The Official Make Up Blog

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2011-09-27T19:41:00.001-07:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/Jlynn913

Stila blogger giveaway!

2010-02-13T23:22:00.000-08:00

Another giveaway! I know your probably getting sick and tired of these posts, but who doesn't love a giveaway! It's a perfect chance to win stuff and explore other blogs that you may not know about. This is from an awesome blogger. She is giving away a Stila "On the Glow" set. Here are the rules and link back.

[photo courtesy of: www.beautyticket.com]

Included is:

♥ Stila Sun Bronzing Powder SPF 15 (Bronzuh yuh can use to get yuh Jersey Shore on!)
♥ Stila Mini Lip Glaze Brown Sugar
♥ Stila Mini Convertible Color Peony
♥ Stila Major Mascara Black

CONTEST RULES

1. You must be a follower of my blog, or you will be disqualified.

2.  Leave me a comment below saying "Enter Me".

3.  For those of you with a blog, you can earn an extra entry by writing about my giveaway. Your post should include a link back to my page, as well as the photograph above. (You may copy and paste what I've written here if that's easier!) Please leave me a comment with a link back to your post as proof. If you do not have a blog, add me on Twitter (click here) and tweet about my contest. Make sure to include a link back to my page. Once you have posted your tweet, please leave me a comment on this post letting me know you've done so.

4.   This giveaway is open to U. S. and Canadian participants only. (If you haven't already, please enter my 100 Follower Giveaway! This is open to everyone!)

5.   If you are under the age of 18, please obtain permission from your parent or guardian before you enter.

6.   The deadline is February 19, 2010 at 12:00 A.M. (PST).

One winner will be randomly selected using the "names written on pieces of paper and dumped in a bag" trick.

And here is the link to the post: http://katiegene.blogspot.com/2010/02/stila-giveaway.html

In spirits of Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T20:34:00.000-08:00

So, I thought in the spirit of VDay, I would dedicate a post to my boyfriend, Dan. Me and him have been together for almost 5 years now. It's obviously the longest relationship I have ever been in. He is by far my best friend and also a great boyfriend. I always tell people that it just feels that I am dating my boyfriend because of how close and secure we are. I am going to pick 5 things about him that I absolutely adore. I got this idea from Khloe Kardashian. She dedicated a whole post to her husband Lamar, and I thought it was so cute, I am going to steal it and do the same!! She picked 10 but I don't want to seem overly obsessed and since no one besides me really knows my boyfriend it would be a little weird sharing TO much information, ya know?

1. One reason I love him is he is so genuine. He finds the good in everybody, no matter what. If he loves you, he loves you with everything he has. He will stand by what he believes in and if he thinks your wrong or your acting wrong towards his loved ones, he'll let you know regardless of how close you are with him. I love them about him because he's not fake (which is hard to find in people now a days).

2. One reason I love him is because he is so unselfish. What I mean by that is if he has $5 left in his wallet, he will make sure I get it. He will make sure I have my Sugar Free Red Bull for the morning, gas in my car, or a bite to eat when I need it. He will go without so I can go with. All my past boyfriends have been so selfish, whereas I'm not. So it never worked out obviously haha.

3. Another reason is his eyes. He has the most AWESOME hazel/brown/golden/green eyes. It's almost as if I'm looking into photoshopped eyes haha.

4. His LOVE. This man loves EVERYTHING. He always hints how it's his "job" to take care of me and how when we are married I will be a very doted on wife because I deserve it. I'm not lazy by any means, but he almost makes it kinda hard not to when he does everything under the sun for me and I don't even ask!

5. HE LETS ME HAVE A MAKEUP OBSESSION!!! I know, crazy talk right? He honestly doesn't care if he spends half his paycheck on makeup for me. He knows it makes me happy and I'm THAT much happier when I walk out of MAC, empty ass wallet but HUGE plastic bag haha. He always gives me money for makeup even when I literally don't want any and he always buys me little storage containers where I can keep all my stuff organized in. I always let him pick out colors he would like to see me wear, only because he feels he's so included, which I love. He's very into modifying cars, and sometimes he compares the MAC shadows/pigments to car colors. And he will literally slip colors into my purchases just so I can have a matching eyeshadow to his car. I know, men and their weird ways.

So, to any of you readers out there with a significant other, what do you love about your partner? If your single, when you do have a partner, what do you like for them to do?? Have fun with this post guys, I know I did. And Happy Valentines Day to you guys!!!

xoxox Jamie

Urban Decay giveaway (I'm such a poet)

2010-02-09T14:12:00.000-08:00

Ya, I'm kind of a dork. Anyways, I came across this blog awhile ago and forgot that she is also having a giveaway. It's a beautiful UD prize. Here are the rules and links:

The Rules

1. You have to be a follower as this giveaway is to thank all my followers
2. The giveaway is open to all, so everyone from the U.K and Internationally can enter
3. To gain one entry you must be a follower of my blog, and comment below "Enter me"
4. To gain two entries comment below and either do a blog post about my giveway, or link my giveaway in the side bar of your blog, and then post the link below. (must all be done at same time of entry)
5. To gain 3 entries comment below, do a blog post/link in the sidebar & retweet on twitter.
Then post a link to your blog & twitter (must all be done at same time of entry)
Blogs created just to advertise the giveaway will not be counted.
6. The giveaway will end on Sunday 28th February 2010 at 23.59
7. The Winner will be chosen randomly using random.org
8. Please only enter once
9. Please leave your email address so i can contact you if you win

And here is the link to her giveaway:

http://www.whatcharlythinks.net/2010/01/100-follower-giveaway-d.html

A bloggers MAC giveaway!

2010-02-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

This giveaway this blogger is having is to thank all her followers. The winner will receive a MAC lipstick and lipglass of her choice. Here are the rules and links!!

Onto the Rules:

1. You have to be a follower of my blog, as this is a giveaway to say a special thank you to my followers.

2. For one entry simply type "enter me" in the comments below.

3. For an extra 3 entries and obviously more chance in winning :P either blog about my giveaway or post a link in your sidebar. So altogether you have the possibility of 4 entries. Please remember to let me know if you blog or post a link though, so I can make sure I add give you 4 numbers for random.org.

4. The winner will be chosen at random, by random.org as previously just mentioned and will be open to international readers too.

5. Closing date for entries will be Tuesday 2nd March, so in just over 3 weeks time.

5. Lastly, please tell me in your comments which Lipstick and Lip Glass you would like, so I can order them on the day the winner is chose.

Good Luck Ladies!!!!!

And here is the link to her giveaway post:

http://www.beautyliciouslove.com/2010/02/250-followers-giveaway.html

Another giveaway for you lovely people!

2010-02-09T13:58:00.000-08:00

Here is another giveaway for you lovely readers! The prizes look amazing and her blog is really pretty as well. Good luck and here are the rules and links:

♥ THE RULES: ♥

1. You have to be a follower of my blog as this giveaway is to say thank you to my dolls that follow me.

♥

2. To get one entry, simply comment below with "I believe in fairies so please enter me"

♥

3. For an extra THREE entries, thus more chance in winning, either do a blogpost about my Girlie Pearlie Giveaway or post a picture and link in your sidebar. Please remember to let me know if you blog or post a link though, so I can make sure I can give you 4 numbers for random.org.

♥

4. Make sure you leave your email address as well please so I can contact you if you are the lucky pixie that gets chosen.

♥

I will be using random.org to generate my winner and international entries are welcome too.

♥

The closing date of this giveaway will be Wednesday 3rd March 2010 at 8pm, so you have just over 3 weeks to enter.

♥

♥♥ Good luck sweeties and thanks again! ♥♥

And here is the link to her blog, and again good luck!!

http://pearlsandpoodles.blogspot.com/

..another giveaway for today!

2010-02-05T12:53:00.000-08:00

This lady is having a giveaway to thank her followers for 100 followers. Here are the rules, and the link to her blog!!

The requirement for the contest is you must be a follower as this giveaway is to say thank you to mine! You lucky people have four chances, yes that right FOUR, to enter and they are as follows:
- Write 'Enter Me' into the comments below with your e-mail address (1 entry)
- Post about my giveaway on your blog, please leave a link in the comments showing where you have done this (2 entries)
- In the comments write something that you'd like to see on my blog or a way to improve it (1 entry)

Please only enter once, writing enter me 100x will not help :). Winner will be picked at random on February 8th 2010 23.59 GMT, in two weeks time. The contest is open internationally!

So what you waiting for, go and enter! Oh and good luck guys <3

And here is the link:

http://planebeauty.blogspot.com/2010/01/giveaway-100-followers.html

A blog giveaway!!

2010-02-05T12:46:00.000-08:00

I came across this blog through another blog I follow and she is having a wonderful 50 follower giveaway. The prizes are a Urban Decay palette and a brush set. The rules are:

1. You must be a follower of her blog AND her twitter.

2. Post about the blog contest on your blog and link back to hers.

3. This contest if open internationally and if you are under 16, you MUST get a parents permission.

4. Only one entry per person.

Contest will end February 10th at midnight.

Here is her blog, good luck everybody!!

http://thebeautyspark88.blogspot.com/2010/01/50-follower-contest-win-urban-decay.html

..and another giveaway

2010-01-18T14:24:00.000-08:00

Here is another giveaway you guys, 2 in 1 day haha. I'm still working on getting a brand new camera so the minute that baby gets to my doorstep it is going to be POST central for me. Until then, another giveaway. Here are the rules:

Korres Lip Butter in Guava
♥ valued at: $9.00

Philosophy - On a Clear Day Acne Skin Kit
♥ valued at $65.00 (A $105.00 total retail value!)
♥ This four piece set is used to prevent and treat acne, as well as fade post-acne discoloration. It also reduces signs of aging.

[click to enlarge]

Giveaway Details

****PLEASE READ COMPLETELY BEFORE ENTERING****

1. You must be a follower of my blog, or you will be disqualified.

2. For those of you with a blog, you must blog about my contest. Your post should include a link back to my page, as well as the photograph above. (You may copy and paste what I've written here if that's easier!) Please leave me a comment with a link back to your post so I can confirm it's been done.

3. If you do not have a blog, add me on Twitter (click here)and tweet about my contest. Make sure to include a link back to my page. Once you have posted your tweet, please leave me a comment on this post letting me know you've done so.

4.  If you have a blog and a Twitter account, you may enter twiceby completing steps #2 and #3.

5.  This giveaway is open to international followers.

6.  If you are under the age of 18, please obtain permission from your parent or guardian before you enter.

7.  The deadline is March 1, 2010 at 12:00 A.M. (PST).

Here is the address to the giveaway:

http://katiegene.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-100-followers-giveaway.html

Another giveaway for you!!

2010-01-18T14:16:00.000-08:00

Here is another giveaway from a blog I recently came across : )

Here are the rules and prizes..

The rules for the giveaway are as follows:

♥You have to be a follower as this giveaway is to thank all my followers

♥ The giveaway is open to all, so everyone from the U.K and Internationally can enter

♥To gain one entry you must be a follower of my blog, and comment below "Enter me"

♥To gain three entries, comment below and either do a blog post about my giveway, or link my giveaway in the side bar of your blog, and then post the link below. This must be done at the same time you ask me to enter you.

♥The giveaway will end on Monday 8th February 2010 at 23.59 - so in 3 weeks time

♥The Winner will be chosen randomly using random.org

♥Please only enter once

♥ Please leave your email address so i can contact you if you win

The Prizes:

♥ Sleek 'Original' Palette

♥ Illamasqua Medium Pencil in 'Errant' (Deep Blackened Teal)

♥ No7 Eye Shadow Brush

♥ Soap & Glory Travel Size Righteous Butter

♥ Soap & Glory Spray-on body moisturising mist

♥ ELF False Eyelashes

All prizes are brand new & Never used :)

Good luck girlies!!!

And here is the link to her blog for you guys:

http://daintydollymix.blogspot.com/2010/01/300-follower-giveaway.html

L1L MAMAJ Giveaway!!

2010-01-13T19:31:00.000-08:00

L1L MAMAJ is having a 6 month anniversary giveaway!! There are two different prizes, one for leaving a comment and one for creating a look. Here are the rules:

1) Be a follower of her blog.
2) Tell her what your favorite eye product is and why. It could be anything from eyeliner, mascara, falsies, eyeshadow, etc.
3) Post about this giveaway on your blog and send her a link to it.
4) Do all this in one post.
5) One comment entry per person.
6) Contest ends January 31, 2010 at 11:59 PST and winner will be chosen by Random.org.

Her blog address is as follows:

http://l1lmamaj.blogspot.com/

Good Luck!!!!!

Re-doing a lot!

2010-01-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

So, I have been searching other blogs and have come to realize that mine is seriously slacking. By the end of this month I will have a smaller digital camera instead of my SLR, so I will be able to take more FOTD's and nicer pictures. It's a lot harder to take pictures when you have to hold a 5 pound camera with one hand and then try to take a picture and make it come out nice at the same time. So, I am going to go through my blog and erase pointless pictures and such and posts and start over with brand new posts and make them as detailed as possible. This will help not only you guys but make me feel happy as well : ). So look at the top of the page to see what should be coming up and enjoy!! If you have any questions, feel free to email. I love hearing from you guys!!

