Toodles for Now...

I am going to take a big of a blogging break. I have been battling some health issues lately, so between that, working full time, being a mother, and trying to spend time with my husband, I haven't had a lot of extra time to blog. Unfortunately, when I do have the extra time, I'm too tired to actually do it! I am very grateful to all of my readers and I will be back. I just need some time for me. :D

Makeup Tutorial: Bright, Bold, Pink Eyes

This tutorial is over one of my favorite looks, pink eyeshadow! I hate saying "pink eyes" because your brain automatically goes to conjunctivitis. Ew.

Fortunately, this blog is over pretty pink eyeshadow. :)

"Woodstock"

You will need:

 - A bold, bright, pigment-rich pink shadow. Urban Decay's "Woodstock" is perfect.
 - A darker shade for the crease
 - A highlighting shade, with a pink tint
 - Primer
 - Set Powder
 - Eyeliner
 - Mascara
 - (Optional) Glitter eyeliner

I will use UD Naked palette for all of the colors except "Woodstock". Here is my map:

That's right, all both of them.

First, start (as always) with set powder and potion primer.

Apply "Sin" to the inner corner of your eyes, underneath, and across your brow bone.

With the pink shadow, you need to really pack the pigment in. Luckily, Urban Decay shadows are very pigment-rich. Apply a thick layer of "Woodstock" to your lid. Also sweep a thin line underneath your eye in the remaining two thirds not covered by "Sin".

"Hustle" is great for the crease because it's a darker hue, but still has pinkish hints. Apply and blend.

Now go back over the lid and crease with "Woodstock" and blend.

Demonstrating the importance of set powder in this one...

Reapply "Sin" to make sure your highlighted areas stand out.

Finish with eyeliner and mascara. A fun addition to this look is glitter liner, just apply on the bottom lash line and blend so as not to look like a stripper...unless you're going for that.

Add your favorite gloss (nude or pink works well) and you're ready to go!

Oh, aren't I darling.

For a night look, add black to the outer corners, and thicken the liner.

Please excuse my gratuitous use of eyebrow in this one!

Urban Decay's Website

Product Review: Makeup Forever HD High Definition Foundation

I recently started using Makeup Forever's HD High Definition Foundation.

This base is awesome! It offers so much coverage without feeling heavy. They have a variety of shades, so it's not hard to find a perfect match. It makes your skin feel like velvet! I just LOVE this stuff!!! I was wearing this foundation in my last two tutorials (loose curls and contouring), so here are some of the pictures to show what it looks like.

My attempt at "fierce" came off a little more as "petrified".

I think the thing I love the most about this is how well it stays on my face. I realized this because it seems to leave less on my phone screen after a conversation that other foundations I've used in the past. This foundation stays on so splendidly by itself, that I can't wait to use it with Makeup Forever HD High Definition Primer. I just got a sample, so the review will be up soon.

The only downfall to this is the price, it's around 50.00 USD. The bottle lasts a long time and I think it's one of the high end products that are actually worth the price. However, Urban Decay's Naked Skin is VERY comparable and it's about 10.00 USD cheaper. I haven't decided which one I like more yet, I'll probably know when I run out of this and buy more Naked Skin. Overall, I give this 4 out of 5 stars. It is truly an amazing product.

Proper Blush Application and Facial Contouring

Many women these days either don't wear blush, or don't know how to wear it. This is a tutorial on the proper way to highlight your cheekbones and contour your face to the most flattering shape.

Highlighting and contouring your face help to thin it out and bring out your features. Makeup in general is made to accentuate what you already have, and contouring is the epitome of that concept.

 I made a map of my face to illustrate what and where you need to shade, highlight/luminize, or blush.

Yellow = Highlight/luminze
Orange = Shadow/contour
Pink = Blush

Gaga Ooh La La

You will need:
-A color about one shade darker than your skin that is matte, loose powder about half a shade darker than your skin can help blend (Shadow/contour)
-A highlighter that lighter than your skin, creamy or pink tones work well (Highlighter/Luminzer)
-Blush (make sure it's the right shade for your skin)

There are a lot of eye & cheek palettes available, so it's not too hard to find one with shades that pair well with your skin. Some recommendations are LORAC Red Carpet Reveal, Urban Decay's Naked or Naked II Palette, and Tigi High Density Eye Palette.

