2 ways to transform your shadow: a base and foiling

This post is going to be how you can make your eyeshadow look completely different, just by using a different colored base or "foiling" your shadow. In all the pictures, the one farthest to the left will be over a white base, in the middle will be over a black base, and on the right will be just by itself. The white base I'm using is NYX's jumbo eye pencil in milk and the black base I'm using is the cream liner by wet 'n wild. The jumbo eye pencil is $4 from Ulta, and the black liner is $3 from Rite Aid.

The first shadow I'm using is the pink one from this Strawberry Fudge duo from Cliniqiue.



As you can see, the shadow by itself which is on the far right is a shimmery pink/gold color. When it's put over a white base, it brings out the pink color. When it's put over a black base, it brings out the gold color.

The next shadow I'm using is a loose pigment. It's from L'oreal HiP and the color is "progressive."




When this is put over a white base, it makes the color stronger but not as shimmery. When it's but over a black base, it makes it darker and good for a dramatic eye. By itself it's more shimmery and copper colored.

Now onto the foiling. Foiling a shadow is when after you put the shadow on the brush, you spray it with water. It makes the color much more metallic, especially for pigments. For this I used the same L'oreal pigment I used before.


The shadow on the right is the foiled one, it looks lighter than the other one and i more metallic.

A great giveaway from another blogger

Hey I just wanted to let you guys know about a great giveaway a blogger I follow is doing, the link is: http://www.rantingsofafashionaddict.com/2010/06/little-give-away-to-celebrate-my.html

Enjoy :)

Cheap thrills & give away! (NYC blushable creme sticks)

This is going to be a new series I am going to be doing. I will be writing reviews for my favorite cheap thrills and sending one random subscriber the product I am reviewing.

The first product of this series is the N.Y.C. blushable creme stick.

The two above are big apple blush (left) and pink flash (left). These blushes are only $4 and are available at Rite Aid. It is a creamy blush that has a dewy, glowy finish. My favorite way to apply them is with my Sonia Kashuk highlighting brush, which is available at target. You can apply them with any blush brush of your choice, or you could apply it directly to your cheeks and blend it in. Here are some swatches of my blush sticks:

big apple blush on the left, pink flash on the right. These are concentrated swatches, while the next are sheerer swatches to get a feel of what they would actually look like on your face:


Now onto the best part, the giveaway. Here's how you can enter:

1. Comment on this post listing your top 3 color choices for the blush (incase they do not have your top choice in stock). Click here to view the color options on the website. NOTE: pink flash is not an option because it was limited edition for the summer, my apologies.
2. Put your e-mail address at the end so I can contact you.
Rules:
1. You must live in the U.S. and if you are under 18 it must be okay with your parents/guardian that you enter this contest.
2. You can only enter once.
3. You have until the last day of July to enter, and on the first day of August I will start a new cheap thrills give away.
4. You must be a subscriber.

The winner will be chosen randomly so goodluck everyone and as always, thanks for reading!

Hey sample lovers, this one's for you!

This is a list websites where you can get samples, some free some not. I will list how you can get samples from these websites also.

Sephora- With every online purchase from sephora.com, you will get 3 free samples of your choice.
Ulta- With every online purchase from ulta.com, you will get 3 free samples of your choice.
Alima- You can purchase samples from alimapure.com. Foundation samples are $1.50, and everything else is $1. This are very generous samples.
Smashbox- With every purchase from smashbox.com you will get to pick one of 3 free deluxe samples. If you sign up for their rewards program, you will get another free sample. If you order on a tuesday or thursday between 9 am and 2pm, you will get a free full sized product (product changes every time) with any purchase.
coastal scents- You can purchase samples from coastalscents.com and they are generous sizes. The prices vary, but most are $1-$2.
everday minerals- You can purchase generous samples from everydayminerals.com for $2.50 each.
best bath store- With any purchase from bestbathstore.com, you can choose 5 free samples. You could just order the samples also and pay for shipping, but I honestly don't think that would be worth it. Some of the samples are really generous, others are not.
fyrinnae- One of my favorite makeup websites, as posted below. You can buy samples from fyrinnae.com for $1.50-$2. The samples are generous and they always add in a free sample with your order.
the balm- With my last purchase from thebalm.com, they also included a sample of a staniac. I'm pretty sure they always add in samples, but not positive.
silk naturals- You can purchase samples from this website for about $1.25 each. They are very generous.

I just wanted to let everyone know about a website that I love, makeupalley. It's a website that has product reviews for almost every product you can think of, boards for makeup, hair, skincare, fashion, nails, perfume, daily chat, and much much more where you can ask other ladies (and gents) for tips, advice, and product recommendations. Also on the website you can "swap" makeup. You list the makeup that you no longer care for and if someone is interested in it they will let you know, and you can look at their swap list to see if they have something you would like in return. Many people find this unsanitary, but if you know how to clean makeup correctly then it really isn't! I've learned so much from this website and would recommend that other ladies interested in makeup look at it too!

