FOTD: Tuesday March 31

Today was a fun smokey eye, using a pale pink and navy, peachy coral blush and a nude lip.

Eye products: Sin City Eyeshadow by Ulta Pink Eyeshadow by Ulta Covergirl Outlast Liner in Onyx Maybelline Volum' Express Turbo Boost mascara in Very Black

After priming your lids, apply Pink all over your lids. Apply Sin City to crease outer V. Blend and smoke out! :-) Apply CG liner to lower lash line and water line. Follow with Sin City on lower lash line. Curl lashes and apply mascara.

Lip and face products:

Lorac Lipstick in Imagine ELF Blush in Glow

ELF Concealer in Fair Everyday Minerals Foundation in Sunkissed Fair Self Made Mix for Foundation (mix of an EM and a CS foundation)

The sunkissed fair foundation is used for setting my concealer.

Pix:

Nightime Routine

I love love love wearing makeup, but my face needs to breath sometimes, right? This is my routine before I go to bed to clean everything off.

I start by removing my eye makeup with a cotton ball and this L'Oreal Eye Makeup Remover knock off (Walmart Brand!). Who cares if it's generic. It works rather well (not so much against waterproof, since it's oil-free, though). It's a cute bottle, too!

Next, I take one of these cucumber exfoliating cleansing towelettes to my face. I start by taking the bumpy side to my whole face and then I use the smooth side. This is to remove all my makeup and cleanse my face. I love this so much! They are an excellent product and work really well.
After cleaning, I might tone. I do not always do this step. If I have a break out or feel one coming on, I will use the Clean and Clear astringent all over my face. If not, I will use the Clinque. The CnC has 2% salicylic acid. The Clinque really helps to sooth my skin after removing all my makeup.
Next, I apply this medicated acne gel to wherever I have a breakout or feel one coming on. Something with benzoyl peroxide is a really good acne treatment.
Now, I have long nails, so I have serious difficulty getting creams out jars without it getting under my nail. I've taken to using this little spatula I have. This is the Clinque All About Eyes Rich Eye Cream. I didn't used to use an eye cream, but I have noticed a difference since I have started, in puffiness and under eye circles. My under eye skin is just more healthy.
Lastly I slather this Pond's moisturizing cream all over my face and neck. It's an excellent moisturizer. I tend to have dryer cheeks and this helps to combat the dryness.
I apply this ELF Theraputic Conditioning Balm every night! Otherwise, I have a serious tendency to get chapped lips. It's creamy and moisturizing. Plus, it's strawberry!!
Now, I've been using this lately. This is the Ardell Brow and Lash Growth Acellerator. No word on how well it works, but we'll see. After using it for a few weeks, I'll do a review.


Now I put on my mask and go to bed. Zzzzz.....

ELF Polish Review

I think ELF is a great company. I truly do. I have many ELF products that I use frequently and have even repurchased some of their products. One thing I love is nail polish. So, are the ELF nail polishes any good?

ELF Polish in Fair Pink

Price: 5 out of 5; It's only one dollar!
Packaging: 3/5; The bottle is deceiving. There is only .35 oz. Notice in the photos the large amount of glass on the bottom of the bottle. Also, you should be able to pull off the cap of the handle, but you can't, so you have to work with a big bulky handle.
Performance: 1 out of 5; Seriously. Seriously. It should not take more than 4 coats for opacity unless you're using, say, a glitter. See photos below.



Overall: 1.5 out of 5; I would not purchase again. I might not even take if for free, except I can franken with it.

I saved this by applying two coats of Orly Pearl wisdom over the ELF Fair Pink to give a bit of shimmer.

ELF Polish in Fluorescent Pink

Price and Packaging: same as above
Performance: 2 out of 5; You can kind of see it in the photo below, but this polish has separated. There are streaks of white in the polish. WTF? However, It applies well. 3 coats for opacity.
Overall: 2.5 out of 5; There are better pink polishes out there. This is nothing special. However, it is only $1.

