Halloween 2009 - Requests!

In preparation for Halloween 2009, I've already begun filming Halloween makeup tutorials. My Halloween videos were a huge hit last year; some of them are still my most viewed videos to date. This year I want to make even more! As they take a lot of time to film and prepare, I've started filming them now, and will begin uploading them starting sometime around the end of September and throughout the month of October. This means that if you want to make a request for a particular Halloween look you'd like to see - NOW IS THE TIME! :)


How to make a request:

I've decided to make things a bit more interactive this year. So, I'm asking my viewers to make a video response to this Halloween request video (click for the link) with their ideas. I will only be considering requests from these video responses. This is to make things a bit more fun, to help me get ideas from you all, and to also motivate me to film lots and lots of Halloween looks this year! My Halloween looks are usually very elaborate and take a lot of time to film and edit, so your input will definitely help me along.

Your video could include a slideshow of inspirational pictures of Halloween looks you find online, or you can just talk into the camera with your idea. If you don't have a camera, just make a picture slideshow and add text. You don't absolutely have to film yourself if you're not comfortable with that. (Although visuals of your ideas help me a lot.) I can't promise to do every request of course, but I will be looking through all the response videos to get ideas!

Anyone can make a video! I use Windows Movie Maker which comes installed with all PCs, or you can use iMovie if you're on a Mac. Both programs are free and already installed on your computer, and are easy to use, so there's really no excuse. ;) You can also make a slideshow video really easily at onetruemedia.com it's pretty much foolproof. Happy requesting!

Just to refresh your memory, here are some of my Halloween makeup looks from last year. I also have a Playlist on my Youtube channel for these looks, so make sure you don't request a look that I already did, or that is really similar to one of my other video.

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

Witch

Princess/Fairy

Ladybug

Vampire

Ventriloquist Doll

Mother Earth

Sydney Morning Herald feature

Thanks to a viewer, Janet, for emailing me a link of this short news feature in the Sydney Morning Herald. It's a short video featuring myself and some other Youtube beauty videographers, talking about the popularity of online makeup videos. Here is the link:

Click to watch

They have used a clip of my Haifa Wehbe video tutorial in the news story, as well as some clips of other popular videos from other users. Kind of cool, but what's with the utterly judgemental tone of the journalist? "Let's hope we don't all walk around looking like this!" My god lady, lighten up! Sounds like a classic line coming from someone who probably ascribes to the Bobbi Brown makeup philosophy. Yeeesh!

Also, this article is really too short to shed light on really anything of substance - watching that video makes me really wonder about the journalistic capability of the reporter. What on earth was the point of that video? The gist I understood was, makeup videos are popular and sometimes the person will hold up a camera to the lens. Wow. Thanks for the enlightenment and your profound understanding of the online makeup community! Good job, mainstream media.

What do you think?

Apple Daily: Hong Kong newspaper feature

Thank you so much to one of my subscribers, Pui, for sending me a scan of this! I never would have known otherwise that yours truly and some other Youtubers were featured in Apple Daily, which is apparently a Hong Kong newspaper! (Bottom right, click to enlarge.)

Unfortunately, I am unable to read what it says, nor do I know what issue this is from. If anyone can read this or could tell me how to get in contact with Apple Daily newspaper to request a copy of this issue - PLEASE LET ME KNOW! Unfortunately the website is all in Chinese as well so I can't read much, even using Google Translator. I would love to get a copy of this issue so if you have any more information, please email me: julia.youtube@gmail.com

I believe this is the publisher of Apple Daily: http://hk.nextmedia.com/

Thankful for any help...

Update: Thanks to Chelsea Yu for a rough translation.

DIY exaggerated colourful makeup

No.5 Miss Chievous

Advantage: she is good at exaggerated makeup, if anyone want to learn Halloween makeup; she has a series of Halloween makeup videos, and can be a very valuable and useful resource.

Ask Me Beauty: My eye are runny and cause smudging

Whenever I put any eyeliner or shadow right around the outer corners of my eyes, it never lasts. My eyes water a lot or I just blink a lot and the colour ends up coming off and looking terrible. Any suggestions on making the colour stay?

Dear Victoria,

Unfortunately there is no 100% foolproof method for preventing smudging, especially where watery eyes are concerned. But here are tips on how you can reduce it.