Short little survey : )

2009-12-23T19:30:00.000-08:00

I know I have told you guys this about a million times, but I truly am sorry that I have not posted in about 2 months. Like I said, I got a new job, had no computer and couldn't upload anything to my dad's computer. I feel like such a slacker. But now that Christmas is literally two days away, I am going to invest in a smaller digital camera to take tutorial shots and more pictures. I have a DSLR, but I found to take pictures with it is really hard. Especially of swatches, looks and other things. Those camera's aren't light and I'm not strong enough to hold it in one hand, make it steady and get it to focus manually since it has a huge lens and everything else. I have SO MANY looks that I've done that I would love to recreate for you guys and hopefully I can start doing major reviews and everything else for you guys. I really want to spend a lot of time on this blog and get more followers. I will have a contest when I reach anywhere between 50-100 followers so hopefully you guys will start following. : ) Anyways, I know I do a TON of these little survey things but it's a place holder for now until I get a new camera. So here is one more for you guys to get to know me haha

Shampoo: I use Suave Professionals in Humectant. A mix between a coconut smell and Paul Mitchell shampoo.

Conditioner: Same as shampoo.

Styling products: Avon or Paul Mitchell hair serum, if I'm blow drying and straightening my hair I will use V05 heat spray. I'm not sure if they still make this or not, but it's an awesome drug store brand product and smells really good.

Shower Gel: Depends on my mood. I change it all the time although during the winter I will use Suave's limited edition Hot Cocoa body wash. SMELLS AMAZING.

Body moisturiser: Bath & Body Works in Black Raspberry. I'm almost totally out and they don't make this kind anymore, not that I've seen anyways since they made the new look, smells and bottles.

Deodorant: Degree

Fake Tan: My bestie works at a salon so I mystic it up for free. I also use a UVB bed since it's supposed to be better for you in the longer run.

Cleanser: Normal soap. I swear. I hardly have problems with my skin so that's all I use. Sometimes I will use Clean N' Clear's in shower facial.

Exfoliator: None.

Primer: I don't use one but I use Mark's refresh spray before I do my makeup. Keeps my skin very refreshed and dewey for when I put my makeup on.

Foundation Brush: MAC's 187 brush and a sponge.

Foundation: MAC in NC 37 I think?? I don't know, I just go there and buy it. I never remember the number though haha

Concealer: MAC

Powder: MAC NC 40?? Again, never remember.

Blusher: Right now, Cover Girl in Rose Silk.

Bronzer: I never use this in the winter unless I tan, but I use Sephoras bronzer that I bought I think two summers ago. It came with a lipgloss, bronzer, and bronzer brush.

Highlighter: Avon cream highlighter.

Eyeshadow base: UDPP

Eyeshadows: Right now, MAC Cranberry, Avon's Quad in a purple color (name escapes me) and Avon's Quad in Textured Teal.

Eyeliner: Any. I'm using Avon's luxury liner.

Curler: Revlon

Mascara: Avon's Supercurlacious

Lipstick: Any, I use a different one everyday

Lipgloss: Any, I use different ones everyday

Nail Colour: Right now, I have a pretty pink OPI color on. My friend did my nails and she told me it was a "breast cancer awareness color" I don't remember the name but its BEAUTIFUL

Hope that surpasses the time and doesn't make you guys hate me for being so slack-a-rific when it comes to this blog. More to come I promise, promise, PROMISE!!

xoxo Jamie

An awesome MAC giveaway!

2009-12-12T14:29:00.000-08:00

This lovely blogger is hosting a MAC giveaway. Here are the rules to her giveaway and it conviently ends on Christmas!

1. You must be a follower of her blog or youtube channel.

2. You have to leave a comment with ONE thing you have on your Christmas list.

3. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link it.

4. Leave your email address in your post.

5. If you win, you must reply back within 24 hours.

6. Giveaway ends on Christmas!!

Good luck everybody : )

http://ricahx15.blogspot.com/2009/12/holiday-mac-giveaway.html

Contest giveaway!

2009-11-24T14:57:00.000-08:00

So guys, just wanted to do a quick post to let everyone know that L1LMAMAJ is doing a 50+ follower contest giveaway. The prizes are awesome and her blog is very cool. Awesome information and great FOTD's. Here a link to her blog and the directions to enter this contest!

1. You MUST be a follower of her blog.
2. Leave a comment in the comment box telling her what you like about her blog.
3. Give her suggestions or requests for future posts.
4. Post a link to your blog to the contest and send her a link.

All that should be in the comment box when you enter. Here is a link to the contest post: http://l1lmamaj.blogspot.com/2009/11/50-followers-giveaway-easy-and-good.html

Good luck to everyone!!

Friday (yay) and an update!!

2009-11-20T16:02:00.000-08:00

So happy it is Friday. Granted my week FLEW by and I'm glad I can just relax this weekend but lordy lord. I am so tired lately now that it gets dark at a meesly 4 o clock now. Stupid. Anyways, I decided to let you guys know why I haven't updated or anything.

I don't know if any of you girls (or guys) play video games but damn those babies are addicting. I have the Xbox 360 and I mostly play at night when everybody in my house goes to bed cause if not I would keep everybody up with my yelling at the TV and saying how everything is cheating in the game haha. Anyways, to any of you video game nerdies out there, Modern Warfare 2 just came out and I have been playing non stop since it came out. I have a really close knit group of friends that I play with (my boyfriend, his roommate, our friend, and one guy from Cali and another guy in Minnesota) we have all been playing together for about a year, while some of the guys have been playing together for a little while longer. Now, I don't mean to toot my own horn (beep, beep) but I am pretty nasty when it comes to playing. Now mind you, I do have my bad days where I get killed non-stop, but there are days when I just can't be stopped haha. It has taken up so much of my time because of how long the game is, all the playing you have to do and all the new stuff that came with the game. I promise I will update more and more but it's so hard cause I still don't have my computer back so I can't use my camera or upload anything. My boyfriend just got a new computer so I think I'll download all my stuff onto here and update more for you guys since you deserve it.

So, my question for the day today is, if you guys do play video games, what do you play? Who do you play with? Do you play for the challenge or just to have fun? Comments are always welcome and if you would like to know something or want to see a review for something, don't hesitate to email!!

xoxo Jamie

7 crazy things about myself!!

2009-11-09T14:07:00.000-08:00

So, I know I have done a couple "tag" posts, but none of them are really personal or tell crazy things about the way I live or why I am the way I am. I thought that this would be the perfect oppurtunity to let it out there, no matter how crazy they may be!!

1. I am completely and utterly OBSESSED with makeup, lotions, hair products, nail polishes, etc. I know what your looking, DUH Jamie, you are writing this on YOUR makeup blog, but it gets worse than that. Most people have all MAC, or all higher end brands. No matter how many times I tell myself I'm going to save my money for all MAC or my money for the next trip to Sephora, I just cannot stop buying drugstore makeup. Some of the stuff is better than most of the higher end stuff out there! I also have a dresser than is SO jam packed on top there is NO room for anything. I have baskets holding everything from hairspray, lotion, and creams to nail polish remover, cotton balls and swabs. Everytime I use a product, I just say I am not going to buy anymore until I start using some of the stuff I have, but then I go to the store and see another product I'd like to try and POOF I buy it haha. Or, I get my weekly Avon book and buy the whole thing and when it comes in, I literally have to pry through things to find room. I don't know how I accumulated all this stuff but one day I woke up and was like where the hell did the top of my dresser go? haha.

2. I used to hate my name when I was younger. I hated the fact that Jamie could be used as a boy name and a girl name. I met one Jamie that was a boy when I was younger and we ended up dating (or whatever it is you do when your in 4th grade and have a crush on somebody). Nobody called him Jamie so it wasn't that awkward, boyfriend and girlfriend having the same name. I also used to hate the fact that every Jamie I met that was a girl had a middle name of Lynn, like me. I always felt like my name wasn't unique enough, but now that I'm older, I embrace my name and actually think it sounds really pretty.

3. When I was younger, I wanted to be a neurologist (brain doctor) so bad. I would always put on my moms white jackets and walk around the house pretending to examine people's brains. As I got older, I realized that I couldn't stand the site of blood. When I was about 6, I got my finger caught in a skee ball machine and it sliced the top of my finger open. All I remember is getting light headed, and getting sick. I realized that medical school wasn't in my future if I couldn't stand the sight of blood. Now that I'm older and coming to the crossroads of figuring out what to do with my life, I'm stuck in a situation where I need to decide if I want to go to medical school to pursue a degree in Psychology, or get my MD license to become a psychiatrist. We shall see.

4. I absolutely LOVE sushi. I remember once when I was in 6th grade, we did this thing on countries, and everybody had to bring in something that had to do with their country. Somebody had Japan, and they brought in sushi to represent their country. It was the kind that is wrapped in seaweed with rice, wasabi, and avacado. I think those are called California rolls if I'm not mistaken. Anyways, I tried one bite of those and I almost yakked all over the place. It was THEE most disgusting thing I have ever tried in my entire life. Fast forward a couple years and one day my dad came home with a bunch of sushi. My dad used to travel alot for work and he always ate out alot with his co-workers instead of staying in a hotel by himself. He brought home things like shrimp, crab, salmon, tuna, and other things. It wasn't the ones that were wrapped, but the ones that are just a shrimp with rice. I again tried it and FELL IN LOVE. I could not get enough of them. Now everytime I go to the Chinese buffett, I run right to the sushi and load up. When I met my boyfriend 4 years ago, he thought it was repulsive that I ate sushi until I made him try it. Now, he eats and tries almost all the sushi while I stick to my shrimp, tuna and salmon sushi haha.

5. Nobody taught me how to read, I taught myself. I remember my mom and dad would always read to me and I would kind of get it as they read. One day, I sat in my room all by myself and sat down on the floor. I picked up a Madeline book and opened it and literally just started reading. I don't know how to explain it, but it seemed that the words just started flowing to my head. I ran out of my room and showed my mom to make sure I knew what the words were and I was reading them correctly, and I was. In school, I was always a quicker reader than most of the kids and it used to get me in trouble because I would finish all my tests and quizzes alot earlier than the other kids and end up sitting there for an hour doing nothing!!

6. I am one of the pickiest eaters and the non pickiest eaters you will ever meet. For a couple examples: I will eat tomatoes, but will not eat the center of them. Whenever we have hamburgers on the grill or BLT's, my dad will cut out the center for me and leave just the ring. I will eat tomato sauce though. I hate cheese on sandwiches but will eat Velveeta pasta and Mac & Cheese. I will eat Swiss cheese on sandwiches, but only if the sandwich is roast beef. Also, I won't eat peas in macaroni salad so my mom always makes a seperate bowl for me. I will only eat peas if I can mix it with rice, and only if I'm eating steak. I know, very weird but that's how I am haha.

7. I told my boyfriend that when and if we ever get married and have our own house, I want doggies. There is just something about coming home and having your best friend meeting you at the door and being so happy to see you. I have a list of all breeds that I want and these are them: Welsh Corgi, Mini Dachshund (also known as the weiner dog haha), Pitbull (I own one now and everybody thinks they are mean, killing machines but that is far from the truth), English bulldog (for the boyfriend), a Samoyed puppy (like the dog from the Proposal, SO CUTE!!) And any other dog I see fit. My boyfriend told me I am limited to 4 dogs at once but he will not yell at me when I come home with puppy after puppy unless I go over the limit of 4 : )

That's it. Those are 7 crazy facts about yours truely. We will make this a tag thread and I am tagging ALL of my readers. Link back to my profile or leave me a comment so I can read your crazy facts!!

My top 15 drugstore picks!!

2009-10-27T23:04:00.000-07:00

So, I always see people doing these kind of videos about what their favorite products are and a description about why. I decided to make my own list and put it on here since I don't have a camera yet. I have a little bit of everything so enjoy : )

1. Target brand makeup remover wipes, I did a review a couple days ago on this product. You can read the review here. I absolutely love these little bad boys. They basically look like baby wipes. They are pre-moistened so you don't have to wet them or anything. They have just the right amount of product so it doesn't leave your face feeling greasy or oily or weird feeling afterwards. I picked these up on a whim one day and I can't wait to go get more.

2. Eco-Tools brush set. You can get this at Rite-Aid (which is where I got mine) or I've heard of people getting it at WalGreens. This set comes with a big powder/blush brush, eyeshadow brush, concealer brush, angled eyeshadow brush, and lash/eyebrow comb. I was a little skeptical of this set at first but I found what products work with these brushes so I love them now. I use my MAC powder with the big brush, my HIP cream eyeliner with the angled brush and my MAC concealer with what else, the concealer brush!! It also comes with a little pouch that holds it all together but I don't even bother using it.

3. Which leads me to the next item. The HIP creme eyeliner. I have the black one and I absolutely love it. I have heard people of saying that this dries up very quickly but I've had mine for about a year and it's still going strong. I use it on my "natural" days when I don't feel like doing my makeup. I also use it when I'm doing a smokey eye because its extremely easy to blend. Like I said before, I use the Eco-Tools angled brush because the brush that comes with this eyeliner is horrible.

