Styling Side Bangs and Curling Long Layers

I made another video! (wow, we're on a roll!)  I've had about a week to get accustomed to my new haircut, and I think I've nearly perfected how to to style it on my own.  I figured it would be fun to create a tutorial on how I get my hair from fresh-out-of-the-shower to photo-ready! :)

This was also a good opportunity for me to introduce a cool styling tool that I've owned for awhile, but could never find a purpose for until recently: the Conair Hot Air Brush.  I realized that it's perfect for styling my new side-swept bangs.  But enough talk, please check out my video to see how I use it to effortlessly get my bangs looking just the way I want them:

Hope you like!  Thanks for reading/watching and TGIF!

Hugs,

Cat

My Foundation Application Routine

Hey all!  It's been forever since I've uploaded a video tutorial, but since I have a little time this week, I've been working on a few how-tos.  Today I'm going to share a super-quick vid on how I go about my everyday foundation routine.  This is one of the most essential steps towards makeup application, in my opinion.  If you've got a good foundation, everything else falls nicely into place. :)

From bare-faced to foundation to full hair and makeup!

Off topic, but I kind of surprised myself with how different I look bare compared with full makeup and hair.  What a transformation, right?  I feel a little more confident once I've "put on my face", however I'm grateful that my husband prefers how I look without it.  Lol!

Anyways, here's the video!  Hope some of you find it helpful. :D

Products used:

1. ELF Essential Foundation Brush

2. CG Smoothers Tinted Moisturizer

3. Sheer Cover Concealer Duo

4. ELF Studio Kabuki Brush

5. MAC Studio Fix

Gilded Clash

My posts, about 80% of the time, are pre-planned to some extent or another.  But sometimes, I just do something on the fly and turn it into a review or tutorial.  This is one of those days.  I went into today's tutorial not really knowing what I was going to come up with in the end.  This was the result:

If you'd like to follow along, I'll show you how I did this.  Using my UD Rollergirl Palette, I began by applying Verve to the inner half of my upper primed eyelid:

Next, I applied Darkhorse to the lower outer corner of my upper eyelid:

Then I blended out the outer corner edges with Suspect:

From my UD 24/7 Shadow Pencil Stash, I'm going to grab Clash (an amazing electric-blue with a touch of shimmer) and line my lower lash line:

Then, using my Rehab shadow pencil, I'm going to accent the outer corner of my lower lash line, just outside of Clash:

Next, with black gel/cream eyeliner, I draw a winged line along my upper lash line:

Now I'm going to clean the black gel/cream off my eyeliner brush and I'm actually going to pick up a little Clash right off the pencil, and extend my lower lash liner against my winged line for added drama:

To increase the depth of the look, I'm going to apply some matte black shadow to the outer corners of my eye:

I'm going to finish the look by accenting my winged line with Sephora gold glitter eyeliner:

Curl lashes, apply mascara, and I'm all set!

Overall look:

I actually wear this look often (minus the glitter).  I enjoy the juxtaposition between neutrals and a pop of color, jazzed up with some sparkle.  Hope you all had fun following my little off-the-cuff experiment!

Happy Tuesday and good night!

Hugs,

Cat

Odile

I love Swan Lake.  The ballet is stunning and the music, breathtaking.  Funny, I've always been more fascinated with Odile than any of the other key players in the story.  I don't know if the characters were ever quite clearly defined, I feel that there are aspects of Swan Lake that are left to the interpretation of the audience.

In my mind's eye, Odile is enigmatic and seductive, her persona laden with dark mystery and yet a hint of melancholy.  I feel that she has a compelling story of her own.  I like to think that her character is often misunderstood in the ballet.  So, here is my little creative project that I did over the weekend, my homage to Odile.  I would never flatter myself to compare myself with her, this is simply my tribute to her:

I used Urban Decay's Urban Lash Kit to adorn my eyes.  Since the lashes themselves are somewhat feathery in design, I felt that they worked very well with the swan theme.  As for the lipstick, I finally had a valid excuse to break out Lime Crime's Styletto!  It was the perfect touch to capture the essence of Odile!  Last, but not least, the gorgeous laser-cut mask.  When my husband and I married, our wedding was a masquerade ball theme.  I ordered several masks from a company called Bluemoon, based out of Venice.  Prices were reasonable, service was quick and friendly, and quality was superb.  The model I'm wearing here is called the Queen Strass.

Hope you all liked it!  This was a really fun project, I'd been thinking about doing this forever and finally had the time to pull it together now that I'm on spring break.  I'm especially grateful to my husband and his incredible photography skills.  We ended up being pressed for time because of unforeseen events and he still managed to get some really good shots.  Bravo, honey! :D

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Hugs,

Cat

Glitter Pug

Feeling a little under the weather, but still wanted to look pretty so I did a simple-yet-sparkly look using Pug shimmer cream shadow by Buxom as well as Sephora silver glitter liner:

To start, I appy Pug all over my top eyelid:

Next, I line my bottom lid with black pencil liner:

Then I soften the liner with a little more Pug:

With black cream eyeliner, I draw a defined wing along my top lash line while redefining my lower lash line:

For more depth, I'm going to apply a little matte black shadow along the outer corners of my eye:

Then I'm going to enhance my top winged line with Sephora's glitter eyeliner in Silver:

Curl lashes, add mascara, and I'm all set to go!

