makeup doesn't really strike my fancy, but that mirror and rollerball are calling my name. Personally, I could never spend $175 on, essentially, a pretty bottle, but the price points, on the whole, seem reasonable. I know I'd be thrilled to find any of these items under the tree this Christmas, and hope this is a good omen of holiday sets to come this Winter. Look for the collection in stores in October.

Frugal Friday: Have You Seen Me?



Photo Credit: Sephora



Recently, I rediscovered Make Up For Ever's HD Microfinish Blush. I received a deluxe sample size some time back, and absolutely hated it. Loathed it. Despised it. Tossed it into the deepest, darkest recesses of my makeup case, never to lay eyes on it again...until about a month ago.

Holy moley, what was I thinking?!



I absolutely adore this stuff now. The color I have is #6, Quickie, and it's a beautiful, warm, salmon pink that looks completely natural on my cheeks. I'm totally in love, but there's a problem: the full-size is $26, and I will run out of this at some point.



Photo Credit: E.L.F.



Coincidentally, at the same time I fell for the MUFE, bargain-favorite E.L.F. came out with its own version of the HD cream blush. So, my question to you is: anybody tried this, yet? It's only $3, but I've only been able to find it online. I don't need to place an order with them right now, and it seems silly to pay twice as much in shipping than for the one item I want. If you have tried this, please let me know in the comments. Maybe I can do a comparison on the two one day, if I can get my hands on a bottle.

Audition Makeup: Camera Look Inspired by Victoria's Secret Angels

This morning, I had an audition (please keep your fingers crossed for me)! I knew that it would be on-camera, and that I should look like "me", only better. I also knew that I needed a look that would work under studio lighting without leaving me totally washed out. That's about the time I got one of those umpteen-thousand daily emails that Victoria's Secret sends their customers, and realized that what I needed was an Angel. Well, her makeup, anyway.

VS "Angels", if you didn't already know, are the models for the lingerie/clothing/beauty company. They have glowing skin and just enough makeup to look naturally gorgeous. If you want a beautiful look that doesn't overpower your features, but simply enhances them, this is one to go for.

So, without further ado, I give you my take on the VS Angel look:

Holy Crud. This looks like a Glamour Shot I had done when I was 13.
Taken with a cell-cam, natural lighting from window and overhead light behind me. No re-touching.

Okay, when you're working with harsh lighting for video, you can't go too "glowy". It just doesn't look good. I can't really describe it, but the video camera hates shimmer, glitter, and glow. Dewy is okay, as long as you don't go overboard. I've found, through trial and error, that it works best to go for a "lit from within" look. If you prep the skin so that--without foundation--it looks all bright and shiny, you can get that glow even with a more camera-friendly matte foundation.

I started by using a cooling eye gel on my eyes to relieve puffiness, and leaving that on while I worked on my hair. After I washed that off, I used a brightening vitamin-C serum on my entire face and neck, and a brightening eye cream under my eyes. Finally, I used a radiance-boosting primer. I might add that I really started all of this the day before by applying a light layer of sunless tanner to my entire body, since I'm practically black-light reflective. That's purely optional, of course.

Once my skin was prepped, I pulled out my Ben Nye matte foundation palette. This is full-coverage and comes in a wide range of shades. I highly recommend it for anyone who does work in front of a camera. I used the shade that best matched my skintone (Cameo, if you're wondering), and applied with a sponge wedge. I pressed the foundation into the skin to work it in as best as possible, since I'm sure nobody wants to see my pores in full HD. Then, I used a creamy, full-coverage concealer under my eyes and on any blemishes or discoloration, and set the entire face with full-coverage matte powder (Rimmel Stay Matte).

For the eyes, I started with a flesh toned eye primer from lashes to brow. Then I used a bronze-y brown shadow pencil on my lid and blended it into the crease. I also ran the same color under my lower lashes. I then took a matte milk chocolate shadow (Urban Decay Tease from the Naked 2 palette) and darkened the crease area. A pale pink satin shadow (Bootycall from Naked 2) went in the brow area. I then used a gold highlighter in the inner corner (Benefit Sun Beam) and ran a shimmery pale pink shadow pencil on my lower waterline. Another lighter brown shadow pencil ran under the lower lashes to help blend out the bronze shadow. I lined the top lash line with black pencil, thickening the outer corners for a not-quite cat eye effect, and brought the black liner onto the outer corners of the lower lash line to deepen the color. Finish the eyes by filling in brows and applying mascara to top and bottom lashes. I suggest curling the lashes to open the eyes more.

