Bloggin' Sistas and Bold Eye

I love blogging. It's therapy and a lifestyle. Rantings of a Rebella and Clumps of Mascara have truly saved my sanity. I have 2 different sets of bloggin' families and it just makes my day when I see a new comment or a new post sittin' in the Google Reader. Today, I am happy to announce the unvealing of The Daily Cookie's Facelift! My blog sista, Lilan and her web designers have done a fab job with the new site! Congrats, Lil! And the cookie theme just has me salivating all over the place. Munch your way over to The Daily Cookie.

Great things are happening all over the make-up world and in blogspace. You've got anticipation for Fafi thickening, Fashion Week in NYC, L'Oreal has everyone buzzin'.....I just can't take it! Ah!

--------> MAKE-UP!

(one day I'll buy Photoshop! LOL!)


Newbies, I have not forgotten about you. A Newbie Post is coming soon. Keep emailing me your suggesions. I'm lovin' it! I have decided to familiarize myself more with the presdential election. So until I do that, I have to limit my make-up talk. Just last night I spent 2 hours at OnTheIssues.org trying to understand which candidate has the best lies, I mean platforms. Hehe, and I'm always tabbing in at CNN.com on the cell. Gotta know what's goin' on because it's going to affect us all in some way.

Okay, no posts this weekend because I've got some packing and studying to do. But before I go, check it.....my school is having Catholic School Week next week and Monday is "spirit day". You have to dress up in school colors. So, of course that gave me the idea to do a bold eye look; something I haven't done in forever! So here's what I came up with using Bright Sunshine e/s and Navy Blue pigment from MAC.

I don't have on any face make-up. Eek! Ah well...should I recreate this? I'm on the fence about this one. I had to bring in Wondergrass e/s to help me blend but I just don't think I like these colors on me. And I couldn't bring the color too far up on the lid because then I'd look clown-ish. Suggestions? Anyone? Hmm.... Have a happy weekend, my loves!

Peace & Newbie Pride!

Oh, here's the Clumps of Mascara banner! Ohhhh, my skills.

I'm a newbie in that area too. Clearly!

Bee Photo courtesy of Juliebee.ca

What I've learned

Okay, so I’m back!

This is going to be a picture-less post. I want to list my top 10 lessons/findings since I’ve been on my little beauty blog hiatus. Here we go….and please if you have any tips, suggestions, proposals....please help a sista out!

(1) Leave the eyebrows alone. I’ve decided to leave them the hell alone! At one point I got obsessed with trying to get “the perfect brows”. I really don’t care anymore. They aren’t perfect and I’m fine with that. I’m sick of trying to make lines and color them in and create arches and all of that mess. It’s time consuming and rather unnecessary to me. So no more drawing brow lines. I am learning to tweeze them myself---which I think is going rather well. But aside from tweezing every once in a while and trimming them, I’m leaving them alone.

(2) Time to learn how to apply blush. I really don’t know how! Call me crazy but once upon a time, I thought blushes were only for non-Black women. Silly me! But now I’ve discovered a whole new world of blushes via NARS. Beautifuuuuul. I copped Taj Mahal from a friend and now I’m peering at Crazed. Exhibit A is fab too. These colors are nice and all but I need to learn how to correctly apply blush. And MSF. I still don’t know what that stuff is for.

(3) Don’t be anti-foundation. I tried foundation. Then I gave up on it. Well, now I’m hip to it again. I think I’ve found something better. MAC StudioFix is the devil in powder foundation form. StudioTech is better. And now that I’ve found the correct shade….I find myself really liking how it looks on me. Sometimes. I don’t ever want to get to the point where I wear foundation everyday. I know it sounds crazy, but I really have no problem with my skin in all of its flaws. And it’s not like I have a busted face. I don’t mind my LA smog-created pimples. I wish they’d go away but I think it takes too much time to conceal them and my uneven coloration. I have really accepted my skin in its natural state. So foundation on only special occasions.

(4) Time to invest in MAC skincare products. This whole make-up thing is fun for me, but also very difficult. I used to be an “all natural” girl in terms of skincare products. But noooow, I’m stepping outside of the box. Wow. So, for the past 5 years or so I’ve been using Black soap, Aveeno (so not all natural), jojoba oil, cocoa butter and other natural oils that my Mother has made. I got a sample of MAC’s Green Cleansing Oil and my face loves it. It’s amaaaazing. And LA smog pimples are starting to go away because of it. So it’s time to go with what works. And so far it seems to be MAC skincare products.

(5) Find the perfect neutral look. I’ve played around with different colors and I’ve liked my findings. But I want the perfect neutral eye. So off to research what other brown ladies are doin’.

