MAC Venomous Villains Haul

So it's Thursday and the new MAC/Disney collaboration was released today. I got there at 11 am and some items had already sold out due to presales. Luckily, everything I wanted was available and I was able to go home and start playing with some of the things I bought. Out of the 4 villains, I bought most of my items from Maleficent (the villain in Sleeping Beauty). I wish I could have bought more, but I don't really need anything else. What are you getting from MAC/ Disney collection? 

She Who Dares 

Briar Rose Beauty Powder, Vainglorious Eyeshadow, Dark Deed L/S, She Who Dares mineralize e/s 

She Who Dares E/S, Briar Rose Beauty Powder on cheeks, Dark Deed L/S 

She Who Dares 

Mac Venomous Villains Collection

In case you have not heard and you do not have your list ready, on Thursday Mac is said to release their collaboration with Disney. They have four Disney villain characters, each having about 6-9 different items. When I first heard about it I was definitely psyched since I love anything Disney, but once I started to see the pictures I must admit the packaging looked a little cheap to me. I remember the Hello Kitty collaboration and thought that was done nicely. I'm not saying that I'm ruling out buying some items, since I have my list of items to buy but I do hope that it doesn't disappoint. I'll post pictures once I've seen it in stores, but in the meantime feel free and look at it online. It's ready for purchase.

Ode to Orange

I like to think that I'm fairly adventurous with my make up. I've never been scared of a red or bright pink lip. I actually like to pair a smokey eye with a red lip, just because I don't think there are rules to make up. So when I heard that orange was the new red for Summer 2010, I jumped on that band wagon. I had no idea how many orange make up products I had purchased this summer. I've complied a list of my purchases. If you're like me, the thought of buying an orange lipstick scared me to death, but I was surprised to find how versatile and easy it was to wear orange. I've expanded from orange lipstick, to orange lipliner, orange blush and even orange eyeshadow. There are so many different shades or orange that it is very easy to find a right shade for you. I get the most compliments when I wear MAC's Optimistic Orange Cremeblush. I know it looks scary in the pan, but once it's applied it gives me a natural flush and I look well rested with fabulous skin. At the end of the day, if a color doesn't make you look your best you can just wipe it off, so why not experiment. You never know what you'll find if you don't.

MAC Optimistic Orange Cremeblush

L-R: Make up Forever Lipliner 17C, MAC Fold & Tuck Lipgloss, Everhip l/s, So Chaud l/s, Made to Order l/s, Revlon Coral l/s, Korres Peach l/s, Nars Orgasm blush, MAC Coral Crepe Paintpot 

same order as listed above

Do you feel pressure to buy when the sales person is nice?

I like to consider myself an educated consumer. Before I even go into Sephora, ULTA or MAC I already know what product I'm going to buy and how much it costs. Hell, at that point I've already compared to so many other products. One of the reasons that I do all of this research is because I like to be self sufficient, but also I know what I want and what my budget is and I feel guilty saying no I am not going to buy that when a sales person has been helpful. That was the case on Friday, I went to Sephora looking for specific nail polishes and this nice sales person representing Hourglass cosmetics offered to give me a makeover. Usually I would turn this down but I accepted the offer this time. I've seen the brand but I had never tried it. She was very nice and helpful and gave me some good tips. I wasn't even looking for a new primer or foundation (especially since I had just purchased a new tinted moisturizer). I have to admit that the products she used felt great and light but then the moment of truth happened (as it always does) and I had to check the price. You can imagine my shock at seeing that the make up primer was $55, the foundation was $50 and the taklon brush was $ 52; especially since I was only on planning to purchase a new nail polish. Of course I had the guilt of having to say no after she did a full face of make up. I could not justify spending so much money when I already had similar products at home. Previously I would have probably bought at least one item, but I'm happy to report that I said no and picked up my nail polishes. I will definitely purchase these items in the future, but only when I'm ready. Do you feel pressure to buy or can you say no?

