Win It: Consultation with Dr. Murad

Total Beauty is giving away a skin consultation with Dr. Murad! All you have to do to enter is be the first person to review a product on Total Beauty. You can review more than one product and as long as you are the first person to review, you will get more entries. Entries are automatic when you are the first to review, you do not need to do anything else.

Here are the prizes:
GRAND PRIZE (two winners!)Receive a one-on-one telephone consultation with top dermatologist Dr. Murad and a basket containing all the products comprising the day and night Murad product regimen he recommends.

FIRST PRIZE (five winners!)Receive a collection of free Murad products comprising a Murad regimen for the winner's skin type.

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EOTD: Neon Eye

Bright colors are in this spring, so I decided to do a bright neon eye using Pop Beauty Lid Neon Palette. While I know it is not a drugstore find, it is a great deal at $22 for the six colors it comes with.
First, I used a flesh colored base. I patted the yellow shadow on to my inner eye and above the crease. Then on the outer half of my eye, I patted on the light blue shadow. I then took the shadow slightly over the crease. On the very outer V and into the crease I added a light touch of the dark blue shadow. I blended a highlighter on to my brow bone where the bright color met it (the highlighter). Using a turquoise eye pencil, I lined the top lid and halfway around the bottom. I finished the look off with dark blue mascara.


You can find the Pop Beauty Lid Neon Palette at Sephora.

Review: Maybelline Volume Seduction XL

When I picked up Maybelline Volume Seduction XL Lip Plumper in Seductively Nude it was because I had a coupon and the product was already on sale. I am glad I did get it though. I love the design of the lip gloss. Though you have to click the base quite a few times to get the gloss going, it is not as much as other click glosses. I like how the tip is not the spongy foam-like stuff on most click glosses of this design, so the lip gloss doesn't start to go bad in the foam and make the whole thing stink (yes, it has happened to me). I also like how well the cap stays on due to the notches in the base and cap. The visibility of the color in the middle is also a plus. As for the gloss? It smells and tastes fruity when it is on. It is not too sticky, but stays on for over an hour without reapplying, which is just ok in my book. The color, though sheer, did show up on my pigmented lips. As for the plumping action? Well, any gloss will make your lips look plumper than mattes, and I did not see a huge change in my lips. It did tingle and slightly burn a little though. While I do not think it changes the plumpness of my lips, it is a great gloss if you can stand the tingle. The color range is gorgeous, and if I had the chance to purchase again on sale I would. Check it out on the Maybelline Website.

Get the Look: Applying Lipstick

Applying lipstick is one of the most overlooked skills in putting on makeup, most people just grab a tube, put it on and go. While that is ok for touch ups, applying lipstick takes more time.

Choose a lipstick. You can go with whatever works with the rest of your makeup or you can choose something fun and new and work around that color. Remember that if you want your lips to look bigger, go for glossy, light shades and if you want to minimize them go for dark, matte shades. I never let that rule eliminate any lipstick from consideration though, I mainly just go for what I like.

Prep the lips. Exfoliate them, using a store bought lip scrub, a home made one like Aquaphor and sugar, or gently use a washcloth. After, be sure to apply a balm or lip primer.

Most people do not have to do this next step, but it can help. Apply a flesh colored lip eraser, or in a pinch, concealer to the lips and pat in with your finger. This is to neutralize the natural lip color. Pat a little along the line around your lips if you are going to redraw the lip line.

Line the lips. Some people say to go for a flesh-toned shade always, and while I reach for my flesh-toned a lot, I also like to experiment with using different liners, sometimes to match my lipstick, sometimes to change the appearance of lip colors. While some say the latter is a huge no-no, I say have fun, if everyone followed every makeup rule life would be boring! I think it looks fine as long as it is not really dark liner with light lipstick. When using a different color lip pencil than liner, though, you might want to fill in the lips lightly so if the lipstick wears off you don't have a big line around your mouth. When lining the top lip, define the cupids bow, then work out each side to the corners of the mouth. When lining the bottom, starting from the center is easier. Make sure you use a sharp pencil.

Apply lipstick. Some people prefer from in the tube, some people prefer with a lip brush. I prefer with a lip brush, especially with dark colors because it gives you more control over where the lipstick goes. Make sure everything goes on even and stay in the lines. Blot with a tissue. If you want (and it looks good) just leave it at that. If not, apply a little more after you blot.

Apply finishing touches. If you would like gloss over the lipstick, apply at the center of your bottom lip and the center of your top lip. Blend outward towards the corners. By emphasizing the center, you make lips look plumper. You can also highlight the area above the cupids bow with a highlighter to make lips look big if you do not want gloss. Don't forget to touch up throughout the day/night!

