Twilight New Moon Volturi Makeup Haul

I bought all of this make up a week before New Moon opened. It was my birthday present to myself. I returned the mascara and the lid primer (too greasy for me) but I kept all of the shadows. Now it was a bit pricey. Each shadow was $9. I have six pictured below but I actually bought 7!

They all came packed full to the top of the jar which made me happy. What surprised me was that they are pretty densely packed too. The shadows are buildable and oh so very pretty. I did not see too many of these colors used on the characters in the New Moon movie but it hardly matters because the colors are just gorgeous and very girly. These are my new go-to shadows for smokey eyes.

Almost the whole eyeshadow collection. I did not get a photo of "Dusk" but it is a deep metallic eggplant color that is amazing!
MASCARA - Sucked! I returned it. It smelled weird and actually made my lashes look shorter! I had no idea a mascara could do that until I met this one!
EYE LID PRIMER - If you don't have any primer it is ok to use with this product but it is a bit greasy. I like a primer to be more opaque than shiny and this one did not merit me keeping it. If I want this type primer I could just use my Urban Decay (which I also do not much care for). Plus they charged me $11. Too much for the lack of quality.

"Myth" is a warm metallic pewter. Like gun metal with high sheen.. "Legend" is a glittering silver
"Frost" has snowy white shimmer.. "Dawn" is a Sparkling champagne. It is almost a cross between a golden color and copper. Looks great for fall.

"Beloved" is an iridescent baby pink - Very cute and metalic!

"Lover" is a hot shimmering pink - This is my Favorite of the loose eye shadows!

I bought mine at Ulta but they are avilable at Hot Topic I think (at least the perfumes were) and you can also buy online from twilightbeauty.com.

FREE ZOYA Nail Polish!

This is straight from the Zoya Website! Enjoy!

ZOYA GREEN FRIDAY

"It's just our way of sending some green back to you!"

While other retailers taking all your green, let Zoya give you some FREE green!

Spend $20 or more and recieve 6 of our favorite greens for FREE*.

That's right, Zoya Tangy - Zoya Envy - Zoya Midori - Zoya Irene- Zoya Suvi - Zoya Veruschka all 6 for FREE on Zoya Green Friday Only with any purchase of $20 or more at www.zoya.com.

Code will activate on Thanksgiving (11/26/09) at 5 PM (EST). So you will have plenty of time to gobble your turkey and then gobble up our great greens too (who needs football anyway). Code will expire on Friday (11/27/09) at 5 PM (EST).

CODE: GREENFRIDAY

*Promo code valid online at http://www.zoya.com/ only. Offer valid in continental US only. Consumer orders only. Offer begins at 5 PM (EST) on 11/26/09 and expires at 5 PM (EST) on 11/27/09. Offer not valid in conjunction with other promotions, discounts or offers. One code per order. Allow 2 weeks for order processing.

URBAN DECAY FRIENDS AND FAMILY SALE!

It is time again for the Urban Decay Friends and Family Sale! Use Code "FNFW1" at checkout for 30% OFF! Hurry this sale is from Nov 9th to Nov 20th!

The Artist Summit in Miami 2009

At the beginning of October I went to Miami to attend The Artist Summit. Unfortunately I was not able to attend both days of the program but next year you can be sure I will be at both. It was a long day because I drove from the West Coast of Florida to Miami and back home in one day but it was well worth the trip. The workshops that were offered were very helpful and I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone a bit when choosing classes to attend.

I have not been interested in the past in special effects makeup but after one class with Orlando Santiago that has all changed. He showed us how to age someone and Orlando also taught us how to create bruses using simple concealer/color corrector palettes and everyday items from our makeup kit. He showed us the first, second and third stages of a bruise (you can see above on the models chest) and also gave many examples of when you could be asked to apply the technique. For someone like myself who has not worked in television or film this helped me set some new goals for my work. I am now volunteering as an assistant to makeup artists at local theater groups so that I can learn and apply my knowledge on a regular basis. Practice, practice, practice is so important. I am lucky that I live in an area that has a huge theater presence (ballet, opera & theater) but luck aside it takes work to hone your artist skills. So thanks Orlando for helping me to become a better artist!

The other makeup artist I enjoyed watching work was Daven Mayeda. Daven showed up tips on finishing your work that really help complete a makeup look and make it more "polished" looking. For example, you can save a lot of time by contouring a face with foundation. Choose one shade lighter and one shade darker than you would normally use and then apply how you would normally contour the face. By the time you finish up with your makeup application and set the look with HD powder (Make Up For Ever was his choice) the face looks flawless. Another trick he used that I liked was adding "light" to areas. I believe he was using a Smashbox product to highlight the nose, forehead, chin, upper lip and cheekbone, but I use a highlighter from Boots No. 7 myself. Above is the finished face he did for my class.

The other thing I really liked at the Summit was ... of course the vendor area! I did some shopping.

