NOTD: Illamasqua - Rampage

Love, love, love this colour!!! This is definitely now one of my top 10 nail polishes. It reminds me of the notorious limited edition Nars Zulu nailpolish, although from comparison swatches I've seen it's not a perfect dupe. But I still love it, it looks so chic and slightly vampy. It's a stunning blackened forest green shade, with a smooth cream finish. This is two coats, three coats would darken it up quite a bit.

Illamasqua nail polishes are available worldwide through their online store.

I have to say though, that overall the swatches on Illamasqua's website are terrible and unreliable. Some of the swatches are close to the real color, some are positively nothing alike. So it's best to go by pictures that can be found online, for example my previous Illamasqua blog entry or this swatch thread on Specktra. I have heard that they are looking into improving the swatches on their website.

Tutorial: Smokey Eyes perfekt geschminkt (German)

Hi everyone, this tutorial is in German language! But even if you don't speak German I hope you will be able to follow along through the visuals. I will continue to make tutorials in English, don't worry - this was just for fun and I've had many requests for a German language tutorial for once.

An all meine Deutsch-sprechende Zuschauer und Zuschauerinnen: bitte ignoriert meine seltsamen Ausdruecke! Ich bin es schlicht nicht gewohnt diese Videos auf Deutsch zu drehen und mir fehlt auch ein wenig der Wortschatz was Schmink-Sachen angehen! Ich fuehle mich auch ehrlich gesagt wohler mit der Englischen Sprache - ich bin Zwei-sprachig aufgewachsen aber fuehle mich sattelfest auf Englisch. Ich hatte nur zwei Jahre Schulunterricht auf Deutsch (1. und 2. Klasse in Deutschland) aber die Sprache blieb mir behalten weil meine Eltern mich und meine Schwester zwangen zuhause Deutsch zu sprechen, als meine Familie nach Kanada auswanderte. Dafuer bin ich ihnen heute sehr dankbar.

Augen / Eyes

MAC Untitled Paint, Gel Eyeliner in Braun von eBay, Hellbraun Lidschatten von der 42-double Stack Palette, Ben Nye Dark Brown , MAC Carbon, MAC Dazzlelight, Ben Nye Toast, Ben Nye eyeliner in Schwarz, MAC Brows in Spiked, Max Factor Ellen Betrix kajal

Gesicht / Face

Illamasqua Cream Foundation, Barry M Bronzer, Clinique Shimmering Tones Powder in Peach Bronze

Lippen / Lips

Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Absorb, NYX Lipgloss in Smokey Look

Nagellack / Nailpolish

Essence - Object of Desire

Video Link

The Rules: The Dos and Don'ts of Makeup

This is something that has really been irritating me for a while now. I really hate when people foist their "rules" of makeup on others. If you want to follow makeup rules, go right ahead, but don't force those rules on other people, admonishing them from venturing outside of these rigid guidelines. So, to present an alternative view, here are my own Dos and Don'ts of Makeup for those who just don't give a crap about the rules!

Please take this with a grain of salt. ;)


DO:

• Wear whatever color, brand and style of makeup that you like
• Wear bold lips with dramatic eyes
• Wear dark and smokey makeup in the daytime if that's what you feel like
• Try out bright and bold colors even if you are over the age of 30
• Try out something different from your everyday look just for the heck of it
• Try to master a new application technique, even if it looks horrible - it's just makeup, you can wash it off
• Come up with your own unique style and don't let yourself be dictated to
• Try out artistic full face makeup to improve your technique, even if you just wear it at home
• Feel free to go outside without any makeup at all

DON'T:

• Think that the only color of lipstick that can be worn with dramatic eye makeup is nude
• Tell other people that they cannot wear the makeup they have on their face for whatever reason
  
