Welcome to my blog! I will post pictures and lists of products used in my tutorials, as well as random thoughts and ideas on makeup, skin care and all things beauty related.
I have always been inspired by athletic women, and though many might disagree with me, I think the women of the WWE are some of the most athletic women in the world. There is a very popular show, Total Divas, on the E! network. http://www.eonline.com/shows/total_divas
I personally have not watched it, as I am not into the "Reality TV" drama. Especially cat fights and things like that. But I will say that I have watched the next WWE Superstar shows, and those like it, and I really have to say that the people on those shows, women included, work their asses off!! They put their bodies through such physical torture, that I can't help but envy them. I do not Have the physical strength, not to mention the will power to become what they have.
Physical strength and endurance is sooooo not my thing! LOL, if you have seen a picture of me, you would totally agree! But, on top of being in top physical condition, these women are GORGEOUS! Not only are their bodies amazeballs (@JaclynHill) their makeup is on point weekly. Of course for the show, they have make up artists...I would think. I have never been behind the scenes of the WWE shows, although that would be a dream come true; I don't know if there are makeup artists on hand, I would imagine so, but whomever is behind the makeup for the Divas knows their stuff!
So in homage to the Divas and the people behind their looks, I created this look and tutorial based on the style of the WWE Divas Championship Belt. Which, at the time of this writing, is held by AJ Lee. If you are a fan of the WWE, you know that this could change at any moment.
*All the work on this page is that of my own, except where indicated by external links or source is cited. Please do copy any part of this work, in part or in whole and use as your own. You may reference back to it, by using the direct URL. Please remember to give credit where credit is due.*
I received this product from Influenster free for testing purposes. I am not being paid for my review nor am I an any way being sponsored, etc... So let's just jump right in, shall we? After quite an absence on YouTube, Blogger and all of my normal consumer feedback sites ( See previous blog), I was quite happy to get another VoxBox from Influenster. And it was a beauty product to boot!! Yeeeeeeeeah!! So the product I received was a .50 oz. of Cindy Crawford's Meaningful Beauty Creme de Serum. http://www.meaningfulbeauty.com
I don't know if you can tell in this picture, but it has a brown and white substance swirled together in double helix fashion, suspended in a clear substance.
When I got this, I was happy, because, hey, Cindy Crawford looks almost the same in her mid forties as she did in her late twenties. In my opinion, better. I was now holding the secret to eternal youth! Mwah hahahahaha. Okay, not really, but you get the idea, I was excited.
The bottle directions say to use ONCE a day. And to use it either morning or night. I was reading some of the reviews on Influesnter and comments on twitter ( as part of Vox Box and Brand Challenges...read the blog about Influenster) that some people were using it 2-3 times a day, and I'm thinking 1. This stuff must be pretty effective if they say only once a day. 2. People do not/ will not read directions before use 3.Dumb asses.
Now let me say here that I have mostly dry skin, with certain areas that are prone to breakouts and on top of that, my skin is very sensitive. I will blister (on my face) from a mild sunburn, mmmkay. Does this make me more cautious when trying new things? Of course not! It's just my FACE!! Seriously, I am not afraid of trying new things, I just READ directions carefully, and check ingredients to see if there is something in the product that I know will break me out. However, this little deluxe sample did not have the ingredients on the back as most do. Hmmm, said to self while raising the people's eyebrow..
But according to MeaningfulBeauty.com, this what they had to say about the product and what it contains:
This crème de la crème treatment takes a triple approach to combating the signs of aging with three powerful anti-aging ingredients: superantioxidant melon complex, anti-aging peptides and hyaluronic acid. Combining the power of a serum with the rich, moisturizing effects of a crème, this super-boost is designed to help protect, increase hydration and prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Okie dokie, I am all in. So about an hour before bed I start my normal "Nighttime skin care regimen" whatever, I washed my face with a mild antibacterial face soap, pat my face dry, toned with witch hazel, air dried and then applied one pump of the creme de serum.
One pump was definately enough. It went on smooth, was silky but not greasy. The product was an off white color and was pleasantly scented. Not sure if fragrance was added, smelled a lot like Jergins original hand lotion with a hint of baby powder ( yeah, the grandma smell..hey at least there was no rose smell to it). The smell didn't last too long and absorbed into my skin fairly quickly.
No itching or tingling, no smell of burning flesh, so I finished my episode of of Tru TV's World's Dumbest Partyers #10 and went to bed. When I woke up, this is what I saw in the mirror..
A huge zit! Now, remember, I said that I am prone to breakouts. Plus that is on my right cheek and I sleep on my right side. As of the writing of this post, a week later, I have not used anything on my skin but mild soap and witch hazel and the breakouts are still occurring. Some on my chin, and two more right above and below the one pictured above.
So no, I did not use the product a second time, nor will I give it a second chance. I mean, really, one pump of this stuff is literally the size of a small pebble and it is plenty for the whole face. And used just once a day!
