Spring 2013 Pantone FOTD

The Partners in Pretty decided to do a Spring FOTF collaboration based on the Pantone color chart.  I selected Linen and Emerald for my look to create something subdued but pretty with an unexpected pop!

Here are images of my look:

To see how I created the look and find out what products I used to achieve it, check out this video:

Wet n Wild Mega Last Lipstick

My NYE Look - Pink Glitter and Candy Yum Yum

Christmas Day 2012-berry lips

FOTD: Modern Kabuki

Fresh off the heels of my post on the NARS holiday gifting guide comes an inspired FOTD.  Looking at and reading about how the colors most used in Kabuki theatre, red, black, white and gold, are used throughout the collection in different ways made me want to incorporate the colors in a look.

I opted for doing two looks in one - a bold look and a more wearable one.  Video and images are below but first, here are the tools used to bring my vision to light:

FACE
Chanel Mat Lumiere foundation - Cedar
Makeup Forever shadow - brown (used as contour)
MAC pigment - Golden Lemon (used as highlight)

EYES
Lorac palette
Wet n Wild Eye Kohl - White
Maybelline  gel liner - blackest black
Milani Paint Palette - 01 (white only)
Lancome Defincils mascara
Makeup Forever shadow - brown
MAC pigment - Golden Lemon (lid)

LIPS
Milani Lip Flash - Hot Flash

See Spot Run - How to get rid of hyperpigmentation

Not to sound all dramatic but dealing with hyper-pigmentation  is pretty much the bane of my adult existence.  Caused by increased melanin, those of us with darker skin tones such as Asian, Mediterranean and African are plagued by this darkening of certain areas of our skin and/or nails.  Sometimes the sun is the culprit but often times its due to an injury or inflammation of the skin.  The most common cause of course is a bout with acne...don't even get me started on that topic.

While it is a pain to deal with there are ways to ward off the dreaded spots.  First and foremost if we just exercise a bit of restraint and refrain from excessive touching of the skin during times of an acne outbreak, though hard to resist, it would save our skin from having to heal the darkened areas.

Also preparedness helps, if you know you will be in the sun, apply sunscreen/block beforehand.  Why not toss a sample size version in your makeup bag to take along just in case.  Also worth mentioning is that sun protection should be used all year round, not just when the rays are warm enough to rock tanks and shorts.

In the event that the warnings go ignored there is hope.  Home remedies in the form of avocado, lemon/lime juice and raw potato juice applied to the skin for about 10 minutes daily will aid in lightening.  Cocoa butter is a go to item for many as well.  There are also a number of products available over the counter at your nearest drugstore.  Of course all of these should be used in tandem with a diligent skincare routine to include exfoliation which will aid in the turnover of skin cells. 

As you all know I am currently using the Clarisonic along with an exfoliating cleanser that contains salicylic acid.  I just recently decided to up the ante and take charge of this skin of mine by adding a new product.  The Vichy ProEven Total Dark Spot Corrector retails for $42.50 and is said to be safe for sensitive skin, so much so that it can be used daily.  I just started using it so I can't report on how effective it is just yet but I will say that it is very hydrating and because I apply it with my nighttime skincare routine, when I wake up in the morning my skin has seemed a bit brighter, not as dull.

I will be reporting back on my results with this in a few weeks to let you all know if I notice a change in my hyper-pigmentation but if you can't wait and want to give it a try yourself you can pick up ProEVEN at any CVS, Walgreens or DuaneReed.  If you do decide to pick some up let me know how it works for you.  Or if you have a tried and true way of revealing your skin's glow let me know in the comments below - y'all see my rhyming skills?  :)


Disclosure: I was provided a sample of this product to try.  The views expressed in this post are my own and in no way influenced by said sample

FOTD-Recreation of the UD 15 Year Anniversary Palette Look

image c/o urbandecay.com

Another inspired look I did after seeing the above face chart on Urban Decay's site.  I went there in search of a promo image to go along with the release of the 15 year Anniversary Palette however the face chart was all I could locate.  I thought it was a gorgeous look so I decided to do my take on it.  The onset of cooler temps (hello 60+ degree weather! WHOO HOO!) has me wanting to play with color a bit more - so backwards.

Now in the video below I give a mini review on the palette however I may have come off a bit harsh if you will.  Do not get me wrong, I adore Urban Decay (and no I was not contacted by anyone about my review, I just don't want you all to jump to conclusions).

As I said in the video I love the brand for the color payoff and texture of their shadows however I would love to see them switch it up a bit with the color offerings.  The 24/7 Shadow Pencils (I used Rehab in my date night FOTD vid) are gorgeous but again color selection is limited.  I contend that while a popular brand, if Urban Decay were to increase their color range with something never before seen by them, even if we have seen it from other brands, that their popularity would sky rocket.  I will purchase from them again, I just will be diligent in my research to be certain I am not repurchasing the same color over and over again.

365 Days of Lip Looks - August 9, 2011 f. Milani Lip Flash and MAC Currant

Sorry for the subpar photo but I realized I wore a lip outside of my normal nude comfort zone so I had to hurry and document it. 

I did my workout yesterday with a full eye look, no face makeup, and my eyes were burning once that sweat started to come.  So today I opted for a brow and lip instead with a touch of blush. 

Today's lip look is brought to you by Milani Lip Flash in Flashy (first reviewed most of the line here) and MAC lip liner in Currant.

30 Day YouTube Challenge - Day 15 - FOTD f. Sleek Acid Palette

I was on a recording roll!  Check out this FOTD I did using the Sleek Acid Palette!

30 Day YouTube Challenge - Day 14 - Daytime Smokey FOTD with Urban Decay Naked Palette

I was in a rush and could only snap the above pic but I did record a vid.  Check it out!

