Failures, Faces, and Favorites

So I suppose the first thing to address is the failures, right?  Haha!  Well the first would be keeping up with this blog.  You would think that because I'm failing at being a normal and functioning person because I've been consistently ill for almost 2.5 solid months I could have updated this thing...but nooooooo...(I had a DVT in my leg, I also just had the worst asthma flare up I've had since I was diagnosed with it when I was 12...UGH!)

Really, that's all the failures...and I don't see them as failures but rather...this thing we call life.  Basically, shit happens and you deal with it. Right? Right.

So then that would lead me to the faces portion - aka just makeup pictures...because, well, it's a beauty blog after all and I do remember what most of the products on these photos are!  That's a plus!

Complexion:

Algenist Pore Correcting Primer

Sephora Collection 10H Wear Foundation #20 (Cream)

Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow #M548 (Pink Gray) - contour

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush (Fearless)

Eyes:

Smashbox Double Exposure palette

Sephora Collection Dramatic Line Pen Liner

Lancome Grandiose Mascara

Lips:

Mint Rosebud Salve

Complexion:

Lancome Teint Visionnaire Foundation #210 Buff N

Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow #M548 (Pink Gray) - contour

Kat Von D Everlasting Face Shaper Blush (Belissima)

Eyes:

Anastasia Dipbrow (Dark Brown)

Urban Decay Electric Palette

MAC Eyeshadow (Chrome Yellow)

Tarte Aqualilies Cream Liner (LE/DC)

Lips:

Sephora Collection discontinued color (sticker missing)

Complexion:

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Liquid Foundation (Light/Medium)

Sephora+Pantone Universe Blush Palette (Marsala)

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfecter Pressed (Opal)

Eyes:

Still Stay All Day Pen Liner (Pink)

Smashbox Full Exposure Palette

Lancome Grandiose Mascara

Lips:

I *think* it was a Bite Beauty lip? This was a while ago so I don't remember...

And then of course, there are always favorites, right?  So in no particular oder here are things I'm loving!

First thing up is my new obsession website - I'm on it all the damn time -- and for the sake of disclosure before anyone thinks anything, I am not an affiliate with them so feel free to click away :)

If you're a book lover (like I am!) check out www.bookoutlet.com -- I always tell people you need to want to have to dig around on the site but the deals cannot be beat!  I have ordered from them three or four times already and have loved everything I ordered and their service is pretty fab too!

I don't know if I ever mentioned that I'm a huge Star Trek fan...so next up on the list are a couple Trek related things -- my complete series of Voyager (which I am going through in order...I'm pretty sure I've already seen 75% of the series, but I want to see 100%! hehe!)

And then on the heels of Voyager, it's only appropriate to mention my favorite book (so far!) of 2015 -- Kate Mulgrew's memoir, Born With Teeth (seriously, just read it...even if you don't like Star Trek...which is featured only briefly in case you're wondering)

featured with my prized Captain Janeway teddy bear that I got out of Quark's Bazaar many many years ago in the Star Trek Magazine....

 And then there was makeup...

First up is the Smashbox Double Exposure palette.  So many choices and so many good colors!  I love the texture of the shadows (not too powdery and not too creamy....they're just right!) and you can use them all wet or dry so it's like having 28 shadows in a 14 pan kit!  My personal favorite colors are the muted silvery blue (top L), the shimmery golden tone (top 3rd in from R), and the reddish brown (bottom 2nd in from R).

Then there is a shoutout to my NARS books.  I got a new bookshelf recently and was reorganizing and so of course I sat and flipped through them...so many great images for inspiration!  If you haven't yet checked these books out, I highly recommend you do.  There are photos of the model's naked face on the left side, and then a clear overlay saying what products were used and where that lies on top of a photo of the finished face.  GREAT for learners or seasoned pro's alike! 

So that's what has been up...hopefully I can get some great content put together for you guys soon because I do miss doing this a lot!

Xo

-A-

Disclosure:

In addition to the products I purchase, I receive a lot of product as GRATIS through my job.  I know I say this all the time, but it cannot be repeated enough in a social media dominated world -- It is up to me (and me alone) to feature what I feel are good products that I can stand behind 100%.  I always take the utmost care as I write my posts to give you, the reader, the best information that I can about my experiences.  If I love a product, I'll say so.  If I hate the product, I'll tell you why.  It's equal opportunity on my blog in all aspects.  I am in NO WAY a spokesperson for my job when writing on this blog.  No company, including the one I work for, has any influence on what I say or what I feature on the blog.

Double Winged Liner

Just a quick little look for you all while I figure out what I want to blog on for the future -- I've been so busy with work (and now I've been cast in a musical that opens in September!) so by the time I get home, I'm just a little tired ;)

Products Used:

NARS Pro Prime Foundation Primer

Josie Maran Argan Matchmaker Serum Foundation

Sephora Collection Microsmooth Powder

Tarte Glisten Amazonian Clay Blush

MAC Mystery Eyeshadow (brows)

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Urban Decay Naked Palette (Sin, Naked, Buck)

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liners (Black and Periwinkle)

Tarte MultiplEYE Lash Primer

Yves St. Laurent Babydoll Lashes Mascara

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

 

YouTube Series: ABC's Once Upon A Time: Snow White #2 (Entertainment Weekly Cover)

A quick and easy look for anyone based on Snow White's flushed cheeks, winged liner, and natural pink lip as seen on the late-October cover of Entertainment Weekly!

Head past the jump to see photos of the finished look and the video!

YouTube Series: ABC's Once Upon A Time: Rumplestiltskin Look #1 [Robert Carlyle]

Rumplestiltskin kind of reminds me of the Beetlejuice of fairy tales!  And that reminds me of the old Beetlejuice movie and it just makes me giggle.

It's not very often that I pick a character that I'm head over heels about from the beginning of a series (the one exception being Captain Janeway from Star Trek: Voyager...she was always my favorite because she's a coffee loving badass!)  But Robert Carlyle has to be that one for me for this show.  He masterfully plays both sides of Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold to sheer perfection, so how could I not do an inspired look based on his character?

Head past the jump for inspiration photos, look photos, and the tutorial!

Fashionista: Christophe Guillarmé S/S 2012 recreation

Just as a little treat I thought I'd recreate an image that I found while browsing through an online magazine called EN VIE Fashion Magazine.  I hope you guys like it :)

YouTube Series: ABC's Once Upon A Time: Red Look #1 [Meghan Ory]

Firstly...the photo I chose was the one above SOLELY because of how hard I laughed when I looked at the wolf's face.

Red is one complex character for reasons I'm not going to go into on the blog...just because if you've not seen her episode, I don't want to spoil it!  Go watch it though, it was kind of an epic twist.

Head past the jump for the photos and the video of my first Red look from Once Upon A Time!

Lash Out! - Sephora Collection Mink Eyelashes

False lashes can add the perfect touch of dramatic flair or just add some oomph to your natural lash line.

Today, I give you my ultimate favorite pair of dramatic falsies!  Sephora Collection Mink Eyelashes!

What do you think?  Will you give them a try?  What are your favorite false lashes?

What: Sephora Collection Mink Eyelashes

How Much: $8.00 USD

Where:  Sephora Stores, Sephora.com