First, using a good eyeshadow base is the most important part. I really like Urban Decay Primer Potion because it lasts really long and prevents creasing. But in some cases, even this might not be waterproof enough for some people. Another method you could use is using either a gel eyeliner such as the MAC Fluidline or any other brand as a base, because gel eyeliners are really long lasting and don't easily come off with just water. You could also use a waterproof or water resistant eyeliner pencil and smudge that as a base. Even if some of the eyeshadow comes off a little bit after hours of extended wear, the base will help it last longer. The MAC Liquidlast liners also stay on forever. Switch to using a waterproof mascara if your mascara tends to run, and avoid kohl and soft pencils as eyeliners, I prefer gel eyeliners for this reason. You will have to use an oil-based eye makeup remover to take these products off at the end of the day.

The other thing you want to consider is what is causing using your eyes to water in the first place. Reducing the culprit might be better than just treating the symptoms. Your eyes might be watering due to allergies, maybe it's a product you're reacting too, or other agents such as pet dander, smoke, pollen, etc. Try to eliminate any agents that are causing runny, water eyes in the first place, or treat allergies with an anti-histamine.

Another common issue is skin dryness. I have noticed this on myself, if I use an eye cream, especially on the outer corners and let that sink in before applying makeup, it somehow reduces the watering.

Lastly, if your eyes are watering, it could be a natural way for your eye to cleanse itself of foreign bodies that have entered the eye socket - for example shadow fall-out during application, or product on the waterline. Be really careful not to get eyeshadow fallout into the eye during application, and skip using makeup products on the tightline and waterline all together if you have sensitive eyes. It might be irritating your eyes and they are trying to "wash away" the products naturally by producing tears. An easy trick I do is after I finish my eye makeup, I use a Q-tip moistened with my own saliva (sounds gross but only do this on yourself, your saliva contains natural anti-septics and because it's a natural fluid, it will not irritate your eyes at all, unlike makeup remover) and run it along the inner parts of my eye to remove any product fallout, especially on the waterline, tearduct and outer corners. You'll be amazed at the product gunk that sometimes comes out, and this really reduces the tear production of my eyes. If I notice watering during application, I use a dry Q-tip and just hold it in the place of the seepage to absorb the "eye juice", it prevents smudging of the makeup.

Unfortunately there's no 100% guaranteed way to prevent runniness of the eyes. If you have naturally water eyes, it's likely that even with all these tips, your makeup might need a few touch ups during the day, but hopefully these tips will help to improve your situation a little bit.

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.

Teen Week: Easy, Flirty Evening Look

 

  

  

  

The goal of this look was to create a really simple but effective smokey eye that isn't too dark and dramatic, and that is easy to achieve using just 2 eyeshadows and a minimal set of basic eye brushes. I know many teens do not have a large makeup collection and just have the basics when getting started, so I wanted to show that even with some basic skills and products, it's still possible to achieve a nice smokey eye look. This look would be perfect for going out in the evening with friends to a movie, or on a date! I hope you enjoy the final installment in my teen makeup series!

Face

Illamasqua cream foundation, Barry M Bronzer

Eyes

ArtDeco e/s base, shimmery taupe grey e/s from the 120 palette from ebay, NYX Aloha e/s, Ben Nye black eyeliner, L'Oreal Voluminous mascara

Lips

NYX Strawberry Milk lipstick, MAC Prrr Lipglass

Nailpolish
Guppy - Nr. 77 (available for purchase on ebay)

Ring
H and M

Video Link

Teen Week: Preppy School Look

 

 

This look was loosely inspired by the character Blair Waldorf from the hit TV show Gossip Girl, although I kind of changed the colours up a bit to suit my taste. I was going for a very girly prep school look, one that would be easy to recreate and wearable for school or other daytime activities. Although I use 2 palettes for this look, you don't necessarily need to buy the whole palette. For the eyeshadows, you'll need a pastel pink, a light brown, a dark brown, and a highlight color - easy to find pretty much anywhere! I round out the video by making some budget makeup brushes suggestions and where to buy. Make sure to check back on Friday for my final look in this teen series.

Face

Illamasqua cream foundation, Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Pink Raspberry, MAC MSF in Blonde

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion, NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk, 42-Double Stack Palettes from ebay (both the matte and shimmer), MAC Dazzlelight e/s, Quo eyeliner in Brown, Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Cane, L'Oreal Voluminous mascara

Lips

NYX Tinted Lip Spa in Sake, Margaret Astor lipgloss (doesn't have the shade written on package)

Nails

Sorry I really don't remember which one I used!

Link to video

Teen Week: Emo Makeup

I'm so excited to be launching TEEN WEEK on my Youtube channel with a much requested look: Emo makeup! This entire week will be focusing on makeup videos specifically geared towards my teen viewers. Even if you're no longer a teen, I hope that at least some of the looks might still appeal to you. These looks are especially appropriate for beginners or for those who do not have a lot of products and brushes to work with. Although I use some high end brands, I make specific recommendations for budget or drugstore alternatives. In the next video this coming Wednesday, I'll be featuring my next teen look, as well as make some great budget makeup brushes recommendations so make sure to tune in again!

