Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Studio ELF Brushes & Bronze w/ Purple FOTD!

I received my E.L.F Studio Brushes in the mail today.. and I am very pleased. I love the sleek look of them.. and they are very well worth the $3. The bristles are extremely soft. I've been playing around with them all day. I am loving the flat top powder brush and the blush brush. Highly Recommended! I actually applied my foundation with the flat top brush.. it worked well but it was extremely difficult to clean. I think i'll just keep using it for powder/msf's.


Here's a look I did for tonight. I could not for the life of me get a good picture.
my necklace turned upside down for the peekchure. :'( 


FACE:
Palladio Yellow Concealer
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation
MAC Limited Edition Beauty Powder in "Smooth Harmony" (basically a bronzer)
MAC "Dainty" Mineralize Blush

EYES:
NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in "Mocha" and "Walnut" (walnut all over lid and in crease, mocha on my brow bone and on lid)
NYX Eye Shadow in "Purple"
NYX Glitter Palette in "Bronze Goddess" (I used the 3rd color on my lid for a touch of gold glitter)
Andrea Faux Lashes #13
L'Oreal Extra Intense Black Liquid Liner Pencil (on my waterline)

LIPS: (A new fav combo)
MAC "Lure" Lip Liner Pencil
NYX "Honey" Lipstick
NYX "Whipped" Lipgloss

NYX pigments are seriously awesome. I want every color.

FOTD with bright green!

For my look today.. I only used the NYX Trio Eyeshadow Palette in Serengeti.. mainly to show the colors of that palette.. and not to get mixed up with other colors/brands. I'll have more looks to come. This was just something quick I did this morning experimenting. Also I just wanted to comment on the quality of the trio. Like I said before.. I think its really great quality. The colors are very silky and soft and when applied these were very bright and pigmented with a little shimmer. I love this palette!

FACE:
MAC Mineralize Satinfinish Foundation NC40
Palladio Yellow Concealer
Ben Nye "Banana" Luxury Powder
MAC New Vegas MSF
MAC Golden Bronzer
MAC Dainty Blush

EYES:
NYX Eyeshadow Trio in Serengeti (I used all the colors)
Milani Black Eye Tech Liquid Liner Pen
MAC "Fascinating" (White) Eye Liner
Andrea Faux Lashes #26

LIPS:
NYX Doll Pink Lipgloss (The perfect barbie pink/fuchsia)

dang my hair looks long in this picture! no extensions.. :)

yeah, yeah.. most people can't stand kissy faces.. but it shows my eyes opened.. and I didn't have many decent eye pics. haha, my friends use to tease me because I would kind of pucker my lips when I apply lip gloss or look at myself in my compact mirror.. and they would call it the Zoolander face.



These flowers by my house are soo pretty.. had to take a picture :) Lately, I've been taking pictures of everything. lol

Monday, August 24, 2009

Cherryculture Haul: All NYX!

I was so excited coming home this morning and seeing a Cherry Culture box sitting on the table! I was hoping my E.L.F purchase was going to come at the same time.. but hopefully I should get that either tomorrow or the day after. I'm VERY pleased with how fast the shipment was! I placed the order last Wednesday night.. so it took 5 days.

I didn't waste any time to bust open the box!! Everything was packed well, nothing was missing or broken.

NYX The Runway Collection 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette in Catwalk $9.00
This is a mixture of matte and shimmery browns & neutrals.


NYX Eye Shadow Trio in Serengeti $5.50


 NYX Glitter Cream Palette in Bronze Goddess $4.00


 NYX Single Eye Shadows in Morocco, Purple and Hot Pink $3.50 each




NYX Ultra Pearl Mania Pigments $1.50 each


NYX Jumbo Eye Shadow Pencil in Purple $3.00


NYX Round Lip Gloss $2.00 each


NYX Round Lipstick $2.00 each
These colors are all perfect neutral lip colors. They are pigmented and very creamy! Love them!




I am honestly ecstatic with my order. I was not disappointed with even one thing! I am soo happy with everything. I actually want to order more.. and I think I probably will. I think I can honestly say.. Out with MAC.. in with NYX. $40 for all of this!?? That's insane to me.

The reason I didn't do swatches yet is because my camera died exactly on the last picture I took.. so right now my camera is charging. Check back soon for swatches!

Friday, August 21, 2009

Project Clear Skin: The Aspirin Mask.

The Aspirin Mask

If you're a member of Makeupalley or any other beauty community site you've probably heard about the highly reviewed/talked about Aspirin Mask. I've always been curious to try it, so on my recent trip to Dollar Tree I purchased a bottle of uncoated Aspirin Tablets. 175 tablets for $1! Nice! I wasted no time when I got back home to try it out. (You can find uncoated Aspirin at any drugstore for under $5 a bottle)

I placed (3) tablets in the palm of my hand and applied a few drops of water onto the tablets and let them sit for about a minute. They should be fully dissolved into a pasty like texture. Then, I dabbed the mixture on the trouble areas of my face. Mainly where I had new pimples forming. I let it sit for 10 minutes on my face and rinsed it off. Then, I applied a little witch hazel to my face with a cotton ball as a toner. (I always use witch hazel after a cleanser)

The following morning, my face was almost completely clear!!!!! Today I was in the facial mood again, so I did my Queen Helene's Mint Julep Mask and the Aspirin Mask again. My face is feeling oh so good! :)

Update: My method now for applying the Aspirin Mask is slightly different. I still use (3) tablets with a few drops of water, but I also add about a 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil to the mixture. Then, instead of dabbing it onto my face like I did previously, I'll rub it on my face like I would with an exfoliation scrub. Then, I let it sit on my face for about ten minutes. Then, I'll wet my hands and wipe the mask off my face in circular motions to do some last second exfoliation. Then, I'll completely rinse my face. It feels so fresh and incredibly soft from the Olive Oil. Then like before, I apply Witch Hazel to my face with a cotton ball. The following morning my skin looks so radiant and almost blemish free!

Tips:
  • Since the Aspirin breaks up into a baking soda-like powder, its not going to stick that well to your face. The water will dry, and the Aspirin will turn back into its powder form and may flake or fall off of your face. So I just laid down for the 10 minutes. You can add anything you want to it to make it adhere better. I've read ton of reviews. Some people have used honey, Aloe Vera gel, oils (such as lavender, almond, coconut, olive, jojoba, etc), yogurt, lemon juice, etc. You can get creative!
  • Don't add too much water or it may be difficult to apply

There are also tons of household items that can help clear up break outs. Some include:
Baking soda mixed with a bit of water.. and use it as an exfoliation scrub to remove dead skin cells that can clog pores, Lemon or Lime Juice has citric acid which will help fade old acne spots, Oatmeal will absorb the oils from your face and help unclog your pores, Aloe Vera will heal acne spots and fade marks & Toothpaste helps dry up your pimples. There are so many different remedies. I haven't tried any of these things yet.. But I definitely will. The Aspirin has me sold!

Here's a couple of pictures. I'm so embarrassed to post the before pic. My complexion has always pretty much been naturally clear.. but the past month my face has been breaking out like crazy. The pictures are super close and personal.. lol I snapped a picture of my worse cheek.



Have you tried the Aspirin Mask? Do you use it alone or do you mix things with it?