Simple yet fun tutorial!

This tutorial features the Earth Looks Small from Down Here palette which was part of the Wet n Wild Dream Weavers collection that I posted about previously (click here to see post)

Earth Looks Small from Down Here palette

So far I have found the Dream Weavers collection to be colorful, spirited and fun.  Each palette in the collection has unique colors to offer.  I chose to do a tutorial using my favorite palette from the collection.  Earth Looks Small from Down Here has three eye-catching colors that compliment just about anyone.  The deep golden color is a greenish-gold shimmer.  The blue shade is a rich blue that leans more towards indigo.  The green color is a shimmery teal.  All colors combined work well together and create a look that favors a peacock feather.  Obviously this look is not office friendly but it would look great worn during a girls only night on the town! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~ How to get this look! ~~~~~~~~~~~~

I began the look by applying foundation and concealer.  I wanted this tutorial to use as many drugstore products as possible so I chose Rimmel's Lasting Finish foundation in Soft Beige and Milani's HD Advanced Concealer in 01.  Next, I applied the dark blue shade from the palette using a shader brush (MAC 239) while keeping the color only on the eyelid.  I then took a fluffy brush (MAC 222 or 217) and blended the dark blue upward towards the crease; you must be careful not to extend the color too high.  I repeated this process 3-4 times to achieve the concentrated deep blue color.  Next I took a clean fluffy brush and lightly blended the green shade into my crease and above it; moving the color towards the browbone.  My eye sockets are quite small so in order for crease shades to show up properly, I have to blend them higher than most people.  If your eye sockets are larger, don't blend the green color too far above your crease. 

After blending the green shade and blue shades together in the crease, I took my Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Binge and applied a thick line in the upper lashes.  I ensured that the liner blended into the shadow that was already on my lid, while taking care to make sure the lash line was well defined.  After lining the upper lashes, I then lined the lower lashes using a pencil brush (MAC 219) using the blue shade from the palette.  I finished the look by choosing Ardell 301 false lashes and Prestige's My Blackest Lashes mascara.

If you don't have this palette remember any navy, purple, blue-green or teal shades can be used.  If you don't have a shimmery gold color, a champagne like Stila's "Kitten" or a shimmery white could work as well. 

Wet n Wild Dream Weavers Collection!

Wet n Wild recently came out with a new, limited edition eyeshadow collection called Dream Weavers.  The problem with the Dream Weavers collection is that it is hard to find.  VERY hard to find.  So hard that in fact a popular beauty blog (click here to see map) has posted a tracking map where you can update it if you have a Dream Weavers "sighting".  Since I absolutely LOVE Wet n Wild eye shadows, I had to find the palettes with or without a nearby sighting!  You can imagine my dismay when I looked at the tracking map and saw that the closest sighting was at least 2 hours away!

The good news is that I did find the collection at my local Rite Aid.  Each palette costs $2.99.  If you have never tried Wet n Wild's Coloricon eye shadows before, you are missing out.  I own many different brands of eye shadows ranging from NARS to Shiseido but I can proudly say that my Wet n Wild shadows are just as good if not better!  Coloricon shadows are very pigmented, smooth and come in a huge variety of shades.  You also can't beat the price...singles are $1.99, trios (3 shades) are $2.99 and larger palettes (8 shades) are $4.99!

 

Wet n Wild's Dream Weavers Eyeshadow Palettes (6)

L-R- Earth Looks Small From Down Here, We're Blasting Off, Bright Idea, Enter a New Realm, Dancing in the Clouds and Fly Me to the Moon.

Fly Me to the Moon

Top browbone shade is a very glittery white which is somewhat powdery.  Crease shade is a black with shimmer and the bottom shade is a gorgeous ocean blue with some slight shimmer.

Swatches of Fly Me to the Moon

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Dancing in the Clouds

Dancing in the Clouds is one of

my favorites out of the whole collection.  The browbone shade is a unique, shimmery khaki color.  The crease shade is an unusual iridescent purple and the eyelid color is a shimmery copper that reminds me of rose gold.  Perfect! 

Swatches of Dancing in the Clouds

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Enter A New Realm

Enter a New Realm is a great palette for evenings out with friends or for date night.  Using the silver and matte black together can give anyone a great smokey eye but adding in a punch of color like red makes it unique.  The silver is shimmery and pigmented.  The crease shade is your basic matte black and the eyelid shade is a slightly shimmery red which is the least pigmented of the three.