4. Rimmel's quad eyeshadow in Smokey Noir. I think I have showed this in a previous post. Awesome quad to get if you want to do an easy smokey eye under $10. The black in this quad is beyond awesome and has really good payout.

5. Revlon's lipstick in Nude Attitude. I saw this lipstick mentioned on so many blogs/youtube videos and after hearing about it I was determined to go out and buy it. I did and I'm glad. At first I HATED this because I couldn't find a good way to apply this. I looked like a dead corpse in a way, but I found a great way to apply this and now it's the perfect nudey lip for an everyday wear.

6. Avon's blush. Any shade really. I have one and my mom has one and they are awesome. They don't "flake" really. I hate the blushes where you put your brush on it and it's like dust everywhere. This blush really completes a look and isn't to fake looking. It really gives a natural flush to you.

7. Avon's lipstick in Sheer Naturale. I love, love, LOVE this shade. I over pushed on it the other day and it broke though : (. You don't need anything with this lipstick. Just put it on and go. Another great everyday nudey color.

8. Avon's eyeliner. They have about 3 different types of eyeliners they have. I have all three in about 30 of each and I love every single one. I don't see spending $20 on a eyeliner. I just can't bring myself to do it only because I go through eyeliner like crazy because it's something I wear everyday. This goes on really smoothly, lasts all day, and doesn't take alot to achieve definition.

9. L'Oreal's Voluminous Mascara. This was probably the first mascara I ever bought. I have tried numerous mascaras throughout the years and can't find one that even compares to this one. Great definition, lasts all day, doesn't smudge and doesn't take alot to achieve a good look.

10. Essence of Beauty brushes. I have the crease duo brushes and the concealer duo brushes. I absolutely love these brushes. You can get them at any drugstore (think Rite-Aid, WalGreens, CVS) and they are awesome. They really apply your makeup well and when you don't have $30+ to buy a brush from the higher ends, it really gets the job done.

11. Clean and Clear in shower facial. I saw this in one of my Fitness magazines. They had a huge list of things you should bring to the gym when your done working out, things you should do after your working out, etc. I have seen this mentioned on TV and really wanted it. But like everything else, I always forget when I go to the store about things I want to try out. I bought this and I absolutely love it. I did a review on it here. Awesome product and really makes my skin feel really clean deep down. I do this maybe once a week or when I feel like my face is outta control and really needs a spankin ; )

12. Maybelline Mineral Blush. I actually bought this at Ocean State Job Lot for like $1. It has a natural flush to it to make it look like your not even wearing blush at all. Awesome mineral pick as well.

13. Crest Whitening Strips. I use these every couple weeks or so. I'll wear them 2-3 days in a row and then give my teeth a break. I drink ALOT of energy drinks so sometimes my teeth get a little to dingy for my liking. I pop these on when I take a shower, do my makeup, do my hair, etc. Take them out a half hour later, brush your teeth and in a couple days your teeth will be whiter.

14. Crest night time whitening toothpaste. Pair this with the whitening strips and you'll have a dazzling smile in no time. Brush your teeth with this right before you go to bed (I suggest doing it literally before you pass out because it does leave a weird feeling on your teeth) then brush off in the morning. A couple days of that and your teeth will be noticably brighter.

15. Garnier Fructis make it wave spray. I bought this awhile ago and LOVE it. It smells amazing and gives my hair a nice beachy wavey look. I get out of the shower, towel dry, spray this in my hair, pin up and wait until it air dries if I have the time. Undo and you have awesome sea shore waves!

I hope you enjoyed this list and I would HIGHLY suggest trying out some of these products. Most of them are really cheap considering you can get them at the drugstore. Probably the most expensive is the whitestrips which can run up to $40 at some places. But enjoy the list and send me some of your favorites : )

xoxo Jamie

Review: MAC mineralize eyeshadow

2009-10-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

As alot of you know, MAC has come out with their holiday collection. I haven't made a post yet, but I will soon about all the other stuff they are offering as far as shadows, lipglosses, etc go. This past weekend I stopped at my local MAC counter to see what kind of availability they had as far as the new collection goes. I also wanted to see the new mineralize duos looked and what they looked like when swatched in real life. I have had my eye on Blue Socery since I saw it on the MAC site and I really hoped that they had it there.

When I got to the counter, they did in fact have it. Blue Sorcery is the new mineralize duo that came out. One side is a beautiful teal color and the other side is a silver color. These two paired together look so amazing. I really wanted it more for the teal color because I'm not really a silver eyeshadow wearer much, but I figured I will learn to love it if I want it haha. I swatched this at the counter and automatically fell in love with it. I picked it up within 10 seconds and was already on my way with my purchase. (I also picked up the new Boy Bait Creemsheen Glass, which I will review later in the week)

I used it yesterday and today and I have to say I am not at all impressed with this. It seems to me this swatched 10x better at the counter then at my home. The teal color is VERY pretty in real life and swatched on your hand is amazing. On your eye is a different story. I feel like this shadow is very hard to work with. The teal side has ALOT of fall out. It also wasn't as bright on my eyes as it was on the back of my hand. I was really dissapointed with this because I really felt this color was very beautiful and I could pull alot of looks out of this one color. I tried pairing it with a hot pink color and it wasn't as good as I thought it would come out. Again, it was very hard to work with and not as bright as I wanted it to be.

The silver side is out of control. You cannot use this at all. It is so sheen and so thin that you can't even use this as an all over eyeshadow if you wanted to. The shadow doesn't cover anything, doesn't look good at all, and has so much fallout you look like you got into a fight with a pixie fairy. You could possibly use this as just a little something to give some shimmer to your look but that's about it. I am very dissapointed with this side. I don't want to say I'm dissapointed with the whole shadow because I really do love the colors but I feel MAC could of done alot better with this shadow. I feel like they half assed it compared to the other duos they have. I have the Sea and Sky duo and the way that shadow feels is very smooth and goes on just as it looks in the packaging. Out of a 10, I give the teal a 7 and the silver a 3. You can't really do much with this shadow. I am going to try to find a happy medium with this but as far as I have seen I am not happy with this. Also, the silver side has a rough feeling which I thought was weird only because the other duos have a smooth feeling to them like I have said before.

(Picture courtesy of temptalia)

Tuesday list and ELF lookout!

2009-10-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

So if anyone hasn't heard of Makeup Geek, you should definitely check out the website. They have an awesome forum (which I am apart of) and she does AWESOME tutorials. Anything from celebrity looks, to how to's, to everyday and wedding makeup. The website is http://www.makeupgeek.com/ Today, they had a questionare in the forums that I answered, but decided to post it here as well with a little more detail since there is a little bit more room. So here is the list and feel free to take it and post on your blog as you see fit.

Name: Jamie Lynn

State: CT

Something about you: Full time college student going to school for Psychology, freelance makeup artist (hopefully this takes off a little bit more), and pro makeup shopper ; )

Hobbies: horseback riding, going on random adventures, being with friends/families, apple picking, going on scenic drives (especially now since it's fall over here in New England)

Things you collect: MAKEUP and now that I think about it I have ALOT of hair products.

Kids: None

Married: No, but have talked about it

Fav color: Baby pink and black. These two colors together in an outfit look so nice.

Vehicle you drive: 2002 Toyota Celica. Its also actually modified. Heres a picture for you guys : )

Fav Music: Rap (not the hardcore stuff, but stuff like Flo-Rida, Lil Wayne, etc), Rock, and Pop

Fav actor: Shia Lebouf, Channing Tatum

Fav actress: Eva Longoria

Fav Makeup: Eyeshadows (especially out on control colors), eyeliner, and lip stuff (lipgloss/lipstick)

Fav Movie: Blow (sounds dirty I know! Johnny Depp is fantastic in that movie though), Enough (with JLo)

Fav eyeshadow: Right now, Cranberry from MAC

Fav Eyeliner: Any. I normally only wear black, so it really doesn't matter what brand I get. Avon, Wet N' Wild, Revlon

Fav Mascara: Right now, it has to be Supercurlacious Mascara in black from Avon. You can read the review I did on it here.

Fav Blush: Covergirl blush in Rose Silk

Fav primer or base? I don't use a primer on my face but I do for my eyes and I use Urban Decay's Primer Potion.

Fav Foundation? MAC. I used to use drugstore brands ( L'Oreal, Covergirl, Almay) but they always made me break out and I never really found my true color, even after years of searching.

Fav Lipstick? Avon's Sheer Naturale. It's an awesome nudey color. I bought it last week and I am a little mad that I broke it : ( but thank god I got a sample!! It will be my backup until I can buy another one.

Fav Lipgloss: "Mouthwatering" LE from MAC. I got this in the 08 holiday set last year. I also really like NYC's Pink Sand. (review on that one is available, but I will be doing another drugstore lipgloss review soon equipped with pictures)

Fav lipliner: None, I don't wear lipliner.

Makeup that you absolutely dislike: As much as I really am a drugstore makeup kinda girl (especially some of the eyeshadows and lippies that are available) I currently and not being a fangirl of the Covergirl eyeshadows. Some of them are awesome (think Turqouise Tempest), but other ones are not pigmented at all and don't hold their color even with a base.

Makeup that you want to try: Ben Nye, Barry M, NYX, ELF (I have a couple things from ELF but I want to get alot more considering the price and all the good things I hear about them.

So, now that the list is out of the way, I got an email from ELF cosmetics today letting me know that their Studio line is 50% off. Use promo code EGSTUDIOX. You can only use it up to a $50 discount. I am definitely going to be picking some stuff up and stacking it up at the boyfriends house so I don't have to lug my makeup everytime I go to his house : ). Once I get stuff I will be doing reviews on everything I get so look out for that as well!!

xoxo Jamie

Face cleanser review : )

2009-10-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems to me that Avon loves to never have my cleanser in stock or never available when I go to order it, so it has come to me that it was time to find a new cleanser. To my astonishment, my skin has been under control and looking pretty good lately, so I decided that I should find something I can use once every couple of days when I feel like my skin needs a good, deep cleaning. I got an issue of my Fitness magazine in, and they had a huge layout of things to bring in to the gym, and awesome products that the readers felt was worth mentioning. I got to the face section and they had mentioned the Clean and Clear in shower facial as being the best for a good cleaning. I had heard about it before but whenever I hit up the store, it's usually because I know what I am there for and never venture off unless I have a good amount of time to look. I looked for it awhile back and did look for it, but they also didn't have it in stock so therefore I totally forgot about it.

Yesterday was payday (YES my first check!! It felt awesome by the way), after I put money aside for bills and going out, I hit up Walmart. I had to get hair dye because I'm getting highlights on Friday and I wanted my hair to be all one color (instead of having my brown roots come in). So I remembered the layout in the magazine and went over to the face cleaning aisle. They only had THREE of these left (which could be a good sign) and I'm surprised I even saw them because they were pushed way back. I quickly grabbed one and ran. As I was walking, I looked to see what exactly you have to do. It says right on the back to use about 1-3 times a week or as needed. Apply onto your face (but don't massage) and leave for one minute. After leaving it on, massage into your face to activate the beads and rid yourself of dry, dead skin. I was on my way home feeling pretty good about my purchase. I had already showered and washed my face for the day so I knew that today would be a good day to try (after working out and really getting my face sweaty and dirty, what more do you need?).

So, I took my shower, did my washing and shaving, and got ready to apply my in shower facial. Apparently, it works with your shower steam to really get down into your pores and give your skin and awesome cleaning. I applied as I was supposed to and let it take action. I have to say that I didn't feel anything at first, but really started to feel it get down into my pores. It felt like it was kind of like heating up in a way. Then, my skin started feeling nice and refreshed. I actually left it on for about 3 minutes cause I still was shaving my legs in the process of putting it on so I went back to that as it was taking action. After I was done shaving my legs I touched my face and to my surprise there were little exfoilating beads all over my face! I started massaging into my face and then washed away. I got out of the shower, dried my face by patting and then went on my mary little way. I have to say that my face feels SO good. I didn't put on any moisturizer and I feel like my face literally just got a facial like it says it is supposed to do. It feels very clean and smooth as well. I didn't think a drugstore brand like this would work as good as it does. I normally don't buy Clean and Clear only because I have never had much luck with it and all their products smell so bad whenever I use them.

But, I am glad I made this purchase and I would recommend this to ANYBODY who would want a cheapy facial when you can't make it to a salon or spa. It doesn't cost much ($5.67) and for the price and what it does, you can't go wrong AT all. I think they could give you a LITTLE more product, only because it doesn't seem like there's much in there.