As you may know I had Make Up For Ever's Flash Palette on my Christmas list. Well, I got to take it off the list 3 months early. I could not pass up the opportunity to buy one for $57! What a savings from the one I was going to buy from Sephora for $95. Same exact palette, just sold at the show for a discount for professionals. Thanks Make Up For Ever.

I also bought a Mehron palette. I purchased this one because the Mehron palette had a more metallic looking mix of colors so I figured with the combination of the Mehron, Kryolan and Make Up For Ever palettes I own I should be covered for a good while. I paid $31 to Makeup Mania for it. You can purchase from them online at www.makeupmania.com or just google search for Mehron. I believe Silly Farm sells the products too for a reasonable price.
I got a new lip palette from Frends Beauty Supply for a discount. It was $19. I also picked up some new brushes from Crown Brushes. I bought two sets but I only photographed one. I can't remeber what I spent but I think it was under $40. This was an awesome buy. I got to pick all of the colors in the palette above. This makeup is from Inglot. They are a brand from Poland who has just opened a flag ship store in NYC. I love these colors and they are incredible in color payoff. The size of the shadow pans is huge. They are all magnetic so they stay in the palette nice and the lid to the palette is also magnetic. I have done some looks with these shadows so I will put those looks up in a new post for you to look at. I don't know what the retail for them will be but I paid $38 for the whole palette. Not bad if you ask me. I want to buy more but I am having trouble finding where I can get more in the US right now.

Modern Geisha

This was my final look for Halloween. It is a Modern Geisha inspired look. I needed a look that would not run because I live in Florida and it was in the 80's yesterday for Halloween and that was just too hot to wear a wig outside for me.

This look incorporates the lush botanicals of subtropical southwest Florida along with the geisha mask. It is softer than the traditional black and red colors because I substituted for pink. I love how it turned out. To add drama to my hair with out having to wear a wig I put on my top hat and even took a walking cane with me when I went out wearing this look.

Hope you enjoy!






I used:

FACE
Liquid Foundations from NYX in Pale and Ivory
Translucent Powder from NYC
Coastal Scents Silica Powder

EYES
Vanilla colored shadow from 120 Pro Palette
Light Yellow shadow from 120 Pro Palette
NYX Light Pink and Hot Pink Colored Eyeshadows
INGLOT bright yellow for center of lid
MAC Black Track Fluid Line
Ardell Lashes

FLOWERS
1 Stem of Orchids from Michaels Craft Store
Take them apart and apply with Duo Lash Glue

LIPS
Benefit Posey Tint
NYX Light Pink Shadow in center of lip
MAC clear gloss

Top Hat from Spirit

This is Halloween! Sally the Rag Doll

I love Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. This year I couldn't decide who to be for Halloween so I tried several looks. This one turned out a little bluer than Sally was in the movie but I loved it anyway. Here is the look. Hope you enjoy!

Halloween Looks

I have much to post since I have been buying and doing a lot with my makeup in the last month but before I do all of that I am posting my Halloween looks for 2009!

Here is the first! I am a Circus Ringmaster!






I used for this look:

FACE
Make Up For Ever Face Primer
NYX foundation in Pale and Ivory
Translucent Powder from NYC
Silica Powder from Coastal Scents

EYES
Red and Black from Make Up For Ever Flash Palette for color base
Red Shadow from 120 Pro Palette to set red base
Oil Slick Black Shadow from Urban Decay
MAC Black Track Fluid line
Some no name False Lashes from Ebay
Milk eye pencil from NYX
Black Mascara from Rimmel

LIPS
Red Lipstick from NYX

Top Hat from Spirit
Wig from Ebay

More looks to come!

I got my Goth Card back!

This is a post that I wrote two months ago but forgot to publish. Sorry for the delay.






Style Black is Here! This is the first MAC Collection all year that I had such a long list of must haves. There were hits and misses but overall I was happy and very nostalgic when trying these products. It took me back to 1987 when I was in 10th grade. Bauhaus, The Cure, Siouxie and the Banshees & Love and Rockets were on my walkman (ha! cassettes) and almost everything in my closet was black.

I thought I had outgrown that part of my teen-age past but as I walked into MAC I felt like I had been reissued my Goth card.

HIT!
Mineralized Eyeshadows in Young Punk and Blue Flame $19.50 each. I swatched and shopped. The colors of both are spectacular and totally are a match to the PearlGlide eyeliners in Rave and Fly-By-Blu. If you loved the liners then you have to have the shadows.

MISS!
Mineralized Eyeshadows in Cinderfella and Gilt By Association.
I was dissapointed in both of these shadows. I went into the store thinking I wanted to buy them but they did not swatch well on me. Also, they were just, "meh" when I looked at them. Nothing really was that special about either color.

I wore Young Punk on Friday and I got compliments on it. I used black track fluid line underneath and I foiled the shadow on with Fix +. It stayed on from 6am to 11pm. I was pretty happy about it. I did not have to retouch at all, all day. I also used the Rave Pearlglide eyeliner and it is a perfect match for the shadow.

