Positively Pulchritudinous

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2011-07-24T22:42:00.001-04:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/TarotLadyLissa

Curly Girl Method [Products]

2011-07-12T21:03:00.001-04:00

Hopefully by now you have a good grasp on the CG method. In my lost post CG Method [Styling] I explained how to style, I also mentioned that your products need to be CG approved. Here is a guideline for making sure your products are CG approved.

1. No Shampoo/Sulfates! If you must use shampoo make sure it is sulfate free. There is only one instance where you may use a regular shampoo with sulfates... after using products with silicone. I'll explain why in a minute. Here are some common sulfates:

Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Ammonium Lareth Sulfate

Myreth Sulfate

2. No Silicone! Why? Silicone coats the hair, which means none of the good products you use will actually penetrate the hair. Silicone weighs down hair and the effect is a lot more noticeable on curly hair. Deep conditioners won't work well with silicone in your hair. You CAN'T wash out silicone. It is not water soluble. The only way to remove it is by using sulfates. And we all know that sulfates can cause a whole mess of problems for us curly girls. Eventually your hair just gets flat, and dull, and gross. This is probably what happens when your hair gets "immune" to your products.

3. Recognizing Silicone in your products can be confusing at first, but this should help. Any ingredient ending in -cone is a silicone. Dimethicone is the worst!! Here's a list of commonly used Silicones:

Amodimethicone
Amodimethicone (and) Trideceth-12 (and) Cetrimonium Chloride
Behenoxy Dimethicone
Cetearyl methicone
Cetyl Dimethicone
Cyclomethicone
Cyclopentasiloxane
Dimethicone
Dimethicone Copolyol
Dimethicone copolyol 9
Dimethiconol
Stearoxy Dimethicone
Stearyl Dimethicone
Trimethylsilylamodimethicone
Lauryl methicone copolyol

So if it ends in -cone, leave it alone!

4. Here are some ingredients that you WANT to have in your products.

Emollients: Vegetable, nut and grain oils as well as "butters".

Proteins: Wheat, wheat germ, and soy protein.

Humectants: Panthenol, (vegetable)glycerine, sorbitol.

Moisturizers: Aloe and amino acids.

Those are just some examples.

5. Avoid alcohol in your hair products, it is very drying!

So now you have been armed with knowledge, so you can start your curly girl journey! FYI, here's how my hair looked after one week of my journey!

Rock on Curly Girls!!!

Curly Girl Method [Styling]

2011-07-12T19:39:00.002-04:00

On my last post (Curly Girl Method [Drying]) I explained how easy it is to dry your hair. Now you can style your hair just as easily! Most CG followers, myself included, combine the drying and styling steps. It's easy, saves time, and allows your curls to dry frizz free!

So once you have gotten your hair to the point is no longer dripping, but still fairly wet we can continue on to styling. Applying your styling products while your hair is wet keeps the frizz down and locks in moisture.

Step 1: You want to use about 1 Tbsp. (more or less depending on hair length) of CG approved clear gel. In my next post I will further explain what is a CG approved gel, but for now let's just focus on the method. Rub the gel in your palms to emulsify it. Bend over and scrunch the gel upwards toward your scalp. Start with the back of your head and save the top of your head for last.

Step 2: Flip your head back over so you are now standing normally. Now take either more gel, or a light styling cream and continue to scrunch hair into place. I like to scrunch a bit with my CG towel to remove any excess moisture and product, but you don't have to do this.

Step 3: Let your hair AIR DRY (if you are in a hurry you can finish with a diffuser, but I never do this. In fact, I don't even own a hair dryer).

Step 4. DON'T TOUCH YOUR HAIR FOR 1 HOUR!!! If you touch your hair while it's drying you will cause frizz. So refrain from touching it.

Step 5. Once your hair is dry, flip your head over gently and scrunch out that crunch. Flip your head back over and gently shake head to fluff or separate your curls. That's it! You're ready to go!!

I know it seems like a lot of steps, but once you do it you'll find that it's easy. From cleansing to styling there are a lot of products to choose from. So in my next post i'll cover what to look for and what to avoid so you can use CG approved products in your routine!!

Curly Girl Method [Products]

Curly Girl Method [Drying]

2011-07-12T19:16:00.002-04:00

Now that you have done the Curly Girl Method [Cleanse], it's time to dry your hair!

Drying your hair doesn't have to take forever or make your hair frizzy. If you just remember a few things. The most important thing is to not use terrycloth bath towels. Terry cloth acts like little microscopic hooks that catch on your hair's cuticle and break the hair and make it frizzy. It also absorbs too much moisture. In the curly girl method you only need to dry your hair until it is 80% dry, the air will do the rest. Trust me, air drying is the BEST method for curls!