Drugstore Goodies

I was cruising down the make up aisle at my local drugstore and  must admit I was very impressed by what I saw. Drugstore make up has really changed in the last few years. The brand that deserves the award for "Most Improved" would have to be Wet N' Wild. Have you checked out Wet N' Wild lately? Trust me, this is not the same Wet N' Wild that I remember growing up, however they've managed to keep their prices low. The eyeshadows have really blown me away. I recently picked up the Lust palette (6 eyeshadows for $4.99) and have only good news to report. All of the colors are so pigmented and smooth. It proves that you don't have to spend a boatload of money for good products. In addition to Wet N' Wild, I have found a new mascara that I am currently loving. Has anyone tried the new Covergirl Lashblast Fusion? It provides me with everything that I need without all of the clumping. I wasn't a fan of the original Lashblast, however I am really liking this formula. If you follow my blog, you may have seen a similar post comparing MAC and Covergirl lipstains. I definitely preferred the Covergirl version.  Now don't get me wrong, Sephora continues to be my favorite store (and I have the receipts to prove it) however, I have found many gems in my local drugstore. Trust me, some of these drug store items are also highly coveted. Have you seen the new Cremeblush sticks from NYC? You probably haven't because they've been sold out everywhere. I went searching like a crazy madwoman for these blushsticks and I finally found them in stock at ULTA; even though the Limited Edition color I wanted was sold out. And don't get me started on Milani, they are coming out with so many outstanding products. Happy drugstore shopping. I would love to know what you're currently obsessing after?

LOTD 6/6/10

I had to take passport pictures today so I decided to look like myself but a little bit better. 

EYES: Kat Von D Ludwig Palette 

Tequila on lid

Baroque on crease 

Leather + Lucifer on outer V 

MAC Fluidline gel liner 

Covergirl Lash Blast Fusion Mascara 

FACE: 

You Rebel tinted moisturizer 

MAC Hipness blush 

Lips: 

MAC Diva Lipstick 

Do you wear make up to the beach?

I know it sounds silly to wear make up to the beach. I've always been the type of person that would wake up on a Saturday/Sunday morning and decide that it was a beach day. I was too busy preparing my beach stuff to worry about my hair and make up. But of course, if you've ever strolled down Ocean Drive after being in the sand for a few hours, you end up looking chopped while everyone else is dressed to the nines. I guess that's the problem with attending the beach that is known as the beach where the beautiful people go. My morning of decision of not caring about my face or hair would be back to haunt me in the afternoon. I've decided to come up with a casual look for my beach escapades. The goal of this look is for it to be waterproof, but also to use fun colors that are perfect for beach wear. I've included the link to my YouTube tutorial with this look. Hope you enjoy. Do you wear make up when you go the beach? or is that just being too fussy?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv-y6rzKMP8
If you enjoy my videos, please subscribe to them on the YouTube website. http://www.youtube.com/user/MsMakeupaficionado

Thanks for stopping by.

Review: First Aid Beauty Anti-Redness Serum

I suffer from a mild rosacea and have struggled from some redness and bumpy areas on my cheeks. I've 

using this anti-redness serum from First Aid Beauty and I have been pleasantly surprised by it. It doesn't work miracles ( but honestly even the stuff my dermatologist prescribed didn't work miracles either). I've noticed a significant decrease in the redness in my cheeks and I need less make up to cover it up. I've included some pictures. 

Prior to application of anti-redness serum. 

After 10 mins of application. It remains red, however the texture is no longer bumpy and irritated. 

After applying a tinted moisturizer. No concealer was used. A more even skin tone 

I've had this serum for a few months already and it has been less expensive than anything I bought at the pharmacy. I focus less on the redness and have been able to wear less foundation and concealer. I will be purchasing this again. 

Haul

This is my latest haul video. If you have any requests for future tutorials or reviews please comment down below.

Thanks for watching.

Haul

This is my latest haul video. If you have any requests for future tutorials or reviews please comment down below.

Thanks for watching.

