Toxic Valentine

Hey guys!

I finally got around to filming a tutorial, just in time for Valentine's Day.  Right when I sat down to film, I got my Glamour Doll Eyes OTM package (it was adorbs!!) and the color is Toxic Grape (such a gorgeous purple!!!).  I also got a gift from a friend at work (too sweet) and I wanted to play around with that.  The look I came up with was a real sultry purple smokey eye.  I also recently purchased, and received, my Sigma brushes!!!  I have been wanting these brushes for FOREVER and let me tell you, they are amaze-balls!  I am a Sigma affiliate, although I have never had enough products to use and recommend, but I have provided links to everything I purchased.


Performance Eyes Kit

Synthetic Precision Kit

F80 Flat Kabuki

Icy Blues

Hey guys!

The weather here in the midwest is ridiculous!  As I'm prepping this blog post, temperatures here are increasing from the mid 30's and expected to be above 60 tomorrow!  I have never been a fan of the weather here but I was recently inspired to create this icy blue look.  The first day I tried to film this look the sun was bright and warm but it was still cold enough to see my breath.  So I sat down to film and of course the sun was setting before I even finished one eye.  I finally got around to re-filming this look and tweaked the original just a bit.  I hope you guys enjoy this look!

GRWM: Brown Smokey Eye

Hey guys!

I recently purchased some Makeup Geek eyeshadows and I've been trying to test wear time on them and just plain enjoy them.  The best "test" that I have is working a 12 hr shift.  Here is a simple smokey eye I did using Taupe Notch.  Sadly I forgot to take pictures of this look before I left.  I didn't even do a close-up shot in the video!  This is definitely a look I'll do again though so I'll take some pictures next time.

Pixie Dust feat. MakeupGeek Eyeshadows

Hello lovelies!  I'm finally back with another tutorial!!  I was thinking yesterday that ever since I lost my "makeup room" I have been in a funk with filming tutorials.  The lighting just wasn't as good in my old bedroom (we have since moved) and my lighting isn't that good in my new bedroom and it's more cramped.  I am thinking about doing my own softboxes (don't know where I'm going to put them yet) to have more consistent lighting with my videos.  I also plan to purchase a smaller point-and-shoot camera because I just can't take pictures of my own eye with the big Nikon...it just doesn't happen.  Anywho, on with the look...

During MakeupGeek's winter clearance sale I went ahead and purchased some of their eyeshadows.  I have been wanting to try them for a while now so I figured "why not?".  I will do a separate post with the eyeshadows that I purchased, with proper swatches.  For this look I chose two eyeshadows from MUG: Pixie Dust and Peacock.  I based my look off of those two eyeshadows and went from there.  Here is what I came up with:

GDE, Fyrinnae, Sugarpill: Calypso, Biker Chic and @#$%!

I don't really know where the inspiration from this look came from.  I purchased the limited edition eyeshadow from Sugarpill (I don't remember when they had it on sale but it was only a few days) and wanted to use it with my GDE pigment "Calypso" from the blogger collection.  I ended up doing this combo for Halloween but I didn't like how the video came out.  It had been so long since I had recorded that I was stumbling all over the place and I was rushing because I still had to get the kids ready.  Anywho, today I decided to try the combo again but in a different way and at a more relaxed pace.

Let me also just say that even though the eyeshadow I used from Sugarpill was limited edition, you can always substitute it with something else.  I don't own this color but I feel like MakeupGeek's "Razzleberry" would be quite similar.  All other Sugarpill eyeshadows can be purchases separately from their website, not just in the palettes.  I buy the palettes because you are essentially getting a whole eyeshadow for free!  Now, on to the look:

Fall Look #2

Here is my second fall inspired look!  I'm glad I recorded when I did because the last few weeks I've either had a cold, my allergies have been freaking out, or I've had a GI bug.  Now I'm moving this weekend but I'm hoping to film something.  Anywho, on to the look.