MK's Loose Powder, Mac's Set Powder, & Tarte Blush. 

From left to right: Dome brush, kabuki brush, blush brush, The Love Brush.

I start the contouring under my eyes, but the order of parts you highlight is irrelevant. The only thing that really matters is putting on the blush after the contouring. I actually go in a weird order. Rather than doing all of the light or all of the dark first, I highlight under my eyes, then do all of the shadowing, then the rest of the highlighting, and last blush. There is a method to my madness, and it's that I use set powder to catch any extra eye shadow (which you know if you've read any of my eye makeup tutorials), so when I sweep that away, I have the first part of my contouring done.

Here is a more detailed legend to my map.

Yellow Sections - I say "highlight/luminize" because they are in the same category, but still slightly different things. Highlighting is making a part of your skin lighter to bring it closer to the eye. For example, your brow bone. Most people use a light eye shadow to highlight their brow bone and bring it out so it "pops". Luminizing is not actually a real word, but it's used in the makeup industry to mean illuminating a part of your skin, making it seem luminous, or lit up. The biggest difference is that "luminizers" have a shimmer or usually gold tint to them, helping the light catch your skin, so the reflection brings it closer to you. I use both while contouring my face.

A great product to help "luminize" your cheekbones, forehead, nose, and lips is Mac's Lustre Drops. I use this in combination with powder because I don't like to use it on my chin. I stick to powder with my chin because it's prone to break-outs. The product doesn't break me out, but I try to touch my face as little as possible with my hands. To minimize the spread of bacteria always thoroughly wash your hands before touching your face and make sure your brushes are clean.

Apply the Lustre Drops to the top and bottom of your lips, like so:

Another amazing map by yours truly.

Use a blush brush to apply a powder highlighter or use your (clean) fingers to apply a liquid luminzer. For the powder I use "Vanilla" and "Champagne" from Tigi's High Density palette. I use "vanilla" under my eyes (even though I already had set powder there), on the bridge of my nose, my chin, and forehead. On the outer corners of my cheeks, I use "Champagne" because it has a shimmer to it, while "Vanilla" is matte. Refer to the map for specific regions of each part.

Shadow/Contour - "Contouring" is what we're are doing to the whole face, by changing the shape. I use it to describe the darker parts that we're shadowing because it makes a huge difference and it's like you're sculpting your face. I use "naked" from UD's Naked palette, because I'm very fair. Seriously, Snow White looks like a bronzed goddess next to me.

Start with your temples (although, like I said, it's irrelevant where you start, I just picked a point). Use a thick, wide shadow brush. I used Bed Head's "The Love Brush", although Tigi has redone their whole makeup line and now the brushes don't have fun names anymore. :(

Sweep the shadow from your hairline to about half of the way across your eyebrow. When I say across your brow, I mean above it, but stop about halfway across the distance of your brow. BLEND. BLEND. BLEND. You can also make parenthesis with the shadow around the outside of your eyes, but I usually save that for bronzer (if I'm using it).

Next, the nose. To thin out the appearance of your nose, use the shadow on the sides where the light creates a shadow naturally. We're just emphasizing what's already going on, so use shadows (referring to actual shadows, not the makeup) to your advantage. Apply with a vertical motion. You can also add a little to the tip of your nose so it appears shorter. Remember to blend.

We will do three different things to define your cheekbones. We have already highlighted the top, next we will use the shadow to contour underneath the bone. This makes that area of your cheek appear to be deeper, because it seems further away from you. To do this, first make a "duck face".

Or eat imaginary spaghetti.

See how there is a shadow underneath the cheekbone? That's what we want to emphasize. Draw a line from your hairline (lady sideburns) to the corner of your mouth.

Keeping the ducky face for emphasis.

