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.

Summer Skin Edit: What I Love

Oh hello, Golden Gate Bridge!

HELLO HELLO!  I figured I'd try to not let a long time go before I wrote another blog.  I'm awful at making time for myself much less anything else that isn't either work or theater.  However, you can see in the photo above that when I travel FOR work, I will make some time to take in the sights!  

I was fortunate enough this past week to be in San Francisco for work and since my best friend Heather lives just about a half hour outside the city proper, she generally plays tour guide for me when I'm there. (Bonus!  work fun AND bff time!)

Anyways, that's not really the point of the post, so let's just get right into the skincare, shall we? 

I begin by saying (as always) that I have an extremely dry skin type.  In the summer I tend to lean a little more normal but by no means do I have enough oil to be considered combination.  So I tend to stay with my creamy formulas, but they tend to be either oil-free or still hyper-hydrating.

In the photo above (my very messy bag o' skincare) you'll not see a cleanser because it's in the bathroom...but it's the Sephora Collection Supreme Cleansing Oil (which is sadly, out of stock right now!)  It gets my skin super clean (especially when used in tandem with my Clarisonic Aria!) and I absolutely love using oil cleansers!  I'll have to do a specific post on them soon!

Then you'll see the Josie Maran Argan Milk - this is one of those hyper-hydrating products that I absolutely love especially in the summer months.  It gives me all the hydration of argan oil, but without the heavy feeling -- I'm actually not a lover for the pure argan oil on my face...I much prefer the texture of Argan Light if I use Josie's...but then again, I'm a total Fresh Seaberry convert (see my post here!)

I mix a few drops of that Seaberry oil (or any oil really...in my bag is a trial version of the Kate Somerville Dilo oil...more on that later once I've made up my mind about it) into the Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation moisturizer.  This is a must-have product for me.  I love the lightweight whipped texture, and it has licorice and pea extract for brightening!  This container is probably the third full size jar I've gone through in the past three or four years so I'm always trying new things, but eventually I get back to this one.

I also am trying out a trial of the Kate Somerville Age Arrest eye cream.  I like the dense texture that immediately sinks into the eye area...and it leaves my skin very velvety feeling which I adore!

There are a few other things you're seeing in the bag and they're more like my ancillary products...not necessary but nice to have every once in a while...Peter Thomas Roth Lashes to Die for serum (LOVE!), Amore Pacific enzyme peel scrub, GlamGlow Supermud trial, Murad Acne Spot Fast Fix, Clinique healing gel, and the Peter Thomas Roth 40% peel.

If you have any questions or would like anything more in-depth, leave a comment!

Some products shown in this blog post were received as gratis from my job.  This does not influence my thoughts or opinions on any of the products I choose to show on my blog.  I am not sponsored by any of the companies featured in this blog post - I do not make any commission by including links, nor am I blogging on behalf of my employer.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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!

Mascara Madness: Lash Primer Love! My Holy Grail!!

I know I give a lot of time to lashes...but 2nd to eyeshadows, mascara is probably my most favorite beauty item.  A mascara can completely change a look just depending on what it claims to do.

I know I said in my last mascara review my thoughts on lengthening and thickening and how every mascara can do both...and I still firmly believe this to be true (unless of course the lengthening has fibers in it which is a completely different story).

Something I haven't mentioned however is how I feel about lash primers.  I'm pretty sure everyone at one point or another has tried the drugstore equivalent with their double ended tubes of white primer on one end and blackest black mascara on the other.  My major issue with those is that no matter what, the primer and mascara combined leave your lashes one of two ways...clumpy or gray.  Neither of which is my personal favorite mascara look, but if it's yours by ALL means please keep going with it :)

I've been jaded about primers.  I've tried the Dior one, I've tried the Lancome one...both of which fell short on my priming expectations.  I was resigned that a primer just wasn't for me.  Which is perfectly fine - I'm not saying that like a face primer a lash primer is something that is completely necessary.

Enter:  Tarte multiplEYE Lash Enhancing Primer.

Head past the jump for my thoughts on what is now my holy grail of lash priming.

Mascara Madness: Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes Mascara

I'm going to wholeheartedly admit that I am one of THOSE PEOPLE when it comes to mascara.  I have the ones I love...and then I have a graveyard area where I toss the rejects to save just in case I need one for theater/I run out of my favorite and I need something until I can get another one.

But when it comes to Givenchy's Phenomen'Eyes mascara...it kind of lives in this weird limbo area between the two.  I simply cannot decide one way or the other about it.

Head past the jump for more of my thoughts and photos of application!

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!

YouTube Series: ABC's Once Upon A Time: Emma Swan Look #1 [Jennifer Morrison]

Emma Swan is definitely one of my favorite characters on the series and mostly it's because of the mystery surrounding her.  We (the audience) know that she can come and go from Storybrooke, we also know she's Snow White's daughter...but *who is she?* is still on the tips of everyone's tongues!