For the cheeks, apply a matte bronzer to the outer cheek area (by your ears) and blend inward. Don't hit your apples. A satin bright rose blush goes onto the apples and blends outward into the bronzer. This way, you get a little contour and some color without looking like you striped your face. You can also apply some of that matte bronzer to your hairline and anywhere else you would normally be "sunkissed". Finish the cheeks by adding a shimmery powder highlighter--the only shimmer allowed!--to the cheekbones and, if you want, browbones.

On the lips, I used a rosy nude pencil to line, and filled in with a rosy pink lipstick. I added a dab of a coordinating glittery lipgloss to the center of my lower lip and pressed my lips together to distribute. That keeps the majority of the shine in the center of your lip, but blends it out naturally. Finally, I spritzed the entire face with a setting spray. If you have an HD powder, a quick powder down before you set is a good idea. I couldn't find mine..It's been one of those days.

I hope this helps some of you who might be trying to figure out the best makeup for on-camera auditions. We actors have to stick together. :)

Viciously Vixenish: E.L.F. Disney Villains Palette Review

Saturday, I drove to five Walgreen's while Thomas called four more. Sunday, we took a mini-road trip to the next town, and then the NEXT town over, and finally found a store that stocked these limited-edition palettes. Folks, that was with the help of the E.L.F. store locator. I'm not sure if it's off, or if the stores just didn't get their shipments in time for the launch, or what the deal is. All I know is that these suckers are hard to find. 

Honestly, by the time I actually got my hands on one, it was less a matter of wanting the darn thing, and more just the principle. (And no, I didn't just drive that far for a cheap makeup palette. We made a day of it.)

Anyhoo, I picked up two: Maleficent's Sinister Smoky Eyes for me, and The Evil Queen's Daringly Dramatic Eyes for my best friend, Genna. Obviously, I can't swatch hers, so we're just going to focus on the Maleficent palette for the purposes of this review. Just so you know, there's also a Cruella DeVille palette, but it's all neutral colors, and I need more of those about as badly as I need a third eye. 

This is long and picture heavy, so be ye warned. Let's take a look!

The outer packaging is much nicer than I expected. It feels like a hard-bound book, and has a matte finish with a glossy picture of the inside and foil accents. It does scratch easily (as you can see in the photo), but the artwork is beautiful, and the overall look is every bit what you should expect from Disney.

When you open the palette, you'll find a decent-sized mirror on the left, and all of your products on the right. Please pardon the glare coming from the protective film. While I do appreciate the plastic covering, I am more than a little annoyed that it doesn't come off. It's built into the palette and flips off of the products and onto the mirror side, but it doesn't lay flat. You have to weigh it down with something to keep from having it snap back while you're working with the shadows, and it's a royal pain in the you-know-what. Now, the mirror is a really cute touch, but I'm probably not going to use it very much, if at all, expecially because of the plastic sheeting factor. What is cool, and one of my favorite features, actually, is behind the magic mirror...

...Get the Look instructions! There are how-to's for two looks--one day, one night--with a neat little transluscent Maleficent sporting each style.

See! It flips! It also makes me hate that little bit of plastic sheeting even more, because you have to weigh it down ON TOP of this, which makes following the instructions a bit of adventure in juggling. I think I'm going to take some scissors to that bad boy when I get a second. It's just really bugging the heck out of me (can you tell?).

And now: (drumroll, please) THE PRODUCTS!! Here's an overview of what you get for your ten bucks:

False lashes and glue

"Day Evil" shadow colors, eye primer, and lip & cheek color pencil

"Night Villain" shadow colors, liquid eyeliner, and lip & cheek color pencil

Swatches: Left to Right--Primer , Day Evil Lip & Cheek, Liquid Liner, Night Villain Lip & Cheek

I'm not reviewing the lashes because I haven't tried them. If they're like the other E.L.F. strip lashes, they're perfectly fine lashes. I am a little bummed that they're not as pointy in person as they are in the publicity photo, but they're still very interesting-looking, and I'm anxious to see how they look on. The glue has never been my favorite, though. I prefer Duo or Ardell, and neither is terribly expensive.



Day Evil Shadows: Left to Right--Spindle, Scepter, Fog of Doom, Fauna

 I am pleasantly surprised by the quality of these shadows. No, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that they're the end-all-be-all of shadows, and Urban Decay and MAC need to watch their backs, 'cause here comes E.L.F.! That would be lying, and lying is wrong. What I am going to say is that E.L.F. has stepped up their game a bit. I'd rate the pigmentation on all of these at Fair to Good with a couple of standout shades. There is some fallout, particularly on the glittery shadows, so make sure you take precautions.


