October Favorites!

It's the end of October, and that means it's time for FAVORITES!!! *insert Kermit flail here*

We all have lives, so let's skip the small talk and get straight to it!

Skin
Clean & Clear Oil-Free Dual Action Moisturizer
While Thomas and I were in Orlando, we realized that the car trip had left both of us with really dry skin that was beginning to break out. We had to run in a Walgreen's anyway, so I had the chance to pick up something, anything, that could help. This was cheap, and we were desperate. Now, I'm happy to say that I have a new favorite basic moisturizer. It doesn't have any anti-aging benefits, but my skin feels great, and breakouts have been at a minimum. Added bonus: it leaves a cooling sensation as it sinks in.

Face
Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation
Ulta sent me a 20% off anything in the store coupon, so I bit the bullet and bought this. My only complaint about this foundation was that it didn't hold up to heat and humidity, but now that it's cooler and drier, that's not really an issue. Ever since I tested this, I've found myself comparing other foundations to it. Now, I could spend the next however long and however much money trying to dupe this foundation, or I could just buy it and be happy. I just bought it, and I've been happy as a clam with it ever since. It's gorgeous, and I highly recommend it.

Eyes
E.L.F. Disney Villains Palette, Maleficent, Night Villain Shadows
As weird as this may sound, and as difficult as it may be to believe, I've been reaching for this more than any other palette, recently. I don't even keep it in a drawer; it's right there next to my brushes. Misfortune, Diablo, and Forest of Thorns are three absolutely beautiful, pigmented, buttery shadows, and they work perfectly for Fall. The rest of the shadows...eh, I could take or leave. These three, I'm really hoping E.L.F. decides to sell as singles. They're amazing.

Lips
Urban Decay Lipsticks in Sellout and Midnight Cowboy
I am ill that these have been discontinued, and I'm really angry at myself for snapping up three colors while they were three bucks apiece on the Urban Decay site. I had no idea I'd like them so much!! The packaging is so vile that I barely have words to describe my hatred, but the lipsticks are glorious. They're moisturizing, wear well, and the colors are simply beautiful. Of the three I purchased, Sellout and Midnight Cowboy have made it into the daily rotation. Sellout is a warm neutral rose, and you can still find it online (see the link). Midnight Cowboy is a glittering nude that also makes a lovely topcoat over other colors. I like it over Dervish lipliner from MAC, but normally wear it on its own. I can't find it anywhere, but if you know of a good dupe for it, please share with the rest of the class.

Nails
Sephora by O.P.I. in Leotard Optional
Sephora by O.P.I. in Blasted Gold Glitter
I've been wearing these together, and love the birch bark effect it leaves on my nails. Leotard Optional is a plummy nude, and the Blasted Gold Glitter is...well, blasted gold glitter.

Other
International Delight Creamer in S'mores
It looks like chocolate milk and tastes like graham cracker. I can't stop drinking it!!!!

I hope you enjoyed this, and have a safe and happy Halloween! If you're in the Northeastern region, and are duking it out with Bad Sandy, please know that you're in our thoughts. Good luck, and be careful.

Why Is That Inflatable Snowman Holding a Rifle?

Over the weekend, Thomas and I did a little shopping at the local Wally World. As we stood in line with a carving pumpkin and some Halloween candy, Thomas asked me what, quite frankly, might be my new favorite question, ever:

"Why is that inflatable snowman holding a rifle?"

Sure enough, there was an inflatable snowman displayed on a shelf. He wore an inflatable hunting cap, and carried an inflatable rifle, which was trained on an inflatable reindeer. The last part was merely coincidence, but I could easily see the entire tableaux winding up in a neighbor's yard. Heck, I could probably tell you now which  yard. We shook our heads at the silliness, paid for our stuff, and went on to our next stop, Big Lots. We needed to pick up some more lights for Mom's Halloween yard display.

When we got  to the store, we were thrilled to find the lights on sale. In fact, all of the Halloween decorations were on sale, and had been moved up to the very front of the store, because the "seasonal" area of the store had been decked out with Christmas trees and tinsel. The leftover macabre merch had no place left to go but out the door.

At Target, it was nice to see that the pumpkins hadn't already been clearanced into oblivion, but that was probably only because so very few items remained. The stragglers had been consolidated, though, and light-up candy canes and glittering greeting cards were already encroaching upon their former territory.

We managed to find the fog machine and liquid we needed, and made our way through the mall to Penney's, where I wanted to grab some tights to go underneath my costume. The weather had suddenly switched from Summer to Winter, completely bypassing Fall, and I had no desire to freeze my trick-or-treats off on Halloween night. Walking through the connecting hallway, neither of us could help but notice the illuminated "icicles" dripping from the ceiling.

"Gosh Darnit!" (Okay, so Thomas didn't say exactly that, but this is a family-friendly blog) "Christmas decorations?!" And sure enough, the store's Ladies' department was already swimming in styrofoam snowflakes.

"You know," I told him, "when I worked at Barnie's (a now-defunct coffee shop inside the main area of the mall), we were appalled when the mall maintenace guys started putting the Christmas wreaths up on Halloween. Now, we're doing good to even make it to Halloween." We went home, carved a jack-o-lantern, and watched a marathon of haunted attraction and creature-building television shows.

This morning, I had a few minutes to kill before heading into work, so I stopped by the strip mall next to my office building. Ross had a tiny rack of picked-over Halloween items, and probably a dozen tables and half a dozen shelving systems filled with stocking stuffers and barware, each designated as "holiday" by a glitzy red sign. Bed Bath & Beyond didn't even pretend to have any Halloween stuff left--not even on sale--and I soon found myself surrounded by crystal-encrusted mistletoe and gingerbread candles.