Swatches of Enter A New Realm

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Earth Looks Small From Down Here

This palette is gorgeous!  The green/gold browbone color is hard to find and highly pigmented.  The blue crease shade is somewhat iridescent and smooth and the green is the most beautiful color in the whole collection.

Swatches of Earth Looks Small From Down Here

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We're Blasting Off

This palette is perfect for the fall and for day wear.  The browbone color is a pigmented, matte pink which is hard to find outside of department store brands.  The crease shade is a black with berry colored shimmer all throughout which gives off a deep cranberry color in certain lighting.  The eyelid shade is a shimmery soft taupe which is perfect to wear anywhere.

Swatches of We're Blasting Off

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Bright Idea

The last palette is the most unusual and daring.  The browbone color is a bright, shimmery yellow that is almost golden.  The crease is a green shade that gives off a golden sparkle.  The eyelid shade is a stunning, shimmery pink that would make anyone's eyes stand out!

Swatches of Bright Idea

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My top palette choices would be Dancing in the Clouds and Earth Looks Small From Down Here.  Both palettes are unique but have at least 2 wearable colors which are office friendly.  My least favorite color is the white browbone shade in the Fly Me to the Moon palette.  It's a nice highlighting color but it's too shimmery and powdery for me.  Overall the collection is gorgeous and is a nice addition to my growing Wet n Wild collection.

 

Some goodies to try out!

Lately I've been really into girly scents.  I'm loving anything that is floral, flirty or sweet and that makes you feel sexy the minute you spritz them on!  I picked up a new scent by Marc Jacobs today called "Oh, Lola!".  The scent is described as fruity and floral with strawberry, pear, peony, raspberry, sandalwood and vanilla notes.  I am finding that this has worn well today and it has stayed true on my skin even after it dries.  Some scents completely change and go against my chemistry but this one stays soft and doesn't overpower me at all.  I bought the 1.0oz bottle at Ulta for $48.00.

Aside from smelling good even in this sweltering weather, you've got to keep your skin moisturized.  Each time the thermometer rises and my legs come out of hiding, I reach for my cocoa butter.  My legs tend to get dry very quickly and cocoa butter solves the problem.  Some people don't like cocoa butter but I personally love the rich scent and the moisturization it provides.  I have found that Queen Helene's is the best.  It's long lasting, smells pleasant and is cheap.  I've had my tub for over a year and I still have plenty left.  I usually apply it to my legs at night before bed and then I wake up to great skin that looks and feels wonderful.  I got my tub (15oz) at Walmart for $4.00!

Even in the August heat I find that I want to reduce the amount of foundation I wear.  Some foundation is too thick and too hot.  I recently purchased Neutrogena's Healthy Skin liquid makeup in the shade "Natural Beige".  So far this foundation has worked well with my combination skin.  It hasn't caused any breakouts and has felt light.  Neutrogena states that this foundation has spf20 and an exclusive blend of antioxidants to help skin look younger.  I will say that it's too early to see any real difference but it's lightweight and gets the job done.  The only drawback with this foundation is that it is not full coverage which I prefer if I am going out or wanting to disguise any blemishes.  I purchased mine from CVS for $9.00.

Over the past month I've purchased the Wet n Wild 8 pan palettes which I am proud to say I adore!  In the past Wet n Wild has not disappointed me with any of the purchases I've made.  Almost every eyeshadow in each palette I've bought has turned out lovely, with rich pigmentation.  I was excited to hear about the 8 pan palettes when they were released earlier this year.  I've purchased all 3-Comfort Zone which has gorgeous greens, browns and bronze shades.  I also purchased Blue Had Me at Hello which has icy blues including navy and of course black.  The last palette is Petal Pusher which is full of gorgeous berry shades, purples and a shimmery black color.  Each palette costs around $5.00!

Comfort Zone-numbers 1 & 2 are highlighters, 3 & 4 are for the lid, 5 & 6 are for the crease and 7 & 8 can be used for liners and/or for the crease.

1 & 2 are shimmery champagne colors.  3 is a gorgeous rose gold shade and 4 is a wonderful, green shimmery shade.  5 appears to be a matte copper color but it is actually a soft brown with copper undertones and slight shimmer.  6 is a greenish gray with gold shimmer.  7 is a highly pigmented brown with heavy plum undertones and red shimmer.  8 is the most unique shade of all.  In some lighting it appears copper and in other light it has a green cast to it.  It is very similar to MAC's Club eyeshadow-click here to see my review of MAC's "Club" eyeshadow!

Blue Had Me at Hello- 1 & 2 are highlighters, 3 & 4 are for the lid, 5 & 6 are for the crease and 7 & 8 can be used for liners and/or for the crease.

1 is a white, shimmery highlighter.  2 is an icy blue and 3 is a shimmery gray.  4 is a gorgeous, teal blue.  5 is an extremely deep navy blue whereas 6 is a lighter blue, more similar the color of the ocean.  7 is a matte black and 8 is a shimmery black shade.

Petal Pusher- 1 & 2 are highlighters, 3 & 4 are for the lid, 5 & 6 are for the crease and 7 & 8 can be used for liners and/or for the crease.

1 is a soft, pale pink with a slight iridescent shimmer.  2 is a shimmery purple/pink and 3 is a light, matte purple.  4 is a shimmery raspberry shade.  5 is a deep purple and 6 is a shimmery berry shade that is very pigmented.  7 is a lovely iridescent purple that almost glows on the skin and 8 is a black with silver shimmer. 

Favorite Summer Nail Polishes

If I had a dollar for each time I bought a bottle of nail polish, I would be a rich girl with a lot of nail polish.  Every time I go shopping it seems like I am picking up a new bottle.  In the winter I buy metallics, deep purples, coppers and reds.  In the summer I am more adventurous...I love pinks, corals, blues, greens and even neon shades.

Below are pictures of my favorite summertime polishes.  Most can still be found at your local Ulta or Walmart.

REDS & CORALS

L-R- OPI's My Chihuahua Bites, Ulta's Eye Popping Poppy, OPI's Monsooner or Later, MAC's Malibu Peach (limited edition-part of the 2010 Spring Color Forecast collection) and OPI's Melon of Troy.

All OPI polishes can be found for $8.50 at Ulta or Target.  Ulta polish is available at Ulta stores for $5.00 and MAC polish can be found at your local counter or http://www.maccosmetics.com/ for $14.00.

My Chihuahua Bites is a more blue-based pink versus Monsooner or Later which is a deep, pinkish red.  Eye Popping Poppy is a gorgeous cross between the two colors mentioned above.  Malibu Peach is a orange-based coral that goes on satin with no shimmer/glitter.  Melon of Troy is a buildable coral with a slight shimmer tint.

PINKS

L-R- Essie's Fruit Sangria, China Glaze's Pink Voltage, Avon's Viva Pink, Essie's Van D'Go and Wet n Wild's Waves of Enchantment (limited edition-part of the Summer 2011 Mermaid Coves Collection).

All Essie polish can be found for $8.00 at Ulta, Walmart and some CVS stores.  China Glaze can be found at Walmart, Ulta and Target for $5.50.  Avon polish is available at http://www.avon.com/ for $5.00.  Wet n Wild polish can be found at any drugstore for $1.99.

Essie's Fruit Sangria is a gorgeous, deep hued berry shade that wears well on all skin tones.  Pink Voltage is a super-bright neon pink that looks amazing on toes (especially with tan toes)!  Avon's Viva Pink is a creamy, purple/pink that wears well and is office friendly.  Van D'Go is a chameleon.  It appears light pink in the bottle but once on the nails it turns into a creamy, peachy-pink.  It looks amazing for the summer.  Waves of Enchantment is a shimmery, pinky coral color with small gold glitter mixed in.  In the photo above it looks orange but it really is a lovely shade that is pink. 

WILD CARD COLORS

L-R- Sally Hansen's Pacific Blue, OPI's Glitzerland (limited edition-part of the 2010 Swiss collection but still available) and Essie's Turquoise and Caicos (limited edition-part of the 2010 Resort Collection but still available).

Sally Hansen can be found at your local drugstore for around $3.00.

Sally Hansen's Pacific Blue is such a fun color.  It's a lovely periwinkle blue that is unique and bold enough for hot summer days.  Glitzerland is a bold, glittery gold shade that is amazing on both the toes and fingers.  Lastly, Turquoise and Caicos is a true mint green shade that's not too bright but dark enough to look good against a summer tan.