So without a bath towel, what do you use? Easy... Cotton Jersey material... also known as T-Shirt!! You can also use micro-fiber. You can buy towels for curly hair made from t-shirt material (curlease.com) and micro-fiber (mimis diva dryer) too. If you're into DIY or just into saving money you can make your own with an old t-shirt! Just cut the shirt strait across just under the armpits, this will give you a "tube" of t-shirt material. Now, cut it up the side to open the tube and you now how a t-shirt towel. This long piece of material is ideal for "plopping" you hair too! Plopping is a curly hair technique that I will explain later! Right now, let's just focus on DRYING!

Step 1: Flip your head over and cup the ends of your hair with your CG approved (jersey/microfiber) towel. Using a scrunching motion, gently scrunch hair up towards the scalp. Start on your back layers of hair, saving the front for last. When your at your scalp, gently squeeze the hair.

Step 2: Flip your head over and continue to gently scrunch the water from your hair. NEVER RUB OR WRING HAIR!!!!! Once your hair is no longer dripping, but still wet, add your leave in conditioner. Just apply it in a scrunching motion. Then use your CG towel and scrunch more water out! Now you can proceed to STYLING!

That's it! At this point you can either let it air dry with only the conditioner in your hair or you can add your styling products.

So let's move on to Styling!

Curly Girl Method [Styling]

Curly Girl Method [Cleanse]

2011-07-12T17:49:00.003-04:00

Cleansing is the first step in the Curly Girl Method. If you need an introduction to this method, check out my previous post Curly Girl Method [Introduction] .

With the Curly Girl (CG for short) method you will not be using Shampoo anymore! I know that sounds crazy, but it's so much better for your hair! Basically you use your conditioner to cleanse your hair. Trust me, it works! You use the friction of "scrubbing" your scalp with your fingers to remove dirt, without the oil removing chemicals in shampoo.

The main ingredients in most shampoos are sulfates. These come in a few different forms, and should be avoided, unless you're clarifying for the first time. The most commonly sulfates are:

Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Ammonium Lareth Sulfate

Myreth Sulfate

So why are sulfates bad? They remove natural oils, dry the hair, can strip color and actually make your natural curls less curly! You may actually find that after using the CG method, your hair is curlier than before! In fact, if you have been using shampoo your whole life... you may find that your natural hair is much more curly than you ever knew!

So now that we know that sulfates are bad, how do you wash your hair with just conditioner, water and friction? Well first you need conditioner, make sure there are no silicones (ingredients that end in -cone, I'll refer to them as "cones") the best conditioners to co-wash (conditioner wash) with are cheap ones. Since you use a lot of it, cheap ones are best. You can still use your higher end conditioners, but after you have co-washed with your cheapies.

Here are some conditioners that are reccomened to co-wash:

Suave Naturals

Pantene Relaxed and Natural

V05

Garnier Fructis Moisture Works

Aussie Moist

Ok, so you've go your conditioner, now let's cleanse!

Step 1: Step into the shower and allow the water to run over your hair and saturate it. Try not to touch it at first, just let the water do it's thing. The less you touch it while it's dry, the less you'll have to detangle later!

Step 2: Once your hair is fully saturated grab your conditioner. Get about 1Tbsp of conditioner and using your finger tips; gently massage it onto your scalp. Start on the sides by your temples (1Tbsp per side). Use another tablespoon on the top of your head, and another tablespoon on the nape of your neck. So far you've used about 4 tablespoons of conditioner. Use another tablespoon to get any areas you may have missed. Don't rinse it yet!

Step 3: After you have massaged your scalp with conditioner for about 2-3 minutes, take a palm full of conditioner and gently apply it to the length of your hair. Don't forget the underside. If your hair is fully saturated with conditioner it will feel like wet seaweed. Use your fingers to "comb" through your hair. if you get resistance use more conditioner. This will remove loos hairs and start to detangle the hair. Do this for about 2 minutes.

Step 4: Once you have detangled with your fingers and your hair is completely saturated with conditioner you need to do a rinse. Place your head under the running shower and let the water rinse your hair. Do this for about a minute without touching your hair. Then you can gently use your fingers and "comb" under the running water to rinse.

Step 5: This step is OPTIONAL. Take a few tablespoons of your "Good" conditioner and distribute it through your hair ( concentrate on ends) and rinse before you exit the shower using the same finger comb method in step 4.

That's it, you're cleansed! I know it seems like a lot, but once you do it... it's not that bad. i actually find it relaxing!

Move on to the DRYING step:

Curly Girl Method [Drying]

Curly Girl Method [Introduction]

2011-07-12T17:09:00.005-04:00

If you gals hadn't already noticed, I have naturally curly hair; type 3b corkscrew to be exact. I love my curls, but that hasn't always been the case. There was a time (3rd-9th grade) when my curls were my enemy! They were always frizzy, poofy and a pain in the butt to brush!

Over the years I have picked up a lot of tips and tried a ton of products. I ran across a technique a year or so ago that changed my curly life... The Curly Girl Method. This method was created by Lorraine Massey, a hairdresser from the UK. She understood the needs of curly girls, she being one herself, and developed a system that can change your hair forever!

