Spend More, Get More at www.eyeslipsface.com

E.L.F. does not get nearly as much love as it deserves. You really can't beat the price. This has turned into one of my most favorite brands. No, seriously!

When I first discovered E.L.F, I thought it was more like a little girl brand. A new Bonne Bell if you will. Over the years, as the brand introduced new products and tools, I realized this isn't your little girl's makeup. I understand you get what you pay for. But with the prices at E.L.F what you get is some surprising quality. I've become obsessed.

But now for the most amazing deal. Go to the site now. You have until 11/21/10!!

• Spend $50 and get a $25 gift card. (Use code CB25)
• Spend $25 and get a $10 gift card. (Use code CB10)
• Spend $15 and get a $5 gift card. (Use code CB5)

You can get Holiday gifts for all the makeup lovers on your list. And then a lot for yourself.

Happy Shopping!

Leona Lewis: Neutral Eye with a little something special. ;)

I've always loved a Neutral eye with a pop of color. Well apparently so does Leona Lewis.

She looks absolutely beautiful and this eye makeup isn't too dramatic yet it has a little something that makes you do a double take. Here she is using an electric green almost teal. But this look can be done with ANY color. I would recommend to make your eyes pop, we'll pull out the color wheel:

• Brown: I believe that with Brown eyes you can pretty much wear any color you want. I like purple tones on brown eyes. But Teal is my go to color with this type of look.
• Blue: Any color with an orange tone is amazing on blue eyes. This would look awesome with an orangy-ish, copper.
• Green: Purple tones would definitely make green eyes pop.
• Hazel: Another versatile eye color depending on what you're looking for. Purple will bring out the green in hazel eyes or a blue color would bring out the gold tones.

If you've always coveted those bright, bold colors this is a great look to introduce them to your makeup collection. Baby steps.

How to do a Matte Smoky Eye

I am asked very often, by family and friends, about how to do a smoky eye. So last night, I attempted to film my first makeup tutorial. My boyfriend and I set everything up and I locked myself in the bedroom. It didn't quite work out as planned and at 1:00 in the morning, you could tell I wasn't into it. I guess it wasn't meant to be because the camera went dead before I could finish. I'm not having luck with video tutorials. I'm hoping I'll get it right sometime.

1. Prime your eye using whatever primer you're comfortable with. I used Two Faced Shadow Insurance.
2. Since mattes tend to go on kind of blotchy (how technical is that) take a creamy brown product and use this as a base as well. NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Dark Brown would be a good choice but any brown base would work. Apply this lightly on the lid and blend it out with a synthetic brush like MAC's 242.
3. Then take a medium brown color like Espresso by MAC, and using MAC's 239, pack this all over the lid. Use this color to very softly blend out the crease. (Loew Cornell 1/4 " Maxine Mop is a great alternative to this brush.)
4. Next use a rusty, brick color to warm up the crease. Apply this lightly with a fluffy brush like MAC's 224. 
5. Use a darker brown or a black to lightly darken (lightly, darken-Does that make sense?) the outer V.
6. Take that same color and use it as a liner on the lid. 
7. Use this same dark color under the eye and concentrate in the outer corner.
8. Take a flesh tone color, and use this as your brow highlight and to blend down the crease color.
9. At this point, you can either line your waterline with a dark brown or black pencil. If you choose to skip this step, take a flesh tone pencil and "clean" up the waterline because I'm sure some product got on there.
10. To add a little shimmer, I took Shroom by MAC and applied this under the brow.
11. Curl your eye lashes, apply your favorite mascara, and falsies if you wish....and you're done.

I love to do a matte smoky eye. It's dramatic without looking too overdone. If it is possible for a smoky eye to not look overdone. :) Sooooo, that's it. On the lips you can use a neutral color or go all out. It's up to you.

How to spot fake MAC products

This has been said time and time again but I thought I would revisit the topic. You can tell a brand has gained notoriety when people start to duplicate it. We saw it with Louis Vuitton, Coach, Gucci, and Fendi. And now we are seeing it with MAC Cosmetics. So I thought for those of you that want to know if a product you're buying is fake keep reading.