• Advise women over a certain age that they can't wear fun colors anymore and that they need to look more mature and refined
• Exacerbate people's insecurities by telling them certain makeup doesn't look good on them because it makes their eyes look smaller / lips look too big / face look fat, etc.
• Follow every makeup trend just because it's the latest fad - just wear what you like!
• Idolize celebrities as your one and only fashion and makeup gurus - there's lots more diversity out there
  
• Be a jerk - most people don't take kindly to others criticizing their face, some common decency goes a long way

I'm not saying people can't constructively criticize - but often this kind of feedback is completely unnecessary and just plain rude. Especially when people decide that foisting rigid rules onto someone is being "constructive" or helpful. You know what - it's not! It's limiting and stifling creativity. So don't tell others what you would have done differently just because it's following some enshrined makeup rule - just do it on your own face and stop stifling some else's creativity.

What are some makeup rules that really irritate you? Do people tell you what kind of makeup you should or should not wear?

Illamasqua Product Focus

I received a large package from Illamasqua and I have to say I feel so lucky being able to try out this brand, ever since closely following this company since last year when I first heard about it being talked about on specktra.net. I was so inspired by the promo images and videos I saw, especially since the brand caters more towards the artistic side of makeup enthusiasts. Here are some product images, all labeled left to right; click on images to enlarge.

Cream foundation CF135, Powder blush in Intrigue, Powder blush in Chased, Satin Primer SPF 20, Medium Pencil in Cane, Volume mascara

Powder Eyeshadows in Slink, Cry, Rapture, Maybe

Pure Pigment in Marvel, Eyebrow Cake in Gaze

Brushes: Eye Liner, Blending Brush, Highlighter, Blusher Brush 1

Intense Lipgloss (top) in Absorb, Intense Lipgloss (bottom) in Fierce, Lipstick in Maneater (red), Lipstick in Fetish (purple)

Nail Varnishes in Propaganda, Rampage, Smash, DWS, Collide, Whack

Medium Pencil in Cane

Volume mascara

I love that this brand is focusing on artistic makeup looks rather than purely commercial ones, it's so refreshing to see! I also love that Illamasqua caters to very fair skin tones with quite a large variety of very light foundation and blush colors. It can be nearly impossible for us porcelain skinned people to find a correct color match!

So far I am really loving the cream foundation, which is so quick and easy to apply. I've been using this daily and I love the flawless but almost invisible finish it gives, although it might not be suitable for those with very oily skin. I also love the lip products, nail varnishes and brushes, which I am actually using as foundation and concealer brushes. The brushes are synthetic material but very high quality, the Highlighter brush actually is very similar to the MAC 109 and I prefer the Illamasqua one as it doesn't shed at all. They are very soft but resilient, and don't bleed when washing. The volume mascara gave me excellent curl and did not clump or flake. I have also used Slink eyeshadow which makes a beautiful highlighter, and the pink blush is also highly pigmented and so pretty.

So far my only complaint is the release mechanism of the compacts - some of the them are hard to open and you need to wedge your fingernail in between the lip to release the lid. Very annoying for those long-nailed people out there like myself who don't want to chip their manicure opening a foundation compact. I hope they will revamp the packaging a little bit and make the lids easier to open without having to wedge your nail in between.

Please stay tuned for an upcoming Illamasqua look on my Youtube channel!

Click here to go to Illamasqua's homepage and check out their beautiful range of products. If you want to try to win some free Illamasqua products, make sure to enter MizzWorthy's contest that she is hosting right now, click here for the link! You have until July 7, 2009 so make sure to give it a go.

PLEASE DO NOT RE-HOST MY PICTURES WITHOUT PERMISSION. Thank you.

Facebook page launch! Free makeup giveaway!

Click here to go to my Facebook page! You need to click "Become a Fan" to follow.

I've created a public Facebook profile since many people have requested to add me on there previously, and while I do already have a personal account on there, I wish to keep that one private for close friends only. However, since it's a great way to stay in touch and interact with others, I decided to go ahead and make a public Facebook page that anyone can join! I'll be using it to update on new videos or blog posts, post random pictures, have discussions, and just generally interact with you all. Feel free to join in the Discussion posts, and create your own discussions or Wall posts.