Win It: Total Beauty Makeover in NYC!

Total Beauty is giving away a trip to NYC for three plus a thousand dollars in beauty products! All you have to do is sign up on TotalBeauty.com and write three reviews and you are automatically entered! For every three reviews you write you get one entry, so if you write six you get two entries, for nine reviews you get three entries, etcetera. Get more info here. This is a great opportunity to let people know what you think of your favorite (or least favorite) beauty buys, and get rewarded. So don't just sit there, get reviewing and win!

Get the Look: Shadow Application Areas

When I post an eyeshadow tutorial, I use terms that are not in the everyday vocabulary. Though I try to be as specific as possible when describing where colors go, it helps to have this diagram. This picture shows where certain parts of the eye are located (when it comes to applying makeup). You can see here all the terms I use, such as lower lid, above the crease and outer V. I hope you find this easy to read, I did have some problems fitting the words into the spaces. One thing missing from the picture is the upper waterline, which is the part located underneath the upper lashline. I hope you find this picture helpful for future tutorials, and if you have any questions just let me know!

Get the Look: Purple Eye

Though all colors on the lids are hot for spring, purple or violet shades seem to be the hottest. Here is my take on the trend.

First, apply a base all over your lid and slightly under your eye. Get a pale pastel shimmer purple and apply it from the lash line up to the brow. I used Bon Bons (the cheap kind you get for $.99) loose shadow in Purple.
Use a bright purple (Milani Single Shadow in Shock) from the lash line to above the crease and take the color under the eye a bit.

If you want the purple to sparkle, apply Jesse's Girl Eye Dust in Cloisonne Violet (you can get this at Rite Aid) all over the Milani Shock.

A dark blue shadow (Sally Girl Shadow in Midnight) should be patted on your outer lid and blended inward.

If desired, cleaned up the loose shadow fallout with a powder brush and define the outer edges of your eye shadow using a wet q-tip.

Apply liner and mascara anyway you like and you're done!

Review: E.L.F. Duo Eye Shadow Cream

The E.L.F. Duo Eye Shadow Creams are not my favorite item that I recently purchased. I bought all six of these duos for a dollar each, and I'm glad it only cost that much. These shadows were smaller than I expected, about 5 grams of cream in each duo, but I've paid more money for less product. As long as they worked well, I didn't care. Unfortunately, they did not work as well as the package says. They claim this product is crease resistant, long wearing and easy to blend. The product creases almost instantly after putting it on. The colors fade in less than half a day, and it takes a lot of product layered on to make the colors show up. Still, the colors were pretty, mostly on the neutral side and not at all vibrant, but pretty. As for it being easy to blend? It is, but most cream eye shadow is easier to blend than powder. There was one review on the E.L.F. site that said most people used the cream eyeshadow wrong, and that you have to layer it with base and set it with powder. While I can understand layering it with base, why would I waste my time finding powder shadows to match? I might as well find a well pigmented powder shadows I like and apply those over a base, save myself a step. I just do not see the point in messing with Duo Eye Shadow Cream, even after giving this product multiple chances. You can see actual pictures of the product in the post below or on the E.L.F. website.

Haul and Review: Eyes Lips Face

I just got an order I placed on the E.L.F. website, and boy am I excited! Along with a few brushes, I got these!


They are E.L.F.'s Candy Shop Lip Glosses ($1) and E.L.F.'s new Duo Eye Shadow Creams ($1). I was most excited about the lip glosses, so I tried those first. The packaging is super cute, and you get a lot of product for only $1. Though they all smelled like the flavor on their package, some were stronger than others. Mocha Maniac and Berry Pop were the strongest smelling out of all of them, the rest were kind of light. The levels of glitter varied between them as well. Cherry Bomb had no shimmer, Mocha Maniac, Frosting Fanatic, and Candy Fix had a shimmer to them, and Berry Pop, Melon Mayhem, and Coconut Crazed had more pronounced glitter. All were creamy, moisturizing, and had a slight shine to them. The shine wasn't glass like, but it was there. The glosses tasted sweet, but with no particular flavor. Though they look like they have color in the tin, there was not much tint to my highly pigmented lips. Some went on clear. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Berry Pop because the smell is strong and the color
tints my lips the best. I have yet to try the Duo Eye Shadow Creams, but look for a review of those in the near future.

P.S: My Valentines Day was great! My fiance/date took me to an Italian restaurant and got me a box of See's and some MAC cosmetics! For my makeup I went with a smokey taupe eye with thick cat eye liner, bronzed cheeks, and a rose colored lip. I wasn't able to get a picture, I was running late for the reservation :( Oh well, it was still a fabulous day!