Now, I don't mean to come off as down on Christmas. I love Christmas. Every year on the Day after Thanksgiving, I do my Black Friday shopping, then come home to wrap presents and decorate the tree. The first available Saturday after Thanksgiving, I fire up the oven and bake cookies and breads while Miracle on 34th Street and Christmas Vacation play on the television (last year, Galaxy Quest somehow made it into the mix, too, but I think that's just because the cranberry walnut cookies took too long in the oven). I drink egg nog lattes even though I have no idea what egg nog actually is. Thomas and I set up our Christmas village just like my family always did when I was a kid. I get a Christmas dress for Vigil Mass. A little part of me still hopes Albert the Elf will stop by for a nibble of pumpkin bread.

I adore the entire holiday season...during the holiday season. The problem is when the holiday season preempts other holidays. First of all, it's just downright weird seeing the Baby Jesus next to a life-size, animated skeleton with glowing eyes and special-action fogger. My mind goes into a very trippy place when I shop for headstones and cobwebs while "Good King Wenceslas" plays overhead. One of these things is not like the others, and my poor little overworked brain can't justify what it's taking in.

Secondly, the longer the holiday season lasts, the fatter I get and the less money I have. See, Black Friday circulars have already begun circulating. The sales are beginning, and try as I might, my genetic makeup absolutely prevents me from resisting a good sale. Normally, I can turn away from 20 and 30-percent off events, but the holiday season brings with it 50 and 75-percent off prices, free gifts with purchase, and special bonuses just for coming in the store! All that free and cheap stuff nearly breaks me every. darn. year. Plus, since Thanksgiving (a day when I normally don't pig out, oddly enough) gets passed over before it even arrives, holiday cookies, cakes, pies, and coffee drinks get a head start. I can avoid buying them, but it seems rude to turn down a homemade snack from a proud coworker, or a pre-rehearsal nosh from a sweet choir lady. If I only had a month to get through, I could maybe handle it, but it's only October, and it's already starting! We're looking at over two months of penny and calorie-counting, and I'm stressed out just thinking about it.

Lastly, and most importantly, the longer the holiday season, the meaner people get. I hate that. You'd think it would be the opposite, since this is supposedly the time for joy, peace, and love, but it's not. It's the time for fighting over parking spaces, clutching your handbag a little tighter out of fear, and forgetting that the world doesn't revolve around you. I felt it start today, and that's really what prompted this entire rant. Trying to leave the strip mall, I had two (TWO!) drivers honk their horns at me, not because I was driving recklessly or not paying attention, but because I existed. As I pulled out of my parking space, I heard the first horn. The driver was at the other end of the aisle, but didn't want me to pull out because she'd have to wait ten seconds for me to drive away. However, she had no problem making me wait for a couple of minutes while she blocked the aisle and held a conversation with the people she was dropping off at the door. Immediately after that, I encountered the other horn as I yielded at a yield sign to a driver who had the right of way, and was physically blocking my path. The car behind me didn't view the laws of physics as a good enough excuse to keep her waiting, again, for a matter of seconds. Those feathered tophat ornaments weren't going to buy themselves, I guess.

Last Black Friday, my car was nearly hit, and a pedestrian nearly flattened, by a driver who felt the need to speed around me to get the parking spot I was about to turn into. She flipped us off and cursed at us as they passed, causing several onlookers to shake their heads and shrug their shoulders. No one had a clue why the driver felt so entitled to that spot, or why she felt it warranted attempted vehicular homicide. Back in my retail days, I was yelled at for not smiling enough, for not being the store they'd meant to go to, for not making the line shorter, for not playing the song they wanted to hear. I've been made to cry on more than one occasion, and once had to have mall security walk me out to my car after I received a death threat. The reason: I'd told a large group of customers that they needed to make their final purchases, as the mall was closing and I didn't want them to be locked in. It was nearing midnight on Christmas Eve, and the store had already technically been closed for nearly half an hour.

Apparently, the holidays are upon us. Santa Claus has already started making cameo appearances in commercials, and it's only a matter of days before that annoying Target lady shows back up. 'Tis the season of brotherly love, and 'tis going to be that season for a heck of a long time. If you take nothing more out of my tirade, please, at least take this much to heart: We're all in this together. Try not to be a jerk.

Thank you, and Merry Hallogivmas.

Frugal Friday: Cheap (or Free!) Last-Minute Costume Ideas

Wow!!! Halloween is only five days away, and Halloween weekend is upon us!! Over the next few days, some of you may find yourselves unexpectedly invited to costume parties, with no costume hanging in the closet. Oh, no! What to do?! I know the last thing I'd want to do is hit the costume/party/Halloween pop-up store the weekend before Halloween (no, thank you), so I did a little of what I like to call "Closet Shopping" to put together workable costumes out of items I already had lying around the house.

Yes, they are all kind of lame. No, it doesn't matter. It's Halloween. I think you might even get extra points for having a lame costume. Points for what, exactly? Not a clue. I just make this stuff up as I go along.

1. Tourist
Pull out the shorts, flip-flops, sandals, backpacks, fannypacks, and the loudest Hawaiian or theme park shirt you can find. Bonus points if the t-shirt has Marty Moose on it (again, no idea what the points mean. Just go with it). Sun visors, baseball or trucker caps, knee socks, and a dab of sunscreen on the nose (greasepaint or white cream makeup work, too) complete the look.

2. Proud Parent
You know how some Baseball dads and Pageant moms have t-shirts, noisemakers, and a dozen, or so, pins, posters, and the like? What if every club did that? A fun spin (and one not likely to offend any parents who may fit this description--mine did!), is to pick a club where a cheering section would be entirely inappropriate, like Debate, or Model UN. You know, where matches and meets are notoriously quiet and require deep concentration, and where most people show up in business attire. This one may require a trip to the craft store, but maybe not. If you're already a DIY-er,  you might already be all set. The basic costume is jeans and t-shirt. The fun comes in how you decorate that t-shirt, and what props you decide to carry--the louder and crazier, the better. Don't be afraid to use neon, rhinestones, and glitter, all at the same time. Proudly proclaim that you are a Scholar's Bowl Mom/Dad...foam finger and all!