Night Villain Shadows: Left to Right--Misfortune, Forest of Thorns, Deep Sleep, Diablo

 Misfortune and Diablo appear to be the most pigmented of the bunch; Fog of Doom, Fauna, and Deep Sleep, the least, but still workable and still pretty. Here's the color breakdown:

Spindle: Pale satin wheat. Comes off as slightly darker than flesh-toned on me, and I'm an NW15.
Scepter: Shimmery bronzed gold.
Fog of Doom: Bluish-purple satin.
Fauna: Emeral satin with multi-colored micro-glitter.

Misfortune: Silvery-gray shimmer.
Forest of Thorns: Dark charcoal gray with fine holographic glitter. Gorgeous smoky color.
Deep Sleep: Wine satin.
Diablo: Reddish-black shimmer with micro glitter. Reminds me of MAC Beauty Marked.

This is the Day Evil look, as instructed. Spindle on the browbone, Scepter at the inner corner, Fog of Doom on lid, Fauna in crease. I added Fog of Doom as a lower liner, and used black pencil and mascara to finish the look. It was quick and dirty. Please don't judge.

This is the Night Villain look, as instructed. Misfortune on the brow and inner corner, Forest of Thorns on the lid, Deep Sleep in the crease, and Diablo to deepen the crease. Finish with liquid liner on top lash line. I added Deep Sleep and Diablo on the lower lash line, and black mascara to complete. You can see the glitter fallout, so be careful. Again, quick and dirty. I just wanted to see how these performed. i actually did both eyes simultaneously. It was a look, let me tell you.

I feel like the shadows perform well enough, and the colors are lovely and work well together. Obviously, the clear liner is more of a glitter accent than a means of defining, but I like it a lot. None of this is professional quality, but it's more than adequate for personal use. And it's a heck of a lot of fun.

Top Lip: Day Evil Lip & Cheek Color. Bottom Lip: Night Villain Lip & Cheek Color.

Speaking of a look, top and bottom--two different colors! Woohoo! I really wanted to see how these looked and felt. Honestly...they're lip liners, and pretty hard ones, at that. They do a decent job at lining, and an okay job filling in, but I'm not about to try to put these on my cheeks. I had a hard enough time smudging the swatch. I can't even imagine trying to blend either of these out as a blush. The colors are a pinky-red and a brighter magenta.

As I said, those looks above were thrown together to test performance and shades. To really test these products, I put them to the all-day, heat and humidity challenge. On my eyes, the Day Evil look, with Fog of Doom and Fauna smudged on the lower lash line, and added black liner and mascara. I lined my lips with the Day Evil lip pencil, then went over with peachy nude shimmery lipstick. Peachy pink cream blush and filled in brows complete the look. I've been wearing this for a few hours now, and everything's holding up. The lipstick could stand a top off, and I need a blotting paper, but the colors haven't faded or smudged.

Final Verdict: 7 out of 10. If you can get your hands on one, pick it up. It's not a life-changer, but it's darn good, and fun for the Halloween season.

Inspiration: Zombie! Pre-Halloween "Going Out" Look

Tonight, Thomas and I are hitting the local Art Walk. It's a monthly event where different visual artists, performers, and arts organizations more or less take over the downtown area. Handmade items are sold from sidewalk vendors, opera is sung on street corners, movies are shown in the middle of a Square, and wine and cheese flow forth from gallery receptions. All in all, it's a good time. We'll be there representing Fighting Owl Films, so I had to get a little more dolled-up than usual, and in a way that helped make it clear what our organization does. So, I pulled out my zombie headband. That should do it.

The zombie headband, in case you're wondering, is this absolutely, freakishly adorable handmade piece I picked up at another Art Walk last December. The artist doesn't have a website, or I'd be hawking it like mad because she's insanely talented. When I saw that she had sweet purple zombies for sale, and I had a movie out that featured sweet purple zombies, I knew we were a perfect match. Here's the piece:
 

I love the dangling little button eye!!!! Squee!!!