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day everyone! I hope it ends up a good one! My Valentines Day is going great because I am now a part of Total Beauty. Check me out on Blogs We Love, along with several other great blogs. While your there, review a few products or pick up some great beauty tips. You won't regret it! Check out the link above or button on the left of the page.

FOTD: Valentines Day Look #3

Everybody loves the color red on Valentines Day, so I thought for this FOTD, go red. This looks emphasis is on the lips. Red lips can be overpowering, but if you keep the rest of the face simple, it can be pulled off.



For the eyes I used a neutral tones, like in my Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips eyeshadow in Brown Eyes. I used the lightest champagne color for all over the lid, and a mid-tone brown in the crease and slightly on the outer V. To make the eyes interesting, I used a felt tip liquid liner (Loreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black) to make a thick cat-eye on the top lash line and halfway on the bottom lash line. I finished the eyes off with mascara.


For the cheeks, I contoured under the cheek bones using a darker colored powder and highlighted the cheek bones and above the cupids bow with a shimmer highlighter like Wet n Wild 832D.

For the lips I outlined the lip with a red lip liner (Wet n Wild 717) and shaded it in for even wear. I applied NYX Snow White lipstick on my lips, blotted and applied a bit more.

Tomorrow is Valentines Day! I will choose a look, or combination of looks, or a completely new look and post it before I go out on my date.

FOTD: Valentines Day Look #2

With this look, I kept it a little more sultry. I focused on the eyes more and gave them a smokey look.



To get that look, I put a base all over the eye, up to the brow bone. I put a nude colored shimmer (NYX Pearl Mania in Nude Pearl) all over the eye. On the lid to above the crease is a taupe color (NYX Root Beer). I used taupe to keep the eye softer than with a harsh gray. A matte black (NYX Black) went softly in the crease and the outer V. Finish with a heavy line of black kohl on the upper and lower lash line and put on a few coats of black mascara.



For the cheeks, I contoured using a darker colored powder. I highlighted with a shimmery peach blush (Revlon A Floral Affair in Peachy Keen).

For the lips I kept it nude to emphasize the eyes. I used a neutral lip liner (Wet n Wild 712) and patted on a nude lipstick (NYX Circe) .

FOTD: Valentines Day Look #1

Valentines Day is coming up, and for some it is a chance to go out and have fun, whether on a date of out with friends. One of the biggest questions I asked myself when planning for this special day was 'How am I going to do my makeup?' Well, I decided to try out three different looks throughout this week to decide the answer. My first look focuses on the color pink and is fresh, innocent, and girly.



For the eyes, I kept it simple and clean. I first shaped the brows with NYC Browser in Brunette. I then applied a base (Loreal Hip Paint in Secretive) to the eye area, up to the brows, including under the lower lash line a bit. I applied a sheer highlight color, like NYX Vanilla Sky anywhere I put the base. I blended a pale pink shadow, like NYX Sweet Pink, all over the lid and slightly above the crease. Instead of harsh eyeliner, I kept the eyes soft and doe-like with three coats of black mascara.


For the cheeks I brushed on a sheer pink blush. Maybelline Mineral Power Naturally Luminous Blush in Gentle Pink is my favorite for the look. It goes on sheer, yet a little of the product goes a long way.

For my lips I kept it simple and lined lips with a natural colored lip liner (Wet n Wild 712). I then filled in with a shiny, mid toned pink lip gloss like Goldie Mini Lip Gloss in Baby (available at Bath and Body Works).

Tomorrow's look is a little more sultry and a little less innocent, so stay tuned.

Try This: New Drugstore Collections

It seems these days drugstore cosmetics are joining the higher end cosmetics companies in coming out with mineral makeup and limited edition collections. What’s new?

Wet n Wild has a new line out called Beauty Benefits which contains marine minerals and lotus extract. These products are said to be beneficial to the skin, but who can tell until you actually try it. The products sound fun though, from the Eye Brilliance Shimmer Sticks to the Triple Fusion Eye Shadows and everything for your eyes, face, and lips in between.

Loreal has come out with a new collection called Pink Into the Future. It contains two new shadow trios, one in a shimmer white, gray and black, another in shades of pastel blue and pink (with a highlight color), three new lip glosses and lipstick, two blush/highlighter duos in shades of pink, and some new nail polish. They come in the familiar clear plastic packaging of Loreal’s more recent Golden Globes collection, but with silver circle patterns all over them.

Look for these new additions soon at a drugstore near you!

