Here are some pictures on my drive up to Michigan, mostly of my babies. Since we have two small dogs and a manual car (switch I don’t drive yet), we stopped for sleep in three places.
We went from Naples, FL to Jacksonville, FL (ocean pictures), Jacksonville to Concord, NC. Concord to Cleveland, OH. Ended in Bloomfield, MI. We took this route because it’s a more scenic route than taking I-75 all the way.

West Virgina was very beautiful to drive through because of the mountain chain. I’m from MI, very flat land, so seeing the mountains was very cool.

My babies: the blonde dog is Cooper. The dark dog is Kiwi. I love them. They are like my kids. Picky eaters, stubborn, needy, rowdy, wants-each-other’s-toy, wants-each-other’s-food, way too frickin’ cute, whiny, pain-in-the-ass, etc.

Oh, sorry for the small sized pictures. My camera phone that I use as a camera was on the wrong setting. The last five pictures are better sized because they were taken with my active phone.
Click to enlarger a little.

Today I decided to play with some makeup [I have so much time on my hands]. Lol. I figured I should try following one the Youtube makeup tutorials since I watch them so much. And plus, they are “tutorials”…meant to be copied. As you know, I pretty much just watch Pixiwoo over and over again. I can’t stress how much I love their channel.
So the look I tried to do was the Pink 1920s eyes that Courtney Love asked Samantha (one of the sisters of Pixiwoo) to make a video of.

Here’s the video:

Here’s the picture the video is inspired by:
Photo/Makeup is from Illamasqua’s Fantasy collection as Sam mentioned.

Again, sorry of the small pictures:

My look is FAR from being exact (mine is obviously more purple). That wasn’t my purpose. I just wanted to test my technique and to play around.

The products I used:
Revlon Colorstay with Softflex for combination/oily skin foundation.
Coastal Scents 88 eyeshadow palette
Too Faced Glamour to-Go II palette
MAC Pigment Powder in Vanilla
Benefit eyeBright (it’s a pencil concealer but I love using it as an eyeliner for the waterline to brighten your eyes, it’s a baby pink)
MAC Zoom Lash mascara
Ardell Individual Lashes in Medium Length and a pair of 135 full lashes (individuals on top, the fulls on bottom)
Duo Lash Glue
Coastal Scents 10 blush palette
MAC Select-Cover Up concealer
MAC Lip Pencil in Burgundy
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry
Loreal HIP Color Chrome Eyeliner in Black Shock (my lipstick wasn’t dark enough so I put eyeliner over it)
Make Up Forever HD Microfinish Powder (love this product, makes my skin looking smooth and matte)

After doing this look, it makes me want different false lashes and more brushes. I have alot of brushes from MAC and Sephora, but it’s like, once you start buying them, you can’t stop. Lol.
I tried Pixiwoo’s trick with using a blending brush to apply concealer rather than an actual concealer brush. They use MAC’s 224 tapered blending brush that is meant for blending eye shadows. The only blending brush I have is MAC’s 217. Works great! Concealer brushes are usually made with synthetic. Blending brushes are made of natural bristles. I have a concealer brush from Bare Minerals. I never really liked it because it made my concealer look streaky. I usually just use my finger. Now, I love using a blending brush. ^^

About Coastal Scents eyeshadows:
I got the 88 piece (matte) and 88 ultra shimmer shadow palettes almost a year ago. People review them all the time and most rave about ‘em.
To be honest, I’m not that impressed with the shadows. The color range is great, but the quality is what it is. You get what you pay for, in this case. A 88 piece palette is less than $20 each. When you swirl your finger on it to test the color, it looks high pigmented. But once you put it on your lids (at least mine), it does stay on. With these shadows, you definitely need to apply a primer/foundation/concealer on your lids beforehand. If you don’t, the shadow easily wipes off. I like them only to experiment with. I thought that once I bought these palettes, I wouldn’t need or want to buy anymore shadows, but that’s not true.
And oh yeah..the shimmer palettes, not that impressive either. The shimmer in it is a bit tacky for me. Maybe the shimmer is too young for me? (I’m 25). I think my sister would like it, who is ten years younger than me. The only colors I like out of the shimmer palette is the silvers/grays, black, and browns.
So do I think the shadows are worth it? Again, they’re great for the price you pay for them.

I have some of NYX eyeshadow trio eye palettes and their shadows are better than Coastal Scents. And they’re prices are very affordable as well. I think I would rather buy NYX’s 78 color palette, which is $25. I don’t have that palette (not yet), but I do have NYX shadows.

