The last makeup-related thing I am going to buy all summer.

I'm going to have to start paying my own rent fairly soon, so buying things frivolously and letting my bank account slip into the abyss are no longer acceptable. As a final tease, I ordered Chanel Les Verins nail lacquer in Particuliere. 

The color is a chocolatey-brown gray taupe in hue, and has a very understated sexiness about it. It does not overpower and outfit, but gives the nails a sexy feel. Oh, it's on my toes too. I'm getting my money's worth.

Chanel's nail lacquers always have such a good consistency and life on the nail (I use Sephora by OPI base coat and top coat). I wish I could buy 100 of them, but I'll just have to rob my mom when she gets bored of colors instead. I am OFFICIALLY on a budget.

I can't explain why I like this color, but I do. And it matches anything and everything, and I've gotten so many compliments on it today. $23 is pushing it for a nailpolish, I agree, but I think it was worth it this time.



Long story short: I don't have that kind of money to spend, but I think Particuliere is going to be worth it.


Who's going to buy me gifts the rest of the summer?


Time for tutorials, I have to make do with what I have! Here's to being a grown-up!


xo

Italy Inspired Nails, World Cup 2010

Okay, I've been searching on YouTube all weekend for a nail/makeup design that I liked that various YouTubers have posted. It is, after all, World Cup season again, and I'm ready to show my pride. I'm Sicilian and I have to represent the reigning champions here in the tri-state area. I searched in English, Italian, and didn't find anything that I wanted to put on my face/nails. Green white and red on the eyes is just aggressive, and just blue is kind of boring. I've come up with something cute for the nails, and toned down for the face.

The nails consist of a royal blue with blue sparkles on top, and the ring finger is the colors of the Italian flag. I used the blue from the Migi Nail Art collection, just used the brush, and a Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear sparkle nail polish in Shooting Star.

 I just took that picture from Google so you can see what I'm talking about.

I used the Migi Nail Art pens to create the Italian flag, which goes green, white, and red from left to white. I first painted the whole nail white and then used the pens to create vertical stripes of green and red. I would have liked a lighter green, but I don't think I'd have any other reason to use green nailpolish, so I just worked with what I have. Very simple. A nice topcoat brings it all together.

And for makeup, I'm going to keep the Savoy Blue to the eyeliner to keep it toned down for work. I definitely can't wear royal blue or green white and red on my eyes during the day. However, maybe for future games I will put blue on my lids and get a bit of gold into the crease. I was going to incorporate gold into the nails and into my makeup for work, but overpowering gold is insulting on the face, and it just didn't seem to work on my nails. What can you do, I'll probably wear gold shoes to complete the look.


Forza Azzurri! If you have ideas of looks for your country, you should share with me.


kristie

Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner

Hello ladies! Summer has arrived! And of course, I am just as much of a workaholic now as I was before while I was studying for finals!

I've been on the hunt for a gel liner for a while now, but because I'm working during the summer, I've hardly had time to go to the store to check any of them out. In a quick run-through of CVS, I picked up the Maybelline gel liner and decided to try it out. I didn't really like the one I had from Coastal Scents, and it dried up really quickly.

I must say, I really like this liner. The brush that comes with it is still but super thin so it makes a perfect line. It's creamy but it doesn't get all over your eyelid, and it appears to last all day. What I also found was an important attribute was that I could also get it off. You may not think about it, but many liners that last all day seem to last forever, and they only get off with a lot of rubbing (a culprit for wrinkles!). This liner didn't appear to do that. So far, I've been wearing it to work on my top lids every so often, but I've toned down on the heavy lining because it's summertime. When I did wear it to work, I was complimented on the precision of the makeup, and the intensity it gave my eyes.

To put it on, I've been using short strokes and starting the line very thin. I make it so that the strokes overlap each other, and get fatter towards the outer part of my eye to give the liner some shape. I'm disappointed that I didn't take a picture, but I was so happy to be home after the long week that I immediately took off my makeup! When I put it on again, I will certainly take a picture: one in the beginning of the day, and one at the end.

I'll also have to see how it holds up against time, because the Coastal Scents gel liner dried up fairly quickly on me. This doesn't seem like it's going to do that, but you never know.

I'll add a picture as soon as possible :)


Long story short, I think this is a new staple. I enjoy that it's more intense than a pencil and more precise than those liquid liners that I manage to get all over my face.


kristie <3

Virgin Lush Haul!