Tag Products I Regret Buying

Products I Regret Buying

I guess it's bound to happen when you purchase as much make up as I do. There are those moments where you realize that the hyped product that you just had to have was a disappointment. Sometimes it's a result of buying the "it" product when it really wasn't a good match for you. Other times it can be a result of it being a poor product. Make up is as personal and individual as underwear ( okay, maybe not that personal). I've read enough blogs and seen enough Youtube videos to know that people get upset when their fave products are featured on the "Products I Regret Buying" tag. Sometimes it's hard to understand how our favorite holy grail item is not adored by everyone; somehow we take it personally. I've uploaded my video of products I regret buying, but I want to know what products do you regret buying?

LOTD 5/23/10

Hi everyone sorry for the delay in my Look of the day. I've been trying to keep up with my blog posts while at the same time make videos for my YouTube channel. I hope you guys enjoy the looks and if you want to find out how to achieve these looks please subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Eyes
UDPP
MAC Nylon (on the lid)
MAC Folie (on the crease)
MAC Fluidline gel liner
MAC Plushlash mascara

Face
Revlon PhotoReady Foundation
MAC Full Fuchsia Blush

Lips
MAC Viva Glam Cyndi
MAC Red Enriched Lipliner

Dark Eyes & Red Lips

Review: BE Classic Glam 5 Piece Collection

Hello everyone, My QVC order is finally in. I used the shades for the first time today. They are easy to blend and you can build the intensity of the product. They shades are satiny but the only color that has glitter is the shadow liner. It was very simple to achieve the look on the box, and if you need additional help there's a guide in the box with instructions of shadow placement. I had been eyeing this kit for a few months at ULTA, but did not feel that it was worth the $34 advertised; however when I saw it on QVC for $23 I knew it had to be mine. 

This is how the product is described on the BE website: "This fashion-forward collection of 100% pure bareMinerals celebrates the eyes with a ravishing glow of vanilla cream and medieval stone, intensified by a deep, twinkling frame of metallic bronzed coal. Your cheeks and lips will glow with berry tones for a truly in vogue look." 

First Impressions= the shadows are fairly small (they are described as extra-small size on the BE website). I do own other BE eyeshadows and they do last a very long time because a little goes a long way. The shadows appeared very glittery and shiny, but once they are applied to the lid, it's  a nice satin color and I don't feel that they are glittery. The shadow liner does have chunks of glitter and I find that it's easier to apply that wet, otherwise you will have fall out of the product on your face. I've heard the BE CEO claim that the eyeshadows will never expire and have to be thrown out because they are made from minerals and there is nothing in them that will change or be altered with time. 

The size of the blush is a little larger than the eyeshadows, however it is still relatively smaller than regular size. The blush is a nice rosy color. 

The lipgloss is very pigmented and shiny. My only complaint about the lipgloss is the smell. It's a "natural" lipgloss but it has a strong plastic scent that does not go away. The smell of this gloss is very different from the Buxom lipgloss. The buxom lipgloss scent is minty and fresh. I don't know how put off I will be in the future by the scent of the gloss. I'll keep you posted. 

Overall= I would recommend this kit to anyone that wants a neutral, professional eye. You can definitely smoke it out and intensify the color for night time. I am happy I finally got this product. 

I will post a make up tutorial using these products in the upcoming days. 

Top Color=Pearl Sateen 

Followed by= Parisian Grey 

Charcoal Lame` Liner

So Fab Blush 

Pomegranate Natural Lipgloss 

comparison between regular size of BE shadows (.02 oz) and the shadows in the kit which is described as extra-small size (no weight was provided) 

Do you become attached to your make up?

I've always known that I tend to become attached to material items. Even as a child I recall being very loyal to my pencil bag, even when I damaged mine and wanted to steal my younger sister's, I just couldn't. Anyways, back to the topic at hand. I like to experiment with different make up brands, but I am very loyal to my first brands. I realized a few days ago that it was time to throw away an eyeshadow kit that I've had for way too long. I attempted to do a purple smokey eye and the shadows were crumbly and chalky. I realized I could no longer use that shadow, but I must admit that I haven't thrown it out yet. Why do I still have it in my make up drawer when I know that I will not be using it? I am a sucker for packaging.  The time had come to say good bye to my smokey eye palette. I don't have the space to keep make up palettes that I do not need. Do you keep make up around because you cannot force yourself to throw it away? I guess the same rule should apply; if you don't use it in X amount of time, throw it away. Here's to making more room in my drawer.                                                                        

Green & Purple Look

Who's watching QVC?