Enough of that.
I think I’ll do another Youtube look tomorrow. ^^

Some things I am (currently and forever) obsessed with/addicted to :

(No surprise.) Having my nails polished. I’ve said this once before. I always have nail polish on my fingernails and toenails. I either wear a color or a nail strengthener. Type of colors I mainly wear: blues, purples, nudes, sheer pinky whites, pinky-corals, greens, and grays.
I am also very picky with how my polish looks. When I do have another nail tech polish my nails, I point out spots they missed. I know it annoys them, but that just how I am. A pet peeve is when the second coat goes on and there’s like a dip (where you can see my natural nail) near the cuticle from the brush being brushed on too hard. That’s a reason why I like to wear three coats most of the time. I like my nails to be completely covered..cleanly, of course. >:)
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YouTube Videos. I’m pretty much on Youtube everyday. I mainly watch videos of people singing (people doing cover songs), dancing, artist’s live performance (to see how good they really are), video game gameplay (to cheat =X or to preview a game before I purchase), and makeup gurus. I love reading the comments too. Some people can be very ridiculous and some people are just right on.

My fav Youtubers with a video I like»

Music»
Erin Paula – Shontelle “Impossible” Cover

Erika David – Katy Perry “Thinkin’ Of You” Cover & Beyonce “EGO” Cover

Roxanne – Musiq Soulchild “Don’t Change” Cover

Jayne – Alicia Keys “Unthinkable” ft Summerbreeze Acoustic Cover. This is one of my favorite covers. I actually like this better than the original (and I hardly ever say that). Sorry Keys. :P

Marie Digby – “Feel” Live in Studio & Love with a Stranger. These songs are originals of hers. (I think mixed babies/people are so pretty. She’s half Japanese and Irish.)
All of her cover songs are great. She really makes them her own:
Britney Spears “Gimme More” Cover
Lady Gaga “Telephone” Cover

Esmee Denters – Showcase: “Admit it”, “Love Dealer”, Just Can’t Have It”, “Outta Here”. She’s a YouTube star, signed under Justin Timberlake. In this video, Jayne (mentioned above) is a back up singer. Her voice is so unique to me.

Beauty Gurus»

My favorite is Pixiwoo. Sisters, Samantha & Nicola. Both professional makeup artists with 15+ years of experience.
Pixiwoo has a personal Youtube channel as well: PixiwooMadness
Nicola:
Deep Purple New Years Party Look
Raquel Welsh makeup
Summer Evening Smokey Purple
Summer Pastel
Drag Queen Makeup

Samantha:
Dark Glossy Eyes
Modern Gothic
Beth Ditto ‘creative liner’
Ramble Ramble love this video. Watch it. I think every woman/lady/girl should watch this.
Simple Makeup really cool false lashes

Ma-chin/binosusume. Really great hair tutorials, mainly up-dos: Hair Bow

Queenie Chan. So pretty. I mainly watch her for her travelling, beauty treatments, eating, and shopping. She has some good makeup ones too. She’s just really entertaining to me, even though I don’t understand what she is saying. She has English text though. She has a lot going on: artist, beauty guru, flight attendant, model, tv presenter, beauty columnist, cookbook writer…I also like seeing her culture. I believe she lives in Hong Kong. I would love to go there…

AsianCookingMadeEasy. Learn to make Chinese & Chinese-American dishes. Fortune cookies, Har Gow (dim sum), Pork Buns, etc. I’ve tried the Honey Walnut Shrimp. I did a post about it before. Yummy!

TranCanCook. Learn to make Vietnamese dishes!! Yummy. I’m happy about this channel. I watched my dad cook all the time when I was young, but I never re-created the dishes myself. I hope they make alot of videos. Lol.
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Games. This makes me a real dork. I love playing the flash games on fb. Which ones are those? Playfish: Country Story, Hotel City, Restaurant City, and My Empire. And Zip Zap: Baking Life (a new one, which I’m loving). I can’t help it. I love the decorating/designing.

And I’m forever a gamer. Rented Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. I will have to purchase that one. I also want the Zelda: Spirit Tracks for DS. I saw on YouTube that the new Legend Zelda: Skyward Sword for Wii will be coming out in 2011. I think the graphics are phony for the Wii because Zelda: Twilight Princess were amazing for Zelda. TPrincess was more dark and mysterious. SSword will be more cartoony/colorful like how Spirit Tracks and Phantom of the Hourglass (DS). I still want it though. I love Zelda.

I’m always playing a game. (I have too much free time :X). I play my fb games everyday. And when I go to bed, I’m on my phone playing puzzles. Pathetic!!
I think I have a problem.
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My skin. I don’t miss a day and night without cleansing my face. I have to wash my face every morning and night or else I’ll just feel soo dirty. I carry oil-blotting papers with me all the time during the day if I go anywhere. I hate that my t-zone areas are so oily. My skin produces excessive sebum, causing mainly my nose to be covered in comedones (learned that in school :P). Comedones is the technical term for blackheads/whiteheads. I saw a video from BeautyQQ (Youtube) where she gets hers lasered off. Queenie has gorgeous skin! When I’m back on my feet again with work, I would consider getting that done. Whiteheads are a huge and forever struggle of mine. The only way I can get rid of them is by extracting them myself after a steamy shower. I believe I will always have this problem because my face produces too much sebum/oil. *sigh. If I get the surgery, I will be sure to let ya guys know.
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Well, that’s all for now.