30 Day YouTube Challenge - Day 13 -Clarisonic vs. Olay vs. facial brush

For those that do not know I am a member of the Vogue Influencer Network as mentioned here.  Recently as a member of the program I was given the opportunity to receive a Clarisonic Plus Pro!  Super honored and super surprised and I have been putting in work with it!  Quite a few people know that I had the Olay brush and wanted to know how it compared to the Clarisonic, so of course to me that means perfect time for a video!  Here is it below for your viewing pleasure.

365 Days of Lip Looks-March 18, 2011 f. MAC Style Minx lipglass w/Jessies Girl Grape Expectations liner

I am on my way to party with a purpose. A few of my coworkers are going to participate in a breast cancer awareness walk and of course for the party we are encouraged to wear pink. While i have pink accessories, i am lacking in the pink clothing department so of course I opted to rock it in my makeup look. The lipglass came out with the Heatherette collection.

If you were wondering my nail polish is Under Wear, Over Expose by Famous.

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365 Days of lip looks-Feb 21 f. Inglot #12, Milani Lip Flash Star Flash, etc...

Oh what a surprise, more pink! Of course I mean that in the most sarcastic way possible but I am proud to say its a different pink look.

For this lip I used one of my new Inglot lip colors, #12 to be exact, Milani Lip Flash in Star Flash, MAC lipglass in True Babe, NYX Fuschia liner and MAC Cork liner.

Too much to attend a kids birthday party? Oh well, too late cause I rocked it anyway! :)

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365 Days of Lip Looks - Day 2 f. H&M x Lanvin Rose, MAC Rock Out Lipglass and NYX Cocoa Liner

Video coming soon showing how I did the look, and some behind the scenes footage of a shoot I worked on today.  Today's lip look features one of my HG lipsticks - H&M x Lanvin Rose, NYX Cocoa Lipliner and MAC Rock Out Lipglass.

*EDIT* In these photos I am actually wearing MAC Cork lipliner but later on in the day I swapped out for NYX Cocoa because I forgot Cork at home o_O.  :)

YouTube FOTD- Go Bold or Go Home f. NARS Bellydance Duo and NYX Plum Lipgloss

For some reason with all of my vids you have to watch them in 480p to hear the music, if you watch in any lower resolution you will only hear dubbing noises, sorry about that, blame YouTube. Thanks for watching!

Ol' Blue Eyes FOTD

Thanks for watching!

Nicki Minaj x MAC Pink Friday Look - #2

Nikkia asked a few of us to submit a look showing us wearing MAC Pink Friday.  I did just that and figured I would record it as well.  For deets on the look - keep an eye out for Nikkia's post.  Enjoy!

Inspired FOTD -Sephora Holiday 2010 Catalog-Celebrate!

This video took me through some changes today.  The first song I used was Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam, you know an oldie but goodie right?  Well, imagine my surprise at the video being blocked due to the copyrighted content.  Like for real YT?  is somebody really checking for Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam right about now besides me?  Either way ok I get it, duly noted, wont happen again, audio swap wins again!  Many of you, no doubt, have received the new Sephora 2010 Holiday catalog and you see all the extra yum inspiration photos and products to drool over.  Well, I was inspired by the cover of my catalog and wanted to re-create a look.  Here is the inspiration image:

And here is the vid of the re-creation along with pics of my completed look at the end of the vid





And a BB pic (sorry its so washed out, that flash is not to be played with)

Nicki Minaj x MAC Pink Friday Look - #1 Work Appropriate...maybe

First time trying the Pink Friday for an all day look.  See how I pulled it together by watching the video.

I look super tired...and I probably was, my sleeping patterns have been way off lately...anyway this is how I made it work that day.  Still Pink Friday but applied with a light hand...

I absolutely HATE lip swatches, but I felt it was necessary here.  Do NOT get used to lip swatches on this blog *shudders at the thought*

While this is a rather gross pic I just took it to show how dark Pink Friday looks on the cup...that is quite odd to me as it reads very light on my lips.  Hmmm, further experimenting shall ensue...

Nicki Minaj x MAC = Pink Friday

This is going to be a quick post as of course I havent tried it just yet but I wanted to show you the lipstick and the swatch and compare it to what I have on hand - yes for some reason I already had 2 pink lipstick tubes in my purse...and a pink opaque lipgloss...and a sheer pink lipgloss...but that besides the point!  FOCUS PEOPLE!  :)  Anyway as you already know Pink Friday is the child of the MAC Collaboration with Nicki Minaj, femme fatale rapper currently taking the industry by storm.  Whether people love her or loathe her she is making her presence known in a huge way.  You dont come out the gate with a MAC collabo, you just dont.  Minaj loves her a pink lip and wants her "Barbz" to be able to rock the look with her.  On to the swatches:

Pink Friday (its a satin in case you were wondering) 'scuse my chipped polish ugh

Swatch of Pink Friday

Swatch of MAC Snob (also a satin) on top and Pink Friday on bottom

Swatch of Lanvin x H&M Rose on top, MAC Snob (middle), Pink Friday (bottom)

First impression - I think it is a very pretty color.  I dont have Pink Nouveau, which it has been compared to a lot so not a dupe for me.  The Lanvin x H&M Rose I can rock with no problem.  It has become one of my go to lip looks.  Snob, while I also love I have to manipulate it in a way that works for me.  I have a feeling Pink Friday will also fit in that category and then some but I am up for the challenge.  

Did you snag a tube of Pink Friday before it sold out?  If so, how do you like it?  Do you think you will wear it in real life or did you just succumb to the hype?  If you missed out, dont forget you have three more chances to join in the mania!  The next 3 Fridays it will be available on the MAC website only.  Remember that they update their site at midnight so I suggest you are online, on your phone, whatever at 12:01a ready to click add to cart.  Good Luck!