Wet n Wild Tutorial- "I Dream of Greenie"

So after a week of dealing with the flu I decided to jump right back into my blog again by doing a wild and colorful tutorial.  Obviously this look is not for everyday wear but it sure would be fun to wear on St. Patrick's day! 

For this look you will need the "I Dream of Greenie" Wet n Wild eyeshadow palette, eyeshadow primer, black eyeliner and mascara.  I have pictures and swatches of the "I Dream of Greenie" palette in an earlier post along with the other 5 Wet n Wild palettes that are new for 2011 http://itsallprettytome.blogspot.com/2011/01/wet-n-wild-spring-2011-eyeshadow-trios.html.

  I used NYX's jumbo eye pencil in Milk as my primer, Milani's Liquif'eye liner in Black and Lancome's Hypnose Drama mascara in Excessive Black.

After priming your eyelids, take the bottom shade in the palette (vibrant green) and pat it on top of the lid.  Make sure this color is heavily applied so it is vibrant and extends towards the inner and outer corners. 

Next take the middle shade (blue-green color) and apply it into the crease.  Blend this color throughout the crease, moving your brush back and forth.  Keep moving the color, then take it above the crease and towards the browbone.  Take more of this blue-green shade and sweep it outwards, beyond the outer corner of your eye.  You want to take this color and extend it to where it creates a cat-eye effect.  You can also take this color and blend it down on the lower lash line. 

*Notice the blue-green shade extends beyond the outer corner.

Last step is to take the lightest shade (shimmery pale green) and blend it on the browbone and down towards the inner corner.

After applying your eyeshadow, you can then line your water line and upper lash line with black eyeliner.  Finish the look with mascara.

 

Hard Candy's Sheer Envy Primer

Have you ever put on your make-up and had it crease into your fine lines as the day went on?  Have you ever wished your skin could appear smoother?  If so, you probably want to use a primer.  Primer is designed to smooth your skin and give make-up an even surface to bond to.  Primer can help lessen the appearance of fine lines and scaring.  There are a lot of primers on the market and some are very expensive.  Laura Geller sells a primer that goes by the name of "Spackle" which retails for $25.00 and NARS has one that goes for $30.00. 

I always wanted to try a primer but for those prices I wasn't too excited to start experimenting with one.  After reading about primers I thought I would give Hard Candy's Sheer Envy a try.  Sheer Envy retails for $8.00 and can be found at Walmart.

When you first use this primer you will notice it has a creamy consistency to it.  After you begin to rub the formula in, it begins to dry somewhat and leaves your skin very soft, almost like fine powder.  I find that this primer is very silky and does a decent job throughout the day.  I have used Smashbox's Photo Finish primer before (retails for around $35.00) and I find that the Hard Candy Sheer Envy is very comparable...it is obvious what the better deal is! 

Remember to apply primer to your skin in only the areas you feel that you want to smooth out.  Apply primer after moisturizing but before applying foundation.  I personally use primer only on my t-zone.  In the winter I do use it on my cheeks since I have dry skin patches that I want to even out. 

The key is to use only a small amount, rub it in and wait a few minutes until your skin absorbs it completely.  After it has dried you can then apply your foundation.

Urban Decay "Naked" Palette Tutorial

If there is one item in my collection of makeup that I love, I mean REALLY love, it is the Urban Decay "Naked" palette.  All the hype is true...there is a reason it is always sold out!  I was one of the lucky few who was able to get a hold of the palette before they ran out late last year.  There are 12 eyeshadows in the palette.  The palette also comes with a mini primer potion and a duo 24/7 eyeliner in "Whiskey" and "Zero".  If you can't tell from above, I love the eyeliners just as much as the palette!  The Naked palette retails for $44.00 and can be found at Ulta (when in stock), Sephora or http://www.urbandecay.com/.  Currently the palette is in stock at http://www.sephora.com/.

What makes this palette so special is its versatility.  Everyone loves a neutral eye look.  Everyone also loves a smokey eye look.  You can achieve both and everything in between with this palette.  There are 12 shades in all-you would spend $204.00 if you were to buy each eyeshadow separately.  Each shade is shimmery except there are two matte shades (both brown).  The palette includes their famous "Half Baked" eyeshadow and my own personal favorite "Toasted".

L-R-
"Virgin" (an off white shimmer), "Sin" (a champagne shimmer), "Naked" (a light brown matte), "Sidecar" (a glittery champagne), "Buck" (a darker brown matte), "Half Baked" (a metallic gold shimmer), "Smog" (a metallic brown shimmer), "Darkhorse" (a deeper brown shimmer), "Toasted" (a bronze/brown shimmer), "Hustle" (a plum based brown shimmer), "Creep" (a black shimmer) and "Gunmetal" (a gray shimmer).