Face

Illamasqua cream foundation, NYX Angel blush

Eyes

ArtDeco e/s base, Ben Nye black eyeliner pencil, MAC Carbon e/s, Ben Nye Greystone e/s, MAC Reflects Transparent Teal Glitter, L'Oreal Voluminous mascara

Lips

FaceFront Stunt Double concealer, NYX Smokey Look lipgloss
Nails
Barry M - Cyan Blue

Guppy Nailpolishes Swatched

These are swatches of the Korean brand "Guppy" nailpolishes that I wrote about in a previous entry. These are all the colors I own so far. If you would like to buy any of these yourself, click here for the shop on eBay although I'm not sure if all these colors are available yet, so check back later if not.

Thumb: #14, Index: #08, Middle: #20, Ring: #16, Pinkie: #33

(closeup) Left: #16, Right: #33

Thumb: #25, Index: #38, Middle: #18, Ring: #29, Pinkie: #77

(Closeup, clockwise) Thumb: #25, Index: #38, Middle: #18

Full manicure with #29

Full manicure with #77 (reposted)

Nr. 8 was the only problem child that looked very different on the nails than in the bottle, I was hoping it would be a much darker, deeper vampy red shade but even after 3 coats it just wasn't as opaque as in the bottle. Nr. 29 was opaque in two coats, but I added a third coat in the full manicure picture for depth of color. All the other shades were perfect in two coats, even the nude shades. At first I thought that Nr. 25, 38 and 18 all looked pretty similar in the bottles but when swatched, you can see that none are really dupes of the others. Nr. 25 even reminds me a bit of pictures I have seen of Orly Country Club Khaki. All of these except Nr. 77 which is a shimmer, are cream finish.

My personal favorites from the colors I own so far are Nr. 77, 29, 25, and 33. Overall like I have said before, I am really impressed with the quality of these nailpolishes, the smoothness of application and the brush itself!

GHD IV Styler Demo and Promo Code

I've had the opportunity to test out the GHD IV Styler (Dark limited edition) from Beautychoice.com and I have to say this has totally changed my feelings on straightening my hair. I used to hate doing it because it was so time consuming with my old iron, it would snag and pull, and I'd have to go every section a million times before it was really poker straight. Since I've started using the GHD about 3 weeks ago it is so much easier and takes much less time. While this is indeed a pricey straightening iron, I have to say that I think it is definitely worth the cost if you are someone who uses a straightening iron frequently as the results are amazing, and this iron could also be used for waving or curling your hair. The fact that it's also universal voltage makes it especially appealing to anyone who travels, since you won't have to purchase a special traveling iron if you go abroad.

(Just an FYI, heat tools will not work with a simple plug adapter in a country with a different voltage - it can actually break your iron. Take it from someone who has even bought a voltage converter for a North American hair straightener, only to have the converter melt!)

Right now BeautyChoice is having a promotional offer to pass on to my viewers. With the purchase of any GHD flat iron you will get a FREE Le Angelique Curling 13/25mm inverted cone iron. These are very similar to the Enzo Milano curling irons (I have the 1" and love it and use it a lot!) This one normally retails for $99.95 USD on their website. Use the coupon code TWIST and get the Angelique Curling iron for free with your GHD.

I hope you enjoy this promotional offer! This is a really great bargain for two amazing tools.

Click here if you would like to buy the GHD iron for youself and make sure to use the promo code TWIST at check-out to get the Angelique curling iron for free! You can also click here to check out the same model in white.

Click here to check out the Le Angelique iron for more details

Update: I called the official USA GHD head office to verify that the US versions of the GHD styler do not have the Holograms but come with a reset button on the plug, only the European GHDs have the Holograms. The US version (as sold on BeautyChoice) come with a Datecode on the actual styler. Once you receive your styler make sure to register it here. The US versions will have the North American plugs but can also be used in Europe or elsewhere with a simple plug adaptor. As there are many counterfeit GHDs out there, make sure to purchase your GHD from an approved retailer.

Nailpolish: Illamasqua - DWS

Video Link

NOTD: Guppy Nr. 77

Sarah sent me some of these Korean brand nail polishes to try out that she found in a local shop. Having never heard of this brand, I was really excited to get to sample these. I have tried out 3 different shades so far of the various colours she sent me, and I have to say - so far I am really, really impressed by them!