To make things a bit more exciting, one lucky follower of my Facebook page will win their choice of a makeup palette from eBay! Click here to see my previous reviews on these palettes. (These are the same palettes as sold on Coastal Scents.) You must be a follower/fan of my Facebook page for your chance to win. A winner will be selected randomly using random.org to generate a number. If you don't have a Facebook account, this is a great time to join!

I would highly appreciate if you do have a Youtube account that you are also subscribed to my channel, but it's not absolutely necessary.

A winner will be selected in about 2 weeks time! There is no set deadline, just around 2 weeks from posting this video. The winner will be contacted directly through Facebook, I will not announce the winner on Youtube or on my blog. You will get to choose a palette from eBay of your choice, brand new, and it will be shipped directly to your home. This giveaway is open worldwide!

GOOD LUCK!!


Please see my video for the full details.

NOTD: Essence - Object of Desire

I love this color. It's a gorgeous pink deep coral with a subtle silver pearl to it. The first picture is the most color accurate in daylight, second picture is full on sunshine. I'm honestly so impressed by Essence nail polishes, they apply so smoothly, no bubbling at all, and are opaque in two coats without being too thick. And they are so inexpensive being one of the cheapest drugstore brands in the German-speaking realm. If you have Essence available at your drugstore, definitely try out one of their nail polishes. I'm not a fan of their other products but the polishes are good. Unfortunately the color range is rather limited but I've picked up a couple of these now and haven't been disappointed with the formula yet.

What's on your nails? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Lip Palettes

Above: 32 color lip palette #2

Price: USD $5.99 (without shipping and handling)

Above L to R: 10 Color Lip Palettes #1, #3, #2

Price: USD $5.99 (without shipping and handling)

Sarah sent me these lip palettes to review; they are available on eBay at her store. Please click on the images to enlarge. Here is my honest opinion of these palettes.

Pros

• inexpensive way to attain many lipstick shades all in one go, making it suitable for beginner makeup users with a limited collection
  
• palette form is easy to use on other people, more sanitary than tube lipsticks when used with a spatula
• formula is creamy and easy to apply
• mixing and custom blending of different colors is very easy
• some are lipgloss textures that could be layered
• mixture of finishes include creams, frosts, sheers and glitters
• large color variety and good combination of color families in the 10-piece palettes

Cons

• not as richly pigmented or as long-lasting as higher end lipsticks
• palette form means harder to touch up on the go
• lack of flavoring to mask the lipstick taste

Overall I think these are a great bargain for the beginner makeup collector who doesn't have a lot of lip colors to work with as the price of these lip palettes are surely a bargain, and work out cheaper than even most drugstore brand lipsticks. However, if you're looking for extremely long-lasting lipsticks I'd probably give these a miss. These palettes are a great way to try out a large variety of shades to see what works on you, or how to combine them with a variety of eyeshadow looks, or if you want to practice doing makeup on other people as the palette form is much more sanitary. These lip palettes are in a much lower price category than higher end brands like MAC or others, so a comparison on that level would be out of place. They are more comparable to the NYX Round Lipsticks in texture and longevity.

If you would like to try out any of these palettes or other products from Sarah's shop, please visit her on eBay. She has great customer service and her items are always securely wrapped and shipped promptly, she also offers combined shipping rates for multiple purchases. And - always cheaper than Coastal Scents!

