Doing Battle with a Lack of Space

 

Lo and behold.  This is what I have to work with when I'm at home, and it drives me insane to no end.  This is a little corner of my room at my parents' house which I share with my sister.  I have had this desk since I was 6 years old.  I use it for doing my makeup (my mom hates it when I leave makeup in the bathroom), recording videos (nobody in my family but my sister knows I do makeup on youtube cause my parents will think I'll be attacked my creepers), making greeting cards (I have as much cardmaking supplies as I do makeup and my mom hates it when I use the dining room for it), and homework if/when I come home on the weekends (too noisy outside my room).  Whew.  That was a mouthful.

This is what my desk looks like when everything is put away, that is, as put away as I can get it.  Some things just have no place to go, so I leave it on top of my plastic dresser or my desk.  When I do a project, be it makeup or cards, I like to have all my materials out in front of me so I know what I have to work with.  My collection has become so vast, that it becomes difficult to access my inventory without physically seeing it.  I've been using makeup daily for work, as well as making some late Christmas cards, so my work area right now looks a lot worse.  I'm a bit ashamed to show it to you as of now.

To make things worse, my bedroom has become a storage room.  When my sister and I moved out for college, my mom started storing stuff in here.  We have one of her dressers, a suitcase full of blankets, a mountain of toilet paper and paper towels, a few sacks of rice, all the Christmas stuff, etc.  When my sister moved back home for nursing school, with her came old textbooks and school notes and an abandoned computer.  My room is full of junk that nobody wants to throw away.  Now imagine when/if I move back home.  My sister and I will be buried alive.

I once made a commitment to clean up my room once and for all during Christmas break.  As of now, I have less than a week of break left that I really wonder how much I'm going to accomplish.  This is a huge job, but I have been working nearly everyday, while trying to keep my own work area in tact.  Everyday I sit in this room, the ridiculous amount of stuff overwhelms me.

One of these days I will get my dream space, but till then......

Sigh.

BeautyTicket.com 50% off Blowout Sale!

Hey babes~

If you don't know already, Beautyticket.com is a site that sells high end beauty products at a significantly discounted price.  While I have not purchased anything from the site before, I have looked through the site many times and have seen some very good deals.  The inventory now is less than impressive, as it seems that Beautyticket is attempting to get rid of their current inventory, but perhaps you will find a few things that you like.  Keep in mind that flat rate shipping to the U.S. is $6.95, so picking up one or two items may not be worth it.  Coupon code is NEWYEAR50, and expires on Jan 1, 2011.

Happy shopping!

Christmas Eve FOTD

Haha oops.  I know it's been a few days already but I've been so busy with other preparations that I haven't been able to just sit down and do a beauty blog, only quick announcements sort of blogs.  I kept the look pretty simple, partly because I lacked time to whip up something slammin' and I really liked the idea of having thick green liner and red lips.  Since I forgot to bring home a red lipstick (I'm at my parent's place for the holidays), the only red I had was MAC's Viva Glam Cyndi, which ended up looking terrible with the look.  I opted for a more pinky nude lipstick instead.  All right enough rambling. On with the look.

Looking back, I wish I had thickened the green liner some more and set it with a teal or green eyeshadow.  Next time! I like how fast and easy this look is, so it won't be the last time I'll be sporting it =)

Face:
-Smashbox Foundation in L3
-Cover FX Setting Powder in Light
-NARS Blush in Lovejoy
-Tarte Mineral Bronzer in Park Ave Princess

Eyes:
-UDPP
-L'oreal HIP Cream Liner in Teal (LOVE THIS STUFF)
-UD Alice in Wonderland BoS: Drink me eat me, Muchness, & Mad Hatter e/s
-UD 24/7 Liner in Zero
-L'oreal Extra Collagen Mascara

Lips:
-Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up

Too Faced After-Xmas Vintage sale!