I worked on a dance recital a few months back, and the "artist" had this huge brush set. I looked over at it and I said "Oh that's a nice brush set." Instantly, she replied "Yeah it's MAC." So I thought I would be nice and tell her that she got ripped off. (I said it more discreet than that.) Do you believe she debated me on this? As she pulled out her 120 palette with MAC printed on it. The girl she was working on says "I didn't know MAC made a palette like this." And the artist says "Yeah, she says it's fake but I got it straight from the manufacturer that supplies MAC." Huh? SMH.

• Most MAC products found on ebay are fake. We all want a bargain but I would suggest that you hit a CCO (Cosmetic Company Outlet) for this. You will most likely be buying a fake product off of an auction site.
• Any brush set that comes with a sponge tip applicator is fake. MAC doesn't offer these. With that being said......
• A 32 piece brush set for $50 is definitely fake. Some of MAC brushes cost close to that or more. Why would they make a whole brush set for that price? So if you see this:.

Don't bother. It's a fake. And honestly, it's not a good brush set either. My friend bought it off of ebay and it's awful.

• MAC eye shadows that have a flip top with a mirror and sponge tip applicator underneath.....FAKE. As I said before, none of MAC products come with this type of applicator.
• The Hello Kitty collection was another huge duplicated product line. Hello Kitty had the Too Dolly quad and the Lucky Tom quad. That is exactly what they are; a QUAD with 4 eye shadows. So if you see a palette with 6 rectangular eye shadows. It's fake.
• 120 palette from MAC for $69.99. Come on guys. 1 eye shadow costs $11 for pan only. Let's do the math. $11 times 120 equals....$1,320. Now why would a company then say but we'll give you this sweet deal. Now really. Think about it.   

Now I know some people say well why does it matter if it's fake or not. It matters because why buy the product just because it has MAC printed on it. People who know anything about makeup buy MAC for the quality of the product not the name. A fake product may not have that same quality as the real thing. You don't know what's in it. It's just not worth the risk. Do your homework about any product that you buy to use on yourself or, better yet, your clients.  

Sally Hansen Blue Nails with "Zebra" Print

How come, every time I do my nails, I have to pee as soon as I'm done. I don't get it. Does this happen to anyone else?! Anywho....Moving on.

I do this look often. I started doing this on metallic nails and it looked absolutely awesome. So when I was painting my nails one day with this bright Sally Hansen polish in Brisk Blue, I decided let me try  this with Zebra print and loved the results.

I filmed a nail tutorial for this but since I was too lazy to grab my video camera and tried to film it on my Samsung digital camera...it didn't quite work out. But oh well. Next time. If you want to see a tutorial, let me know and I'll try again. Products used:

Alison Raffaele - Acne Response Face Primer

I've had this face primer for awhile now so I decided to start using it again. And with that I decided to do a review. I'm kind of a fan and I'm kind of not. The product claims to be a face primer and acne treatment. I can't say that I have noticed a difference with my awful blemishes that have appeared suddenly. I can definitely say that it doesn't leave my face feeling dry. It actually has a very smooth texture and allows your foundation to apply nicely. When I applied it, I put it on my favorite palette (my hand) and applied it with a sponge. After, I put my foundation on my hand to be applied with a MAC 168. So when I went to wash my hands, it seemed that once the water hit that spot where the products were it acted like a sealant. I tell you this stuff would not budge as I scrubbed my hand with soap and water. I would imagine that if you spritz your finished makeup with some MAC Fix+ or a similar product, it would probably increase the staying power. I haven't tried this yet, but I'll let you know. So I guess I'll continue with the pros on this one.

• Not tested on animals.
• The packaging is made from recycled material AND the bottle itself can be recycled with your plastic.
• Free of parabens, oils, talc, and other yucky stuff.
• Contains SPF15!

And now for the cons:

• Even though a little goes a long way, this 1 Fl. Oz. bottle retails for $44. Yikes!
• One of the biggest cons (and why I would probably not recommend this product to everyone); when applied the primer leaves an ashy sheen. Even on my pale skin. This is not cool. I have started using this only on blemishes, under my eyes, and other spots where I tend to apply layers of makeup to achieve maximum coverage. 