Click here to visit her store on eBay

My Youtube video link for email subscribers

Test: Garnier UltraLift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Eye Cream

I've decided to test out some of these anti-wrinkle creams that promise the world, and lure in mature customers that are noticing the appearance of fine or even deep-set wrinkling of the skin. I've also started to notice some fine lines appearing on my face, especially around my eye area. I'm going to test a few of these creams and see if they actually live up to their promise. Now, I'm a pretty big skeptic on these anti-wrinkle creams in general as I believe using a daily SPF will do much more in the long run to prevent wrinkles, rather than slapping on some overpriced creams, and that these companies generally prey on women's insecurities about natural aging to sell their products. However, in the name of superficiality I've decided to give it the benefit of the doubt, and will be conducting an experiment in the realm of anti-wrinkle creams.

Here is a before picture of my eye, without makeup and digital retouching of any sort.

First up in this experiment is the Garnier UltraLift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Eye Cream, this is the 15ml tube.

Here is what the company professes about the UltraLift product range according to their website:

The Garnier UltraLift* range has been specially designed for skin that is showing signs of aging, suffers loss of skin elasticity and firmness. With seven products to use together the range includes UltraLift* Intensive, Day Cream, Day Cream with SPF 15, Night Cream, Eye Cream, Firming Mask and the UltraLift* Reinforced Lifting Program-designed to reduce the appearance of even deep wrinkles. They make the skin feel firmer and look smoother.

However, they also have this rather ominous disclaimer:

UltraLift has been developed to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and make the skin feel firmer; it has not been proven to lift or firm the skin.

Hm, well that sounds less than promising! The Garnier website states that the UltraLift line contains glycolic acid, Hyaluaronic Acid, skin relaxing ginger, wheat proteins and cherry extract. They go on to write, "At Garnier UltraLift we use a sophisticated extraction method known as 'Supercritical CO2' to extract Pure Ginger extract" and "this process was developed to preserve the essential elements of fragile plants." This eye cream professes to be "an anti-wrinkle solution especially for the delicate zone of the eye contour, specially designed to smooth the skin around the delicate eye area, leaving skin feeling firmer and reducing the appearance of even deep wrinkles."

Well, pseudo-science mumbo-jumbo aside, it all sounds promising so let's see if this actually works! I'll report back in about a week or so with an updated picture of my eye to see if there was any noticeable change.

In the comments, please let me know if you have tried any anti-wrinkle creams, especially for the face, and actually noticed good results.

Timelessly elegant Bridal Makeup

Since many women requested this look, here is my rendition of a classic, elegant and understated bridal look, perfect for a spring/summer wedding! Make sure to check out my Foundation Basics video to help you select the right foundation for your special day and learn all about foundation application, concealer, blush placement and contouring with my other tutorial. I hope this is helpful for you. Please note the foundation I personally have on in this tutorial would not be bridal-appropriate as it contains sunscreen.

Highlighting with shimmery products should be avoided or kept to an absolute minimum for bridal photography, which is why I skipped it all together here. You could highlight with a matte product in a few shades lighter than your natural skin tone.

Click here to check out my recommended makeup retailers list for some sellers of high quality false eyelashes.

Face:

Revlon Colorstay foundation in Ivory, Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Pink Raspberry, Nars Desire blush, Ben Nye Neutral Set translucent powder

Eyes:

Urban Decay Primer Potion, MAC e/s in Jest, All That Glitters, Neutral Pink, and Dazzlelight, Ben Nye Toast e/s, 42-piece double stack palette from eBay for the brown and black eyeshadows, black gel eyeliner (generic), L'Oreal Voluminous waterproof mascara, Quo eyelashes, Max Factor kohl pencil in Natural Glaze, Rimmel eyebrow pencil in Hazel, Margaret Astor clear brow gel to set brows in place

Lips:

Rimmel lipliner in Addiction, MAC Angel lipstick, MAC Slicked Pink Lipgelee

NOTD: Barry M - Racing Green #299

I absolutely adore this color! It's a blackened forest green shimmer with a blue tone to it. It's sort of hard to photograph color accurately but this is in full sunshine - it looks a bit more forest green than this in real life. This is on the 2nd day of wear and since I did my manicure at night in half-darkness while watching a movie, the application was a bit sloppy.

