Cosmoprof Haul: Essentials and More

Hey ladies and germs--

I hopped into a Cosmoprof store (beauty supply for licensed professionals) to pick up some more black bobby pins and dry shampoo...and walked out with a whole bunch of other items that weren't on my list.  Ladies, you know what I'm talking about.

At this time of the year, big salon brands always pink-ify their products for breast cancer awareness and to raise funds for research.  I picked up extra products and tools for my trade--almost all of which are pink!

I was able to hold back from going product crazy as I usually do, and just picked up stuff that I know I would actually use.

Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Harder for my hairstyling clients, Bed Head Rockaholic Dry Shampoo for my newly bleached hair, and some more Big Sexy Hair Weather Protection to try.


I also picked up some clips and bobby pins.  I've been using butterfly clips and duckbill clips but I need these heavy duty clips for my girls with super long and thick hair.  Seems like a lot of the girls I cut hair for have monstrously thick hair and I need some strong clips to keep it in place!

Yes...that is a whole pound of bobby pins.  They get used up fast!

I did get a few hairstyling tools.  I've been needing a 1" curling iron, and this crimper was on sale so I snatched that up too.  I also got a set of clippers and trimmers to keep at home, since I always leave my set at the salon when my brother comes home from school and wants a haircut.

I also got this nifty pink bag that comes with a $50 purchase.  Needless to say, I surpassed that amount.

I can't wait to start playing with everything!  Do you guys have questions or comments about anything?  Please let me know!

FOTD: Mmmm Purple

I don't do purple or pink looks very often.  When I use these colors, I like to throw them in with blues.  I figured it was about time I forced myself to do a girly girl purple look so I don't get too rusty.

Face:

-Benefit Porefessional Primer

-MUFE HD Foundation in 123

-Eve Pearl HD Dual Foundation in Light

-Ben Nye Translucent Setting Powder

-The Balm Bahama Mama Bronzer

-NARS Blush in Deep Throat

Eyes:

-MAC Paintpot in Painterly

-UD 24/7 Shadow Pencil in Delinquent

-Lancome Color Design eyeshadow in Drama (LE)

-MUFE eyeshadow #92

-Sugarpill eyeshadow in Bulletproof

-Too Faced eyeshadow in Heaven

-Urban Decay Theodora Palette: Beware and Broken

-Urban Decay 24/7 liners in Midnight Cowboy and Asphynixia

-Inglot Gel Liner 77

-Cover Girl Lash Blast 24HR

Lips:

-Lancome lipstick in Rose Tempest (LE)

How are you guys liking the pictures coming off my monster camera (Nikon D7000)?  I'm finally able to use it for my makeup looks cause I got a better fitted lens!  Only thing is, the flash kills the color.  In these pictures, the look is very soft and subdued but it was a full on smoky eye in person.  Even I felt a bit odd wearing this to work.

A mini tribute to the 12th anniversary of 9/11....

Eyes:
-MAC Paintpot in Painterly & Pure Creation (LE)
-UD eyeshadow in Evidence
-Sugarpill pressed shadows in Love+, Tako, and Bulletproof
-MUFE Aqua Shadow Pencil 32E
-MAC pigment in Vanilla
-Sephora glitter eyeliner in opal
-L'oreal Telescopic Waterproof Liquid liner
-Cover Girl 24Hr Lash Blast

Sorry about posting and running.  I wanted to get this up on the actual day of 9/11 before I run off to work.  I hope you enjoyed the look!

Update:
I wanted to take a moment and reflect upon this tragic occurrence 12 years ago on this day.  We remember the thousands of civilians who fell victim to this terrorist attack.  We remember the firefighters, search dogs, paramedics, and other individuals who risked their lives for the sake of others.  We remember a day when the entire nation came together in mourning.

9-11 has given Americans a reason to stand together, but sadly, hate crimes against Muslims and individuals of Middle Eastern decent have also escalated.  Hate only fuels hate, and the crimes that stem from it kills too many people.  The United States of America is far from being a perfect country, but it is a country that gave second chances and a new life to so many people.  It is a country that is meant to give equal rights to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, sex, ethnic background, or social status.

So let us mourn for the lives lost on this day 12 years ago, remember the heroes, and take note that our country could do with a lot less hate in our lives.  And that, of course, starts with us.

Thank you for reading.

First Look: NEW Make Up For Ever Artisan Brushes

The new line of Make Up For Ever Artisan brushes launched Thursday, September 5th.  Exactly one week before, MUFE boutiques had a flash sale on these brushes and offered a 50% off discount to pro members that purchased 10 or more brushes.  Since I could not make it to a boutique that day, I placed a phone order with the Los Angeles store.  I had a hell of a time getting the brushes and I'm still in the process of trying to fix the order, but I will have to save that for another post when everything has been resolved.