Product: 5 out of 5
Packaging: 3 out of 5
Quality: 5 out of 5
Overall: 5 out of 5
Price: I paid $5.67 but could vary between stores.
Would I buy again?: Yes

Makeup remover review : )

2009-10-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

I recently was on the prowl for a nice makeup remover. My Clinique eye makeup remover is almost out and I wanted to at least find some wipes. I did have moist towelettes for remover, but I hated the way it made my skin feel afterwards. It would make it feel kind of sticky with a weird feeling on my skin. I went to the mall the other daya with my boyfriend and they had a Target right next door. I decided to walk in there and see if they had anything good (which they always do it seems). I just happend to walk by the end of the aisle, and they had Target brand makeup remover wipes just sitting there. They were only $3.00!! I told my boyfriend I wanted them to try them out and also who could resist that price? So, I bought them. I didn't use them right away, but the next morning when I woke up, I looked like I went through a blender and back. I picked up my handy dandy wipe and started wiping away. Even though it WAS a Target brand, and they were really cheap, I have to say that the quality of these wipes are exceptionally good. It really gets rid of all my makeup and helps to moisturize my face at the same time. It doesn't leave a weird feeling afterwards on my face and it doesn't make my face feel sticky. They come in packs of 25, and like I mentioned before, a price tag of $3.00 (or more depending on your area and store, I've seen them online for $3.59 as well). They are VERY moisturzing and they don't have a harsh feeling or smell either.

Product: 5 out of 5
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Quality: 5 out of 5
Overall: 5 out of 5
Price: can very anywhere between $3.00-$4.00
Would I buy again?: Yes

Just a quick update :)

2009-10-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

So, as some of you may know, I wasn't working for awhile. There were just NO jobs out there and I was having a really hard time finding ANYTHING. Everytime I went to an interview I got the whole, "well, you really don't have much experience." LISTEN buddy, how am I supposed to get experience when YOU won't hire me BECAUSE I have no experience? See the vicious circle? haha. Anyways, I finally got a JOB!!!! YES. It will help me pay my bills and have a little extra for makeup and anything else my little heart desires!! So, I will still be posting but now you will see MORE reviews since I will have the money to buy things and hopefully it will allow me to get my computer back so I can start taking pictures of reviews and products cause this situation is not working out for me! So wish me luck with this new job situation I got going on here!!

xoxo Jamie

MAC launches- Holiday 09

2009-10-04T19:10:00.000-07:00

So, as most of you may know if you ever buy MAC or follow MAC, at least once every couple months, they release new trends, collections, etc. Every holiday they come out with little holiday sets. (As you may recall my post about my C-Thru lipglass, which was part of the little darlings holiday 08 collection). This year, they are coming out in forces, so make sure your wallet is fat for these bad boys!! Here is a list and pictures of what they are offering.

First, here are pictures and descriptions of the lipglass sets they are coming out with ($29.50):

Sexy Shenanigans (Soft)

Elle- White pink
Poetic License- Coral rose
Cruise Control- Pastel pink
Ensign- Peachy pink
Morning Glory- Pale pearly pink

Frisky Business (Bright)

Silly Girl- Pastel peach

Totally It- Sheer bright pink

Beaute- Bright coral

Pinkarat Soft- Toned pink

Wonderstruck- Pinky coral

Models Misbehaving (Deep)

Pinkular- Bronzed copper

Magnetique- Violet fuschia

Gitane- Reddish orange

Angelwing- Deepened plum

Instant Gold- Light neutral gold

Second, here are pictures and descriptions of the mini pigment sets that they are offering this holiday season ($32.50)

Haute High Jinks (Warm)

Jardin Aires- Tan with gold specks

Rushmetal- Copper sparkle

Copperized- Olive Green

Museum Bronze- Rich brown

Reflects Gold- Gold

Cool Capers (Cool)

Kitschmas- Light shimmery pink

Fuchsia- Bright with pink pearl

Grape- Deep purple

Deep Blue Green- Deep bluish green

Reflects Transparent Teal- Teal Glitter

Sexpot (Smokey)

Naked- Beige with copper pearl

Sunnydaze- Apricot pearl

Chocolate Brown- Chocolate copper

Dark Soul- Black with gold specks

Reflects Antique Gold- Gold glitter

Next, are the eye and lip bag's they are coming out with. These come with assorted items as listed below with pictures ($36.50)

Put a Spell on You (Pink)

Dream lipstick- Pink

Baby Sparks dazzleglass- Pale pearl pink

Dervish lip pencil- Mauve

House of Mirth (Deep)

Fantasia lipstick- Deep rose

Get Rich Quick dazzleglass- Yellow Brown

Cedar lip pencil- Rose brown

Naughty Noir (Eyeset)

Blacktrack fluidline- Black cream eyeliner

Shimmertime pigment- Baby pink

Zoomblack Mascara- Black (promo size)

209 SE brush

Alakazam Chocolate (Eyeset)

Rich fluidline- Brown creme eyeliner

Melon pigment- Golden peach

Zoomblack Mascara- Black (promo size)

209 SE Brush

Now, last but not least (I know, your bank is ringing your neck right now) here are some awesome brush sets they are offering this season. I personally won't be picking any of these up, only because I have a couple of the full size ones, and some of the sets already have special edition brushes I have from my set from last year. I could NOT get pictures of these sets, only because my computer is acting up and will not load them for me. I'm sure everybody know's what these brushes look like, so imagine them mini style : ) ($49.50)

Do the Trick (Buff and Line set)

168SE
187SE
209SE
219SE
252SE

Wave of a Wand (Sweep and Define set)

129SE
190SE
212SE
227SE
275SE

Morning, Noon, and Knight (Everything Eye Set)

194SE
204SE
224SE
266SE
275SE

Now, I went to my MAC counter today and asked when they would have these and they said anywhere around October 15. I have heard as late as November, but I think we could all shoot for October, or around the middle of this month. For my list of wants, this is what I am expecting to get only because I think I might die without them!!

Put a Spell on You (lipset)
Naughty Noir (eyeset)
Sexy Shenanigans (lipglass set)
Cool Capers (pigment set)
Sex pot (pigment set)

I hope this helps everybody figure out what they want and gives everybody a little time to save up! I will be adding more collection info as soon as I hear it!!

xoxo Jamie

October: Breast cancer awareness month :)

2009-10-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

Today marks the first day of Breast Cancer awareness month. I have already helped with this by buying some stuff off of my Avon page (I bought a pair of nursing clogs for my mom and a water bottle for me when I go workout). Each product you buy, a percentage goes twords researching breast cancer. Avon has a full program dedicated to breast cancer and everything that goes along with it. I really recommend anybody to check it out and please help out. I know a couple ladies who have breast cancer (my boyfriends mom included) and one of my friend's mothers passed away about a year ago to this cancer as well. I try to help out as much as possible. Please do the same, somebody's sister/mother/aunt/daughter/grandaughter, etc may be counting on it!

www.youravon.com/jamiereding

...and a blog TAG

2009-09-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

1. Mood

Eh. Upset because I am unemployed with NO money

2. Hobbies other than makeup?

horseback riding, motocross, going crazy with friends, going on adventures with no destination, AND many other cool things that 21 yr olds do ;)

3. Hair

A low ponytail with my bangs bumped up with a little baby clip

4. What’s your favorite snack?

Anything as long as it's not fattening and bad for you. I try to steer clear of things that aren't good for me.

5. Outfit

I'm wearing pink Pink! sweatpants from Victoria's Secret with a black tank top and a Aeropostale hoodie.

6. Eyes/lips/cheeks

Nothing, I'm naked on my face. O NO!!!!

7. What’s your preferred method of hair removal?

I wax my eyebrows and shave everywhere else. I don't have alot of hair so I don't have to worry about stuff like that.

8. What are your plans this summer?

Summer just passed and it was horrible because it rained about 96% of the time.

9. Are you a night or a morning person?

Night. I hate waking up.

10. Weekly goals

Get a job, think of some new makeup looks and have fun for the weekend :)

Hair product review

2009-09-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

So, as I said when I first started this blog, I said that this wasn't just going to be a blog about JUST makeup. I would touch on things that is all things beauty. Today, I am going to do a review on a product I bought recently from Avon. It's called Planet Spa hair mask. I always loved hair masks, even when I was younger. You don't do them all the tme, but maybe once a week or once every two weeks, depending on how often you need it. My hair is always pretty well taken care of and I always make sure to not kill it with heat and hair products. This mask is a green color and the smell kind of reminds me of any cucumber melon lotion. It's a very thick cream and all you do is put it in your hair after shampooing and let it sit. In my bathroom, I have a bath comb which is a comb I keep in the shower to comb the hair masks through my hair. It really helps it get through my hair and I would definitely suggest investing in one, they aren't expensive at all and really help to make your hair that much healthier.

I did upload a picture, and I'm sorry for the crappy resolution, but again I am not using my computer so I don't have my camera software on here. So this is what the mask looks like.

If anyone is interested in this product, feel free to visit my Avon page and buy it. It's a great investment and compared to some of the other masks out there, very inexpensive. So here is my rundown on this product:

Product: 5 out of 5

Packaging: 4 out of 5

Quality: 5 out of 5

Overall: 5 out of 5

Price: can vary between $3-$7 depending on campaign and any specials they are having

Would I buy again?: Yes

The reason why I gave the packaging only 4 is because honestly I feel like they could of made the packaging a little bit bigger. I think for the price it's good, but I would like it a bit bigger, especially for people like me with long hair. I could go through alot depending on how much I need, but other than that this is a GREAT product. I would recommend it to anybody that needs a little bit healthier hair, and would like their hair to be silky, shiny, soft and beautiful : )

Everything you need for the perfect makeup kit : )

2009-09-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

So, I know when I was starting out with the whole freelance makeup situation, I could never find an actual good list for new makeup artists starting out and things they would need or things that would come in handy when you would need them. So here is a full list of everything I have seen people use and/or have in their kit. Brand does NOT matter as I know everyone cannot afford MAC or Urban Decay or the higher end brands. Go to the drugstore, and get some awesome stuff for you AND your makeup kit if you want!! So without further adu, here is the list:

Basic brushes you will need and Tools:

Face

Blush brush
Large Powder brush
Foundation brush
Concealer brush

Eyes

Lash brush (this is one of those brushes you see with the lash comb and the eyebrow groomer on the other end) I use the lash side to seperate my eyelashes and the grooming side to groom those fly aways!!
Angled brow brush
Eyeliner brush
Blending brush (for example, the Sonia Kashuk big blender brush)
Eyeshadow brush
Large shader brush

Tools of the trade : )

Wedge sponges
Lash curler
Pencil sharpener
Brush cleaner (VERY helpful if you are doing a dramatic look and need a couple of the same brushes but for different colors)
Diluted alcohol in spray bottle (disinfect working areas, especially with this Swine Flu going around)
Hand sanitizer (for you and everybody else. Again, with these sicknesses, you don't want to take a chance)
Q-tips
Cotton Balls
Tweezers
Business cards and/or flyers

Now, in my opinion I cannot afford MAC. Of course I am starting my collection ever so slowly, but I found that buying palettes is very cost effective and will help you until you can build your kit to be as big and expensive as you want. So here are some palettes I found that I think would be helpful..

Coastalscents.com

Awesome website for palettes. The ones I think would be a good bet are:

88 warm palette (awesome for those natural/neutral eyes and can even be used to a more dramatic eye using all warm colors

88 makeup palette (NON shimmer). The reason I picked non shimmer is because if you are going to be doing alot of weddings, you don't want your bride to look like a christmas ornament. The flash of the cameras will pick up on all that shimmer and it will reflect off of that. Not good if you want your bride to be flawless. Matte finishes are always a safe, better bet. ONLY get the shimmer palette if you feel you would absolutely need it, or in any case, just to have!!

Camoflauge concealer palette- Awesome palette to have. It comes with a bunch of concealers for every skin color and it really can save on money if you are looking for something that has a little big of everything for you.

Blush palette- Comes with 10 blush colors. Pinks, peachies, browns, and a couple darker colors. Awesome for having everything you need right there and then.

Some other things to consider!!

Also, when being a makeup artist, you want to be as SANITARY as possible. This means to wipe off everything after being used, and keeping everything from being shared. This is a huge problem with mascara. The best tip I can tell anyone is to PLEASE get disposable mascara wands. Dip once, apply, then THROW AWAY!! Do NOT use a second time, or double dip. I found that some places sell them in quanities of 1000, and can very in price from $30-$90. I did find a package of 75 for $8.40 on camerareadycosmetics.com This would be good for somebody that doesn't get alot of clients or maybe is starting out and doesn't need that many applicators to begin with

Other things needed:

Foundation
Powder
Lipstick
Lipgloss
Lip liner
Clear Brow Gel (to again, tame those fly aways and make sure everything stays in place)
Shine eraser (you can get these little babies at places like Sephora and ELF)
Gum and/or breath mints (since your going to be up close and personal with these people, you don't want your breath smelling like doo doo)
Brush belt (useful if you want your hands to be free of holding brushes, or you don't feel like turning around every 4 seconds to grab another brush)
Train case (to keep everything organized and pretty looking)

I hope this helps anybody that is looking to build a kit but may not know what to put in it or what they should start out with. Good luck to everybody if they are branching out to freelancing and if anybody has anything they would like added to the list, feel free to email or comment!!

Another quick post for a giveaway!!

2009-09-23T14:02:00.000-07:00

Another quick post for everybody! Miss Mercury Lady is doing her very first giveaway. Anyone can enter and here are the rules!!

1. You MUST be a follower

2. You MUST post her giveaway on your blog/website

3. Post the link where you posted her giveaway

4. Tell her one of your HG items and why she would try it out!!

The winner will be picked via random.org!! Good luck to everybody!!