I noticed a real difference after just a week, and even after the first day it looked better! So how does this method work and what's involved?

To make it simple I'm gonna break it into parts.

1.Cleanse

2.Dry

3.Style

4.Products

Follow these parts in order, and you'll be a Curly Girl in no time!

Before you head on to the first step, here are some general rules:

1. NO SULFATES (no shampoo unless it's sulfate free!)

2. NO SILICONES (silicones can only be removed from your hair with SULFATES, and we don't like sulfates!)

3. Moisturize Hair Daily

4. No more Terrycloth towels

5. No more blow drying (unless you use a diffuser)

6. Love your curls!

Ok, Let's get started! Head over to the next post:

Curly Girl Method [Cleanse]

2011-06-14T12:39:00.000-04:00

Diva Cup Review/ Giveaway!

The DivaCup is a non-absorbent menstrual cup that simply collects menstrual flow. It is inserted in the vagina and sits at the lower base of the vaginal canal. It is worn internally, yet because it is soft and smooth, it cannot be felt nor will it leak when inserted properly.
The DivaCup is the most clean and convenient method of feminine hygiene protection. No need to touch the flow. It is worn low in the vagina, not near the cervix, so it is easy to remove. No mess!

To Enter the Giveaway:
1. You MUST be a subsciber to my YouTube Channel

( http://www.youtube.com/user/TarotLadyLissa?feature=mhee )
and FOLLOW me here on Blogger!

2. You MUST be able to provide me with your Name, Address and DivaCup size (if you win)
3. You must leave a comment below telling me why you want to ditch the disposables and use a DivaCup. (Start your comment with "Contest Entry")
4. Entry MUST be received by 12:00am EST June 30, 2011
5. The winner will be chosen via Random.org and will be picked on July 1, 2011 and announced that same day.

Have fun and don't forget to check out DivaCup at:
http://www.divacup.com/en/home
----------

Canadian Nail Fanatic Giveaway

2011-06-14T02:56:00.000-04:00

If you love nail goodies and contests.. check out Canadian Nail Fanatic's Giveaway!!! Super awesome prizes too!

To enter (Ends June 19th, 2011) Click Here!

French Tip Dip, I love you!

2011-02-08T01:59:00.002-05:00

I love the look of a French manicure, but I am a perfectionist when it comes to doing my own. I like a neat, crisp smile line. I'm not a huge fan of manicure stickers, but they do work. I like doing my French manicures by hand, but it's tedious work for a perfectionist! I have to clean up the smile lines and make sure they are perfect!

About a week ago I was introduced to a new way to get perfect tips with a neat little tool/system called the French Tip Dip. I was intrigued, but a little skeptical. I thought it would be decent, but i wasn't expecting perfection.

I took it out of the box, read the directions, and laid everything out. Then I followed the steps and ended up with a beautiful manicure that took about 15 minutes start to finish, including set up time!

Here's the kit:

The tool has 4 different sizes on it, so you can do any size nail. Even toes!!

The kit comes with:

Amazing French Tip Dip tool

2 dip jars

HUGE 1.12 fl. oz. Bright White tip polish

.55 fl.oz. Sheer Genius base coat

.54 fl. oz 3 Minute Topcoat

100/100 file

manicure stick

instruction card/ mixing pallate

case to keep it all together

It's really easy to use. Just pour the white polish into one of the provided jars filling the jar half way. Dip the French Tip Dip tool into the polish, with the underside of the tool facing up.

After you have dipped the tool and wiped it gently on the side of the jar; place the tool on the tip of your nail where you want your smile line, and gently pull towards the free edge. Use a light touch, just barely touching the nail with the tool.

That's it! Just let it dry for 2 minutes, apply sheer polish, dry for 2 minutes more, apply topcoat and dry for 3 minutes and your done! It's amazing!! Here are some more pictures of my new best friend!! lol

I am absolutely in love with this kit and will use it as my #1 go to for French tips!

You can get your own kit here:

http://www.frenchtipdip.com/xcart/home.php?cat=249

My video review/demo of this amazing kit here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGyC2DglhwM

Thank You

Nail Whitening Manicure

2011-02-07T03:49:00.000-05:00

Sometimes my nail polish obsession gets the best of me. Wearing shades of red, purple, blue and green takes it's toll on my nails. In general, darker shades have a way of seeping through even the best base coat. Long story short; my love of dark shades, have stained my nails!

Now, nail staining can occur for all types of reasons. Smoking, not using a base coat, using dark polish, not properly washing hands...etc. You see, finger nails (toe nails too) are made of keratin. Keratin is porous and can absorb colored substances.

There are many commercial products available that are made to whiten your nails. Some of them work really well, and others are just a waste of money. I have tried some of the natural remedies out there as well, but the results don't wow me.

When I want to whiten my nails, I have a method that I call the "Whitening Mani". It's quick, easy, cheap and works for me. You may not get the same results if your nails are very stained, but if you do this once every week or two you should see results.