Fyrinnae

Hey guys. I wanted to do a review of products from a website called Fyrinnae. It is such a great company. They only sell their products online, but they sell samples so you don't have to spend a lot of money before finding the colors you love. They also add in free samples with your purchase and base them according to your purchase. I particularly love their blushes and taupe eyeshadows. Although I have found that their blushes are a lot darker in real life than they are on the website. They have a subtle shimmer but it really just adds a "glow." They also have a velvet gel primer that doesn't have silicones in it. A lot of acne prone people break out from silicones, but this primers main ingredient is aloe. It also has silica gel. This is great for oily skin, I've found it helps me from getting oily throughout the day. I do have to say it doesn't really "prime" well though, like it doesn't make my foundation go on any smoother. Here's the website: fyrinnae

Try out some of their products and let me know what you think of them!

try out benefit cosmetics top picks for cheap!

Sephora has two $10 kits that have multiple deluxe samples from benefit.

The first one:
The stay put set


This one contains:
Stay don't stray eyeshadow primer .09 oz
Full size: .33 oz $24
Which makes the sample worth: $6.55

Erase paste concealer in medium .11 oz
Full size: .15 oz $26
Which makes the sample worth: $19.01

Creaseless cream eyeshadow in R.S.V.P. .11 oz
Full size: .16 oz $19
Which makes the sample worth: $13.07

Which makes the entire set worth: $38.63, all for $10!
Sephora link: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml%3B$sessionid$AFUWL1JIC3J3OCV0KQRQ5UQ;jsessionid=AFUWL1JIC3J3OCV0KQRQ5UQ?categoryId=A17&id=P264906


The second one:

Benefit to go beauty best sellers

Poisetint lip and cheek stain .08 oz
Full size: .42 oz $28
Which makes the sample worth: $4.66

Some kind-a-gorgeous foundation .06 oz
Full size: .34 oz $28
Which makes the sample worth: $4.94

That gal face brightening primer .25 oz
Full size: .37 oz $28
Which makes the sample worth: $18.91

High beam highlighter .09 oz
Full size: .45 oz $24
Which makes the sample worth: $4.80

Which makes the entire set worth $33.31 , for $10
Sephora link: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?categoryId=A17&id=P252919

Update

I don't know where I've been all this time! I didn't realize it had been over a month since my last post. I was just busy with finals and whatnot at the end of the school year and now I have work and I've just been taking time to relax. I will be updating more starting now though! I will have more time on my hands and my makeup collection is growing with many things to show you ladies!

Current deals!

Hey guys. I've been buying lots of new makeup recently and wanted to let you guys know about a few sales and bargains!

• Free ecotools products! Go to www.lookgorgeouslovegreen.com . You can send in your old makeup brushes, body washes and scrubs, body lotions and butters, hand creams, body mists and bath sponges and they will send you a coupon for an ecotools alternative under $8. You can send in 2/ person.
• 75% off drugstore makeup! CVS is having a huge sale and is having 75% and 50% off certain shades of products. I got revlon creme gloss for $2, sally hansen nail polish for $1 and change, L'Oreal HIP pigments for $3, and much much more! It's definitely worth a look but go quick cause things are selling fast!
• 14 free samples from ulta. You can get 14 free samples from ulta when your online order is over $25, and that's a lot of samples! Some of the things included are peter thomas roth, too faced shadow insurance, bare escentuals prime time face prime and eye primer, along with many other high end products.
• Lancome has a free gift with any purchase over $32.50. It's a 6 piece gift with your choice of one of two tote bags, one of three anti aging creams, a blush or an eyeshadow quad, one of two lipsticks, and their deficinils mascara.

My favorite scents

• Euphoria by calvin klein
• sensual amber from bath and body works
• ralph lauren wild
• lavanilla spice
• lavanilla passion fruit

How to protect your skin from the sun while avoiding greasy, pore clogging sunblocks

This is going to be a list of products that you can use to protect your skin from the sun this summer that don't make your face look like a grease ball or clog your pores. I also tried to add a variety of brands and prices so there will be something everyone can get a hold of.