Formula wise - dare I say it - they are comparable to OPI and go on very smoothly and are opaque in 2 coats, even the nude shades. I noticed absolutely no bubbling or streaking, and best of all, they have a brush similar to OPI's pro-wide brush - flat and wide and perfect for applying. I have to admit I like the formula of this brand better than Gosh and China Glaze, to make some popular brand comparisons. I am honestly utterly amazed at the quality, considering these only cost $2.50 USD in her shop! Right now she only has a few shades listed, but I hope she will add more, these are really great nail polishes at a bargain price.

I'll try to get swatches up soon of the other colors Sarah sent me so you can have an idea of the shade variety. Nr. 77 is a shimmery olive golden green shade. You can check out the other shades she is selling by clicking here. I know she has many other colors of these available so I am hoping she will add more soon, as these polishes are absolutely wonderful!

By the way, I cut and filed off my entire long nails this evening. Look at my cute nubbins! It's so odd to be typing with short nails again. I was just getting a bit tired of my long talons and constantly scratching myself by accident - they'll grow back eventually!

Wedding Weekend

This past weekend I attended a wedding of some very close friends in France. It was very hot but gorgeous weather, and I'd been dress hunting for a while until I found this outfit. Sorry for the horrible cropping but my boyfriend did not want to be published on my blog. The necklace and earrings are Swarovski, a gift from my boyfriend for Christmas a few years ago. Dress and clutch are from a department store in Switzerland, and the white shawl was a gift from my boyfriend's mother a few years back; it has some beading on the ends.

I wish I could have gotten a better FOTD shot of my makeup and my hair, but time was pressing so I just didn't have time before we had to rush off to the Church for the ceremony. It was a rather amusing ceremony as the priest seemed almost drunk, the reception offered lots of delicious hors d'oeuvres and drinks, followed by a sit-down dinner for 120 or so guests followed by live music, dancing, and copious amounts of alcohol. Was all good fun but I'd never want such an elaborate, huge wedding for myself. I would prefer to keep it more low-key and simple.

The beautiful bride and groom (Stephan and Emeline)

The next day we all had a bit of a hangover from the alcohol but there was a luncheon to attend, where we stuffed ourselves again with Alsacienne food and more wine! Finally at around 4pm we started our drive home, by dinner time we were back home in Switzerland. It was really fun and I can't wait to see the pro photos from their wedding photographer soon.

Lip Products Re-Organized

My vanity table is starting to reach its maximum capacity in products; it's becoming difficult to find things. Today I reorganized my lipstick tray so that I can actually see the products easily without having to rummage through finding a particular lipstick or gloss. I hated doing that!! I basically switched around the trays I was using for holding blushes and lipsticks, then jammed the lipsticks in with the labels up so I can easily read the shades and brand.

I've organized the lipsticks by brand, starting on the left and working over to the right: MAC, Nars, Illamasqua, NYX, Rimmel, L'Oreal, Barry M. Then lipglosses from MAC, Kiko Milano, NYX, Obsessive Compulsive, and Gosh.

SO much better this way! And it's made me realize I still have quite a bit of room for additional lip products on the right side, where I currently am housing a Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick and some blushers to jam up space so the lip products stand upright. Hah!

How do you store your lip products? Do you have to rummage through a drawer trying to find the shade you're looking for, or are you able to locate them easily using a similar setup as myself?

Illamasqua Spring/Summer 09 Editorial Look

This is the Illamasqua spring/summer 09 promo picture I used as inspiration for this look, using mostly Illamasqua products. I'm not sure if it turned out exactly like the picture, and since my own pictures turned out quite awful as I had less-than-ideal light conditions, I hope I somewhat did it justice! The colors in my video look a little bit different, although that might be the photography.

This is obviously a more artistic, extravagant, editorial type of look but if you like the colors, it can be toned down to be more wearable. Blush can be placed more traditionally on the apples of cheeks, the long eyelashes can be left off all together or substituted for something less dramatic, and you could also wear a very neutral lip color with it from Illamasqua. I hope you enjoy this video!



Face
Illamasqua Cream Foundation CF135, Illamasqua Blush in Chased and Intrigue

Eyes
MAC Paint in Untitled, Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Marvel, Illamasqua e/s in Cry, Raptur, Maybe, and Slink, Makeup Forever e/s in Nr. 92, Illamasqua Volume mascara, Illamasqua Nr. 10 False Eyelashes, Duo Lash Adhesive, Eye Brow Cake in Gaze

Lips
Illamasqua Lipstick in Fetish, Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Fierce

Nails
Barry M - Cyan Blue

For Illamasqua product pictures, please click here.

Link to Video

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

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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