Hope you all have a great Sunday!

NOTD: Barry M - Mint Green #304

Lemming killed!

I've been on the search for a true pastel mint green nail polish for a while, and at first I thought Orly Mint Mojito would be that shade, but from swatches I've seen it's much more dark green than I envisioned. Then MAC Peppermint Patti came out and it seemed perfect, but I really dislike MAC nailpolishes and think they're terribly overpriced and the quality is known for streaking.

When Barry M released some new fun nail polish colors this summer, I knew Mint Green was the perfect candidate. It's also a near perfect dupe of MAC Peppermint Patti if you missed out on that. Thanks to the lovely Emma aka MagpieSparkles who agreed to do a custom purchase for me, I am now in possession of this gorgeous nail polish. (She also sent me a few more Barry M polishes and other UK products as an extra - more on that soon!) The above picture is taken under a halogen spotlight, so not 100% color accurate - must try daytime lighting next time. It's a tad more green but nearly there.

I LOVE THIS!!!!!

Some have compared it to China Glaze For Audrey, but in my opinion, they are nothing alike. Mint Green is definitely more green toned, whereas For Audrey is more a turquoise-blue and less pastel. I'm also really impressed with the Barry M formulation - smooth to apply, good medium size brush, no streaking. I'll show you some more Barry M products and nail polishes soon, but so far I am really happy. And the good news - Barry M is so inexpensive! It's a UK brand but they now ship internationally, although their web store has proven a bit glitchy for me, hence the CP from Emma.

Overall, I highly recommend you try out Barry M polishes, especially if you like fun and unique colors! And at 2.95 GBP, you really can't go wrong.

http://www.barrym.com/

Dramatic Purple Smokey eyes

I decided to use the Double Stack palette that I previously reviewed for creating this dramatic purple smokey eye look. I really like how it came out! The purples are more blue toned which is definitely my preference for purple eye makeup. What are some of your favorite purple eyeshadows? Let me know in the comments.

Face:

Bare Escentuals mineral foundation, Double Stack palette from eBay for blush

Eyes:

NYX jumbo eye pencils in Milk and Purple, NYX White e/s, Shimmer Double Stack palette from eBay, MAC Vellum e/s, Lancaster black kohl pencil, Maybelline white kohl pencil, L'Oreal Voluminous mascara, MAC Brows in Spiked, Margaret Astor clear brow mascara

Lips:

NYX Strawberry Milk round lipstick, MAC Wonderstruck lustreglass

Review: Double Stack Palettes (matte and shimmer)

No flash:

With flash:

I got these palettes from the seller abestlife on eBay and I was happy to add these to my collection. I have the palette in both the shimmer and the matte variety, both palettes have 32 eyeshadows as the top layer, and 10 blushes as the bottom later - 42 pieces total. The blush palette is the same on both palettes, hence why I only photographed it once. The eyeshadow colors, however, vary slightly between the matte and shimmer palette, which I hope my pictures reflect. All the ingredients of these palettes are listed on the seller's eBay page.

Pros:

• very good-value and contains both eyeshadows and blushes
• great pigmentation especially on the shimmer palette
• variety of colors - some neutrals and some very bright colors
• eyeshadows are very easy to blend and apply smoothly on top of a base
  
• blushes are also highly pigmented
• easy to travel with as the case is compact and eyeshadows are not as fragile as the 120 palette

Cons:

• Consistency is a little bit dusty - not chalky though. This is virtually the same for all these types of inexpensive palettes from eBay/Coastal Scents
  
• blushes are a little bit hard to work with because they are so pigmented, need to be applied with a light hand or a skunk brush

I had a good experience with this seller - fast shipping, good packaging, no damages whatsoever. If you want to be on the safe side, get the additional insurance as these items are shipped from China, but the price is still lower than on other sites (ex. Coastal Scents.)

The inevitable questions...