What you need:

Small Bowl for soaking nails

2 Denture cleansing tablets

Nail brush

Nail buffer

Warm water

Cuticle Oil (or Olive Oil)

Before we begin, I need to show you the before. It's pretty bad, but trust me... it will get better!

As you can see, my middle and ring fingers have mush more staining. This is probably because I paint these nails as accent nails, usually with a darker color. My cuticles are also in need of some attention, so we'll get to that later!

Now we need to get our bowl of warm water and plop in our 2 denture cleanser tablets. I prefer the kind for smokers. They usually have more whitening ingredients. You can use any brand you like, and if you can't find one made for smokers that's ok. Even the kind from the dollar store will do!

I used Polident for Smokers. It was 5.99 for a box of 72 tablets at CVS Pharmacy!!! Thats 32 manicures at $0.16 a piece!! A lot cheaper than the commercial nail whitening treatments. The nail whitening treatments at Sally Beauty are typically $1.99 for one pack. That's $1.99 for ONE treatment!! So, you can save $1.89 per treatment, or save $65.88 for 32 manicures! Yeah, that's what i'm talking about!!

Anyway, let's continue. Once you plop in the tablets and they start to fizz, dip your nails in and soak for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, I like to use my nail brush and scrub up.

Then I soak for another 2-3 minutes.

Once you are scrubbed up, wash your hands with a mild anti-bacterial soap. Dry your hands and if your nails are still stained, you can gently buff your nails with a fine grit buffer block. I didn't need to do this, but sometimes I do. It just depends on how badly my nails are stained.

Next thing I do is apply my cuticle oil.

If you don't have a cuticle oil, you have a few options. Coco butter, olive oil, shea butter or even just a good lotion. The key is to moisturize them! Massage the oil into your cuticles, use some hand lotion all over your hands and you're done!!

Wanna see the before and after?

It's not a ridiculously huge difference, but they look a hell of a lot better! So for $0.16 i think it did a pretty damn good job.

So, try this for yourself and see. Who knew Granny's denture tabs could give you happier nails!!?

Bring On The Bling Dynasty!

2011-02-05T04:55:00.000-05:00

Today I combined two OPI colors, and it was magical!!!

I love the gold (Bling Dynasty) from the Hong Kong collection. It's beautiful on it's own, but I thought I could spice it up with Bring On The Bling from the Burlesque collection!

First, I applied 2 coats of Bling Dynasty.

It looks awesome on it's own, but let's try some more Bling!!!

I then applied two coats of Bring On The Bling.

It's Blingtastic!! I Love this combo!!!

I'll try more color combos with the burlesque glitters!!!

Glitter...I love you!

2011-02-05T01:48:00.000-05:00

OPI: Bring On The Bling

Now usually I don't go for glitter polish but this one caught my eye and wouldn't let go! My camera doesn't do it justice, so I'll have to get a better pic for you guys tomorrow. It's a lovely golden/khaki color. There are bits of other colors in it as well. The gold in this polish aren't yellow, more of an antique gold. It's beautiful!

It takes about 3 coats to get the nails to look like the bottle, but it's sheer enough to layer over other polishes. I'll be playing with this one over the next few days, layering it over other colors and wearing in on it's own. I'll try to take lots of pics too!

I usually shy from glitters because they are so darn annoying to remove, this one however isn't too bad. Added bonus is that it seemed to dry a little faster than most of my other OPIs, so I am wondering if the formula is different.

All 6 of the glitters from the Burlesque collection are amazing, and I will try to get them all. Today I could only get 2, I'd have gotten them all but my hubby bought me a new HD webcam today.. so I decided not to be greedy! lol

I'll swatch the other one tomorrow!

Good night lovelies!

KONAD-LICIOUS' HUGE GIVEAWAY!!

2011-02-05T01:24:00.000-05:00

Ok, so this may be the BEST contest ever! If not EVER, at least the best in the last 6 months!

Konad-Licious' page was awesome before, but she has totally upped the ante of the coolness pot with this contest!

About 300$ worth of prizes! 31 bottles of polish, nail art products GALORE, water decals, manicure tools, make-up, MINX and......CHOCOLATE!

So if you want to follow a super nice blogger that obsessed with nail goodies like me, head over to her page! Hey, if you follow her you can also enter this great contest!

CLICK THAT LINK!!

http://konadlicious.blogspot.com/2011/01/konadlicious-huge-1000-follower.html

What a Tease!!

2011-01-26T23:35:00.000-05:00

Thank you OPI! Finally a shimmer that delivers! "Tease-y Does It" is one of the new colors from OPI's Burlesque collection. In the bottle, I thought it had a copper look and for some reason the store's lighting gave it a purple tinge. It is instead, a rich coppery/bronze color with copper reflects. It almost looks like fireplace embers! No matter how I tried, I could not get the pictures to do any justice! I did manage to get a few good shots, but nothing compares to how brilliant it is in person!!!

Don't you just love the name?!!!

The reflects are brilliant, I wish the picture could capture such brilliance!

It has a nice chocolate cream base to it.

This is one of my new favorite brown family colors. While it isn't exactly brown in person, it does read as a brown. In person it has an almost maroon look. It's really hard to describe, but it's beautiful! I only needed two coats and it went on smooth and streak free!

If you love shimmers, rich colors, or hard to describe colors you will love this one!!!

Blue Bubbles (Nail Look)

2011-01-26T22:32:00.000-05:00

Normally I like to do live video nail tutorials, but yesterday it was just too noisy in my house! So I did the next best thing, a slide show tutorial. You can see the slideshow tutorial on my YouTube page (TarotLadyLissa.) It's super easy, and super cute!

This is a fun polka dot design. You can use any two polishes you like for this look, but I prefer to use two shades of the same color. The contrast of light shade and dark shade looks really good. I also prefer cream colors, but that is a matter of personal preference.

I used:
OPI Natural Nail Basecoat
OPI Ogre The Top Blue. (Dark Blue)
OPI What's With The Cattitude? (Light Blue)
Seche Vite Dry Fast Topcoat

*All product were purchased with my own money.

OPI, I love you!

2010-08-25T23:17:00.002-04:00

I am loving all things OPI right now! I always loved their nail stuff, but now I am hooked on their hand soaps and lotions! Oh, and don't even get me started on how awesome their cuticle oil is!

The Swiss Blue hand soap is amazing! It smells wonderful, lathers good and leaves my hands soft and lightly scented!

I'll do a full review later, but you ladies need to try their their lotions too!

formspring.me

2010-01-27T19:25:00.001-05:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/TarotLadyLissa

Afterglow Cosmetics Valentine's Day Contest!

2010-01-27T18:51:00.004-05:00

You could win a Glow kit worth $120.00 from Afterglow Cosmetics just by creating a valentines day inspired makeup look!!

Just click here to learn how!

Afterglow Cosmetics (Brushes)

2010-01-11T22:19:00.004-05:00

In the past 3-4 years, I have become a bit of a brush snob. Although I only have one MAC brush, none of my brushes are "cheap"! I love natural hair brushes; the softness, blendability, and overall quality is unparalleled... Or is it?

Afterglow Cosmetics sent me a few of their brushes. I wasn't sure what to expect. i looked at them on their site and saw that were vegan. I thought to myself, "they aren't natural hair so how soft will they be?".

I got them in the mail along with a few other goodies and went strait for the BABY KABUKI. I swirled it on my face and it felt like I was rubbing my face with the softest teddy bear in the world! Silky, soft, and just the right amount of firmness. The blush brush felt like liquid silk gliding on my cheeks. The three eyeshadow brushes were no exception. They were even softer than my MAC brush and felt like they were melting on my skin (in a good way).

I haven't even touched my other brushes! Cheaper than high end, animal free AND to die for softness! I love these brushes!

Apology to my "Mom"s makeup!

2009-06-05T00:13:00.005-04:00

I used to think that Avon was for my grandma and mom. I know that sounds silly, but I never really took it seriously. My cousin has sold Avon for a very long time. I still never really paid attention to it.

I generally thought that because I had only really noticed the older women in my family using Avon products, that they must be for "older women. (no offense) I mean, when I was 13 I bought a lip balm because I liked the one sister in-law Lura had. And when I was 16, I was happy with with my drug store eye shadows and lipsticks. So I usually just got Avon's bath products.

Now I am almost 27, and I am finding that some high priced cosmetics just let me down. Sure they have awesome colors, and cool ingredients. But that doesn't mean CVS's makeup isle has lesser quality make than Nordstrom's makeup counter!

I have a good bit of "high end" cosmetics and I love them, but now and again they let me down. Over the years I have tried an Avon lipstick here, and an eyeliner there. So over the years I have noticed that their quality, really is outstanding.

When my best friend Tanya started selling Avon, I thought: "You know, everything from Avon that I have tried so far has been good, so maybe I'll try some more!" I bought a foundation, mineral makeup, and mascara the first time. Then I got hooked. I was excited, and confused.

Confused? Yep, I was confused as to how this stuff could be so cheap and yet work so well! I have since collected more Avon, and I am so very impressed. I even thought of selling it, but I decided that I would rather support my friend's endeavor with it by buying from her. Besides, I already have too much makeup, if I sold it..I can't even imagine how out of control that would be! lol

Anyway, I know I am rambling... but I just wanted to let everyone know that if you were ever hesitant to try Avon because it's inexpensive, or because you think it's only for older ladies... don't be! Give it a try. The prices are great, and the products are better! The eyeshadow quads that I have are comparable to a Chanel quad. The colors are very pigmented, the formula is a silky, almost creamy powder that glides on and really lasts all day!

So, Mom... I'm sorry I doubted you!

Oh, and Avon... I'm also sorry I doubted you!!!

L'Oreal HIP Shine struck Liquid Lipcolor

2009-01-13T07:30:00.002-05:00

I have loved L'Oreal for years, so it was no shock that i would love these glosses! I suppose "gloss" isn't the right description, it's liquid lipstick! It's wonderful! A full coverage lip color, with the shine of a gloss! Plus, it's light and not sticky at all!

I got these at walmart with a giftcard I got for Christmas... the PERFECT gift! So I decided to pick 2 of these babies up. I got "Splendid" and "Turbulent".

Splendid is a beautiful mauve/pink color with a hint of shimmer. It's a little sheer, but not too much. I think it will make a great every day color.

Turbulent is the brightest red! It's creamy, with no shimmer. The perfect red for a pin up style look. For me, I would use a lip liner with this one. It's very, very red!

Overall, I give these 5 stars! They are highly pigmented, not sticky, very glossy, lightweight, and come in a good aray of colors!

Longing for Konad (not the barbarian) !

2009-01-02T23:07:00.002-05:00

Wow!

Have you guys heard of Konad nail art stamps?!?!?

Ok, I am so excited to learn about these! I feel way out of the loop for not having heard of this before. Seriously though, these look so awesome!

I used to be really into painting my nails and making nail art with toothpicks. When I married my hubby and we had to move, I somehow managed to loose most of nail polishes. Each time we moved I seemed to have less! lol

Well, recently I have been getting back into doing my own nails! It's way cheaper than the salon, and you can get really creative! So now I have about 6 nail polishes and I want to get even more! While browsing the nail related blogs around "blogtown", I saw someone with an AMAZING design on their nails. She used this thing called a nail stamp.

I was so roused by this idea that I imedietly started watching YouTube videos about it! For over an hour I was just facinated and excited.

"Why haven't I ever seen this?" was the first thing I asked myself. "Why didn't I think of this?" was the second!

So what it is, for those who don't already know (actually I think was the last the one to know). It's a stamp for your nails! You pu special polish on a design plate, scrape off the extra paint, push a stamper down on it, and the transfer the design from the stamper onto your nails! OMG I want this!!

If you want to see the demo video click here!

I made a slideshow of some designs I want to do when I do finally get one! OMG this looks like it will be so much fun!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Positively Pulchritudinous: Coastal Scents Brush Review

2008-12-27T03:20:00.001-05:00

Coastal Scents Brush Review

2008-12-27T02:30:00.009-05:00

I finally got to try coastal scents' brushes! I got 2 Coastal Scents eyeshadow brushes for Christmas! I thought I would share what I think about them!

I was at first skeptical of them, thinking a 3 dollar brush can't be as good as my Sonya Kashuk brush. I was pleasantly surprised!!!

Let's go over each brush before we see the "swipes".

The brush above is the 'Chisel Fluff Medium Shadow' brush. It was $2.75 on CoastalScents.com

It's about 5 inches from tip of handle to tip of bristles. It's tiny handle surprised me at first, but the brush itself amazed me! It's softness pleased me! It is made of hand cut pony and goat hair, and it can really pack on the color! It's the perfect size for all over application, and small enough to do the lower lash line or inner corner of the eye.

The brush above is the 'Black Deluxe Shadow' brush. It was $2.49 on CoastalScents.com

It's a good size brush too, 6 inches from tip to tip. It's a nice thick handled brush, which for some reason I just love. This brush packs on color like no other brush I have! I want to get another one for backup! The bristles are made of sable, and they are so very soft!

It's bristles are wide, and densely packed. I find that its perfect for all over eyeshadow application, as well as highlighting the brow bone area.

So the picture below is my Sonya Kashuk medium shadow brush. It's a good brush. It was $10.99 at Target. I got it about 6 months ago, and I usually use it for packing color onto the lid. It's good for applying eyeshadow wet.

So, for comparison I swiped it too.

I swiped each brush across my MAC Cranberry eyeshadow 1 time!

Then I swiped the brush on my arm that had a thin layer of Urban Decay Primer Potion on it. I swiped it on my arm only once per brush, with medium pressure.

I leave you with the results. You decide for yourself but I believe that Coastal Scents brushes are amazing! They pack on color wonderfully, they're ultra soft AND very affordable!

I reccomend them to everyone!!!

I'm a gloss!

2008-12-09T01:42:00.002-05:00

I am Sooo excited!!

Spell Cosmetics just announced that they are naming a lipgloss after me!! How freakin' cool is that??? It's a chocolately brown with bronze reflects..OMG!!! How perfect is that?!?!? I love warm colors! I can't wait to get some!!! Go to www.SpellCosmetics.com and get some!! I can't wait to try it...holy cow this is exciting!

Getting Loaded!

2008-12-07T04:50:00.003-05:00

Today I created this awesome rainbow look using Spell Cosmetics!

I got samples of the "Get Loaded collection from Elle and Gemma, and I was soooo excited!!! I had been looking all over for a vibrant rainbow of colors... Here they are! Vivid colors, excellent pigmentation, smooth texture, and awesome price!

The "Get Loaded" set comes with 7 colors! So 45 bucks is a great value!

Thank you soo much Elle & Gemma!!!!! I absolutely LOVE them!

The Zodiac Files: Libra

2008-11-28T14:08:00.002-05:00

Libra's color is light blue. As you can see in the picture to the left, it's a soft icy blue look that inspires peace and serenity. Light blue also signifies love, beauty and peace.

I used MAC Mutiny pigment and Bell Bottom Blue. I blended well and added a touch of Lark About to highlight. I used bare study as my base, so I didnt take the lark about all the way to brow, I let bare study be my main highlight.

I lined my top lid with Prestige liquid liner in Brown/Black and finished with black mascara.

Hope you love it!

iStardom...

2008-11-25T14:12:00.002-05:00

So apparently, I'm ranked like 1000 or something for Internet "stardom". Check out the page, sign up and see what your rank is!

I LOVE MASCARA!!!

2008-11-23T02:22:00.002-05:00

I got 2 new mascaras today! YAY! I'm especially fond of Maybelline mascara. I never realized this until today.

I got home with my 2 new mascaras and saw that they were both Maybelline. Then I noticed that my colossal mascara was Maybelline too! Oh and then I remembered that my favorite for years was the Maybelline full and soft!!

I hope these two are as great as all the other Maybellines I have tried and love!

So what did I get?

I got :

Maybelline's "Lash Stiletto" (Ultimate lengthening mascara), and

Maybelline's "XXL Extentions" (XX-Treme Length Microfiber Mascara).

Don't worry, I'll have a full review of both very soon!

Goddess, I LOVE Mascara!!

The Zodiac Files: Virgo

2008-11-21T00:26:00.003-05:00

Virgo's color is royal blue. Virgo's can be shy, and introverted... but royal blue is bold and showy. I think that's why it works so well for virgo.

Royal blue brings out beauty, purity, and wisdom. It also promotes tranquility. So when Virgo feels stressed about being more outgoing, or other stressful situations, this look could be just what the doctor ordered!!

Everyone can use this look to their best, and feel great too. Color therepy is very usefull, and this one can be a great addition to your "Makeup Medicine Cabinet"!

The Zodiac Files: Leo

2008-11-20T20:04:00.002-05:00

Leo is the color Orange. Any shade of orange for Leo represents power, greatness, optimism and joy. For this look I used Golden Lemon in the inner corner, Pink Bronze on the lid and chocolate brown in the crease. I highlighted with nano gold.

Pink Bronze is one of those colors that to me, looks different than the color suggests. Its more orange than pink! I love it though, and any Leo would be wise to add this wonderful color to their collection!

The Zodiac Files: Cancer

2008-11-19T04:23:00.002-05:00

Cancer's color is pink. It embodies love, passion, friendship and emotional well being. So I decided to keep it soft, simple, and romantic.

I used pale pinks and a soft brown in the crease to keep it light and airy. I didn't use any eyeliner because I wanted the softness of the pink, and the feathery lashes to be the focus. I thought a liner would take away from the softness I was going for.

The final look is perfect for everyday wear! Anyone can pull this look off!

The Zodiac Files: Gemini

2008-11-19T02:39:00.005-05:00

Gemini is represented by the color yellow. This can be a hard color to pull off for some, but here I tried to create a look that would work on anyone. Even darker skin tones can wear this! Yellow can be dark and "mustardy" or light and "Lemony" and all shades in between! It's just a fun color.

Navy tones of blue seem to set it off too. So for this look I paired "Golden Lemon" and "Bell bottom blue" to create a wearable yellow look for all skin tones!

I'd also like to note that the colors have not been altered at all, the only thing done to my pictures was the mat frame and lettering, and yet the yellow/blue combination seemed to bring out the green more in my eyes. I love it!

The Zodiac Files

2008-11-18T18:48:00.002-05:00

I am starting a series of tutorial based on the colors of the zodiac. I know this has been done before, but I have done my research and decided to do my own take on it!

Today I was able to do 2 tutorials; Aries and Taurus. Both were fun to do. Here are the final pics of both looks.

Let it Snow!

2008-11-15T00:04:00.003-05:00

The first snowfall of the year is one of my favorite things! It inspires me. the palest blues and purples, light pinks and greens, white and silver..so many color come to mind.

I used these colors to inspire an icy, winter look. I used this look in a contest on YouTube also.

The first step was to apply Bare Study on the entire lid, and apply 'Lark About' by MAC to the inner 3rd. I used a light hand on this look. I wanted to keep it subtle.

Next I took 'Mutiny' by MAC and applied that to the rest of lid.

Now I use a little Bell Bottom Blue on the outer corner and very lightly into the crease.

I then took my liquid liner and made a thin line on the upper lid and applied my Colossal Mascara. Here's the final look!

I did decide later to add some "Sexy Sparkle" skin illuminator by Spell Cosmetics as a highlight color. I loved it!

Pinup Look Remixed

2008-11-11T23:24:00.009-05:00

So today I did my rendition of a classic pin-up style look. It's very easy! All you need is a matte cream color eyeshadow, matte brown eyeshadow, dark liquid liner, black mascara, and a bright pink/red lipstick!

I started out with a base, I like to use painterly paint pot by MAC. It's a creamy neutral beige, with a matte finish. I applied this from my lash line up to my brow. This will not only help your eyeshadow stay put longer, but it makes your eyeshadow color show up more intense and true to life.

On top of the base I applied my Avon True Color eyeshadow in Nude from lash line to brow. Its a matte color, and as the name suggests, it's a very light beige.

The next thing I did was to take my Avon True Color eyeshado in Bark and apply it lightly to the crease. This very soft brown gives the crease just enough color to look defined, without looking heavy. I used my MAC 217 brush, but any fluffy blending brush will do.

With a steady hand and some Prestige liquid liner in Brown/Black, I lined my upper lid. I start thin in the inner corner and gradually make my line thicker towards the outer eye. I then made a "wing" by extending that line out and up a bit from my eye. I use liquid

liner ecause for this purpose I need a crisp line.

A little bit of rose colored blush sets the look off. I used a generic pink eyeshadow actually, but if you have a rosey pink blush, that will do too. I also used my liquid liner to create a "beauty mark" under my eye on the top of my cheek bone just for dramatic effect! lol

Last thing to do is add some bright red or pink lipgloss, and pose like a pin-up!

All Rolled Up!

2008-11-11T15:38:00.005-05:00

Today I decided to roll my hair! Now, my hair is naturally curly but sometimes I need a change. Weather it's using my MaxiGlide to get straight sleek hair, pin curls for soft "beach" hair, or rollers for a more put together look... change is good!

So I used my 2 inch rollers and started at the crown of my head and rolled 3 thick sections. I rolled them AWAY from my face. Then I rolled 4 thick sections on either side of my head. Each section started out with dry hair. I lightly misted the section with water (just to dampen) and then applied some texture cream.

Once the hair was completely dry, about 30 minutes later, I took down the rollers. I used my fingers to separate the curls and "pick" through it a little. Then I styled it, sprayed it with my L'Oreal Studio Finish hair spray and Viola! Soft, sexy, bouncy curls!!

Milani Heaven

2008-11-04T00:49:00.011-05:00

I am now a Milani girl! Milani eye shadows are so great! Kimmy sent me 2 Milani eye shadows today, and I am in love with them. A while ago I had made a video about an eyeshadow I had that was almost all used up. The problem was that it was a generic brand and I couldn't find it again. So I posted a video asking if anyone knew of a good dupe for it, and Kimmy came through! Here is the original eyeshadow that I needed to find a dupe for...

The Milani eyeshadow she sent me is almost an exact match! Not only is the color great, but the texture of the Milani is wonderful! It's silky and very pigmented! I WILL be getting more Milani! Here is the Milani...

As you can see they look almost identical! So here's the look I created with the shadow, I also used the other color she got me called "Sun Goddess". It is great!

I'm in Milani "Heaven"!!!

Thank you again Kimmy, It's perfect!

Pink Pearl All Night Long

2008-11-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

I got to put my new "Wet and Set" to the test the other night! I used it on Jacqueline for her Halloween Makeup. She was a "Butterfly Princess". I used the "Wet and Set" with my 'Pink Pearl' pigment from MAC. It matched her dress great, glided on smooth, and stayed on her all night! Getting makeup to last on a 3 year old is really hard, so thats proof enough for me that it's good stuff! She looked sooo cute!

I also did JJ's makeup. He was a Geisha.

I used "Wet and Set" on him as well for the liner.

He looked soo good! He worked it out! We had so much fun. I love doing makeup for other people, and myself too. Spell Cosmetics are wonderful. If you haven't usedthem yet, you need to get some soon! The quality is amazing, and the prices is great! I can't wait 'till I can get a "VIP" card! That would be awesome. My hubby said when we have some extra cash I can get one.

They should make a "Tarot" gloss to go along with the other guru's glosses lol. Hey a girl can wish can't she? lol

I'm under a spell...

2008-10-27T23:47:00.000-04:00

I got my first Spell Cosmetics order today, and I am so excited!
All of the colors are great, and they even gave me an extra goodie that I didn't order! It was the "Wet and Set"! AMAZING!
I got 3 eyeshadows; Driftwood, Zinfandel, and St. Tropez Bronze. They are all wonderful! Zinfandel is my favorite.
I got 2 lip glosses; Rae and Nat. Beautiful!
I got a foundation sample too, it was in "delicate". It's a bit too light for me, but not so light that I can not use it.
I got 2 lotion samples and a lipstick sample as well.
Keep an eye out for my review, I'll have it posted to my YouTube page in the next few days.

Stay gorgeous!