3. Beauty School Dropout
You will need a cheap (five dollar-range) stylist's smock from the beauty supply shop, some spray in hair color from the drugstore or Walmart (look on the Halloween aisle. It's still much safer and far less crazy than going to a party store!), and foam rubber curlers. Spray your hair with whatever color you like (if you go for pink, you could also make a little nametag that says "Frenchie", and wear a pencil skirt or capris with cute flats under the smock), and roll onto the curlers. Then apply the tackiest makeup you can think of. I mean, make the eyes different colors and smear the lipstick (unless you're Frenchie, then stick with cute and 50s-inspired). This also works for guys, by the way. I'm just going to leave you with that mental image.

Have a great weekend!!! 

Fighting for Truth, Justice, and the Occasional Treat

My puppy thinks he's Superman.

I'm perfectly fine with that. When Thomas puts this little costume on Ronnie, the dog's entire demeanor changes. He stands up a little straighter. His ears perk up a little higher. He is SuperRonnie, the Magnificent.

I love my dog.

Happy Halloween to all of our furry little friends! If you're thinking of taking your pet trick-or-treating, here's a really helpful, informative article you might want to read first. Ronnie's going with us--no question!--but he's probably going to spend the evening watching over the city from the safety of Thomas'--I mean, Batman's loving arms. Oh, yes, there will be pictures.

Costume Creations: Doctor Who's Amy Pond

Hoo boy, I do not look like Karen Gillan. Not even slightly. Of course, like every other female Doctor Who fan in the world, that doesn't stop me from absolutely coveting her hair, makeup, and clothes on the show. Amy Pond is entirely gorgeous, but in that accessible, girl-next-door kind of way. I know that some of you out there might be considering an Amy costume for Halloween, or possibly as cosplay for a convention (I'm getting excited for the New Orleans Comic-Con, myself). To help out, I recreated the look Karen Gillan is wearing in this photo. I can't find where it was taken, but it looks like a press junket. This, out of all the photos I found online, struck me as the most typical "Amy" look (which is odd, since she's not in character in this shot, but whatevs):


Photo Credit

And here's the recreation. You have no idea how badly I want her photographer and lighting and hairstylist and retouching program and genes...

I have to say, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out! The colors are pretty close, and I finally figured out how to do the "Amy Pond Eye". So, here's what we're doing:

First, prime your face, then apply a medium to full coverage foundation. I used Tarte Clean Slate and Urban Decay Naked Skin. You can use whatever you want, of course. If you're doing this for a con, where you're going to be walking around and getting sweaty, but will still be photographed out the ears, Ben Nye cream foundations look amazing and were built for that kind of wear (see the princess tutorial from a couple of days ago, because that's what I used. Heck, see it anyway, 'cause we're going to be reusing a lot of those techniques, here).

Next, prime your eyes from lid to brow with a flesh colored base. I used Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden, but NYX or E.L.F. would work well, too. After I primed, I went into my NYX Crimson Amulet palette and used the matte pink eyeshadow all over the lid and on up to the brow. Next, I took the lilac satin finish and applied it at the crease, then went over it with the purplish-blue color. The white shimmer went just at the brow bone. To line the eyes in that distinct Amy Pond fashion, I used a black gel pencil (Buxom's Insider Eyeliner in Black Onyx) on the top lashline, then brought it down to the bottom lashline, and ran it halfway across. It doesn't wing, but the two lines do connect. Then, I grabbed a waterproof black liner (UD 24/7 in Zero) and used it on the waterline, but only in the very outer corner. I cleaned up by lashlines by running black shadow on a flat brush across them. A white liner (NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk) went on the rest of the waterline and in the inner corner. The look's not difficult, but there are more steps than I ever thought for. Finish up the eyes by filling in your brows and applying copious amounts of black mascara to your top and bottom lashes.

The Eye. Thrilling...

Back to the skin! Grab your concealer (one shade lighter than your foundation, please), and draw a V shape from the inner corner of your eye, down the side of your nose, and back up to the outer corner of your eye. Fill it in and blend it out. This will create that cool "Kim Kardashian" highlight, and it's the same technique we used on the princess look. In fact, go ahead and highlight the center of your nose, your chin, and your forehead while you're at it. I'll wait...

Alrighty. Now, if you're not totally sleep deprived, like I was, this is when you'd want to set everything with a transluscent powder. If you're me, you'll remember that after you have a pain of a time applying your blush. Going back to the NYX Crimson Amulet palette, use the matte pink blush only on my outer cheekbone. The apples are left bare. Then, take the matte red blush and go over the pink, to create a berry color. After that, use a light bronzer to contour the cheekbones and nose. Then (even if you set with a transluscent powder earlier), grab your HD powder and give the whole look a good once over.

Next, take a berry lipliner (mine was the Night Villain color from the E.L.F. Maleficent palette) and line your lips, bringing the color in on the outer corners. Then, fill in with a berry lipstick. I used Buxom's Lip Tarnish in Scandal, but MAC Chic works well, too. Finally, if you're me, and just feel like being sparkly, grab the pretty highlighter out of the NYX palette and go over the already highlighted areas. I don't recommend it, since it photographs weird, but I was on allergy meds and punchy, and it seemed like a good idea at the time. It wasn't.

In person, you are going to look like you have on more makeup than a Norma Desmond-wannabe, but it photographs really well. Have fun exploring time and space!!!