Do you have a favorite summer shade?  If so, leave me a comment and tell me all about it. 



Skincare Routine & a quick everyday look!

You could say I am a little obsessed with skin care.  I have always been wary of the aging process.  I don't mind getting older, I just don't want to look older!  Skincare is an essential part of aging because if you don't take care of your skin, it's the first to show your true age.  Sometimes genetics play a role into how old your skin looks, however I don't want to take any chances so I make sure I try my best at keeping my skin clean and protected.

It is important to make sure you wash your face daily and never sleep with make up on.  The best place to start your skincare routine is in the shower, using a great facial cleanser.  I have a drugstore favorites and a high-end favorites for all of the skincare products I use.  My favorite drugstore cleanser is Neutrogena's Fresh Foaming cleanser ($6.99).  It is amazing at taking off makeup and it really leaves my skin super clean.  A high end pick would be Philosophy's Purity cleanser ($20.00).  It is thinner and foams less than Neutrogena's but it does the job just as well. 

After using a cleanser, I love to exfoliate my skin.  Exfoliation scrubs away dead skin cells which help generate new cell growth.  Being extra careful when choosing your exfoliator is essential since many are rough and irritate sensitive skin.  My drugstore picks for great exfoliators are St. Ives Apricot scrub ($3.00) and Biore's Even Smoother Microderm exfoliator ($13.99).  I find that St. Ives cannot be used daily (at least not on my sensitive skin), however it does a great job on my face and body.  Biore's exfoliator is more gentle and can be used daily.  My high end pick would be Philosophy's Microderm Exfoliating wash ($25.00).  It is amazing!  It's gentle enough to use everyday and I promise you will see results just after a few uses.  My skin is always brighter after using ANY exfoliator.

After cleansing and exfoliating you want to tone and moisturize.  Toning helps shrink pores and moisturizers help thirsty skin become hydrated.  Moisturizers also help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, frown lines and problem areas around the eyes.  Toners are based on personal skin needs.  Drugstore toners can vary widely.  If you have dry skin, you want to avoid using a toner with alcohol since alcohol can be very drying.  Neutrogena makes an alcohol free toner for $7.99.  Also a lot of women love Seabreeze.  I'll be honest, I haven't used Seabreeze in many years but it's affordable and does the job well-especially if you have oily, acne prone skin.  You can find the original Seabreeze toner for $4.99.  A high end toner that I have found recently is Elemis' Soothing Apricot toner.  Not only does this toner clean and tighten my skin, it smells great and is very gentle.  You can find the Elemis' Apricot toner for $33.00. 

Moisturized skin always keeps a face looking fresh and young.  The older we get, the less oil our skin produces, which helps to age, wrinkle and dry out our face.  Moisture is essential to great skin.  A good moisturizer goes a long way and it can be overwhelming to pick one since the skincare market is saturated with so many choices.  If you have oily skin a good drugstore choice is Olay Complete All Day (Spf 15) moisturizer ($4.00).  A high end choice would be Clinique's Dramatically Different gel ($25.00).  If you have normal to dry skin try Olay Regenerist's UV Defense lotion with spf15 for $20.00.  There is one moisturizer that I love above all others.  I highly recommend Ahava's Smoothing Moisturizer ($34.00).  It is labeled for normal-dry skin but I find that it works wonders on my sensitive, oily t-zone.  It absorbs quickly and has no overwhelming smell!

Of course skincare doesn't stop with these steps.  You also may find that you need area specific products (examples-eye creams or lip scrubs).  I find though that a good cleanser, exfoliator, toner and moisturizer are the basic steps needed for a fresh face.

Below you will find some pictures of me without makeup.  I suffer from dark circles, bags under my eyes and the occasional acne bump which usually shows up on my forehead or chin.

*As you can see above there is occasional blotchiness and dark circles.  Fighting discoloration with exfoliation is good however sometimes it can be because of hormones or genetics.  Dark circles are also more common with people who have brown eyes. 

~Quick Everyday Look~

Since you want to work hard at cleaning your skin, why turn around and layer a lot of makeup on that great skin that will age you?  Using light colors and oil-free products can help reduce acne breakouts and leave you looking younger. 