So, I had been hearing quite a bit about Lush Cosmetics all over YouTube and from friends and things, so I decided to check out the website. Being a person who is at least modestly aware of the environment, the company immediately hit me in a soft spot. They use natural ingredients, and everything is hand-made and hand-packaged. Also, they don't test on animals and everything is a good value. I remember passing the store in New York  City on the Upper West Side a while back, and all the products looked absolutely delicious. So, I decided to try them out.

I ordered the "Naked Kit," Mudflats Soaps, a Sex in the Shower Emotibomb and a Sex Bomb bath bomb. A small sample of Mask of Mangaminty also came with my order.

Inside the Naked Kit (which was sent with all the products unpackaged for Earth Day) are:

Mini Squeaky Green Shampoo Bar--that green crumbly "sprinkles" type thing, which lasts up to 60 washes, and has been surprisingly effective. Lately I've just been ripping off a piece and lathering up. But think of it this way: if the entire population of North America used a solid shampoo bar (equivalent to three 8 oz. bottles), then it would save 122 million plastic bottles from being produced and ending up in the landfill. That is a terrifying fact for something that could be such an easy change.

Mini Buffy Body Butter-– the medium, sand colored square, packed with natural butters to moisturize, and sand to exfoliate. I've noticed a response from my skin--it looks more even and definitely feels more hydrated. And it's all natural, as I've mentioned 100 times. Which means I can look good and feel I contributed to saving the planet.

Choice of Toner Tab-– T-Tree (oily skin), Vitamin C (aging skin), Vitamin E (all skin types), and Q10 (skin soothing). I personally got the T-Tree tab, but I have yet to use it. Instructions say to drop it in a bowl of hot water and let the steam hit you in the face. The only reason I have avoided this is a) there is one and I'm taking my sweet time using this kit and b) steam cleansers a little bit remind me of being sick. It will happen, though, and I'll let you know how I like it.

Mini Therapy Massage Bar-–this organic massage bar has little balls and crevices on it that help to stimulate blood flow as it passes over your skin. It feels so soft and leaves your skin feeling so healthy. I love it. No preservatives! Vegan! Amazing!

Sexy Peel Soap-– with uplifting lemon and lime, this soap (along with all of LUSH soaps) is made with a palm-free base. a first of its kind, this revolutionary soap base has saved 133,000 pounds of palm oil from being produced, helping to save rainforests, indigenous people and orangutans in southeast asia.

Cleanser Fresh Farmacy or Coalface-–I chose Coalface because I do happen to have oilier skin. This soap smells really good, which I was surprised about, and the powdered charcoal in the soap is much less off-putting than I would have imagined. It has hints of sandalwood and other fresh scents, and the soap is made specifically to absorb excess oils from the face. I'm almost done with this soap--it's such a tiny little guy now. I am definitely going to get more after this one is done.


 I also bought the Mudflats soap, because I've noticed that if I get a blemish on my body, it never, ever seems to go away. I carry a history of my blemishes right on my body, which is all kinds of annoying. I decided to try the Mudflats soap to see if it would help with the blemish marks.

It comes in this brown slab, and the smell is more herbal than it is floral, which isn't necessarily bad. The scent is more surprising than it is insulting. I can't say I really love the texture of this soap--it seems to be too "soft" for my liking, and, well, if it's soft and brown, it's pretty much poop-esque.

However, in the shower, the soap is definitely an effective cleanser--you can feel it remove the yuckiness off your skin that other commercial soaps only mask, which I definitely appreciated. For the first time in a long time, I felt truly "clean". I must say--blemishes appear to be diminishing, which is exciting news. I've heard that Lush is going to discontinue this product, and I will be truly disappointed to see it go.


Now, the Sex in the Shower Emotibomb. I haven't used the Bath Bomb yet, because I don't have a bath at school. The Sex in the Shower Emotibomb "blurb" on the Lush website insists this is for people to use together due to the aphrodisiac qualities of the smell. You just throw it on the floor of the shower and let the sexy smells take you away as it melts. Sadly, I have no one to share a shower with, but the experience was definitely enjoyable on my own. The scent is woodsy and floral at the same time, and I got compliments on the smell of our room for the next few hours. It was definitely a sensual experience, and the next time I pass Lush in the city, I'm going to pick up about 20 of these.

How many times have you seen me try a mask? Mask of Magnaminty is exactly that typical mask--bright green with little aduki bean pieces in it. The peppermint oils were uplifting and refreshing, and I definitely feel like it got into my pores and reduced their size. My skin tightened up, and I was ready to get into gear, and sadly--study for finals :(


I think Lush is my new favorite store. I love their products, I love their goals, and I love their honesty. You should definitely try them out for yourself, too.


