Archive for February, 2012

I’ve been getting a lot of compliments on the sparkly look I’ve been wearing recently, so I did a tutorial to demonstrate how I achieve this subtle, wear-to-work face. I know some people may scoff at my use of the word “subtle” given the sparkliness of the makeup, but let us all keep in mind this is ME we’re talking about here, and anything short of a disco-ball is subtle in my realm.

I love the contrast of the neutral colors and the sparkle – it really gives the shimmery lids a chance to shine without making me look like I’m going to tear it up the club rather than my cubicle. Although I have been known to tear it up in my cubicle; sometimes a certain song comes on and ya just gotta dance, no matter where you are. What can I say, Neil Diamond just has that effect on me. Wait, I mean Wiz Khalifa. Ya. That’s what I meant.

Since it’s a daytime look, I keep the eyeliner a little more minimal as well opting for a smaller wing. The good thing is if I’m going out after work I can always punch up the look by extending the liner out a bit.

Like the look? Here’s what I used:

Face:
Revlon Photoready Airbrush Foundation – Rich Ginger
LORAC Evening Complexion Powder- Tan
Revlon Photoready Concealer- #005

Cheeks-
LORAC TANtalize Me Baked Bronzer

Eyes:
NYX Eyeshadow Base – White w/ pearl
TooFaced EyeShadow – Cocoa Puff
Urban Decay Eyeshadow- Sin
Stila Jewel Eye Shadow- Opal
Maybelline MasterPrecise Ink Eyeliner Pen- Black
Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Liner- Blackest Black
L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara- Carbon Black

Lips:
Prestige Lipliner – Cameo
Revlon LipButter – Creme Brulee

I was in the mood to try something different when I went in to get a fill last night and came up with this. And I loooooooove it! I rarely do black polish on my fingers, but it provides such a great backdrop for silver glitter I don’t know why I never did this before.

At the behest of one of my best friends, I tried black polish, adding a coat of silver glitter on top to make it my own. I thought keeping my ring fingers hot pink would add a nice pop of color, which it did.

I just love how the glitter catches the light. Cuz you know I can’t just have plain black, come on now!

A big reason I went with the color scheme I did was cuz I felt it would showcase my fancy new purple ring. The black provides a nice, dark canvas while the hot pink pulls the brightness out of the swarovskis.

Here’s a close-up so you can see the detail in the colors. This was all done with gel nail polish – the brand is called Gelish. We started with two coats of color 01348 Black Shadow, with one coat of 01358 Water Field (silver glitter) on top. On the ring finger we used 01402 High Voltage as that was the most vibrant pink they had.

I love these so much I think I’m gonna keep them for a while =) And if you’re interested in getting your nails done at my go-to place, it’s called Star Nails. Ask for Kim (she’s my favorite tech) and tell her Jackie sent you!

I decided to do a full on video review of this product since so many of you asked. Not to mention everyone knows I’m obsessed with eyeliner and am therefor an expert in my field =) Watch the video below to get the low-down on why this is a great alternative for those who don’t feel like spending upwards of $20 for an ink pen eyeliner.

Stila All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner …you in trouble, gurl.

I’ve been a fan of Stila’s take on the eyeliner pen for months, but I’m not a fan of the price. I still LOVE this product, don’t get me wrong- but shelling out $20 for a new one every month is starting to take it’s toll on my ever shrinking wallet. Which is why I couldn’t wait to try out the Maybelline version when I started seeing it in some of my favorite guru’s videos. Trying this eyeliner was no easy feat tho – it was super hard to find since nearly every drugstore in my area has been constantly sold out. Which was my first sign this is a must-have product.

This liner retails for about $7.99 each – though I picked up two thanks to Walgreen’s buy one, get one 50% off sale. That’s what I love most about drugstore products, you can almost always find them on sale. I rarely pay full price for this kinda stuff – I mean REALLY, who pays retail these days, darling.

Though the tube is roughly the same size as similar eyeliner pens, it holds about 0.037 oz, more than twice the product other brands do.

Now for the good stuff – this is by far the finest tip I’ve ever seen. At 0.4mm, it draws some of the thinnest lines imaginable. I’ve been playing with this all night, and so far I’ve created some super sharp cat eyes and perfectly winged liner. I also managed to draw all over my hand, then smear black ink all over my cheek because I tried to wipe my face before the liquid dried. It looks pretty sexy. Except not.

So far I really like what I see, but the true test will come tomorrow when I test drive this during a long day at work. I’m thinking I’ll make a video once I’m ready to do the full review, so stay tuned!

This month most of my favorites are from the drugstore since I’ve been trying to make my beauty routine a little more affordable lately.Don’t get me wrong, I still love my luxury beauty stuffs, I just think you can find amazing products at every price point. This month’s video is proof of that!

Products mentioned in the video

Nicky Minaj for OPI Nail Polish – Metallic 4 Life
Price: $8.99
Get it: Ulta stores

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter
Price: $7.49
Get it: Drugstores, Ulta, Target

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush – Plum Wine, Fresh Pink
Price: $7.99
Get it: Drugstores, Ulta, Target

Stila Jewel Eyeshadow – Opal
Price: $20
Get it: Sephora, Ulta, Stila.com

Revlon Luxurious Color Diamond Lust Eyeshadow – Neptune Star
Price: $4.99
Get it: Drugstores, Ulta, Target

Revlon Photo Ready Mousse Makeup
Price: $12.99
Get it: Drugstores, Ulta, Target

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Eyeshadow- Tenacious Teal, Edgy Esmerald
Price: $6.99
Get it: Drugstores, Ulta, Target