Box Opening: Influenster Beauty Bloggers VoxBox

A month or so ago, I heard about a program called Influenster. It's sort of a cross between Birchbox and BzzAgent, in that you sign up for it, complete a profile and surveys, and if you're chosen, receive a box of full-sized and deluxe-sample goodies to test out and discuss on your social media outlets (blog, vlog, twitter, etc.). I thought it sounded interesting, so I signed up. This week, I received my first Beauty Blogger VoxBox, so this is my box opening, plus some reviews on the items I've been able to try. I'm going to be completely honest and impartial, despite the fact that I did receive all of these items for free. If you've been around this blog for any length of time, you know that I don't pull punches in any of my reviews, solicited or not. With that, let's get started!

Here's the box, straight off of the front porch.

The contents, just as they were. I didn't touch anything. There wasn't any packing material, but there was a coating of some sort of powder all over everything.

Here's the insert that explains the program and the box contents. It says: "Since you're a blogger extraordinaire,  you've been specially selected to receive this Beauty Blogger VoxBox! These are the products your followers want to hear about, so test, evaluate, and recommend, so they know what's what." Then it gives instructions on logging in the box online, and so forth.

Here's a rundown of all of the products, along with descriptions and prices. We'll get to those in a bit.

This is a product that I was actually really excited to find in the box. I've seen these, but always doubted they would work in my long, thick hair. I have a hard time getting even clips to hold. After trying them out for a couple of days, I'm happy to report that they do work, and I can now throw my hair into a messy bun in, literally, seconds. Would I recommend them to dancers who need buns for rehearsal or class? Not even slightly. They hold, but even with practically zero exhertion, my knot slid down the back of my head an inch or two over the course of the day. These are more for work, school, or bumming around on the weekends. Bonus: no itty bitty pins to keep up with! Goody SimpleStyles Spin Pins run $7.29, and come with instructions for three looks.



Messy, but off my neck. That's all that matters.



Next, I found a sweet little candle from Bath & Body Works. It smells woodsy, and I really like it. I think it's going to end up in my bathroom. Mini candles are $3.50, and definitely worth it. I've used these for years.

There was also a coupon for $10 off a 3-wick candle from Bath & Body Works. They're normally $20, so that's a super nice coupon. I used mine today to pick up one in Fresh Baguette, off the recommendation of a super-cute youtube blogger. It smells like baking bread, and I think it'll be a nice way to freshen up the house without sending anyone's allergies into a tizzy.

Another product I was already interested in trying out: false lashes with an applicator. I've used my fingers; I've used tweezer; I've even used that weird little pink clampy thingy (technical term), and they all kind of suck. This actually looks like it might work. I'm holding off on these until Halloween, but I'll keep you posted. The whole kit'll cost you $5.99, in case you were wondering.

This was an either/or item. Either you received Not Your Mother's Kinky Moves (Thomas has been cracking up over that name, by the way) Curl Defining Hair Cream, or you received Not Your Mother's Smooth Moves Frizz Control Hair Cream. Now, I don't have curly hair, so I'm not entirely sure how much use I'll get out of this, in that regard. It is supposed to smooth frizz and fly-aways, though, so I'll give that a shot. It's a really cute little package, and not super expensive ($6.00 for a much larger, full-sized bottle), so I hope it works out.

Alrighty! Remember how I told you there was a layer of powder over everything in the box? Well, this is where it came from. There's a little tear in the back of the package. It smells really good, and I've had luck with other suppplement powders in the past, but I had to toss this one before I could try it. I hated to do it, too, since they're kind of on the pricey side. A box of 20 will set you back $28.

Somehow, I managed to score one of two bonus products! According to Influenster, "Based on scores and demo info, select members may receive one of the following bonus products": either a two-step skincare system brom Boots No.7, or this Vitabath Fragrance Mist. My mist came in Green Tea and Sage, and smells wonderful. It reminds me of the sleep-enhancing aromatherapy linen spray from The Body Shop, actually, and retails for $9.99.

Okay, this one has me perplexed. Not because of the product--that's self-explanatory--but because of the availability. I can't find this particular shade variation anywhere other than Amazon! There are other shade variations all over the place (Walmart, Target, drugstores, etc.), but this "Dark Shadows" edition from NYC is a rare find. That's a shame, because it's actualy a really nice product, and would be lovely around the holidays. It's not a Holy Grail product, so don't kill yourself trying to find it, but if you happen to stumble across it somewhere, it's worth looking at.

The set comes with four coordinating shadows, a primer, and an illuminator. Here are the four shadows and the illuminator swatched. The primer is just a fleshy base, along the lines of the E.L.F. $1 primer, both in texture and slightly greasy feel. The shadows are okay. They're not powdery, and I experienced very little fallout, but the pigmentation isn't wonderful. I'd say poor-to-fair, with the silver and charcoal colors being the best, the white shadow as a middle ground, and the black glitter being the worst. It barely shows up, and the glitter doesn't transfer at all. Even with the primer, there is some fading and creasing, but not a ridiculous amount. The illuminator, surprisingly, is downright beautiful., and has pretty flecks of microglitter to boot. It's not a very versatile palette, but you can get a couple of all-over lid colors and a pretty silver smoky eye out of it. If you're looking to test out a silver look for the holidays, or just want to expand your collection on the cheap, you could do a whole lot worse for $4.99. I've used this twice and have been very happy with the outcome both times.

The finished eye, as instructed by NYC. I did add some black eyeliner to the top lashline.



That's it, folks! The entire Influenster VoxBox, along with first impressions and mini-reviews. I hope you enjoyed this, and I'll be back with more Halloween-y stuff tomorrow (God willing). Have a good one!

Costume Creations: Princess for a Day

Sometimes, you just need to feel like a princess. Example: this morning, I woke up sick as a dog. My sinuses have exploded (thanks, weather change), and the last thing I wanted to do was drag my carcass out of bed. As incentive, I promised myself I could play dress-up for the blog before my trip to the grocery store. My Halloween costume this year is Belle (of course it is), so I did a dry run of the makeup look I want to go with it. Actually, it's based off the makeup I wore as the bookish beauty while on tour, but with a few tweaks, it could pass for pretty much any storybook princess.