About Me: My Stash Pt. 4: Brushes

Before we get to the brushes there will be a quick detour through eyelashes and glitter. Here are some fun eyelashes that I haven't used, some regular ones I have used and glitter, mostly Tony and Tina.



Now for brushes. We have here my less expensive brushes, my E.L.F., a few Ulta and my Sonia Kashuk brushes (the set in pink).



Here are my other brush sets, with my Lancome brushes, Too Faced Teddy Bear Hair brushes and kabuki, Lola brushes, and an appearance by my Beauty Blender Sponge (the hot pink egg).



And last, but not least we have my MAC Special Edition brush sets, and my Sephora Brand Prestige Brush Set.



It has occurred to me that my Shu eyelash curler is not in any picture. I love it just as much as all the things pictured though. Oh, well! I hope you enjoyed looking at my makeup. I enjoyed organizing it all, as painful as it was sometimes. Now that it is all over, I'm going out to buy more!

About Me: My Stash Pt. 3: Lips

And I will continue on with the lips portion. Unfortunately, my camera decided to be evil, and a few picture are blurry. The colors are still visible though.

First I have the boring yet very important lip liners. They are mostly Wet n Wild and MAC, a few others.



Next are lip balms, again, boring, but it gets better.



Lip plumper, both high and low end. To tell you the truth, half of them don't plump, just make my lips tingle.



All of my squeeze lip glosses are on display. I have a lot of Victoria Secret Beauty Rushes and Bath and Body Works Liplicious, with a few Color Juices and Juicy Tubes thrown in. See I told you it would get better!



Now for my other lip glosses, including Stila Lip Glazes (all unused so far) Urban Decay Lip Gunks, and Wet n Wild MegaSlicks.



Here are misc. MAC lip products, mostly Lip Glasses.



Here are lipsticks, from NYC to Lancome, with Victoria Secret, Wet n Wild, Sephora, Rimmel and NYX in between.



And my favorite, my MAC lipstick collection. 30+ lipsticks with more on the way soon.



Oh, and here are some lip palettes.


Tomorrow, to finish everything off, I will show you my brush collection. Then it is back to your regularly scheduled Budget Beauty Loving. Yay!

About Me: My Stash Pt. 2: Eyes

Continuing with pictures of my stash, I've moved on to the eye group.

First up we have mascaras, lash glitters, shadow transformers, and brow kits. Surprisingly, only two of the mascaras have been opened.



Next we have bases, MAC Paints and Shadesticks, UDPP, Wet n Wild Cream Shadows, and Loreal bases.



Here are all my liners, high and low end, from cream to glitter.



My NYX shadow, trio, pearl, and palette collection.



Misc. drugstore shadows, the palette with the colored stripes is Jane, by the way.



Wet n Wild, Milani and Hip shadows.



Loose eyeshadow, including my favorite Jesse's Girl stuff.



My MAC shadows, quads, and pigments.



Misc. higher end shadows, Stila, Urban Decay (in the 4-pan palettes as well), Pout, Lancome and lots in between.



Mixed media (shadow, blush, gloss) palettes. Hard Candy Punk and Princess Palettes, Sugar Storybook, Iman palette, and Eyeko palette.



Hope you enjoy this photo filled post. Next up is lips!

About Me: My Stash Pt. 1: Face

I'm about to embark on a crazy, confusing, and frustrating adventure. I'm going to update and organize my makeup stash. On the way, I thought I would share some pictures. Here is Part 1, all face products.

First up we have all my foundation, powder, mineral makeup, primers, and foundation mix ins.



Next we have my MAC Mineralized Skinfinishes, Pearlizers, and Cream Color Bases.



We now have my Nars blushes, Stila Convertible Colors, Tarte Cheek Stains, Smashbox...things, Lancome and Bourjois blush, and an Eyeko Fat Balm.



Last are my NYX blushes, Wet n Wild 3 in1s, Wet n Wild bronzer, Hip bronzer and highlighter, and Revlon Floral Affair blushes.



Stay tuned next time for the eye products!

Get The Look: Simple Colorful Eyes

Colorful eyes are hot for spring this year. Though it may seem intimidating, there is actually a very simple way to do a basic two-color eye. Pick out two complimentary colors and a highlight, I used a green and a blue, plus a champagne color. Usually the darker color will be on the outer third.

First, apply a good base all over the eye area up to the brow and including the lower lid under your eye. I used the new Loreal Hip Paint in Secretive.


Apply one of the shadows (in my case, Milani Clover) to the eyelid focusing on the inner 2/3rds of the eye. Blend upward slightly. Take the shadow and brush it in a thin line under the inner half of the lower lid.


