Beauty Bag 411

March Product Faves 2010

Here are my new favorite products for March 2010

First up, e.l.f. Contouring Blush and Bronzer Duo from the Studio Line. This only costs $3!

These are such pretty colors, they go on silky smooth and look great with each other or alone. This has been compared to NARS' Laguna and Orgasm Duo, however I haven't used the NARS' myself so I can't compare, but I really like this product. I also like how big the compact is and that it has a large mirror included

You can buy this at Targets that sell e.l.f. products, or from their website at www.eyeslipsface.com

Next is the Tweezerman eyelash curler that I raved about in a previous post

This is seriously the best curler I've ever used! I have stick straight, sparse little Asian lashes and this actually curls them! You do have to be a little careful though because it can pinch your lids if you get too close (well, I guess any curler can do that!) I bought this at Sally's Beauty Supply store for about $8.99 I think? You can probably look online at their website as well if you can't find it in stores.

Next is Fairy Drops mascara. I've seen this on so many blogs and wanted to try it so bad! Well luckily, Chantana and I did a swap and she sent me this (I will be posting the other swap items shortly)

This has a unique spiraled applicator wand that is supposed to lift and curl your lashes-and it actually does! Seriously, this combined with the eyelash curler above is the best combination I've found for my lashes, it really opens my eyes and makes them appear wider! This mascara also makes my lashes so much longer and separates pretty well too. Sometimes I feel like I have falsies on because my lashes are so long and lifted! The only downside (for me anyways) is that the formula is a bit drier than other mascaras, so my lashes feel a little stiffer and not as soft, but the effects you get are totally worth it! Like I said, I was given this in a swap, but you can find it online at www.sasa.com, or I've heard that some have found it in certain Asian specialty stores (but I'm not sure where)

My next new favorite product is this face powder I bought at Forever21

To be honest, I actually just purchased it because I liked the packaging. But I am actually really liking the powder itself!

It's really finely milled, and goes on super light and blends in easily, without feeling cakey or dry. The color I got was Beige, but I think they had one in Ivory as well. I only paid around $4.50 or something like that. Forever21 surprisingly has a couple of good gems in their makeup line (check out their blushes!) :)

Okay, so I was really sad because my Anastasia Brow Whiz pencil ran out and unfortunately I can only get to a Sephora once in awhile because I don't live near one, so I had to go find a replacement. Well I picked up Rimmel's Professional Eyebrow Pencil because I remembered using it years ago and couldn't remember why I had stopped.

I'm soo glad I rediscovered this! This is probably the best drugstore eyebrow pencil I have found, and actually is just as good as the Anastasia pencil (in my opinion). The pencil is soft and blends in easily, but doesn't get all clumpy or unnatural looking, and the brush it comes with blends the color in nicely. I got shade #004 Black, which doesn't end up looking too black like some pencils can. This cost me only $2.50 at Wal Mart.

And last but not least, I recently went to Lush and bought the Angels on Bare Skin cleanser, after hearing Nymphette go on and on about it on Twitter :P

Haha, for once I am so glad I am easily persuaded by other people's reviews, because I love this stuff! It makes my skin feel sooo soft and clean after using it and my moisturizer gets absorbed more easily. Honestly for those who have normal skin, you probably won't even need moisturizer afterwards, but I do because I get really dry skin.

I forgot exactly what the chunky stuff is, I think it's almonds and something else? Anyways, it exfoliates nicely without being too harsh and is safe enough to use daily. It can get a bit messy so I use it in the shower, and I also keep it in a soap dish that has a lid to prevent it from getting soaked with water. A little goes a long way too, so use only a little at a time, because it can get quite expensive if you plan on using it everday. I only got a 1/4 lb and it cost $11.75, which will only last about a month. But it's totally worth the splurge, you'll fall in love with this stuff if you try it!

So there are my faves for this month. As always, I am not affiliated with any of these companies and these reviews are based on my own experiences with the products. Please use your own judgment when purchasing products, just because something works/doesn't work for me doesn't mean it will/won't work for you

Have a great day!

Tutorial: Sultry Eye Look (very pic heavy!)

Here is the much requested tutorial for the look I did for Pop Champagne's Rockstar Contest

These are most of the products I used:

Step 1: After priming your eyes with eyeshadow primer (I used Urban Decay's Primer Potion in Eden), pat on black eyeshadow with a flat eyeshadow brush. I used my $1 e.l.f. eyshadow brush

Bring the color up to just under your browbones, don't go too far over the crease because you will blending it later. Don't worry if the lines aren't perfect, because like I said, you will be blending it quite a bit

Step 2: Apply a dark silver shade directly on top of the black shadow. This will give you the edgy effect of the black shadow without it looking to gothic.