• Physicians Formula Healthy Wear Line. Includes the tinted moisturizer, powder foundation, and bronzer. All of these products include SPF 50, which is a lot for makeup! One precaution though is that the tinted moisturizer runs dark. I'm about NC20 and they lightest one was too dark for me. All these products are around $15 and can be purchased at any drug store.
• The next product is MAC's Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF 50. This is a primer that includes sunblock which is great because primers are made to last very long. This one's a little pricey, $28, but completely worth it. You can get it at most department stores.
• The next is E.L.F.'s SPF 45 UVA/UVB protection. This is a powder sunblock. It's a light, slightly pink color that will blend in with MOST skin types. However, I don't see this working well on someone very dark. It does blend pretty well but not that well, but that's what you get for $6. It can be purchased at www.eyeslipsface.com
• Another is bareMinerals SPF 25 mineral veil. I wouldn't recommend an SPF this low for an afternoon out in the sun, but this is great for everyday wear when you don't plan on spending every minute out in the sun. It's $19 and can be purchased at sephora.
• Don't really know what type of product you're looking for? A primer, a powder, or something else? Try sephora's Sun Safety Kit. It comes with 12 sample products for $25 plus a makeup bag.

Hope this helped! It's really important to protect your skin from the sun. You'll be happy that you did when you're old and NOT wrinkly :)

Your options for applying liquid foundation

There are quite a few different ways to apply a liquid foundation, and I'm going to explain a few of them.

With your fingers: This application will give you a full coverage. It is easy to blend with this and is probably the quickest way to apply your foundation. If you're going to apply your foundation this way, it is very important to may sure your hands are clean so you're not rubbing bacteria all over your face that could cause you to break out.

With a foundation brush: This way will give you a lighter coverage than with your fingers, however it is harder to blend and will take longer to apply. Although this will take longer, it will give a more natural look. For an inexpensive brush you could use the ecotools foundation brush ($7, ulta) and for a more expensive brush you could use MAC's 190 foundation brush ($32, MAC counter). To use, put a pump or two of foundation on your hand and dip the brush in it and apply to your face.

With a stippling brush: This will give you a very sheer and very natural coverage. It is definitely the lightest application you can get with still having enough coverage. You could try MAC's 187 stippling brush ($42, MAC counter) or coastal scents black stippler brush ($8, coastalscents.com). To use, same application as foundation brush.

With a dry sponge: This will give you a heavy coverage. I find that it is easy to make my foundation to look cakey with this type of application. You can get a large pack of wedge sponges at any drugstore, ulta, or any other beauty store at a low price. (However, ulta's are majorly overpriced). To use, put a little foundation on the sponge and blend onto face. Do it section by section so you don't have to put a lot on the sponge.

With a wet sponge: This will give you a youthful, dewy look with a sheer coverage. I love this look because it is definitely the most natural application I've tried. Once again, you can find the sponges at any drug or beauty store. To apply, soak the sponge and squeeze out most of the water so it is only damp. Apply the foundation the same way as with the dry sponge.

My favorite products

DRUGSTORE...

cleanser: biore 4 in 1

moisturizer: clean and clear dual action

primer: sally hansen luminizing face primer

foundation: n/a ( i have very sensitive skin so i just go for stuff i can try on first instead of wasting my money)

concealer: physicians formula gentle cover concealer in green

powder: covergirl tru blend

blush: physicians formula mosaic blush

eyeshadow: HIP duos

eyeliner: l'oreal lineur intense felt tip liquid eyeliner

mascara: covergirl lashblast

other: biore deep cleansing pore strips, ecotools makeup brushes and tools, clean and clear oil blotting sheets,

DEPARTMENT STORE...

cleanser: estee lauder perfectly clean

moisturizer: clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion

primer: smashbox photo finish light

foundation: lancome photogenic lumessencce

concealer: clinique advanced concealer

powder: clinique blended face powder

blush: lancome blush subtil

eyeshadow: lancome in chic

eyeliner: lancome le crayon khol in black coffee

mascara: clinique high lengths

Beauty tip of the day

If you're having trouble with mascara getting above on your eyelids because you have long lashes, there's a solution. Use a business card or any other thick piece of paper and put it at the base of your lashline and pull your lashes up just a little. Put on mascara and it will guard your eye and curl your lashes.

Beauty tip of the day

If you have a zit you're having trouble getting rid of, try a home remedy. My favorite is using a spot treatment made of aspirin. Aspirin is salicylic acid, which is a main ingredient in drugstore acne products. Take 2-3 aspirin and crush them into a powder. Take a couple drops of hot water and mix it in with the powder to make it into a paste. After washing your face, put it on any pimples. Leave it on for 15 minutes, and then rinse it off. I got this remedy off the show "the doctors," so it is safe, and really inexpensive.

Beauty tip of the day

In order to keep your makeup sanitary, be sure to wash your brushes frequently, especially foundation brushes. Bacteria can build up on them and make you break out. If eyeshadow brushes aren't cleaned, you're colors won't come out the way you want. Wash your brushes in cold water with baby shampoo because it isn't too harsh on your brushes. Lay them on the side while they dry, DO NOT stand them straight up (like how they are in the beads at Sephora). It will go down into the brush and make the hairs come out.

Youtube beauty gurus

Hey, I mentioned that I like to watch beauty videos on youtube so I thought I'd list a few of my favorites.