(6) Tame the eyelashes. They are getting a little less unruly but not where I want them to be. That and find a fab mascara that gives me amazing lashes. PlushLash is pretty decent but I know there is something better! And false lashes are fun but I want to create lengthy and full natural lashes.

(7) Create a portfolio. Just for fun. I want to have pictures of all of my looks with the products I used. For no reason. But since I’m into this make-up thing right now in my life, it would be nice to show something for it----besides entirely too much money in products.

(8) Don’t get too caught up in MAC lippies. I know, they are beautiful. We can all attest to that. But them mofos cost too much money. I’ve become spoiled now and don’t even look at non-MAC lip products. It’s time to head back to Walgreens, CVS and other drugstore brands that were just as good before I distracted. I so blame MAC in 3D’s Wondershine.

(9) Blend like a mofo. And keep blending like a mofo. Because, to me, it truly is one of the most important make-up rules.

(10) Go make-up free at least once a week. And not on a bum day either. I want to continually reinforce how beautiful I SHOULD feel without the use of products. And prove to the world that I can be fab with or without make-up.

G

Arabian Lights AGAIN!

Hi pretty faces.

I know Specktra's new look is all pretty, but I'm not feeling it for some reason. The navigation is all jacked up to me. Ah well...

I played with pigments this morning. Melon and Maroon, to be exact. I don't know what it is about me, but I love looks that have half and half of gold/burgundy. I have a look called Arabian Lights and I mistakingly ALWAYS mimic it. Helllllloooo, can I be more creative?

How good can a make-up blog be WITHOUT a decent camera? LOL, one day I'll upgrade, yall. I promise.

Not a very clear picture....but my eyebrows don't look too bad, uh? I'm learning, yall....I'm learning!

Ahhh yes. The "innocent" look. I'm going to head home and play around with some more pigments, colors and work on my brush usage because I still don't know how to work with them THAT well. Oh, and another thing---I've got 2 empty slots in my MAC 15-palette. Drop me 2 must have colors and I'll run out today and get them.

Peace.

Stash (pics)

Sooo....time for some updates.

But first....

Glad that you've jumped up on the bandwagon of make-up blogs, Ms. Riss!! I can't wait to learn all the secrets and tricks of the trade from a professional like you!!



Okayyy....so after best friend left, I ran to MAC and picked up:

Some friggin' Concealer....I have 1 fugly dark spot on my face that I am proud to announce is invisible with this stuff! My very first concealer. A special moment in a young woman's life. *tear* LOL!

And then I got an eyebrow pencil. Scuse my moment but OMG, it's like totally the best thing I've ever freaking come across! No seriously.....that pencil is the ish. It's thin and the color is sooo close to my natural eyebrow color. I'm definitely mastering the eyebrows little by little. I'm so proud I could spit. Hehe...

And then I got another StudioFix compact because mine broke during an unfortunate incident at some hood-ass club. But I don't even know why I purchased it because I'm staying away from face make-up for awhile. Except that concealer which actually looks okay alone. My skin needs a break. And I've gone back to my natural face care wash, toner and moisturizer.



Ohhhhhhhhhh......and my pigments came in on last Friday and I was so excited. I ordered 9 from miss lady off of Specktra (1165Cheryl....yall need to look chick up. She's on point!). Her prices are extremely reasonable and she gives you an amble amount. I was so happy! And she hooked me up with one free piggie. I took a pic of some....

I absolutely love them! And then folx kept ravin' about Vanilla pigment (which I forgot to order), but I got a sample from MAC when I picked up my other goodies. I am so excited! The Vanilla looks great on the lips. Anyone got any recs on some "must have" piggies for Women of color?

OH....here's my FOTD for Thursday night's awful.terrible.will never again go to that damn club experience:

Seee....and I know you can't tell from this pic, but I was trying to go for some extreme cat eye look that I saw once and it just didn't work out. I have to do some more practicing.

I ordered MAC's FIRESPOT today!!!! From the Moothbathe collection. I know. I'm like 10 years late. 'Bout time. I've been wanting that color forever.

Oh....I also purchased NARS' Emmanuel. Did I mention that I am in LOVE with NARS' colors. Why are they so beautiful?

I ran into a bump today while putting on some make-up. I've come to discover that virtually all of my colors are poooow....in yo face....see how purty my make-up is kind of stuff. Nooo, I don't want that! I need some tone down colors and looks. Bad, like really bad. So I ended up wearing some boring ole' Mythology and Vex and called it a day.

Boo and Boo's Momma...I look boring and boring. HELP, I need some everyday pretty looks.


Deuces for now.....I don't exactly know what else to buy in terms of products except a good mascara. I think I've hit a bump. Until I find some neutal looks, I'm going to be sad, depressed and withdrawn from MAC.

......my dramatic self. I know. The Academy Award goes to...................