The Many Uses of White Eyeliner

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Hello lovelies! I have always loved my white eyeliner. My mom still doesn't understand how extremely useful it is. You'll want to get one that lines easily so you don't irritate your eye; I use Rimmel Soft Kohl eyeliner in Pure White (I've heard NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk is good as well, though I can never seem to get my hands on NYX!).Well, I use it for three purposes:

1) As a base for shadows. Gently use the eyeliner all over your lid, then smudge with a finger to create a white base. Any eyeshadows used afterwards will appear more vibrant against the white 'canvas.'

2) As a matte highlight. Use your white eyeliner in the inner corner of your eye and to highlight the browbone, then blend. You've created the perfect matte highlight!

3) To give the illusion of bigger eyes. Find your lower waterline (the flap of skin between your lower lashes and your eye) and gently place a figer under your eye. This should reveal the waterline. Line it in white, giving the illusion that the whites of your eyes extend farther down than they do.

Well, all for now! Hope you enjoyed my super-quick post. :) Please take the poll in the left sidebar, or leave requests!

Love, Val

How To: DIY Makeup Brush Holders!

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  Hello blogging world! Sorry it has been so ridiculously long since I've posted. Eleven days, to be precise. And I feel awful about it. But... (excuse time) I was on a week long vacation in Vancouver, which has the best shopping by the way!
  So I'm back, and I hope to cram in a bunch of posts before my next vacation in a couple weeks!
  Now on to the topic at hand... how to make your own makeup brush holder. Now, I've wanted a brush holder for ever, as my brushes were taking up space where makeup should've been. A trip to Sephora inspired this post, because they store their brushes so fabulously in clear containers with clear beads to hold the brushes in place. Well, in the dollar section at Target today I found some cute little pails that looked appropriately brush-sized, causing me to look for something to fill them with. I found some small stones called 'vase filler' which work amazingly. Now the rambling ends and the how-to begins!

1) Materials. First you'll need a container (I have two, one for face brushes and one for eye, but it's up to you). Try Target or office supply stores; anything from pencil holders to small vases will do. Just make sure your container is tall enough to support your brushes. Next, you'll need something to fill the container with; I'd recommend looking for 'vase filler' (available at Target and craft stores), which varies from rocks like mine to marbles and beads. You can choose from a variety of colors and styles, but I'd recommend relatively small beads for more comfortable brush storage.
2) Fill your container. Put the filler into your container, filling about three-fourths or four-fifths of the way.
3) Put your brushes inside and you're all set! It's that easy! You now have a cute brush holder. :)

Hope you enjoyed and are having amazing summers! Leave any requests you can think of. Also, thanks to all my followers, new and old, as well as everyone who's commented on my posts! Your support keeps me going and gives me a smile every time. :)

Love, Val

Stila Giveaway!!! **CLOSED**

  Hey everyone! Today I'm super excited because... I'm having a giveaway!

  Over a month ago I bought some Stila makeup at Costco. I've been using everything and I love it all! Well, I just went back to Costco and saw the same set. I was struck by a brilliant idea - I bought it again to give away to one of my lovely readers!

In this picture - me (finally! wearing lululemon tank and hollister cardigan), the prize, my new coral-pink walls! You like?

Rules
1) You must be a follower of my blog to enter - because I want this to be a gift to a follower. :) It's easy and free!
2) You must be a) 18 or over, or b) have a parent's permission (so I can ship it to you).
3) Just leave a comment on this post and you're automatically entered!
4) Only one entry per person. I won't give you bonus points for linking to this contest from your blog, though that would be nice!
5) This contest is open internationally and I will pay shipping!
6) Contest closes August 1st at 12:00 AM PST. I will choose the winner using this website by numbering off the comments and then generating a random number.  So if I had 6 comments, I would generate a number between 1 and 6, and the corresponding comment would win!

Prize
Now the fun part... your prize! One lucky winner will receive, in an unopened package, all authentic Stila makeup:
 -an eyeshadow trio, including three eyeshadows: lamé (bright yellow), chloe (chocolate brown), and kitten (gold/pink, Stila's most famous product!), all with finely milled shimmer
-a double-ended eyeshadow brush #30, one side for lid/highlight and the other for crease/outer v
-lash visor waterproof mascara in black
-smudge pot (combination cream eyeshadow/gel eyeliner) in black (note: not full sized)
-.10 oz. sample of 'one step' foundation in medium (doesn't look like much, but has lasted me 5 applications and still has plenty left!)

Click 'read more' to see pictures and swatches of my copies, plus an eye look using the products! Good luck!