EOTD (pictureless, Sorry!!)

2009-09-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

So, I'm sorry I won't have a picture for this EOTD, but my computer is currently being wiped clean because it was corrupted by my boyfriend's roommate (yay right?) So, I'm on my dad's laptop and he is really strict about me downloading stuff onto his computer so I can't use my camera. I tried getting a picture of my eyes through my phone but the image sucked so I chucked it. I will let you know when I will be getting a picture, I will just recreate the look for everybody.

This EOTD is very dramatic, and very colorful. Even though fall is right around the corner, I still love wearing bright colors and reminding everybody that just because cold weather is around the corner, we shouldn't forget about the colors that remind us of warm weather!! So without further adue, here is everything I used with a quick tutorial on how to do it.

Items Used:

Ultra luxury liner by Avon in Eggplant (if you don't have an Avon rep and would like this item, remember I am a representative and you can shop my store and have everything sent to your door (youravon.com/jamiereding)

Covergirl single eyeshadow in Lime Alive

Revlon color quad in Cherry Blossom (third color down, pink color)

Covergirl single eyeshadow in Turqouise Tempest

Almay color quad in Smokey Noir (just black color for definition)

Jane single eyeshadow in Hip Bone for a highlight

Avon supercurlacious mascara in Black

Quick Tutorial:

Take any primer you have (I happend to use UDPP, "Urban Decay Primer Potion") which I will be doing a review on in a couple days. For that post I really want a camera for pictures!

Take any small brush (I used one I actually got from Ocean State Job Lot. It's a dual brush, pencil brush on one side and eyeliner brush on the other). Take the pencil side and take Lime Alive. Pat, don't brush on the color in the inner corners of your lid.

Take any eyeshadow brush. Take the pink color from the Revlon quad and put that on just the middle of the lid, right next to the Lime Alive. Keep the last 3rd of your lids open for the teal color.

Take another eyeshadow brush and take Turqouise Tempest. Put that on the last 3rd of your lids.

Take the black from the Almay quad and put in on your outer v.

Start back from the beginning and BLEND. When you are working with numerous colors such as these, the easiest way I can tell you to blend is to take every color and overlap them as you go. It will start to naturally blend the colors. So for example, start with Lime Alive again, and gently sweep a little onto the pink, then take the pink and gently sweep it onto the teal. It will blend naturally and look nice.

Take Lime Alive and put it on your lower lash line. Stop at the middle of your lashline.

Take the pink color and do the same on the lower lash line. Stop at the teal color.

Take the teal color and do the rest of your lower lash line.

Take the Hip Bone color and take a blender brush. I used Sonia Kashuk's big blender brush. I usually take the color and pat it all over under my brow bone, and then gently blend it out. This way, it helps to blend while you can still see the highlight color. Blend any harsh edges you may have and clean up any fallout you may have under your eyes.

Line your waterline with the Eggplant eyeliner.

Curl and apply your mascara on your eyelashes.

Ta-da!!! EOTD achieved. Again, I'm sorry about this picture situation but as soon as I get my computer back I will be uploading pictures faster than you can say upload! Have fun with this awesome looks and leave some comments about how you like it : )

xoxo Jamie

Not makeup related, but needs to be said!!

2009-09-14T13:47:00.001-07:00

So, yesterday was the MTV VMA's (which was also my 21st Birthday!! Happy Birthday to me). Can we just talk about how ARROGANT and IGNORANT Kanye West is? How DARE you take away from a young girls proud moment. Taylor Swift deserved that award as I am a huge fan of hers. Beyonce was nominated for 8 other awards!! If anybody watched the before footage where she basically said how she loved both Beyonce AND Lady Gaga and said, "I don't have a chance of winning at all, but I just love the fact that I'm here" and then you go and do something like that? I'm glad your ignorant ass won NO awards and you were booted seconds after that happened. If anybody is a Kanye West, I truely feel bad for the fact that you are potentially giving this asshole any sort of income and lining his pockets with money when he can't even have the common courtesy of even LETTING a girl reap her awards for everything she does and how hard she works to get where she is. I am deleting all his music off my iPhone and iPod, and will make sure none of my friends listen to him. Please do the same, as this person as no right to even be called a famous celebrity, let alone make money for being ignorant.

Check out this awesome contest :)

2009-09-07T15:24:00.000-07:00

So, on another blog that I follow, I stumbled upon this blog that has awesome information and is a really good blog to follow. She also happens to be hosting a contest with a MAC giveaway. You basically leave a comment saying what eyeshadow, lipstick, lipglass and blush you would like. The contest ends September15, and is only one winner. I am linking her blog through mine so you can check it out!! Check out the entire blog, there are AWESOME posts in there!! Take care xox

http://sweetshugahon.blogspot.com/

So, I'm an AVON lady now : )

2009-08-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

So guys, I know I am sincerely slacking here but alot of personal things went on in my life this summer and I was not able to get to a computer because of it. I am deciding not to share on here even though this is my blog and I feel I should connect with you guys in some way. Anyways...

I just wanted to write a quick blog to let you guys know that I am officially an Avon representative. Now, your probably thinking, ok but you live nowhere near us (for you guys who don't live in or around CT) so how in the hell are we gonna buy your products. Well my friends, I am also an eRep. This means, that you guys can now order through my website from the comfort of your own home. All you do is shop, pay and get it delivered to your house. We never have to see eachother face to face for you to enjoy your Avon products. If any of you guys have any questions about this, feel free to email me any and all questions. My website through Avon is www.youravon.com/jamiereding Enjoy it and get the word out!

Drugstore lipgloss review

2009-05-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

So, I have looked high and low on other blogs looking for reviews on drugstore brands. It seems like every single blog out there kind of veers twords Sephora type brands and definitely MAC brands. So, I went on a little haul this weekend for myself to Wal-Mart. I picked up some nail polish, and some lipgloss. The lipgloss I got was from the company NYC, which is New York Color. This company was probably the first company I ever bought makeup from because of how cheap it is and how nicely the payoff is. Now, one thing that SO many people think is that if it's a drugstore brand, there is no payoff what so ever and it's cheaply made. SORRY but you people who think that are SO wrong.

The lipgloss I picked up was the color pink sand which is number 538. It kind of looks like a peachy pink more than anything. The website does have a swatch on it, but it looks NOTHING like it does in real life. This lipgloss is probably my new go to lipgloss. I LOVE IT. It smells like a nice fruity scent, has awesome payoff, and looks awesome. It also doesn't take alot to show the color either. I was always very weery of pinkish/reddish lip colors because I felt they always made my teeth look like a funky color, but this color makes my teeth look EXTREMELY white. I would suggest it to anyone and at $1.86 a pop, you seriously cannot go wrong.

Overall: 5 out of 5
Price: 5 out of 5
Quality: 5 out of 5
Would I buy again: Yes

There are also additional shades available to anybody that isn't a pinkish kind of person. Anything from nudey type colors to purples and I think one or two red colors. So go out and stock up because with this economy and this pricing, it's a steal!

Eyebrow Gel review

2009-02-22T17:39:00.000-08:00

So, the other day I went on a haul because I was upset and stressed out and shopping seems to make me feel better. I spent a whopping 60 bucks at Target and got a lot of nice things. I thought I'd share my review on a clear brow gel I got.

Now, I was using CoverGirls. I don't know if it was technically for your eyebrows, but I used it anyway. I didn't really like it only because I hated the feeling it made my eyebrows feel like. It always made them feel really stiff, and I would have to wait a good 10 minutes for them to dry before I could put any make up on. The other week I thought I lost my brow gel (even though I didn't, it fell behind my vanity) so I decided it would be a good time to buy one.

I settled on Sonia Kashuk's. It was $5.99. I thought that was a little pricey but I knew I needed it, so I really didn't mind. I bought it and went home. I didn't try it until the next day but I have to say, it is a lot better than the one I was using. It doesn't make my eyebrows feel wet or stiff at all. It actually just goes on perfectly fine and dries within seconds. It kept my eyebrows in place all day and nobody could tell I had gel in them even though before you could. I would give this product a 5/5 and would recommend it to anyone to tame those fly aways. My eyebrows are always all over the place so it's definitely a great product. Here is what it looks like. You can only find this at Target, so make sure you don't go somewhere else and then wonder why you can't find it.

Haul, Review and some GREAT news!!!

2009-02-12T21:01:00.000-08:00

So, I have been busy busy with school. Like 4 quizzes, I already have a project and working. My head is spinning. And on top of that my uncle has me making a brochure for a game dinner he is throwing. Thanks fam :) appreciate it haha. So anyways, I thought I'd share the haul I got the other day. I forgot to take a picture of another nail art pen I got, but its basically just hot pink. Also, to anyone that wants to use these, make sure after you put the art on your nails you put a clear base coat on. Those pretty little nails I did the other day did not make it through the night because I didn't think you needed to put a base coat on, but ya do. So thats that.

So, the other day I ordered from Everydayminerals.org. They have this awesome deal where you get to pick 5 samples for free and all you have to pay for is shipping and handling. I thought that was cool since this will be the first time for me using mineral make up and I didn't really know much about the shades and coverage, but so far I like it. I used it today and actually like how it felt like I was wearing no make up. It actually also covered pretty well, I was kind of nervous about that part. So here are my 5 samples I got and the names of them.

This one is Light Olive. This is what I used on myself today and thought it came out pretty good.

Like a retard, I didn't take a picture of the name of this one but it's called.. Fawn.

Multitasking

This is the blush Email Me. Great color and payoff I must say.

And last but not least, Fairly light neutral

So there are the samples. They are small so it's really hard to get a kabuki brush in there, but I worked around the smallness and got it to work. I suggest everybody going on that site and ordering some and trying it out. I have nothing bad to say about it yet so go try it out.

Now, onto the rest of the haul. I bought 1 more NYC lipsticks, an NYC lipliner to go along with my red lipstick on the previous haul, the Nail Art pen, and Maybellines new Lash Stiletto Mascara which my review will be on today. So pictures of the haul.

NYC lipliner..

Lash Stiletto..

The lipsticks..

The swatches.. colors from top to bottom are Petal (this is almost a splitting image of Chiffon from the previous haul) number 314B and Smooch number 407B. Smooch kind of reminds me of a summer peach color. Awesome!!

So on to my review. I'm not going to lie, I was very skeptical about veering away from my beloves mascara from L'Oreal. But, that container and the commercial really caught my eye. It was also on sale at CVS for like 6 bucks. Not bad. So, I decided to try it out today. My opinion: It's a good mascara, but not the best. The smell to me is out of control. This is why I remembered why I never bought Maybelline mascara, they always smell so funky. Also, the brush is kind of thin so it's hard to start from the root and close your eye and wiggle like I do. I'm used to a thick brush and this isn't so I kind of kept poking my eye out. Even with that said, it does apply evenly and it did give me volume, and believe it or not lasted all day. So in the end, I would give this product a 4/5. Only point taken off for that funky ass smell. Hated that. Also, I absolutely love the name and container. Great job Maybelline!! So here are two pictures of my eyes with the mascara. Now, I want to point out that these pictures were taken like 12 hours after I did my make up. So think of my well my eyes looked with this on right away. I will use this mascara tomorrow also and show you what it looks like when you first apply it.

Time for funky eye time!!

Now on to my GREAT news. Today my boyfriend surprised me with the fact that he is paying for me to take a make up course at a cosmetology school near my town. I am SO HAPPY and can't wait to start and then bring all my learnings over here for you guys. I think you recieve a whole brush set and huge make up palette so I'm excited about that also. So thanks lover boy aka Dan. Gotta love that boyfriend. He knows I'm obsessed so why not apply it to something good!! So I hope you enjoy everything and I'll be doing more reviews soon.

xO Jamie

Haul, review, and EOTD

2009-02-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

So, I came home today and uploaded those pictures of my EOTD for you guys! I didn't forget which I'm happy about. So yesterday I went to CVS and bought some stuff so I wanted to share some swatches for you and also I bought the new Sally Hansen nail art pen. I saw it on another blog and automatically wanted it so when I found them I was really excited. They didnt have the color I wanted (black) so I was stuck getting red, but I really like it so I'm happy I got it. All you do is push the pen on a hard surface until some product comes out and then you can apply it to your nail. You can do any design your little heart desires. My nails are really short (because once I get the tiniest crack or soft spot in them I bite them to living hell) so the only design I could really do was little dots. It kinda reminds me of a ladybug though and since ladybugs mean good luck, can't argue with that :) I give this product a 5/5 and I will definately be buying more. I found these at CVS (obviously) but you can probably find them at CVS, WalGreens, Wal-Mart, etc. If you guys find them in any other places, let me know and I will make a list of where they were found. So here is what the nail pen looks like..

And this was the design I did. I just used a base coat of just normal black nail polish. It says not to put it on your base nail, to use a base coat which makes sense. So here is my nail.

So besides the nail art pen with the haul I also bought 4 NYC lipsticks and a white eyeliner pencil from them. Here are the lipsticks I bought. The colors from left to right are Blossom, number 316B, Chiffon, number 312B, Retro Red, number 308B, and Flirty, number 417B.

