KC Fashion Week - Fall 2012

I've been off work for nearly a month now because of a back issue. I went to the doctor Tuesday, and he released me to go back to work next Monday. But I've been itching to get my hands on some hair... and I saw a posting that they were short of help for the Saks Fifth Ave - Off 5th show for the opening show. The posting said they needed hair and makeup artists. By the time I saw the posting all of the makeup positions were filled up but they still needed hair people. I decided this would be a dry run of how my back would do when I go back to work. I signed myself and a former student who recently graduated, Chris, up!

As any good hairdresser would do, I made sure to sanitize all my tools before heading out to an event. I always make sure to have extras of everything in case I drop something and more importantly so I'm not using the same comb on everyone (GROSS!).

I woke up earlier than usual this morning and thought that I would be ready to go... that didn't really work out so well. One of my besties, Kaitlyn, came over for coffee this morning and a haircut. We got sidetracked visiting and lost track of time. We did recover some time thanks to Kaitlyn helping me pack my bag, making me lunch, helping me pick an outfit, picking out accessories (while I did hair and makeup). Did I mention how awesome she is?? Well, she is. 

I made it out the door with 20 minutes to make it downtown and to the location. I made it but couldn't find parking!! I ended up circling the block a couple of times and pulled into a parking garage as a last resort (only ended up being $4!). I hoofed it down a couple of blocks to the location and began setting up, luckily the models weren't there yet! 

Chris and I got all set up and ready to go. We each had 5 heads to do, more if we had time or less if we didn't. The designer for the Saks show was amazing! She made sure that each model had a sheet they gave to the hair/makeup artist with the concept that she wanted, it was a great help!! 

The first model that sat down in my chair had very long, thick blonde hair. Her concept was hair down, loose/soft curls. This one took the longest to do!!

 

 (I think this is my favorite look)

The second model had long hair that was a little dry. Her concept was a soft slicked back ponytail with hair around the band. Pretty simple? Um, well her hair was thicker than I had thought!!

(Tried to incorporate the blonder section for visual interest in the wrap)

The third model had shorter hair, but I knew I was going to have to hit it with the flat iron (at least around the edges). Her concept was a big top knot. The hardest part was getting the underside of her to stay up because it was much shorter than the rest of her hair!

(I think she looked like a ballerina!)

The fourth model came in like an hour before the run-through, so we didn't have much time and she had to do makeup too! The makeup crew was nice enough to allow me to do her hair while they worked on her too. Anyhow, she had quite the mane that had some nice natural waves going on. Her concept was more edgy, funky, and my favorite... BIG! I was getting frustrated because I couldn't get any volume in the crown so I ended up pulling it up partially.

(Last minute creations are always so fun!)

Model five was actually one of Chris' girls, but he had to leave a little early. When he had done her hair earlier there wasn't much he could do because they didn't have the headband she was going to be wearing. Once the headband arrived I re-poofed her, flipped out the ends, and placed the headband. 

(Pretty cutesy)

I had a fabulous time with some pretty fabulous people. This was my second time participating in KC Fashion Week and as long as I'm here I plan to continue participating.

 Does your town have a fashion week??

Kansas City Fashion Week

$20 Makeup Challenge

The buzz around the beauty community on YouTube is all about the $20 makeup challenge tag. It's a hypothetical experience that involves the airline losing your luggage, specifically the bag that contained your makeup. You only have a $20 budget to get a full face of makeup and any tools necessary. I've watched several of my favorite gurus do their version and was impressed with what they came up with. So I decided to take the challenge on myself... only I don't use a lot of drugstore makeup. Needless to say, this was definitely going to be a challenge for me!!

I headed out to Walgreens to look for a couple of Milani products that I had been wanting and decided that was the day to start the challenge. I was disappointed with Walgreens because they didn't carry Milani at that location or any of the locations in my county... so to Walmart I went. The first Walmart was beyond picked over and crazy busy. We (my youngest son & I) traipsed down a few more miles to another Walmart only to be disappointed again by the Milani display. We probably spent a good 20 minutes or so trying to come up with the right combination of products. This was the batch we ended up walking out with:

- e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen (Black)
           $1.00
- NYC Smooth Skin Powder (702A Naturally Beige)
           $2.74
- wet'n'wild Shadow Trio (335 Silent Treatment)
           $2.93
- NYC City Duet 2in1 Lip Color (422 The Cherry Blossoms)
           $2.74
- Hard Candy Flat to Fab Mascara (Blackest Black)
           $7.00
- NYC Smooth Skin Liquid Makeup (677 Nude)
          $2.74

My total with tax was $20.65... so sue me I'm over a little.



