Wednesday, December 24, 2008

My Make-Up Brushes!

Happy Holidays, everyone!!! I know I have been M.I.A. for a little while, but my camera is actually on hiatus since I keep forgetting to buy new batteries! :o( Anyway, just wanted to take the time to show my make-up brush collection. They make look a little funny in this pic because I had just washed them (warm water and soap).

I personally do not think that expensive make-up brushes are necessary to have a good make-up application. I have gotten most of my brushes from Wal-Mart or drug stores. I own one Mac brush (concealer brush) that I barely even use. Of course if I had the money I would love to update my collection just because, but I don't think it would drastically change the look of my make-up.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Blue Smoky Eye Look






Hey, everyone!! It's time for my FIRST tutorial! I really hope that some will find this helpful. PLEASE also keep in mind that this is my first time EVER attempting to do a tutorial for other people to follow! Feel free to comment on how I can make my future tutorials better. I tried really hard to include every step that I normally do as best as I can, but I'm sure I forgot SOMETHING. Okay. Now let's get started. Since this is my first tutorial I will start at the very beginning: A fresh face.

Please don't mind the hair! I usually do my make-up before I do my hair. Anyway, so, at this point I had exfoliated my face in the shower, used a cotton ball to apply toner on my face, and followed up with my moisturizer (Lubriderm). I also made that face on purpose. ;o)

NEXT, I apply my concealer. I use Mac's concealer that comes in this type of container. I use my fingers to apply it to my under eye area, as well as any areas on my face that may need to be covered up.

























I will then apply my cream foundation over the rest of my face. I like to mix my foundation with a little bit of my moisturizer in order to have a smoother application. For this tutorial I used my Covergirl Aquasmooth foundation in "Soft Sable." Sometimes after I apply this foundation I will follow up with one of Mac's loose powders with a Kabuki brush to finish off the look. I also use a foundation brush to apply the cream foundation to my face.




And this is what my face looks like after I apply my facial products. Notice a difference from the first pic?? I can definitely tell that my face isn't in its best shape because I haven't been drinking my water like I should. :o( Anyway, to finish off preparation for the eye makeup I apply the same Mac concealer that I used under my eyes to my eyelids, up to my eyebrows. This serves as a primer for the eyeshadow, and allows the colors to really POP. :o)


Okay, now on to the fun part - the eyeshadow!!! :o) For this look I will be using my Manly 120 color palette. You can find these online. Most people have bought theirs off of Ebay.


First, we will start with the inner half of the eyelids. I used the silver color on the first row:
Then, I will apply a darker shade of blue to the outer half of my eyelid. Now, remember when I said that I would probably forget something?? :o/ Apparently, I did not take a pic of the eyeshadow color that I used in the palette. Hopefully you can kind of tell what color blue that was used, or at least something similar.




Lastly, I took an even darker shade of blue and applied it to my crease.



Next I proceeded to blend the colors together. I also added liquid eyeliner to my top lid and a eyeliner pencil to my bottom waterline. I finished up the look with mascara. I also filled in my eyebrows with some dark brown eyeshadow.


And you're done!! I know that this was probably not as helpful as it could've been, and for that I do apologize. I think it will just take me a little while to get the hang of this tutorial thing! Please feel free to provide feedback on how I can improve!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Starting With the Basics: Facial Care

Sometimes people ask me how I get my skin to look so smooth. Although my skin is not horrible, it's DEFINITELY not in its best shape, but I would like to share my facial regimen before I get started with the make-up tutorials. I hope y'all don't mind! ;o) I will share with you the products that I use for my daily skin routine, as well as how I use them. Also, all of the products that I am currently using are fairly cheap, and are very affordable. I hope you guys find this helpful! Please let me know if you have any questions!!
1. Dove Beauty Moisture Foaming Facial Cleanser
This is the facial cleanser that I use to remove make-up from my face. I use it at least once a day with a wash cloth or with my hands. This is my first time using this, and I really like this product.





2. Queen Helene Apricot Natural Facial Scrub

I use this product to exfoliate my skin a few times a week. I use this product on my face when I'm not wearing make-up, and in place of my moisturizer. The bottle says that it's safe enough to use daily to exfoliate your skin and get the dead skin cells off of your face so that your make-up application will be smoother.




3. Witch Hazel

I use a generic brand of witch hazel as a toner. You can really use any brand of witch hazel (they should all be the same/similar). I use this twice a day after I moisturize/exfoliate my skin. It feels great on my skin (very refreshing).


4. Lubriderm Body Lotion (any type)

In an effort to save money I currently use my body lotion as a facial moisturizer, and it works pretty well. I have extremely dry skin, which is why I ONLY use Lubriderm on my body. I ran out of my moisturizer one day, and I just started using my lotion, and haven't bought a facial moisturizer since! I would definitely recommend using it. I honestly can't tell the difference between a facial moisturizer and my Lubriderm body lotion. The generic also works just as well.


Monday, December 8, 2008

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!!!!
















This is the first post to my new blog! Just wanted to welcome everyone! I have been wanting to create a make-up blog for a long time, and here it is! I hope that you all will find my blog to be helpful in improving your make-up skills, as well as providing you will more make-up ideas! I plan on providing a step-by-step tutorial at least once a week for a make-up look once I get the ball rolling. For my first post I will just leave you with a few of my favorite make-up looks. I hope you enjoy, and will check back with me often!










~JK :o)