I wore the Blue Flame on Saturday and I used a Kryolan blue color as the base. I still had to foil it on my lower lid and then buffed it on dry in my crease to create a smokey eye. I also used the Fly-by-Blu Pearlglide eyeliner to both tightline and do my waterline. It is also a perfect match for the shadow. I added false lashes for drama and I have to say - my eyes looked HOT!

One thing I don't like is you have to be careful to find the right blush to wear when using these shadows. Anything to overpowering and you can look like a clown real fast. I love using really bright blushes so I am having to tone things down. Same thing with my lips. I tried to wear Young Punk with a Black Lip on Friday and I looked too harsh. I looked better with a lighter lip.

Overall I like both shadows I bought. I would highly recommend buying the two Pearlglide eyeliners to match both shadows from this summer's earlier collection. They are both still available on MAC's website.

I went back on Friday (after picking up my 1st style black purchases on Thursday) and my store only had 3 of the Black Knight Creme Sheen Lipsticks left so I felt I had to buy one. I guess they sold really fast or maybe they did not get too many in.

Also, I love the Black Ash Mask! I have the defoliator too and it is ok but I love the mask!

NEW at Benefit Cosmetics – One Hot Minute

Get FREE US Standard Shipping with purchase of one hot minute, our sexy in seconds rose-colored face powder. Enter ONEHOT09 at checkout. Offer valid 9.22.09 to 9.29.09.



This loose, rose-gold finishing powder is the final touch for a "gaze at me" glow. It contains a sheer tint that works on all skintones,anytime, anywhere. Get radiant skin in one hot minute!

I got Nailed and I am LOVING it!

I used to be very into having my nails done. It was like therapy for me to go weekly to have my polish changed and fills done. I never experimented with color because I thought the classic french manicure was so pretty and girly that I just stayed satisfied wearing the same airbrushed nails week in and week out. Then when pink and white acrylic came along I only had to wear clear polish on my nails and they looked like they had a fresh french manicure. Pretty boring, right?

Well, even before the recession really hit American's hard I eliminated my weekly nail routine out of the budget because I was working from home. No one was getting to see my nails but my son and my cat so it seemed like I should save that money. Well I have found a reason to start doing my nails again.

I won a contest from the June Issue of Allure magazine. When my prize came in the mail I did not recognize the brand at first so I did a little internet research and read up on Deborah Lippmann and her nail polishes. Her line is carried in Nordstroms, Nieman Marcus, on Beauty.com and also her own web site store. Her polishes are normally $16 each and she has a celebrity clinetele list that boasts the likes of Mariah Carey, Cher, Renee Zellweger, and Sarah Jessica Parker. Now, I am not sure about you, but those ladies are some of the most beautiful women I can even think to name. What I also find interesting is that they have very different styles and fashion sensibilities. What that immediately told me was that Deborah has created products that appeal to a diverse cross section of women from a varying age range.

I was intrigued. I opened the package to examine my prize. The Lippmann Collection Celebrate honors the 10th Anniversary of Deborah's line and let me tell you it delivers. To start, the packaging is a very nice box that has a message from Deborah printed just inside when you remove the lid that reads "With your enduring support over the last ten years, Lippmann Collection has grown to become a voice in fashion, setting the trends. To thank you for a decade of loyalty, I created this trio - Celebrate. - Deborah"

When you slide out the insert that is nestling your trio of polishes, notice the detail that the jacket has been given. It was printed with the same spot varnish treatment that is on the box lid and it gives the illusion of confetti being thrown at a party. Nicely done. Bravo on the packaging!

The first color that I tried of the three is called Ruby Red Slippers. The description on the box reads "Dorothy's shimmering ruby (glitter)." Actually, the glitter in this polish is so much better than Dorothy's shoes. The reason why is the Ruby Slippers looked like they had been sprinkled with craft glitter. Everyone knows that square shapped glitter that I am talking about, right? What this polish has that Dorothy's shoes didn't is a variation in glitter size and shape that adds depth and dimension to the polish. When I swiped the polish on the first time I thought that it was a little less glittery that I expected. I swiped the brush across for a second coat and everything changed. Instantly you can see the effect of why it was important to have the varying sizes of glitter. I painted my whole hand and waited. I couldn't decide if I should finish the other one with the same color or open a second bottle!

The other two shades that are in the trio are Superstar - show stopping copper flecked fudge (glitter) and Funky Chunky - sequined sheer black (glitter). Like I mentioned $16 per bottle is the normal charge for the Lippmann Collection but this special trio is priced on the web site for $35. Even at $35 this was an incredible prize for me to win. I am really so happy and so thankful to Deborah I am going to hand write and send her a personal thank you note because I am just thrilled! This is not something that I would have normally gone out and purchased for myself. Now, not only and I thrilled with using it I am going to work on converting everyone I know over to these polishes.

FYI - I noticed that this trio is currently sold out on lippmanncollection.com but it is available at Nordstrom's for the same price. Must have been because of all the press it is getting!