Site business & Neo Sci-Fi

Hi pretty people...my internet at home has been trippin' like mad but I'm back and in action. Excuse the delay in responding to your emails. I know, I know...missed another Mascara Monday. But no worries. I've taken all of your suggestions and have some fab reviews coming up in the next few weeks.

• Also, my reviews of those Costal Scents brushes AND a great skincare line are also in the works.

• Aaaand...if you are like me and love perfumes but ain't tryna break ya pocket on $50+ a bottle, I have the perfect solution for you. That will be in the next Let It Clump Series.

• Aaaand, thanks to all of you sendin' your love, pictures and quotes for the Brown & Blushin' series. I am so excited because yall are so excited. A post will be coming soon .

• And last but not least...Clumps of Mascara will be celebrating its (is my blog a male or female? Anyone know?) first anniversary next month and in honor of that, I will be unveiling a completely new look for the site. It's going to be amaziiiing! Are yall ready? You should be because there will also be some giveaways! Heyyyy!!!
  

*sigh* Okayyy, got all of that news out of the way. Back to beauty...since I'm on make-up probation until June, I really couldn't get excited about...



But I did. I still wanted to max out my credit card, deplete my savings and run to the nearest MAC store. But I didn't. I was a good girl. Yall should be proud.

So to reward myself, I picked up a few Neo Sci Fi goodies. ---but wait, I didn't actually spend money. I returned a liner I didn't like and utilized B2M. So, seeee....no money was spent. Now if that ain't beauty hustlin', I don't know what is.

Check out Sci-Fi-Delity.....it is a frost described as burnt red with gold pearl. I had to snag it simply because I don't have a color like this.

[No Flash]

[Floridian sunlight]

Ohhh, I should add that my make-up artist added Money Honey Dazzleglass on top. I thought it was a bit too much "dazzle" but she loved it.


Me realizing that I actually went to MAC, got 2 products and didn't spend a dime.




Me realizing that traffic in Orlando during lunch hour really don't make no sense.



* a mess*
And most of you are aware of my newest obsession with nail polishes. I already knew I was getting that Phosphor. It is going to be perfect on the toes....when my Shocking Pink starts a crackin'...on goes the bumble bee yellow!



Still not done with Neo Sci-Fi. When my probation is up, I'm thinking about snagging Pink Grapefruit lipglass and swatching Electro (you know..that orange lipstick). The packaging for this collection is my favorite. I don't have a favorite color, but if I did....it would probably be orange (or urnge like us folx in the South say). This collection is kickin'!


What did you ladies snag and like? Disappointed? Obsessed? Let ya Head Newb know!





[image source: maccosmetics]

Adult Acne, get thee behind!

Hi beauts.

Can you believe I only took 2 pictures while in New York?

Beautiful, uh? I think I’ve been enough times to not have to play “tourist” anymore. I’ve also been tagged by some of my blog sistas and I’m still working on those. Yall know I looove doing them! So much fun!

Today’s post makes me sad but everything isn’t so beautiful in the world of beauty. Adult acne, being one of them. This is something that I have been struggling with for about a year and I am super close to seeking dermatological help. I’ve tried everything from fasting, to dis-use of products, keeping my hands away from my face, drinking a ton of water, natural/herbal treatments, vitamins and my oh my….the list goes on. So I’ve purchased my first Acne Treatment skincare products by Murad.

Have any of you heard about this line? I asked one of the lovely ladies at Sephora about this and she raved on and on about it so I decided to give it a try. But in order to see how well it will work, I have to show you the BEFORE pictures.

Now yall know I like to keep it real with my readers. I’ll show you a make-up less picture of me any day but I feel like I dead in these shots and with my face lookin' like this, I'm just....a bit insecure. But Clumps of Mascara is all about mistakes and whatnot, so here goes!

I get pimples like this popping up on my face at least every other day.

And clusters of little bumps forming close to the hairline.

This is the worst....chin pimples! I finally got some of them to go away, but then they left ugly scars. Boo!

Daily pimples poppin' up on my cheeks...and scars are left behind.

Okay this is a full "ain't washed my face yet" picture. And excuse the Color Purple braids. My skin is relatively smooth and soft but a pimply horror!

My Mom says my face isn’t “that bad” but compared to how my skin used to look, it is. It is rather disheartening, actually. I am hopeful that these products will work. But if not, off to the derm, I go.

Any one else suffering from adult acne? Do you have any suggestions or recommendations for me? Let a sista know. I’ll keep yall updated!!

Image source: http://www.murad.com/acne-products.html

Fafi-ness

Hi loves....I've been a bit ghost on the blogging tip. I've moved back to Florida, I don't start my new job until next Monday, my apartment place fell through so I'm looking for something else and I am slowly getting over the flu. I've tried to stop by everyone's blog homes and leave some love. I'm still working on my purpose and defined role of Clumps of Mascara. I want this blog to benefit newbies and professional make-up artists alike. Which I am finding hard to do because it takes a ton of time and dedication. Working full time and preppin' up for graduate school leaves me with very little time. I wish I could beauty blog my life away.....bein' the first to post new collections, doing reviews on new products....but I don't think I'll be able to ever do that with the way my life works. But I'll do my best. Especially for my newbies, because this blog is designed for you, for us...