Below is a tutorial using 6 shades coming from this palette.  I wanted a smokey look and getting that was easy since all the shades I needed were right in one palette!

Start by priming your lids with Urban Decay's primer potion.  Next apply "Virgin" all over your lid and up to your browbone.  Next take "Gunmetal" and apply it to just your eyelid.  Blend with your brush until the shade is over your entire lid.  Keep blending "Gunmetal" and go up towards your crease, taking the color just above it. 

Next step is to take "Darkhorse" and blend it on just the outer corner of your eye.  This color will help deepen the look without the being too harsh.  Next take another application of "Gunmetal" and apply another layer, this time deepening the shade.  Keep blending it over the eyelid, going into the crease and just above it. 

After that take "Creep" and blend it into the outer corner of your eye, dragging the shade into the crease.  Keep blending it while moving your brush back and forth within your crease. 

Next take "Naked" (small amount) and blend it over where "Gunmetal" ended near your browbone.  This will help blend out the color line so it is not too harsh above your eye. 

After using "Naked" take "Sin" and blend it into the inner corner of your eye.  Pat down the color and place it directly over the inner corner then blend up and over onto the eyelid. 

Finally take "Virgin" and blend it onto your browbone, keeping the color just underneath your eyebrows.  The key to this look is blending.  Feel free to keep adding layers of "Gunmetal" and "Creep" for a deeper, more dramatic look.

Notice the darker color is on the outer corner of each eye. 

Finished look- Origins VitaZing moisturizer, Clinique All About Eyes serum, Hard Candy Sheer Envy primer, Lancome Teint Idole Fresh Wear in Buff 4C, NARS loose powder in Flesh, Hard Candy bronzer in Hula Hula, MAC mineralize skin finish in By Candlelight, NARS blush in Orgasm, Urban Decay's primer potion, Urban Decay's NAKED palette shadows (Virgin, Sin, Naked, Darkhorse, Gunmetal & Creep), Wet n Wild creme liner in 886, Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara, Ardell lashes in 301, Jordana lip liner in Natural, Loreal lipstick in Fairest Nude and Lancome Juicy Tube in Moulin Rose.

 

MAC's Wonder Woman Collection-"Mighty Aphrodite"

I am a sucker for special edition items...especially when they come from MAC.  I loved a lot of collections from the past year like Spring Color forecast, Back to the Beach and In The Groove.  I stalked my local MAC counter when "Marine Life" and "Stereo Rose" was released like many other make up lovers did.  I feel lately MAC has had way too many collections being released though.  It seems like each week a new collection is out which might explain why I wasn't too hyped about the Wonder Woman collection.

When MAC recently released their Wonder Woman collection I thought I would pass on it.  The packaging was a little juvenile for me and none of the products really caught my attention.  I read some blogs and I did finally see one item that I felt would work.  The MSF's were great but the blushes, especially "Mighty Aphrodite", was perfect.  If you missed out on the blush ombre "Ripe Peach"  like I did, then you might want to get "Mighty Aphrodite". 

Each blush in the Wonder Woman collection is over-sized (.43 oz).  Of course a bigger product means a bigger price.  You can purchase this blush from http://www.maccosmetics.com/ like I did or at your local MAC counter for $24.00.  Average sized MAC powder blushes (.21 oz) cost $19.50.  Currently on the MAC website "Mighty Aphrodite" is sold out, however that does not mean you cannot find it at your local MAC counter.

As you can see the blush compact is very large.  The top of the compact is red with the Wonder Woman logo.  The bottom of the compact is a bright blue.

When you open the compact you will see that "Mighty Aphrodite" is a blush duo.  There is a lighter, pinky-coral shade which is larger than the deeper pink shade.  As you can see, the Wonder Woman blush compacts include a mirror which is not found in the regular blush line.

Here is a close-up of the blush (please excuse the reflections from the gold rim).

Top-Swatch of both shades that were blended together to form a shimmery, peachy pink.  There is a hint of gold and coral tones as well. 

Middle-Swatch of the coral pink color (largest color in the compact).

Bottom-Swatch of the deepest pink color (smallest color in the compact).

Overall I think this blush is wonderful.  It applies smoothly, is easy to blend and gives skin a wonderful glow.  If you already own "Ripe Peach" you might want to pass however if you don't then this blush is a must! 

Polish Haul!

I don't know what is wrong with me lately.  I have been loving nail polish during the past few weeks like never before.  It doesn't matter the color-I just want it!  I went to Ulta last week because I had a gift certificate burning a hole in my wallet.  I went there for the Shu Uemura eyelash curler but left with 5 new bottles of polish!  I love OPI but lately I have been using my Essie polishes more, so I had to pick up another Essie as well.

