!!What I'm using right now tag!!

Another Tag!!!! I've been tagged by the lovely M*Shellers. Thank you!

Shampoo: Pantene Brunette Expressions (makes my hair really shiny but I'm almost out and I'm dying to go back to Paul Mitchell)
Conditioner: Pantene Expressions Conditioner
Styling Products: Aussie sun-touched shine conditioning shine spray, Pantene hair protecting spray
Body Wash: Dove Cherry Blossom& Almost Scent Body Wash
Body Moisturizer: Bath&Body works Sweet Pea
Anti-Perspirant: Dove Ultimate Clear Energizing Grapefruit and Lemongrass Scent.
Fake Tan: Nope!
Makeup Remover: Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser, make-up remover wipes.
Cleanser: St.Ive's
Exfoliator: St. Ive's apricot scrub (my HG scrub).
Primer: MAC prep and prime
Foundation: MAC's Studio Fix Fluid in NC 20.
Foundation Brush: Everyday Minerals Flat Brush
Concealer: Select Cover-up NW 20.
Powder: MAC MSF in Natural
Blush: MAC Gingerly and MSF So Ceylon
Bronzer: MAC bronzing powder
Highlighter: MAC MSF (So Ceylon or Petticoat). I've also used Everyday Mineral's Blush in Natural as a highlighter (its really light with lots of shimmer)
Eyeshadow Base: MAC prep and prime eye, Bare Study paintpot or Constructivist paintpot.
Eyeshadows: Sumptous Olive
Eyeliner: MAC Blacktrack fluidline or just a pencil eyeliner if I'm running late (happens almost every day)
Eyelash Curler: cheap and cheerful NYC
Eyelash Base: None
Mascara: L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara
Lip Stick: Creme D'Nude
Lipgloss: I've been using lipstick with no lipgloss on top for about 2 weeks now
Nail Colour: I love OPI "Parlez-vous OPI?" and OPI "Who needs a prince?"

LOL - I actually had to go check the names of most of these products, so I got a little workout :-)
I tag anyone who haven't done this already and who would like to do it!

Thank you for reading!!!!!!

FOTD # 1...

I know I haven't posted in a while and I thought today - why not make it my first FOTD day? School and work keep me way too busy and I really haven't had a chance to be creative with my make up. Anyway, I don't usually wear anything even close to bright/dramatic make up to work (because of my field of work) so below you will see what I wore today. It's really nothing special, but I just wanted to say hi to everybody and post a little update!

So here's what I wore today:

MAC Select Cover up concealer in NW20

MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC20

MAC Prep&Prime Eye (I don't like this stuff but I thought I'd at least use half of it before buying something else)

MAC MSF Natural in Light Medium (amazing- :-) )

MAC Well Dressed blush

Coastal Scents 28 neutral palette (for some reason I tend to use it when I wake up in a bad mood..LOL...)

MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack (so happy I got it)

L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara (my HG mascara)

Revlon Superlustrous lipstick in Twinkled Pink (its a very nude pink; the formula is pretty good too, considering its a drug store lipstick)

I hope everyone is having a great week!

TAG! 10 Songs I'm listening to...

Another interesting tag started by Laura (Laura's Bloggy Blog). First of all, I must say that I like all kinds of music, it really depends on my mood! So here it is:

1. Lady Gaga - Poker Face.
I know a few people have already mentioned this song as one of their favorites, and even though I don't want to be a "copy cat" ...lol.., it is my favorite song at the moment too. I like her videos and her unbelievable self-confidence.

2. Howie Day - Collide
This song actually makes me smile every time I listen to it...

3. Lenny Kravitz - Again
This has to be his best song ever and it's been on my fav's list for ages! It actually makes me think that if two people are really ment to be together, they will find each other/be together no matter what..(Sorry for being corny here..haha)

4. Pink - Heartbreaker
Simply LOVE IT! Lyrics makes 100% sence to me and it is something I can totally relate to...

5. Tracy Chapman - Fast Car

This song doesn't just make me smile, it makes me feel happier...

6. Aerosmith - Crying
I can listen to this song almost 24/7....

7. Sixpence None The Richer - Kiss Me

Just a nice song...

8. Liz Phair - Why Can't I?
This song came out when I was in high school and it reminds me of really good times

9. Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
Summer, beach, lots of sun and fun, and no school whatsoever!!!!!

10. The Cardigans - Don't Blame Your Daughter
This one is really melancholic but it's definately one of my favorites!

I just realized that I think I have at least 100 of my favorite songs! Most of them are mainly pop/rock so I guess it sounds slightly boring....
I tag anybody who reads my blog and who wants to respond to this tag!!!
Thanks for reading my blog!

MAC Haul (plus Sonia Kashuk and Victoria's Secret)

My MAC order finally came and it absolutely made my first week of school so much better!
I also included a gift that I got from a friend at work - a set of Victoria's Secret lotions, and a Sonia Kashuk blending brush, which I picked up last night at Target.

