Making Faces

I thought I'd indulge in a little Kevin Aucoin fix.

For those who love make-up or could just use a fun coffee table book I highly recommend the following which feature make-up looks by celebrity make-up artists, Kevin Aucoin.

1: Making Faces

2: Face Forward

3: The Art of Makeup

Makeup'a Good Cause!

Fight the war on HIV/AIDs by purchasing any of the VIVA GLAM products by M.A.C.

100% of the proceeds go directly to HIV/AIDs research.

Just think, one lipstick just might save one life!

(Plus who doesn't love Gaga?)

March Madness

My favorite product for the month of March:

StriVectin SD Eye Cream

Hands down this was my favorite product during March. I purchased this cream around the middle of February at my local Target, and frankly I was surprised they even carried this high end brand. Now let me warn you this is not a cheap product, it is a bit on the pricy side, but worth every penny. I figure you only get one face, and taking care of it is crucial in helping to prevent sun-damage and early aging.

Years ago I use to work as a beauty advisor for the make-up counter Prescriptives and one of the products we sold within our department store was the original StriVectin Cream. This product was originally found to work wonders on stretchmarks and it miraculously worked on wrinkles too! The original face cream retails at $130, this product can be used all over the skin and neck the only draw back is for those like me who really only have fine lines around my orbital bone some of the aromatic compounds including peppermint caused irritation to the eye. StriVectin now carries an eye cream that is the same formulation as the original, but has left out any irritating agents so that application around the eyes is safe and comfortable, while continuing to bring the same great results of the original formula.

After using this product for over a month I have seen a drastic change in the texture of the skin under my eyes. It is much more smooth and moisturized, helping to reduce the appearance of my fine-lines as well as the small white bumps that line my dark circles. I apply this both morning and night, and if I forget even just one night.....well I definitely see the affects, that how quickly I notice a difference. This eye cream has encouraged me to try the original formula for the face, so hopefully I will get my hands on a bottle soon and promptly give a review.

I found this product marked down in price from the retail value of $60 to a bargain... $25! When looking for products such as these I always recommend checking out your local Target stores, T.J. Max and Marshals for many of them carry the same brands for less. Brands I commonly see there include StriVectin, Clarins, Origins, Big Sexy Hair and several others.

For those who are skeptical to try an eye cream for the price of $60 here are a few facts that may change your mind.

-First the bottle is 1.3oz which is a lot of product considering most eye creams are packaged in sizes less than 0.5oz.

-Secondly even cheap eye creams from your local drugstore are still going to cost you upwards of 10 dollars, giving results that are not as impressive and also providing smaller amounts of product.

-Thirdly you can often find deals online when looking for StriVectin products, do a little research online and at your local discount stores.

-And lastly....Your WORTH it. Your eyes are the window to the soul...and don't you think they deserve a little lovin too? But don't take my word for it, tell me what you think.

http://www.strivectin.com/

Tit for tat...or me just blabbing.

Fact or Fairytale?

Relationships. What can one say about relationships? They are confusing, frustrating, messy, inconvenient, bring out the worst in people, and sometimes, just sometimes worth it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a hater of love (or what we mistake for love), but over the years I have accumulated chronicles of the what not’s, and the never go there’s in this treacherous world of dating.

The most infamous of dating urban legends is the “Fairytale a la Broad” also known as long distance dating. We all have that girlfriend, the one who comes home after meeting someone by accident, and all of a sudden she is seeing stars. After what feels like an eternity of explaining exactly how they met, she mentions that he is from Alabama and leaves in two days, but ends with the good news, which is that he promises to call her when he returns home. As a woman I feel it is my obligation to my fellow sex to say with confidence that this is never going to work. Let’s get real. You met him at a bar, most likely after throwing back a few drinks, you had great conversation, a couple laughs, and best of all “sparks,” which all too often is really indigestion, but tomato/tomato, or however that saying goes. You have one MIRACULOUS weekend, and before you know it he’s on a plane back home. Weeks go by with text messages, and the occasional phone call, and bam! The next moment your friend is talking about how she needs a change of scenery and is considering finding a job in Alabama after she graduates in May.

Now ladies, and gentlemen if this fits your scenario, let’s be honest. There are no jobs is Alabama. And the most disturbing of all is that you think you’ve found the “one” just because every Friday night he drunk texts you the oh so romantic line of “Goodnight Beautiful.” Let’s raise the bar a little bit, shall we? Quickly I will sum up the outcome of this one-sided relationship. He stops calling, and she vents about this to her uninterested friends for weeks on end. He goes out with the guys, no qualms about it. She goes out but checks her phone every 23 seconds to see if he has called. Long story short, it doesn’t work. If you’re lucky you might have a couple cousins marrying each other in a town near his own, and possibly you’ll have another romantic tryst, but the calls stop, so do the cheesy texts, and seven and a half months later she’s finally over it. All because of thirty hours or so with a man who she barely knows.