Once I knew that I was going to have purple and red in my hair (and the rest of the outfit consists of a black shirt and blue jeans), I decided to incorporate those colors into my makeup for a dramatic, artsy, but still classy look. God, help me. Here's what I came up with:

Products Used:

Touch In Sol Feels Like Honey Moon primer

MAC Studio Sculpt foundation

Maybelline Age Rewind concealer

Benefit Creaseless Cream eye shadow in Silver (lid/primer)

Stila eye shadow in Moxie (crease)

Urban Decay eye shadow in Grifter (blending)

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Zero

Buxom Lash mascara

E.L.F. Brow Kit in Medium

MAC Cream Color Base in Virgin Isle (blush)

Rimmel Stay Matte powder in Transparent

Benefit Watt's Up highlighter

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Cherry Tart

They eyes took zero time. Seriously. Silver for the primer/lid color, then add Moxie to the crease and outer V-area, and blend it up with Grifter (which is full of pretty silver glitter that shows up in person, but not in this picture. Of course). Run Grifter under the lower lashes, then run Moxie over that line to the halfway point. Line upper lashes with Zero and wing out slightly, then run it under the lash line about a quarter of the way across. Add Watt's Up to the inner corner and under brow bone. Done.

If you're curious about how I wore a cutesy headband after age 30, here's how, and it could not have been easier. I started with wet hair and spritzed in a good leave-in conditioner. Then, I added a volumizing mousse to the roots and gave it a rough blow-dry. When the hair was just slightly damp, I sprayed down the ends with a sea spray for texture, and continued to rough blow-dry the rest of the way, scrunching the ends as I went along. Once the hair was completely dry, I pulled it up into a messy, high ponytail, with a little volume at the crown. I didn't tease the crown, but left room for it to pouf up a little when I pinned in the bun later. To create the bun, I used a teasing comb to tease the entire ponytail in one-inch chunks. Then I twisted the chunks together loosely and formed a circular ballerina bun, poufed up the crown, and pinned. The headband went on after, and I tucked the ends into the hair behind my ears. I finished the look by lightly spraying with anti-humidity (ha!) hairspray, just to knock down any frizzies that shouldn't be there. Messy is one thing. Frizzy is something entirely different.

See, the band is pretty far back on the head, which makes it more like an fashion accent, and less like something a schoolgirl would use to keep her hair back during P.E.



This shows how it looks from the front, as well as a close-up of the bun. Added bonus: Erin looking like a goober. You're welcome...

That "Hollywood Glow" and a Mini-Rant

When I do a makeup look on here, nine times out of ten, it's because when I finished putting on my makeup for the day, I looked in the mirror and thought, "Well, I'll be! That doesn't suck!" My thinking is if I can do it, anyone can do it. Sometimes, we all need a little inspiration, or maybe we're looking for that one "holy grail" product, or possibly just need reassurance that yes, you can wear cranberry eyeshadow and not look like you have an affliction. That said, ten times out of ten, I'm fighting crappy lighting and a cell phone camera to take these horrible pictures that don't do justice to the in-person look. Occasionally, the lighting is perfect and the camera is still, the stars align and the angels sing, and I can get a darn near decent picture. Other times, like today, I have to throw in the towel. And I could just cry...

See, as I've said a gazillion times, I'm not a pro. I'm a theatre and film actress, which does involve a whole lotta makeup, so I have years and years and years of on-the-job experience, but no real training. Every now and then, I'll have a breakthrough that I'm sure is nothing new to anyone else, but it's new to me, and sends me bouncing up to the rafters. Today was one of those days, and I can't get a good picture to save my life. ARGH! You know that lit-from-within "Hollywood glow" you see on celebrities like Emma Stone and Jennifer Lopez on the red carpet, but never on Suzy-Q at the mall? Well, I cracked it, and it's awesome and super easy, and I have no photographic evidence.

Of course, that doesn't mean I can't tell you how I did it. You know, in case you don't already have your own routine.

Alrighty, I started off with a brightening serum. I used the Ole Henriksen that came in my Glossybox, but any brightening serum would do, or you could use a brightening primer, like Benefit That Gal. Then, I prepped my undereye area with a brightening (you can see where this is going) eye cream. I used Super by Perricone, but again, that's just a suggestion, and there are oodles of other, less expensive creams that can work just as well. This is just what I had lying around. Just make sure that whatever you choose is for brightening. Once the skin is prepped, apply a dewy foundation. I chose Too Faced Beauty Balm, but MAC Studio Sculpt would be another good choice, depending on how much coverage you need. You don't want your foundation to be glittery or oily looking, but you don't want a matte or demi-matte finish.