 I will now remind you of the most important aspect of contouring: BLENDING. You don't want to look like the Joker got a hold of you, so blend that line away, but in the direction you drew it. It still needs to be there, but it needs to have the appearance of shadow, not a douche beard. I use loose powder to help blend it in. My powder is about half a shade darker than my skin, so if I'm in a hurry, I use it alone.

The last part to contour is the jawline. Start behind the ear, so you don't have a harsh start line. Draw the line underneath your jawline, from ear to ear. Then you must blend.

Blended, yet still making that stupid face...

Blush - So many women do not realize they are applying their blush wrong. It's just pink on your cheeks, right? Wrong. The best way to describe the proper application is to draw a circle on the apples of your cheeks, then make a U-shape with that circle. I'll show you the map again to explain (and also so you don't have to scroll to the top).

Here's how I do it. Smile really big, like a jackass. If you feel stupid, you're doing it right.

Say cheesy.

Then create the U-shape from the circle.

Fishy fishy fishy.

Of course, next we blend. I add a touch more of "Champagne" to the outer corner of my cheekbone. Just as with eye shadow, I start with the lightest color, but I go back and reapply it at the end to make sure it stands out. Once you start to incorporate this method into your daily makeup routine, it won't seem so complicated. It really isn't, it just takes awhile to explain the application and reasoning behind it. Here is my face with just foundation (and eye makeup) compared to after the contouring.

I look scared in the after pic, but I was going for fierce.

I still have a voluptuous face, and always will, but it is much more flattering after contouring. I hope this becomes a part of your everyday makeup routine! Good luck!

Urban Decay's Website
Sephora's Website

Baked Ribs Recipe

I just made some delicious baked ribs and felt the need to share this recipe!

In addition to the below listed seasonings, you'll need:

1 tsp each - lemon and orange zest
Soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
Half an onion, sliced


Take a rack of spare ribs and season both sides with the following:

Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Paprika
Cayenne pepper
Greek seasoning

Sprinkle both sides with each zest and soy sauce. Be easy with the soy sauce, you already added salt, so a heavy hand can make a salty rib.

Place foil on a large cookie sheet or baking pan. Position the ribs in the middle and put the garlic around them. Lay the onion slices on the ribs and make an "aluminum foil tent" over them. This just means to cover the ribs, but not airtight. Cook at 275 for about an hour and a half, then uncover and cook at 375 for about 45 minutes.

Make sure the pork is completely cooked before serving, also let the ribs rest for about 15 minutes after removing them from the oven. With proper resting time, they will be tender and juicy! This is a basic recipe, so have fun and make it your own, enjoy!

Hair tutorial - Loose Curls

I've had so many clients tell me that they can never do their hair like I do, so this is to help women give themselves a sultry look with not much effort. All of my tutorials are on techniques that I think are easy, thus easy to learn. This particular look is for "2nd day curls" or the style to wear the day after you curled your hair. I love having a loose, relaxed, messy look the day after I have had perfect curls. It saves time and you get two looks for the effort of one!

As I said, this is a style for the day after you've curled your entire head. Simply wrap large sections of your hair around your finger, wrapping away from your face. Stop about 2-4 inches from your scalp, so that part of your hair stays straight and transitions in to a curl. Insert two bobby pins around the middle of the curl (one up, one down). You're going to look silly, but you're also going to sleep on it, so it doesn't really matter. I do about 3-4 sections on each side and one barrel roll on the crown of my head. (If your hair is longer than shoulder length, then pin the back sections too.)

Make sure to leave you bangs out.

Yet another lovely example of my inability to make a serious face...

The back, it's not pretty now, but it will be.

Now spray a medium hold or workable hairspray over the curls, I like Catwalk's Session Series, it's what they replaced "Work-it" with. You could also just run some gel or mousse through each section pre-wrap if you don't have a medium hold. You really don't want to use a hard hold or sticky finishing spray at this point because it'll just cause extra frizz. The next step is to go to bed. If you have issues achieving volume, try to put your hair above your head to sleep, so the weight of your head doesn't flatten it. It will get flatter over night, and that's okay, but if your hair is particularly hard to make voluminous, I suggest taking that extra step.