Hey! I'm almost rockin' Ariel hair! (Almost...)

I started this look by using a stippling brush to apply a full coverage cream foundation all over the face, ears, and neck. The stippling brush buffs the foundation into the skin, so it covers well, but doesn't look too heavy or cakey. Next, I applied a white base to just the lid areas of my eyes, blended out the edges with my finger, and set it with a bright white shadow. Then, I took a dark chocolate brown shadow, and applied it just above my crease, from inner corner to outer. Finally, I took a vanilla eyeshadow and applied it from the top edge of that brown, all the way up to the brow. Once all the shadow was applied, I used a fluffy brush to barely blend out the edges, then filled in my brows with a brown brow powder.

The liner is the key to this look. Storybook (okay, Disney...who am I kidding, here) princesses always have those wide, slightly rounded-off eyes. To acheive that, I used a pencil liner (I prefer it to a harsher liquid) to draw from the inner corner of the top lashline all the way to a winged edge. Then, I drew from the inner corner of the bottom lashline STRAIGHT across to the outer edge. Think of making a box, rather than following  your eye's natural curve. The outer edge should be much thicker than the inner corner. Then, connect that edge to your wing. Then, use a white pencil to line your lower waterline and the innermost corner of your eye. You don't want the black to connect to itself on that innermost corner. See the photo below for reference if I've completely lost you, here. Lastly, coat your lashes, top and bottom, with a healthy dose of mascara. If you want, you can add falsies, but I didn't see the need.

I just did my brows, so why do they look so awful? Ugh...carry on!

On to the face! Grab the lightest concealer you can comfortably wear, and apply it in a V shape from your inner eye corner, down alongside your nose, and back up to the outer corner of your eye, then blend out the edges. This will give you that Kim Kardashian highlight that looks so pretty in photos. Use the same concealer down the bridge of your nose, on your browbones, on the center of your forehead, and on your chin. This will help you glow without using any shimmer, for a naturally luminous look. Then, use a dark cream to contour your cheekbones. I also used a little on the sides of my nose to slim the bridge and shorten the length. Once you're done, set it all with a pressed transluscent powder.

There's very minimal color to this look, and it's pretty much all pink. I applied a baby doll pink blush to the apples of my cheeks and blended upward to the temples. Then, I brushed on a rosy pink lipstick to the entire lip area, then used a deeper pink on the outer corners and edges, so the lighter center would look look pouty. I finished the look by polishing the edges with a pink lipliner.

There is absolutely no shimmer to any of this makeup, but you still end up with a magical glow. I hope this helped!

Seriously, I think every princess makes this face at least once per movie. OH! There are dwarves in this cottage! I just saw Sebastian on a dinner plate! A teacup and a clock just talked to me! Maybe I should have ignored the Drink Me sign! The list goes on and on...

Costume Creations/Frugal Friday: Frankie Stein from Monster High

My little niece, Tempest, is big into Monster High. It's my fault, too. I got her a Frankie Stein rag doll for Christmas one year, and that was it. To her mother, I apologize.

Last year, Temp went as Frankie Stein for Halloween, and was so darn cute it hurt. In her honor, I thought I'd do a costume look for Frankie Stein, and I wanted to try to do it with all drugstore products. This is not intended to "transform" you into Frankie, nor is it meant to be a "going out" look. This is just to show that you don't need to buy the overpriced makeup kit that is sold alongside the costume to get a Frankie Stein look for trick-or-treating. If you want to see me do a Frankie Stein-inspired "going out" look for adults (since those costumes apparently exist. Who knew?), let me know in the comments, and that can totally be arranged. This one is more "stage makeup" inspired, and intended for ten to twelve year-olds.

For the uninitiated, this is Frankie:

Frankie Stein (Credit)

And here's what I came up with:

I know, the stitches go on the other cheek. Whoops. You'll also want to do your neck and ears, but this was for demonstration purposes only. I love you guys, but Supernatural was coming on. I have priorities. Jensen Ackles is cute.

I'm not a tween, nor am I a model, so this looks silly as heck. Plus, I blinked every darn time Thomas took a picture. As a stage actor, I can tell you that this--every bit as much as the whole "the actors could get distracted, fall, and die" aspect--is the reason they tell you not to take flash photos at theatrical productions. It's because we're unaccustomed to the flashes and make stupid faces. THIS is the picture I look the least stoned in, so here you go. 

Alrighty, I (not being a twelve year-old with perfect skin) started out by applying a moisturizer, then used Maybelline Age Rewind concealer to cover any blemishes and dark circles. Then, I used a NYX jumbo pencil in Milk to prime my eyelids, all the way up to the brow. The white base will help keep the L.A. Colors mineral shadow in a purple color nice and vibrant. Next, I mapped out the shape I wanted for the eyeshadow, then filled in the entire area with purple,including under the lower lashline. After that, I took the pink shadow from the L'Oreal HiP duo "Reckless" and defined the crease area. Then, I grabbed my NYX liquid liner (though a black pencil would work if you're not comfortable with liquid) and created a winged cat eye on the top lashes, then lined the lower lashline, as well. We'll come back to the eyes a little bit later.

For the skin, I used a small, dense powder brush to apply the green side of the L'Oreal HiP duo "Perky" all over my face. This will take you a thousand forevers, but it's a sheerer effect than greasepaint, and easier to find in a close-to-accurate shade. If you have trouble keeping the brush out of the dark navy shadow that makes up the other half of the duo, try carefully covering that half with a little masking tape until you finish with the green. Once you have your face (and neck and ears) covered, take an even smaller brush (like a lipliner) and the same green (the smaller brush will help concentrate the color) to map out the places you want contoured, like the cheekbones and around the nose. Use the bigger brush to blend out the lines. Then, uncover the navy blue side and lightly go over those contoured areas with the bigger brush and the blue. You'll also want to go into your hairline and around your jaw. Next, take a blush brush and a hot pink blush, like E.L.F.'s Pink Passion from the Studio line, and shade the apples of your cheeks. Use the same brush to pop a bit of the purple eyeshadow over the pink, to tie the colors together. Dust a sparkly white shadow, like L.A. Colors mineral shadow, onto the cheekbones to highlight.

