Music: Back to Mine Mix 1

I get a lot of comments on Youtube about the music I use, and many have told me they love my music taste. Well thanks, I'm chuffed! Music is another huge passion of mine and I love to go hunting for new and exciting sounds, in a wide variety of genres. Electronic, vintage, downtempo, rock, you name it!

I would love to use some of my favorite tracks for my Youtube videos but I can't always use the tracks I want due to copyright issues, since I earn profit on my videos. So instead I have created a free mix to download for your personal listening enjoyment. Feel free to check out any of these artists and buy their music. I'm going to try to do a whole series of "Back to Mine" mixes, meaning the type of music I enjoy listening to and playing at home. Back to Mine mixes are a way for to express and showcase one's music taste to others. I realize these tracks aren't actually mixed together, it's more just an mp3 with a whole playlist of tracks inside

I would be so happy if you download my mix and let me know what you think! Great for your iPod, mp3 player or even burning to CD. I'll be doing more mixes in the future in a variety of genres, the next one will be more electronic dance music oriented.

MissChievous Presents: Back to Mine Mix 1 "jazzy, funky, vocal beats"

Duration: 48:35

Tracklist:

Bittersweet - The Mating Game
Pink Martini - Let's Never Stop Falling in Love
Roisin Murphy - Sow Into You (Bugz in the Attic remix)
Alice Russell - Hurry On Now
Quantic Soul Orchestra - Walking Through Tomorrow (TM Juke mix)
Kinny Horne - Why Me
Corinne Bailey Rae - Since I've Been Loving You
Vikter Duplaix - That Night (Jazzanova remix)
Imelda May - Big Bad Handsome Man
Alacran - Reflejo De Luna
Eva Cassidy - Wayfaring Stranger
Coralie Clement - Beau Fixe

Please click here to download the mix from this free hosting provider.

Mirror

Both these download places are free! Make sure to click on "Free User", you get about 40 seconds of ads before you can proceed with the free download to your computer.

Man paints his face every day for 1 year!

Artist James Kuhn created a 365 day project where he painted his face every day for a year. He has now finished his project and his work is absolutely amazing! Check out the video to see some of his creations come to life!

You can see a gallery of his work on the Daily Telegraph website here, or of course see more on his Youtube channel.

James Kuhn, I salute you! That takes some serious dedication.

IKEA releases a new MALM vanity!

So you probably all know the infamous MALM vanity from IKEA by now that I, and many other makeup enthusiasts, own.

A lot of people, however, just don't have space for this vanity in their home because it is 191cm in length. IKEA has now released a new, smaller version of the MALM vanity that measures 120cm in length! In a recent video I saw on Youtube, the drawer inside looks like one solid compartment, versus the 4 individual compartments of the larger one. But everything else looks pretty much the same!

May be worth checking out at your local IKEA store if you always wanted a MALM vanity but size was an issue for you. Please check your country's IKEA website for prices, locations, etc as prices vary from country to country.

If you want to see my vanity area, I took these pictures over a year ago when I originally purchased the vanity. I would say my collection has doubled or tripled by now though as these pictures are quite outdated; I had to buy a separate little chest of drawers for extra storage and I'm running out of space again! It's getting a bit ridiculous, honestly. I'll have to do some re-organization soon.

MAC Cremesheen glasses dupes!

I remember when the MAC Cremesheen glasses came out I was excited because I love lipgloss without shimmer and sparkles, but with an ultra glossy finish. Then when I swatched them at the MAC counter, I thought: Eh, I'm sure I can find something like this in a drugstore! I walked out without purchasing anything, and I'm glad I did, because indeed I found something very similar from a drugstore: Margaret Astor Shine Deluxe Prismatic Gloss.

Unfortunately they don't seem to have names but I bought one in a peach shade, the other one in a raspberry shade. They have medium pigmentation, just like the MAC ones, and would look great layered over a corresponding lipstick. They feel very creamy and give a beautiful glossy finish without any duochrome, glitter or sparkle. They sort of remind me of a thicker consistency and better pigmented MAC Lipgelee.