Next, I moved on to the eyes. I primed with Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden because it matches my skin tone well, and I didn't want to cover my entire eye area with shadow. This allows the un-shaded areas to blend with the shaded. Then, I grabbed my Urban Decay Vegan Palette for all of the colors I needed for this eye look, including liner. Using a flat brush, I patted Urb (a glittery, pale green--discontinued, sadly, but Mildew with a light hand would be close) onto my lids. Then, using a slightly fluffier shadow brush, added Half Baked (mettalic gold) to the area directly above the crease. Smog (shimmery copper bronze) went into the actual crease, with the outer corner blending down into the lash line. I deepened the crease with a little Twice Baked (deep chocolate brown shimmer). I then ran a thick line of Smog along the lower lash line, and darkened it by running Twice Baked from the outer corner to about the halfway point. Then just blend, blend, blend, blend, blend. Finish by lining the upper lash line with 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Zero, and winging the outer corner slightly, then adding just a bit into the very outer corner of the lower lash line. Here's a lousy picture:

What you end up with is a neutral smoky eye with a pop of color and a pretty gleam. This is great for day, but could easily be darkened up for evening.

Moving on! I used Maybelline Age Rewind concealer in Neutralizer (I'm that pale, y'all) to cover any redness and blemishes. This does brighten up my skin, but feel free to use your fave brightening concealer. Benefit Erase Paste is awesome if you can find your shade. After that, I used Rimmel Stay Matte setting powder (I know! Matte?!) and pressed it into the skin with a buffing brush. Basically, I just wanted to set the powder and knock off a little bit of the shine. It won't completely matte out your skin, but it will keep you from looking like a disco ball. Plus, we're not done with the "glow" yet, anyway.

Next, I filled in my brows with a matching shadow from the E.L.F. Brow Kit, and added mascara to top and bottom lashes (I like Buxom, but whatever you've got will work). Then, I took Too Faced Sun Bunny Bronzer and dusted the tops of my cheeks, bridge of my nose, chin, and hairline. This is a light bronzer with some shimmer (not glitter), and it's really the key to the lit-from-within look we're going for. After that, I took a bright rose pink blush (Stila, discontinued) and a lighter baby pink blush (also Stila, also discontinued, but check out NYX in Rose Garden to kill two birds) that both contained just enough of a sheen to keep from being matte (think: satin) and blended them onto the apples of my cheeks, blending outward across the cheekbone. Benefit Watt's Up highlighter (and really, I'm just going to flat out recommend this--it's gorgeous) went into the inner corners of my eyes, across the brow bones, and onto the cheekbones. I finished off the look with Rimmel lipstick in Crush--a creamy, coral-y nude with a luminous sheen--applied over a lip balm (Fresh Sugar, but again, whatevs).  Here's another lousy picture:

If you have MAC Shy Girl or NYX Pumpkin Pie, then you have this color. They're all pretty much identical.

I didn't line it because I didn't want any harsh lines for this look. Also, I'm lazy and needed to get out the door.

It seems like a lot of steps and products, but really, this only took a few minutes, and...well, yeah, there are a lot of products. Not going to argue with you there. Still, it was surprisingly easy and quick to apply this look, and I have been positively giddy with the results. I hope this helps you guys, and I'll see you tomorrow.

Oh! If this works for you, let me know in the comments! Also, you've probably noticed there are no links. That's because you can either use whatever you have that is similar, or you can find these products readily at Sephora, Ulta, Beauty.com, Drugstore.com or your favorite brick and mortar drugstore (except the discontinued stuff...whoops).

GAH!

Oh, good Lord, it's been a day--and it's not over, yet!! I'm drowning in "real life" today, so I'll see all you lovely blog people tomorrow. Now, I'm going back in...save yourselves!!!!!!!!!!!

Theme Park Makeup, Part IV (The Best and Easiest, So Far!!)

*This is the fourth post in a multi-part series. You can read the first three here, here, and here. Thanks!

I know I said I was going to do a really colorful tutorial for you guys, but with Summer fading off into the distance, and Fall steadily racing toward us, I decided to take a cue from yesterday's Emma Watson post and do a bold lip/nude eye combo that is also surprisingly water-resistent. This is a fantastic look for days when know you're going to hit water rides (think: anything non-Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure). It's not waterproof, but you should be able to get through the day without raccoon eyes or scaring small children. I would recommend tossing a concealer and lip product in your backpack, fanny pack (I don't judge), or tote bag. Maybe a powder, too, but I personally don't think it's necessary.

By the way, I am in love with this look. It's fresh, young, and instantly brightens up your eyes. It also takes the bare minimum amount of products and brushes, and practically zero time to do. It's perfect for this type of vacation. Heck, it was perfect for a rushed morning before work today. I'm a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, anyway, so this is right up my alley; casual, yet polished. Let's take a look:

Bright eyes and pretty lips with slightly flushed cheeks. Honestly, it just looks like I got a good night's sleep and drank some coffee. You could also do the exact opposite of this look by swapping the nude eye product for a bright color, and the bright lip for a nude one. Bright. Nude. Can I type those two words any more?

