Saving Face

For a long time, foundation (and finding the perfect foundation routine) has been the absolute bane of my existence. I live in hot and humid Florida, and have oily skin. Good luck keeping anything on my face, huh!

 

After a few years, I finally found a routine that works (for me), and I love sharing about the products that I've found that help keep my skin looking matte and smooth all day.

 

There's two products that I swear by, and are my must haves whenever I put my face on.

 

The first one is what I use as a primer.

Monistat Chafing Powder-Gel.

Yea... bear with me for a bit, because I get a lot of strange looks when I admit to using this.

 

I've used a lot of face primers, and this, by far, has been the best thing I've used as a primer.

While it may seem strange, it works.

 

It has often been compared to Smashbox Photo Finish Primer.

One of the main active ingredients in both products is Dimethicone. This is a type of silicone that is used in many makeup and hair products. It acts as a filler, and until it's washed off, it fills and smooth's lines and pores.

 

It creates a better canvas, and my makeup goes on even and even more smooth than without it.

 

It makes my skin feel so smooth, and look smoother (even without makeup on) after it dries.

 

 

 

 

The next is my absolute MUST for makeup. My setting spray. I've tried some higher end brands, but the $3 e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set is my absolute favorite.

It gets rid of that powdery look that I often get with my makeup. It also keeps my makeup from transferring to my clothes, and other peoples (lets face it: I'm a hugger! Nothing more embarrassing then giving a hug to someone and having half your face wind up on their shoulder or clothes).

 

 

It's always the little things that count with makeup, I believe.

And for me, it's these little invisible products that can make or break my days when I use makeup and want to look my absolute best!

 

I love hearing of other little unheard, or under appreciated products...so tell me!

 

What are your favorite products that you use to keep your makeup looking flawless?

 

--<3

Not Your Average Waitress

For c-mas, I got the tarte for True Blood palette and I absolutely love it (especially the mascara...oh my goodness, I can't even deal with how amazing it is! I have to get a new, full-size tube soon). So far, the only thing I'm not too crazy about is the eyeliner. It's like a gel liner in a tube, and it's super soft and breaks easily, so I have to use a brush. But it's a super creamy, dark black, so I can live with it :)

The palette comes with a little booklet that has 4 different looks and how to do them (it also says that they are "exclusive looks created by True Bloods award-winning lead makeup artist Brigitte Ellis)

None of the looks are really complex or complicated, but that's something I really love about them. They're simple and easy to do, yet are still very pretty and flattering.

The looks (in order of the picture above) are called "Not Your Average Waitress", "Luminous Fairy", "Vampy Vixen", and "Vamp Glam".


Today I did the look called "Not Your Average Waitress" for work. I love it and its been what I've been wearing to work almost every day now.

Products used:
Face:
Boiing Industrial Strength concealer
Hard Candy Just Face It: Featherweight Formula one-step foundation:Fair 361
NYC Smooth Skin Pressed Face Powder 702A Naturally Beige
NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder 720A Sunny
Wet n Wild 380B Walking on Eggshells (highlight colour used as face highlight)

Eyes:
tarte for TrueBlood Lifted natural eye primer with Firmitol
tarte for TrueBlood: Dusk (matte warm taupe; on lid), Waitress (sparkling pink champagne; in crease and blended up towards brow bone), Werewolf (matte chocolate; in outer crease and upper lashline).
tarte for TrueBlood emphasEYES aqua-gel eyeliner (Upper lashline and upper waterline)
Ulta eyeliner pencil in black (lower waterline; set with Ulta Glamour Girl Eye Quad black eyeshadow)
Ulta Glamour Girl Eye Quad black eyeshadow (filled in eyebrows)
tarte for TrueBlood mascara: Lights, Camera, Lashes! (used with Ready to Wear Lash Extension)

Lips:
NYC 321 Chiffon
InColor by Jordana Lip Shine Shimmer Glaze 09 Vanilla Bean

Everything was set with e.l.f.  Makeup Mist & Set

LOTD: Clopin

A look inspired by one of my favorite Disney characters, Clopin Trouillefou, King of the Gypsies!

Face

Hard Candy Sheer Envy Skin Perfection Primer

Revlon ColorStay Foundation 110 Ivory

Benefit Industrial Strength Concealer: Boiing 01

NYC Smooth Skin Pressed Face Powder

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder

Wet n Wild 380B: Walking on Eggshells (the brow bone colour as a highlight)

Eyes

NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk

Coastal Scents Shimmer Palette

-G7 used in crease and blended upwards

-H8 used in crease and blended upwards

-G7 & H8 mixed together and used on inner and outer corner

-G6 used on inner and outer part of lid

-A1 used as brow bone and inner highlight

-B10 used as inner nose contour 

Coastal Scents Metallic Palette

-B5 in center of lid and middle of lower lash line

Revlon Line Fantasy Cream Eyeliner Black

Milani Power Lash Volumizing Mascara 101Black set with black eyeshadow from Ulta Glamour Girl Eye Quad (upper last line)

Milani Liquif'eye: Metallic Eye Liner Pencil 01 Black set with 

black eyeshadow from Ulta Glamour Girl Eye Quad (lower waterline and eyebrows) 

Milani Power Lash Volumizing Mascara 101 Black

Lips

e.l.f. Luscious Liquid Lipstick 2111 Baby Lips

Mary-Kay Lip Gold Sequins

All was set with e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set

Shimmer

Metallic

Zombie Makeup

More makeup from the past! haha This was really my first time doing any zombie makeup, and I really want to do more soon :) And now that the weather is getting cooler, hopefully I'll be able to crank more creepy, gross makeup out :D haha sitting in front of a hot light and not having a fan or AC to keep cool is quite an uncomfortable experience, plus everything starts to melt with the heat, humidity, and sweat haha








**and on a side note, no, I did not edit my eyes to look like that. That's me rolling my eyes in the back of my head.
...Hurts like hell! haha

Sugar Skull Makeup

For about a year now, I've been trying to do a sugar skull look, and today, I finally did half of my face in a way that I liked! I was mainly insipred by the beautiful work of Sylvia Ji

    

One side was always harder to do then the other for me (mainly the filigree work haha I'm no artist. I can't even draw a straight line with a ruler!) so I just slapped a missing eye and some blood on the other side and called it a day haha

Though I really like the sugar skull side. I think I might actually now have my Halloween costume decided! :3

Products used

Sugar Skull side: 

Hard Candy Sheer Envy Skin Perfection Primer

Revlon ColorStay Foundation 110 Ivory

Cream Makeup Face Paint: White

Hard Candy Welcome Matte face powder 287 Mattifying

Coastal Scents Matte Palette 

Coastal Scents Matallic Palette 

Liquid Latex

Jumbo red glitter

Revlon Line Fantasy Cream Eyeliner Black

Skull side:

Famous DonPost Studios Appliances Sightless

good ol' fashion toilet paper

spirit gum

Spirit Liquid Latex

Mehron stage blood

Cream Makeup: Gray

Cream Makeup Face Paint: White

Coastal Scents Matte Palette 

NYX ES01Black

fake nails

Halloween Time!!!

Howdy!

I'm so excited for Halloween this year, and with Halloween stores FINALLY opening, I'm having a ball :)

I already bought a few things, and am going to try out prostetics while they're in stores and while they're fairly cheap (just to get a feel for them).

(Ya can see I've started playing around with some things already o^_^o)