To be honest, I'm getting a little tired of advertising for companies (not that I HAVE to but I was hoping somebody could benefit off of it) about these sales, but Too-Faced Cosmetics is a brand that I really do love.  Select items are up to 65% off, and there is free shipping on all products until December 31, 2010.  The catch is, ALL SALES ARE FINAL so make sure you choose items that you really want to try.  However, none of the items surpass $12 so you won't be losing too much.  Most items are actually under $10.  I caved in on my buying ban and purchased two of the Luster liners.  I'm wondering if I really should have done that, since I'm not a big fan of metallic lips on myself.  But we'll see!

Happy shopping!

Sephora's Sale on Sale!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and restful Christmas day!  Even if you're not religious, hopefully you were able to spend some quality time with family and friends.  I know the holiday seasons sends us on a spending spree, often exhausting our wallets and bank accounts.  If you're not completely drained yet, here is a sale that you may want to take advantage of.  Sephora is having a sale on their already on sale products.  If you enter coupon code EXTRA at the checkout after placing sale items in your basket, you will receive 20% off those items.  Right now I'm eying the Urban Decay Show Pony Palette and the Kat Von D Adora palette.  I'm supposed to be on a spending ban but UGH!!!! Temptation is everywhere!  We'll see how I go about with my will power, but hopefully some of you will be able to take advantage of it!

Sephora's Current 500 Point Bonus: Full sized Coralista Blush + Mini BadGal Mascara!

Hey babes~

If you guys are Beauty Insiders at Sephora, you probably know that you can redeem your purchase points for deluxe samples (100 points) or something that is supposed to be super awesome (500 points).  These items are always changing, so I tend to save my points until I find something I really like.  Right now, Sephora is offering a FULL SIZE Benefit Coralista Blush ($28 Value) plus a mini version of their famous mascara.  The mascara doesn't do too much for me but I've always wanted to try the Coralista blush but shuddered at shelling out nearly $30 for a blush.  This offer may be online only, or may only be limited to certain Sephora stores.  The Sephora I was at in St. Bruno, Quebec offered a completely different 500 point gift, so do your research first!

Personally, I think I'm just grabbing the Coralista blush because there is so much hype about it.  The swatches look pretty enough but I'm not sure it will be one that I'll reach for everyday.  In any case, it's free so we'll just have to see!

Peace and makeup,
Janny

Product Spotlight: Lancome Cover Fever Lipstick in Rose Tempest

Bonsoir loves~

I'm starting a new series that features limited edition or discontinued items.  I am an absolute sucker for limited edition items so I usually fall into cosmetic company's marketing traps, haha!  I have a small collection of such items that I love dearly so it would be a shame not to talk about them!  In this sense, my "product spotlight" series are essentially reviews of these products.  These may be useful if you run into them on ebay or at your local CCO. 

I'm not too much of a lipstick person, mainly because I don't like going through the trouble of reapplying it all day long, and I don't want to be caught with blotchy color on my lips in case I don't remember to reapply.  However, I really do love how the lip color pulls a look all together and makes it look truly "finished."  Lancome's Rose Tempest has been doing just that for me.  I've been using it a lot lately for my blue and green based looks, and the warm pinky nude does a fab job of complimenting those colors. 

Metallic Holiday Look

As much as I love writing in block text, I think my ramblings are a lot more readable if I break it up a bit.  

Packaging:
This lipstick packaging seems to run a little bit shorter than most brands of lipsticks, but the amount of product is roughly the same as most lipsticks.  There is 0.14oz (4g) of product inside the tube, just a touch more than MAC lipsticks.  The packaging is rectangular and features mirrored surfaces with the exception of two reddish purple tinted sides.  You could totally use the cap as a mirror while applying the lipstick.

 Size comparison.  Featured from left to right: Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick, Lancome's Rose Tempest, MAC Viva Glam Lipstick

You're bound to get a lot of fingerprints on this baby if you reach for it as often as I do.  But that's not a biggie for me.