Do you like these better than the 120 palette?
In some ways yes because the consistency of the shadows is better, they are easier to work with, and you get the added bonus of blushes included. On the other hand, you get more colors with the 120 palette so I'll still use that one too.
Do you like this better than the 88 palette?
I only have the matte 88 palette, but yes, I like the double stack ones more.
Which one would you recommend I buy?
I really can't answer that and I don't like telling people which one they should buy. I do have extensive reviews of all my palettes so please click on the tag "palettes" on the side of my blog to read them all, then make up your own mind on which one suits your needs the best.

Simple daytime look - venturing into beauty makeup

As much as I love showcasing dramatic and colorful looks on my Youtube channel, my daily makeup routine is very pared down and simple. Even this look is more than what I normally wear! If I'm in a rush in the morning, I'll just skip the eyeshadow all together and spend the time I have on perfecting my skin. Here I have opted for a very hydrated skin look, and used a custom-blended tinted moisturizer. It's all I need really. I rounded off the look with cream blush and several sprays of a moisturizing spray to give a dewy and natural finish. I have no idea why I'm not wearing the earrings in both pictures!

I really want to get better at doing beauty makeup. Beauty makeup is often shown in fashion magazines or for portfolios, usually a very close crop of the models face showcasing nude but impeccable makeup. Beauty makeup is flawless and understated, focusing on minimalism. Although it sounds easy, it's actually not. Good beauty makeup takes a considerable amount of skill and honed technique, and it's something I really don't know a lot about. It's also one type of makeup that "sells", especially if you want to work professionally as a makeup artist, or go into bridal makeup.

I've also started doing my brows a bit differently, more natural and less pronounced. I also think that since my hair is a bit lighter now, the eyebrow pencil I'm using is too dark, so I'll have to look into getting a lighter shade.

Face:

Revlon Colorstay foundation mixed with my daily moisturizer for a very light coverage, Nivea Moisturizing toner used as hydrating spray, a bit of Ben Nye concealer thinned down a lot with eye cream, Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Pink Raspberry

Eyes:

ArtDeco e/s base, Obsessive Compulsive loose color in Ironic, Naked pigment in Cotton Candy, a smidgeon of MAC Brows in Spiked, Margaret Astor brow gel, Maybelline Colossal mascara, Maybelline white kohl pencil

Lips:

Rimmel Airy Fairy l/s, MAC Underage Lipglass

BRIGHT Hot pink and Purple Look

FaceFront Cosmetics sent me a few of their products to try out and so far I am really impressed! I have frequently been sent samples by mineral makeup lines before. Quite a few of these companies I didn't even bother featuring on my channel - usually they were chalky, didn't stick, or the colors were just plain dull. I didn't want to promote any products that were not going to work, quite simply. So far I have tried out a few of the Paint Me Perfect Loose Mineral Eye Pigments and I am really impressed! Color payoff is excellent, and they don't even have that typical mineral eyeshadow texture - they really are more like pigments to me. The finish is great, nothing too sparkly and full of chunky glitter. They also sent me some of the Fresh Ink Pressed Eyeshadows but I have yet to really try those out. I'll do a more in-depth review soon when I have some time to take pictures. And also exciting, because I like their products - FaceFront agreed to co-sponsor for a contest I'll be doing later this year! Yay! So some of these products will be available to my subscribers. But shhh - no more details quite yet. ;)


Enjoy this fun, summery and colorful look!

Face
Revlon Colorstay Ivory foundation, Ben Nye concealer, La Femme Lilac Champagne blush


Eyes
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk, NYX White eyeshadow, FaceFront Loose Mineral Eye pigments in Death by Rubies and Little Gremlin, MAC Entremauve pigment (Limited Edition but MAC Grape pigment is a good dupe of it), L'Oreal Intense Carbon Black liquid liner, Lancaster black kohl eyeliner, L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara, MAC Dazzlelight e/s, MAC Brow pencil in Spiked


Lips
MAC Angel lipstick, Margaret Astor lipgloss (doesn't have a name or number)

Earrings are from this Etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5362078

Let me know what you think! This look is also the blog profile picture that many of you have been asking me about.