And here are some swatches for you guys. Blosson and Flirty kind of look alike on my skin, but as you can see from the previous picture, there is a bit of a difference in color in them. The swatches from left to right are Blossom, Chiffon, Retro Red, and Flirty.

And last but not least, that EOTD I promised you. This one again is REALLY basic and I think I might wear out on Valentines Day with the boyfriend. Again, I will name everything I used for my eyes and what I did.

Me a little less squinty..

What I used..

Almay Black eyeliner
MAC Prep & Prime in Medium
Avon pink eyeshadow (this is kind of a no name shadow I bought awhile ago. Any pink shimmery eyeshadow will do really)
Avon brown color from neutral eyeshadow palette (I used the last brown color in the 8 in 1 palette my mom bought) again this is a no name because it's just called the neutral palette. Any medium brown will do
L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Black

Brushes used..

All over eyeshadow brush
Crease brush

What I did..

1. Apply black eyeliner on your waterline

2. Apply Prep & Prime all over your eyelid and a little bit above your crease

3. Take your pink eyeshadow and apply all over lid, with eyeshadow brush. Do not go past the crease. Apply as little or as much as you'd like. I used alot to get that real bright pink color to my eyes.

4. Take your crease brush and dab it into your brown color. Apply into your crease and on the outer part of your lid. Apply it until it doesn't show any more pink on that part of your eye.

5. If you need to go over with pink again, do so. I had to do this 1 or 2 times until I felt it looked perfect with the two colors together.

6. Apply your mascara.

...and that's it. Like I said, this eye is really simple and doesn't take long AT all. You can wear this look anywhere you'd like and isn't to dramatic. Have fun with it!!

And a close up picture of my eye..

Review: Avon skincare

2009-02-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

So, I had another EOTD for you guys but as a forgetful person I left my camera at home and went to my boyfriends apartment with no pictures. So, instead, I've decided to review a brand new skincare item I bought recently through Avon.

So, maybe a year ago I was buying Avon skincare all the time. I was buying Anew's Face Cream Cleanser. For awhile, I was unable to find it. Every new campaign book that came out would never have it and I seriously thought it was discontinued. Well, fast forward a little bit and I finally came to the conclusion that they did in fact discontinue that product. I was SO pissed because that cleanser was the only thing that kept my skin under control and actually worked for me. I was left to use soap and water because nothing from even the drugstore lines would work. A couple campaigns ago, I ordered what I'm set to believe replaced the cream cleanser. It's called Anew's Daily Resurfacing Cleanser. I bought it and decided to give it a try.

This is by far I think almost better than the last one. It smells AWESOME, it reminds me of a hair salon because it kinda smells like a good smelling shampoo, only for your face haha. It isn't so much creamy, but is a little bit thicker and is actually a pinkish shimmery color. I have used this faithfully for a week and my skin has cleared up SO much. I had a little redness and little pimples all over my cheeks and chin (this is where I break out the most) and now I can hardly tell I had any acne there at all. I am really proud of Anew and no longer am mad at them for getting rid of my product, but am happy that they replaced it with this.

Overall I would definately give this product a 5/5. It smells good, works good, and is great for ALL skin types. I will definately keep buying this and will recommend this to anybody that wants clearer skin, and wants a good smelling product to go along with it. Here is the picture from Avon to show you exactly what it looks like. You can get this through a representative, or shop online for it.

Avon haul along with swatches.

2009-02-02T18:41:00.001-08:00

So, today my mom came home from work with some pretty little items for me. My Avon stuff!! For those of you who don't shop at Avon, seriously you have to. You get the best stuff for really good prices. There quality is really good. Back in the day I thought it used to be very cheap, but they have gotten so much better and I really love their items, and sometimes they have cool stuff that I haven't been able to find anywhere else. So I thought I'd share my haul with you and I swatched some of the colors I got for you.

First thing, I bought a 8 in 1 palette for myself. It's basically just 8 eyeshadows in one. This one I ordered in Water Colors because I really don't have that many blue colors so I thought it would be a great change. Also, as an extra bonus, my mom bought an 8 in 1 palette in the "neutral" colors (basically your normal browns/golds) and she realized she already had it so now I get to inherit it. So I basically bought one and got one free haha. I won't get that until tomorrow because shes's sleeping now so I can't just take it. So here it is. They don't name individual eyeshadow colors, it's just one color all together.

Palette closed..

Palette open..

I also bought more eyeshadows. I bought a Glaze Wear (GW) cream eyeshadow in Turqouise Dreams. The actual name is GW Diamonds eye color. Along with that I bought 3 Big Color Eye Pencils (BG EP). I bought those in colors Classic Mocha, Eggplant, and Night Glisten. I absolutely LOVE the BG EP. They are like a creamy feel, have excellent color payoff and really last all day. I would recommend these to anybody!!

Picture of all the eyeshadows..

Swatches for you..

And last but not least, one last eyeshadow. This is just a regular single eyeshadow from Avon called Celadon. I really like the single eyeshadows from Avon, they have awesome colors and they are also a great price for what you get. I would also recommend these to anybody.

So that's it. I also bought face cleanser and some hair spray but I'm sure everybody know's what those look like!! I also have another EOTD coming up soon so watch out for that. It's mermaid inspired.

xO Jamie

Back 2 MAC information and FAQ

2009-01-31T17:04:00.000-08:00

So, I was never told that when you shop at MAC, you can actually bring your empty or semi-empty containers back for a free lipstick, lipgloss or eyeshadow. At the counters you can just get a lipstick but at actual standing stores you can get a little bit more. I was informed this at Christmas time and have been doing some research on this program and decided to write up some information on the program and some frequently asked questions that I have seen being asked. Hope this helps everybody since it really helped me.

Here is an overview from the MAC website..

Because we share your commitment to the environment, M·A·C accepts returns of its primary packaging through the Back to M·A·C Program. By returning six [6] M·A·C primary packaging containers to a M·A·C counter or M·A·C Cosmetics online, you’ll receive a free M·A·C lipstick of your choice as our thanks to you.

..now I know it says just a lipstick but I have been told you can get more at the actual stores like I stated.

Now, these are questions from the website Specktra.net (great website). Just thought I'd post them for people anyways, anything is helpful right?

Q: Can I bring in more than 6 empties (example 12 empties = 2 groups) to get multiple items from B2M?

A: Yes, you can.

Q: Can you get limited edition colors with B2M?

A: Yes, you can. But you cannot get anything that has to do with Viva Glam ever.

Q: Can I return depotted eyeshadows for B2M?

A: Yes, you can. (for anybody that doesn't know what depotted means, it's when you take the eyeshadow out of the container they give you and put it in a palette. This is for people that make custom palette's for themselves or others)

Q: What doesn't count for B2M?

A: The things that don't count are boxes, bags, tools, puffs and other packaging.

Q: Can I return lipgloss with product still left in it?

A: Yes, you can return a tube with product still left in it or a tube with everything in it, they accept both.

Q: What's the deal with the Viva Glam (VG) products?

A: This is the deal. You can return your VG products. When you return your 6 items to get another product, you CANNOT get a VG product. This is because all VG proceeds go to the MAC AIDS Foundation.

Q: What about the little sets that MAC sometimes offer?

A: Ok, I had to ask this question because I didn't know the answer. For anybody who went to MAC this past Christmas will know that they had the "Little Darlings" lipgloss set. My mom got me the neutral one for a present. Now, with these since they are mini, you will need to bring in ALL 5 to count as 1 item. So you would need to bring in the 5 tubes, along with 5 other items to count as 6. If that doesn't make sense I'll break it down like this. Take the 5 mini containers and set them aside, this is 1 item for B2M. Now, (for example) take 5 eyeshadows empty or not and put them to the side. So you have 5 mini's and 5 eyeshadows. That is what you would need to get your freebie. You CANNOT bring in 5 mini's and one full sized item to count as a freebie. If anybody needs further explanation on this, email me and I'll explain it a little better since that can get sort of confusing.

Q: Is there a limit on how many empties I can bring to get freebies?

A: As far as I've seen and read, there is no limit on the amount of freebies you can get. Don't qoute me here girls, I'm not saying to save 5 yrs worth of empties and go to MAC and expect to get 20 freebies here lol. If your not sure, call your counter/store and ask if they have a B2M limit.

Again, these are just some questions and answers I have come across while browsing about B2M. I will certainly be posting more posts like this in the future the more Q&A's I find. Hope this helped you guys!

xO Jamie

How I get my hair nice..

2009-01-23T09:51:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I know this is a make up blog, but yesterday I got an extremely nice comment on how shiny and how good my hair smelt that I decided to let you all know what I use and how I use it so people can have shiny hair and good smelling hair also!!

I first want to say that sometimes when I get my hair cut, or done professionally, that is the ONLY time I will buy shampoo from a salon. I feel that you can go to any Wal-Mart and find the same kind of products for cheaper that will do the same exact thing. I don't understand how people can buy $20+ shampoos all the time for their hair. With that said, for shampoo and conditioner I use anything you can get at Wal-Mart. That includes, Suave, White Rain, Pantene Pro-V, etc. I use the same brand for shampoo and conditioner just because that is what is recommended and really works good if you use both. Now, what I use as a leave in treatment or leave in conditioner depends on my mood. Recently I have been using Bed Head's Chocolate Head. This stuff is amazing. I did NOT buy this at a salon, I bought it off of ebay for way less than what they retail for. For anybody who doesn't know, this stuff kind of resembles maple syrup, only a little bit thinner. And it literally smells like chocolate. You shampoo and condition like normal, and then pour this all over your head. You rub it in and let it sit for 3-5 minutes. You rinse out as normal and there you go.

Now, after you rinse out all products this is what you should do. Rinse your hair with freezing cold water. It will seriously suck but cold water equals the best shine money can get, and its free!! After that just get out and style as usual. Those are the only steps I use to get my hair to be silky soft and shiny. I don't spend hundreds of dollars on my hair, and I've also recently starting going to Sally's Beauty Supply to get all my hair dye and have my mom do it herself. It comes out great and who can complain for literally a fraction of the price you would pay at a salon. Every once in a while my boyfriend will treat me to a salon day, but I would rather get nice smelling products from CVS or Wal-Mart and dump them into my hair than pay extra for the same thing from a salon. So, thats it. That is my hair regimen. Simple and cheap. What every girl wants in life!!

More CVS shopping!!

2009-01-22T10:19:00.000-08:00

So last night my boyfriend was supposed to sleep over but he got sidetracked and ended up making plans with his friends, fine with me since I actually got to go to bed early since I was exhausted!! He called me later on and was like we are going to CVS so you can get your make up brushes tomorrow, be up at 9. I didn't even have time to say yes I was so excited. So today I was up bright and early (even though 9 is not bright and early haha) and went to CVS. There was actually more stuff going on sale but I'm gonna go on Monday and get some stuff. I ended up getting the Essence of beauty concealer brushes. You get one full size concealer brush, and a fine concealer brush, and they are only $4.49. Even though these brushes are from a pharamacy, they are by far the softest brushes ever. I can tell that I'll be rubbing these on my face thats how soft they are. They are great for people who can't afford MAC brushes (which can get up to at least $32 a brush). They work very well and get the job done.

I am also going to be going to KMart soon to try out a new brand in brushes they have there. Its called "Posh" and they are red and black brushes. I am a sucker for great color schemes in brushes and red and black are seriously my colors so we'll see. I also tried out a look today that I was thinking about and I will definitly be sharing that with everybody very soon. So please guys if you want a great deal get to CVS, seriously. They are having some awesome deals lately!!!

Here are the brushes in the package without me opening them..

Here is the fine conceal brush..(you can also see the size of the brush within my hand)

And the full size concealer brush..

And both of them in my hand..

CVS shopping today!!!

2009-01-21T15:57:00.000-08:00

So last night me and the boyfriend got into a huge fight, and he apologized and made up with me by bringing me to the new CVS that was just built down the road from my house. He only had $10 on him, but like any girl I can find a deal. We went in and I was AMAZED at how big there cosmetic/nail/hair aisles were. Like 10x bigger than any CVS I've ever seen in my life. So I knew I wanted to get a L'Oreal HIP Pigment in some sort of color but when I walked over I saw that L'Oreal was having a buy one get one free sale!!! I immediately took action and ended up getting 2 HIP eyeshadows. I was going to get the pigment but my boyfriend really liked the colors and since he was buying I couldn't turn him down. He has some say too since he has to stare at my crazy make up obsessed ass!! So anyways, I bought 2 eyeshadows.

I bought this color which is called "Showy" and is number 224 for anybody that is wondering.

And this color which reminds me of the basketball team Lakers because the colors are literally gold and purple. The color is called Flamboyant (haha what a name!) and is number 538.

I really wanted to buy the new Eco-Tools make up brushes that came out. The stick is made out of bamboo and they are supposedly "organic" and really good for the earth. But when I got there since the CVS is still very new (it only opened 2 days ago) either they will never have them, or they weren't stocked yet because they didn't have any. They had a very nice mini set of Essence of Beauty brushes which I had my eye on, but held out until next time. So if anybody is on a budget and would like some make up, definitly hit up CVS!! For some reason every pharmacy I go to is having a good sale on certain brands. They probably thought, "hmm Jamie is on her way what the heck can we mark down for this girl so she buys more!!" haha. They probably don't think that but I wouldn't think twice either.