Overall look:

Totally not wearing the right colored shirt for the makeup.  Oh well, haha.  Does this lippy look familiar?   I wore it in the last post when I got my haircut.  If anyone's interested, it's WnW Wild Shine Lipstick in 928 Fierce.

It's a glossy lipstick that's packed with shine.  I like the smooth application and non-drying formula.  As for long-lasting?  Average, but the color is so pretty and for only $2.99, I'm not going to complain!

I'm also wearing a new pressed powder.  I dislike purchasing high-end cosmetics, especially when they're not on sale, but I bit the bullet and purchased a compact of MAC Studio Fix, shown here in C3.  Apparently, that's my color.

Studio Fix is a finely-milled pressed powder that offers excellent coverage over my tinted moisturizer.  Does it work any better than other pressed powders I've used in the past?  Not necessarily, but I did get a glowing compliment from a stranger today asking me how I get my complexion to look so flawless.  Sigh.  I guess hearing something nice did increase my opinion of this product, lol.  I'm going to have to try it out for at least a few more days before I can form an honest opinion, but so far, so good.  Set me back about $30 though.  Ouch!

Well, that's all for today!  I've been working on something kinda cool.  Looking forward to posting it soon. :D  Happy Monday and have a good night!

New Hairstyle: Side-Swept Bangs

Hey all!  I finished finals week!  Yay!  Too bad it started raining right after and hasn't stopped since.  The weather report shows no end in sight, so I guess I won't be spending too much time outdoors.  Oh well.  That gives me the perfect opportunity to do indoor things, like makeup tutorials and such. :)  Anywho, I've been in dire need of new hair for quite some time and finally got around to making an appointment to see my  "mane" man (pun definitely intended) Danny.  Here are the steps that lead to a "new" me today:

Clip and snip!

Blow dry.

End result.

Aaaaaaahhhhh!  So happy with the side-swept bangs!  The doll bangs were cute, but a little annoying because they poked my eyes.  After growing them out, I disliked the way my forehead looked bare.  This is the perfect compromise.  The look of a bang without the prickly aggravation.  Also looks good with headbands, updos, and pony tails.  LOVE!

Too bad I couldn't really go out because it's pouring, but I'm still doing my best to enjoy the wet weekend.  Sure beats busting my butt studying for exams!  Happy Saturday and good night! :D

Hugs,
Cat

Quatrefoil Key Necklace plus SALE

Hi!  Just finished my last final for the quarter.  I'm so happy to be done! (for now)  I'll celebrate by posting my newest Lovelina design:

Garden Luxe Quatrefoil Key Necklace

I've always loved the elegant, simple quatrefoil shape.  Paired with a weathered silver finish, a soft, minty rose, and a genuine Swarovski pearl, I'm so in LOVE!  I'll be wearing this for days.

Also, remember when Katie from Running On Happiness did a Lovelina giveaway?  Well, she has also published an offer code for 10% off your entire order, now until the end of this month.  Just punch in ROH10 at checkout, and you'll get the discount.  :D

Pale Turquoise Waterline

I've been a little obsessed with pastel, cool colors lately...particularly blues.  Pale turquoise is one of my favorites, but I don't use it often because I don't want to play it out.  It's been raining here in the SF Bay Area for a week now...and I decided, what the heck, I need a little color to brighten up these dreary days.  Here's the look:

My inspiration came from the lovely Meredith of Pigments and Palettes:

To create my interpretation, I used my Coastal Scents 88 Original palette.  To start, I apply a shade of pale turquoise halfway across my primed upper eyelid:

Next, I'm going to apply a dark brown shade to the outer corner of my upper eyelid:

Then I'm going to soften the outer crease color with a medium brown shade:

With a soft, white eyeliner pencil, I'm going to line my lower lash line, being sure to line my waterline as well:

Using the same, pale turquoise shade, I'm going to layer over the white liner:

Now I'm going to take my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Pencil in Rehab, and trace outside of my now-turquoise liner:

Then I'm going to layer the medium-brown shadow over the eyeshadow pencil:

To brighten the look and add a little shimmer, I'm going to use my UD Eyeshadow Pencil in Sin and blend along the outer edge of the darker liner:

For added depth, I'm going to apply a little matte black shadow to the outer corners of my top and bottom eyelids:

Now I'm just going to use some black gel/cream eyeliner to sweep a winged line along my upper lash line:

Apply mascara and some false lashes and I'm finished!

Overall look:

Cheeks: ELF Studio Blush in Pink Passion.  Lips: ELF Studio Glossy Gloss in Wild Watermelon.

Not only does the pale turquoise add a pleasant pop of color, it brightens and widens my small, almond-shaped eyes as well.  LOVE!  I can see myself doing this often. :D

Hope you all enjoyed and have a great night!

Hugs,

Cat