I heard a lot of hype about the new Katy Perry collection for OPI.  Based on reviews I read, I really wanted "Teenage Dream" and a blue glitter polish called "Last Friday Night".  When I saw the swatches at Ulta, I was disappointed with "Last Friday Night" since it appeared too sheer.  I went with a gorgeous, shimmery berry-red color called "The One That Got Away".  My Ulta was out of "Black Shatter" and the other shade in the collection was too close to another polish I already had.

Aside from the 2 bottles I picked up from the Katy Perry collection, I also picked up 2 more OPI colors that I had been on my shopping list for almost a year.  "Lincoln Park After Dark" has always called my name and I wanted to get it before the weather turned warmer.  I have also wanted "Princesses Rule" since it looks so lovely in the bottle.

L-R- OPI's "Teenage Dream", "Lincoln Park After Dark", "The One That Got Away" and "Princesses Rule"

Essie's "Mink Muffs"

Essie polish always goes on smoothly and lasts forever without chipping.  "Mink Muffs" has been talked about all over the web so I had to get this color or I knew I would regret it.  The color is not limited edition however my Ulta always seems to be sold out.  This color is a great neutral that is lovely in colder weather.  It is described as a smokey taupe.  In the picture above it is appearing more brown than it actually is. 

"Teenage Dream"

A gorgeous glitter polish with flecks of pink, blue and green.  It looks great on its own or over another polish.

"Princesses Rule"

I have not tried this one yet however it appears to be a shimmery (not glittery) light pink polish.  The color is not as intense as others and it may need additional coats for more opaque coverage.  I think that this color will make a great "paint & go" shade since mistakes wont be as visible.

"Lincoln Park After Dark"

I have heard about this color for a while.  I always thought dark polish would not suit me but a good friend of mine was out to lunch with me one day and I saw her nails painted in a deep, plum hue.  When I asked what color she had on she told me this shade.  I knew then that if her nails looked that great and everyone thinks it's such a great color, I had to get it.  Currently this shade is on my toes and it looks edgy but cute. 

"The One That Got Away"

This color was a last minute purchase.  I wanted another bottle of polish but I couldn't decide on one so I went with this shade from the Katy Perry collection.  It is a deep, shimmery berry-red shade.  It's not as popular as the other colors in the collection however I think it's the best one.  It's a great look for this time of year and so many skin tones would look beautiful with this color.

Here is a quick look (pardon the messy application) I did with OPI's "Teenage Dream" over "The One That Got Away".

OPI costs $8.50 and Essie costs $8.00.  You can find OPI and Essie at Ulta.  Essie is now carried at some Walmart stores as well.

Burts Bees Radiance Body Lotion

Who doesn't love smooth, shimmery, gorgeous skin?  I am always in search of a lotion that I can use that not only hydrates my skin but enhances my skin.  I've seen this lotion countless times in the store.  I love Burt's Bees products but I had never tried this particular lotion before.  What intrigued me was the word "radiance" on the front of the tube.  I read that this lotion was enhanced with mica (a silicate mineral found naturally) particles which give the skin a slightly shimmery hue.  There is nothing better than glowing skin...key word here is glowing, not glittery! 

When I am searching for a new bottle of lotion, I always look for ingredients that are favorable to sensitive skin.  There is nothing worse than slathering on lotion after shaving your legs and having them BURN like they are on fire.  I need a lotion that moisturizes after shaving but doesn't injure me in the process.

PROS- This lotion's consistency is nice.  It's not too thick nor is it too thin.  It is absorbed into the skin rather quickly.  I find that it is not greasy on the palms of your hand either which is a huge plus.  It does seem to moisturize nicely and it DOESN"T burn me after shaving.  One of my all time favorite lotions, Avon's Oatmeal Moisture Therapy, doesn't burn after shaving but I always felt it was too thin.  The last pro I want to mention is the gorgeous shimmer that this lotion leaves behind.  It's not glittery or tacky.  It's actually barely noticeable but the hint of shimmer thanks to the mica gives skin a glowing appearance.  I think this lotion would look amazing over tan skin in the summer.  Shimmery shoulders with a cute sundress is never out of style!!

CONS- This lotion has a con...the smell.  I really don't like how this lotion smells.  It smells way too floral for my taste.  It's not offensive however it is a tad bit too strong for me.  I can get over it because I love the results that it gives but for some women I can see how this lotion could possibly be overpowering.

You can see pictured above where I applied the lotion on my hand.  As you can tell the lotion gives the skin a soft, shimmery appearance. 

Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion can be purchased at your nearest pharmacy, Walmart, Target, ect for around $8.00-$9.00