Of course it always happens, QVC had gone a few weeks without any good make up shows and temptations and of course as the MAC to the beach collection approaches, they have two big make up shows on t.v. Who do they think I am, an ATM. It started off with Mally Beauty having three shows on Thursday. While I didn't buy anything, there were a couple items I continue to have my eyes on.

Mally Waterproof Evercolor Starlight 3pc Pencil Set

QVC Price: $25.00

A200769Mally Evercolor Long Wearing Shadow Stick Trio

QVC Price: $50.00
Introductory Price: $45.45

A199513 Mally Poreless Face Defender with Sponge
QVC Price: $40.00
Introductory Price: $36.48

These are just a few of the items that I'm lusting after.


New A203554 Smashbox Halo Yellow Color Correcting Powder

QVC Price: $59.00
Advance Order Price: $48.74

A91350

bareMinerals Face Fashion: The Look of Now Classic Glam
Customer Top Rated
QVC Price: $34.00
Anniversary Price: $24.29

I will admit to making two QVC purchases this weekend. I couldn't resist. Smashbox showcased their Yellow Correcting Powder that will be shipped out in late June. It is supposed to counteract redness and it comes with a brush. Aside from the quality of the products, Smashbox always provides the brushes for their products. I didn't care for the Today's Special Value, which is Bare Minerals Faux Tan, but they did have a face kit that I've been eyeing for a few months. The price was too good to resist.Now the hard part is just waiting for my purchases.          

Lip Stains Yay or Nay???? Review MAC & CoverGirl

Lip Stains have been really huge this summer. Every brand has a lip stain out there. I first tried lip stains a few years ago with Urban Decay, and all I can remember is that I hated it. You may even remember that Revlon came out with lip stains about five years ago, but they must not have done well since they lasted less than a season. I decided to attempt lipstains once again and hoping that a lot had changed since the last time I had tried them. Here is my review.

A month ago, MAC came out with their Art Supplies collection which consisted of nine lip stains.

I bought the color Sunset.

Pros: These lip stains have the same vanilla scent as their lipsticks. There was no alcohol smell or after taste that was left on your lips from the stain. It dried quickly.

Cons: I might have gotten a defective lip stain, but the felt tip seems to be dry and it does not deposit the color evenly. Have to apply the color multiple times to get a more noticeable color.

Price: $16

(picture courtesy of MAC)

Covergirl has their Outlast Lip Stains which come in many different colors.

I bought # 435 and # 430.

Pros: They are rich and pigmented and deposit an even color. It stays on for hours, even during heat and humidity. Stayed on my lips during lunch.

Cons: Has an alcohol type taste while the stain dries. Takes longer than the MAC lipstains to dry. It's a little drying, but nothing a lip balm won't fix.

Price: $8.99 each ( I bought mine at Walgreens during a BOGO 1/2 sale).

Overall, I would repurchase the Covergirl Outlast Lipstains. It served my need of providing some color to my lips during high heat and humidity where a lip stick would not have been able to.

Top= MAC Sunset ( a few swipes needed)

Middle= CG # 430 ( two swipes)

Bottom= CG # 435 (one swipe)

Summer Collections

What style of make up do you prefer to wear in the summer? I love gold, shimmery, bronze and browns for the summer. I'm especially looking forward to MAC's To The Beach Collection which will debut the last week of May.

I want Hipness Blush (intense Coral color)

Marine Life Multi-colour pressed powder

MAC Brush 130

Temperature Rising lip pencil

check out musingsofamuse.com for pictures of the upcoming collection.

What's on your list of items that your lemming for?

Review: Brows A Go Go

I don't know if eyebrows are as important to everyone else, or if it's just me. I like the shape of my eyebrows (I'm way past the point of having thin, barely there eyebrows which never looked flattering). So you can imagine that I'm always looking for the next eyebrow kit, shadow or pencil. In the past I've tried Smashbox Brow Tech, Benefit Browzings and Maybelline brow pencil.