They come in a few other shades, some neutrals, some brown townes, and a really baby pink one as well. I'm not sure of the availability of Margaret Astor products outside of mainland Europe so you'll just have to check your local drugstore. I also don't think they can be purchased online anywhere, as far as I know. The name and packaging of these lipglosses is a bit deceiving because it reminds me of the MAC 3D glosses, but these are definitely more like the Cremesheens in texture, finish and color payoff. You can find swatches of MAC's Cremesheen glosses here.

Overall, I really like these Margaret Astor lipglosses and I might go back for a few more. The colors I picked up will look great layered over lipsticks, or just by themselves for spring. This just goes to show that MAC is not always better and more innovative than less expensive drugstore brands, and sometimes you're just paying a premium for the label.

Nailpolish I'm wearing: OPI - Tickle My France-y

Dark Look using Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics

I did this look using Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, a brand I first heard about from Queenofblending! These are fantastic and I must say the Lip Tars are extra-ordinary and very unique. Opaque, glossy goodness with no stick factor! The lip tars don't come in a huge variety of colors yet but these are also great for mixing together to get a custom shade. Ideal for makeup artists! OCC also has a lot of professional airbrush tools if you use that. The loose colors are very pigmented and in a shimmery finish, I recommend using a slightly sticky eyeshadow base for them.

Just an eye shot this time sorry, pics turned out horrible because I had bad lighting. :(

Face
Alima Mineral foundation, Nivea bronzer
Eyes
ArtDeco eyeshadow base, OCC Ironic Loose Color, MAC e/s in Carbon and Vellum, Ben Nye Toast e/s, Ben Nye black pencil eyeliner, L'Oreal Carbon Gloss liquid eyeliner, mascara (?)
Lips
OCC Lip Tar in NSFW and Tarred, Ben Nye black pencil eyeliner

You can buy Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics at their webstore here!

Birthday Treat for me!

It's my birthday today and while things remained pretty uneventful, I decided to treat myself to some new shoes. Well, I actually really needed them for a civil wedding I'm going to attend this Friday. I'm going to wear these with white linen summery slacks and a nice blouse I bought from H&M a while ago and have hardly worn.

The elaborate Church wedding ceremony isn't until July and I still need to buy something to wear for that. I am dreading it, quite frankly. I went to a bridal shop a few days ago to look at dresses - my god that shit was RAW I tell you! Just awful. I'll have to try regular clothing stores to find a nice dress I think. I hate shopping when you actually need to find something specific, blech!

These shoes are black suede on the outside, and lavender colored leather on the inside. It's amazing for me to find fashionable shoes in my size, and in leather too. You try going into a trendy shoe store and ask for a size 11 or 12! (Size 41-42 Europe) Damn it shoe store, carry my size!!!! That's the downside of being tall (I'm 177cm) - having large feet and finding fashionable shoes that fit.

Please ignore the orange nailpolish, which is China Glaze Orange Marmalade by the way. I'm honestly not feeling it...

FOTD: Narcissus must wear hot pink lips

Alternate title: How to wear hot pink lips without looking like a douche bag.

 

  

The Money shot...or bukkake shot?

 

I'm sure if Narcissus were a woman, she'd wear hot pink lips. Don't you agree? Ahhh Show Orchid, how do I love thee, let me count the ways. For too long you have rested idly in my vanity table, waiting for the day to be reborn and kiss my longing lips. Today you shall rule again!

Face:

Revlon Colorstay foundation - Ivory, Benefit High Beam, MAC Rose MSF, Nivea bronzer

Eyes:

ArtDeco e/s base, NYX e/s in Mink Brown & Aloha, black gel eyeliner (generic), generic false lashes, L'Oreal Voluminous mascaea, NYX White jumbo eye pencil (in the waterline)

Lips:

MAC Beet lipliner, MAC Show Orchid lipstick, MAC Sheboom Lipgelee

NOTD: Wet n Wild - ?

This nailpolish by Wet n Wild doesn't have a name labeled so I have no idea what this one is called, but if I were to christen it, I'd have to go with either Pepto or Barbie Girl. This morning I had that annoying song by Aqua running through my head, remember that one? "I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world...life in plastic, it's fantastic!" Ugh, yeah - the 90s boasted some particularly horrible pop music.