I was already brainstorming this look while filming the last one ;).  I knew what colors I wanted to use, just had to figure out how.  I'm really pleased with how this came out.  Please excuse the nasal-y/squeaky cold voice!

Fall Smokey Eye and Lip

I have been so excited with the change in the weather here in the midwest.  It has been swelteringly hot for far too long and we finally have had a break.  It was so beautiful the day I filmed this tutorial and I felt like I should take advantage of the clear sky.  I had a few products in mind that I wanted to use to create this look, including the lip.  I am a big fan of a dark, vampy lip and I rarely do a dark lip on myself though.  I had to with this look to tie together the fall feeling.

After I filmed this look, I realized it was quite similar to AliciaD372's most recent look on her YouTube channel.  I used different products, but the eye look and the lip look so similar to me and I did it unintentionally.  I was going to post this video in a couple of weeks, but I have been sick for the past week and unable to film a new look in it's place. Check out Alicia's channel and her videos!  She does wonderful makeup looks and reviews! :)  

Charcoal Smokey Eye feat. Wet n Wild and Lit Glitter

I have sadly neglected all of my makeup for the past couple of months.  It's been a long time since I have used any of my Wet n Wild palettes and it took me forever to find them!  It's also been forever since I have used any of my Lit glitters!!  I would wear glitter everyday if I could!  I have been trying to find ways to incorporate it in my work makeup but not be too over-the-top.

The look I came up with is a charcoal smokey eye blended out with some purple in the crease.  To add some pizzazz I also applied a charcoal glitter to the lid.  If you don't have any charcoal glitter, you could also apply the charcoal color from the WnW palette wet, since it has glitter in it as well.  Here are some pictures of the look:

Viewer Request: Rainbow Eyes feat. Sugarpill Cosmetics

A viewer (eLtherd) requested a rainbow look a LONG time ago and I am just now getting around to it.  I love rainbow looks and had wanted to do one for St. Louis Pride but I was so tired from work that I just slept and slept then slept some more.  I have been getting back  to playing with makeup and putting on my face for work (it's still crazy hot here, but I can't NOT do makeup anymore!!)  I really enjoy watching videos on YouTube as well as sharing my own makeup creations/techniques with you guys!  I learn so much from everyone else on YT and continue to get better with everything the more I practice!  Liquid liner is still a bit of a challenge, but I'm getting there :)  Anywho, on to the look!

Smokey Calypso feat. Sugarpill and Glamour Doll Eyes

I know it has been a LONG time since I have uploaded a tutorial.  I haven't been wearing makeup as much because it's been so hot and humid in the midwest!  For some reason my skin has been more oily and I just don't like the fact that I HAVE to touch up my makeup at work.  It's easier to just wipe my face with a wet rag or something.  And work has been so stressful and busy that I haven't had the energy to do makeup on my days off.  I really wish I could get on some sort of regular uploading schedule!  I would do photo tutorials on my blog but I don't have a point-and-shoot camera, just a big honkin' Nikon and it's takes me forever to take a decent close-up picture!  Anywho...on to the look :)

My birthday was a little over a week ago and the lovely AliciaD372 sent me an eyeshadow as a present!! <3

Makeup Monday

So the gorgeous Jacqueline from abrilliantbrunette has come up with Makeup Monday (read about it by clicking the link).  I was tagged by Mandy (@ladymandyisms).  At first I had no idea what it was and I replied back with "and to you as well".  Yeah, I know...should've checked up on it first lol.  Anywho, upon further investigation I now know what Makeup Monday is :).  Today is the first day for MM and the theme for June is "Blue".  Now I hadn't planned on wearing much today because I have to work but I made an exception for MM.  Here is the look I came up with (no tutorial though):

Meredith Gentry Character Inspired Series: Doyle

Doyle (pronounced like Dole fruit) is the Captain of the Queen's Ravens, the Queen's guard.  He is sent by the Queen to fetch Merry.  In the books he is described as having black skin (not brown, or dark brown, or chocolate...black) with blue highlights.  There is a point in the story where he tries to bespell Merry and she she's a rainbow of colors, not necessarily a rainbow, but lots of colors.  Doyle has pointed ears (a distinct characteristic that marks his as not full-blooded Sidhe royal) and he has no shame in showing them, keeping his long black hair braided so his ears show all the time.  In his ears and one nipple he wears silver jewelry, always.