So there's that....a few explanations for the downtime. I checked out Fafi today and was a bit unimpressed...but thanks to the swatches of some of my blog sistas, I already knew what I was going to get and surprisingly got just those things.

I copped Fafi Eyes 1


....and Squeeze It Lipglass.


Here are some more swatches of Fafi Eyes 1 and the look that I'm not too big on. The colors seem a bit frosty and chalky, so I may have to play around with other bases and/or Mixing Medium to get a better look. Yall let me know what you think.





I don't knowwwww.....super duper chalky to me but I'm going to play around with it some more. I think I may go back to get some Paint Pots and a lippie or two. We shall seeeee. What did yall think about Fafi? Was it worth the hype?

Peace & blush.

Ugh, Mondays!

They really do. I felt just like my homeboy, Garfield, this morning. Ahh well. I didn't do much this weekend but pack up and get ready for my move back to Florida. I just got an apartment, so I'm excited about that! Ummmm, so like I promised, here are the list of items I've found that I can stand to part with. If you're interested in purchasing or swapping, send me a message via my Contact info. We'll talk prices--which is why I haven't posted them. I have pictures of everything so if you need to see them, make sure you make that request in your message.


#33 Ardell lashes-never worn. If you buy something else, I'll give these to you for free.
#11 MAC lashes-tried to wear them once, didn't work out.
Holiday 2007 Royal Assets Tan lip palette-only swatched. Never worn.
Duo Surgical adhesive lash glue-used 1x
MAC Lustreglass in Flash mode (holiday size)-only swatched
Johnathan Finish Shine Polishing gloss (vegan)-used 1x

And again, send me a message if you are interested. Still going through some things, so this isn't it.

In other news, I went to CVS and couldn't bring myself to haul any L'Oreal eyeshadows. I, at one point owned virtually all of them before I got into MAC. But dumb me gave them away to my friends. Crazy, I know. So re-buying everything just wasn't sittin' well with me. I did grab 2 new lip colors and my Styli-Style eyeliner (reviews coming soon).

Other than that....here are 3 FOTDs from the weekend. I'm keepin' it simple and really starting to love blush. NARS Crazed is fab when applied with the 187 brush. I know---not really a blush brush but when blended upwards after application on the apples of the cheeks....it's really nice. It doesn't add too much color. NEWBIES NOTICE: The MAC 187 brush or a good dupe is a must have! And I've been rockin' the African headwap all weekend.

I'm gettin' there. Looks like my face is actin 'crazy again (freakin' A, mannnn). I have tiny bumps forming on my chin and my right cheek. I ain't stressin' it. Hopefully they'll go away soon. Shout out to Molly, Julie and other ladies who email me showin' love for Clumps of Mascara. Yall are fab! Witcho beautiful selves. Get iiiiit!

Peace here and peace in Kenya.

BB, NARS & Ochre Style

My internet service is the pits and this is the first time I've been able to access it since Friday so I guess I better update quickly before my connection suddenly disappears!

Most of you know that my ventures into foundations weren't so hot. MAC's StudioFix and StudioTech killed my face. Literally. Scroll the blog. I've got pictures to prove it. I stopped using those products but I still wanted some kind of coverage. Especially since I had post pimple marks on my face (lemme tell you....cocoa butter is amazing. It seriously lightens dark spots like that *snaps*) Bobbi Brown's Tinted Moisturizer is simply fab! This is my first attempt with tinted moisturizers. Because my skin is naturally dry, I love how this product gives me some added moisture and a light coverage. It's great for the winter months. I stiple it on my hand and then on my face and blend all over. It goes on beautifully and I don't get that make-upy" look that I dread. When applied with the 187 brush, it is a dreeeam. At $43 a bottle, a little goes a long way which is a good thing for a broke beauty like myself. I'm a NW45 in MAC colors so I use the "Dark Tint" for the BB Moisturizer. Because it does leave me a bit shiny, I buff NYC's loose translucent powder on top. I absolutely adore it. And so far...no break-outs so A+ to Bobbi Brown!

Another product that I adore is MAC's Ochre Style from The Originals collection. What a beautiful muted gold! It looks beautiful when paired with Trax, Sketch and Handwritten. Because it is a bit sheer, I used UDPP and Bamboo paint for the color to really POP! See how simple it looks here.

But when I add a crease color...

I love it! Simple, neutral but.....nice.

And yesterday I went to check out the N Collection. Didn't see anything that I liked. As I've mentioned, I think I'm pretty good in the neutral department. But I did go to Sephora and got NARS Crazed. I've been wanting it for a minute. This newbie has very little experience in the blush area so watching me learn how to do that will be fun!

