The Glossy Party

Over the weekend i attended a #Beauty Event in Manhattan called The Glossy Party. I paid about $54 for the VIP, which included 1/2 off drinks, a massage, eyelashes, eyebrow threading, mani, facial, make up done, and gift bag (see below).

Walking in, I wasnt sure what to expect, but the entire set up was lovely! I felt the beauty and serenity of what they were trying to achieve. I had a massage done, which was fantastic! They also had a fashion show. The entire event was hosted by @ItsJesPerez. She did a wonderful job, was very vibrant and full of energy.

My only two complaints were, they sold more VIP tickets than they could accomodate. Because they were over sold, there was no more time for me to get my mani and have my eyelashes done. The

Second compliant was about the make up. The company who was doing the make up had about 4 make up artists. The one who was applying my lip color wasnt able to figure out a flattering lip color for me. I got discouraged with her efforts and told her to just forget it.

Aside from that, id love to attend @TheGlossyParty again next year. It was a fabulous treat!

<---- Swag from my gift bag.

Fired for NOT Wearing Full Makeup @ Work???

While researching topics, I came across this article about a company who fired a woman for NOT wearing full makeup every day. In my opinion, depending on the company, this may be reasonable in certain work environments...such as a cosmetics company.

http://www.vibevixen.com/2011/07/company-requires-women-must-wear-makeup-to-work-is-it-fair/

However, some of the women you see working in, and walk in stores like M.A.C. and Sephora with fully made up faces can look tacky and caked on...not a good look. Read the story and decided if the company was justified in firing the worker.

Kim K's Wedding Day MakeUp

Kim's wedding day makeup was simple, yet elegant and was done by  her long time makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic.

Kim Kardashian’s Wedding Makeup Look:

Dedivanovic put the spotlight on one of Kim’s best features—her eyes—with the Color Design 5 Pan Eyeshadow Palette in Golden Frenzy. Lancôme’s new Hypnôse Doll Lashes Mascara in So Black played up Kim’s signature long lashes.

Mario swept on Blush Subtil in Rose Romantique to emphasize Kim’s cheekbones, creating a soft, romantic complexion.

To achieve the perfect pout, L’Absolu Nu Lipstick in Coral Sand was topped with La Laque Fever Lipgloss in Ravishing Coral.

BEAUTY BREAKDOWN ~Iman~

Iman is a true beauty inspiration!


Foundation
Iman Cosmetics Luxury Radiance Liquid Makeup in Earth 2 ("This gives a sheer radiant glow—apply to the center of the face and blend outward," said Frazier.)
Concealer
Iman Cosmetics Cover Cream in Earth Medium
Powder
Iman Cosmetics Luxury Mineral Enriched Semi Loose Powder in Earth Medium ("for touching up the T-zone")
Blush
Iman Cosmetics Sheer Finish Bronzing Powders in Afterglow
Eye Shadow
Iman Cosmetics Luxury Eye Defining Powder in Black Magic (jet black) and Wicked (platinum/gray) achieve the smoky effect. To highlight the brow bone, Frazier used Iman Cosmetics Luxury Eyeshadow in White Gold.
Eye Liner
Rim the inside of the eye with the Iman Cosmetics Perfect Eye Pencil in Ebony.
Brows
Iman Cosmetics Perfect Eye Pencil in Blackest Brown
Lips
Iman Cosmetics Perfect Lip Pencil in Espresso, Iman Cosmetics Luxury Lip Stain in Sultry, and Iman Cosmetics Luxury Lip Shine in Jazzy

BEAUTY BREAKDOWN ~Lady Gaga for M.A.C. Viva Glam~

Powder
M.A.C. Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder on T-zone
Blush
M.A.C. Pro Cream Color Base in Nude on cheekbones
Eye Shadow
Upper lid: M.A.C. Eye Shadow in Malt and M.A.C. Impeccable Brow Pencil in Taupe on lid and into socket line, M.A.C. Pigment in Vanilla on the inner corner. Lower lid: M.A.C. Impeccable Brow Pencil in Taupe, set with M.A.C. Eye Shadow in Charcoal Brown
Eye Liner
M.A.C. Fluidline in Blacktrack brushed into the top lash line,  followed by M.A.C. Penultimate Eye Liner to enhance and elongate the line. Finally, M.A.C. Eye Shadow in Carbon set and strengthened the line for a velvet finish. M.A.C. Eye Kohl in Fascinating inside lower and upper rims of eyes
Mascara
M.A.C. Opulash Mascara in Bad, Bad Black and M.A.C. Plush Lash Mascara in Plushblack applied with small fan brush
False Lashes
M.A.C. 3 Lash and the outer half of M.A.C. 41 Lash on the outer corner of the eye
Lips
M.A.C. Lip Pencil in Oak on the lip line and M.A.C. Viva Glam Gaga Lipstick in 2; M.A.C. Viva Glam Gaga Lipglass in 2 over the top in the center of the lip for volume
Highlights / Countour
M.A.C. Pro Paint Stick in Deep Brown for contour, buffed in just under the cheekbones, into the hollows and used on the temples. M.A.C. Creme Color Base in Shell and Luna blended and applied as highlighter