Step 3: Line your lower lashline with the same steps, first the black, then the silver shadow. Bring the shadow all the way into the inner corners of your eyes

Step 4: Highlight your browbones with a sheer white shadow. I used the yellow shade from my NYX Jazz Night palette. It looks yellow but it's actually a soft white color when applied

Step 5: Here's the fun part-blending! Blend the eyeshadow up and onto the lower part of your browbones, alternating short circular and windshield wiper motions. Use a semi stiff blending brush, like my Sonia Kashuk brush

Don't forget the lower lashline as well

This is what it should look like so far:

Step 6: Line your upper and lower lashlines with black gel liner. I used Maybelline's Lasting Drama gel liner. Also line your lower waterline as well. Be sure to use a liner that you are comfortable applying so that you don't mess up and have to start all over again :P

Step 7: Highlight the inner corners of your eyes with a white shimmery pencil or powder (you can use the same one you used on your browbones). I used NYX's Jumbo Eye pencil in Cottage Cheese

Step 8: Apply your concealer and foundation. Since your eyes are so dramatic, stick to a matte finish. Contour your cheekbones by sucking your cheeks in and applying bronzer into the hollows. Apply a light baby pink blush onto your cheekbones above the bronzer

Step 9: Apply a light nude lipstick, I used MAC Myth although in the pictures it shows up as pink

And here's the finished product!

Good luck! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that it wasn't too confusing! Let me know if any of you try this look!

A few tips to remember:

Hold a tissue against your cheek while applying your eyeshadow to prevent fallout onto the rest of your face

This look is very dramatic, so it tends to be better for nighttime, but you can achieve a similar look for daytime by using neutral colors, like browns

Make sure your brows are nice and groomed because there is so much focus on your eyes and your eyebrows are what frame your face

P.S. Omg, I totally just realized that I forgot to apply mascara! Be sure to apply mascara and fill in your brows, but keep them semi-light, you don't want them looking too harsh with your dark eyes.

Weekend Haulage

I'm really liking this word "haulage", I'm thinking about getting a trademark for it....just kidding :P

So I went to visit my sister this weekend and of course we decided to go shopping. I swear everytime I visit, we make plans to actually do something worthwhile with our time, and then those plans get thrown out the window and we go shopping instead. I think we're bad influences on each other :P

Anyways, here's the stuff I got, nothing too exciting or that you haven't seen before I'm sure:

A vanity organizer from Target

We went to Lush and got talked into buying Porridge from the salesgirl (man, she was good!) and also Nymphette has been tweeting nonstop about the Angels on Bare Skin cleanser, so I decided to get some. Well I tried it out last night and so far I am really liking it, so thank you Nymphette for all the reviews and tweets! :P My wallet isn't too happy with you however :P

Then we went to MAC so my sister could get some new foundation and concealer. I looked at the LOL collection, but for some reason wasn't too interested in it, I don't know why because I love the packaging and everything, but I just didn't feel like buying any of it at the moment. I'm sure my weakness will break down eventually....so instead I just bought some Mineralize foundation and the infamous Fluidline in Blacktrack. I have heard so much about this liner that I have a really high expectation of it, because I am so tired of my eyeliner smudging!

Oh yeah we also stopped by Forever 21 for a second and I picked up this powder just because I liked the packaging :)

Here is picture of me in the car, I could not get a decent photo!

Well I hope you guys all had a great weekend, sorry if I don't sound as chipper as usual, my allergies are really bugging me, I haven't had a decent night's sleep in about two weeks, and it's that time of the month (lol, TMI?) I'm going to go take some allergy medicine, hopefully I'll feel better soon

FOTD: NYX Jazz Night Browns

Lame title I know, but I couldn't think of what to call it. Today was rainy and overcast, then it was sunny, then it was pouring rain again. Weird. But when I woke up to go to school it was overcast and gloomy, so I just threw on my sweatshirt and comfy boots and called it a lazy day. Well, until I started to do my makeup. The original plan was to go the au natural route with just some light powder, blush, and eyeliner....but somehow I went the exact opposite.

Lol, I don't feel like listing everything, so I'll just list the main things....

NYX Runway eyeshadow palette in Jazz Night (both brown shades)

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner

e.l.f. blush in Berry Merry

Loreal Color Riche lipstick in Fairest Nude

Hard Candy Plumping Lip Serum in Girl Next Door

Haha, after all that I might as well have listed everything!

Oh, don't forget, my Cover Girl Lashblast Fusion giveaway ends tomorrow! Click the link at the top of the page to enter!

Old Makeup...Revisited

I was going through my makeup today and I realized I have quite a few products that I have completely forgotten about, even though at one time I used them pretty regularly. It's not that I didn't even like them, I just have gotten so much other makeup that they ended up being pushed back in the drawer to where I couldn't see them. I'm sure you girls have experienced this as well.

Here are a few of the things that I rediscovered: