Beauty by Clara

clown makeup done right

2012-01-11T14:45:00.000-08:00

If there's one thing I love, it's slapping bright-ass colors that are not meant to be in a look together on my lids and making it work. If there's another thing I love, it's boring, neutral looks. Go figure.

I've done clown makeup before! Check out this post from two years ago.

face-
Maybelline concealer
MSFN Medium
Vintage Grape

eyes-
NYX Milk
Soft Brown
Sweet & Punchy
Romping
Reflects Very Pink glitter
Carbon
Vanilla pigment
Brule
Eyeko Graffiti eyeliner pen
L'oreal mascara
Red Cherry lashes #747m

lips-
Lollipop Loving

The lighting today wasn't in m favor - the colors weren't accurately portrayed through flash OR no flash. So I gave you a crappy mixture of both. You're welcome.

On an unrelated note, my kitty Rosie was being really cute today. But what else is new?

Also life just sucks. But thanks for reading! Have a great day!

hazel

2012-01-08T16:16:00.000-08:00

Not only do I have hazel eyes... but I have hazel eyeshadow to match!

face-
Maybelline concealer
MSFN Medium
Pinch o Peach

eyes-
NYX Milk
Brule
Woodwinked
Too Faced eyeshadow duo in Lucky Charms
Carbon
Solar White
Eyeko Graffiti eyeliner pen
L'oreal mascara
Daiso half lashes #13

lips-
Viva Glam Gaga II

baked by clara: homemade strawberry-kiwi jam

2012-01-07T11:19:00.000-08:00

All throughout my life, I have jumped from hobby to hobby. Be it makeup, knitting, painting, or nail polish, they all fade into each other and change like the seasons - slowly creeping away without much notice. Right now, my heart belongs to cooking/baking. If I can make anything, from scratch, I will. Almost all boxed/processed foods, no matter how healthy, have some extra ingredients that I can't pronounce. So I would much rather just make it myself and know everything that goes into it! And it's so much more fun that way. Enter: homemade jam.

You will need:
1lb fresh/thawed fruit
1/4c raw sugar
1/4 c water
lemon zest (not pictured)
Stevia (optional)

For my 1lb of fruit, I used about a cup of strawberries and 3 large kiwis. Quarter your strawberries, peel and dice your kiwis.

Bring your water to a simmer in a small saucepan.

Throw in your fruit, sugar, and zest from about half of the lemon. Stir.

Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer/reduce for about 1 hour, to an hour and a half, until it's nice and thick. It won't have the exact consistency of store bought jam because of it's low sugar content. It'll look somewhat like this:

Stir in some Stevia if jam is not sweet enough. Let cool and store - I used an old jam jar.

Pretty damn easy, right?

I noticed that I am 4 followers away from 1,500. That's crazy. I can't believe people actually like me.

Thanks for reading :)

just one of those days

2011-12-27T11:24:00.001-08:00

Where I feel like crap, everything sucks, and I don't know what to do with myself.

face-
Maybelline concealer
MSFN Medium
Azalea Blossom

eyes-
NYX Milk
Soft Brown
Patina
Bruised Plum
Young Punk
Carbon
Yogurt
Too Faced e/s duo in Boy Toy
Eyeko Graffiti eyeliner pen
L'oreal mascara
Red Cherry lashes #82

lips-
Angel
C-Thru

Christmas:

I think my cats like Christmas more than I do.

bringing some color to these dreary days

2011-12-02T20:00:00.001-08:00

face-
Maybelline concealer
MSFN Medium
Azalea Blossom

eyes-
NYX Milk
Vanilla pigment
Soft Brown
Too Dolly
Black Tulip
Sketch
Beautiful Iris
Eyeko Graffiti eyeliner pen
L'oreal mascara
Ardell Wispies
Too Faced Starry Eyed in Restraining Order (lower lashlines- didn't show up in pictures)

lips-
Viva Glam Gaga II

I was inspired by Katherine's nail art post to do these. I love them!! I had henna done on my hands over the weekend but it's fading fast. Boo :(

Thanks for looking. Have a great weekend!

the holidays are here!

2011-11-24T20:42:00.000-08:00

I hate winter. But I love Christmas time! Thanksgiving isn't too special in my family because we're from the Czech Republic and the only ones from our family who live in the US- but to me, it means it's almost Christmas! Yay!

Here I am prepping the turkey.

And here's my festive makeup!

face-
Maybelline concealer
MAC MSFN Medium
Pinch O Peach

eyes-
NYX Milk
Soft Brown
Flip
Cranberry
Sketch
Vanilla pigment
Amber Lights
Solar White
Too Faced Starry Eyed in Stalkerazzi
Eyeko Graffiti eyeliner pen
L'oreal mascara
Daiso #13 half lashes

lips-
touch of C-Thru l/g

Okay... since this is my blog, I gotta have a sappy, personal moment here. Tomorrow is Christian and mine's 3 year anniversary. Even though he's in Afghanistan, he sent me a gift. A huge gift. A surprise gift!
I enjoy collecting orchids, and of course Christian had to do a little better than any old regular orchid: he got me a beautiful 5-foot tall one!
Oh.. I'm the luckiest girl in the world. Yeah. I love you, Christian!

Thanks for reading <3 I hope everyone (America-wise!) had a great Thanksgiving!

champagne kisses, hold me in your lap of luxury

2011-11-03T12:28:00.001-07:00

Christian has this thing for Gwen Stefani. While she's old enough to be his mom, she is his favorite celebrity. I often express to him about how it's a bit hard to come up with new blog posts because I lack inspiration- he then told me that I should try to recreate Gwen Stefani's "chola" look in her Luxurious video. Challenge accepted, Christian.

If you haven't seen the video, this is what I tried to recreate:

I used:

face-
Maybelline concealer
MSFN in Medium
Dainty

eyes-
NYX Milk
Vanilla pigment
Soft Brown
Espresso
Patina
Brule
Eyeko Graffiti eyeliner pen
L'oreal mascara
Andrea lashes #45

lips-
WnW black eyeliner
Viva Glam I

Okay, I'm done with bitch face. Here's the real me!

Thanks for looking everyone :)

well if you say so...

2011-10-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

I haven't been checking my blog too frequently these days. I decided to check today, and I found this little gem...
Aw, I love you too sweetie.
For those who don't know, Christian is my fiance who is currently serving in Afghanistan as a US Marine. And he's bored out of his mind.

Anyways, a hodgepodge type post is better than no post, right?

OPI Tickle My France-y, OPI Just Tea-sing, China Glaze Ravishing Dahling
I've been obsessed with half moon manicures lately. Standard half moons are usually a nude or white moon, with the rest of the nail in any shade of red. I decided to reverse it, and I really liked this! I felt all vintage and classy.

On my last post, a lot of you guys said you'd love to see some recipes and baking photos! Well, I got super excited and rushed to the kitchen to make chocolate macarons. They turned out horrible. Because my almond meal was too moist, the shells turned out fragile and soggy. They look awfully perfect in the pan though, don't they?

And what's a random post without cat pictures?

Well Christian, I hope you're happy now ;)

And to everyone else. Thanks for reading!

more freehanded nail art: one of my favorites

2011-10-13T21:13:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone is having a great October! I love fall. Well, technically, it's still summer here. California's idea of October: 80 degrees F.

I've been in love with baking lately. Cakes, pies, cookies... but my favorite to make so far has been French macarons! I'd be happy to post some pics and recipes if anyone would like that! :)

This mani was done maybe a month ago. It took a while, but I LOVED it. I'm glad I took the time to freehand the stripes rather than just Konad them. I know, I know, stop talking and get to the pictures!

I used:
Zoya Lolly
Milani Nail Art in Black Sketch

Thanks for looking! I hope everyone is well- I've missed you guys!

impromptu nail art

2011-09-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I have't made a NOTD post in a while. I'm always too lazy to take pictures of my nails with my Nikon, but I liked my nails so much today I settled with webcam. I'm in my school's library, on my two hour break in between classes. Hope you guys don't mind :)

I used:

China Glaze Rose Among Thorns
Milani Nail Art Black Sketch
Milani Nail Art White Canvas
Color Club Nail Art Stripers (silver glitter)

Trax

2011-09-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

I bought Trax e/s looking for a bruise-y, plum color. I love anything with gold shimmer, so Trax won me over. After using it in a look... I hate it. The shimmer only applies in some places, leaving the others a matte chalky purple.

So. I'm going to return it.

face-
Maybelline concealer
MSFN in Medium
Azalea Blossom

eyes-
NYX Milk
Soft Brown
Trax
Sketch
Espresso
Brule
Cranberry
Petal Worship
Eyeko Grafitti eyeliner pen
L'oreal Telescopic mascara

lips-
Patisserie

Don't mind my eyebrows! I'm trying to grow them out. I overplucked x_x

Thanks for looking!

birthday!

2011-09-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was my birthday, and I think I have to say it was the best I've ever had. Christian came up from San Diego for the weekend, so we spent lots and lots of time together :)

Here are some photos. I should get back to regular posting soon- Christian deploying and all that.

being silly!

beautiful bouquet my mom got me :)

my first watch! a Michael Kors (nails are Chanel Peridot)

Czech food feast!

my (huge) guava cake
with my broken-legged dad!
Christian + my brother

I gained quite a few followers... wow! I love you guys so much. I'm so grateful for you readers!!! <3

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

why i've been M.I.A. (long!)

2011-08-19T08:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a month since I've last posted- how horrible. I've just been so busy with visitors!

First came Christian, on our first ever solo camping trip!

Then my cousins came from the Czech Republic. With my family wanting to show them as much of California as possible (in 2 weeks!) I was nonstop busy. These photos are from everywhere from LA, to San Fransisco, to Halfmoon Bay!

I almost drowned in Malibu... hahaha... here my brother and cousins are trying to pull me out

If you made it this far, I salute you.
I'm currently swatching through 20 of my most unique polishes in my collection. I should have that up soon!

And in really, really bad news... Christian is deploying to Afghanistan soon. He'll be on leave from next Tuesday to after Labor Day. I really don't know how I'm going to handle it.

Anyways, thanks for reading. I love you guys!

my best work yet? lavender/pink/navy look

2011-07-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

I haven't done a look I've really been proud of in a while... then this little idea popped in my idea. And look what we have here!

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Dainty

eyes-
NYX Milk
Macroviolet fluidline on lid
Black Tulip
Beautiful Iris
Contrast
Romping
Petal Worship
Yogurt
Vanilla pigment
W&W creme eyeliner
L'oreal Telescopic mascara
Ardell Lacies

lips-
Angel

Thanks for looking. This will probably be my last post before Christian and I head out for vacation- if you need to contact me, I'll be on Twitter!
Bye guys!

smokey gray/purple look + video

2011-07-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Pinch O Peach

eyes-
NYX Milk
Soft Brown
Sketch
Smoke & Diamonds
Carbon
Vanilla pigment
Motif
Brule
Solar White
Macro Violet fluidline
L'oreal Telescopic mascara
ES A10 lashes

lips-
DuWop Lip Venom in Pink Shimmer

To see this look in action, watch my video on my favorite false eyelashes!

huge pink/purple polish swatchfest

2011-07-11T15:38:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! As we all know I haven't been quite up to par with posting NOTDs and such. Hopefully this gigantic picture-loaded post makes up for it!

Christian is coming next week. We're going on a week long camping trip, just him and I- it's our first vacation together. Hooray!

OPI It's My Year, 3 coats

OPI Be A Dahlia Won't You, 3 coats

topped with OPI I Lily Love You, 1 coat

Color Club Disco Dress, 3 coats (neon)

OPI The One That Got Away

China Glaze Rich & Famous, 2 coats

with Zoya Sooki + nail art pedicure

topped with OPI Red Shatter

OPI Planks A Lot, 2 coats

topped with LaRosa Deep Black Crackle

...can you guys tell I'm an OPI girl? Haha.

Have a great week! Happy Monday!

notd spam

2011-07-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day to all my fellow Americans!

Who's excited that True Blood is back?! I know I am!! This season is going to be crazy... Eric and Sookie... mmmmm...
To represent my excitement, I chose one of my sexiest nail polishes to wear...

Zoya Sooki
Now, the name is purely coincidence.... just kidding! Of course I bought it for the name. And after seeing how sexy it looked on me, plus an amazing buttery one-coat formula sent this one straight to the Top 20!

OPI Teenage Dream topped with Black Shatter

China Glaze Bermuda Breakaway topped with Pure Ice Heart Breaker

OPI Dulce de Leche

Lippmann Across the Universe
Sorry for the craptastic pics -_- absolutely does not do this polish justice...

If you don't already, follow me on Twitter! I promise I'm more exciting on there.
My Twitter!

Thanks for looking!

vacation photos

2011-06-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Hope you had a great month of June!
My family and I just got back from a week long vacation at Colorado Springs, Colorado. My family has always been an active, more of an outdoorsy type family- no Hawaii or Disneyland here!

Here are some photos I thought were worth sharing. I hope you enjoy :)

PS- new tutorial coming soon! Neutrals for hazel eyes :)

Our resort was located right next to the Cheyenne Mountains.

\

Petting giraffes at the zoo

Overlook of Colorado Springs

Apothica.com giveaway!

2011-06-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

I was recently contacted by Apothica, with them offering me the opportunity to be sponsored! Along with their name website, Apothica.com, they also introduced me to SkinCareRx.com (my mom loves Vivite products!) and SkinBotanica.com.

How could I possibly not take advantage of that? They even offered to host a giveaway for my followers! And I will take any opportunity to give back to my followers! I'm still in shock that so many people follow my blog- I highly doubt it's possible that all of you read my ramblings.

Anyways, Apothica is kindly giving away a $25 gift card for use at either Apothica.com, SkinCareRx.com, or SkinBotanica.com.
And some of my recommendations for the lucky winner...
Deborah Lippmann nail polish in Across the Universe
This polish is amazing- it looks like a galaxy on your nails. Definitely one of my favorites!

Stila Brush #9
This is my favorite brush in my collection. If you wonder how I blend my eyeshadow so well- it's because of this brush! It works wonders!

Essie nail polish in French Affair
You can see me talking about this nail polish in my Paradisco video tutorial. This color is adorable and flattering, as a mani or a pedi!

Barielle Ultra Speed Day Manicure Extender
Super shiny and makes my polish last long! I put this on my pedicure if I'm going camping- it keeps my toes chip free even after long, foot-abusing hikes.

To enter, you have three different options....
Option 1: Facebook
1. Visit Apothica.com
2. Write on Apothica’s Facebook wall about what you think of Apothica
Bonus: Opt in to Apothica’s Newsletter

Option 2: Twitter
1. Visit Apothica.com
2. Tweet about Apothica on your own Twitter Account
Bonus: Retweet Apothica’s tweet about this giveaway

Option 3: Blog
1. Visit Apothica.com
2. Write something on your blog about what you think of Apothica
Bonus: Write about the brand I highlighted and link it to Apothica

In the comments section, post your name, email, and proof of your entry(ies)! The more options you complete, the more entries you get!

What the Winner of the Apothica Giveaway Needs to Know
1) Apothica will contact the winner to verify information is correct
2) After verification, Apothica will email the a code for the gift card to be used at SkinCareRx.com, Apothica.com, and SkinBotanica.com
3) The contest is open internationally, but Apothica does not ship to all countries

Also, please save SkinCareRx as a contact in their email box so that they don't go to the Spam/Junk Mail folder!

I will be accepting entries until July 2!

Once again, a big thank you to Apothica.com!

soft purple smokey eyes + tutorial

2011-06-16T11:48:00.001-07:00

*EDIT* Blogger was giving me problems- the comments section now works! Sorry for any inconvenience!

I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful summer weather! I know I am!

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Azalea Blossom

eyes-
NYX Milk
Yogurt
Dazzlelight
Haux
Plum Dressing
Carbon
Vanilla pigment
Beautiful Iris
Eyeko Graffiti eyeliner pen
L'oreal mascara
Red Cherry lashes #747m

lips-
Patisserie

Paradisco/Gaga 2 tutorial

2011-06-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

Original look

Thanks for all the positive feedback <3

YOUTUBE! my first video!

2011-06-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to my Youtube channel!
Beauty by Clara

This tutorial is from my porn star eyes makeup. Enjoy!

update

2011-05-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

Am I a horrible blogger or what? No need to answer... I have just been so busy with school coming to a close and work!

But I have some great news!
By popular demand, I have decided to make a Youtube channel for video tutorials! I should have it up and running within the next couple of weeks. Any recommendations for my first tutorial? :)

So this post isn't completely meaningless, here are some old (2 of them are from last year!) NOTDs.

Starting with my new favorite summer color!

Essie Splash of Grenadine3 coats. Delicious formula. Second picture I'm holding my new favorite lotion! I bought it at Walmart for about $4. Go get it!

All my flowers all doing so wonderful! If you didn't already know, I have a HUGE green thumb. I love to garden. These are my hanging fuschias.

From last year:
China Glaze Jolly Holly

Orly Space Cadet
over Orly Matte Vinyl

If you want some more frequent updates, follow me on Twitter! I post my NOTDs and FOTDs that usually don't make it to my blog. Feel free to leave your Twitter in the comments section- I'd love to follow you guys!

Thanks for looking!!

her royal highness: DS Glamour

2011-05-02T17:02:00.001-07:00

OK GUYS. THIS IS MY NUMBER 1 FAVORITE POLISH OF ALL TIME.
No polish will ever compare.

OPI DS Glamour
You know... I did enjoy the hunt for My Private Jet. I bought DS Glamour off Amazon when it was still relatively easy to find. So, no thrill! Or anything. BUT this is way sexier. 2 coats for full opacity, gorgeous color, that HOLO.... oh Glamour, my love, I almost wish I was marrying you, not Christian.
Just kidding.

Happy Monday x_x

birthday look

2011-04-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

It was my mom's birthday yesterday- this is my celebration face!

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Pinch O Peach

eyes-
NYX Milk
Soft Brown
Vanilla pigment
Motif
Patina
Espresso
Carbon
Sweet & Punchy
Gorgeous Gold
Eyeko Grafitti eyeliner pen
L'oreal Million Lashes mascara
Daiso half lashes #13

lips-
Patisserie

Some candid shots:

And my nails of the night!

China Glaze DV8

Thanks for looking! I'm so behind on NOTD posts... so expect a huge spam-fest!

my polish stash

2011-04-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

Highly anticipated!
I haven't updated my spreadsheet in a while... so I'd say I have roughly 400 polishes. My collection has been amassed over the past 3 years.

Overview:

China Glaze/Color Club:

OPI:

Orly/Zoya/Essie/Random:

And my overflow (Helmer) bin:

If you have any questions, regarding the name of a polish, etc, feel free to ask! Thank you for looking!

summer eyes

2011-04-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

The sun is shining, I'm on spring break, and I just bought a bunch of new flowers so I wanted to celebrate with summer-themed eyes. Enjoy!

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Pinch O Peach

eyes-
NYX Milk
Vanilla pigment
Sweet & Punchy
Too Dolly
Carbon
Gorgeous Gold
Solar White
Eyeko Graffitti eyeliner pen
L'oreal Million Lashes mascara
Daiso half lashes #13

lips-
Viva Glam Gaga II

Thanks for looking!

requested look: hot coral

2011-04-02T19:24:00.001-07:00

I really don't like this. I actually hate it! These colors are so unflattering on me! So sorry for the poor quality post. And also, I apologize to the person who requested this (her blog) because it's quite disappointing D:

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Desert Rose

eyes-
NYX Milk
Soft Brown
Firecracker
Carbon
Brule
Motif
Solar White
Eyeko Grafitti eyeliner pen
L'oreal Million Lashes

lips-
Costa Chic
Angel

porn star eyes

2011-03-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

I thought this look wouldn't be for me- but I LOVE it! It makes my eyes pop so much! It's fairly simple but if you guys want a tutorial, don't hesistate to ask :)

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Pinch O Peach

eyes-
NYX Milk
Carbon
Soft Brown
Espresso
Vanilla pigment
Solar White
W&W creme liner (also used as base)
L'oreal Million Lashes

lips-
Viva Glam Gaga II
C-Thru

Thanks for looking. Have a great, safe weekend!

paradisco & gaga 2

2011-03-08T15:29:00.001-08:00

Someone requested a look done with Paradisco e/s. This is one of my favorites! Also, I just recently bought Viva Glam Gaga 2 and I love it!

This look really could've used some falsies. Sigh.

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Dainty

eyes-
NYX Milk
Ricepaper
Paradisco
Rule
Soft Brown
Brule
Vanilla pigment
Solar White
Eyeko Grafitti eyeliner pen
L'oreal Million Lashes

lips-
Rimmel East End Snob l/l
Viva Glam Gaga 2

glitter all over the room

2011-02-23T11:37:00.001-08:00

I've been looking forward to OPI's Katy Perry collection forever! I'm not a big fan of her, but the polishes in this collection were to die for! Here's my favorite.

OPI Last Friday NightThis is 2 coats of LFN over 1 coat Sally Hansen Pacific Blue. The polish itself is very sheer- nothing at all like the bottle color. It's a lot less vivid. So, to up the amp, I layered it over a polish closest to the bottle color (Pacific Blue). I love this combo. It's so fun!!

Gorgeous.

I also bought Not Like the Movies and Black Shatter. Do you guys want to see those?

smokey brown

2011-02-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Dainty

eyes-
NYX Milk
Soft Brown
Satin Taupe
Espresso
Carbon
Brule
Vanilla pigment
Woodwinked
Solar White
Eyeko Grafitti eyeliner pen
Maybelline One by One mascara

lips-
C-Thru

tutorial: a very special request

2011-02-18T11:44:00.000-08:00

Csilla from Hungary contacted me a while ago. She got engaged before Christmas, and is planning to get married in August. Csilla asked me if I could make a tutorial for her wedding makeup: a natural look with some purple. Here's my take on her request. Enjoy! :)

Used:
face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Azalea Blossom
Vanilla pigment

eyes-
NYX Milk
Soft Brown
Brule
Vanilla pigment
Espresso
Yogurt
Beautiful Iris
Satin Taupe
Maybelline One by One mascara
Salon Perfect Stunning lashes

lips-
Rimmel East End Snob l/l
Patisserie

1. Start with eyebrows and base.

2. Soft Brown in the crease and outer lid.

3. Brule on the lid.

4. Light dusting of Vanilla pigment over Brule.

5. Espresso on outer corners.

6. I use Yogurt with Vanilla pigment over it as my highlight.

7. Soft Brown & Espresso go on the lower lash line, with Satin Taupe as liner. I also used Benefit It Stick on my waterline. Beautiful Iris is in the corners.

8. I then do my face. I chose Azalea Blossom beacuse it has lilac in it, to go along with the purple theme.

9. A glow is a must for your wedding! For my highlight, I used Vanilla pigment on my cheek bones and the bridge of my nose.

10. Mascara

11. Some special lashes- these have gems on them!

12. And we can't forget the perfect wedding day nude lips!

Fairly easy look, no? :)

Congratulations to Csilla!

Thanks for looking, and have a great weekend!

gold FOTD

2011-02-08T18:20:00.000-08:00

I love Flip! I think it would look beautiful on every skintone. So, if you don't own Flip, get it!
Sorry all my looks have been boring neutrals. I lightened up my hair a bit, and unfortunately I can't wear as much makeup as I used to without looking gaudy! Win some and lose some...

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Dainty

eyes-
NYX Milk
Flip
Soft Brown
Espresso
Brule
Vanilla pigment
Solar White
Eyeko Graffiti eyeliner pen
L'oreal Million Lashes
Ardell Demi Wispies

lips-
Lollipop Loving

tags and tags and tags

2011-01-26T15:24:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged so many times! These are just a few fellow bloggers (that I can recall!) that tagged me.
Megan
MissBrittanyBoo
Jessica
Haribo

1. Thank and link back to the person that awarded you this award
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award

I love reading these. So, all of my 1000+ readers are tagged! PLEASE do it! It's so much fun to read!

1. I am a huge, huge bookworm. My favorite authors are Jonathan Kellerman, Val McDermid, and Jason Starr. My favorite book will always be American Psycho.

2. In correlation with the previous fact, I am obsessed with murders, mysteries, cold cases, and the like. I can't stop watching the Investigation Discovery channel on TV! So fascinating.

3. Christian is exactly 2 and a half years older than me. We met in high school.

4. I'm currently a full time student, but I work part time at Hollister. I do like my job! This is the store I work at (Great Mall, for all my Bay Area readers!):

5. I plan to get my MA in psychology. Later on down the road, I plan to become a marriage/family therapist.

6. I LOVE cross stitching. At heart, I am such a nerd. This is what I am currently working on:

7. My mom is my best friend. She is the most amazing woman. I love you, mommy!

Thanks for reading (and getting to know me a bit more)!

you may say i'm a dreamer,

2011-01-21T17:51:00.000-08:00

(to quote Dinner for Schmucks)
but I'm not.
Because I found my life-long, impossible to find, super hardcore lemming!

OPI (original) My Private JetOMG, OMG, OMG! Am I the luckiest girl, or what? I found this is a small, super old beauty supply. I've been there before, with no findings, but this time.... it was a miracle. For those who don't know, My Private Jet has so many versions- this is the original, which OPI supposedly 'lost' the recipe for. The current MPJ is a poopy brownish gray with silver sparkle. Uh, no thanks. But this one? I'll take seconds!
This was 1 coat MPJ over 1 coat Orly matte Vinyl. I'm trying to ration!

I'm still in shock how lucky I got! Thanks for reading!

another request: smokey purple

2011-01-15T10:28:00.000-08:00

This was for my dad's birthday! I'm not too fond of this one, but if you guys want a tutorial, don't hesistate to ask :)

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Dainty (my new love)

eyes-
NYX Milk
Soft Brown
a melange of Satellite Dreams, Patina, and Beautiful Iris (on lid)
Carbon
Vanilla pigment
Motif
Solar White
W&W creme liner
L'oreal Million Lashes

lips-
C-Thru

Thanks for looking! Have a great weekend.

my Christmas, FOTD + photos

2010-12-28T10:36:00.001-08:00

I had such a wonderful Christmas! It was my first Christmas spent with Christian (last year he was in boot camp while, and the year before that we weren't at a "spending Christmas together" stage). So, as the first Christmas to many spent together, it was perfect!
Here's the makeup I was wearing.

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Pinch O Peach

eyes-
NYX Milk
Soft Brown
Vanilla pigment
Cranberry
Sketch
Espresso
Brule
Gorgeous Gold
Motif
Solar White
W&W creme liner
L'oreal Million Lashes
Red Cherry #747m

lips-
C-Thru

Our kitties had a great Christmas as well. We had a present for them, a bag with a toy and kitty treats in it. They were quick to find it!

Rosie loved her toy!

I received a lot of wonderful presents, but none compared to this:

So I guess I'm 'kind of' engaged! We know we're going to get married someday, although not anytime soon (not at least for a year or so), so this wasn't a formal proposal. It's so beautiful I can't stop looking at it :)

Thanks for looking! <333

requested look: pin up inspired

2010-12-22T11:34:00.000-08:00

Christian is on his way here! So excited :)

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Pinch O Peach

eyes-
NYX Milk
Soft Brown
Brule
Solar White
W&W creme linre
L'oreal Million Lashes

lips-
NYX Pinky
Pink Poodle

no l/g:

Thanks for looking!
If you have any requests, send 'em on in!

christmas nails!

2010-12-21T01:00:00.000-08:00

I very rarely do any nail art. Well, I got the urge and this is what I came up with!

Tips are Essie Limited Addiction with Color Club Yule Love It
tree is FingerPaints Scenery Greenery and on top of everything is Color Club Si Vous Please.
How fun :)

On another note, Christian is coming on Thursday. Yay! I'm planning to recreate my Marine manicure.

For those who celebrate it, have a great Christmas!!!

getting back into the swing of things

2010-12-19T10:08:00.000-08:00

They may be neutrals again... but at least it's something! My typical every day look is so simple that any kind of e/s is quite radical for me :P

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Benefit Dandelion

eyes-
NYX Milk
Soft Brown
Dazzlelight
Espresso (used as e/l too)
Flip
L'oreal Million Lashes mascara

lips-
NYX Pinky
C-Thru

Here's my every day look:
Just Rich Ground fluidline and mascara! On my lips is Hot Gossip l/s.

My mom recently had some Mardi Gras themed party to go to and I offered to do her makeup. She never wears bright e/s and she has never worn fake eyelashes- a night of firsts!

NYX Milk
Soft Brown
Bruised Plum
Beautiful Iris
Poison Pen
Sketch (also used as e/l)
Brule
Andrea lashes #45

Thanks for looking. I'll fill the requests you guys sent me for makeup looks sometime this week :)

Eyeko London

2010-12-05T08:58:00.001-08:00

Hi everybody! I hope everyone's having a great December and an overall wonderful holiday season! I'm trying to get back into posting makeup looks/tutorials, but I'm dry of inspiration- please, PLEASE if there's anything that you want to see, let me know! It can be a tutorial of a look I've done, any type of makeup look, or a tutorial of just any look you want to see. Don't be shy!

Anyways, I was contacted by the UK brand Eyeko a while back. They asked me to review their nail polish and a couple of other things (for another post!). Here's part 1: the nail polish.

Let's get to the first part: aesthetics. Aren't the bottles adorable? I love the cheeky labels. However, the shape of the bottles isn't very practical. They're extremely easy to tip over.

Eyeko Saucy Polish
My favorite of the bunch! A vivid, crisp red creme. Lately I've been really into these bright red cremes, and this one did not disappoint! Very flattering. This was two coats, and it had the best formula of the bunch. However, is this polish necessary to own? Not if you own one of these red cremes:
OPI's Vodka & Caviar is almost identical- but it's more of a jelly than a creme. Closer is Essie's Limited Addiction which is a 3 coat creme. OPI Color So Hot it Berns is quite different- I don't know why I included it, haha. So if you own V&C or LA, you don't need Saucy.

Eyeko Rain Polish
Unfortunately, this had the worst formula out of the bunch. It was thick but runny. A big glob of polish threatened to drip on the table any time I took the brush out of the bottle. However, I like the color a lot. This was 2 coats but after looking at these pictures, it needed 3.

Eyeko Tea Rose Polish
My second favorite! A beautiful dusty yet vivid (what a contradiction!) rose colored polish. I love these types of grandma polishes. The formula was so-so, and this was 2 coats. I should try this on my toes sometime!

Eyeko Petite Polish
A pretty yet basic sheer pink. This was 3 coats with the same runny but thick formula. I like this polish- it'd be perfect for my work (our nails have to look really clean, preferably no polish but I make do with "my nails but better" colors :P).

Eyeko Posh Polish
Your standard taupe/greige color. Pretty but nothing unique. This also had a so-so formula. I used 2 coats. Do you need this polish?
According to my crappy comparision, yes. But all in all, I don't think you do. OPI Over the Taupe is more warm while Posh is more cool. I included YDKJ because pretty much everyone knows what that looks like! There's so many taupes out there, I'm sure you could find a dupe for Posh that's easier to find.

So overall, Eyeko gets points for their adorable bottles/labels but gets knocked down a couple points for the bottles' impracticality, (most of) the polishes' bad formulas, and lack of originality.
The last statement is debatable- Eyeko sent me typical, overdone colors but on their website they have some awesome colors. For example, I love their Military Polish, Vintage Polish, and Coral Polish.
While Eyeko's polishes may fall flat, their makeup is much more superior. One of their products is actually my HG for my face makeup! You'll have to wait and see what it is :)

Big thanks to Eyeko for sending me these products and letting me try their brand!

NOTD spam!

2010-11-24T17:40:00.000-08:00

Christian is coming tomorrow- so excited! I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.

OPI The Show Must Go On

Color Club Jewel of a Girl

OPI DS Extravagance

Catrice I Sea You

Orly Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

OPI Extra-va-vaganza over Orly Matte Vinyl

OPI DS Magic

Orly Galaxy Girl & THANK YOU!

2010-10-29T16:41:00.000-07:00

Orly Galaxy GirlOh myyyyyyyy. How amazing is this color? Burgundy, blue, pink, orange... a true chameleon! The duochrome (multichrome) doesn't translate too well on the nail, unfortunately. This was 3 coats. Great formula, like most Orly's. Great, great polish!!!

BOTTLE PORN!

Oh yeaaaah the bottle is sexy :)

and...
A big, BIG thank you to all my followers! I cannot believe I have 900... absolutely unbelievable. I would have never thought anyone would actually be interested in my crap!
I'm feeling kinda in the mood for a giveaway! Maybe when I reach 1000? ;)

OPI At Your Quebec & Call and Romeo

2010-10-24T12:48:00.001-07:00

OPI At Your Quebec & CallThis is a gorgeous murky, glowy olive green shade

It has scattered holo bits in it

HEY THERE!

Romeo is my 2 and a half year old long haired Seal Point siamese

his fur envlopes him like a halo, and it glows!

...kinda like this polish

Romeo is a curious kitty, always getting into things

He hates when I leave for vacation so he parks himself on top of my bags so I won't go...

But he's so cute, I always forgive him.

this was 3 coats of delicious, deadly chemical laced black label OPI.

Romeo likes to play

But he REALLY loves to sleep.. he could be a professional napper

he loves Christian

he loves me

♥

Thanks for looking!

notd, etc extravaganza

2010-10-16T11:39:00.001-07:00

Let's start off this post with a drool-worthy polish, shall we?

Optic Lusion Swing TimeGorrrrrrgeous... perfect formula, 2 coats.

OPI Sparkle-iciousSorry I couldn't get better pictures, it was a rainy day :( These pics don't do this polish any justice! It's so pretty.. reminds me of Mad as a Hatter, but this polish only has 3 colors in it while MAAH has a shit ton. This was 3 coats.

OPI Glow Up Already! over China Glaze Zombie ZestI absolutely loved this combo! Even my mom liked it, and that's saying a lot. She's more into 'normal' colors. 3 coats ZZ, 1 coat GuA.

*flower intermission*

■
Zoya LaelA pretty fall color! Nothing too note worthy. This was... ah... I want to say 2 coats but I forgot :( The formula wasn't too good. As you can see, there was a lot of cuticle drag.

*kitty intermission*

■
Essie Sew PsychedI imagined I'd like this a lot more than I actually did. Maybe I was just in a sour mood, because I really like how it looks in the picture. Two coats. I'm starting to like Essie's brush :) Their fall collection really wowed me! Limited Addiction must be my favorite red of all time... it's so sexy.

I started with a bang, so I'll end with a bang!

OPI Tease-y Does ItI was SO excited for this one, and it lived up to my expectations! Just LOOK at it! Someone on the NB said it's like OPI Black Cherry Chutney on steroids. That's a pretty good description. Such a gorgeous color, great formula, and a 2 coater. Doesn't get much better than this.

Thanks for looking! Enjoy your weekend :)

burlesque + dusty haul

2010-10-08T18:43:00.001-07:00

Ever since the press release came out, I have been DYING to get my hands on OPI's new Burlesque collection. OPI does the best glitters!

Extra-va-vaganza, Sparkle-icious, Glow Up Already, Bring on the Bling, Simmer & Shimmer, Show It & Glow It

Let Me Entertain You, The Show Must Go On, Rising Star, Ali's Big Break, Tease-y Does It, Take the Stage

After buying all the Burlesques, I went to go look at this "dusty" (a really old beauty supply or nail salon that carries old, dusty, and sometimes HTF polishes) that someone told me about. The result- great success! :)

Swing Time, Crimson King, Illumination, Rainbow Mix, Deep Emerald to Penny Copper
I totally failed to capture the amazing duo/multi chromes in all of the Optic Lusion polishes... I wore Swing Time yesterday and it was amazing. Pics soon!

Cool Cucumber, At Your Quebec and Call, Sew Psyched
I love Orly's old bottles... they have .75 fl oz of polish rather than the standard .5. However, the bottle is too tall to fit in my polish racks :(

With the exception of Sew Psyched, all the polishes from the dusty are full of hazardous chemicals, which means they have an amazing thin and just perfect application. If you don't mind the smell. Which I don't... so it's a win-win situation!

it's fall!

2010-10-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

It may be fall, but here in CA the weather has been so hot... LA had around 113F, while here in San Jose it was around 100F. Ugh! But thankfully, the weather is going back to normal fall temperatures... it feels so wrong to wear fall colors on my nails when it still feels like summer!

Here are the fall inspired nails I've been wearing lately.

Orly Space Cadet
I've been drooling over Orly's Cosmix collection ever since the press release came out. My beauty supply never got them, and all the Sally's I went to were always sold out of the good colors. I got Space Cadet through a swap. I wish my nails were longer... my nubs don't justify this color haha. This was 3 coats.

OPI Cuckoo For This Color
This shocked me! I liked it so much more than I expected to. The color is STUNNING and was surprisingly flattering on my lobster hands. This was 2 coats, with an impeccable formula. What's there not to love?

Zoya Cheryl
Now this polish really looks like fall! I love this color. It's so woodsy and glowy and warm... This too had a perfect formula. 2 coats.

I planted some new flowers last weekend, so here's some spam :)

camping

2010-09-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

Bishop, CA

COLD ass water in Tuolumne Meadows

getting ready to climb

my first time shooting a gun!

This is OT... but cats just do the darndest things!

Thanks for looking :)

again

2010-09-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

This old boring look!

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Azalea Blossom

eyes-
concealer
Flip
Espresso
Brule
Manila Paper
W&W cream liner
L'oreal mascara
Andrea lashes... #45?

lips-
Costa Chic
Angel

birthday dinner

2010-09-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry (once again) that posts are lacking... I've been so busy! Not only with school, but also Christian was here on leave for the last few days (he came Sept. 2), but he left on Sunday. It's so lonely without him... Anyways, my birthday isn't until the 16th but he couldn't stay that long, so he took me out Saturday. He took me to a restaurant called Farallon in San Fransisco.. it was so beautiful!

Of course, I had to get all dolled up! Here are photos of 'the works'.

My face that night:
face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Pinch O' Peach

eyes-
NYX Milk
Brule
Soft Brown
Tete-a-Tint
Creole Beauty
Espresso
Flip
Vanilla pigment
Solar White
W&W creme liner
L'oreal mascara
some Red Cherry lashes... #82 I think

lips-
C-Thru

I was trying to go all out pin-up, so I just had to do a half moon mani.
2 coats Zoya Purity, 2 coats China Glaze Ravishing Dahling.

And of course, the obligatory couple shots!

The dress and shoes were gifts from him :')

Thanks so much for looking! I have got more photos coming up- ones from the camping trip we took together! I'll get them up as soon as I can :)

i'm a horrible blogger

2010-08-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

So sorry for the lack of posts! I just don't really have anything substantial to post... my everyday makeup is just some Fluidline and mascara, and my nails are still in recovery.

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Benefit Dandelion (I think?)

eyes-
NYX Milk
Soft Brown
Sweet & Punchy
Club
Vanilla pigment
Solar White
W&W creme liner
L'oreal mascara
Ardell Demi Wispies

lips-
Love Nectar

tutorial: red-popping neutrals

2010-08-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

I used-
NYX Milk
Soft Brown
Vanilla pigment
Satin Taupe
Espresso
Dazzlelight
Coppering
Solar White
W&W creme liner
L'oreal mascara
some falsies

1. I start off by doing my eyebrows and base.

2. Of course... Soft Brown in the crease with a 217.

3. Vanilla pigment on the lid.

4. I pack Satin Taupe on the outer lid.

5. Dazzlelight on the browbone. So this look isn't so frosty, I take Espresso e/s and my 217 and apply it lightly over Satin Taupe.

6. Coppering on the lower lash line.

7. To tone down the intensity of Coppering I apply Soft Brown on the inner lash line and Satin Taupe on the outer lash line over Coppering. I also applied Solar White in the inner corners.

8. Liner...

(I do my face in between these steps.)

9. Mascara...

Add some falsies, and we're done!

Thanks for looking!

flip/espresso

2010-08-12T10:51:00.000-07:00

This is a really simple look using mainly Flip e/s and Espresso e/s. Hope you enjoy!

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Pinch O Peach

eyes-
NYX Milk
Flip
Espresso
Vanilla pigment
Solar White
W&W creme liner
L'oreal mascara
forgot what kind of falsies these were- sorry!

lips-
C-Thru

(^ no flash)

tutorial: clown makeup

2010-08-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

You asked, and you shall receive! :) Coming up, I have a tutorial for my "red-popping neutrals" and stash pics (makeup and nail polish).

used:
NYX Milk
Sweet & Punchy
Soft Brown
Firecracker
Vanilla pigment
Solar White
W&W cream liner
L'oreal mascara

1. My eyebrows and base are already applied. I apply Soft Brown in the crease (as usual!) with a 217.

2. I pack Sweet & Punchy on the lid with a 239.

3. I applied Firecracker on the outer lid with a (clean) 239. At this stage, it really looks like clown makeup!

4. Blend it out. I use a Stila #9 brush (similar to a MAC 226) for blending bright and/or highly pigmented colors.

5. Vanilla pigment on the brow bone.. with all the blending going on, S&P's vibrantness kind of gets lost, so I pack on another layer.

6. On the lower lashline, I apply Soft Brown, S&P, Then Firecracker.

7. Solar White in inner corners.

8. Liner and mascara, and I'm done!

Thanks for looking!

two for one

2010-07-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Orly Royal Navy
Sexy ass color! Combines some of my favorite things: it's a royal blue jelly with green shimmer. This is 3 coats. It's so pretty... so bright... RN has the vibrant-ness that I wanted China Glaze Frostbite to have. Royal Navy has recently been added to Orly's core line so it should be easy to find at Sally's.

China Glaze BFF
The winner of the ChG OMG collection! This is 10 times better than Nfu-Oh 64. Pretty much, it's exactly what I wanted 64 to be! Better formula, more vibrant, longer lasting power. Anyways... this is the most holo out of all the ChG OMGs. And it's GORGEOUS! What's not to love?

These pictures are from a while back... my nails are so damaged right now, I cut the the shortest they would go so I can grow out all the ridges and imperfections. So, no NOTDs for a while! Without any nail posts, I pretty much only have makeup posts... so is there anything in specific you guys would like to see?

red-popping neutrals

2010-07-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

I wore this to pick up my cousin from the airport. It's his very first time in the US (he's from Czech) and we're having a great time!

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Azalea Blossom

eyes-
NYX Milk
Vanilla pigment
Satin Taupe
Dazzlelight
Soft Brown
Espresso
Solar White
Coppering
W&W cream liner
L'oreal mascara
some falsies

lips-
Angel
Patisserie

Thanks for looking!

2 pedis

2010-07-20T18:36:00.000-07:00

Zoya Sam

OPI Ate Berries in the Canaries

with my super blingy mani

recreation

2010-07-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

I've done this look so many times, but I just can't help it! I can either dress it up or down, depending on the eyelashes, intensity of the crease color, or how large the wing of the liner is. So versatile!

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Pinch O Peach

eyes-
NYX Milk
Vanilla pigment
Amber Lights
Seeds of Love
Motif
Mulch
Carbon
Gorgeous Gold
Solar White
W&W cream liner
L'oreal mascara
Ardell Wispies

lips-
a touch of Angel l/s

Thanks for looking!

hello, goodbye

2010-07-07T18:14:00.000-07:00

Here so soon and gone even sooner! I like to think that Christian's departures get easier every time, but sadly, they do not. I'll see him in a couple of months though :) So it won't be too bad!

I don't really have an organized post... so here's a bunch of random things.

OPI DS Desire

Just wanted to show off my new piercing... I wanted something a little different than the traditional second hole piercing. Isn't the heart earring great? I bought it because it looks like a Nfu-Oh flaky polish :)

Zoya Kiki

Fourth of July nails (ChG Ruby Pumps + Dorothy Who?)

OPI Dating a Royal

Nfu-Oh 64

quick fotd

2010-06-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

This did not turn out as I planned it... it was supposed to be a simple 3 shadow look... oops! I wore this to the nail supply to pick up some nail polish racks (pics soon!). They recently acquired Zoya's entire line, and they carry Remove +, my favorite remover, for $5 for 8oz and $10 (!!!!) for the 32oz. That's why it's my heaven on earth there!

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Azalea Blossom

eyes-
concealer as base (because this look was supposed to be simple)
Vanilla pigment as wash
Soft Brown
Firecracker
Sketch
Solar White
W&W creme liner
L'oreal mascara

And a recent NOTD:Essie Turquoise & Caicos
Mmm, jelly goodness! This was 3 coats. What a gorgeous color. In terms of similarities to other nail polishes, such as China Glaze For Audrey or Orly Gumdrop, it's quite a bit darker than those. T&C is a jelly while the ChG and Orly are both straight up 2 coater cremes. Essie's Resort collection was a great collection. For any turquoise lovers, I think this is a must have!

'no makeup' makeup

2010-06-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

Supposedly this type of makeup is what men find most sexy on women... but damn, in my opinion, nothing is sexier than a muted red lip. Whenever I wear Viva Glam I, I feel like such a vixen!

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Benefit Dandelion - this always ends up being my favorite blush in the summer time, weird!

eyes-
concealer as base
Manila Paper
Soft Brown
Espresso
L'oreal mascara

lips-
Patisserie

six more days

2010-06-17T14:22:00.000-07:00

...until Christian comes home! Ahhh! I'm as excited as little a girl is for Christmas. It's been 5 months since I've seen him, and very fortunately, time flew by. I most likely won't be too active a blogger when he is here, so please forgive me!

This post is compiled of 4 gorgeous summer-y polishes I've worn recently. Hope you enjoy!

OPI Absolutely Alice
I thought I didn't like glitter... this here changed my mind! Soooo pretty and sparkly. Whenever the sun hit my hands, I stared in awe. This is a must have! 3 coats. Glitters normally chip on me in less than one day, but for this mani I used Barielle Manicure Extender over the 3 coats and then SV on top of that. It made my nails smooth (hard to achieve when wearing glitter) and it wore sufficiently for 2 days.

OPI Wing It!
This is from OPI's current summer collection, and it definitely has a summery feel! I love this, although I totally didn't think I would. I actually bought this for the name. It's a phrase I find myself saying quite often... anyways, Wing It! is a fine glitter like Catch Me In Your Net (previous post) which makes removal easier than standard glitters and there's absolutely no grittiness with top coat. This was 3 coats. Sorry about the dark spots- I was wearing OPI Here Today... Aragon Tomorrow the day before this.

Pure Ice Strapless over Pure Ice French Kiss
Pure Ice makes some pretty good polishes! I've worn Strapless before without layering it over anything and it took 4 coats for complete opacity. This is 1 coat Strapless over 1 coat French Kiss and it looks even better than it does by itself! It isn't as dark and rich as the first picture depicts- the second photo is pretty accurate. Strapless and Absolutely Alice are my favorite glitters... then again, how can I not love them? They're blue!

OPI Shootout at the O.K. Coral
Like Wing It!, I didn't think I would like this one either. But of course, I ended up loving it. Top 20 for me! This is my current NOTD. It's very flattering on my hands, however, it didn't look so good on my toes. This is 3 coats and the formula was perfect. This color makes me feel so girly! I almost don't want to take it off... almost.

two blue NOTDs

2010-06-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

OPI Catch Me in Your Net
Gorgeous, gorgeous color! Supposedly this is a dupe for Zoya Charla. I don't have Charla... yet! I will compare them once I get Charla, and even if they are dupes I won't mind because I'd love to have a backup of this shade. This is 3 coats, and so far it's wearing like iron. Shown above is a photo in full sunlight, but I think it looks much better indoors. I didn't get a picture of it indoors, but here it is in the shade:Sexy!

Nfu-Oh #52
This old one again. Sorry about the huge gap by my cuticles, I got a little careless with clean up! This is 3 coats, and as stunning as ever. In real life, it looks like I have crystals on my nails.

No more blues for me for a couple of days... I'm all blue-d out!

Sharing our love between the sheets.

2010-06-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

CHI In Between The Sheets
Of course I only got this for the name. How could I not?! I love love love The Isley Brothers. Such a great band... but anyways. I would have never tried this brand if it were not for the name of the polish, haha. This cost $8 and it contains less polish than the average .5 fl oz. I don't even like the color very much. But, like I said, the name got to me. Great, great song ♥

Color Club Revvvolution
Um, where's the holo? A: hidden in the bottle. How disappointing. I thought that maybe this would squelch my hardcore lemming for OPI MPJ (original) and it did not. However, I was extremely satisfied with the formula. 2 coats (almost a 1 coater)!! For a HOLO! Too bad the color sucks. It looks like a dirty green-tinged charcoal in most lighting. But, if that's the type color you're looking for, buy this one solely for the great formula.

China Glaze Frostbite
I thought I was going to love this one... but I don't :( There most be something wrong with me- it's BLUE! And I don't like it! I think it's just an unflattering shade of blue and I'm not too fond of the finish. It's also a lot lighter than I thought it would be. Sigh. This was 3 coats, and it smelled horrible. It smelled the same as Sally Hansen Pacific Blue (which smelled like a medley of weed and rot). How disappointing!

clown makeup

2010-05-28T16:40:00.000-07:00

I actually love this look! It may be a bit clownish, but I was proud of myself for branching out of my mostly neutral looks. Go me! I am really loving the TtB collection.

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Marine Life

eyes-
NYX Milk
Sweet & Punchy
Soft Brown
Firecracker
Dazzlelight
Solar White
W&W cream liner
L'oreal mascara
Red Cherry #747M

lips-
Lollipop Loving

Thanks for looking!

chockful

2010-05-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Azalea Blossom

eyes-
NYX Milk
Antiqued
Soft Brown
Carbon
Vanilla pigment
Solar White
W&W cream liner
L'oreal mascara
Red Cherry #747M

lips-
Love Nectar

OPI Have a Tempura Tan-trum
What a horrible color! Pretty ugly, but awesome nonetheless. This was 3 coats. Formula was spot on due to its being black label. Mmm. I found this at a dusty for about $3. Totally worth it! However, I don't think I'll ever wear this again..

OPI Man of La Mancha over Orly Matte Vinyl
2 coats MoLM, 1 coat MV. Another black label! It was way more duochrome-y in real life. With a quick shift of my fingers, it was cranberry, then orange, then olive. Pretty cool.

Here's my To the Beach haulage!Marine Life, Firecracker, Sweet & Punchy

It's so majestic! ♥

Firecracker

Sweet & Punchy

The eye shadows are so smooth and pigmented, I can't wait to use them. I'm scared of using Marine Life, though... it's too pretty :(

To cap off the randomness, I leave you with a polish loving cat:
Thanks for looking :)

two kick ass NOTDs

2010-05-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

The second I applied these two, they instantly fell into my Top 20 Nail Polishes of all time. Shit, they even made it into the Top 10.

OPI Damone Roberts 1968
This was a gift from Christian :) And a great gift, indeed! I never expected a mint/jade colored polish to be so flattering... it didn't make my hands look red at all! I kept this on for two days and did not become bored of it whatsoever. That's saying something. This was 3 coats, and it's formula was delicious. Mmmm, black label OPI.

(Can you spot the kitty?)
OPI DS Original
Look at that bottle!!! Slightly disappointing, because it is not that holo on the nail.. but it still is blindingly holographic. 3 coats as well. And, this too is black label. Deadly chemicals make for an impeccable formula!

Compared with Nfu-Oh 64:
I didn't think it was possible to out holo a Nfu-Oh. But you proved us all wrong, OPI.

This is why I am an OPI girl, and always will be ♥

Nfu-Oh 65

2010-05-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

** ETA- I was just at the nail supply and they told me that one of you said you went there (or called... I couldn't understand) and told them about me! Who was it?! **

Wow.

This polish a majestic piece of work. 3 coats, somewhat hard to work with formula. You can't paint over the same area twice when doing a coat, otherwise you'll get a lovely bald spot. So, a gentle hand and an adequate amount of polish on the brush is necessary. These pictures are taken without topcoat. I added Barielle Manicure Extender after I took these, and it definitely dulled the effect. However, it lasted a whole day without chipping which is rare for these types of holos. But... the chips and formula are easily overshadowed by the beauty of this polish. Such an amazing polish.

Hana Professional flat iron

2010-05-14T17:42:00.000-07:00

Some time ago I was contacted by Misikko, a company selling professional flat irons for low prices, asking to review a Hana Professional flat iron. I have been searching high and low for my HG flat iron, so how could I pass this up?

My package arrived swiftly with quite a few extras tucked in there! Along with the actual flat iron, I was sent a tin case, a pouch for storing the flat iron, a mat for the iron, and some shine serum.

I was sent the 1" pink version. It works like a dream! It has a red light which blinks when it's fully heated up, which is quite practical. It gets very hot too... up to 450°. It glides through my hair effortlessly. Usually when I straighten my hair, at the end of the day it looks limp and dull. With the Hana, it looks good all day. I definitely recommend this flat iron for someone who is looking to buy a higher end flat iron but is not yet ready to pay around $200 for a FHI. The Hana Professional flat iron retails at $204.99, but at Misikko, you only pay $118.98. Amazing price!

If you don't want to venture out into trying a new brand (I never heard of Hana until I was contacted by Missiko), they also sell CHI, FHI, and various other best sellers, all for great prices.

Not only was Misikko generous enough to send me a flat iron, they're also giving one to one of my readers! This is my first ever giveaway, so this is very exciting.. even if it is hosted! :)
- you must be a follower
- post a comment with your email
- if you earn any extra entries, please send me the link (in the same comment as your email)

Extra Entries:
1. Follow Misikko on their Twitter.
2. Blog about the giveaway on a personal website.
3. Join Misikko's newsletter (will grant you 3 extra entries!)

Giveaway is closed. I have contacted the winner.

I was provided with this item for no cost by the company in exchange for an honest review.

why yes, it does need this many pictures.

2010-05-13T18:04:00.001-07:00

OPI DS Fantasy
Rich royal blue with a very slightly holographic shimmer. How sexy is this?! And it's only 2 coats.. it's deliciously smooth and opaque. What an awesome color. This cost around $10 at a dusty beauty supply... yeah, obviously worth it. Amazing!

Maybe some of you are thinking WHERE'S DS GLAMOUR? I talked about it so much but haven't swatched it yet... I'm saving it for when my nails are long and my cuticles are totally healed. A nice little treat. A treat I can't wait to consume.

2 (3?) NOTDs

2010-05-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

Essie Playa Del Platinum
What a dumb name, but GORGEOUS color! I love this! 3 coats. Pretty good formula. What I don't like are Essie's dumb bottles, caps, and brushes. The cap feels weird to hold (and it feels cheap!) which makes it difficult to polish with. However, for this color, I will sacrifice comfort.

China Glaze Ruby Pumps
Yeeeeeeeeep.

with 1 coat Nfu-Oh 38
Wow! Sexy! It kind of looks like lava, and in the sunlight, it looks like magical lava... haha. Great combo. However, layering 38 over a red does not show off it's spectacular duochrome. It needs to be layered over black to really bring out its beauty.

Thanks for looking! :)

yeah, this one again.

2010-05-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

China Glaze Emerald Sparkle
You've all seen this one before but not with this amazing camera! I chose to do my ugly shorties this color because it's flattering, doesn't emphasize my ridges, and it doesn't make my cuticles look red. So, it's just a win-win color.
Thanks for looking!

what is this?

2010-05-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, my nails are painted... I haven't painted them in so long. I think it's been 2 months! And I don't know why I chose such an 'eh' color for this occasion..
OPI What's With the Cattitude? (sorry for the redness and overall ugliness of my cuticles- my camera picks out every single detail!)

I must admit, I bought this solely for the name. Anyone who knows me knows I am quite obsessed with cats. The color is alright... I just wish it would have been nicer for such a great name (come on- it has the word CAT in it!). This is 3 coats. I love blues, so I don't know why I'm not fawning over this color. It's just so PLAIN. Some blues, like Dating a Royal are somewhat plain but posses something that entices me.

In more positive news, my cuticles are truly healing. I haven't had an infection in SO long! Now I just have to wait for the redness to go down and the actual cuticles to grow back, then I shall be posting NOTD's like it's no tomorrow.

compilation

2010-05-02T08:51:00.000-07:00

Bear with me, I'm just testing out my new camera.

Color Club Pardon My French.. I love nudes on my feet.

Here's my face of last night...
face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Pinch 'O Peach

eyes-
NYX Milk
Brule
Soft Brown
Sumptuous Olive
Carbon
Vanilla pigment
Gorgeous Gold
Solar White
W&W creme liner
L'oreal mascara
Ardell 113s

lips-
C-Thru

Thanks for looking!

let's try to be... fancy

2010-04-29T17:03:00.000-07:00

I have to praise my new VS Miraculous push up bra... the only bra that has ever given me real cleavage. I tried this one on when it first came out and hated it, but this time I tried it on in a size smaller and it looked a lot better. And look how awesome it makes my boobs look! Haha, sorry for being so excited over it, but I never thought my chest could look like this. Cleavage makes me feel kinda fancy! :)

I dyed my hair over the weekend. I prefer it darker! What do you guys think?

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Benefit 10
Pinch 'O Peach

eyes-
NYX Milk
Seeds of Love
Soft Brown
Espresso
Vanilla pigment
Solar White
W&W creme liner
L'oreal mascara
Ardell 105s

lips-
a mix of Costa Chic and Patisserie

Sorry the eyelashes look kinda gross in this one..

So.. much.. smiles...
Anyways, I am off to celebrate my mother's birthday! Have a good evening and thanks for looking :)

quick look

2010-04-27T09:07:00.000-07:00

Not too fond of this one...

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Azalea Blossom

eyes-
NYX Milk
Vanilla pigment
Scene
Carbon
Beautiful Iris
Black Tulip
W&W creme liner
L'oreal Telescopic
Red Cherry #747M

lips-
concealer
Patisserie

These photos crack me up. Trying to be sexy doesn't quite work for me!

i think i've found heaven.

2010-04-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

When I walked into this store, the clouds parted and Queen - Heaven For Everyone started playing...

Haha, but really. $4 for OPI, $2.50 for China Glaze, $2.75 for Orly, and $3 for Essie.
Oh my looooooooooooooooord.
So, of course, I got a little crazy.

Those nail swatch things were so much fun to do! Of course I didn't have enough...

Box 1.

Contents:Rainstorm - Meteor Shower - Happy Go Lucky - Frostbite - Ruby Pumps (back up) - Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

Box 2.

Contents:Wagon Trail - OPI & Apple Pie - I'm Not Really A Waitress - Fantasea - Here Today... Aragon Tomorrow - Seche Vite ($3!!!)

Box 3.

Contents:glass for acetone for cleanup - Fairy Dust - Petit Four (bu) - Bare If You Dare - Country Club Khaki (bu) - Absolutely Alice

Box 4.

Contents:Playa Del Platinum - Turquoise & Caicos - Splash of Grenadine - Lapis of Luxury - Jazz - Licorice

This was only $4:

Overall, I spent under $70.
Amazing.
I'm going to sleep well tonight :)

tutorial: my eyebrows

2010-04-19T16:24:00.000-07:00

Hope you guys enjoy!

This is my bare eyebrow.

1. With a black eyebrow pencil (I love Rimmel's) I lightly fill in just the 'tail'. I brush it through with a spooley brush.

2. With an angled brush, I fill in the my whole brow with Mulch e/s. Again, not too heavy. I also brush it through with a spooley brush.

3. With a tiny angled artist's brush, I trace under and in front of my brow with concealer. (I don't know why the color of the concealer looks so off in these photos, it matches perfectly irl).

4. I blend out the concealer, and I am done.

not quite as boring

2010-04-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

I actually like these neutrals! Now I know that matte neutrals > shimmery neutrals.
My skin looks kind of odd... it's reacted to something and it's all bumpy :( there's bumps on my legs and stomach too! Weird...

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Pinch 'O Peach

eyes-
NYX Milk
Brule
Tete a Tint
Aztec Brick
Espresso
Carbon
Vanilla pigment
Manila Paper
Solar White
W&W creme liner
L'oreal mascara
Ardell 113s

lips-
Lollipop Loving

Happy Friday!

tutorial: basic contouring with sketch

2010-04-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

I received a few requests to make a tutorial for this look, so here it is!

(in order of appearance)
NYX Milk
Mink Pink
Vanilla pigment
Sketch
Patina
Solar White
W&W cream liner
L'oreal Telescopic mascara

Sorry the pictures vary in their sharpness and lighting. Damned camera!
1. Prime

2. Mink Pink in the crease with a 217

3. Vanilla pigment on the lid

4. Pack Sketch on the outer lid with a 239

5. Blend it out (tapered blending brush)

6. Vanilla pigment as a highlight, and with a 217 I blend some Patina in the areas circled.

7. Inner to outer bottom lashline: Mink Pink - Patina - Sketch

8. Solar White in the inner corners

9. Liner

10. Mascara, and we're done! Super simple :)

Thank you for looking! I also made an eyebrow tutorial, so I'll have it posted in a couple of days. Have a great day!

aw, sweetie, you shouldn't have!

2010-04-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

The UPS man brought me a nice square box yesterday. I hadn't ordered anything so I was baffled...

This perfume was in that box along with a very sweet note from Christian.
I've been wanting this for a while and it's so expensive I didn't think I'd ever own it... and he gifted me with it for absolutely NO reason! Awww!
If you haven't smelled it, I recommend you do. It smells AMAZING.

I truly have the best :)

huge ass haul

2010-04-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

DV8 - 2NITE - IDK - BFF - FYI

Revvvolution - Wild at Heart - Fashion Addict

Cowgirl Up - Let's Groove - Fifth Avenue - Pink Rox-e

Opal Hope - Snowcone - Gumdrop

wow!

2010-04-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

I walked into a beauty supply store which I have only been to once before, and look what I found!
OPI DS Fantasy
I couldn't believe my luck. I gasped and quickly made my way to the register. It was the only one they had.. it's very old as you can tell by the cap.

DS Glamour - DS Fantasy
(compare the caps!)
I like to think of Fantasy as Glamour's more serious and professional older sibling, who works at an office job while Glamour works as a stripper.

Yum. I can't wait to wear it.

Cellnique Paramedical

2010-04-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

I was recently contacted by Cellnique if I would review some products. This was the first time I have ever been asked to review something so of course I jumped at the opportunity!

Gentle Foaming Cleanser - Intensive Hydrating Oasis Gel - Skin Purifying Daytime Protection

Same order as above.

Gentle Foaming Cleanser 35.00
I loved the smell of this. It smelled like Chinese lychee flavored candies.. mmm. It made my skin feel very fresh and clean. I normally use Cetaphil as a face wash, and this definitely felt a lot better. One thing I didn't like was the bottle. It was fairly hard to squeeze out (the plastic it was made out of was firm). When I'm dead tired in the mornings, I can't be bothered to fuss over a hard to squeeze bottle! Maybe I'll pour it into something else... but besides the packaging, I really like this product.

Intensive Hydrating Oasis Gel 41.00
As you can see in the 'swatch' picture, it really is a gel. In the mornings, I use moisturizer with SPF in it so I would be using this gel at night. However, in the cold weather, I prefer a more heavy creamy moisturizer. I can see myself using this one a lot and liking it much more in the summer. It had a slight cooling effect to my skin, and when applying it my skin burned a little (not too unusual, my skin is very sensitive and usually burns when testing out a new product). It didn't have a distinct smell.

Skin Purifying Daytime Protection 32.00
I thought this would be a plain moisturizer, but to my surprise it turned out to be a tinted moisturizer. I've never used one in my life (noob!) so I was looking forward to trying this one out. It made my skin look a bit oily, so I put translucent powder (and blush) over it. I applied it with a 187.
Before:
After:
Obviously, it makes my skin look very nice. However, I'm not very fond of the feeling of foundation on my skin but those who like tinted moisturizers should check this out. Oh, almost forgot! It has an SPF of 20 which I really liked. You can never be too protected from the sun!

I must say, I love the style and colors of the packaging. It looks so clean and classic!

I was provided with this item for no cost by the company in exchange for an honest review.

boring old neutrals.

2010-03-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

Yep, these again.

face-
translucent powder
Maybelline concealer
Benefit Dandelion

eyes-
NYX Milk
Brule
Flip
Aztec Brick
Soft Brown
Antiqued
Vanilla pigment
Solar White
W&W creme liner
L'oreal Telescopic
Ardell Wispies

lips-
Costa Chic
C-Thru

Thanks for looking!

it's finally MINE

2010-03-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

(You should click these. They're huge.. and amazing!)

And yes, I found this necessary-

Friday's FOTD

2010-03-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

face-
Maybelline concealer
translucent powder
Azalea Blossom

eyes-
NYX Milk
Vanilla pigment
Mink Pink
Patina
Sketch
Solar White
W&W cream liner
L'oreal Telescopic
Red Cherry #747M

lips-
Angel
Costa Chic
C-Thru

Thanks for looking. Have a great Saturday :)

tutorial: smokey NY's look

2010-03-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

This is soooo overdue. But here it is!

used:
NYX Milk
Antiqued
Soft Brown
Carbon
Vanilla pigment
Solar White
W&W cream liner
L'oreal Telescopic

1. Prime

2. Soft Brown in the crease with a 217

3. Antiqued on the lid

4. I get more Soft Brown on my 217, blend out the harsh edges of Antiqued.

5. Carbon in the outer corner with a 239

6. Blend that out...

7. Vanilla pigment as a highlight

8. On the lashline, from inner corner to outer: Soft Brown, Antiqued, Carbon

9. Solar White in inner corner

10. Liner

11. Mascara

And we're done! It's a very easy look :)

Thanks for looking! <3

I am so fucking disgusted.

2010-03-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the post I made a couple weeks back on wanting OPI DS Glamour? I received some Ebay links, and I bought the nail polish through there. It was $12.00 with free shipping, and the seller (previously dherrison, now herrisonhhh) had all good reviews.
Yeah, well it was a total fucking scam. I never got my polish. And guess who the seller is? A 'trusted blogger' and NBer.
The Manicured Manatee
Someone on the MUA nailboard pieced together a trail of bread crumbs and it led to her. I'm so appaled... how could someone fucking do that?
And to top it all off, I won a giveaway of hers. I won(and RECEIVED) Stellar Notte (in this post).
People on the NB bought DS Glamour and Essie Starry Starry Night (which she sold for $50) from her. Imagine all the fucking money she stole. And to top it all off, she emptied her Paypal account so now everyone who bought from her CAN'T GET A FUCKING REFUND.

So fucking disgusting. I hope she deletes her blog and never comes back.

**Edit**
Oh so I guess it's not her fault now?

I'm not fond of using this kind of language to put down people... but what a fucking dumb ass. Expects us to believe that shit...