Back to the eyes! You're going to have to do a little clean-up, now that the green is in place. I found it easiest to do this with the NYX jumbo pencil in Milk, because it's super creamy, opaque, and you can just draw it wherever you want it. I didn't want to lose the eyeshadow shape, so I used the white pencil as a highlight for the brow, inner corner, and brought it down below the lower lashline. I also used it on the waterline. Then, I applied two coats of black mascara to upper and lower lashes. You could use false lashes, but I know a lot of kids won't sit still long enough for that, so I just went with the mascara.

To finish things up, I used a black pencil to darken my brows and to draw on her stitches. Lastly, I applied Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic to my lips for her signature glossy red pout.

I hope you enjoyed this. Again, if you want to see a more grown-up version, let me know in the comments.

Costume Creations: Easy Halloween Manicure

Here's a quick and easy Halloween nail look. All it took were a couple of polishes I already had (and you probably do, too, since they were pretty popular) and some Scotch tape.

Yeah, I know, I should have cleaned up the edges. I was in a hurry...for something...I can't remember what...

Here's how to do this:

1. File your nails and apply a base coat.
2. Apply 1-2 coats of China Glaze Riveting (or whatever orange polish you like). Allow to dry completely.
3. Measure off five pieces of Scotch tape per hand, and carefully apply the pieces to your fingernails, one hand at a time. Trust me, you do not want to try this with both hand taped up. The tape should be applied so that four nails are covered except for the tips, and one accent nail (you pick) is only covered at the tip.
4. Apply China Glaze Stone Cold (or whatever black polish you like) to the uncovered tips and nail. Allow to dry completely.
5. Remove tape and touch up any uh-ohs.
6. Apply top coat to seal.

Could that be any easier? I really liked the way this turned out. I even got some compliments from Thomas. A word of warning, though: Stone Cold chips if you look at it funny. I chose these because the sparkly finishes worked well together, and also because the Stone Cold is very thick and opaque, and would cover the orange easily. You will need a top coat, and you will need to touch this up daily. If you're doing this for a special occasion, wait to do your manicure until the day of or the night before. Hope you enjoyed this, and Happy Wednesday!

Glitter and Be...Batgirl, Actually: NYX Glitter Cream Palette Review

***Points to anyone who guesses the song reference in the title! Also, not a Batgirl tutorial. She doesn't wear glitter, sad to say.***

I'm going to be controversial today!! Well, as controversial as I get, anyway. (I'm generally pretty easy-going...)

NYX has a collection of glitter palettes on the market, and it seems like you either love them entirely, or you hate them with the fiery passion usually reserved for only people who hit the elderly or kick puppies. Let me preface this by saying, I had no idea.

A couple of weeks back, Ulta ran a 40% off sale on NYX and a few other brands. I'd been eyeing the pretty shinies for a while, but have not been able to bring myself to spend upwards of five bucks a pop on them. I mean, it's not like I have the opportunity to wear full-on glitter every day. But...it was close to Halloween...and they were on sale...and it would almost be buy one, get one...so I bit the bullet and picked up the two that I thought I would use the most (you know, when I actually use glitter). I got Royal Violets, a variety of purples and a bright gold, and Paradise, which is sort of the "neutral" palette. It's a black, white, silver, and gold, with a hot pink thrown in for funsies. Here's a quick pic of the two.

Paradise is on top, Royal Violets on the bottom.
I have not used Royal Violets, yet, so it's still sealed. That's how it comes from the store.

I wore a Batgirl caped shirt to the Disney Halloween Party, and thought it might be fun to add a little glitter into my makeup for the occasion, so Paradise went with me to Orlando. I got to play with it a bit, and wanted to share my thoughts on the palette.

Frankly, I liked it. I can, however, see why this is so polarizing, and I'll explain.

WHY PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THESE PALETTES (taken from numerous bad reviews)
1) It's not pigmented.
2) It doesn't blend well, and it gunks up your brushes.
3) It doesn't look like it does in the pan when I put it on my eyes.

Alrighty. I get that. Every word of that is true. However, I don't think these palettes were ever meant to be pigmented, applied with brushes, packed on that heavily (though you can, and I've seen it done!), or even necessarily used around the eyes. In fact, on the back of the Paradise palette (not the Royal Violets), it flat-out states that it's not intended for use in the eye area. In other words: THIS IS NOT GLITTER EYESHADOW! It is loose glitter in a lightly tinted gel base. It's a less messy, more travel-friendly, infinitely more convenient alternative to just applying loose glitter, and if you look at it in that regard, it's a great product for the glitter-obsessed.

Close-Up of the Paradise Palette

Swatches. Left to Right: Pink Holographic, Black Multi, White Holographic, Gold Holographic, Silver Multi.

Now, I'll be honest. I used this in the eye area, because I am a rebel and I do what I want. Plus, I didn't see the warning on the back. Oops. Of course, I would never recommend that you ignore a warning and use this in the eye area. That would be irresponsible of me, and that's just not how I roll. Please forgive me for not having a picture, but I think the swatches above should tell you all you need to know about how this looks on. There's no difference. It's just glitter, and I used my fingers to mix the glitter with the gel, then place it over a finished eyeshadow look and onto my cheeks. Obviously, the eye area is the most common place for glitter to be used, and it strikes me as silly that this isn't eye-safe. That said, I think there are some ways you can use this to accentuate an eye look without placing it directly in the area. The white and silver make beautiful brow highlights, and you could probably take it down to the crease area without too much trouble. I would be extremely careful about going onto the lid, though. The extreme inner corner is pretty much out, but you could keep it mostly around the bridge of the nose and under the eye. Do not use this as a liner! I didn't have any trouble with fallout or sliding around, and the glitter came off fairly easily with a makeup remover wipe. The only irritation I had came the next day when a couple of errant pieces I missed with the wipe ended up on my right eye's waterline, and I had to try to gently remove them. I also used the pink as a cheek highlight, and it looked really nice.