Love, Val

Outfit of the Day! (6.22.2010)

Hello readers! I'm off to the MAC counter at my local Macy's in a few minutes (!! my first MAC trip ever) but I thought I'd give you a quick outfit of the day - or OOTD - before I'm off.

   This is my typical summer wear! A cute, floral tank (brand is h.i.p., bought at Nordstrom) paired with denim shorts (Vigoss Jeans, Nordstrom) adds just enough cute to casual wear. I added a gray jacket with three-quarter length sleeves (gift, I believe the brand is 'Lady Hathaway') so I can adjust to any possible weather. Topping it off is a gold floral necklace (Target), black sunglasses (CVS), and of course a strawberry popsicle! (I like Dreyer's and Trader Joe's.) I'm also wearing dark gray Havaiana flip-flops!

Picture taken with my new MacBook Pro! Pretty decent quality for a webcam pic, no?

Hope you liked! Nars/Benefit/Sephora/MAC haul coming soon!

Love, Val

Review: CoverGirl Smoky Shadow Blast

Hello lovelies! Sorry I've been gone so long, the last few weeks of school were brutal, and then I was a camp counselor for a week. But now I'm free to blog as much as I want!
So, I went to CVS a few days ago and picked up three things. Two Revlon ColorBurst lipsticks in 'soft nude' and 'peach' - I love them both!! Then, on my way out I saw CoverGirl's Smoky Shadow Blast, and I picked it up as well because I thought a cream eyeshadow would be nice for summer.

The color I chose is called 'Purple Plum.'

The 'gimmick' here is that you can easily achieve smoky eyes by applying step one (the rounded side) all over your lid, and step two (chiseled) into the crease and upper lash line.

This is going to be a long one, so please read my entire experiment/review after the jump!

Final Score: 1/5 Stars

Haul coming soon! Thanks for reading-

Love, Val

Dramatic Purple Eyes

It's finally here... my first makeup tutorial! This eye is shimmery, dramatic, and vibrant - it'd be gorgeous for a night out.
(Sorry I don't have step-by-step pictures - my computer deleted them - I will have them next time!)

All shadows are Urban Decay, all Urban Decay is from their Summer of Love kit.

1) First I primed my eyes with Urban Decay primer potion in Sin to intensify shadows and prevent creasing.
2) Next, with my lid brush, I put Maui Wowie (shimmery gold/silver) all over my lid, packing it on for a vibrant color.
3) I then took a crease brush and applied Smog (velvet chocolate brown, my favorite!) into the crease, creating a rounded shape.
4) Next I created an outer V with Flash (vibrant matte purple), adding a beautiful pop of color. I also took an angled brush and applied Flash two-thirds of the way in the lower lash line.
5) Lastly I put Chopper (shimmery copper) in my inner corner to brighten the look.
6) I thinly lined my upper lash line with MAC PenUltimate liner in RapidBlack, my waterline with Urban Decay glide-on liner in Bourbon, and applied two coats of CoverGirl LashBlast Volume mascara for dramatic lashes.

Here's one last picture-

I've made that one my Blogger profile pic! What do you think?

So, that's all for my first tutorial! Let me know what you think of it in a comment, and I'll have more soon!

Love, Val

P.S. The liner is my first MAC product ever! A gift from my generous grandma :)

May Favorites

What I've been loving this month!

Makeup

• Dulce Cosmetics Baked Powder - I've been loving matte finishes for May, contrary to my love of all things dewy in April. Some days I'll just apply concealer and this powder as a 'foundation.'
• CoverGirl LashBlast Volume - My new favorite mascara!!
• Rosebud Strawberry Lip Balm - Whenever I want a natural lip I just apply a lip balm like this, or a clear gloss. This balm has the best strawberry scent.
• Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Soft Plum - Who knew mousse blushes could be so fun? Next I want to try some cream blushes for summer.
• L'Oreal Lash Serum - Made my lashes noticeably longer and thicker. Review soon?
• Benefit Hoola bronzer and Nars Orgasm Blush - Read my 'Sephora Haul' to see why I love them! :)

Hair

• Joico K-Pak Reconstruct Shampoo and Conditioner - Makes my hair really soft, shiny, and healthy-feeling.
• Wearing my hair naturally! I've been loving showering in the morning, scrunching my hair with Paul Mitchell's texture cream, and letting it dry how it pleases.

Nails

• Essie Nail Polish in Mint Candy Apple - It's a gorgeous light blue/green, almost Tiffany color; I got a ton of compliments on my nails. Also, it's in for summer!

All for now. What are you loving for May?
Love, Val