I recently purchased Benefit Brows A Go Go and here are my thoughts.

My First Impression: This kit contains two eyebrow colors, a light and a medium brown shade along with a medium color wax. It also contains a highlight powder and an eye bright. It is a complete kit, however I find the quantity to be a little too small for the price. I like the fact that you can mix the eyebrow shades to match your hair color. The mini-brush that comes with the kit is too soft and I use my Smashbox brow brush for application. I've tried other highlighters before, however the soft pink shade is nice and brings a lot of attention under my brow and it is not glittery or shimmery.

Price: It seems a little pricey, $38 for 5.49 g total of product. It comes with a mini black eye pencil, but the quality of the pencil seems average.

Quality: All of the colors are pigmented and creamy and smooth. The kit is in a cardboard type of packaging, but it is well made and durable. The mini tweezers included are poor and I only use them when I do not have my full sized tweezers.

All in all, I would recommend and repurchase this kit. I have a tutorial on how I use the kit and I will be posting it here as well.

What do you do with your eyebrows? are you obsessed like me?

Make Up for Beginners

I'm starting a series of blog posts regarding make up for beginners. In my first installment I'm tackling eye products first. Please rate, comment or subscribe if you like these types of posts.

I've compiled a nice stash of make up products throughout the years, but what if you are just beginning to purchase make up. What are the things that you really need? Do you really need to spend lots of money on high end products? Have you walked down the make up aisle in your local CVS, Walgreens, Target or Walmart? It can be very overwhelming if you don't know what you're looking for. We haven't even spoken about going to a MAC or Chanel counter in your local mall. I know that some women can feel confused walking into their local Sephora. One person's paradise can be another person's hell. So here's a list of the products that I feel should be part of everyone's make up kit.

EYES: Before you even begin to look at eyeshadow, every woman should own an eyeshadow primer. What is an eyeshadow primer? An eyeshadow primer helps to keep the color from creasing or fading. This step is never skipped in my make up routine. My favorite primer is made my Urban Decay (which can be purchased at Sephora, Ulta, or Urban Decay.com). TooFaced shadow insurance is comparable to UDPP. I know that L'oreal makes an eyeshadow primer, (L'oreal decrease), but I have not tried it and cannot give you my opinion.

EYESHADOWS: You can never go wrong with buying make up palettes if you're just beginning your make up stash. I would recommend Kat Von D Ludwig palette, which is very pigmented and contains a lot of neutral colors. It also contains the color Lucifer (which is a black matte color) and every woman needs a black eyeshadow in their stash. It's not only for goths. You can use the black in the outer corner to darken any color and give it some dimension. Believe it or not, using a black eyeshadow can make any color more wearable. If your short on funds, drugstore eyeshadows have been improved in the last couple of years and are now even more pigmented. Covergirl and Maybelline both have nice eyeshadow quads.

Eyeliner: There are almost as many options for eyeliner as there are eyeshadows. You can use gel, pencil, cream, liquid eyeliners; and lets not get started with the colors. How do you know which one to choose? If you're looking for a precise thin line, your best bet would be liquid or get liners. For liquid eyeliners you could choose Revlon Colorstay or L'oreal Lineur Intense. If you want a gel liner you will also need a brush. MAC makes a pigmented black gel liner (Blacktrack Fluidline) and Maybelline and Physician's Formula both have gel liners on the market. When choosing a pencil liner, you want to make sure that it's waterproof and will not smudge throughout the day. My absolute favorite eyeliners are made from Urban Decay. They have so many different colors and they are all nicely pigmented. On a comparable note, Milani just came out with their Pencil liquify eye pencil and L'oreal Extra Intense Eyeliner is also waterproof and highly pigmented.

Cream eyeliners are easy to work with because they're creamy, but I find that it can smudge a little if you don't set it with eyeshadow. Smashbox specializes on cream eyeshadows and it's drug store counter part would be L'oreal's HIP Cream eyeliners.