And I'm also going to do a natural hair post.

Just because I realize there are a lot of us out there with beautiful natural hair. But dang, I can't wait to get my locs like lovely Yummy and Divine Rae.




See my curly Q's!

Yay! Ohhh....and per some blog sista suggestions, I've also dipped into some mineral make-up too. Stay tuned for reviews/pictures of that.

Peace and natural beauty.

Christmas!!

Merry Christmas, beauties!!!

The only reason I have time to post is because everyone is asleep. Because I'm a divorcee child, I have to spend Christmas at 2 separate houses. Which is fun because I get 2 Christmases but then again it sucks because you HAVE to spend equal time with everyone or else one household gets all "funny actin". Trust me....

I got some goooood make-up stuffs. It started with the 187.

I knew I was getting this. Moms called me yesterday and asked me which brush I wanted. Too bad I don't use face make-up right now but when I do I got this beautiful brush!! Yesss....

And then I went over to my Dad's and look what I got:

Daaaang.....I know. I was shocked. It all came in a cute little traincase. My step-Mom didn't know what to get. So she said. But how she knew I wanted the 182 brush is beyond me. So I got:

182 brush
187 brush
Heirlooms Eye brushes
Viva Glam VI lipglass
Finery Tan lip palette
Royal Assets cool eyes
MAC wipes
MAC Eye make-up remover
Engraved Powerpoint Pencil
Curiositease Plushglass set
Curiositease Cool lipstick set
Prep N Prime mascara
Zoom lash mascara

Gotta love puttin' the buzz in my 9-year old sister's ear. I did that last year and ended up with the Coach purse I wanted.

And speaking of Coach purses:

I love them. I got this cute little make-up bag and another Coach purse that I wanted. I seriously want for nothing else. Not even in the MAC world. I'm even thinking about returning some of the ish I got from The Originals collection. Which reminds me....I also got some pretty Bobbi Brown shadows that I left at my Dad's.

Yayaya...I'm excited. Goin' to Prescriptives tomorrow to check out their foundations. My face is 100% better. Now it's time to get some decent coverage. Yaaay!!

Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season. GOD is so good. Seriously. I don't know everyone's faith but I just have to brag about my GOD because He is a great one! I love you, beauty bloggers!! I'll do a quick blog roll and then I might take my butt to bed.

Peace and 24 hours of The Christmas Story on TBS!

The Originals and then some...

I'm so behind on updating so I may be rushing things but I think yall can keep up.

One of my blog sisters, Yummy discussed Google Reader in her most recent blog. Do yourself a favor and check it out! It's amaaaazing. I can now know when each and every one of you lovely ladies makes an update without spending 30 years going to each blog space. I just go to my Google Reader and BAM....I can see who made updates. It even works fab on my Sidekick (which will hopefully turn into a Blackberry Curve on Christmas Day). Good lookin' out, Yums!

Here are what those pretty lip sticks look like. [ahem and how do yall get the titles and words on your pictures? Lemme guess....Photoshop, uh? I'll invest in that when I get on that steady salary. Hehe.]

*left to right* [Milani's Sumptuous and MAC's 3D and Viva Glam IV]

And then here's the bitty haul I got from The Originals Collection. Ochre Style on the left, A Little Folie on the right.

I was NOT a fan of that Parrot. I can't believe people were goin' crazy over a color that looks so close to MAC's Shimmermoss and Waternymph (from the Lure collection). It's so not worth the hype.

I like A Little Folie for a crease color. And even for a lid color if I can get it to work right. I have issues with some mattes. I like Ochre Style because it is a muted gold and isn't as loud as that damn Amberlights. However, it's color payoff isn't too hot so I have to get a super good base for this to pop. But if they don't work out, I will not hesitate to return them. HA!

Don't understand that hype over C-Thru either because it looked a hot mess on me. Hmmm...this collection was just "Eh" for me. The last collection that seriously wow-ed me all over was Smoke Signals and that was in August, I believe. But I do believe that the Fafi collection will have me jumpin' for joy!!!!!!! Who else is excited about this beauuuutiful collection?

Here is how I'm lookin' these days. Face is looking a little better but I'm getting insecure with the dark spots. I only wear eye liner, mascara and a lip color everyday. Tis all. And heyyyy....look who got a new scarf! Have I mentioned how much I love scarves?

And I played around with Sushi Flower (I'm sorry but I hate HATE this color, I can't ever get it to work), Humid and Shimmermoss. Something didn't come out right because the color payoff so didn't last. But then again, I was just playin' around.

And ohhh, I got my nails done and isn't this color pretty?

I'm happy happy. Why can't my nails look this good when I do it? Ugghhh.. Yall like my faux wedding hand picture, uh? I even got the wedding ring. LOL, I'm a mess.

Peace and Louis Vuitton (I just found my first one!)