I already posted a blog about mascara, but I feel I need to again to share my thoughts. I was going to do some research on mascara, reading site after site, but I didn’t need to. Thanks to Wikipedia. ^^

Wikipedia: Mascara.

I always find it interesting to read about the history of cosmetic products. Don’t worry, I won’t bore you with it. Also, I won’t get into the ingredients because I haven’t even heard of ‘em. Guessing most people wouldn’t either. All that matters is how it works and if it’s safe.

Mascara…why even use it?
It can make small eyes appear bigger.
It can make tired eyes look rested.
It make me ugly eyes prettier&/sexier. Kidding. Everyone’s eyes are pretty. Mascara can boost them up.
It make add effect to your makeup like make a winged/cat eyeliner catty.

The differences between regular and waterproof mascara is pretty obvious.
Regular mascara:
It can run when in contact with water/moisture: rain, your tears, your sweat, oils on your face (when your lashes touch undereye area and rub off because of the oils on your face).
The formula is water based.
Can be washed off pretty easily with just facial cleanser and water.
Comes in a variety of different colors.
Not a good idea to wear on your wedding day or on an occasion tears may happen.

Waterproof mascara:
It won’t run off/down.
It may flake after a while over having it on.
Can be a pain to take off.
The formula is oil/wax based. The best and sometimes the only way to get it off is with a makeup remover.
It’s a drier formula, therefore it can dry out your lashes.
The ideal mascara to wear for weddings…etc.
Usually just comes in black or brown. I never seen any waterproof colored mascaras. I’m sure there are some out there.

I think I covered most of the differences. I saved the biggest difference for last.
This may not be true with you, but it is with me.
Waterproof mascara is the best for keeping lashes that have been curled with an eyelash curler, curled. I’m not alone on this. I’ve read other women feel the same way.
It does not matter how dry the formula or what kind of wand/brush a regular mascara has, my lashes won’t stay curled. Nope, not even the “curling mascaras” with the curved wands work. The only way my lashes will somewhat curled with regular mascara is if I curl them after I have applied mascara. The bad thing about that is lashes can break off when you do it like that.

With waterproof, my lashes would stay curled up all day and night until I take it off. Yeah, it’s a pain to take it off, but sometimes it’s worth it. Some days I feel like wearing the regular mascara and curling them before and after mascara cause it’s easier to clean off. Some days I’ll just go waterproof.

Excuse the shininess, pore-infested nose, and lifeless hair. ^^

My natural lashes: I’ve notice a lot of Asian have the same lashes as I do. Straight, fine, and points towards the ground. Stubborn. Whether you’re Asian or not, if you have lashes like me and have the same problem, try this.

Left Picture: What my lashes look like after curling them with an eyelash curler. I use Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler ($19?), which I think is the best. Many others agree with me.
Right Picture: What my lashes look like with a waterproof mascara.
So far, I’ve only been using either Maybelline’s Pulse Perfection or Cover Girl’s Lash Blast, both my favorites. Both give me the same staying power. Here I used Pulse Perfection. I don’t get any flaking from these two. And my lashes stay curled (in my case, straight up) all day and night.
I like the rubber/short bristled brush mascaras because I can really wiggle the wand in close to the base of my lashes. Doing that will make your lashes look thicker. Lash Blast gives me a thicker results than the Pulse Perfection. I use the Pulse Perfection if I’m going for a more natural look.

Left: Here, I used Maybelline’s XXL Pro mascara.
I should be using the non-water resistant Pulse Perfection be true to the comparisons, but I don’t have it. I used to use both the MPP and CGLB in regular formula, but I still would have to curl my lashes for a second time. Even with other non-water resistant mascaras I have tried, lashes would just drop down: Sephora, Lancome, L’Oreal, benefit, MAC, clinique, Imju Fiberwig, estee lauder, etc.
Right: After curling them a second time. A little bit better.

Left: Big difference huh? Lol. I use the waterproof a lot more also because my eyes water alot. I think I may have chronic dry eyes.
Right: Just showing off the Cover Girl’s smokyshadowblast with my uneven lashes..lol. I have the grey/purplish color one: Silver Sky 805 (click the link, it’s the right one). If you’re my friend on Facebook, I used it as a shadow base on my profile pic. I was skeptical with this product. Still kinda am. I picked this color because the two colors aren’t crazily contrasting each other like the black and white one. I apply the gray one first, past just above my crease. Blend the edges up and out with my finger. Then apply the darker shade, the purply, in my crease/outer corner and lower lids. Blend edges with my finger again. I like it for when I’m in a hurry.