Now, I have to say, someone that has a different skin type to me and not prone to breakouts would probably love this stuff. As always, this was MY experience with this product and yours may vary.
I am not sure what else to say about the product. It doesn't seem to be a bad product, just not right for MY skin and I had a bad experience with it, that's all.
XOXO
*All the work on this page is that of my own, except where indicated by external links or source is cited. Please do copy any part of this work, in part or in whole and use as your own. You may reference back to it, by using the direct URL. Please remember to give credit where credit is due.*
I would like to apologize to all my readers and followers (most of which I have, understandably, lost) for dropping off the face of the Earth. I promise, this will be short.
As with everyone, life happens and family issues take precedence over making tutorials, blogging and doing reviews. Much to my own disappointment, the things that were going on were not good, and my focus HAD to be directed completely on my family. I do hope that this is understandable for my readers. If not, well..tough, and in all honesty, I don't want people who can't be understanding as a reader or follower of my blog, YouTube channel, etc. Sorry to bitchy, but hey..at least I am honest.
Now, things have calmed down tremendously and I find myself ready to get back to it.
To sort of "kick things off", I got selected for another VoxBox from Influenster. http://www.influenster.com/
If you haven't heard of this program, I highly suggest that you check it out. You get to unlock badges, write reviews, and all kinds of stuff, including qualifying for VoxBoxes. If you haven't seen my blog about Influenseter and how it works, you can find it here: http://elizabethglam77.blogspot.com/2012/12/influenster.html
So ladies and gents, that's the update and I look forward to getting back into the swing of things.
XOXO
I happen to just love the Arabic style of make-up! Bold colors, strong liner, bright lip..just lots of make up. Admittedly, my tutorial does not do justice to the look, but in all fairness, I was trying my new camera and still do not have the lighting perfect yet. I think one of the reasons I like this look is because there is so much make-up, the colors are so rich and vivid and even though the eyes have so much going on, the lip is still very bold. And I don't know about y'all, but I am SO over the nude lip trend!! Bring back the bright, bold, and daring lips!
Here is a list of the products I used:
*Foundation
e.l.f. Flawless finish foundation in buff mixed with e.l.f. tinted moisturizer in nude
*Powder
Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder in 001 transparent
*Bronzer
Rimmel Natural Bronzer (matte) in 022 Sun Bronze
*Blush
Wet'n'Wild Color Icon blush in 832E Heather Silk
*Highlight
Rimmel Color Rush E/S Trio in 740 Fever (swirled the three colors together to create the highlight)
*Brows
AVON ColorTrend Liner in Dark Brown
Ardell brow powder quad
*Eye Liners
e.l.f black liquid liner (from Disney Villainess Palette)
e.l.f glitter liner in stardust (from Disney Villainess Palette)
Studio 35 E/S palette #5 (black e/s to set liquid liner) (this brand is part of Profusion Cosmetics)
Jillian Dempsey for AVON black liner pencil
Wet'n'Wild ColorIcon pencil in purple/plum
*Mascara
Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes in Very Black
*Lashes
Select Lash Eyelashes in S747S-black
Duo Lash Adhesive in white/clear
*Eye Primer
e.l.f. Eye Primer in Sheer (from Disney Villainess Palette)
*Eye Shadows
AVON E/S Quad in Q708-Purple haze
*Lips
Jordana EasyLiner for Lips in Silver Lilac
Wet'n'Wild lipstick in 502A Dark Pink Frost
*Brushes
e.l.f. Professional Total Face Brush
Face Secrets Powder Brush
e.l.f. Professional Contouring Brush
POSH Mineral Brush (to apply foundation)
Essence of Beauty Crease Brush
Face Secrets Angled Eyeliner Brush
e.l.f. Professional Eye Shadow Brush
Defining Eye Shadow Brush (generic)
Dome Eye Shadow Brush (generic)
Well all, that's about it for this look and this tutorial. Next up is a Valentine's Day look (coming soon to a computer near you)
Here are my links, please visit, follow, subscribe, friend...all that jazz
I did a lot of research on what beauty subscription I wanted to do. I asked feedback from friends and asked for opinions on Beautylish.com The resounding answer was IPSY. In all honestly I had never heard of it. SO I checked out the site http://www.ipsy.com/ and decided, what they heck..looks good. The main reason, it seemed, that so many recommended IPSY was because the items sent are somewhat customized, and the sizes were pretty decent. The first thing I pulled out of the package when I got it was a makeup brush..
This brush alone retails at Walgreens, for close the amount of what the monthly subscription to the IPSY Beauty Bag amount is...$10.00. I love make up brushes and let me tell you..this brush is so soft, it has an ergonomic handle and is very easy to hold. There isn't a 'pro' brush I can compare it to, i.e.; MAC, Sedona Lace, Sigma, etc. because I don't use them. Not that I don't want to, I just can't see myself paying so much for brushes. I know, I know...you get what you pay for..well my cheap ones work out just fine.