So I guess I can credit Aqua for my choice of nailcolor today, this Pepto Bismol Barbie pink. This is the only nailpolish I own by Wet n Wild because somehow the application is super streaky with this. It looks ok in the picture but close up I can see streaking. Not a fan of the quality of these polishes - although maybe it's just this one? Let me know if you've had better luck than me with Wet n Wild nailpolish. I also filed my nails today so they are all the same shape and length again - looks so much nicer now, don't you think?

I'm proud to say I can do a pretty darn close to perfect application by now with no smearing on the cuticles at all. That is one of my pet peeves, seeing up-close nailpolish pictures and the polish is all messy and all over the cuticles and on the sides. Seriously, I'd rather see plain nails than nails with huge messes, it ain't pretty. I've learned the best way to have a neat application is to leave a gap on all sides between the cuticle and the nailpolish - a buffer zone, so to speak. If you're not good with application, then please use a nailpolish remover pen to clean up the messes!

If you want to get better at applying polish on yourself, I highly recommend you read this helpful notepad on makeupalley, especially the section "Application Tips" and learn to master the 3-stroke method. This is exactly how I polish my nails now and I always leave a gap. It just looks neater and cleaner, rather than having the polish extend all the way to your cuticles.

Happy lacquering!

Fauxhawk hair! Ultimate Rocker hair tutorial

 

  

Since so many of you requested a hair tutorial on the fauxhawk hairstyle I had going on in my Illamasqua video, I decided to recreate that look for you all! I love doing this hair when going out to a concert or to the club. Hope you enjoy, and let me know if you try it out.

Makeup Brushes 101

I filmed an udated version of my essential makeup brushes, the ones I use the most and love. I have some more brushes but these are definitely the ones I use all the time and would recommend. I had uploaded a brush video a long time ago and a few people asked me where it went - I had removed it a while back because it wasn't current anymore, so I thought I would redo this video with my updated picks!





Hope you enjoy and find it helpful.

NOTD: Nivea Nr. 97 - Berry Gloss

Just picked this one out today whilst grocery shopping. Nivea nailpolishes are pretty good quality and wear a really long time on me without chipping, but they take a long time to dry (virtually endless without a quick-dry topcoat) and I wish they offered more "daring" colors. This is one of the more unique ones, it's a deep purple-raspberry creme with a jelly-like finish. Needed 3 coats of this to get it opaque though.

I have to reshape my middle finger nail, it broke a couple weeks ago right down to the base, it was painful. :(

What I'm reading: Charlaine Harris

I've been twittering about this since last night and had quite a few questions what I was on about: Charlaine Harris!

I've been reading the Sookie Stackhouse vampire series books, aka the Southern Vampire series. The series is about a human telepathic waitress, Sookie, who works in a Louisina bar. The story revolves around her experience with vampires, shapeshifters and other supernatural creatures. If this is sounding familiar, you might have seen the HBO TV show based off the series, True Blood. I have also started watching the TV show and am enjoying it immensely. Great actors (Anna Paquin stars as Sookie), great scriptwriting, dry humor and a "redneck" Southern drawl make for a winning combination.

What I noticed after starting to read the first book in the series, Dead Until Dark, is that Twilight seems to have completely ripped off key elements from Charlaine Harris' books! Harris' first book was released before Twilight, so I get the feeling that Stephenie Meyer was heavily influenced by this series, even though she claims not to have read any vampire books before starting on Twilight. Yeah right. Some of the key elements are very transparent: the mortal heroine falls in love with a vampire, the concept of shapeshifters, and the entire Jacob/Edward relationship seems to be heavily inspired by the Bill/Sam relationship from Harris' books. Very suspicious to say the least.

Charlaine Harris' series is definitely geared more towards an adult audience, which is also reflected in the True Blood TV series, which includes raunchy but often comical sex scenes, some gore, and mature content. For anyone who felt slightly too old for Twilight but wants to read another vampire series, try out this series by Charlaine Harris. I was told on Twitter that a new book in the series is expected to be released this summer!

