Tutorial: Iconic

This look was suggested by Jowee at onlytheobsessed.com, on the Inspiration: Iconic post. She wanted to see a classic look on me, so here it is!

 

Tutorial: Nearly Naked

 Today's tutorial uses a model! I thought I would throw some new blood into the mix. I enjoy sharpening my artistry skills by practicing on others. The model has gorgeous skin and cute little freckles, but she never wears makeup. Since she's not accustomed to a full dramatic face, we decided to do a natural, pretty look. Click through for full tutorial.

Products Used:

Alima Pure Satin Matte Blush in Tulip, Tarte Smooth Operator Powder, L'oreal True Match Concealer in Neutral Fair/Light, Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Te Amo, Too Faced eyeshadow in Shooting Star, Urban Decay 24/7 Liner Pencil in Zero, Maybelline The Colossal mascara in Glam Black, Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden

MAC Dupe... Frankengloss?

There has been a huge buzz about the process of making "Frankenpolishes", which is where you add your own pigments, eyeshadows, glitter, and different polishes to make a custom polish. It's so much fun!
MAC is known for releasing limited edition collections, and then ripping your beloved products from your very grasp! So is the story with my favorite lipglass, Dare to Dare. It is a blue-toned fuchsia with blue microglitter. I recently began running low on my only tube, and I decided to come up with my own version of the gloss for when I run out. So begins the tale of the Franken... gloss?

 Rummaging around my makeup case, I found MAC pigment in Pink Pearl. It is a similar blue toned fuschia, so I thought it would be worthwhile to try. Next, I picked up Tarte's Vitamin Enriched lipgloss, which is supposed to be pink, but is really more clear than anything.

MAC Dare to Dare lipglass and MAC Pink Pearl pigment

Tutorial: Electric Ombre

Ombre has been all the rage this summer, and I thought I would use it in today's tutorial, with a little twist. The colors are electric blues and greens, vibrant water colors. They remind me of the beach, rivers, teeming with sound and life!

Tutorial: Glitter in the Air

I recently bought some new NYX glitter and I am in love with it. I would love to glitter everything, but that isn't exactly practical. Reality can bite it.
Sorry for the tangent! Anyways, today's look is all about the sparkle. I used makeup grade glitter in this look, but remember to be careful when using anything with glitter near the eye! If used incorrectly, it can really irritate your eye. Click through for a full tutorial! Here's a sneak peek:

NYX glitter and HiP eyeliner

 

NARS Fashion Night Out Dupe

Hi everyone! As some of you may know, NARS will be hosting a Fashion Night Out Celebration this Thursday night. (Fashion Night Out is a global after-hours event for the hottest fashion cities in the world, including New York, and my hometown Savannah. There is a full list of participating cities on their website.) NARS has created a exclusive-for-the-night liner and polish for their event.

Via Crispi Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner ($23)
Space Odyssey Nail Polish ($17)

click through to see the more affordable dupes!

Tag: Would You Rather?

Cami recently did a blog post tagging her readers to do a "Would You Rather" survey. I normally don't do this much, but I thought I would switch things up a bit! I have new readers, so hopefully, this lets you get to know me better. :) If you read this, I tag you! I would love to read your responses. Comment here and let me know if you do.
Also, I'm gonna put a plug in here really quickly! If you have twitter, feel free to follow me @mixtape_bandit. I normally update my status constantly, and I'd love to talk to you guys.

~

E.L.F. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen Review

The E.L.F. waterproof eyeliner pen in Plum has legitimately changed my mind about the company. I tried one of their old liquid liners a long time ago and ended up looking like a drunk raccoon within two hours. This new waterproof formula is amazing. I swatched it on my arm, nothing underneath it:

 I left it on my arm for 24 hours. Within this time I sweated, took a shower, and wore perfume. This is what the swatche looked like at the end of the testing period:

It definitely faded a bit, but it stayed on for a whole day! It did not smudge off, and I did not notice any flaking off like some liquid liners do. The color is matte deep purple, nothing super unique. But I'll probably get their other colors in the future to try them out! What are some of your favorite liquid liners?

Inspiration: Confident

 "I love food and hate exercise. I don't have time to work out... I'd rather weigh a ton and make an amazing album then look like Nicole Richie and do a sh*t album. My aim in life is to never be skinny." -Adele

Today's topic is a little more serious. I just wanted to share with you all that you are beautiful. Your bodies are amazing and you should love everything you are. I have curves that I am just now learning to embrace! Love yourself for everything that makes you unique, and you will be happier than you ever have before. For those of you who need more inspiration to love what ya got, check out http://stophatingyourbody.tumblr.com/ for awesome stories and encouragement. 

Be Brave. Join the Revolution.

Inspiration: Iconic

 Today's page is an homage to the looks that have been famous for years, and still are today. They are iconic because they are universally flattering. Click through for close ups!

E.L.F. Studio Line Pigment Review and Swatches

 

     Hello dolls! Today's review is on the E.L.F. Studio Line Pigments. Let me say right off that these are not pigments in the traditional MAC sense. MAC makes pigments that are literally that. pigment. They can be used on the eyes, lips, anything, because they are pure color! 