Firstly, I bought 2 MSFs: Petticoat and MSF Natural in Light Natural. A couple of days after I placed this order I heard that MSF Natural in Light Medium is way too light for those who are NC20...and so I guess I was a little upset since I'm NC20 and it sounded like I got the wrong shade BUT - let me tell you, it looks wonderful and it turned out to be the perfect shade for me! I use it to set my foundation and I only need 1-2 touch ups during the day!

Here is a picture of the 2 MSFs and my 2 new MAC blushes in Well Dressed and Gingerly (both are amazing). Left to right:Petticoat,Well Dressed, Light Medium and Gingerly:When the Dame Edna collection came out, I actually didn't like it whatsoever because of the packaging and I thought the colors aren't really "me". But then I figured that I really don't own any bright lipsticks and this would be a great time to try something completely new! Truth be told, even though it's nowhere to being "bright", I ended up ordering Creme D'Nude too...

So, here they are: Coral Polyp(Amplified), Creme D'Nude(Cremesheen) and Gladiola(Matte): Needless to say, Creme D'Nude is the favorite lipstick ever. Even though dark red lips are in this season I think I'll still stick with good old smoky eye and nude lips! I really love the Dame Edna lippies too. I have no idea why I used to be almost scared of wearing bright lipstick but these two managed to make me completely change my mind!
Next, Sonia Kashuk blending brush and 3 lovely MAC products - Paint Pots and a gel eyeliner!Left to right: Paint Pot in Bare Study, Fluidline in Blacktrack and Paint Pot in Constructivist:

I did try Bare Study and, unfortunately, I can definately say that I could live without it. I kind of expected the consistency to be a bit more creamy, but the color is beautiful and it does bring the color out in eyeshadows. I think maybe I apply too much or too little of this product, so if anyone can actually let me know the amount they use I would definately appreciate it! :-)

The Fluidline, on the other hand, is my new "love"...this is the first time I tried it and I'm so very very happy I bought it! I seriously doubt that I'll use a regular pencil eyeliner any time soon! It goes on so smooth and it looks amazing.

Lastly, I stocked up on my HG foundation and concealer - Studio Fix Fluid in NC20 and Select Cover-Up in NW20. I set my foundation with MSF Natural and - viola! - it gives my the perfect coverage. Please feel free to comment or let me know if you have any questions!!!!!!

Makeup & Fashion Questions and Answers

My first MAC order arrived today and I'm so so excited! I have my second order comming in tomorrow so I'll wait for that and do a haul post then. For now,
I'm not sure who started this tag but I thought I'd go ahead and answer the following questions...

Make Up & Fashion Questions and Answers...

1) On average, for application of your typical day-to-day work/college make up, how long do you spend? - It takes me about 30 minutes (lol I guess I'm just slow)

2) On average, for application of your going out/special make up, how long do you spend? - LOL this usually takes me unlimited amount of time and I still end up being late! So, for example, if I start getting ready 2 hours before I have to leave, I'll still end up rushing,trying to fix this and that and, as a result, I'm late!

3) If you were to be stranded on a dessert island, which 4 products would you want with you? Scrub, moisterizer with SPF, shampoo and lotion!


4) What beauty 'must haves' do you always carry in your handbag? - MAC MSF in natural, Carmax, lipgloss, lipstick, body spray, black eyeliner, mascara, blush.


5) Which drugstore brand would be your favourite? - Physician's Formula


6) High street or high end make up brands?- High end make up


7) On average, how long does it take you to get dressed/select your day-to-day outfits? - I usually decide what I'm going to wear the day before, so it takes me about 6-8 mins to get dressed and make sure it feels right.

8) On average, how long does it take you to get ready for a special occasion/night out? - Same here - my preparations are usually endless and have to be stopped by somebody who has to wait for me (and hopefully has lots of patience). I like to take my time, sorry ..

9) If you could only chose one item of clothing from your wardrobe, i.e jeans, which would be your favourite? - I would definately chose one of my dresses. I used to always wear jeans/pants and now I can't get enough of skirts and dresses!

10) What outfit gives you instant feel good factor? - A dress, I have many and I feel very comfy in black ones.

11) Which shops do you favour? - Victoria's Secret, Ann Taylor, GAP, American Eagle, JCPenny, Macy's, James Avery,etc.

12) High street or high end clothes? - It depends on the brand and on a particular item...

Polyvore!

Thanks to the lovely Bubblegarm, I discovered this website that can easily make 2 hours seem to fly by like 10 minutes!
Here are some sets that I came up with:

Facial Feature Tag!!!

This is a really nice tag started by Happy1234...

