eyeshadowisLOVE's Lovelyish

Style Your Hair Based on Its... Cut?

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:34:36 GMT

As part of my weekly website viewings, I do an in depth exploration of Sephora's website to see all the new goodies they've added. And while I'm mostly interested in the new eye shadows, liners and mascaras (when Dior Show made its debut, I all but ran to my nearest Sephora!) I occassionally check out the new hair products. Especially if they have an unusual name, like one happened to have this time around! HerCut!

Described as "hair care for your hair cut" the concept immediately intrigued me. All my life I'd been taught to use shampoos, conditioners and stylers for my specific hair type. It made sense after all. But now, I'm thinking differently. HerCut features unique styling products called "catalysts" for various hair cuts including: layered styles, blunts, bobs, shag styles and pixie cuts and according to the Sephora website, its unique formulation "impels the hair to behave brilliantly". And I suppose I can wrap my head around the idea, as a pixie cut has different styling needs than a long layered cut.

But for me personally, the only thing that will "impel" my chemically relaxed and layered cut to behave is heat. Lots of heat, to be exact. So, with my trusty Prytodefrisant and a flat iron I go to town straightening my curly hair so the layers are visible. My curls are just too tight that any cut is practically invisible and any styling product isn't going to fix that. Though, I do often give my hair a break with a deep conditioner and style it in a bun and then the layers don't matter. On second thought, they might still be obvious considering the multiple bobby pins needed just to get all my hair off my face. Meh.

Would you use a product meant for your hair cut instead of your hair type? Because even if we all have the same hair cut, it's going to look vastly different on each of us depending on our hair's natural texture, any chemical processes, damage, moisture levels, etc. Or what do you think?

Travels!

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:57:31 GMT

There's a great Lovelyish post about traveling- what goes in your cosmetics bag when you can't bring it all with you. Because let's be real, if we could, we'd put our entire traincase full of everything into our suitcases and just be done with it. After all, you never know when you'll need your violeg MAC pigment.... actually, you probably should know that, haha. But the point is that you have to take things that you can't take every option you have "just in case". Keep it simple and everything will turn out just fine.

Most days I carry a little makeup bag with me in case I need something. It's pretty much guaranteed to take me from day to night or to help cover a blemish should one deign to appear or really, anything So, here are some of my tips for traveling.... what to bring and what to leave.

Foundation: When I travel, I'm leaving the city which is a welcome thing indeed! And I know I won't wear foundation every day so instead of bringing the whole bottle, I'll pour a little into a little sample container that I have and voila... I've beat the carry on restrictions and saved room in my bag

Powder: I have oily skin, so powder is pretty much a godsend and a way of life for me. I use MAC Select Sheer pressed powder in NC45 and it's truly wonderful stuff. It's the same color as my foundation and honestly won't change the shade of your foundation or skin tone. MAC asserts that it "blends lines" and it does... it truly finishes any look, but I always have it because it gets rid of the every-hour-oil-slicks which my skin just loooooves to show. I must apply this stuff at least 4 times a day and it never looks cakey or like I even have anything on! It's the most natural looking powder I've ever come across. If your skin isn't oily (lucky you!), you don't necessarily need this. Leave it at home... its day will come :)

Concealer: The foundation and powder together pretty much have my skin looking like what I wish I was born with. My eyes, however, are what I was born with: lovely inherited purplish permanent dark circles. Lovely. No matter if I've gotten 2 hours or 10 hours of sleep, my eyes always look like I'm battling a death sentence. To combat that, I use Bobbi Brown's Corrector concealer in 'dark peach'. For people with very dark circles, the darkness has to be neutralized first before a yellow-based shade can be applied. After the corrector is applied, I use a little of the foundation and powder to set and I'm done!

Eye Liner/Shadow: Keep it simple! It's unlikely you're going to have to do wake up at 3am so you won't be needing that I've-had-a billion-hours-of-sleep look, so leave the white/flesh toned pencil at home. Instead, bring a black pencil liner which can double as an eye shadow. I love MUFE Aqua Eyes in Mat Black, a two-in-one eyeshadow and liner which is guaranteed to stay put through it all and it's completely smudgable, if you want it that way. Line both top and bottom lash lines with a little smudging on the top for a simple anytime look. Add a little more for a mored edgy look! Bonus: a little bit can be used to fill in brows. I said little bit!