Charlaine Harris' series for sale on Amazon

Recipe: Thai Mussels with Lemongrass, Basil and Kaffir Lime

I've been meaning to post this recipe up for a while now. I made these mussels a while back and this is my absolute hands-down favorite mussel recipe. I don't even make other recipes anymore when I cook mussels because I just love this one so much and it has such intense flavor. I also love Thai food and the unique Asian flavors really make this recipe special. Here's what you will need for a main course for 2 people, or as an appetizer for 4-6 people. I serve this with some crusty French bread to mop up the juices, or if you want to do the traditional French thing, you can serve it with homemade French fries. (When I make French fries, I make them in the oven on a baking tray with just a few tablespoons of olive oil to cut down on unhealthy fat.) You will find the specialty ingredients in Asian food markets.

Remember that Thai chilies are very hot, so use gloves when handling if necessary, or wash your hands after to avoid transferring to your eyes. One whole chili will probably be enough for most palettes, if you want extra spicy, add a second one. If you want less spice, you can also remove the seeds but handle with care, you don't want the chili getting underneath your nails (I speak from personal experience.) This is what Thai chilis look like:

Also, this is what Thai basil looks like, it's not the same as normal Italian basil. Thai basil has a strong flavor reminiscent of licorice!

This is lemongrass, a fragrant lemon scented plant:

And these are kaffir lime leaves, another very fragrant lemon-lime scented leaf from the kaffir lime tree, that adds a wonderful flavor to sauces:

Ingredients

1kg - 1.5kg of mussels

1 tblsp. sesame seed oil

1 tblsp. vegetable oil

1 medium sized onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, chopped

3 stalks of fresh lemongrass, only the inner white part, finely chopped

1-2 red Thai chilis, chopped

350ml white wine

1 tblsp. Asian fish sauce

40g Thai Basil leaves, finely chopped (not the same as Italian basil)

6 Kaffir lime leaves

1. Clean mussels by scrubbing the outer shell and remove the beard at the base of the mussel if necessary. If you have no idea how to do this, this online tutorial shows you how. Remove any mussels with broken shells. Rinse the mussels in cold water for a few minutes, then drain.

2. In a very large pot, mix and heat up both oils and stir fry the onion, lemongrass, garlic and chillies for 4 minutes until everything is lightly browned and the onions are glassy. Add wine, fishsauce and whole kaffir lime leaves to the mixture. Cover with a lid and let simmer on low heat for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to unfold.

3. Add mussels to the pot, close lid, and give the mussels a thorough shake through to mix the broth with the mussels. Allow the broth to heat up again, and with the lid firmly closed, steam mussels for about 6-8 minutes until all the shells have opened. Don't overcook the mussels, otherwise they will turn hard and chewy.

4. After mussels have opened, sprinkle chopped Thai basil leaves over the mussels and give one last shake through before serving. Serve and enjoy! You can also serve this with steamed perfume rice for a full meal if you like.

Let me know if you try it out and if you liked this! It's a very healthy meal and very flavorful.

Drugstore haul and mascaras

I've been wanting to pick up a bronzer for a while now but didn't have time to go to the MAC store and also wanted to see if a drugstore product would do the job. I settled on one by Nivea called Stay Real because it swatched smoothly on my hand and wasn't too dark - a common problem for fair skinned people. I tried it out tonight for the first time just to see and first impression seems ok. No annoying sparkles and glitter, and no orange glow. So far so good!

I also picked up 2 mascaras: L'Oreal Double Extend waterproof and Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express. I've been wanting to try out some of these new mascaras on the market to see if they are any good. I don't buy high end mascaras anymore, I don't find them any better than drugstore brands and they all dry out eventually, so I don't see the need to spend lots of money on something I replace frequently.

I have a tendency to amass lots of drugstore mascaras though. I was thinking of doing a comparative review of popular drugstore mascaras soon. These are all the ones I have right now, and I might buy a few more - who knows!

In order from top to bottom: Essence Volume Boost base mascara, Essence Lash Mania, Maybelline The Colossal, Covergirl Lashblast, L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes waterproof, Maybelline Define a Lash waterproof, Max Factor Lash Lift waterproof, L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black, Max Factor 2000 Calorie.