This look took ten products TOTAL. That includes brushes. Okay, eleven, if you want to toss in another eyebrow brush and skip using the perfectly serviceable one in the E.L.F. Brow Kit. And for you observant people who are like, "there are only nine things in that picture", the missing product is the Urban Decay 24/7 Shadow Pencil in Sin...'cause I had a "moment" and forgot about it. Whoops...

• Too Faced Beauty Balm in Vanilla Glow
• Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer in Neutralizer
• Urban Decay 24/7 Shadow Pencil in Sin
• Make Up For Ever HD Blush in Quickie (I think...no label!)
• Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Tansparent
• E.L.F. Brow Kit in Medium
• Maybelline Falsies Waterproof Mascara in Black
• Tarte Lipsurgence Natural Lip Stain in Enchanted
• Real Techniques Stippling Brush
• Real Techniques Buffing Brush

Apply the Beauty Balm to your entire face using clean hands. Next, using the foam applicator attached, apply concealer to blemishes, discolored areas, under the eyes, and also to the lids up to the brow bone. Run UD Sin over the lid, to the crease, under the lower lashes, and in the inner corner. Using the stippling brush, apply cream blush to apples of cheeks and blend out across the cheekbone. Using the buffing brush, apply powder to oiler areas, and anywhere you have concealer that needs to be set. Fill in brows lightly with the powder side of the eye kit. Apply mascara to top and bottom lashes. Fill in lips with stain. The. End.

Here's a close-up of the eye. Sin just gives it a little luster and polish, and brightens up the area. Also, how great is that concealer?! Full review to come, but I can already tell that it's a good one.

Obviously, these products are just recommendations. Any pretty peachy pink cream blush will work. I just know this one has staying power. Milani makes a great dupe for the shadow pencil, and Revlon's balm stain is a wonderful drugstore replacement for the Tarte. The Too Faced is the best "BB cream" I've found, so I don't have a drugstore dupe for it, but I'm keeping my eyes open. If you find one that's your "Holy Grail", please let me know! Have fun with this, and let me know if you tried it, and what you thought. Have a fabulous Tuesday!!

Bold Berry Lips and a Little Catharsis

Hollywood Life posted this picture of Emma Watson looking absolutely gorgeous at the Toronto International Film Festival. The accompanying article was about her bold lips/nearly naked eye combination, which I love, but the suggested lipstick for re-creating the look just bugged the heck out of me.

Photo Credit: Hollywood Life

It's a beautiful color--don't get me wrong--but seems much more tomato red than the berry Ms. Watson sported. Sure, you could do this look with tomato red, but I feel like the berry keeps the overall effect modern and sophisticated, where a brighter red could come off more retro.

Instead of sitting at the computer pounding my fist and silently seething (it seriously bothered me, folks), I decided to rectify the problem as best I could. Here are my berry picks for a Watson-esque Fall look:

Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Stick in Fresno
I love these lipsticks. Flat out. They're shaped more like a lip pencil (but nowhere near as large as a Chubby Stick), so you can use them to line. They feel a little thick going on, but melt into your lips within a few minutes, and leave a lovely tingle. They last a good long while, too, and are almost matte. Fresno is described as a "blackberry wine".

MAC in Hang-Up
My favorite berry from MAC was discontinued (Berry Boost), and I've found nothing to compare. However, I know how fantastic MAC lipsticks are, and wanted to include one in the list. Hang-Up is insanely dark, but with a brush and a light hand, this "deep berry" creamsheen can be a beautiful shade for Fall.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo
I picked this up thinking it was a true red, but was pleasantly surprised to discover it was really a lovely raspberry color, not unlike my Berry Boost (see review and not completely un-Watson-like look here. I think I may be ahead of a trend for once!). This is a cheap, quick, and easy way to pull off a bold lip, and I highly recommend it.

E.L.F. Mineral Lipstick in Cheerful Cherry
Just so you know, it's not cherry. I have a review here, with swatches, and the name is deceiving. Don't let that put you off of this product, though. It's a darn good lipstick at a darn good price point ($5!), which makes this an inexpensive way to experiment with a bold lip look.

Out To Lunch...Back In Five...

Hey guys!

I'm working on a really cool DIY project right now, have some upcoming Halloween makeup ideas, and hopefully very soon will have a link to an article I'm writing about Haven's third season. I got to chat with the cast yesterday (for real! I still can't believe it!), and the result of that will be on ParanormalPopCulture.com as soon as I get it all polished up and pretty. Until then, I'm taking the day off. I hope you lovlies have a wonderful weekend, and I'll see you Monday!