I just want to say that I also came home and tried one of the pigments in the color duo Showy and like the CG eyeshadows, you will definitly need to use the little brush that comes with it. For anybody that doesn't know, you don't actually see the brush but when you put the eyeshadow upside down, there is actually a little door that you open and it pops open with a little mirror and a sponge applicator in it. How conventient and so hidden!! Using the sponge applicator works 10x better than my eyeshadow brushes because I have such soft brushes that it wasn't picking up enough for my liking. I also have a GREAT look I am going to do with the darker showy color and the gold of the Flamboyant duo. I have an inspiration also and it actually came from my boyfriend haha. That look will be coming in a few days so get ready ladies!!

Kmart and Rite-Aid shopping and lipstick review!

2009-01-20T07:55:00.001-08:00

So yesterday was such a lazy day for me. I didn't have work so I decided to go to the boyfriends apartment. I got there, ate some buffalo chicken pizza (sounds gross but BANGIN I must say) laid down on the couch with him watching Big Daddy and low and behold we both passed out like lightbulbs haha. His room mate came home and woke me up and was like, "Jamie you looked dead" I must have been really tired for me to take a nap considering I NEVER nap. So afterwards, I decided I wanted to go buy some make up and left and went home haha. It was also snowing out and I didn't want to get stuck in the snow storm god forbid it got bad.

I went to Kmart and only decided on one Covergirl eyeshadow in aqua. I used to love Kmart, but now it seems like there collection has dwindled and ever since they got bought out by Sears, their prices have SKY rocketed. I love Wal-Mart though, they are still kinda high priced in cosmetics but alot cheaper than Kmart. I then decided to go down the road to Rite-Aid and to my surprise they were having a huge sale on cosmetics. For Wet N' Wild (for all you gals who don't think cheapy cosmetic brands like this one are worth the money, but I have to say that cheapy type brands are GREAT for people who maybe don't have the money to buy high end things. Trust me, you can get the same effect with the cheapy brands as the higher end brands so don't throw those to the curb) I have to say I started out with Wet N' Wild and NYC and Bonne Bell *haha member Bonne Bell? I don't even know if they still make anything from them!! Anyways, Rite-Aid was having a 99 cent sale on all Wet N' Wild cosmetics, so if your looking for a deal head on down to them. The only thing I will say about anything that has to do with Rite-Aid, CVS, or WalGreens is no matter what you find, you can find it so much cheaper. The only reason I went to Rite-Aid is because I didn't feel like driving all the way to Wal-Mart in the snow and my life is a little bit more important than any eyeshadow will ever be. (Even though it may not seem that way) haha. They were also having a sale on all Covergirl products with their buy one get one 50% off sale. So I eventually walked away with a lipstick, and an eyeshadow from Wet N' Wild and 2 eyeshadows from Covergirl. The eyeshadow I got from WNW (Wet N' Wild) was this pinky reddish color. Great for being by itself or maybe with a base color. I also got a lipstick called Café au Lait. That's what my review will be on today. From CG (CoverGirl) I got that emerald color from Kmart, a beautiful teal color which I am wearing today and I have to say GREAT color payoff, and a color quad in blues and one base color of white. They are all beautiful colors and best of all, it only cost me $9.00!! I'm always down for a deal and this was it so if you have an extra 10 bucks lying around head on down to your nearest Rite-Aid and see what you can find.

Here are some pictures of my shopping adventures, complete with the name of the colors.

The Wet N' Wild color is a beautiful pink shimmer called Fine Wink, number 250 on the containers when you go to the store.

Without flash..

With flash..

One of the colors from CG. This one is a eye enhancer with a nice shimmery look. The color is called Aqua Paradise. It's number 500. One thing I have noticed about CG eyeshadows is you should really use the sponge applicators they come with. They are very pressed so a nice soft eyeshadow brush really doesn't pick up alot of the product to get a good payoff.

With flash..

Without flash..

Here is the blue quad I also got from CG. This one is great for somebody who wants to try out some blues because they aren't to dramatic for someone who is a little new to trying out crazy colors. This one is called Crystal Waters and the number is 270.

With flash..

Without flash..

The lipstick without flash..

And with the flash..

And here is a picture of everything. For some reason I didn't take an individual picture of the teal color but the color is called Turqoise Tempest and its number 435. For some reason on the website they actually make it look like its a shimmery color, but in real life its actually more of a matte color. It has a little speck of shimmer in it but not much. So here is a picture of all the eyeshados minus the lipstick...

With flash..

Without flash..

Now, with that said my review today is on the WNW lipstick. Now, I haven't worn lipstick in god knows how long. I think the last time I wore lipstick was 15 yrs ago when I used to go through my moms make up case and take all her hot pink (yes hot pink was still in style 15 yrs ago haha) or ruby red lipsticks and would put them on my lips and everywhere around my lips haha. I was never a fan of lipsticks because some of the drugstore brands (think L'Oreal, Revlon, Maybelline, etc) has that weird grandma smell to them. I would always buy them a couple years ago only to get home, open it, and have that smell hit me in the face and think I was next to my grandma all day. I would just end up giving the lipstick to my mom, which she would never use anyways but o well. Back then there really wasn't a return on cosmetics so I took my losses. Anyways, with that said, I decided that if I'm going to call myself a make up addict and have this blog for everybody to read, I need to expand my horizons and try different things to let all sorts of readers know what works, what doesn't work, and what is just not good to buy. So I went for it. I bought my first lipstick in god knows how long and I have to say, I LOVE IT. Now, this color looks GREAT in the container. It looks like a nude brownish color, with a little bit of a shimmer. It comes in this awesome little silver container with a see through top so you can see the exact color before you buy it. And best of all, it was only 99 cents!! Now, when I got home I immediately said hi to my mom and went into my room so I can sit down and do some swatches of my new eyeshadow. I also made sure I didn't have any stuff on my lips so I could put my new lipstick on. When I put it on, I was totally dissapointed. When it's on your lips it does kinda look like your a golden robot from year 2349. But, I went into action and found a clear lipgloss and put that over the lipstick. The color was FANTASTIC. It makes it look like a sheer nudey color on your lips. It is a great color. I will have to give this product a 4/5 only because if you happen to buy this color (which by the way is 908B to anyone that goes to a store and wants to look for the number) you will have to pair it up with a clear lipgloss to get a great color. By itself, people are going to think your from the future. Other than that, great lipstick!

****I am thinking about getting an actual host and buying a website to further this so I can also have sale forums for all the pigments and stuff I would like to sample out to you guys as readers, and things that I just bought and don't use. I know somebody out there has a use for stuff people don't need anymore so that will be it. Let me know if you would like any other ideas if I do happen to host out and get my own website for this blog. Thanks guys****

O, and I would really appreciate some emails, maybe some questions that I could answer, or things you would like me to cover. I can only think of buying so many things or talk about certain things so make to sure to email me. My email if it can't be found is jlreding@snet.net I will answer very promptly and all the time. Just make sure you leave an email I can reach you at, and a name, and please put "Make up Blog" as the title of the email so my spam bucket won't push you into the spam folder. Thanks so much girlies and guys!!!

Make up Remover Review- Clinique

2009-01-19T06:44:00.000-08:00

Alright girls. We all know what make up remover is and if your me you'll realize it's a god send. Sometimes soap and water just won't do it and sometimes it actually irritates my eyes from me rubbing to hard to try to get all my make up off. I do have a couple other different make up removers, but this is the one that I keep in my make up bag for overnight trips and in the mornings if I'm just to tired to wash my face and do it in the morning.

This review is on the Clinique "Take the day off" (such an ironic name huh?!) make up remover. You can use this for your eyelids, eyelashes and believe it or not your lipstick/lipgloss. This little doosey of a make up remover comes in a plastic purple bottle. You can get ones with flip up tops but I think because mine is a little older and I've had it for awhile, I have a plastic twist off one. I don't know if they still make these ones or not. This make up remover is honestly a great product. It gets rid of all my eye make up basically in a couple of swipes and my eyes don't hurt from me rubbing hard to try to get all my make up off at the end of the day. I usually grab a cotton ball (I use cotton balls because they are SO much softer than using toilet paper which I know some people do. I suggest against this because its kinda rough on your eyes and you could have it flake and then you have to pick up the flakes, etc. You get the idea) So, I grab my cotton ball and put it on the top of the bottle and turn it upside down for no longer than a second. I always have just enough to get all my eye make up off, and not to much which is good. Then just swipe away and get all the remains on that make up off!

What my review thinks..

Pros: It seriously gets all my make up off, no lie. Usually it takes awhile with the mascara and it ends up smudging everywhere but not with this. You get it all basically in a couple of swipes which I love because at the end of my day the last thing I wanna do is sit there and try to get all my make up off, I just wanna go to bed!!

Cons: Even though it is a great product, it is just a little bit oily. At first it feels like I'm putting oil on my face and once I'm done getting my make up off, I'll sometimes turn the cotton ball over and use the dry side to dry my eyes a little bit. A little bit goes a long way with this product so I guess that could be a good and bad thing in this situation!!

You can also buy this product at any major department store where Clinique is carried. You can NOT get this product at Sephora for some reason. I just did a search and they do not carry make up remover in Clinique for some reason. But, here is a picture for reference if you ever decide to try this product out!!

And a picture of my actual make up remover so you can see that I have the plastic twisty top on mine.

Review- Sephora Daily Brush Cleaner

2009-01-17T15:31:00.000-08:00

I am SO sorry I have been neglecting this blog. I promised I would post everyday but I have been so busy with school, work, and moving my boyfriend into his apartment, I'm so tired when I come home I just have no drive to go online and post and think about what I am going to write about. I recently have been going through some personal things in my life and to help me cope my boyfriend has promised me to buy me make up little by little. I also recently made a "Make Up Book" which is a book for me to write down ideas of make up I would like to buy that I see other people writing about, what make up I personally need to get, looks that I would like to try on my own, brushes I need/want, and other misc. things. It really has helped me become more organized. So I put everything into my Sephora wishlist (not everything is Sephora that I picked, but it does make it easier to lay out what is and isn't from there for future references) and to my astonishment, my total came to $1498...eek! That is ALOT of make up and brushes and other little things, but hey its SO worth it in my eyes. I also have little things that I would like to get from MAC, Wal-mart, and other misc. websites that I have been doing research on and finding certain things. So, the more I get, the more I will do reviews and the more I will let everybody know the pros and cons of the items I buy. As we all know, make up costs money and the first thing that comes first and foremost in my life is my car payment so be patient as I really am trying to make my collection grow, ever so surely!

With that said, I do have one review that I would LOVE to talk about, and that is the Sephora Daily brush cleaner. One thing about make up is that you have to wash it every once in a while. If you don't, bacteria can grow in our brushes and make up can get dirty and cause us to get pimples and acne in places we don't want. I had been looking for a brush cleaner for awhile and could not find one to save my life. I finally went on the Sephora website to find one and low and behold I did. I put it on my favorites and that night my boyfriend surprised me with a trip there so we all know I was game. I got there and found this bottle, it IS the travel size bottle because I didn't want to buy the full size one if I got home and didn't like it. It was $6 and SO worth it. I came home and whipped out all my brushes that I have been using and sat on my bed and got ready haha.

It says to use a linen free cloth, but I just got some toilet paper and it worked fine. You spritz 3 or 4 times on your brushes and just rub until you see no color coming out of your brushes. Let me tell you how freakin' dirty my foundation brush was. HOLY mother of god. I must have been sitting there for 20 minutes trying to get all that crap out. Also, you would think the smell would be so gross considering it IS a brush cleaner but it made my brushes smell SO good. Also, after I cleaned them and left them out overnight (which it says to do) the next day when I went to use my brushes they were SO soft. I am so glad I spent the meesly $6 on this brush cleaner and I'm sure I will try other ones in the future, but for now this will do the job. You can get the bigger version for $10 and they also have what is called a brush shampoo which is basically the same thing but just a deeper clean.

All in all I am most definitely giving this product a 5/5. It does its job and it does it well and it doesn't hurt that it makes the brushes feel soft and smell great on top of it!!

Here is a picture of the actual brush cleaner. Like I said, this is what they call the "trial" size. The bigger version is actually believe it or not a lot bigger.

My dirty brush. You can see some teal eyeshadow on there haha so we know it's ready to be cleaned!! Spritz some brush cleaner on this bad boy..

Then in a windshield wiper motion, start cleaning your brushes. After a couple swipes you will have a nice, clean smelling brush.

Second review-Smoky eye pallet

2009-01-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't been posting in this blog, I've just been really busy with my boyfriend moving into a new apartment and helping him and his room mate moving in. I went to Wal-Mart the other day to help find some home furnishings, and I found myself floating over to the cosmetics area. I stayed there for about 10 minutes and found a really nice smoky eye pallet.

