Tutorial: Purple Glam

Hello you lovely ladies (and gents if there are any out there)! I was digging through my makeup a few weeks ago, trying to organize and pack things to move to my new apartment.  At the same time, I was thinking about doing a purple look of some sort, because even though I'm hearing over and over again that purples make brown eyes pop, it's not a color I'm drawn to when doing my makeup.  So here is a purple glam look, perfect for clubbing or homecoming, which is unfortunately created with eyeshadows that are either discontinued or unavailable to most people in the United States.  Obviously I didn't really think this through.  I just wanted to use some products that I have not touched in a long time.  At least they are colors that can be easily replaced! :D



In any case, here is the list of products used:

Eyes:
-UDPP
-Wet n Wild Idol Eyes: Techno
-NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil: Cottage Cheese
-Inglot eyeshadow: Dark purple w/green and pink shimmer
-Milani Shadow Wear Quad: 07 Wild Violets [DISCONTINUED]
-UD 24/7 Glide on Pencil: Zero
-L'oreal Collagen Mascara

Face:
-L'oreal True Match Foundation: Honey Beige (N6)
-Smashbox Pressed Powder: Fair/Light
-Stila Bronzing Powder: Shade 01
-Milani Glimmer Strips: Berry Glimmer [DISCONTINUED]
-Smashbox Under Eye Brightener

Lips:
-Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick: On the Mauve
-Bare Escentuals Buxom Lipgloss: Amber


Here's my messy messy desk with the crapload of stuff I used for the look.

And here are more pictures of this look :D

If you do decide to try out this look, it would be SO INCREDIBLY AWESOME if you send me pics! Lots of them! Same with looks for any of my other tutorials.

Boy my internet is slow. Dang lack of bandwidth.....

The Story of Cosmetics (2010)

So my boyfriend came across this video one day and urged me to watch it. It was a bit lengthy and I was most definitely reluctant at first, but I assure you it is very easy to follow. This video elaborates on the dangers of everyday products that we use, targeting beauty produts especially because women use so much of it. I think that most of us are aware that most products contain small amounts of silicone or some other harmful product, and we usually think that the small amounts are not enough to cause any significant health problems. However, as the video brings to attention, they are only not harmful if we used the products in moderation, which is rarely the case. Men use an average of 6 products daily, while women use an average of 12. In addition to those health products, we are also constantly exposed to cleaning detergents, pesticides, and other chemicals that can make us very sick over time. The FDA (Food & Drug Administration) actually does little to regulate these products. So when we bring them into our home, we cannot necessarily blame ourselves, because we only have so much to choose from. In addition, the label “organic” has no legal standards, and companies do not have to have organic ingredients in their products to label it organic. Furthermore, companies are not required to list all their ingredients, which I find incredibly frightening. Luckily, some companies do have standards, and care about their consumers as much as their profits so not every item out there is dangerous. Even so, this video should serve as a warning or precaution as we continue to be exposed to harmful chemical infused products everyday.

Drew Barrymore's $25 Red Carpet Hit

It's really nice to know that some celebs aren't stuck up on ridiculously expensive brands.  Drew Barrymore steps out in a $25 dress, and matches them up with some $700+ YSL nude pumps.

Original article can be found here: http://shine.yahoo.com/event/the-thread/drew-barrymores-25-red-carpet-hit-2302282/

15 Things you should NOT be paying for

As somebody who is struggling financially, I'm always for opting out on paying for things that I need. Here is a list of 15 things you should not be paying for, and why.  I got the information from yahoo (Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/110384/things-you-shouldnt-be-paying-for?mod=bb-budgeting)

1. Basic Computer Software -- Thinking of purchasing a new computer? Think twice before you fork over the funds for a bunch of extra software. There are some great alternatives to the name brand software programs. The most notable is OpenOffice, the open-source alternative to those other guys. It's completely free and files can be exported in compatible formats.

2. Your Credit Report -- You don't have to pay for your credit report. You could sign up for one of the free credit monitoring services online to get a quick look at your credit report. You just have to remember to cancel the service before the end of the free trial. Or you could do one better and visit www.annualcreditreport.com, the only truly free place to see all three of your credit reports for free once a year.

3. Cell Phone -- The service plan may be expensive, but the phone itself doesn't have to cost a thing. Most major carriers will give you a free phone, even a free smart phone, with a two-year contract.

4. Books -- There's a cool place in your town that's renting out books for free: the library. Remember that place? Stop by and put your favorite book on reserve. And if you don't feel like getting out, visit www.paperbackswap.com and find your books there (small shipping fees apply).

5. Water -- Besides the monthly utility bill, there's no reason to shell out $1 for every bottle of water you drink. Bottled water is so last decade anyway. We're over it, and into tap, filters, and reusable water bottles. It's cheaper for you and better for the environment.