Mascara: I am an admitted mascara junkie, so I'm going to say that you need to bring some with you! I use Cover Girl's Lash Blast Volume (the orange one)... with about 3 coats. Every day. That's just my look, but it's never intense or edgy or looks like I need to be finishing the rest of my 'goth' look. It works well with my lashes and I can apply many (probably up to 5) without it looking terrible or giving me the dreaded 'tarantula eyes' look. So, depending on your lashes, find one that works well and is buildable.

Lips: I also have a bit of a lip gloss addiction. There was a time when you couldn't catch me without a tube in my pocket. I loved that having it in my pocket would warm it and make it easier to apply. I had a problem, yes I know That said, I believe someone everyone should always have (traveling or otherwise) is a clear lip gloss. I love MAC's Clear Lipglass. It's actually designed to be work with lipstick, lip pencils or just by itself so you know it won't do anything you don't want it to do other than add shine. It also can add just a little hint of shine or give you that full-on wet-shine look. It's not super sticky so your hair won't get stuck if it's windy and it doesn't seem to do anything else really other than be pretty. The stuff lasts forever, so while a tube of $14 clear lip gloss may seem ridiculous, it's completely worth it. Can be layered over foundation for a 'nude lip' or on its own (remember you can have the black intense eye look for going out, so neutral lips are perfect!) if you'd like to keep your lip's natural color.

Blush/Bronzer: I only use a blush when I'm going out or if I haven't gotten enough sleep and my skintone is dreadfully in need of some livening. And since I've already comitted to an intense eye with a neutral-ish lip, I don't want anything that's going to make me look 'sculpted'. So, a simple color that's got just a hint of something will do the trick. If you want just a color to give your skin warmth, do it. A little bit of shimmer, highlight, whatever... just pick one that's subtle enough to complement your look and skintone without going overboard. I always use Jane Mineral Pillow Blush in "tender blush" because it's the color my skin naturally flushes... minus the blotchiness.

Brushes: I don't really use a whole bunch of brushes. True, the majority of my brushes are for the eyes but I hardly use them, preferring to use eyeliners instead with my fingers or a q-tip to smudge them. But, there are some things you absolutely need a brush for: blush and powder. So, because we're travelling, I use a double sided brush from Essence of Beauty: a contour and face duo. It's not a crazy expensive brush but it does the job pretty darn well if I can say so myself. Plus, with your subtle blush and ridiculously fine milled powder of the gods (MAC Select Sheer, hehe) you really can do no wrong!

I think I've said plenty on this, lol. But oh, if you want to bring your favorite perfume but are saddened that the bottle is too big, here's another little tip from me: go to Sephora and ask for a sample of your perfume. It'll come in this itty bitty spray bottle that can't be more than 5ml. Or, grab a solid perfume! Pacifica has great ones which are eco-friendly and at $9, you'll want to stock up! I love their Waikiki Pikake, it's like Hawaiian Jasmine! Or try their Lotus Garden, which is has a woodsy Oriental feel to it.

What are your must-haves for traveling?

Um, hi, lol

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:16:45 GMT

So yeah, I've been busy lately with work and just worrying/stressing over life BUT that's none of your concern so forget I ever said anything

Lately I've been obsessed with something that maybe none of you have even heard of. I'm referring to drag performers. Specifically, RuPaul's Drag Race. Ever heard of it? I thought not Well, have you heard of RuPaul? She's the fabulous (and magnificentally tall!) woman seen below.

In any case, she is the host of the fabulous show RuPaul's Drag Race in which drag performers from all over compete to be the next top drag queen. And if you wanna see how makeup is done, THAT'S how makeup is done. For real, they will blend and buff and smooth it ALL out, honey! To be honest, it's kind of frightening! Yes it takes hours for the men to achieve their personas but damn if it's not worth it!

And to think, I sometimes have trouble blending my crease color into my lid color. Sheesh!

TBE Product of July...

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 06:06:17 GMT

As I mentioned earlier, I'm doing a TBE product review each month featuring a product that is simply TBE (the best ever) as I've come across in my life's travels, at least. Essentially, it's a glorified product review, lol. But who doesn't enjoy a little glorification every now and then

So without futher ado, this past month's product is by Phyto... a brand new to me, which I've come to love beyond words! Their relaxing balm has absolutely captivated me! The picture's not the best, but this is what it looks like...

and let me tell you, the small tube is seriously worth the big price. Just a little bit is all you'll need even to combat the most unruly of hair. And as if finding this little gem isn't enough of a happy thing, it's formulated without sulfates and parabens. And ok, sure, not gonna lie... I have no idea what parabens are but I imagine they're not the best things for hair. So, without them I'm just a little bit happier

It's not a chemical reaction either, which is great for my relaxed hair. With all that the relaxer puts it though, I couldn't handle any more chemicals in my hair, so this is just the thing! Though, as good as this is, it's still a bit out of my budget at a $26 for a measly 3.3 ounces. But, as I've said before, a little does go a long way! The first time I used it, I wasn't too sure of it's use and used wayyy too much! It didin't build up or anything even close to it. So, I say what's the worst that could happen??