I used those three things to create this look:  black skin with blue highlights, rainbow colors when bespelling, and silver jewelry.  I didn't want to use navy blue as I felt it would be more, well, blue than anything so I went with blue then black over that.  I used a chromalust from Sugarpill called "Stella" for the lid.  Stella has a jet black base with rainbow glitter mixed in.  And for the silver I used Sugarpill's "Tiara" applied wet to the inner corners.  Here is the look (warning - this will be picture heavy to show different aspects of the look):

Meredith Gentry Character Inspired Series: Queen Andais

Ever since I got into makeup I've wanted to do looks inspired by the characters from Laurell K Hamilton's Meredith Gentry series.  The series is told from the viewpoint of the mortal Princess Meredith, who fled from Cahokia, IL to Los Angeles, CA because people were trying to kill her.  She has been called back to Cahokia by her aunt, Queen Andais, for reasons unknown.  Merry herself appears "human" enough but her race of faerie, the Sidhe (pronounced "she") tend to look very exotic and one characteristic of Sidhe royals is tricolored irises.  For this look I chose to do Queen Andais whose irises are described as being charcoal, stormy grey and a very pale grey.  Here is the look I came up with:

Smokey Neutral Work Look

Here lately I've been opting for a slightly more dramatic neutral look for work.  My bosses don't really mind when I wear color but I tend to lean more toward neutral colors because our population of patients tends to be older and not everybody is so open to color.  So to be neutral but a tad more dramatic, I've been taking Sugarpill's Bulletproof and adding a touch of that to the outer corners.  I'm planning on doing a video of my "tried and true" long wearing products (most of which are drugstore) because I reach for the same stuff over and over again for work.  Here are some photos the products that I used for this look:

2-1 Daytime to Evening Greens

My boyfriend's brother recently got married and they chose a camo color scheme: them men wore camo vests and the bride's maids wore different shades of green gowns.  I had originally wanted to do AliciaD372's Berry Blast makeup then I remembered the camo theme.

During Mardi Gras, Magnolia Makeup had 50% off all of their green, purple and gold pigments.  I took major advantage of this sale!  I'll hopefully have swatches of everything up eventually.  Anywho, one of the pigments I purchased was Reptile.  Sadly this is already one of the pigments that's on their "last chance" list!!  It's a gorgeous medium, yellow-green with some green and gold flecks of glitter in it.  Green is my favorite color but I can honestly say I don't own any other color like this!  It's so unique, sparkly and pretty and bright and...anyways.  On to the look:

Katniss Everdeen-Girl on Fire-District 12-The Hunger Games Inspired Look

If you've never read these books (I highly recommend them) they are a series of 3 books about a post-apocolyptic world, Panem, which is composed of 12 Districts and the Capitol.  Each district has a different specialty to generate revenue for themselves and ultimately provide luxury for the people of the Capitol.  Anywho, Katniss Everdeen is from District 12 and their specialty is coal mining.

I'm not quite sure if I will take this through all 12 districts (xsparkage has done this on her YouTube channel), but I definitely have looks for other characters in mind.  We will see.  In the book/movie, Katniss is known for being "the girl on fire" which is a reference to her dress (you'll have to read the books or watch the movie to find out why ;) ).  I tried to incorporate both the look and colors of fire as well as smoldering coals (orange, red, yellow, black).  This look also gave me a chance to use my Sugarpill Burning Heart palette!!  I am absolutely in LOVE with this company, from their products to their look (I will post a review/haul/photos later).

There were a few bumps in the road while filming this tutorial.