6. Credit Card -- With as many credit cards as there are available on the market today, it's easy to avoid a credit card with an annual fee. Unless you're dead set on a particular perk that a fee card brings, skip the annual fee card and pocket that money yourself.

7. Debt Reduction Help -- Speaking of credit cards, if you're in over your head with credit card help, there are many free sources you can turn to for help with your debt. No one is going to be able to magically wipe away your debts, but there is help out there that will set you up on a debt reduction plan you can handle. Start with a visit to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

8. Basic Tax Preparation -- If your tax situation isn't that complicated, then you should probably be preparing your own tax return using one of the many free online services. It's now common for e-filing to be free as well with many services. You won't even need a stamp.

9. The News -- Leave it to a blogger to try and kill off traditional print. I'm not anti-newspaper. I just don't find them practical anymore. Skip the daily .50 cents and get your news online. And for you dedicated coupon clippers, you can get most of your Sunday coupons online now too.

10. Budgeting Tools -- There are many budgeting tools (both online and desktop) that offer up the service for free. Don't ask me how they do this, but who cares. If you're looking to reign in some of your spending, the good news is you can do it for free.

11. Pets -- This is a controversial one, I know. But there are likely many pets down at your local animal shelter that could use just as much love as the pure-bred types. There may be a small fee due to the shelter for shots and basic care, but you'll have your pet home without paying a mini-fortune.

12. Shipping -- If you like to buy online, you probably use coupons to get a percentage off of your purchase. Take your skills to the next level and look for coupons or promotion codes that offer free shipping. If in doubt, visit a site like www.freeshipping.org.

13. Checking Account -- Isn't it nice when a bank takes your money, lends it out to earn money, and then has the audacity to charge you for the service? What a joke. Checking should be free. If yours isn't free then move to one of the many banks that offers a checking account for free. And the same can be said for ATM fees, teller fees, and checks.

14. DVD Rentals -- Did you know that you can rent DVDs from RedBox locations for $1 a night? And better yet, if you use one of the coupon codes from www.insideredbox.com you can avoid the $1 charge. Free DVD rentals! Most libraries now have free DVD rental as well.

15. Exercise -- Skip the expensive gym memberships. Visit your local park for a walk or run. Do basic push-up and sit-up programs in your living room. Rent a workout DVD from the library. There are many free workout programs you can download online as well.

Review: Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser

Yarghhh it took me 6 tries before I could upload this to youtube, hence being unable to blog about the product for a long long time. Anyways, on to the product….

What it is:
 Neutrogena’s Fresh Foaming Cleanser is not only a face wash, but a makeup remover as well. This product claims to remove even waterproof makeup, which is always a plus. Product retails for about $8 wherever Neutrogena products are sold (Target, Rite Aid, Walgreens, CVS, etc).


The positive:
 This product is gentle enough to use for my normal, but sensitive, skin type. I wash my face once a day, and experienced no breakouts or drying out of the skin. The best part is, this product does a fabulous job of removing all the gunk in your pores, along with all of your makeup (yes, even waterproof!) I use this product to remove all of my face makeup, so that not even toner or pore strips can detect any trace of makeup. I stopped using pore strips all together because this cleanser was so effective. No need to scrub extra hard; just massage the product into your skin and rinse off with warm water. Simple as that.

The negative:
There are very few negative points about this product. One is that I do not recommend using this to remove eye makeup, as the product will sting your eyes. I find it best to remove eye makeup with a separate eye makeup remover before proceeding to remove face makeup with the face wash. Another point is, when washing your face, it does not feel particularly amazing. No tingling sensation of any sort, although that may not be a bad thing. I was skeptical about this product at first because of this, but I’m so glad I continued to use it everyday.

The verdict:
I would most definitely buy this product again. I appreciated it a lot more when I ran out and bought another cleanser which does not do nearly a good job as this Fresh Foaming Cleanser. Product is very inexpensive, and you can often find sales on this product at the drugstore. This product is definitely worth trying out.

Yargh

Boy, do I have a lot to catch up on.

I don't know if I have been slacking or what, but between work, the boyfriend visiting, more work, and moving, I have not been posting ANYTHING. Two videos do not count. I have numerous hauls, swatches, reviews, tutorials, and other tips and stuff I have wanted to do, but somehow I have nothing.  I guess I can also blame the fact that my camera is broken.  Not completely, but it is most definitely damaged.  I tried to post a useful blog tonight but I felt like it needed a video to accompany it and I was not in a comfortable setting for filming.  Hopefully, all this will change when I move into my new place, which promises tons of natural lighting.  So far, that is the only upside.  Well there are some others but I probably should not mention them as they may be quite offensive.  La la la.

Anyways, I HOPE (with all my heart) to have some good stuff up soon.  Toodles!