Thanks,
Erin

Tailgate Pin-Up Makeup

Down here in the Deep South, football is a religion. With the first strong breeze of Fall (in this case, a brisk tropical storm. How refreshing?) come pep rallies around bonfires and fight songs bellowed throughout the local college campuses (we have a few, actually). Barbeque grills take their rightful places in the beds of 4X4s, and fans belly up to the bumper for surprisingly gourmet meals served on Chinette.

I can't stand football, but I do love a good tailgating party.

In high school, I went to a football school. I marched in the band for a year, but it wasn't really my thing (before you ask, I twirled a flag; I have no musical ability apart from singing). After that, I just hung out at football games to catch up on gossip, flirt with cute boy o' the moment, and show off how cute I could look when not in an ugly school uniform. As it was the 90s, turns out, not that cute. Oh, well. Oversized men's coats with antique brooches, anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Anyhoo, now that I'm older and wiser, my taste has somewhat improved. I try to dress more to show off my assets, and that includes makeup. I'm a sucker for pin-up-style looks, since they tend to make my small eyes look larger and accentuate my mouth. Plus, I'm pale as a ghost, and that works with this style. Score! Mostly, though, I feel like it's a sweet throwback to the innocence of yesteryear. There's just something about this look that makes me think of cheerleaders and sockhops and milkshakes at the diner. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

P.S. Ignore the hair. Actually, the back is really cute. It's in a high ponytail with a bun wrapped around the pony. Unfortunately, it's a million percent humidity, and no amount of hairspray/frizz serum/prayer can touch it. 

Okay, I went for a softer pin-up look for this, since it's for daytime, outdoors, and a super-casual atmosphere. I wanted pretty and polished, but not overly done. To me, pin-up is all about the lashes, liner, and lips, so I left everything else pretty bare. My favorite thing about this look is how easy it is. Very few brushes, very few products, and application only took a few minutes. Easy peasy.

You see how the liner is just barely winged out? And how I sort of matched my shadow to my jersey? And how messy my car is? Yeah...all of that, except the liner, was totally unintentional...

Alrighty, let's get into the products used:

• Primer: Touch in Sol Feels Like Honey Moon, applied with fingers.
• Foundation: MAC Studio Sculpt NW15, worked into the skin with hands to keep from looking too makeup-y.
• Concealer: Benefit Erase Paste in Medium
• Eye Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
• Base Shadow: LORAC in Sand, lid to brow.
• Crease Shadow (and Lower Lash Liner): MAC in Hocus Pocus--discontinued, but any charcoal gray will work.
• Liner: Buxom Insider Liner in Onyx
• Mascara: Buxom Lash in Black
• Blush: MAC Cream Color Base in Virgin Isle, lightly applied to apples with stippling brush.
• Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte in Transparent, in T-Zone and under eyes only.
• Brows: E.L.F. Brow Kit in Medium
• Lips: Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart

Here are a couple of close-ups of the eye. Pay no attention to the brows in desperate need of shaping. I'm holding off until next week, when I have a function to attend.

Thanks, and have a great evening, guys!

Bargainistas Unite!: August Favorites

It's September! Holy mackerel! That means it's time for August Faves!!!

I swear, you're going to think I'm made of money when you see what I've picked out, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. It's just that I was raised by the Queen and Princess of Bargain Hunting (my grandmother and mother. I'm surprised salespeople didn't cry when they saw them walk into the mall). There is, literally, not one item on here that was purchased at full price, and one item was free.

Anyhoo, I've been really focused on skin care these days, so almost all of these items relate to that fact in some way or another. Let's get started!

Eyes
Super by Dr. Nicholas Perricone Bright Eyes
Recently, the skin around my eyes has looked a little dull. I don't know if it's age, lack of sleep, allergies, or what, but I needed to brighten things up a bit, and pronto. A while back, Sephora had a clearance sale on Super by Perricone, and I picked up this eye cream at half price. It has melon extract in it, and actually does a nice job of brightening. I've been using it morning and night for about a week, and can already tell a difference. Plus, it smells like bananas, which is just kind of neat. I don't think I'd pay $50, but $25 was a great price point, especially considering the huge amount of product you get. This should last a good, long while.