I suppose my eyes would be my best facial feature. I have hazel eyes, the color of which is somewhere between green and brown and the outer part of my pupils is actually dark brown. I've had several people ask me if I wear contacts, so I guess that's something like a compliment...lol..at least that's how I took it
Anyways, I usually wear pink, purple and brown eyeshadows. My MAC favs are Expensive Pink, Blackberry and Satin Taupe. I recently changed my eyeshadow "routine" - I stopped applying black eyeliner on my water line! I know this used to be a must for me, regardless of the occasion. I would still use black eyeliner on my waterline when going out, for example, but not for the office. Now I apply black eyeliner on my upper lid (a rather thick line) and white eyeliner on my waterline. It really makes my eye makeup look fresh and very office-appropriate. Sometimes I apply dark grey or dark brown eyeshadow on my lower lashline (using MAC 266 brush), which kind of substitutes eyeliner there.
I ALWAYS wear mascara, my favorite one is Loreal Telescopic in Carbon Black. I recently bought my 2nd one and I'm loving it!
It usually takes me no less than 30-40 minutes to apply all of my make up and be happy with what I see in the mirror so I'm one of those who starts getting ready 3 hours before they have to leave home (this is actually embarassing to say but it's true).

Happy 1234, thanks for a great tag!

I tag everyone who reads my blog :-)

Everyday Minerals

I received my Everyday Minerals order a few days ago and I was so excited about the concept of mineral make up and the "good" that it's supposed to do to the skin.

So, I ordered a Flat Top Brush, Long Handled Kabuki, Blush in Natural and, of coarse, a free sample kit. ( 3 samples of foundation - Multi-tasking, Fair Medium and Pink Tan; 2 blushes - Jingle Bells and Soft Touch and a concealer - Mint). Plus, they threw in 3 free gifts, which happened to be eyeshadows! I think I was actually more excited about those eyeshadows then the rest of this haul, I guess because it was a surprise. :-)

I have to say that I absolutely love the brushes! They are incredibly soft and only cost $10 each! I would definately say these brushes are worth the money.

Now, lets move to the actual make up...I haven't tried the foundations yet because I decided to wait for the weekend when I don't have to rush anywhere and really play with my make up.

Here are some swatches:

1. Eyeshadows that came as a free gift. Left to right: Silver Bells, Sleigh Ride, Christmas Carol.

2. Blushes. Top to bottom: Natural, Soft Touch, Jingle Bells.

I did try the brushes, blushes and a concealer.

I used the concealer, which is mint-green, to cover up those areas that have some redness (around my nose and chin). I think it does a pretty good job and I actually think it looks more natural on me than my usual MAC Studio Finish Concealer (in terms of covering redness).

The brushes are wonderful, so I can't complain about that.

However, I have to say that I was disappointed with the blushes. Now that I look at the swatches, I think the colors are actually pretty. "Jingle Bells" reminded me of the MSF So Ceylon and I actually used both of them today - Jingle Bells on the apple of my cheeks and So Ceylon as a highlighter - and kind of blended the two. I ended up liking it. The blush in Natural, however, has wayyy to much shimmer in it and I doubt that it would work well as an everyday blush. I'm going to have to use a very light hand with it, if I use it. Third, the Soft Touch is probably too "soft" for me since it practically did not show up on my cheeks. I'll try using the last two tomorrow and we'll see what happens. So, I guess there are more blush experiments to come...

For now though, I would say a big yay! to the Mint concealer/brushes and a baby yay! to the blushes...:-)

I heart this pic!

I thought I would share this with you... I never really liked Eva Longoria that much, until I saw this photo a few days ago. It is so elegant! She looks absolutely gorgeous here, I think her new haircut is SO flattering. This hairstyle reminds me of Merilyn Monroe. I'm thinking about trying it out, but I have a round face and I'm not really sure if it'll look good on me. Her make up is so neutral but with a lot of black eyeliner and nude lips! Love it....

Nailpolishes and lipsticks..

A couple of days ago I set out on a trip to a Whole Foods store, and unfortunately for my bank account, Whole Foods happens to share the parking lot with Ulta...So there really was no way for me to leave the shopping center without going to Ulta...:-)

I think I did pretty good in terms of staying away from the Smashbox, Urban Decay and the perfume sections. Although, at first I did pick up Urban Decay Primer Potion (I'm using MAC Prep+Prime right now and I do not like it whatsoever, but I'm pretty sure that if I buy another product of this kind, my MAC one would just go to waste. So I decided to use at least half of it and then try something else).

So here is what I bought from Ulta:

-- O P I Nail Polish!!!--

Ulta had a "buy 2, get 2 free" offer which I don't think many people can resist....

Left to right: base coat; Who Needs A Prince?, Parlez-vouz OPI?; top coat.

I haven't tried "Parlez-vouz OPI" yet but I did try the Who Needs A Prince one and I LOVE IT! It looks light and neutral inside but you can actually see beautiful pink undertone when the sun hits it.

--Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lippies--

Ulta had the same "buy 2, get 2 free!" offer for these to, so I decided to give them a try.

Left to right: Pink Cloud, Royal Red, Metallic Mauve, Wine on Ice.

I think Maybelline Moisture Extreme is good enough for the price and it goes on just like the Revlon Lustrous from my Mini Drug Store haul, which I included in the next picture:

Left to right: Metallic Mauve, Pink Cloud and Twinkled Pink (Revlon) -

I have to say that Maybelline and Revlon are probably my favs drug store lipsticks.

What is your favorite drug store brand?