• allthatglitters21
• beautybyamy
• bethainy
• ericaleung13
• heather123
• juicystar07
• lollipop26
• manimbrown
• meganheartsmakeup
• michellephan

Beauty tip of the day

The shelf life of your makeup

Too many people don't realize when it's time to throw away their makeup. Using an old foundation can make your skin breakout and using an old mascara can make for a bad eye infection.

• Mascara and liquid liner should be thrown out every 4 months.
• A water based foundation should be thrown out every 12 months and an oil based every 18 months.
• Lip liners and pencil eyeliners can be kept up to 2 years as long as they're sharpened regularly-- every few weeks.
• Lipstick can last 1-2 years. The easiest way to tell exactly when to throw it away is when it starts to smell funky.
• Cream and gel liners can be kept for one year.
• Eyeshadow, blush, face powder or any other type of powder can be kept for up to 2 years.
• Concealer can be kept for up to 1 year.
• Foundation primer should be thrown out every year.

To keep your makeup clean and new, put a sticker on your makeup when you get it with a date of when you should throw it out.

My beauty collection

lotions, miscellaneous soaps and other bath items, body spray and perfume

lotions

hair products

skin products

skin products

skin products

skin products

from left- clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion, clindamycin phosphate (prescription), oil blotting sheets, clinique even better moisturizer, phisoderm daily moisturizer, best bath store pore refinitin toner, best bath store dead sea facial scrub, neutrogena fresh cooling spf 45 spray on sunblock, neutrogena oil free acne wash, best bath store acne treatment gel, burts bees citrus facial scrub, nuetrogena ultra sheer spf 70 sunblock lancome benefait multi-vital spf 30 sunscren, best bath store dead sea mud mask, lancome renergie microlift, biore deep cleansing pore strips, doctor burts herbal blemish stick, clean and clear dual action moisturizer, acne free acne &black head terminator, lancome bi-facil makeup remover, clean & clear invisible blemish treatment, clearasil rapid action treatment cream

samples

lip products

various soft lips, neutrogena, burt's bees, blistex, blue q, and chapstick lip balms
lipsticks -maybeline in tinted taupe, clinique in rasberry glace, and lancome in natural beauty
glosses- lancome juicy tube in tickled pink, lancome juicy tube in fifth avenue frosting, lancome color fever plumber in rose pink, lancome juicy rube in rasberry ice, lancome juicytube in framboise, beauty rush lip gloss in i want candy, and liplicious in pink grapefruit

mascaras and liners

starting from left- covergirl lash blast, clinique high lengths, maybelline great lash in clear, sephora mascara, lancome definicils, (now onto the liners) le crayon kohl by lancome in black coffee, ulta glitter eye pencil in black, sephora nano liner in silver green, loreal lineur intense felt tip black liner, ulta long lasting liner in black, maybeline line style in white, voluminous traceur yeux in true brown, essence of beauty eyebrow designer in brown
sephora eyelash curler in brow and lash brush
maybelline great lash curler

face products

from left- maybelline bronzer in salsa sun, sally hansen luminizing face primer, ulta pressed powder in fair to light, lancome blush subtil in rose fresque, clinique blended face powder in invisible blend, 2 lancome photogenic lumesence in ivore 4 (N) and ivore 2 (C), physicians forumula mosaic blush, clinique advanced concealer in matte light, american beauty perfecting concealer in fair, maybelline true illusion undetectable concealer in true ivory, physicians formula gentle cover concealer in green

eyeshadows

all the quads are lancome
the white is sephora
the gold in the top left is ulta
the pink and brown duo is clinique
the purple on the right is covergirl
loreal and elf mineral shadow primers

*comment if you have a question about exact colors

back ups

mess nail polishes

how my drawer is organized

Hey guys. I thought I'd show you my beauty collection so far. It's not much, but I'm working on it. When I get new stuff, I will keep you updated.

NOTE: I know the table looks dirty, but it's really just stained from make up and has burns from my straightener. I'll be repainting it soon. Also, the orange and green stickers on my make up are the expiration dates.

Hello bloggers!

Hello, my name is Shannon. I'm starting a beauty blog and I decided I'd start off with telling you guys a little about myself.

-I'm 16 years old and a sophomore in high school

-I have been doing ballet for 12 years and I love it. I have class 6 days a week and rehearsal very often depending on the performances. I generally do 2-3 performances/year.

-In my spare time I like to post on makeupalley.com and search product reviews, watch youtube beauty videos, and post on the teenvogue beauty and fashion forums.

-My favorite subject in school is biology, specifically nutrition.

-I've always had an interest in makeup and beauty due to having stage makeup at a young age.

-I have fair skin, blue eyes, and dark brown curly hair. My skin type is combination.

-My music taste is very eclectic.

My goal is to post a blog entry every other day so follow it and see what I have to say!