Head past the jump for another inspiration picture and the link to the video!

YouTube Series: ABC's Once Upon A Time: Blind Witch [Emma Caulfield]

Ok I know that this particular look is supposed to be based off the Blind Witch and honestly, it is...but just stay with me here for a minute while I pose a question.

Did anyone else compare the scene with the kids at the house to the Pale Man scene in Pan's Labyrinth?  Because I sure as hell did.  Sneaking around, being quiet as a mouse, and for all that is good in the world, DO NOT EAT THE FOOD because the witch is sleeping and if you do eat it she'll wake up and eat YOU! (and with copious amounts of food laying around and they haven't eaten all day...it's the exact same storyline)...and for the record, Pan's Labyrinth is one of my favorite movies!

Head past the jump for the actual screencaps I used for inspiration as well as the embedded video tutorial :)

LASH GROWTH! Tarte MultiplEYE Natural Lash Enhancer [end of week #1]

**Important Update 3/27/12:  Due to my extremely hectic schedule I have missed almost a full week of application, therefore I am switching up what I am looking for in this product.  I am going to focus more on the lash health and thickness moreso than the lengthening...as I don't really feel I need more length to begin with (haha)**

Here are the photos for the end of week #1!

Blogpost for The Beginning - Click Here

YouTube Series: ABC's Once Upon A Time: Evil Queen Look #1 [Lana Parrilla]

The Evil Queen is someone you both feel sympathy for (once you know her back story...or at least what we've been given so far) and yet...you hate her just as much! 

Lana Parrilla...you do her justice.

Head past the jump for the screenshots and the video!

Bigger Brighter Eyes [my way!]

Many people who wear makeup (men and women alike) are in search of the look that will make their eyes look bigger and brighter - and I am no exception!

I discovered this look accidentally one day when I was experimenting with different color combinations (I tend to like ones that people either will notice or that don't necessarily "go together" when you first think about them).  And so this look was born.

The key to this look is NOT to connect your crease color to the outer corner of the eye thus lifting the crease shape and keeping the eye looking nice and big.  Also, keep your liner thin so that it doesn't overtake the lid area - this is especially important for people who have a smaller space to work with (also, winged or not, keep it thin!  the trick to that is to make sure you feel your liner almost pulling along the base of the lashes so that it's just hitting the skin above them  - I'll do a quick tip video about it sometime in the future!)

and here are some pictures of other color combinations I use with this look if you're feeling like you're in a rut and don't want to do the same old thing ;)

LASH GROWTH! Tarte MultiplEYE Natural Lash Enhancer [Beginning]

Ok, so some of you may know that I had super success with the Urban Decay Lush Lash System (and yes, I'm still bitter that I lost the blog posts when I lost all of my photos with my blog...PISSED...) but I do have the before/after photos and my VLOG of it...soooo....yeah.

I'm embarking on a quest now to test out the Tarte MultiplEYE Clinically Proven Natural Lash Enhancer serum!  Much like the Urban Decay, it's painted onto the [clean and dry] upper lash line like a liquid liner and left to dry.  Interesting fact: the directions say you can apply makeup over it once it's dry - so you can do this day OR night!

So now my lashes are pretty long from the success with the Urban Decay system, but as I said before, I didn't find it gave me any thickness...so from the Tarte, I'm actually looking for thickness rather than length (though I am assuming I will get some kind of length from it!)

Tarte says the system contains their HydroPlant Peptide[TM] which is clinically proven to give the *appearance* of thicker lashes.  It also contains soy and amino acid proteins which are infused with cellulose (a plant derived thickening agent) and vitamin C (antioxidant booster).


Tarte's Clinical Results:
152% change in appearance of lash length (6 weeks)
100% of subjects reported increase in appearance of lash length
100% of subjects reported increase in overall lash health
90% of subjects reported increase in lash thickness

Firstly, this is very cleverly worded...APPEARANCE is a huge word to look for in any advertisement...just in case you didn't know ;)  They're basically saying your lashes LOOK longer, not that it actually grows them.

I'm going to look at the health of my lashes and the thickness and the length will be kind of the afterthought for me this time around.  Being that I wear mascara 5 or 6 our of 7 days a week, they take a beating and are prone to breakage and natural shedding...so I'm definitely watching for the health.

Here are my lashes as of RIGHT NOW:

So I will try to remember to photograph at least one of my eyes each week (over the 6 week course) so that we can keep track of how this works!

In case you wanted to see the Urban Decay results:

Urban Decay Lush Lash System (6 weeks of treatment)







*Both of the products mentioned in this blog post were provided to me via my job and this has no bearing on my opinions or anything I will say about these products during testing...I think the results speak for themselves*