     However, E.L.F. is a little misleading with this product. These are pigment eyeshadows, not actual pigments. These really should only go on the eye area. They work well as shadows, but I wanted to say that right up front. Eyeshadows have extra bases added to them that pigments do not.

Inspiration: Fun

    







I have a beautiful book full of ideas, quotes, and things that inspire me. I add to it whenever possible, and use it to give me looks for makeup and fashion, as well as boost my confidence. I have decided to share this book with you a page or two at a time! Let me know how you like them, and I'll post them more often. Here's today's page! The theme for this page was just all around fun and edgy.

Full page.

 click through for close up shots of today's page!

E.L.F. Matte Lip Color Review and Lip Swatches

 These were a bit of a conundrum to me. They aren't as drying as lipstick, but not as sticky as a gloss. The colors I tested out don't last more than 2 or 3 hours, but the quality isn't bad for being so cheap.
The packaging says that they are matte, but I feel like they are more like a mix between matte and satin. I actually think this makes them more wearable, because matte lips can make a look too extreme for everyday. The formula doesn't make the cracks in your lips stand out as bad as completely matte formulas do either.

The first color is Coral. This is the summer of corals, or so I've been told! I thought I might give it a try. This color is very wearable. I feel like it would look good on just about anyone since it's not too orange at all. The light pink tones stand out more than anything else.

 This is Tea Rose. I thought it would be more mauve-y/purple. However, this is definitely just one of those "my-lipcolor-but-better" colors.
Overall, I am very pleased with these lipcolors. The endurance isn't as good as a MAC lipstick, but who cares for $3? If you're interested in buying some, click here.

E.L.F. Studio Line Single Eyeshadows Review

I recently did a very... scathing review on E.L.F.'s eyeshadow palette. I was a little wary to try these studio line ones; however, in the name of exploration, I took on the challenge. E.L.F. recently had a sale for 50% off all of their Studio Line. (The Studio Line is a step up in quality from their normal makeup.) I took full advantage and ordered several items, all of which I will share with you!
     I have the shadows in Charcoal, Wild Wheat, Coffee Bean, Sunset, Amethyst and Sea Blue. They are swatched left to right in that order:

Click through for more swatches and a review!

E.L.F. Beauty School Volume 2 Review

Be prepared for a teeny tiny rant.    :|

E.L.F. has some great makeup, and I feel like their brushes compare to much more expensive brands. However, I think their eyeshadow needs to be taken out back and put down cold-heartedly.

Yeah, I said it.

from the E.L.F. website

Urban Decay Glide On Shadow Pencils Review

Hi there guys and dolls! Today's review will be on one of Urban Decay's newest addition to their line of makeup... Shadow pencils! I recently purchased two of them, one in Midnight Cowboy and one in Clash. Here are the pictures and descriptions from the UrbanDecay.com website:

Summer Color Tutorial

Today I wanted to liven things up a bit! I recently bought a few new makeup items that I incorporated into today's look. First off was a MAC Dare to Wear Lipglass in Dare to Dare. I bought it from a CCO in Athens. Also, the long-awaited NAKED palette and a shadow stick in Midnight Cowboy from Urban Decay! I have to say, the noise that I heard about the palette was true. I'm in love, and normally I get crazy with my colors. So that really says something. Anyways, here's a little taste of the look:

a more vibrant version of the look.

Hello there, Sailor! Tutorial

Hi there loves! I have been trying to really amp up my portfolio lately, so I have started to do other people's makeup for free just to get experience. Since I am taking a makeup artistry certification course, it really helps out.
Today's model has been my best friend since we were both thirteen. The idea was to create a Marilyn Monroe/pin-up look that would suit her face.

Beyond the Zone Hair Dye Review

I recently decided that my hair needed... something. But I couldn't figure out what! My friend Melanie is a hairstylist, and is soooo talented! She cut my hair and then I decided to put pink in it. Harmless enough right?

WRONG.
I went to Sally's because I thought their products would be a little more professional than normal Hot Topic hair colors. I picked up "Beyond the Zone" Hair Dye in Bubble Head Pink. Now it's supposed to be this hot candy pink! ...My hair is almost fading to this strawberry orange color. I dyed it four days ago. :/

I hate this dye. I hate this dye. I hate this dye.
I have naturally dark hair, so I had to pre-lighten it with 30-vol Manic Panic lightener. It did the trick! Then it was time to apply the color. The formula is thick and not runny, which is a plus. The package says to leave the formula on for 20-25 minutes. I left it on for 30 just to make sure it would be super pink. It STILL sucked.

pre-haircut. The pink is faded and looks horrible.

Anyways, I am not going to rant about this one anymore. Just know that I will not be buying this brand EVER again and I really hope that you don't have the unfortunate event of trying it.

Super Awesome Series - Lady Deadpool

Today's super-female is...

LADY DEADPOOL