DISCONTINUED ITEMS ON EBAY---AND WHICH SELLERS TO TRUST

Below is a list of places you can buy authentic discontinued MAC products on Ebay. MAC has a naughty habit of offering up a fabulous item — only to have it taken away in the blink of an eye. From a business standpoint, I get it — it keeps the company thriving and on their toes, but it SURE is frustrating when you can’t find your favorite blush anymore. Don’t fret! There are still ways to find what you’re looking for. Despite being surrounded by fakes and dishonest people on Ebay, there are some sellers out there who will not screw you over and will send you the real thing.

EBAY SELLERS SAFE TO BUY FROM

• http://stores.ebay.com/Mac-Attack-Central
• http://myworld.ebay.com/*allura*
• http://myworld.ebay.com/charleyandemily
• http://myworld.ebay.com/fran24112

Are Natural Cosmetics REALLY natural???

Natural Beauty Products

They're all the rage with supermodels, Hollywood stars, and the girl next door. But can these often pricey products really make a difference for your skin and if so, do you get what you pay for? Maybe not. If it's prettier, gentler, problem-free skin care you think you're getting, you could be in for a surprise.

The perception is that natural ingredients are more pure and kinder to skin than something made in the lab, but nothing could be farther from the truth.  In fact, if you're buying natural products to avoid breakouts or allergic reactions, you might be disappointed; they won't necessarily be a better option.

Chemicals in Cosmetics
Many women are going natural to avoid certain ingredients that research shows may be harmful. These include preservatives, such as parabens, and other ingredients including petrochemicals and phthalates, which some studies show can mimic the effects of hormones in the body or, at high levels, possibly increase the risk of cancer. While the Personal Care Products Council and other industry groups maintain these ingredients are safe, others, such as the Environmental Working Group, point to mounting evidence that consumers should avoid them.

Unfortunately, shopping for naturals doesn't guarantee you won't find those ingredients in your products. The government hasn't defined the term "natural," so no regulations exist about what products can and cannot contain.

Natural Products: Read the Labels
Read the labels of your beauty products -- even those labeled "natural." Environmental groups caution against ingredients such as parabens (which are used as preservatives); petrochemicals and their by-products (often found in skin creams, foundations, and lip balms); mercury (in mascara and eyedrops); lead (in lipsticks); dioxane (in shampoos and body washes); as well as phthalates & formadalhydes in hair sprays and nail polishes.

Natural Beauty Products and Allergies

Be aware that all-natural ingredients can cause allergic reactions. One study in the British Journal of Dermatology shows that popular natural ingredients such as tea tree oil, feverfew, lavender, and jasmine brought on allergic or sensitivity responses in some people. Use the "sniff" test. If a product says it contains natural strawberries but smells like imitation strawberry-flavored candy, then it may not be as natural as you think.

BRONZER 101

There are so many of them on the market, in so many forms. You’ve probably seen powders, gels, creams, liquids…it’s enough to overwhelm anyone. Sometimes finding a good bronzer is as hard as finding a decent man. Bronzers are often overlooked by many people because they just don’t have any knowledge about them, and don’t consider them when applying their makeup. What is a bronzer? Why should I wear one? I’m already brown, so why do I need one? Where do I apply it and what do I apply it with? What’s a good one? These are the popular questions I hear when I mention the word “bronzer”.

WHAT’S A BRONZER?
A bronzer is a product that simply gives you that beautiful, golden ‘I’ve been out in the sun wrestling around with a hot sexy pool boy’ tan look without actually having to spend time baking under those harsh UVA/UVB rays — or fooling around with the pool boy.

WHY SHOULD I WEAR ONE?
You don’t have to wear a bronzer at all. But for those of you who want to warm and deepen the natural grooves of your facial features, all while looking natural and gorgeously sun-kissed…then a bronzer might be your solution.