When I noticed the paleness that this leaves, I used a foundation that was a shade darker than my skin tone. This helped. All in all, the product is definitely a good primer. It does the job. I'm not a touch up kinda gal and when I used this, even with layers of concealer, foundation, and powder, I did not have to reapply my makeup at all. There are certainly more affordable primers out there that will give the same results. So I guess, I'm neutral. If you want a product that is paraben free and environmentally friendly, then Alison Raffaele is the one for you.

YouTube and Makeup Gurus

I've recently got back into watching makeup tutorials on YouTube. Wow! Since I started watching these types of videos about 3 years ago, the beauty community on this site has grown like craaazzy!! I have learned a lot over the years from every video I have watched. Even if the lesson is what NOT to do. :) With that being said, I have decided to make a teeny-tiny (very tiny) list of my favorite gurus on YouTube. These users really know their stuff. Links to their channels will be listed under their names. So go check them out, watch a few videos, and if you feel like I do hit the yellow subscribe button.

My ALL time favorite gurus!!!

xsparkage AKA Leesha
http://www.youtube.com/user/xsparkage?blend=1&ob=4
Leesha is a pretty famous guru. Anyone who frequently visits the beauty community on YouTube probably already knows who she is. She is one of the most knowledgeable about makeup application, products, and such. But on top of that (and what keeps me loyal to her channel) is that she is one of the most natural. You can tell that she isn't reading from a script. You can tell that she is sincere in her reviews. And she isn't one to go on and on. She is to the point making it easy to watch her whole video rather than skipping pieces. 5 Stars Leesha!!! BTW: Her "first impression" videos are awesome. I hope she makes more soon.

Petrilude AKA Josh
http://www.youtube.com/user/petrilude
I found petrilude through Leesha's channel and was so happy that I did. I have learned a TON of tips, tricks, and techniques from him. He is an insanely talented artist. I can't stress that enough. He gives me chills sometimes. He is another guru that is to the point, tells you like it is, and is definitely sincere and natural. I mean, I don't know these two users personally but you can tell that they are just doing their thing. 

The best product reviews!!

pinkiecharm AKA Irene
http://www.youtube.com/user/pinkiecharm?blend=1&ob=4
If you want an honest review on a product, check out this channel. She reviews high end to drugstore products. Her reviews are very detailed. You can tell she is honest in her reviews because she doesn't always say "This is fabulous!!! Get this." So whether she gets the product free or she pays for it herself...who cares! She tells you what she thinks. And I totally trust her opinions.

HOWEVER....With that being said, everyone is different. So what works (or doesn't work for pinkiecharm) may be the opposite for you. So take product reviews on YouTube (from any user) for what they are and that is mostly opinion.


Just a few more:
Koren: http://www.youtube.com/user/EnKoreMakeup
Makeup Geek: http://www.youtube.com/user/makeupgeektv?blend=7&ob=4
Michelle Phan: http://www.youtube.com/user/michellephan?blend=8&ob=4
Samantha & Nicola: http://www.youtube.com/user/pixiwoo
Elessa: http://www.youtube.com/user/pursebuzz
Tiffany D: http://www.youtube.com/user/makeupbytiffanyd?blend=1&ob=4

Anywho.... I can go on and on with makeup gurus that I come across in the YouTube world and that I adore but those listed are just a few I trust based on the content of their videos. So if you want to start "learning" from makeup tutorials go check them out. Take it for what it is. And enjoy. 


**Please note: Anyone, and I mean ANYONE, can name themselves a "guru" on YouTube. So just because someone says a product is good or a technique will work doesn't always make it fact. Sooooo, don't bombard any user with hate mail or comments because what they put in a video didn't work for you.  In addition, I will be the first to tell you that there are no rules to makeup however I have seen quite a few videos of things that are just plain wrong or not flattering. So if you're trying to learn to become a makeup artist then do a little more research and practice, practice, practice. Experiment. Try things out. If it doesn't work, try it differently etc. Okay, I'm done.