The Good:
Beautiful colors, easy to apply, travel-friendly, convenient, inexpensive, no fall-out, long-lasting

The Bad:
Not a lot of product in the pan

The Ugly:
Not all are eye-safe

I really like this product for what it is. It's when you try to make it into something that it's not that you run into disappointment, but isn't that true of most things?

Final Verdict: 8.2 out of 10. Bear in mind it's not an eyeshadow palette and shine on!

Costume Creations: The Walking Dead

Last night was the third season premier of one of my favorite shows, The Walking Dead. I'll be honest; I'm not a fan of gore. I know, that's probably a shocker to most of you, since the movies I'm involved with tend to be in the horror genre, and I have a kickin' recipe for fake blood, but frankly, gore doesn't do it for me. It's not scary. It's just icky. The idea of the zombie, though, is terrifying. Just think about it: you're bee-bopping along, enjoying life with all of your loved ones and BAM! Zombie outbreak! Suddenly, there's the very real possibility that--at any moment--you could be bitten and killed, only to come back to terrorize your own family. Worse, yet, you could lose one of your loved ones, and not only have to deal with the pain of their death, but then have to put them down when they come back. No, thank you. That's horrifying! If you've never seen the show, that's really what The Walking Dead deals with. The real story lies with the survivors. Their fear, resolve, and guilt make for some of the best writing on television today, and the actors are more than up to the task.

That said, the zombies do look pretty darn cool.

I was supposed to go to a pre-show Zombie Walk yesterday, but the after-vacation crud got me, and I had to stay home (we just got back from Orlando, and the land of no-internet-access, in case you were wondering where I was last week). I'm a little puffy from being sick, but figured, what the hey, I'll do my zombie makeup, anyway, and share it with you guys. The walk wasn't necessarily Walking Dead themed, but I decided to go with that look and color scheme, anyway. To keep it simple, I went for a fresh "Walker" look, so I could skip out on prosthetics or latex scarring. I wanted this to be cool, but super-easy and able to be copied with stuff from the local party or Halloween store. In fact, some of this came from E.L.F., and may already be in your stash. Here you go!

(Yay for having Thomas take the pictures with a real camera!!!)

So, these are the before shots...

Okay, kidding. Slightly. I started off by using a stippling brush to cover all areas that would not be covered by clothing (which I then forgot to put on over my tank top...oops. I said I was sick...) with the lightest cream foundation I could find. Don't forget your ears! Then, I used a flat concealer brush to pat a light grayish-blue cream makeup (mine came from the Ben Nye death wheel, which is actually really cheap and accessible online, but there are great options from party stores and Halloween pop-up shops) in the hollows of my eyes. Then, I cleaned off that brush and used it to pat a brownish-burgundy cream in the same areas, blending the two colors together to simulate bruising. Don't worry about definition, yet. Next, I went back into the blue with a foundation brush, and used that to contour my face, like I normally would with a bronzer: around the hairline, temples, cheekbones, and jawline. I also brought it down onto the neck to accentuate the natural hollows. Then, I cleaned off that brush and did the same thing with the burgundy cream and blended. To add a little color to the look and get that signature Walking Dead greenish-yellow cast, I used the foundation brush to blend a little Spring green cream makeup just onto the cheeks, almost like a blush, and also patted a little onto the eyelids. I used an Easter yellow to highlight the tops of cheekbones, forehead, nose, and chin. Basically, I made sure that every inch of skin had at least two colors blended together--the original foundation, and another color. I followed that up by grabbing a stippling sponge and dotting blue and burgundy onto random areas to simulate mottled skin. To add definition, I used a small lining brush (E.L.F.'s precision brush is fantastic for this!) to line the hollows of my eyes (and patted a little yellow on the "bags" to highlight), the eye socket, the marionette lines around my mouth, and a few expression lines on my forehead. Then, I brushed just a little more blue onto my eyebrows, the hollow over my chin, and around the marionette lines. I covered my lips with a light concealer, popped a little blue on my lower lip and pressed my lips together, then added a little burgundy to make accentuate the lines in my lips and make them appear dry and cracked. The look is set with a yellow HD powder (E.L.F., again) to keep that Walking Dead tone. For fun, I grabbed some dark, medium, and bright reds and created a wound on my neck by starting with the darkest in the center and going lighter and as I spread the colors out.

This is all about layering colors and accentuating your own lines and facial structure. If you look old, pale, and unnaturally colored, you're probably on the right track. You can add to this by using fake blood, tooth color, or prosthetic "hollows" around the eyes. Thing thing about a Walking Dead zombie that's different from, say, Night of the Living Dead, is that these "Walkers" look like real dead people. The colors aren't crazy, and the costumes are believable for the person they were. Add your own personality, but keep the look grounded in reality and you'll be fine. Happy Halloween!!

Smoky, Spooky, Vamp Eyes: Featuring E.L.F. Maleficent Palette

I know a lot of you were interested in the E.L.F. Disney Villains palettes, so I decided to put together a Halloween eye look incorporating the Maleficent palette products with some others I had lying around. Okay, truth be told, I did this accidentally. Today was actually "Favorite Sports Team" day at work, so I needed something with University of Alabama crimson. As I started putting on my makeup, I realized that this would work really well with a Devil or Vampire costume. You could go more dramatic than I did, but honestly, I like it just the way it is. I paired it with a nude lip for a 60s mod vibe, but a blood red lip would look amazing. (I didn't take pictures of the whole look, since it wasn't really Halloweeny.)

