Inside my makeup case...

           Hello everybody! With summer upon us already (at least here in Florida anyway), an all new crop of summer products is crowding shelves from drugstores to department stores. I have been hard at work trying out some of the newest products as well as investigating some natural makeup & beauty products. Expect a bunch of product reviews over the next month or so including:

• Black kohl powder eyeliner
• Creme De La Mer moisturizer
• Temptu "Summer Skin" Airbrush tanning collection
• Illmasqua Liquid Metal cream eyeshadow
• and many more reviews, look breakdowns, product release info & more....

     Stay tuned! (PS. Happy Mother's Day!) 

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         Glitter is a girl's best friend! If you are not a fan of the shimmering goodness that is glitter, then this product is not for you. While all glitter is pretty & fun, not all glitter is created equal. You never want to use craft store glitter on your face, it is usually made out of metal, it can create tiny cuts on your face (and that is no fun). You want a "cosmetic grade" glitter, this means that it is safe for use on the face.

         A wonderful brand that specializes in cosmetic grade glitter is Eye Kandy. Still a relatively small company Eye Kandy began by marketing their product to bellydancers, a population who lives on glitter. Since then Eye Kandy has become popular amongest Makeup Artists & has recently broken through into the general population. Eye Kandy is available in a rainbow of colors (60 in total) and 2 different granule sizes (fine & superfine). Eye Kandy also makes their own glitter adhesive, Liquid Sugar, which is quickly gaining a cult following. What makes this adhesive great is that it holds on glitters (as well as other powder makeup) amazingly well without irrataing eyes because it is water based, it is even safe for all you contact lens wearers. To learn more about Eye Kandy or to order their peoducts visit their website at http://www.eyekandycosmetics.com.

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          Last time I told you all the great things about red lipstick and left you with the promise of a look breakdown on a classic look. The classic look I am talking about is the 40's pin-up look that burlesque queen Dita Von Teese is bringing back to popularity. So, who better to show than the burly-q bombshell herself for this sassy look. Instead of product names I have decided to give you color descriptions, that way it is easier to find a match in what you already have:

FACE:

• Foundation: The paler you are the better, but work within your skin tone. We want porcelain beauty not ghastly ghoul.
• Blush: I like to mix a light pink blush with a rose colored blush to get a bright flush, apply with a light hand to the apple of the cheek.
• Highlight: Dust a shimmery beige or white on top of cheek bones, down the center of your nose, & along the jawline. NO BRONZER!

Eyes:

• Eyebrows: Fill in brows with a pencil that matches your hair, if you go darker only go 1 or 2 shades.
• Eyeshadow: Cover lid in a shimmery champagne color & pull all the way up to brow bone. Starting at the outer corner use a mid-tone matte brown to shade in crease. Use a shimmery white to highlight just under the eyebrow arch & on the tear ducts (inner corner of eyes).
• Eyeliner: Use a true black liquid liner on both top & bottom, at the outer corners of the eye create a small wing.
• Lashes: You can use mascara, lashes, or better yet both to get those luscious lashes. Make sure your mascara is black

Lips:

• Do I really need to explain this one? Two words: RED LIPSTICK! Matte lipstick looks the best for this look. One of Dita's favorites is MAC's Russian Red (a true matte red), and who better to get a reccomendation for red lipstick from?

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          Red lipstick is an incredible thing. Nothing evokes confidence or sexiness like the perfect red pin-up pout. Far too many people are scared to wear red lipstick & today I am going to try and ease that anxiety with some tips on how to pick your perfect red & wear it with confidence.

• Picking the color: If you are new to red lipstick you may want to first try a cherry tinted lip balm or gloss. It will give you a great color & will help ease you into the idea of red lips. The color of lipstick you choose should compliment you skin color & undertones, so: Fair skin = blue-based red, olive skin = bright true red, dark skin = deep blood red.
• How to apply: Before applying any color lipstick you should put on a thin coat of lip balm to help keep your lips hydrated & healthy, but red lipstick can be extra drying so lip balm is a must. Using a lip liner under your lipstick (filling in entire lip) will help prevent the lipstick from bleeding AKA "Ring around the mouth". To make sure your lipstick stays it's true color use a lip liner that matches the natural shade of your lips. When applying the lipstick using a lip brush will give you extra precision.
• What about the rest?: Unless you are going for the Vampira look (which I love but it doesn't work every occasion) the rest of your makeup should be subtle. You don't want any other features to compete with your red lips, they should be the focus. 
• Need another reason to rock red?: Wear red lipstick in support of breast cancer awareness. Their signature color may be pink but thanks to Geralyn Lucas (author of "Why I Wore Lipstick To My Mastectomy") red lipstick now has a new meaning. Wear red lipstick to show support for the courage and strength of all those who have/are/will battle breast cancer. Visit Geralyn's website for more.
• My reccomendations:
• Viva Glam 1 - MAC Lipstick
• Cruella - NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil
• Benetint Pocket Pal - Benefit
• Russian Red - MAC Lipstick & Lipgloss
• Gash - Urban Decay Lipstick

          Now that you know what red to wear & how to apply it the question is how do you wear it well? Next time I will do a look breakdown of a women who oozes glamour & should be the poster girl for red lipstick.

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           Inspired by Katy Perry's album Teenage Dream, OPI set out to create colors as unique and inspiring as Katy herself. This collection consists of 4 nail colors and a black "shatter" top coat. The four nail colors are also available in a mini pack. The colors in this collection are:

• Teenage Dream: bubblegum pink semi-sheer glitter
• Last Friday Night: bright royal blue semi-sheer gltter with multi-color flecks
• The One That Got Away: Maroon red with pink shimmer throughout
• Not Like the Movies: Silvery gray base with a multi-color shift
• Black Shatter: Top coat that creates a black "broken glass" pattern when applied

        In my opinion there is only one color in this collection that is ho-hum, that is The One That Got Away, all the others are great. My favorite color in this collection is Not Like the Movies; it is amazingly unique and despite its apperance compliments so many other colors. The polish almost seem to change colors according to the clothes you are wearing. I plan on doing a full review of Black Shatter later on when I have tried it over a bunch of colors. The colors in this collection offer so many options that if you do your nails (or get them done) often and don't like repeating yourself go out and buy this collection! I wish they had done this as a larger collection but it is probably better for my wallet that they didn't.

                     *Black Shatter shown over all nail polish colors*

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