The next item I received was a sample size of Josie Moran 100% Argan oil. At $48.00 a pop for a full size bottle, I was NOT complaining...
I had heard a lot of hype about this type of product, but was kind of skeptical..and then I used it and was like, "OH BABY!!!" This stuff is great! You can use it on your dry ends, as a cuticle oil, a bath oil or a moisturizer (safe for the face). Since I have such dry, sensitive skin on my face, I figured that's where I would use it first. Only a couple of drops were needed and it left my face feeling so soft, smooth and hydrated and as a bonus, there was no smell or greasy, oily feeling after. I was in love. Now I just add a drop or two to my face and body moisturizers and we are in business! The only drawback is that a bottle of this DOES cost $48.00 or more. Now, since I am an AVON rep, I ordered a bottle of the Skin So Soft Signature Silk Perfecting Oil which contains Argan oil, but is not 100%. I am interested to see how it works and compares to this product. And hey, if it works, $12.99 compared to $48.00 is icing on the cake!
Next was a hand lotion, about the size of what you would get at Bath and Body Works, the ones that are like 3 for $10.00 or something like that. Actually it is a bit bigger. It is the Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter.
If you don't like a strong citrus scent, you will not like this. But if you do (like me) then you will probably love it. The scent is really strong at first, but mellows quickly. However, the mellow scent is long lasting. The buttery consistency, as the name suggests, is wonderful. Easy to smooth into the skin and is very moisturizing. For me, any moisturizer that leaves an oily, greasy or sticky residue will kill it for me. Luckily, this product does not do that. YAY!! If you love a citrus smell, I definitely recommend this product.
One product included in this shipment was one I have been wanting to try, but again, price was an issue.
What I got was a 1.5 oz can of Big Sexy Hair Stay and Play hairspray. I was actually quite excited to see this product in my bag, again, because I wanted to try it. When I did, I loved it, but realized that it was pretty much the same as the Beyond the Zone Frozen Stiff hairspray. The scent was the same, as were the results. I felt it was pretty much the same product..maybe some slight differences, but not enough to make or break either product.
A full size can of Big Sexy retails at Ulta retails for $17.50, while Frozen Stiff retails at Sally Beauty Supply for around $9.50. So, since these are essentially the same product, in my opinion then I will stick to the frozen stiff..but if you want the Sexy brand..then by all means, spend the extra $8.00.
In the nail department, I received in the shipment a bottle Nailtini nail polish in a classic red, reminiscent of Pin-up girls.
Since I just did my manicure, I have yet to try this product. But I will say this is my absolute FAVORITE shade of red nail polish and can not wait to try it out. An online search of this product averaged the retail price of about $13.00, including tinibeauty.com the product's website. This site also carries lines of Liptinit and Hairtini. Now, for me, I think $13.00 is a bit much for nail polish; however, Since a bottle of Orly or O.P.I can be upwards of $10.00, it's kind of on the fence. Depending on the coverage of the product, the staying power, whether it chips, cracks or bubbles will be the deciding feature for me. I will say that this exact shade of red is sometimes difficult to find and when you just HAVE to have this certain color..well as they say, beauty is pain (as in paying $13.00 for a bottle of nail polish!)
IPSY tag.
Adorable.
All in all, I am quite pleased with the shipment I got. It was full of great products in decent, if not full, sizes in a quality bag. I believe my research paid off, and word of mouth is always the best advertising! I encourage you all to subscribe, or, at the very least, stop by http://www.ipsy.com/ and check it out.
Ok, so I have joined this website on the recommendation of MissyBooful
http://www.youtube.com/user/msmissybooful
Basically how it works is you request an invite. Then when comes available, they send you a link to join. After you join, you fill out your info (basic profile information and such)then you unlock badges. So far the the badges I am able to see are expert and Life Stage. Under the expert section, there are badges for things such as : Fashionista, Beauty Queen, Sweet Tooth, Decorator and things like that. Life Stage has badges for Being a parent, pet owner, wellness and even bridal. Then, of course, the main badge is the influenster badge. You unlock these badges by filling out surveys and completing other activities. You are able to write reviews on many products of all kinds and if you don't see a product that you would like to review, then you are able to add a review page. THIS is something that is a major pro for me. I have a ton of products I would like to review that aren't listed so I will be jumping on that!
As far as I can tell, when other members find your reviews helpful or like your review pages (and more) then your influenster score goes up. As your score goes up, you are able to unlock more badges and it opens up programs for you to participate in.
There is a lot more information than I can include here, I suggest checking out the site
http://www.influenster.com/
and clicking the learn more link. If you like what you see, then request an invite!
Keep in mind I just joined last night and got stuck writing reviews :) But if you are a member and have explored the site more, PLEASE leave a comment and leave some info or helpful hints to get that influenster score up!
Stay beautiful and thanks Missy for the recommendation, love it!
XOXO