Paypal changes come into effect June 3, 2009

Ok, this sucks. I totally missed the boat on this but Paypal has some new policy changes that come into effect June 3, 2009.

Amendment to the PayPal Acceptable Use Policy
Effective Date: June 3, 2009

Beginning June 3, 2009 the PayPal Acceptable Use Policy is being amended to include a new Section 4 as follows:

Prohibited Activities
You may not use the PayPal service for activities that:

"4. involve the sales of products or services identified by government agencies to have a high likelihood of being fraudulent”

Amendment to the PayPal User Agreement


Effective Date: June 3, 2009

Beginning June 3, 2009 PayPal user agreement is being amended as follows:

1. Section 4.2 of the user agreement will read as follows:

“4.2 Receiving Payments for Commercial Transactions and Personal Transactions.
a. Fees depend on whether you are making a commercial transaction or a personal transaction. A commercial transaction involves buying and selling goods or services, and payments received when you send a “request money” using PayPal. A personal transaction involves sending money to and receiving money from friends and family without making a purchase.

b. If you are selling goods or services, you may not ask the buyer to send you a personal payment for the purchase. If you do so, PayPal may remove your ability to accept personal payments.”

2. Section 8 of the user agreement will read as follows:

8. Fees. All fees are in U.S. Dollars unless otherwise stated.

Fees depend on whether you are making a commercial transaction or a personal transaction. A commercial transaction involves buying and selling goods or services, and payments received when you send a “request money” using PayPal. A personal transaction involves sending money to and receiving money from friends and family without making a purchase.

Personal Transactions. Fees depend on the payment source that the sender selects. The amount of the fee will be shown at the time the payment is sent. The Fee is paid by either the sender or the recipient. The sender decides who pays.

Domestic Personal Transactions - U.S. sender and recipient

Ok so if that is confusing to you, here is a site that explains these changes in more detail. Damn, could Paypal/eBay get any greedier? I use Paypal a lot for personal transactions, I might look into signing up for a Google Merchant account now.

Official New Moon trailer and my thoughts

So last night on the MTV Awards the New Moon trailer was shown for the first time, and it was up on Youtube a few hours later. (I love the Internet.) If you haven't seen it, check it out. What do you think?? Are you excited? Bored? Indifferent?

I've kind of disentangled myself from the whole Twilight hype but I'll still go see New Moon when it comes out later this year. I'm excited that Jacob will have a much bigger role in this movie, I liked him as a character more than Edward in the books. And hello, Taylor Lautner (the actor that plays Jacob) is now officially jailbait! He's put on a ton of muscle for his werewolf role! Check out these pics of his new pumped up body. Oh and there's a few screenhots here as well. Move over, Robert Pattinson! Haha. I feel like Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate. Although Kristen Stewart annoys me to no end - I think she is and always has been a horrible choice for Bella. Her monotonous dialogue and flat performance do not embody Bella for me whatsoever.

Also, the whole movie was filmed in and around Vancouver - my hometown - so it will be great to maybe recognize places. The Italy location was apparently filmed in Montepulciano, which I visited last September and it's absolutely gorgeous there as well.

What do you think of the New Moon trailer? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Drugstore mascaras: The Goodies and Badies (Review)

I finally had the chance to review some of those drugstore mascaras I've been hoarding and trying out. Watch the video to see which ones sink or swim!

Mascaras I tested:

L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion
L'Oreal Double Extension Beauty Tubes waterproof
Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express
L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black
Max Factor 2000 Calorie
Covergirl Lash Blast
Maybelline Define a Lash waterproof
Max Factor Lash Lift waterproof
Essence Lash Mania
Essence Volume Boost Base mascara

What is your favorite drugstore mascara? Let me know in the comments!