When you wake up, take the bobby pins out and don't freak out because your hair is flat and frizzy, like this:

Simply run some smoothing oil through it, I used Chi's Silk Infusion. (A little goes a long way.)
Then flip your head upside down and run some mousse through it, I used Paul Mitchell's Extra Body Sculpting Foam. Don't completely saturate your hair, you shouldn't have to dry it after, the mousse is just for texture, definition, and hold. Flip your head back over and spray with a finishing spray and smoothing spray, if needed. For the back I just scrunched it and sprayed it, since we're going for a messy look.

Voila!

It really is an easy look to achieve, you may have to run a flat iron through your bangs, but that's better than having to do your whole head! Here are the products I used:

The smoothers

The holders

I hope you enjoy this tutorial and get a sexy new "do" out of it!

Makeup Tutorial - Basic Cat Eye

Every woman should feel sexy and beautiful. The classic cat eye is one look, when done right, that guarantees that feeling. It's very simple, with the right tools and this quick tutorial, you should be able to  achieve this look easily any day of the week!

The focal point of this look is obviously your eyes, but more importantly, your lash line. The thick liner, winged out at the end creates a look of thick lashes and a very pleasing shape to the eye. So to keep the focus on the liner, I'm using fairly neutral shadow colors.

You will need:

A palette of neutral colors (Urban Decay's Naked or Naked II and Tigi's Professional palette are perfect)
Liquid or cake eye liner
Liner brush
Mascara
Urban Decay's Primer Potion
Mac's Set Powder
Shadow brush for blending
Brush to apply set powder

I used Naked and Tigi's palette. Here are my maps for the colors I used:

Start with the wonder twins:

Okay, they're not really twins, but they do wonderful things.

Apply primer to the eyelids and while that's drying pack on some set powder below your eyes.

I didn't use as much as I would for darker colors, because it's not necessary in this case.

Sweep a layer of "Champagne" across the bottom of your brow bone.

I didn't realize the lighting was so horrible until after I took these.

Apply "Sidecar" to your inner corner, across your lid, and below your eye, about a third of the way.

Fill the rest of you lid with "Sidecar" as well.

Now apply a layer of "Buck" into your crease.

Blend with a clean shadow brush.

After blending, you may need to add a bit more "Sidecar" to your inner corner.

Okay, I'll show you the trick to getting your eyeliner to look beautiful and glamorous as opposed to a drag queen (not a like fishy queen, rather, a nube). Pull your eyelid taut, and hold it with your finger as you apply the liner with a brush.

Like so.

I used Laura Mercier's Tightline Cake liner, you can use any good liquid or cake liner. I also found a cheap trick for the water used to apply cake liner. I use a measuring cup that came with my son's Advil, I just marked it "Makeup" so there aren't any future mix-ups. ;)

Genius, I tell you!

Apply a "base line". I start in the middle of my lash line and work my way to each end, so I don't smudge the corner where it should be thinner, or create an uneven line. You have more control using this method.

When you release your lid, it should look something like this:

Start in the middle again, and thicken the ends a bit.

The way I think of it, to simplify the situation, is to pretend I'm drawing an obtuse triangle on the outer corner. Since makeup is essentially about shapes and shades, it really does make sense.

Yes, I'm aware that I'm a nerd who uses math to do makeup. 

Go over the end until you have the desired thickness for your eye. If you get it too thick, just use a Q-Tip to thin it out a bit and try again.

It should look similar to this:

Pulled.

Relaxed.

Open.

I showed all three views because if you don't have a trained eye, it's hard to know when to stop or when you have the correct shape closed. This hopefully helps you to realize what shape it will look like while closed. Use your liner brush to smudge some liner on the bottom outer corner, then use pencil for the water line.

Finish with mascara and you're done! Another great thing about the neutral shadow is that it pairs well with bold lip colors. Here are some examples of the color options and my inability to make a serious face:

Like pink...

...and red.

You could even try this season's hottest color tangerine for a lip that pops! I hope you enjoy bringing out your sexy for the day!