Stay tuned for my next installment on Face Products.

LOTD 5/3/10

This is the palette I used for my Look of the Day. It's from Tarte Cosmetics. It was their limited edition Christmas palette called the Vanity. It has very nice, subdued colors. The eyeshadows definitely need a colored base if you want more than just a light wash of color. It also contains 16 lipsticks (which are all very pigmented) and the third tier contains a highlighter, a contour color and four blushes. The blushes range in color from pink, peach, bronzey colors.

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MAC Painterly Paintpot

Lid- 2nd color on the 2nd row from the Vanity palette

Eyeliner- Urban Decay in Graffiti

Mascara- MAC Plushlash

Face:

You Rebel - tinted moisturizer by Benefit

Blush- combination of the top 2 blushes from the Vanity Palette

How long do you keep your make up?

Do you keep your make up too long? Do you know when you should throw out your make or do you disregard the rules? I think I've been guilty of both. I've also been guilty of not cleaning my make up brushes as often as I should, but I digress.

First off, if your make smells or stinks, looks different or has separated you need to throw it out.

Make sure your hands are always clean before you start touching your make up. That's one way to decrease the amount of bacteria that gets on your make up.

All products have a different shelf life depending on what's in them.

Mascaras are the most notorious because they are breeding grounds for bacteria because of their wet and dark consistencies.

Oil-Free Foundation - 1 year

Concealer - 12-18 months

Powder - 2 years

Cream Blush - 12-18 months

Powder Eye Shadow - 2 years

Cream Eye Shadow - 12-18 months

Eyeliner - 2 years

Liquid Eyeliner - 3-6 months

Mascara - 3 months

Lipstick - 2 years

Lip gloss - 18-24 months

If you're using natural products, you will have to throw those out sooner because they do not contain any ingredients to help them last longer.

I've also noticed many make up companies including the number of months to keep the product once it's been opened.

If you cannot remember how long you've had it, it's a good indication that you need to replace it.

My next blog post will be about how to prolong the shelf life of your products by keeping them clean.

April Faves

These are my April Favorites. I also wanted to give honorable mentions to some items that I did not include in the video.

You Rebel- Benefit tinted moisturizer

OPI nail polish - I good man-darin is hard to find

MAC Springshine Blush.

What are some of your favorites?

Wearable Bronze

I hope you guys like my eye shadow tutorial. It's using my Kat Von D palette. It's an easy, wearable, everyday look.

New Lash tutorial

Traditional Smoky Eye

I love doing a smoky eye, but I know that it can be a little intimidating at first. Rule # 1 is to always practice a new look and to remember that make up is washable if you don't like the result. I'm going to break down the smoky eye into small steps. Also, the colors can always be substituted using the same technique. You can have a purple or blue smoky eye. There are no limits in make up.

Step #1= Always prime your eyelids. I use Urban Decay Primer Potion to prevent creasing. Next apply a dark base on your eyelid only (do not go above the crease). I used MAC paintpot in Blackground, but you could use anything. You could use a black eyeliner as a base.

Step #2= Apply a black eyeshadow over the base color you previously applied. This is to intensify the color and make it last longer. It's amazing how easy it is to find a matte black eyeshadow now. I used Lucifer from the Kat Von D Ludwig palette, but I know CoverGirl and Wet n Wild both have black eyeshadows. MAC has Carbon black eyeshadow. I decided to wing out the eyeshadow a little bit.

Step #3= Apply a brown color in the crease and above the crease. The trick to having a smoky eye, is that it's supposed to have a gradation in color. From black to brown to light. Make sure those two colors are blended. I used Leather from the Kat Von D Ludwig palette.

Step #4= Apply a highlight color under the brow. Blend the light color and the brown color so that there are not any harsh lines between the two. I used Tequila, again from the same Kat Von D palette.

Final Step= Line the waterline. I used Urban Decay eyeliner in Zero. Smudge some of the black eyeshadow on the lash line. Curl lashes and apply mascara. You are ready for a night out with your Smoky eye. Good Luck and have fun.