I was pretty impressed with how far $20 would actually stretch... however I was a little nervous about how each of these products would work for me. I'm not one to back down from a challenge though!!

After we got home I hopped on YouTube to refresh my memory of some of the other looks people came up with. That's when I started to doubt some of the purchases I had made... someone else had already used the wet'n'wild trio that I had picked up, I wasn't crazy about a lipstick that had 1 color on each side, and the powder puff in the compact was not so great... So I rifled through my collection and found a few substitute products. Here's what the final combination ended up being:

- e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen (Black)
           $1.00
- e.l.f. Hypershine Lipgloss (Berry Cherry)
          $1.00
- Hard Candy Flat to Fab Mascara (Blackest Black)
          $7.00
- NYC Smooth Skin Liquid Makeup (677 Nude)

          $2.74

- e.l.f. Tone Correcting Concealer (Light Beige)

          $1.00

- NYC Ultra Moist Lip Wear (316 Blossom)

          $0.97

- wet'n'wild Shadow Trio (330B Walking on Eggshells)

          $2.93

My total with tax ends up being $19.36. 

I could deal with that! So I went to work filming and editing the video (I'm post it at the end of this blog).  It has now been 10 hours since I applied said products and I think that's enough time to give a fair assessment.

Completed look immediately after application

                             10 hours later...

So, as you can see my skin is seriously shiny... but wait until you see this:

 

 

Clearly this isn't working for me... 

The shadows creased like crazy.

My lashes feel crunchy.

My skin is itchy and oily.

 I'm not counting each of these products out yet, but some I know for sure I won't be using again! I know for sure I won't be using that foundation ever again... I couldn't even get it out of the bottle without using a q-tip, even after shaking it and pounding it on my hand a dozen times. My skin feels just flat gross. Keep in mind that I have oily skin to begin with, so it may work for you. The concealer didn't really do it's job either, not as a concealer or a primer. The powder I may give another shot or two, it's supposed to be clarifying which typically helps with oil. Oh mascara... if you know me at all, you know that I typically wear false lashes. I don't like crispy lashes, bottom line. Lipstick/lip gloss, I'm pretty easy on them. I have 4 or 5 in my purse, I change my mind too often to really give a fair assessment of any lip product. Shadows... I'm anxious to actually try them with a good primer. I'll let you know how that goes. Now let me tell you about this little eyeliner marker business. I was not happy with this guy at all! The product didn't come out as dark or as fluid as I had hoped. I had to reapply it several times to get the darkness I wanted. I'm a liquid or gel liner kind of girl, so I like dark and fast... this however didn't do either.

I did enjoy trying to stretch that $20, maybe I'll try other combinations and see how they work out.

I do have to admit that it did look pretty darn good at first (except for the brows!).

Well enough will all this jibber-jabber, go enjoy the video!!

Love & Lashes

XO

Olive Smokey Eyes - Inspired by EmilyNoel83

I'm an avid watcher of many makeup gurus on YouTube, but I always love when I see a new post from EmilyNoel83 (you may know her as Beauty Broadcast). I love how she mixes high end with drug store items, something I find myself doing on most occasions. Anyhow, her most recent haul (Walgreens HAULgreens! (Makeup)) she picked up some limited edition items from Maybelline that I just absolutely had to have! I'll be the first to admit that I'm kind of a makeup snob, so Maybelline isn't one I typically reach for... but I have been pleasantly surprised this time! After running out to Walgreens (while heavily medicated and unable to walk without assistance, mind you) I finally got the items: 2 color tattoos and 2 eyestudio quads (they were buy 1 get 1 50% off!).

Top Left: Maybelline Color Tattoo in 200 Mossy Green
                         
Top Right: Maybelline Color Tattoo in 100 Barely Beige
                         
Top Quad: Maybelline EyeStudio in 400 Olive Martini

Bottom Quad: Maybelline EyeStudio in 200 Smokey             
                                     Cinnamon

Top 4 Vertical Swatches: Smokey Cinnamon

Bottom 4 Vertical Swatches: Olive Martini

2 Horizontal Swatches: Color Tattoos

(I went outside to show true color in natural light.)