I’M ALREADY DARK, SO WHY DO I NEED ONE?
This is a common misconception among women with darker skin. They think that because they already have deep complexions, a bronzer is unnecessary and is only for women with lighter or more fair skin. Not true... Most darker skinned women already have deep golden undertones to their skin, but those areas could always use a bit of contouring. The right bronzer on darker skin is really what ultimately seals the deal for your entire makeup look and will give you that “bronzed goddess” look many of us want. You could just wear a tinted moisturizer, lipgloss and mascara and leave the house..but if you add bronzer? You’d so be ready for your close-up!

You want to put your bronzer in the areas where the sun would naturally kiss your skin. Buffing it along the hairline the hairline/forehead, jawline, bridge of your nose, contours of your cheeks are great spots.

You want to use a brush that will give you soft and blended precision. If the brush is too fluffy, it may spread the product to places where you wouldn’t normally be sun-kissed. Blending is key!

WHAT’S CONSIDERED A "GOOD” BRONZER?
A good bronzer is one that will enhance the warmth of the skin. If you have warm, golden tones to your skin, a good bronzer will definitely take things to new heights. If you don’t have any naturally warm tones to your skin (meaning you’re pink and cool-toned), a good bronzer will “fake it” for you.
The “Hands Down” award goes to Facefront’s PhotoMatte Baked Bronzer. This bronzer is an unsung hero in the makeup world. Many people don’t know about it, and you probably never hear about it. That doesn’t mean it sucks, that just means it’s a hidden gem. It is a loose powder, with a small amount of SPF (5). You only need a super tiny amount of this stuff so it should last you a VERY long time. Make sure you use a very light hand too, because it’s CRAZY pigmented! You could easily apply too much.

It’s time to dump those glittery bronzers and get a professional bronzing solution. Photo Matte Mineral Bronzer with all new Micronic Radiance mineral spheres provides superior sheer to semi-opaque coverage for dramatic photography, stage, or day-to-day matte bronzing effect. This completely natural bronzing pot won’t let you down, with three shades to match any skin tone color, the fairest of the fair, or the deepest of the deep can now have maximum matte bronze power without looking too shimmery or falsely orange.

The MAC and Bobbi Brown bronzers have light reflecting particles, so there is a slight shimmer but it’s nothing too over the top, and they don’t accentuate fine lines. They’re really gorgeous on the skin and also last a very long time if used correctly.

Now that we know a little more about bronzers, its up to you to try some out to determine which one works for you. Try to stay away from anything too chalky, or anything that would make your skin appear dirty or muddy. You want a sexy golden “I’ve been vacationing in Aruba”, not a dirty “I’ve been rolling around with pigs”.

MAC Wonderwman Collection...with Photos!

MAC Wonder Woman has burst her way onto the cosmetic scene with her very own super-sized collection by MAC. We weren’t expecting this to drop until Feb. 10, but it was released early.

MAC released their much talked about Wonder Woman collection, and the first thing you’ll notice (if you’re a MAC fan) is that the prices and product size have gone way up but just for this collection. The MSF’s $35 each, blushes $24 each, and lipglasses $20 each are all larger, so you’re paying a bit more for everything.

Same deal with Venomous Villains sans larger size. The lipstick’s in this collection, $15 each are regular size. Enjoy!

Why You Should Own a Black Lip Gloss

You ever see a lipstick that you loved in the tube, and maybe even swatched on the back of your hand…but on your face it’s just a big super bright mess? That was a problem I had with a very beautiful lipstain by Stila. It’s a very bright fuchsia that is honestly too bright for me. To wear it I would have to lightly dab it and blend it with a darker lip liner in that same color family — which is a great solution…but there’s another one…
Black lip gloss. Yup — I said black.

WHAT THE AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH A BLACK LIP GLOSS??

Calm down, I know you’re scared…but a good black lip gloss will take a shade of lipstick that is far too bright and tone it down into something totally wearable. If it’s a red, pink, coral, purple, or even neutral — you can customize it so that it fits better for you. A good black lip gloss can transform those lipsticks that don’t quite work for you into some of your favorite and most used shades. You can also deepen colors just for fun to see what colors you come up with. It’s a total kit essential in my book!

For this post I’m using MAC’s Blackware Glimmerglass (from the Style Black collection from ’09)
I will say though, this is one of the better black glosses I’ve come across. As a matter of fact, the Glimmerglass products are gorgeous and very practical as they can subtly deepen a color or even be worn alone. They’re all beautifully sheer, and sometimes sheer is good.

It’s a shame that Glimmerglasses were limited edition and discontinued, because I think that a great black gloss is a staple in everyone’s bucket of beauty products. There are many other cosmetics companies that make the black gloss. Its just a matter of finding which is right for you.