Take the other shadow (Milani Blue Ice) and pat on to the outer third of the eyelid. Brush it on to the outer half of the lower lid.


Blend well where the two colors meet by taking some of the outer color already on your lid and moving it slightly into the inner color. Take a bit of the outer color (already on your lid) into the crease. Don't forget the blend under the eye as well.


Take any highlight color and apply to your brow bone. Blend the top of your color eyeshadow into the highlight color to avoid harsh lines.


Make sure everything looks the way you want it to.



Apply liner, mascara, and brow fix. Your eyes are done! Make sure that you use foundation to cover any imperfections on the skin. Colorful eyes seem to bring those out. Also, don't use to bright lipstick or blush if you want to balance out the brightness of your eyes.

Try This: E-mail Newsletters

The best way to buy makeup is on sale in my opinion. How to keep up with sales? Join a website's e-mail newsletter. Usually, you will be the first to know about sales, free shipping codes, and clearances that are going on. For example, I sign up for the Victoria's Secret e-newsletter and received a coupon a free lip gloss with any purchase. I am on the e-mail list for Sephora and I found out that they have free shipping for purchases over $25 until the Super Bowl is over (code: DELIVERY25). I found out via e-mail that MAC is doing free shipping (US and Canada) on any purchase until March 25th. You can even sign up at websites that do not have an e-store and get printable coupons. Whose newsletter am I subscribed to? Well, along with the ones above, I enjoy hearing about sales from Cherry Culture, Stila, Drugstore.com, E.L.F., Bath and Body Works, and Lush. Try signing up for your favorites; you never know what you might save.

P.S. Don't want all the e-mail filling your inbox? Get an address just for newsletters.

Haul 2/1/08

I got a chance to go to the Ulta Friends and Family Sale last night from 9pm-10pm. I got an Urban Decay Primer Potion, two Stila Shadows in Barefoot Contessa and Golightly, two Stila Shadow Pots, a Stila Convertible Color in Petunia, and a L.A.M.B. Perfume all at 40% off! The Neutrogena Wave Refills were at 25% off! If you have a chance to go to this sale tonight (the last day) at 9p.m.-10p.m, go! You will get 40% off high end cosmetics and 25% off mass (drugstore cosmetics. You will need the name of someone who works there, plus their store number, but those can be found on certain message boards and other blogs. (I do not want to give out other people's information without their permission, so I can't tell you anyone's name on this blog). Can't make it to Ulta? Try going to Nordstrom Rack. (You do not need anything special to get in). I found Tarte Smooth Operator there, originaly $35, marked down to $13.97. I found a $28 Tarte Cheek Stain for $9.97 and a Pout Eyeshadow Duo for $6.97. My location had tons of DuWop, Tarte, and hard to find Pout. Some people have claimed to see Too Faced stuff there. You can get tons of high end makeup for drugstore prices!

Review: Rimmel Underground Lip Bloomer and Uber Full

I know, I know, another review. On the plus side, these are brand new products that just came out. There are very few reviews on them.



Rimmel Underground Lip Bloomer in Killer Kiss ($6.99, Longs Drugs)
This is a double sided lip product, with one side being a lip stain and the other being a lip plumper. The lip plumper side had a great consistency, really thick and glossy. The plumper gloss made my lips look gorgeous. It smelled good on both sides. The problem is, the lip plumper didn't really plump. There was no difference in my lips before and 30 min. after using the plumper. The stain side had a weird watery gel-like consistency and did not stain lips. After a lot of patting the stain in, the color barely showed, and the color that did show was more orange than deep red. It kissed off quickly, not at all what I expected from a stain, which is supposed to, well...stain. I would buy just the plumper, which is sold separately with two different colors, clear and nude, and has more in it. This particular product I would not recommend.

Rimmel Underground Uber Full Plumping Balm in Big Time($6.99, Longs Drugs)
This is a pink balm that goes on clear housed in a domed-circular container. The packaging is really cute for Valentines Day. The balm is shiny, but not sticky. It does not burn my finger when applying, yet it still gives a nice tingle to the lips. It also smells good, kind of candy-like. My lips felt moisturized after applying. I would have given this balm a rave review, but the whole point of this lip product is to plump lips. It did not plump my lips noticeably, no matter how long I kept it on. It felt like it was doing it's job with the tingle and slight numbness, but my lips just didn't look bigger. I will not buy this product a second time because it does not do the job it is intended for, but it is still a decent balm. You might want to buy it, if not for the plumping, then for the super cute Valentine's packaging.