Emily's eye look in that video was so pretty that I was anxious to recreate it myself, but much to my excitement... Emily posted a how to video for Deep Olive Eyes! (Drugstore)!!! So I watched her video a handful of times and decided today was the day I would attempt it. So here's my look:

I kind of added a few extra things, but it's basically the same look. Here's a look at everything I used:

Brushes are from various places: Sephora, Crown, MAC, Sonia Kashuk, and e.lf.

If you're interested in a specific brush, let me know and I'll give you details.

I used a wide variety of brands when it came to this look... this is every makeup product that I put on my face! I know it's a ton of stuff, I surprised myself.

If you're curious as to what a product is, just ask!

Here's my complete look!

If you're interested in learning this look or watching the video I watched, check out Emily on YouTube:

Love & Lashes

XO

Valentine's MAC Haul

Valentine's day has come and gone for 2012! This year I asked for MAC makeup and boy did I get it!!! I got to go pick out a ton of stuff on Saturday, my husband loves me ha-ha. Here's what I got:

Face: Pro Longwear Foundation in NW20
          Fix+ Skin Refresher/Finishing Mist
          Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in LIGHT
          Pressed Blot Powder in MEDIUM


Cheek: Sheertone Blush in COYGIRL


Eyes: Opulash Mascara in OPTIMUM BLACK
          Paint Pot in PAINTERLY
          Fluidline Eyeliner in BLACKTRACK
          Pressed Eye Shadow in SATIN TAUPE
          Quad Shadow Palette in SHOP&DROP
          Quad Shadow Palette in CALL ME BUBBLES

Fragrance: Turquatic

Brushes: 224 Tapered Blending
               275 Angled Shader
               209 Eyeliner










I'm totally obsessed now!!

 I got a couple different foundation samples from the Nordstrom counter before I went to the MAC store on Saturday. I was a little worried because I have oily skin and the first couple days I had to blot my skin around noon... but not anymore! The combination of the blot powder and the FIX+ make my skin look amazing! Of course it's only been a couple of days, so I'll give you a full review in a few weeks.

Shadows: I've used the SATIN TAUPE the most, and basically as an all over color. I've been using the paint pot as a base instead of a primer and so far it's awesome. The picture of the quads don't really do them justice, they're far prettier than pictured.

The Gaga lip products I bought on Tuesday night because I knew the new Nicki Minaj/Ricky Martin stuff was coming out that weekend. If you like nude lips than you'll really like the Gaga stuff. I love the texture and smoothness of both.


I'm in love with the perfume!!! I typically wear Betsey Johnson, and this is a nice change up! It's such a fresh smell!!


I fully intend to make another trip down to the MAC store or order online this week!! Did I mention I'm obsessed now?


LOVE & LASHES!!! XO

Hint of Sapphire

Today I filmed and uploaded a video inspired by a MAC eyeshadow that I purchased a while back.

Part of the semi-precious collection, this is "Hint of Sapphire." It's got lots of blues, greens, purples, and even a touch of copper. I bought it on impulse... I typically don't buy blue shadows because I feel like Mimi from Drew Carey when I wear them. I just couldn't get over how beautiful it was!!! I ended up buying the purplish one too (Rare Find). I haven't really worn either of these that much, but after using it today that might change! I really like the consistency.

This was the inspiration for the look I did today, peacock earrings I purchased from Charming Charlie. I was wearing my purple dress (which you will see in the video) and wanted a splash of color. I just love these earrings.





Let's get on to the products that I used to create this look:

1- MAC mineralize in Hint of Sapphire
2- Ulta eyeshadow in Bone
3- Jesse's Girl eye dust in Ultra Violet
4- Ulta pearl shimmer powder
5- Jesse's Girl kohl eyeliner in Blue Steel
6- Jesse's Girl kohl eyeliner in Bourbon Street
7-Tarte mascara - Lights, camera, lashes!

*Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden was applied prior to shadow of any kind.




So where can you find these products?

MAC- any MAC store, Macy's, Nordstrom, www.maccosmetics.com
Ulta- any Ulta store, www.ulta.com
Jesse's Girl- Rite Aid, www.jessesgirlcosmetics.com
Tarte- Sephora, Beauty Brands, Ulta,  www.tartecosmetics.com
Urban Decay- Sephora, Ulta, www.urbandecay.com

Here's the video:

Friday Favorites

Friday is finally here! Yay!