My review today will be on the Rimmel London quad colors in Smoky Noir. I bought this because I gave my sister the pallet I used on the tutorial earlier on, and I needed one for myself. This was the only one I found that I would actually like. Even though I normally don't buy products or brands that I haven't used before, I decided to try it. I brought it home and tried my smokey eye the next day with the new make up. Let me tell you. This quad is the nicest eyeshadow. It glides on smoothly, evenly and has very vidid colors. You don't need to apply alot for it to stick out. I would give this product a 5/5 if I had the chance. Great product and it did not cost alot at all. I think it cost me $3.97. For that price, you really cannot go wrong.

The eyeshadow pallet..

Fourth post-fourth must have!!

2008-12-27T17:34:00.001-08:00

Hello boys and girls. This post is coming in late but I've had a busy day. I went to Kmart and Wal-mart today and was so tempted to buy some new brushes or some new make up, but the boyfriend veered me away from it all. Damn him to hell!! Anyways, I figured yet again, this is my fourth post in this blog, so we will talk about our fourth must haves.

I am so serious when I say this. I cannot live without eyeliner. Whoever is the inventor of eyeliner, I would love to just take you and plant a huge kiss on you. As far as eyeliner goes, I will wear any brand. Avon, Covergirl, Revlon, BonneBell, etc. I really think all eyeliner does the same job so for people to spend $30+ on a stick of blackness, is far beyond my thinking. I'm pretty content with my 99 cent one I've been using most recently, and hey it lasts all day long. Who woulda thought. Now, for some people, they wear all sorts of different colors. For me, I only wear black eyeliner. I've tried other colors, but it just doesn't look right on me. Not to say it won't look good on anybody else, so please experiment around people. I have and just found that black is MY color. I usually just apply eyeliner on the bottom of my eye. I know some people do it on their actual eyelid, under their eyelid on the top and more. I just do the bottom of my eye. Be careful so you don't poke your eye out if you ever try this for the first time. Some people just can't do it because of how close they are to their eye but it's really not that big of a deal once you get used to it.

Next (fourth) must have it definitely eye shadow. Duh. I have all different colors, by all different brands. What I usually do is wear a certain eyeshadow for about 2 weeks and then switch to something different. I get bored easily with my make up, so to change it up really helps. The only time I'll change it to something dramatic is when I'm doing out somewhere special and would really like my eyes to pop or I'm just trying something different to see if something works. I've noticed to find the look that works best for yourself is to seriously, just experiment. I have spent numerous hours in front of a mirror with all my make up in front of me and just put everything together and found some things that looked good together, or found something that looked like I did my make up in the dark. Since I use all different brands and colors of eyeshadow I won't talk about just one until I start doing reviews for you guys, it will just make it easier for everything. But to apply my eyeshadow I only use 4 different brands of brushes. I use Essence of Beauty which I talked about before. I use everything from the crease brush to the smudge brush, depending on what look I am doing for that day. I also use Avon's all over eyeshadow brush. It is a really soft brush and applies the color very evenly. You can get this at Avon.com or a representative. You can search for one of these online at the website. I also use Models Prefer. I am not quite sure where you get these brushes exactly. I know they have a website, but I received mine through a family friend that worked for a distribution company that sold these. Most of the brushes from Models Prefer are double sided. I am not a huge fan of double sided brushes because they are hard to take care of, but I like these brushes because of the quality. Last but not least, I use MAC eyeshadow brushes. These are the softest brushes I have ever felt and they are perfect for any look you are trying to achieve. It all depends on what you like and what kinda brushes you are looking for.

My last fourth must have would have to be mascara. The topping on the cake. I only use one brand, and one brand only. I use L'Oreal's Voluminous Mascara. I have tried every mascara out there, and this tops everything I have ever used. It makes your eyes really pop and it coats on very evenly, and it doesn't dry and harden like some other mascaras. It gives your eyelashes a very soft feeling and of course it lasts all day!! It comes right off with some make up remover, but won't run if you catch yourself crying. I have cried a good couple of cries with this mascara on and it doesn't run at all. I just apply one coat to the top lashes, one on the bottom and then a little trick I do is put the mascara in between both, close my eye and pull the brush outward. It coats the eyes perfect and you get it pretty evenly. Just be careful you don't poke your eye because I've done that a couple times and it hurts, alot.

So, that's pretty much it. There you go. Four days, and you know everything I wear for the most part. Now since we have done that, the reviews will come, along with some tutorials. My sister is still being my model, god love her. I put that girl through some looks. But they will be coming shortly and hopefully this will help you guys achieve some looks that maybe you guys didn't know were possibly, or didn't know how to work out. So, what are you eye must have's since that was mostly was today was about. What eyeliner, eyeshadow and mascara do you use? What kind of colors? How do you apply them? What brushes do you use? Have fun with it guys and have a good one!!

xo Jamie

The eyeliner..(basic look since I use about 80 different brands)

The eyeshadow..(basic look since I use about 80 different brands for this also)

The mascara..

And the brushes..(in order Essence of Beauty, Avon, Models Prefer, and MAC)

Third post-third must have's!!

2008-12-26T19:01:00.000-08:00

As I said yesterday, I hope everybody had an awesome holiday. I definitely did. I hope everything got what they asked for. I have been using my sister as a dummy for some different looks for make up and I think they are coming out very well. Once I get all the kinks out and think of some names for these looks I will definitely be posting them up for everybody to try out, along with pictures. I have about two so far, both very pretty. So be on the look out for those bad boys. Now, since this is the third post of this new blog, lets talk about our third must have.

My third must have is technically two, only because I'm not going to make two separate posts for these because they are two very tiny, but very important items that I use. The first would have a concealer stick. As of right now I am using Wet N' Wild (found at any Kmart or WalMart). I use this for only under my eyes. I think without it, my eyes look extremely dull even if I don't have under eye circles so I make sure that I always use this. It works great, and even though the brand I use is a cheaper one, it gets the job done. Remember, you don't need to spend thousands of dollars on make up and certain brands to make yourself look good. Even a 79 cent eyeliner will make you look fabulous.

My second (third) must have is MAC's eye prep and prime. I normally don't always wear this if I'm going out to run errands or going to work. I usually use this on maybe an eyeshadow that I bought that maybe doesn't hold it's color to good or doesn't last as long as I'd like. It's great to use, especially if your going somewhere for the night and need your eye make up to last. All I do is pat my finger a little bit and rub it onto my eyelid. That's basically it. Easy as pie. These two work great together especially when you really want your eyes to pop.

So, since this is my third post, you know the deal. What kind of concealer sticks do you use if any? How do you apply them? Do you wear them all the time? Let's talk about what kinds of brands everybody uses.

The concealer stick..

MAC's prep and prime for eye's..

O and don't mind my fat pug peeking her head in these photos, she is by far the nosiest dog ever haha. I gotta love my Gingy Poo though.

Merry Christmas-and second must have!

2008-12-25T06:47:00.000-08:00

Hello everybody! Hopefully everybody had a Merry Christmas and received the things they wanted. I know I did!! As far as make up goes, I received some MAC make up and their eye brush set. As far as the actual make up, I received an eyeshadow and also their holiday lip gloss set in Neutral. I won't be posting any pictures of these just yet because I haven't used them yet so I haven't had a chance to review for you guys. I hope everybody has a great Christmas dinner and has a safe and happy holiday. On to the make up!!

Now, yesterday I did my first must have and shared with everybody so I figured I'll keep going until I'm done with my make up that I use everyday. For my second must have, it definitely has to be MAC Select Sheer Powder in NC40. I apply this with an Essence of Beauty Limited Edition Blusher. Unfortunately, I do not think I will be able to find a picture of my actual brush because it is a limited edition one and I bought it over 3 yrs ago. The Essence of Beauty line can be found at any CVS or KMart. They have sets also if you would prefer that. They are GREAT brushes for the price in my opinion. The reason I technically use a blush brush instead of an actual powder face brush is I feel it gets the right amount of coverage. It doesn't cake it on and it makes it easier to apply to all the places that I need to apply it too. I used to use other face powder brands such as CoverGirl and Avon but nothing really ever stayed put as good as MAC does. It stays on all day long, is very lightweight and looks natural. I know some face powders get that "yellowy" look to them and it looks really fake, especially people that aren't too pale but aren't naturally tan either. There is never really a happy medium with some brands. These are the only 2 things I use to apply my powder. So since today is Christmas, I'm going to keep this post short and continue it tomorrow. Go spend some time with the family and enjoy those presents boys and girls. But, if you have some extra time on your hands, let everybody know what YOUR second must have is. What kind of powder do you use if any? How do you apply it? What brushes do you use? Share with us.

Here is a picture of my blush brush that I use to apply my powdered foundation...

and the logo to show you that it is an Essence of Beauty brush..

The pressed powder..

What the powder looks like inside..

The back of the powder container and my color- NC40!!

Happy Holidays everybody!!

First Post-First Must Have

2008-12-24T09:17:00.000-08:00

Since this is the first post in this new blog, I figured we'll start out with saying what this blog is about and then have a daily question to go along with it. This blog will soon become your go to for all your make up needs. That means we will have tutorials, how to's, get the looks, where to buy, and so much more. Everybody is entitled to add their comments and have fun with it, after all that's why we are here. I will not tolerate mean comments towards other users or myself. If you can't agree on something, then agree to disagree. I am not into petty arguments and stuff that doesn't even matter. No two people are going to wear the same make up, you might swear by one brand while another person may hate it. Say your peace and move on with it. If you do not, I will remove comments as I see fit and will continue to do so if it is kept up. I don't want to be unfair about things, or a bitch for that matter but if I have to I will. Let's keep this blog clean and fun.

I'll start out by introducing myself since this is my blog. My name is Jamie and I'm 20 yrs old. I am currently a full time college student pursuing a PhD in psychology. I am obsessed with make up. More than people would think. I have a whole drawer dedicated to make up. I will buy a piece of make up that catches my eye even if I have the same color in 10 different brands at home. I'm sure everybody knows what I'm talking about.

This blog is not limited to brands either. We can discuss anything from L'Oreal, MAC, Makeup Forever or Avon. Along with the comments, I would love to have people send me emails on certain things we should talk about. If you wanna talk about a certain eyeshadow color from Urban Decay, we will. If you wanna talk about how good or crappy something is, let me know. We will also be doing reviews on certain products as well. Kind of like your go to guide for the good, bad and ugly.

I would just like to make it known that I am in NO way a certified make up artist. I am only here to give my opinions on products, talk about make up, and give tutorials on the way I or people I know do things. You can do whatever you like with your own make up, but sometimes people get stuck on certain things that they can't figure out how to do and would like a little help along the way. If anybody on here IS a certified make up artist, write up some tutorials and I will add them to the blog. You will get credit for whatever you write. Pictures would also help with these because I know when it comes to make up, most people are visual learners anyways.

To add, this is also a blog for skin care also, since we all know make up and skin care can go hand in hand. We will also be doing reviews on moisturizers, cleansers, and everything in between.

Alright, since I think we all understand the point of this blog and what it's going to be like, I think we should get started with my or your first must have. For me, the first thing thing I put on for my make up is foundation. I use MAC SPF 15 Foundation in NC37. Before I found this foundation, I would always get so so coverage. 2 hours after I would apply, I could tell it was gone. This foundation in my opinion is one of the best I have ever owned. It goes on very smoothly, evenly, and lasts pretty much all day. MAC has a couple different foundations that serve different purposes, but this is the one that I use.

The way that I apply this is very simple. If I have a couple blemishes around my face that I know won't cover up very easily, I will take a foundation brush, (some people call this the concealer brush, it's basically the same thing) dab it into the top of the foundation top and apply to my blemishes as needed. I use Mark's mini brush set foundation brush (which is a brand off of Avon). It's a great size for people with small hands like me, and it comes in a cute case with about 5 other brushes. If I don't have any blemishes, I take a concealer wedge (you can find these at any CVS, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, KMart, etc) put foundation on it, and then dab five dots onto my face. My forehead, my two cheeks, chin, and nose. I then just blend in as I usually would. The reason I do the dots is because it makes it easier to get every inch of my face without slathering on so much foundation it looks like somebody took a paint bucket and splashed it onto my face. It looks really natural and doesn't look like I'm wearing anything at all. I picked this tip up at a modeling school I went to and it works very well.

Alright girls (and maybe guys) let's talk about our favorite foundation, what brands we use, and what ways we apply it. Let us know why you use it, or why you don't feel like it's very necessary to use it. This is going to be a great blog, and I hope it gives everybody alot of great information on something as unique as this. Remember, if you have an idea you really want to have discussed please let me know. I can't think of everything on my own and would love to hear ideas. Have fun with it and keep it friendly!!

Much love,
Jamie xo

PS: I will always add pictures of the products I use or a product I mentioned so people know exactly what to look for when shopping. Since I mentioned the foundation, foundation brush, and cosmetic wedges, I will show you some pictures so people get an idea.

The foundation from the front..

And the foundation from the back..

The foundation brush..

The brush set where the foundation brush can be found... (check Avon.com for availability)

I took a picture of the actual cosmetic wedge that I use. I do have the triangle shaped ones too, but I like using these round ones for my whole face since they are a little bigger. I got this specific one at Rite-Aid a couple months ago. I don't know if they still sell these but you can literally get these little guys anywhere make up is sold.