I start by using a primer on my skin (to help matify my t-zone).  Afterwards I applied Rimmel's Lasting Finish foundation and I set it with NARS loose powder in "Flesh".  After powdering I used Laura Geller's Bronze-n-Brighten bronzer all over my face and neck.  Next I applied NYX's "Peach" blush to my cheeks for a little color.  On my lips I chose L'oreal's Colour Riche lipstick in "Candle Light".  On my eyes I chose to use Wet N Wild's "Walking on Eggshells" palette.  For the eye look, begin by using the lightest shade all over your eye.  Next, take the bottom shade and pat it on your lid.  Lastly, take the darkest shade and focus it on your outside corner of the eye.  This is a great palette to use everyday.

Lastly I finished my look with a quick swipe of Wet N Wild's Coloricon eyeliner in the gray shade (it only costs .69!) and Clinique's High Impact mascara.

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.

 

Recent Nail Polish Purchases

I used to be one of those girls who would go every week and get a pedi and mani.  Eventually I got bored with my local nail salon's color choices and decided I could do the job myself.  Once I began to practice I noticed I really liked trying out new polish.  I am not a professional by any stretch of one's imagination however I love to change my polish color every few days which means I buy 1-2 bottles of nail polish every week or so. 

My most recent nail polish purchases are simple, great for cool weather and are still "work appropriate" since they don't scream "look at me"!

Wet n Wild's "Gray's Anatomy"

This polish is okay.  I really like the uniqueness of the color-a shiny purple/blue duochrome however the application was a little messy and the color streaks a bit.  The brush was bent and the bristles were damaged from what I can tell, so maybe I got a bad bottle.  I really do like the final color payoff but I don't think 4 coats is worth it!!

*Four coats later and it still appeared streaky.

OPI's "Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous"

OPI's "Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous" is just that...MARVELOUS!  It's a great shimmery gunmetal color that is perfect for the fall and winter.  It goes on smooth yet has tiny glitter flecks throughout which give this color depth and shine.  This color looks fantastic on fingers and is super shiny without being obnoxious.  The application was easy and it took only two coats to get complete coverage. 

Both colors are unique, work-friendly and offer a lot of shine.  OPI does come out on top however for ease of application and color consistency. 



Another Wet n Wild Tutorial- "Silent Treatment"

Getting ready to go out is a lot fun no matter what age you are.  This evening as I was getting dressed for a date night with my husband, I decided that I would do another look using one of the Wet n Wild trios since it matched my top so well.  I decided to use "Silent Treatment" which quite honestly is now my favorite trio so far.  It's a perfect palette which is daytime friendly but can be smoked out for an evening on the town.  I think each color in this trio would look great on all skin tones, especially the GORGEOUS smokey-purple taupe.  Each shade is shimmery without tons of glitter and each shade blends out very well-no streaks here!

Wet n Wild "Silent Treatment" Trio

*Completed look without false lashes and extra liner.

This trio is SO EASY to use...partially because the colors blend out so well.  You begin this look by priming your lids with your favorite eyeshadow primer.  Next take a brush and pat down the taupe shade completely over the lid and all the way to the browbone.  Then take the crease color and blend it in well throughout the crease making sure to go all the way through the crease until you almost reach the inner corner of the eye.  Next take the lightest shade (which is a pinky shimmer) and blend it on the browbone all the way to the eyebrows.  Lastly take the same pink shade or a white eyeshadow of your choice and place a little in the inner corner of your eye.  I chose to use Benefits Eye Bright pencil instead of the pink shade in my inner corner.

Once you finish your eyeshadow, line the top lid with a gel liner, apply your mascara and put on false lashes if desired.  I chose to use Ardell's false lashes in "305".

* Completed look with false lashes and additional liner.

Full face look(apologies for the blurry photography)- Wet n Wild "Silent Treatment" eyeshadow trio, Diorshow Blackout mascara, Wet n Wild creme liner, Benefit Eye Bright pencil (in inner corner), NARS Sheerglow foundation in "Ceylan" mixed with Rimmel's Lasting Finish foundation in "Soft Beige", NARS loose powder, ELF Bronzer in "Warm", Wet n Wild blush in "Pearlescent Pink", Jordana lip pencil in "Petal" and Lancome's Color Design lipstick in "Love It!". 

Wet n Wild, Rimmel and Jordana items can be found at Walgreens.  NARS and Benefit products can be found at Sephora.  Lancome can be found at your nearest department store (like Dillards or Macys).