This week has been full of firsts for me, including this very first Friday Favorites! Every Friday I will post a few of my favorite things from this week, it could be anything! Here's what I'm loving this week:

Favorite #1

"All Together Dead" by Charlaine Harris
-book 7 in the Sookie Stackhouse series

I'm a huge fan of the HBO show "True Blood," that's how I came to know about these novels. The books are similar, but not exactly the same as the show. I love that I have something to keep up my insatiable appetite for Bon Temps during the show's off season... I'M OBSESSED!

Favorite #2

"Nightmare Before Christmas" Scarf


I bought this adorable scarf at Downtown Disney outside Disneyland in Anaheim, California when I was there in September. I'm a huge fan of the film and had to have this. I wear this scarf all the time, regardless of how girly my outfit for that day is. I guess I also feel a bit entitled because my birthday is on Halloween. I always get tons of compliments on it!

Favorite #3

Schwarzkopf Dust It Mattifying Powder

This has got to be one of the most legit products on the market for thin/fine hair. I have to admit that I wasn't sure I was going to like it at first, only because I was a do-do bird and didn't cover some of the holes... if you shake it out without covering at least half the holes you get WAY too much product (I had to reshampoo my hair). I put a piece of tape over half the holes and have been in love with what it does for my do. I shake it into my hair at the base/scalp near the crown (or anywhere else I want major volume), rub it in a bit, tease just a touch at the base, and voila! I've got amazing volume! Not to mention that the mattifying properties help keep the grease from invading.

Favorite #4

e.l.f. Blush in the color fushia fusion

I love this blush for several reasons... the most obvious is the price ($3)! I was a bit skeptical when I originally purchased this blush because of the price, but the pigment is so pretty! It's got sparkle and it's pink! Like an almost bubble gum pink (this picture doesn't do it justice). I've been wearing this with a really natural eye and lip. You can pick this up at Target or on the e.l.f. website (www.eyeslipsface.com).

Favorite #5

Cameo Skull Earrings from Evil Pawn Jewelry

I've been in love with these since the night I bought them, which happened to be a charity event for Evil Pawn. The designer, Faith Evangeline, happens to be this super sweet gal I met at a trade show this past summer. She's making big waves in the fashion world! I have a few other pieces from EPJ and intend to purchase many more! Check out the website www.evilpawnjewelry.com

Favorite #6

Necklace from Charming Charlie

This picture so doesn't do this necklace justice... it's different shades of pink. I picked this up on the clearance rack for like $7... I like bling, I like pink, and I like the price. I just bought this, but I've put it on every morning trying to get it to match whatever I have on... hasn't happened yet. I will find an outfit to pull this necklace off!!!








Well, that's it for this weeks' Friday Favorites! Let me know what your favorites are!!!

BIRCHBOX Nov. 2011

A few weeks ago I was doing my usual youtubin' and was watching some past videos of LetitiaLaura. She was showing off these super cool samples from something called BIRCHBOX, I was intrigued! I found so many other people on the tube enjoying these super nice samples, in bigger than one use packages I might add, and wanted some for myself! So I signed up on birchbox.com to receive this cute little pink box for $10 a month. I figured I would spend that $10 on something, might as well do it on something fun... and who doesn't like to receive stuff in the mail, not to mention surprise stuff!?!? I've been trying to wait patiently for this day to come... I got an email yesterday that my box had shipped from New York so I assumed it would be sometime next week before it arrived, but here it is!!!

How did they know that pink was my favorite color????

It's bigger than I thought it would be! (I have it positioned on top of my MacBook Pro)

I couldn't wait to crack it open!!!

I was pleasantly surprised when I sliced it open, they put another cute box inside. It's a sturdy one too! Did I mention that the logo there on top was shiny? I like these people already!!!

Then to find this cute little message on the inside.

On the back of this card is a listing of all of the products that I would find inside (see below)


5 awesome products that I can't wait to put to good use!

Here's what I found inside:
1 Jouer - Lip Enhancer
2 Kate Spade - Twirl fragrance
3 Supersmile - Whitening Toothpaste
4 Zoya - Polish in Noel
5 Alex and Isabelle - Classic Hair Tie*

*this is a "treat," an extra goody from the peeps at birchbox

I got right to work on a video to share this awesome new gift to myself!!!

This is such a cool concept and I'm really looking forward to seeing what else will fill my mailbox in the months to come! Have you signed up yet??? www.birchbox.com