<3 happy lushing
kristie

The Most Random Thing I've Ever Bought--Tarte Cosmetics Celebutante

Why I decided to buy a coconut-scented body oil is beyond me. I am not the kind of girl who typically oils myself up, but Tarte Cosmetics always draws me in with the yummy goodness that they put in their products. Tarte says this:

"A few spritzes of this non-greasy, dry oil shimmer spray will give even the most office-dulled skin a glistening champagne-colored sheen while the coconut scent is sure to take you away."

First of all, I love love love the smell of coconut. It instantly reminds me of summer and deliciousness. Secondly, I've looked for a way to add shimmer to my skin without covering myself in chunky sparkles, and this seemed to be an effective tactic. This body oil is chock-full of vitamins A, B1, B2, D, E and anti-inflammatory and softening properties to boot. Here's a picture of it in my cute little beach chair soap holder thing.

 It is definitely adorable packaging, as usual. The shininess absolutely got me hooked already. When I sprayed it on, I realized how absolutely true the blurb from tarte was. The consistency is very dry. When it is rubbed into the skin, the "oily" feeling absolutely disappears and the vitaminy goodness is completely soaked up by your skin.

Too bad I am Sicilian and my arm looks like a bear here, but I promise you in reality it's not this obvious. Thank you to the focus of my camera. I don't know if you can catch the sheen that it gives to your skin, but I am telling you this is going to be a daily spritzer when it starts becoming more summery. On the day of my best friend's birthday, I spritzed it all over my legs, and people definitely commented and noticed on how it brought a lot of good attention to my legs, and actually made them look "better." I had a nice, healthy glow and, quite frankly, I didn't look as pasty as I could have. I hate the winter.

My only concern with this product is that when you rub it in, the sparkliness gets all over your hands and you have to wash it off, which I haven't found is too much of a travesty for the pretty sheen it gives your skin. I guess I should expect that it would happen, but in reality it is kind of annoying to have to wash sparkles all off your hands before you think about putting on makeup or heading out the door. As I said, however, I think it's worth the wash.

Long story short: Sexy sheen, kind of pricey ($35), but prevention of free-radical damage while looking like a sex icon is FINE BY ME.

;) all my love
kristie


PS going bare again today--Smooth Operator and some mascara. And my eyebrows. That's it. :D

A Small Comment on Eyebrows...and Other Non-Makeup-Related Things

Recently, I have been going through Facebook photos of myself from freshman year as well as other pictures from high school. I want to go back and shake myself senseless. I need to show you a picture of what my eyebrows used to look like.

What was I thinking? My eyebrows are semi-circles! They don't complement my facial structure, and I look constantly surprised. Thankfully, I was able to grow them in and learned a thing or two about filling them in over the course of my college career.

My eyebrows are much more natural nowadays, and they actually require much less maintenance! They have found their natural arches (which I was lost about back in the day), and I have become much less obsessed with making my eyebrows twins. Here are my eyebrow suggestions for other people struggling with what to do with eyebrows.


#1: Your eyebrows are sisters, not twins. When you become too concerned with your eyebrows being exactly the same, you start to over-pluck. As I'm sure you've already noticed, I used to do this all the time, and gave myself non-existent eyebrows. Let your brows find their natural arch and work with what your momma gave you individually on both sides of your face. No part of your body is exactly identical, and your brows won't be either. Don't worry about it.

#2: Feel free to add more, but stop taking away too much. What I mean by adding more: to match one brow to the other, use a brow pencil or a brow powder one shade lighter than your natural hair color to fill in the spaces. Don't take away from the other one! Again, this is how I overplucked my eyebrows into oblivion. *Shudder* Even thinking about it getting me upset! Ha!

#3: Use those stencils you get in brow kits! They seem absolutely ridiculous, but I promise you--they help you find a shape that will complement your face, and you don't have to worry about planning out the shape yourself. Try it once, fill it in lightly. You'll thank me, I swear. They come in the Sephora brow kit, if you're looking to buy  one.


My brow regimen:
1) Wow, when I wake up in the morning my eyebrows are all over the place! I use a brow brush to brush through the hairs and tame them before I begin filling them in.
2) I tweeze unnecessary hairs that have popped up--but be careful! Don't tweeze hairs above the brow because it creates a really unnatural look and can ruin the height of the beautiful brow arch.