Benefit Erase Paste
This is a brightening concealer, and the second best* I've used. It's not really the greatest for covering blemishes, since it does have a peachy undertone, but it's fantastic for dark circles. The pot I have is a deluxe mini that came in a sampler set, so I paid maybe four bucks for it. It's medium, and I probably should purchase light for the Winter, but this works just fine with the little bit of Summer color I'm sporting right now.

Lips
Ellis Faas in L209
This came in my Glossybox, so it cost me all of about four dollars, too. I adore this color for fair redheads. It's a warm, peachy nude that doesn't wash me out like most. It's demi-matte, long-wearing, moisturizing, and is going to be gorgeous for Fall. I'm in love. Could I pay $35 for it? Um...are you high? Never. If I can ever find it on sale, though, I'm stocking up. Plus, the packaging is bada--I mean, really, really cool.

Fresh Sugar Treatment
This little darling was the Sephora Beauty Insider Birthday Gift this year (along with the Sugar Rose), and I'm completely hooked. I keep it by the sink with my eye cream and face wash, because I hate going a night without this on my lips. It makes them nice and soft, ready for whatever lip color I choose.

Face
NYX Crimson Amulet Palette
You know what, I'm not even going to go into this one. The link takes you my glowing review. What I will say is that I have reached more for this lately than any other palette I own. It's my go-to, and if you can get your hands on one, I highly recommend it.

Ole Henrikson Truth Serum
Again, this arrived in my Glossybox, so it ran about four bucks. I've been using it morning and night for about a week, and aside from a few itty-bitty pimples (I think just from transitioning and clearing out the gunk), I've been extraordinarily impressed. This morning, I actually noticed that my skin looked younger and brighter. That's saying something. I also love that it smells like oranges.

Nails
Illamasqua in Purity
I would never pay fourteen bucks for nail polish, but this came in my Glossybox (so, yeah, four dollars). I also don't care for the formulation, and it chips fairly easily. Basically, I can't recommend it, but it's here because I am absolutely in love with the color! It's lady-like and neutral, but the vibrancy gives it punch and makes it so much fun to wear. I can't stop putting it on, so here it is. Now, if only I could find a cheap dupe for it. Any ideas?

China Glaze in Fast Track
This is a favorite that I, sadly, had to give to Mom. I can't wear it. It looks horrific with my skintone. That said, it's a gorgeous khaki, infused with gold glitter flecks. Khaki is supposed to be big this Fall, so snap one of these up if you can. I found mine (Mom's) on clearance at Ulta, and this link takes you to Sally, where it's even less expensive.

Body
Pacifica Body Butter in Indian Coconut Nectar
Lightweight, non-greasy, and smells heavenly. What I love most is that the coconut is warmed up with spicy vanilla, which makes this the perfect transitional scent from Summer to Fall. I got mine on sale at Sephora for about five bucks, and now it's marked down to three.

*The best, you ask? A concealer palette from ebay. I kid you not. I use it for film makeup, so it's not mine, per se. The one I love is the first one on the second row.

Villainous Vanity: Disney and E.L.F. Villain Palettes

Once Upon a Time, the good fairies at Disney and the pretty pixies at MAC concocted a delightfully wicked collection of villainous cosmetics, and there was much rejoicing. Some time later, the good Disney fairies decided to create their own brand of magnificently malevolent makeups, and there was, um, less rejoicing. Now, the fairies have opted to bring on board the happy elves at, well, E.L.F. to magick up a new line of palettes for beautiful baddies, and I, for one, am ridiculously excited.

Available for a limited time at select Walgreen's, beginning September 15th (mark your calendars, guys!), will be three E.L.F. palettes, based upon Snow White's Evil Queen, Sleeping Beauty's Melificent, and 101 Dalmatians' Cruella DeVille. The palettes each contain colors themed to their specific villain, and each focuses on a different style of makeup. The Evil Queen's "Daringly Dramatic Eyes" palette is plummy overall. Melificent's "Sinister Smoky Eyes" are gorgeously green, and Cruella's "Evil Everyday Eyes" boasts a neutral, natural color scheme.

Photo Credit: Musings of a Muse

An Instagram photo was released on Friday, giving an up-close view of the Melificent palette. It appears to hold a set of false eyelashes and glue, eight eye shadows, an eyelid primer, two lip pencils, and what could be either an eyeliner or lipgloss (the pictures aren't the greatest in the world). Palettes will retail for $9.99.

Photo Credit: Instagram

I'm beyond thrilled at the prospect of bringing these home. The packaging is beautiful (I love the mirror!), and E.L.F. has some wonderful products. The brand has a tendency to be hit or miss, but when they get it right, they knock it out of the park. From these photos, it looks like they've gotten it right.