The 5 Senses:
As I said before, this is a gorgeous warm pink, a bit like a nude but with a burst of pink color.  I love how this is not Lady Gaga bright, and is perfectly wearable while still brightening.  Looks great with any neutral look, but I especially love it with blue and green eye looks.  This lipstick has a cream finish, and applies very smoothly.  It will set into your the lines on your lips, but it's nothing a little blotting can't handle.  I usually just swipe it on once and blot very lightly.  Love the smell of the lipstick.  It has a light berry scent to it which makes applying this lipstick a real experience.  I'm happy to report that the product itself is tasteless, and when I do taste anything it will be the day when this lipstick goes bad.  That probably won't happen because I really love it and aim to finish the whole thing.  Its lasting power is not too amazing, as it is very creamy, but it will hold for a good few hours without eating or drinking before another application is necessary.

My bare lips

Rose Tempest, no blotting

 With flash: Swatched once on the left and 4 times on the right

Without flash

Overall thoughts:

Love this lipstick.  It's creamy.  It smells good. I can swipe it on and run out the door.  This was actually the lipstick which got me into higher end brands of lipsticks, because I once told myself that drugstore lipsticks would be sufficient for me.  I still love my cheap lippies, but there is something about putting on a high quality lipstick that I really love.  Call me shallow.  I don't know what I'm going to do when I run out =(

Anybody else out there stuck on a lipstick that they can't replace? Tell me about it! Misery loves company!

Cheers,

Janny

P.S. I know my reviews can get kind of lengthy.  Please let me know if you prefer short, concise thoughts in bullet form. Thanks!

End of blogging hiatus and updates (picture heavy!)

Hey babes~

I extended my hiatus a bit, because I've been more emotionally high than I had expected.  I had originally wanted to continue focusing on my blogging and tutorial making during my trip, but when you only see your significant other twice a year, it's usually difficult to focus on anything else.  That will be a story for another day.  I did go on many cosmetic "quests." I had been greatly anticipating this trip not only to see my beloved but also because there are tons of brands available in the Canada but not in the U.S. (or very difficult to access). These brands included Gosh, Quo, Lise Watier, Annabelle, and Inglot.  I did not purchase nearly as much as I wanted to due to mainly budget restraints, but I did plenty of goodies...for now.  I went to MANY different stores in search for the Lise Watier Diamond Palette which was part of their holiday collection, but it had apparently sold out within a week and impossible to find anywhere.  I looked at mainly the eyeshadows in their collection, and I really regret not taking a better look at their lipsticks which look absolutely beautiful.  I picked up a gloss from Quo, and was gifted a small eyeshadow palette from my boyfriend's younger sister.  I also picked up an interesting bronzer from Gosh, and some items from Marcelle.  My biggest splurge was at Inglot, which I will be doing a very extensive video and blog on.  I wanted to grab some things from Annabelle as well, particularly their eyeshadows, but they weren't nearly as pigmented as I had expected.  I wanted to pick up some eyeshadows from some of the other brands as well but they were colors I already owned.  I'll have pictures and swatches of everything coming up very soon.  For now, I have a few pictures from my trip to share =)

Sadly, I didn't get a chance to check out the shops that you do see, as they were taken way after the shops closed.  Most of the pictures you see are from Downtown Montreal, Quebec.

Back to the topic of makeup blogging: I know I had promised certain videos, but I severely lacked time and my initial models for the makeup tutorials decided otherwise.  I'll work on being more persuasive, but currently the makeup tutorials for middle aged women and teens are out, as well as the makeup look my boyfriend was supposed to do for me.

I am utterly exhausted, as I still have not completely recovered physically and emotionally from the trip.  I hope you are all doing great in light of the holiday season, and I'll talk to you all very soon.

Best,
Janny

P.S.  I am currently on a huge spending ban due to financial constraints.  Besides gift shopping for others and items that I will actually need, I am absolutely NOT ALLOWED to buy anything for myself (especially makeup!).  If you hear about me buying something or see me feature new purchases in a blog, make sure you flog me for it.

Finals = Blogging Hiatus

I am sad.