Whatever happened to having a great night with great company and enjoying it for that, with no strings attached? Well, I blame society for brainwashing us with all those romantic Disney movies, all those damn damsels in distress who get carried away by a prince on some snazzy horse, a modern day prince who just so happened to be the heir to the Super 8 motel chain. Well I say enough! It’s time we start approaching life with a little more reason, and a little less fairytale. That’s that, and I’m sticking to it.

Love Always….or at least until next week,

Miss M

Sister Blog

The most wonderful, most brilliant, most humorous blog I read. This site is the best for quick pick-me-up's and quirky stories. I love them. Check it out!

http://thejoyoflifesm.blogspot.com/

The best of beauty

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed...never throw out anyone! Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself and the other for helping others."

-Audrey Hepburn

Ode to Illamasqua

Products I LOVE to HATE

To kick start each week I will stay true to my Monday-Freak-Out-Mode and do reviews on products that I truly love to hate. These are my own personal opinions, I do not take the stance that everyone will feel the same about each of the products I review, but for those who have been on the fence regarding a future purchase, these reviews just might be helpful. Most of the products I will post are either over priced and have failed to perform as was advertised or I had weird reactions to them (Which often is the result of my sensitive skin).

This week's Hate product of choice is:

Model in a Bottle

I watched several youtube reviews regarding this finishing spray and had high hopes, these hopes were quickly dashed. This clear finishing spray is advertised as a product that sprays directly onto the face after full makeup application, acting as a sealant. It is meant to help with the longevity of your makeup, stopping your eyeshadow from creasing and keeping your foundation from rubbing off. Some online guru's even compared it to MACS fix plus which is a mixing medium and hydrating spray. Well lets just say after receiving and trying this product multiple times I was less than satisfied.

With the first application I noticed that the spray was not a mist, but rather a spurt. This left huge drops of product on my face which I then had to blend with a sponge. The product itself felt very heavy, almost sticky at first, it was as if I took a can of Aqua Net hairspray and went to town on my face. The stickiness soon disappeared as did its not so pleasant scent. I was willing to over look some of these downsides, since I know many products do require some work, and wishing this would be one of those brilliant potions I went on using it for one week, just to give it a fair shot. The main reason that I could not continue with Model in a Bottle is because it settled into my fine-lines, exaggerating them, giving my skin a dryness and leaving a finish that looked almost filmy. Every now and again I pick up this product and use it, in hopes that this time will be different. Each time I am disappointed.

So let me give it to ya straight. If you want to look like Rasinface (Rachel Zoe), the woman who Perez Hilton always mocks on his blog for having wrinkled and over-tanned skin, than this is the product for you. But me...well I'm going to save my 18 dollars plus shipping and purchase something that makes me look ageless not aged.

Thats my story and I'm sticking to it!

Miss M's Top Ten

To kick off my new blog here are my top ten favorite makeup products of all time. These are products I have repurchased several time and plan on having a long lasting relationship with them. If only men could be as reliable...ha.

Top 10 Favorites:

Prescriptives Brow Kit

(F.Y.I. Prescriptives cosmetics are going out of business, for those interested in purchasing, now is a good time to visit your local counter- most department stores currently have one. Otherwise for a good dupe of this product I suggest Urban Decay brow kit or the one by Benefit, a cheeper alternative is E.L.F.)

2. Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage

3. Mac Paintpot in Indian wood

4. Revlon Colorstay Foundation: Combination/oily

5. Nars Blush in Orgasm

6. Coastalscents Blush Palette

7. Ben-Nye cake eyeliner in Black

8. Benefit Moon Beam

9. Benefit Bene-tint

10 Rosebud Lipbalm

Hey, Hay, Hey!

Salutations and welcome cyber world!

Over the past year now I have found myself watching video after video of youtube beauty guru’s reviews on products, make-up and beauty ideas. It seems as though I can’t get enough. Well, after careful deliberation I have decided to throw myself into the world of product junkies and give my two-cents worth on information and advice on things have tried or am currently using. I must tell you that as much as I love make-up and products I also love a bargin, being a student is not cheap, and let me tell you I have yet to find an attractive millionaire worth marrying who is over the age of 85 and willing to give me his fortune, therefore I am doing my best to conserve on cash, but try to curb my appetite for products by buying the things that are worth it.

I am committed to giving you my honest opinion and keep you entertained all at the same time. Hope you enjoy and spread the word. Oh and I can’t forget, I love getting feed back, things that you have tried and love or just letting me know about experiences you have had with products.