Stay tuned for a review on which ones I like and which ones....well....suck! Hah!

Illamasqua contest entry

My entry for Mizz Worthy's Illamasqua Contest!

(Note: The video looks much better in high quality, click the red HQ button!)

I couldn't wait to enter Mizz Worthy's contest to hopefully win some Illamasqua goodies. I just love the philosophy behind Illamasqua's slogan of creating one's alter ego. This is exactly what I like about makeup and how I like to use it to let my imagination run wild.

This look is my rocker, rebel alter ego. I wanted a very intense eye look without using too much colour, and just completely nuded-out lips. I used hair and accessories to compliment the make-up to let my inner rebel shine through. Thanks to Mizz Worthy for the opportunity and giving me a chance to get creative!

Face

Revlon Colorstay foundation in Ivory, Benefit High Beam, Ben Nye Contour Nr. 1, Ben Nye Natural Blush, MAC Shimpagne MSF

Eyes

NYX White e/s, Rimmel Chianti eyeliner, MAC e/s in Copperplate and Carbon, Maybelline white kohl pencil, generic black gel eyeliner from eBay, generic eBay false eyelashes, rhinestones, DUO lash glue

Lips

Ben Nye concealer

Ask Me Beauty: Are nail polishes bad for my health?

I recently watched your nail polish haul and your comments on "Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat" led me to purchase this top coat. Generally, I am very happy with the product, as it really speeds things up. However, I got a bit skeptical when I read the warning on the bottle saying that the "product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm". I was wondering whether you knew more about the ominous warning.

-Claudia


Dear Claudia,

This warning is most likely because of the ingredient Toluene (also known as methylbenzene, toluol, phenylmethane) contained in Seche Vite, which is a solvent that makes the polish easier to apply. Toluene is an aromatic hydrocarbon commonly used as an industrial solvent for the manufacturing of paints, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and rubber. Like other solvents, toluene is also used by some drug abusers as an inhalant drug for its intoxicating properties. Inhalation of toluene fumes can be intoxicating, and in larger doses nausea-inducing.

Toluene is one of the substances that some nail polish manufacturers are starting to omit from their products, also known as the "Big Three". These are three toxic chemicals that are often used in nail products, namely Dibutyl Phtalate (DBP), Formaldehyde and Toluene. It is debatable whether or not these three chemicals pose a serious risk to consumers who use nail polish on a regular basis. Some people might be more concerned about these chemical ingredients than others, especially pregnant women who may wish to take extra-ordinary precautions. Personally, I do not feel that these ingredients pose a serious risk to my own well-being, so I will continue to use them on myself. This is something everyone must decide for themselves, however, beauty products must label their products very carefully with any warning labels to prevent misuse or liability, etc. You have to consider that while these ingredients are certainly toxic in larger quantities or if inhaled purposefully, you are only exposed to a minute amount in your nail products and unlikely to be sniffing and inhaling the polish vehemently.

What I suggest is that you check out this post on ALU that explains "Big Three Free" polishes in more detail with lots of useful links, and this other page on ALU for an updated list on which companies offer Big 3 Free and other chemically reduced nail polishes. Michelle from alllacqueredup.com has obviously done a lot of research on this topic and I would only do her a disservice by trying to regurgitate the same information on my blog.

Hope that helped and happy and healthy nail lacquering!

XO,
Julia


If you have a beauty related question and need advice, please email your question to askmebeauty@gmail.com The best questions will be published on my blog, your anonymity is guaranteed.

Sugarscape Feature

W00T!

OK, I admit I had no idea what this website is until a fellow Twitterer alerted me to it, so thanks to magily11 for letting me know. I was on the front page in a fashion and beauty feature. Check it out!

Gotta love that I'm right under Zac Efron (aka Zaquiesha) with the title "which lucky lady snodged Zac Efron?" Although what exactly is snodging, I've heard of snogging but - snodging? And it certainly wouldn't be me, he looks like a little girl.

My fav comment from a user on that website: "er...is that REALLY roberts girlfriend? if it is, i hate her"

LAWL.