ELF Polish in Pearl

Price and Packaging: same as above
Performance: 4 out of 5; This was opaque in two coats! FINALLY. (Sorry for messy pix).
Overall: 4 out of 5; I would purchase this again. I like the pearly shade, and well, it's only $1!!!



Overall: I do not generally recommend ELF polishes, but I think with the pearlescent colors, you might find something you like. When I have more cash, I'm going to pick up some more of their pearly colors, and maybe a darker color, and see how those work out.

FOTD: Monday March 23 2009

This is a very pink eye look. Lotsa fun. :-)

Products used:

Cheeks: I used the Physician's Formula Mosaic Bronzer for contour, ELF Blusher in Shy for a highlight, and ELF Blusher in Glow as blush.
Eyeshadow: I primed with the Physician's Formula Virtual Eyes (review here). LA Colors palette in Serenade. I used the 2nd color on the inner 1/2, the 4th color on the outer 1/2, the 5th color in my outer V and crease. In ELF quad in Luxe, I used the gold color as a highlight and in the tear duct area.
Foundation: Almay Pure Blends Mineral Makeup in 400
Mascara: Maybelline XXL in Black
Lips: L'Oreal Glam Shine in Diva





My hair looks a little bizzaro in this pic but, oh well.

NOTD and FOTD: Tuesday March 17 2009 ST. PATRICK's DAY!

Are you ready for a St. Patrick's Day FOTD and NOTD????

Eye products

Dab on a very thin layer of the ELF cream shadow on to lids (I did the chartreuse in the inner 1/2, bronze outer 1/2). Using Coastal Scents 78-pc-palette, select the green labeled "1" and apply that to whole lid. Next, take bronzy color labeled "2" and apply to outer corner and a little ways into the crease. That pale champagne-y color "3" is for highlight. Apply to brow bone. Next, I applied the brown to the outer 1/2 of lower lash line and the green to the inner 3/4. Green liner to waterline, I used NYC waterproof in Teal. So, not quite green, but best I got. Curl your lashes and apply mascara of choice. Since these were more earthy colors, I used CG Lash Blast in Black/brown. A little more natural color. Oh, I also applied some black shadow "4" to my brows after grooming to color them in some. I don't do that everyday, but I had the CS palette out, so I thought, why not.

Voila:



Some face and lip products:

That whitish lipstick is actually a primer.
I used the Avon Blush in Earthen Rose for contour.


Now for the nails! Take the following ingredients:

And MIX!
3/4 SH Emerald City 1/4 SH Gunmetal. Add 3 drops each of a white and a black creme (I used Rimmel Nail Tip Whitener and Maybelline Onyx Rush). Next, I added a bit of NYX Crystal Glitter and NYX Pink Pearl. Add just a little NP remover to thin it out if necessary.

Now, that's what I did. You probably don't want to. Because if you're smarter than me, you'll realize that a glitter in an opaque polish will look dumb. It looks fairly reptilian. Hmm. That's what I'll call this. "Reptilian." Cool.

With Flash

W/o flashHoly crap! Look at all the green! Anyway, it was fun. :-)

FOTD: Sunday March 15 2009

Products used:
Covergirl Advanced Radiance Pressed Powder in Classic Beige
Avon True Color Blush in Earthen Rose
Estee Lauder All Day Lipstick in Starlit Pink
ELF Plumping Lip Glaze in Ruby Kiss
Rimmel Extra Super Lash Mascara in Black
ELF Brightening Eye Color in Drama (only sparkly black)
Jesse's Girl Color My World Shadow in Volcanic

Very simple. I swirled a fluffy brush through the JG Volcanic and swept it all over my lid. Turned into a lovely iridescent pink! (forgive the brows). Then I lined my lower lash with the sparkly black shadow from ELF Drama

Applied the Estee Lauder lipstick and then used the red side of the ELF gloss. WOWZA! Talk about bright!
Then, of course, I camwhored.