So if you’re going to try these methods of mascara, be gentle.

Whenever you want to curl your lashes with mascara already on them, make sure the mascara has dried and that you wipe your lash curler clean. Any makeup build-up (usually eyeliner) that’s left on your lash curler can make your lashes stick to the curler even more. That can result to tugging a few hairs off, which I have done when I didn’t clean my curler. Too risky for ya? Go waterproof.

To take waterproof mascaras off, I use Neutrogena’s Makeup Remover Towelettes. I cut up my towellettes in quarters because I never use the whole wipe. I only use it for my eyes. I could get the Eye Makeup Remover Pads, but you get much more out of the wipes. So I take a quarter of a wipe, wrap it around my index finger, and gently rub my finger across my lashes. Wiggling up, down, left, right. Kinda like you’re itching your eye, only wayyy more gentle.
For extra care, I sometimes apply a lash conditioner before applying my waterproof mascara. I almost always apply a lash conditioner after I’ve taken off mascara, especially waterproof. I use Talika Eyelash Lipocils. I like this product alot. It doesn’t really make my lashes longer, but I’ve noticed a change. They look healthier and I rarely have lash fall outs. I apply it to my brows too.

All too much of a hassle? Forget you even read this then. =P Or just wear false lashes/semi-permanent lashes. Shoo, that can be a hassle too. I’m not a fan of wearing false lashes unless I’m really dressing up.

If I had to choose out of all my makeup products, mascara is the one product I couldn’t live without. Scratch that. Mascara & my eyelash curler. Mascara can open your eyes in ways an eyeliner can’t. I think applying mascara to your top lashes (that keeps a curl) can make your eyes appear larger (if you want them to)/more awake/more fresh than just applying eyeliner. You can apply mascara to look like you applied eyeliner just by wiggling the wand in between your lashes more.

I love mascara.

I love watching makeup videos, no surprise. I especially love watching videos from real professional makeup artists. Besides watching makeup artists like Samantha and Nicola Chapman (pixiwoo) and Kandee Johnson on Youtube, I like watching the videos on M.A.C’s website.
MAC Cosmetics

Under the “Artistry” category, there’s an “Artists in Action” link. MAC has a handful of videos every girl/woman who wants to learn basics, trends, and tips about makeup. ^^

Sephora has great videos too. Maybe a little crazy to wear on a daily basis, but fun to learn and watch. ^^
Visual Effects with Sephora.

A couple of weeks ago, I sat down in front of a mirror and just started playing with makeup. I’d put some one, take it off, then put some on. It repeated a lot. All these looks I did in one day, except the one where I’m wearing a green polo. That picture is in one of my recent posts..St. Patty’s makeup. The others were just for fun. Most of them I wouldn’t wear in public (unless I was a makeup artist at a counter like MAC). :P I would wear it if it was toned down, but here, I’m just having fun. ^^

I didn’t get any new makeup, but I do have a lot compared to the average women.
For the shadows, I used my Coastal Scents palettes (88 ultra shimmer & 88 piece), Urban Decay Sustainable Shadow Box, NYX Cosmestics Trio eye shadows, KatVonD True Romance Eyeshadow Palette in Beethoven.
For liners, I just used Rimmel Londons Soft Kohls, L’Oreal HiP Chrome, CARGO eyeliner powder palette, and Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes
For mascaras, I used either badGal Lash by Benefit and Supernova or Firebird Mascara..both by Fresh. I didn’t use the waterproof mascaras that I usually wear to keep my lashes curled because that would have been a pain to take on and off. Same reason why I didn’t apply false lashes, except on my St. Patty’s makeup since I was wearing that to school.
Lips, I used MAC, Relvon, tarte, NYX, and CARGO products.
Cheeks, Bare Escentuals, Coastal Scents 10 Piece Professional Blush Palette, and Rimmel London.
If you want to know specifics on any of the looks, feel free to ask me. ^^ I’ll try to remember what I used.
Click picture to enlarge.

I used only half false lashes. I didn’t want to be even more over done than I was that day. Lol.

I had to walk the dogs after I was done with this one. Lol. I was scared I would run into some of the neighbors and they would think, “Whoa…cake face!” Sure enough, someone was out too walking their dog. I just walked pass them with my head down. Lol.

The only glitter I had was a glittery white shadow from my UDecay Sustainable palette. I applied a white shadow on the lids, blended grays and shimmery black into the crease and outer corners, then applied clear lipgloss over the white shadowed area, and packed on the glittery white shadow. My camera didn’t pick up how intense it really was.

I love purples and peaches together.

Clear lipgloss was also used here. Just dabbed over black shadow with my finger.

I said before I’m too lazy to make makeup tutorials, but I don’t mind blogging about looks. Eventually I will make more videos, but this is way easier.

More looks to come. ^^