If I were you, I'd march my little self over to my nearest Sephora for a lovely sample. You can't go wrong!

Too True

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:45:40 GMT

Makeup can be bought, Beauty one must possess.

I Wanna Be Beyonce! Again!

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:18:58 GMT

I walked to the mall (.4 miles/ 3 blocks) and from the mall... my skin color went from an NC 45 to a NC 50

If you're not familiar with the darker end of the MAC spectrum, I suggest you stop by a store or counter and check it out. It's not as subtle as a jump from NC 30 to NC 35. Oh, no. It's like making the jump from Beyonce to Kelly, lol. I wanna be Beyonce again!!

Ug... and I even wore sunscreen. SPF 30 and I was only in the sun for 10 minutes each time. Whoever says black people don't tan is clearly unintelligent :(

I Can't Stand When....

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:13:54 GMT

One of the biggest beauty/make-up faux pas I've ever seen is when people use lip liner incorrectly. And I'm not just talking about when they apply a darker color than the lipstick or anything like that. (Though, admittedly, I don't approve of that either...) Instead, I'm referring to when people feel the desire to make their lips look bigger. They decide to draw on the outside of their natural lip line.

Is it me? Am I the only one who realizes this? It looks horribly tacky and I just want to attack them with a q-tip to wipe it off! Ugh! Lip plumping glosses I have no problems with, but that... I can't stand!

Anything like that bother you?

TBE Product of the Month

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:44:31 GMT

So, I've decided that I'll do a new (to me) product review each month. I could do them daily, but I have obligations which would keep me from doing this. It's sad, I know. So, each month I'll discuss a product I find to be the best ever (TBE) and hopefully there's some of you out there that feel the same way. Or, if not... maybe you have some suggestions for the same type of product. Something cheaper that works as well. Some good or bad experiences you've had with the product? Something like that.

This month's product review will be coming up soon....

Brushes!!

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:30:13 GMT

I used to think that people with 20 different makeup brushes were just crazy. That it was just money spent unwisely and there just wasn't an excuse for it. Until I really thought about it and looked at my own collection. I have about 11 brushes in total... 9 of which are exclusively used for eye makeup, lol. And considering I almost exclusively wear eye makeup (unless I'm going out and hey, cameras can be harsh!) I guess it's appropriate. So for everyone else, who wears other forms of makeup, it makes total sense. So I guess... I owe everyone an apology for judging so harshly. I'm sorry.

How many brushes do you own? Do you wish you had more, or do you think you already have too many?

MAC this, MAC that...

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:32:27 GMT

There's a lot to be said about MAC Cosmetics. I mean, for one, they cater to just about every skin tone. And as a woman of color, let me tell you that that's important! I don't know how much $$ I've spent on concealers and foundations in the past when all I needed to do was come to MAC. And sure, dropping $30 on foundation isn't the best bargain to be found, but it's honestly the cheapest foundation/concealer brand that matches my skin tone.

After I got the foundation I then started looking around and ya know what, it's easy to get sucked into the "MAC trap" as I call it. Their true-color eye shadows are the best thing EVER and they don't budge or crease or do anything you don't want them to do, which is always a good thing. Their brushes are legendary and if I won the lottery, they'd all easily be my first purchase (true story..)!! But... that party train has to slow its roll because we're in a recession, people. I can't afford all the MAC my heart wants. It's sad, I know. But aside from my foundation, there IS one product I'll continue to purchase time and time again: makeup removing wipes.

They. Are. AMAZING!! There's no other way to say it. Not only are they not the usual half-soaked/half-dry like some other brands (I've tried L'oreal, Sephora, The Body Shop), which already won me over, they're drenched with solution! And they're all like that, every last wipe in the package. And the stuff works like a Godsend. Even the lightest wipe gets everything (including crazy-hard-to-get-off mascara) off without drying or making my skin break out.

Don't believe me? Go over to a MAC store (or counter if there's not a free-standing store near you...) and try on a bunch of products. Then use one of the wipes to remove all evidence of your play time and you'll be amazed. Best $17 + crazy-high-California tax I've ever spent!

bonus: if you buy them in bulk, they're actually cheaper than most other brands too!!! You can't beat it!