I'd really rather much be blogging or making Youtube videos.  Instead I have 2 papers (15 pages total) and 3 finals to take between now and Wednesday.  Then I have to finish packing and hop onto a shuttle at 7:30 in the morning to fly out of the country the next day.  Of course, as the queen of procrastination, I have yet to start on ANYTHING.  Can you say "I'm screwed?"  Also, I spent about 40 minutes trying to make the best out of my craptastic lighting to take pictures of lippies and swatches....and I can't freaking find them. Poop.

Well, the good news is, I will be making videos during my vacation (which I am sneaking off to without my parents knowing by the way or they would kick my butt).  Blogs/Videos coming up include:

-A makeup tutorial.....featuring my boyfriend as the makeup artist and me as the model
-Teen makeup tutorial/tips
-Middle age women makeup tutorial/tips
-November Favorites (Yes! In mid-December! Or later if I end up not bringing the products with me LOL)

I considered doing a Sephora F&F Haul but that was 2 billion years ago.  There is one blog/video that I am super freaking duper excited to do, but it's a surprise!  I get all jittery and giddy thinking about it!  I'll see if I can somehow work a giveaway into it!

Paper time. =(

Folica Private 48 Hour Sale!

ATTENTION HAIR TOOL JUNKIES~

This sale is seriously for you! Once or twice a year, folica.com has these seriously amazing sales where they bundle some products together and sell them together at one amazing price!  There is free shipping and no tax on all of these bundles.  I actually got my straightening iron during their last sale, along with a mini iron and a comb for $99.  This sale is only going on for 48 hours so check it out and grab some hot tools while you still can!

You can only access the sale through this link: http://www.folica.com/features/private-sale?s_cid=113010_PrivateSale_EC_email&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=PrivateSale_EC_&utm_campaign=Email_12_02_10

Happy shopping! 

In the name of procrastination....

So I have tons upon tons of reading to do right now, but of course, that's always the best time to do random stuff.  For me, I just went through some old pictures and found some pictures that my old roommate took of me when I was attempting an awesome makeup look.  Not that it was actually awesome but I tried, ok?  My former roommate (and childhood friend) had just recently invested in one of those ridiculously sexy Canon cameras, and was testing it out on me.  Just thought I'd share some of them.  But please don't mind the hair.  I was trying out bangs at the time and they're impossible to clip up and out of the way.

The finished look?

 Yeah yeah I know. Why so serious?

Not my best work but it was a whole lot of fun. Back to work I go!

Skinniegenes Giveaway!

Hey ladies and gents!

Ms. Jenny is giving away these beauuutiful lipglosses!

Check out her blog to enter!

Inglot Metallic Holiday Look (Guaranteed wearable!)

Hey ladies and germs!

Here's a tutorial I did last Wednesday for a fun, festive holiday look!  Super duper easy to do and not over-the-top bright. I used mainly Inglot colors for the main look, but unfortunately, they are hard to access in the United States.  In fact, there are currently only two stores, one in Las Vegas and one in New York City.  I believe this brand is popular everywhere else except the U.S. which does not make sense.  I'm totally in love with the eyeshadows, and will get more whenever I have a chance for sure!  Since the specific shadows I used are hard to find here, and because I can't lift the eyeshadows out of the palette to see the names, I have included some pictures and swatches of the main colors I used.  Enjoy!

Face:
-Smashbox Foundation in L3
-CoverFX Setting Powder in Light
-The Body Shop Cheek & Face Powder in Berry (Limited Edition)
-Tarte Mineral Bronzing Powder in Park Ave Princess

Eyes:
-Sonia Kashuk Brow Kit (Darkest Shade)
-UDPP
-Inglot Eyeshadows
-Lancome e/s in After Dusk
-Wet n Wild e/s in Brulee
-UD 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero
-L'oreal Extra Collagen Mascara

Lips:
-EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit
-Lancome Color Fever l/s in Rost Tempest
-Stila Plumping Lipglaze

These Inglot shadows were swatched over moisturized skin with a brush.  I used the gold, green, and purple.

With flash...

Without flash...

The colors are a lot more vibrant in person.  My noobiness and lack of good lighting keeps me from capturing the eyeshadows at their finest.


That's all for now folks!