This Brow Tutorial Shows How to Create the Perfect Arch

3) I fill in my brows with a shade VERY close to my natural dark brown hair color. I have used Sephora's brow kit, and I am currently loving the brow kit I purchased from NYX cosmetics. You can find each of them on their respective websites, www.sephora.com and www.nyxcosmetics.com. FYI--the NYX kit is only $6, which I think is a steal because I can use it 1,000 times. No lie.

Use a small angled brush to create the top and bottom lines of your brow with a brow powder (I don't use a pencil, I think it is too aggressive of a line) and make sure to blend the lines you created up into the hairs. The more natural the blending, the better your eyebrows will look. To create a natural line on the inside-most part of your brow, use a brush that has a rounded edge--that way the line doesn't come out so angular. That would look unnatural.

4) Keep your brows in place all day with a gentle brow gel. I find some of them to be too "hardening". I didn't like the gel that came in the Sephora kit--I felt it "glued" my brows in place. Example: It's like the difference between a hair spray that holds your hair but lets it maintain its bounce, or a spray that literally turns your hair into steel. My favorite brow gel is the one that Chanel sells. It's the perfect amount of hold.

5) Highlight with a soft white underneath the brow to draw attention to the height of your brow bone--that will also deepen the crease color you put on when you wear makeup later!

I think my brows are much more natural and fit my face much better now. I hope you agree, and if you have brow questions, be sure to e-mail or comment.

IN OTHER NEWS: My room mate and best friend in the entire world, Jeanne, turned 21 this weekend--a total milestone! We threw her a great party at our favorite Italian restaurant and then went to New York City--the West Village is the "it" spot--I had no idea! The whole neighborhood was overflowing with the trendiest people, and everyone was relaxing and laughing and dancing and just living it up! We had such a great time down there that we're planning on going back at the end of the school year. I used a H.I.P. duo for gold lids that I hope to show you soon, by the way! She and I both had a truly great time, and I want to thank everyone who was a part of the festivities for making it a really great experience. I love her very much and I'm glad that she had a good time. So, Happy Birthday Jeanne! :D

This is a picture of us being silly from my Photo Booth Application--it's from freshman year! How far we've come! <3 LOVE YOU.



<3 all the best, kristie

My Makeup Life as We Speak

Dear World,

So I'm sure you can tell that the posts are lacking, but I'm going to have to admit to you that it is mainly just because I haven't been wearing that much makeup...at least not the same degree as usual. Like I've said many times, I always have my Smooth Operator tinted moisturizer from tarte cosmetics on hand, but recently I've just been throwing on some mascara and that's it. (Welcome to the end of the school year.)

However! My room mate, guy friend upstairs, and another friend of mine recently decided to go out and enjoy ourselves, and  I wore the Mac Russian Red Lipglass that I reviewed a while ago. I figured it was my only chance, so I decided to try it.

It. Is. Hot! I was really proud of how perfect and simple this red lip was, but I'm going to say this. Red lips are a lot of work. It is going to be an occasion few and far between that I wear this look, simply because I cannot cannot cannot stay on top of reapplying this stuff. If you eat dinner, of course it's going to wear off. I am too careless of a person to freak out constantly about what's on my face. Fortunately, I anticipated that. I reapplied it a few times in the evening, and by the time we went out for drinks and things, I took it off with the makeup remover and cotton balls I had in my bag! Wahoo!
Don't get me wrong though, those red lips are super sexy. But next time I'm not wearing them to dinner. :D

The rest of the time I've been wearing fairly nude colors, with a little bit of brown on the crease for definition. I recently purchased the NYX Cosmetics For Your Eyes Only Palette for Brown Eyes. The website cosmetic candy did some swatches, which I will post here.

At first I was disappointed in this palette because...let's be honest here...the colors are really boring except for the emerald green. However, I think this palette has grown on me and I will explain why. First of all, it is a nice compact place for all of your nudes and associated crease colors (The top four colors from left to right) Secondly, the deep burgundy-violet and emerald green are really really beautiful colors and I consider them a great acquisition. This palette is also well pigmented, which often is a hard thing to say when your purchase is such a ridiculously good price. I paid less than $10 for this palette, and I will probably have it for an eternity and a half. (In other news I really don't like the lavender/lilac color in the top right corner...we'll see what I can do with that)

All in all, I have two weeks left of school, and I will probably wear minimal makeup during that time. Expect to hear from me here and there until then, and then I promise this website will get an explosion of reviews.


Summer here we come!

<3