If you would like to see the full , more dramaticVampire/Devil look, please let me know in the comments. I'm working on a few costume looks, and appreciate suggestions. Now, does anyone know how to make time stop so I can take a break and do them?

Here 'tis:

I hate cameras. In person, that crimson is CRIMSON. Oh well, it's still pretty.

Alrighty! I started by priming all over the lid, up to the brow. Then I used a fluffy shader brush to wash the "Misfortune" shade (silver) from the Maleficent palette all over the lid and in the crease. Then, for the crimson, I dipped a denser, shorter shader brush into "Cranberry" by MAC*. It's a permanent color, and just a gorgeous almost metallic rusty berry. It just screams Fall. I placed the color from the outer corner just to the edge of my eyeball. Then, I dipped the same brush into "Forest of Thorns" (dark charcoal with multicolored micro-glitter) from the Maleficent palette, and, holding a tissue from the corner of my eye to the end of my brows, created a sharp angle at the outer corner and blended it in. Then, I used a blending brush to blur all my edges for a smoky look.

We're just doing eyes, so you can ignore the lip and cheek color.
We'll be using the first two shades from the left, as well as the liquid eyeliner. It's sparkly!

Next, I grabbed the liquid liner from the NYX Dark Shadows palette (Crimson Amulet...whatever you want to call it) and created a medium-thick, slightly winged line on my upper lashline. I used a tiny, flat liner brush to run "Forest of Thorns" over the liquid line, then from outer corner of the lower lashline to about halfway in, then used the same brush to place "Misfortune" in the inner corner and run it under the lashes to about halfway in, meeting "Forest of Thorns" in the middle, and overlapping slightly. I finished the look by running the glitter liquid liner from the Maleficent palette over the upper lashline, then adding black mascara to top and bottom lashes, and dusting a little of the highlighter from the NYX palette onto the brow bone.

Basically, the key to this is precise edges, but no harsh lines. False eyelashes would look amazing with this, as would either a nude or blood red lip.

I hope you've enjoyed this! Again, if you would like to see this amped up a bit (vamped up a bit?) as a full-on costume look, please let me know in the comments. Thanks!

*MAC shows it as darn near purple, and classifies it as a plum, but mine (bought from the store, so definitely not a fake) doesn't even come close to fitting that description. (Pixiwoo did a stunning tutorial with Cranberry, and theirs didn't look purple, either, if that makes any sense. In other words: IGNORE THE DESCRIPTION ON THE MAC SITE!)

DIY: Halloween Candy "Spell Book"

Last year, Thomas and I found this "spell book" at Hallmark. If the link doesn't work (and that's a very real possibility), it's a hollow box, decorated to look like a Witch's spell book. You fill it with candy, and can use it instead of a trick-or-treat bucket. They talk, too, which is really cute. I considered getting one, but they were around twenty bucks, and were just a little too cartoony for my taste. I gave it some thought, and realized it could probably make a more realistic one for a lot less money. I mean, it wouldn't talk, but it would still look really cool, and that's what mattered. This year, I got to work, and can now proudly show you my creepy book of candy spells! But first, let's see how you can make one, too:

First, I started with a store-bought hollow book. This one cost about $5.99 at Ross. It's probably around 8 or 9 by 12 or 13 inches. I didn't measure it, but it's not much larger than a sheet of printer paper. It's probably about 1.5 to 2 inches deep. That's enough to hold plenty of candy.



Nice enough, but not really the look I was going for.




Inside the "book"

 The first thing I did was tape off the "pages" of the book. They were already detailed with a nice gold finish that I wanted to keep. I used a little painter's tape I had lying around from when we painted the bedroom to protect the edges. Then I sprayed the entire book down with a coat of the stickiest, yuckiest, ungodliest black paint known to man. Seriously, this paint has been the bane of my existence. I also forgot to take a picture of it. Oops.

Once I had the base coat on and it had dried, I taped off the areas I wanted to keep black (the spine), and sprayed the rest of the book silver. Thankfully, it was a lot easier to work with.



The darn thing still sticks to everything, and you can see where some black is already showing through.
I kind of like that, though. Gives it a little age.

 Next came the hard part. I wanted a harlequin pattern, but wasn't sure how to do it. This turned out to be the easiest method. It's time consuming, but it works. (I just wish I'd remembered to take more pictures...ugh...sorry...) First, tape off your first set of diamonds. I found it easiest to make my tape go corner to corner. Spray these, and once they dry, tape off your next set. If you mess up, you can just spray over the whole thing and start over. It's not an exact science, and it is frustrating, but it's worth it.

See?! Again, that black was awful, so I had a little bleed through and smudging, but overall, I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I did the same pattern on the back of the book, as well. Okay, to be perfectly honest, I did the pattern on the front of the book, as well. I accidentally did the back, thinking it was the front. I was going to leave the back silver. Oops.

Then, to add a little interest, I brushed some gold leaf I had leftover from another project onto every other gold diamond. 



Here's the leaf. I don't remember how much it was, but it wasn't very expensive. It came from Michael's.





And here's the book with the gold leaf.



After everything dried, I used a glue gun to add some jewels to the spine, and a label on the front. The label came from Hobby Lobby, in a pack of four. This is the original placement. I didn't like it, so I moved it over later, as you'll see in the final pictures.

As a finishing touch, I used a little more of the liquid leaf to freehand a title onto the spine of the book. I tried to mimic the lettering in the label. Thomas and Ronnie decided to photobomb, I guess.

And here is the mostly-finished product, on the mantle with the rest of the Halloween decorations. I say "mostly-finished" because I still need to clear-coat it. that black paint is ridiculously sticky and stains my hands when I touch it.

Thanks for making it all the way through this! I hope you enjoyed it, and please let me know if you try this yourself. I'd love to see pictures!