Click here to check out the article on Sugarscape.

Voluminous Curls using the Enzo Milano tutorial

 

  

  

This hairstyle was really easy for me to accomplish, even as a complete novice at hair curling. I used the Enzo Milano 1" clipless curling iron, which is also dual voltage so it can be used in Europe as well as in North America.

If you'd like to get an Enzo Milano yourself, you can buy one here (click).

FOTD: Matte red lips and bronze smokey eyes

(click pictures for full size)

This is the makeup I wore in my last video, alerting to the stolen videos situation. The natural lighting was perfect on this day to show the makeup as accurately as possible. A few people commented on the red lips so I thought I'd post this to let you know what I used. Red lips is one of my favorite styles to wear on myself, I know some people prefer glossy or nude lips but I think the matte red lip is just a timeless classic and will always add a touch of sophistication.

Face:

Ben Nye concealer, Studio Fix foundation, Alima mineral foundation, MAC Blushbaby blush, MAC Shimpagne MSF

Eyes:

MAC Untitled Paint, MAC e/s in Woodwinked, Mulch, Carbon, Dazzlelight, L'Oreal Intense liquid eyeliner, Maybelline white kohl pencil, Covergirl Lashblast mascara

Lips:

MAC Red Enriched lipliner, NYX Chaos lipstick

Incidentally, I will keep you updated with the Girlyvue situation, although I'm feeling like not many other of the "big name" gurus (as much as I hate saying that, I mean those with lots of viewers and subscribers) really care? My own videos have been removed but I will try to keep at it to get the site taken down, but if I'm standing out there on a limb by myself, I feel like this is a pointless battle to fight for other people that are affected. I really appreciate any videographers that have already and continue to take action by alerting the webhost and Google Adsense about this situation.

If you have no idea what I'm referring to, please click here to watch my latest video explaining.

Will the thieving never end? Stolen videos alert!

Fellow Youtube video makers, we have another ridiculous site ripping off literally hundreds of Youtube videos! Please check out my video explaining everything in detail. If you make beauty related videos on Youtube, regardless if you are a Partner or not, or have lots of subscribers or little, there is a big chance your videos have been captured and rehosted on another website, with no credit given whatsoever.

Strength in numbers! We need as many video makers reporting this gross copyright infringement to the service provider of this thieving website!

Please read this thread for further information, and read post Nr. 18 to copy the standard legal form that you can send in. You absolutely must sign your copyright claim for it to be legally valid. If there is no signature, the host provider will not reply to the claim.
http://www.specktra.net/forum/f179/girlyvue-com-135056/

The website infringing on our copyright, please check to see if your videos have been stolen:
http://girlyvue.com/

Please spread the word on this video so that people will know what they can do. Embed it on your blog, share it on Twitter, etc. If you know anyone that has been affected by this infringement, please link them to this video or the thread on Specktra! Let's take down this pathetic excuse of a website.

How to do the coding for Movie Maker to get the option of a watermark on your videos:
http://www.trugga.co.uk/wmm/
http://www.windowsmoviemakers.net/Forums/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=28

Easy Easter look with some colour

This is a very simple to achieve but pretty look for Easter, when you want a bit of color but don't want to go overboard at a family Easter brunch. Of course spring greens are a must; I've been on a green kick lately which is odd because green is not an eyeshadow color I reach for very much. Hope you enjoy the look!





All NYX products are from www.shopcraze.com and they will likely be stocking the entire NYX line soon, so I have heard. They also do international shipping!

Products:

Face:
Revlon Colorstay foundation in Ivory, MAC Studio Fix powder NC15, NYX Angel blush, NYX Mosaic powder in Highlighter (Nr. 01)

Eyes:
NYX Jumbo Eye pencil in Horse Raddish, NYX trio in Serengeti (Nr. 44), NYX trio in Aloha, Mink Brown, Deep Bronze (Nr. 15), Covergirl Lashblast mascara, Maybelline white eye kohl, MAC Brow pencil in Spiked

Lips:
NYX Lipgloss with Megashine in Smokey Look

Nailpolish:
China Glaze - Raspberry Festival