Anyways, let's turn our attention to the brushes, shall we?  The new line of MUFE artisan brushes are made from synthetic fibers.  Each brush has a chiseled end to make scooping out products easier.  I have been told from one of the MUFE makeup artists that the new line will replace the old line of brushes, which will slowly fade away as they sell out.

Listed below are the 10 brushes I ordered.  The descriptions are from Temptalia, where you can read about the full range of brushes.

• 3 x #226 - Medium shader brush ($25)


• Type of fibers: Straight
• Description: A medium, flat, tapered brush that is thicker at the bottom and slimmer on top. Its width is used to quickly apply and blend all types of eye products on the eyelids and brow bone with moderate to intense product payoff.
• Recommended textures: Creams, loose and compact powders.


• 1 x #134 - Powder fan brush ($46)
• Type of fibers: Wavy
• Description: This large, rounded, fan-shaped brush with supple, yet firm wavy fibers is most often used to enhance the neckline and illuminate the face by sculpting light and shadows. It can also be used to remove excess powder from the face and body.
• Recommended textures: Loose and compact powders.
• 1 x #150 - Precision blush brush ($52)
• Type of fibers: Wavy
• Description: A very firm, supple brush that is beveled to sculpt the face with precision. This professional tool can be used to sculpt and transform the face using shading and highlighting.
• Recommended textures: Loose and compact powders.
• 1 x #156 - Flat round blush brush ($37)
• Type of fibers: Wavy
• Description: Classic flat and rounded brush adapted for all types of blush application. Its flexibility makes it easy and quick to create a healthy, natural looking glow.
• Recommended textures: Loose and compact powders.
• 1 x #270 - Angled eyebrush ($21) 
• Type of fibers: Straight
• Description: A short and firm angled brush that is used to fill in eyebrows with precision, as well as blend brow pencils for a natural result.
• Recommended textures: Creams pencils, compact powders.
• 1 x #106 - Medium foundation brush ($36)
• Type of fibers: Straight
• Description: This is the classic “foundation brush” used by make up enthusiasts. It is a small, tapered, flat brush with wide bristles ideal for applying and blending cream or liquid foundations accurately and quickly for an even result all over.
• Recommended textures: Cream and liquid foundations.
• 1 x #128 - Precision powder brush ($52)
• Type of fibers: Straight & Wavy
• Description: Long and flat brush with a tapered tip designed mainly for use on the face, neck and upper shoulders. Ideal for precise powder application with a flawless result thanks to its layered and oval head.
• Recommended textures: Loose and compact powders.
• 1 x #152 - Medium highlighting brush ($37)
• Type of fibers: Wavy
• Description: This medium, supple, rounded brush is a basic tool used to highlight the face and body. Its shape and soft fibers offer generous product collection for moderate to high payoff.
• Recommended textures: Creams, gels, loose and compact powders.

For now, I'll only show you pictures of the brush I am keeping:

L-R: 226, 152, 150, 156, 106, 128

First Impression:

The brushes themselves look very professional and sturdy.  I can't say I'm completely pleased with how they feel, however.  All the bristles feel very smooth and soft.....and fake.  I'm not sure how to describe it but something just feels a little off.  128 and 152 feel much too soft and not nearly dense enough to pick up and apply powder.  106 is soft to the touch but I have a feeling that it will leave streaks when put to use for liquid or cream foundation.  156 is wonderfully dense but so very small for an angled face brush.  152 is the most impressive of the bunch because it seems promising for liquid and powder products.  226 is the one of the biggest disappointments of the bunch.  I ordered three of them thinking they would be exactly like MAC's 239 flat shader brush, yet it looks more like a concealer brush as the bristles are much longer.  

As you can see, 134 and 270 are not pictured in this post.  Why?  134 was not sent to me at all, and 270 is simply unusable so I am sending it back.  Again, I hope to get this issue resolved soon so that I can write a complete blog post about this experience.  Overall, I am pretty unhappy about the brushes, and I'm hoping that they perform better than they feel.  I NEVER buy new products before doing my research first, but I made an exception this time because I expected the best from Make Up For Ever.

Since I can't return the other brushes, I'll wash them and test them out very soon.  Do look forward to seeing reviews on this blog.

What do you guys think of the brushes?  Would you purchase any? And if so, would you guys be interested in a mini post on tips and things to look for when placing a phone order? Let me know!

OOTD: Short shorts and a blazer

I will be the first to admit that I am no fashionista.  I always struggle with shopping for clothes and throwing outfits together, and it does not help that I'm picky and cheap about my clothes.  As a result, I end up wearing the same clothes and outfits.  Somebody save me!

Every once in a while, however, I surprise myself by putting together something that actually looks okay!  Perhaps I'm not so hopeless afterall!

Blazer: Suzi Chier

Top: Express

Shorts: Charlotte Russe 

Watch: Roots

Earrings: F21

I wore this to a gig, where I did three updos for an Indian wedding.  Ideally, I would have liked to wear all black but as I've mentioned before, I suck at shopping and have a lot of trouble finding clothes I like.  

This is my first, stand-alone, OOTD post.  Would you guys be interested in seeing more of these?  

August 2013 Empties!

August was quite an eventful month.  A lot happened...good and bad.  But amongst the good, I did finish quite a few products.  Somehow, I ended up finding a bunch of items that were close to being finished and annihilated them.  This is probably the most makeup products I will ever have finished in a single month. It's going to be a struggle to top that in future empties posts to come.

1. L'occitane Hand Cream Sample. Quite a luxurious hand cream.  I've got about 6 more tubes of these lying around....

2. Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero.  Can you believe that I've never purchased a full size of these?  I've always received them through Urban Decay's palettes or eyeliner sets.  I have a few extras lying around somewhere.

3. Nivea Kiss of Moisture Lip Balm with Honey. Same wonderfully moisturizing properties as the original but it has a bit of an herbal scent to it.

4. Laura Mercier Hydrating Primer. A lovely primer that kept my foundation on fairly well.  If you have super dry skin, I'd still recommend using another moisturizer rather than using this product alone.  This is the XL size that Sephora had for a limited time, and took me about two years to finish up.

5. Head & Shoulders 2 in 1.  I started using Paul Mitchell shampoo and conditioners for a while.  I continued to use them even though I was allergic and got itchy bumps on my scalp cause I didn't want to waste it.  When my dandruff came back after 10 years, however, I had to put aside fancy ol' PM and bust out the big guns.

6. NARS Laguna Bronzer.  Definitely a lovely bronzer.  I like using this to add warmth to my complexion and do some light contouring.  It took a little over a year of every day use to use up.

7. Up & Up Makeup Remover x 2.  Cheap and effective.  I keep a bottle on my vanity and a bottle in the bathroom, both of which are pictured in this post.

8. Tarte Silicone Free Primer.  Since I used up my main foundation primer, I had to hunt around for my primer samples to use up.  This wasn't an outstanding, bullet proof primer but it was decent.

  9. Kirkland (Costco) Baby Wipes x 2.  I've gone through maybe 15 packs of these.  And will continue to go through a lot more.  I use these to wipe makeup off my hands as well as my face before I use a cleanser to get the rest off.

10. Neutrogena Daily Moisturizer SPF 50.  I'm forcing myself to put sunscreen on daily even on days when I don't see the sun much or when it's cloudy.  My skin better thank me further down the road.

11. Bare Minerals Prime Time Foundation Primer Sample.  This was quite a nice primer actually.  It kept the oilyness off my nose for a good amount of time.

Goodness gracious that's five whole makeup items!  How am I ever going to beat this record?

Retail Therapy: MAC

This is one of quite a few hefty makeup hauls I have to share with you, as I've been doing some serious retail therapy lately.  I've left the makeup untouched, as I wanted to share pictures (and hopefully swatches.....) of everything before I start seriously playing with them.  At this rate, I have a loooooong way to go.

But in any case, let's start with some MAC (well actually I started with MUFE but that's okay).  I received a gift card just because from somebody who is dear to me and understands my makeup whoring.  Funny thing is, I didn't really see anything that caught my eye from MAC but the more I looked, the more items I picked up.  Here's the damage:

I'm trying to expand my collection of lip liners, as I tend to use them a lot on clients.  I work on many different complexions and skin tones so I'm working on getting a variety of colors.

Half Red

Beet

Cherry

I also picked up a couple lipsticks that I've had my eye on for a while, but decided to skip each time I made a trip to MAC.

Here's Love Joy, a mineralized blush, that I picked up on accident because I thought it was from one of the summer collections.  Not sure if I'll keep it.

 

When I went to the register, I noticed a beautiful sparkle on the MUA's lids and asked her what she had on her lids.  That's when I got suckered into buying two pressed pigments.

I've been working on a post about these babies, actually.  I don't see them in store anymore but hopefully you can still find them online.

I think I picked a couple of cult favorites here.  Have you guys tried any of these?  Let me know!