Christmas Makeup Look

Like a lot of others I decided to play in makeup Christmas day and I must say I loved it! I only did my eyes and a very neutral lip since I wasn’t going anywhere (everyone came to our house). I filmed a tutorial for this look, but deleted it by accident..boo! The pictures aren’t the best (I’ve learned a lot about my camera and how to take better pictures this week!), but its what I have right now. Thanks for reading.

What I Used:

Face – nothing!

Cheeks – nothing!

Eyes:

UDPP

NYX Jumbo Pencil – Milk

Wet ‘n Wild Night Elf Palette

MAC Vanilla e/s

Wet ‘n Wild Vanity Palette – camel colored shadow

Wet ‘n Wild crème liner

Rimmel Great Last Mascara

Ardel Accent Lashes

Lips:

EOS Lip balm

NYX Lipliner – Ever

ULTA lipgloss – Cosmo

Picture Time!!!!

Love and Hugs,

LadybugB

December Fav’s…

I’ve really been experimenting with makeup and girly things this month thus the reason for posting a monthly favorites post. I don’t post this regularly, but this month I and part of last month, I feel in love with or back in love with several products. I hope you enjoy this post and let me know some of your favorite items…I’m always up for trying new things.

loves…

Outspoken by Fergie – This perfume is lovely and sold exclusively by Avon. It’s a sophisticated fragrance and well worth $34 (I believe that’s the gift set price). To order visit my mothers online store, listed on the main page of my blog.  

Sephora Lash Plump Mascara – I received this in my beauty insider birthday present and finally decided to try it out. I absolutely LUUBBB this mascara! It makes my lashes look thick and beautiful, even though the brush is on the larger size. I will definitely be picking up a full size soon.   

Avon Lash Renew Serum and Transformer – I have short stubborn Asian lashes that are a pain. I knew I didn’t want to try Latisse due to the side effects and the price tag so my mother gave me the Avon version to try. I will be doing a product review on this product soon, but I will say I’ve seen a BIG difference in my lashes!

Mark by Avon mascara – I love the formula of Mark’s mascara’s. If you’re like me and sometimes make a mess this is perfect, the formulas thick and definitely adds volume! 

MAC 217 – Oh…where you have been all my life. I love this brush, it blends like no other. You can get a crisp sweep of color or you can blend away all lines. I actually plan to pick up two more of these today! *I got another one for Christmas…thanks mom!*

elf bronzing duo – I picked this up at Target months ago and lost it somewhere in my collection…I know, I might have a problem on my hands! I don’t use it as a bronzer cause its waaayy to shimmery, but as a highlighter or blush. It gives a very natural glow to the cheeks and can be paired with other products easily.

body shop blush – Another product that was lost, but now found! I recently paired the blush with the elf bronzing quad (highlight) and found my perfect pink blush. It gave me that healthy glow that really looked like it was from within. I liked it so much that I work it everyday for a week straight!

EOS Lip Balm – I heard so much hype over this lip balm so I had to pick it up when I visited Walgreens. I must say I really like it, especially the lemon one. Its moisturizing but not greasy and has an SPF of 15-something you don’t find in a lot of drugstore products. I keep 1 in my purse and 1 at home and it never fails. This is definitely one of my winter favorites.

not so much…

L’Oreal Lineur Intense – is a crock of crap for me. It’s not black enough and wears off quickly. I do like the felt tip brush, but dislike the formula. I wanted this to work for so long that I was in denial for months.

You can definitely see that I had a lot of likes that not this month which I hope helps you with your purchasing choices! 

Enjoy!

LadybugB

My Perfect Imperfections

I saw this tag on Youtube and decided to join to help my readers (now that I actually have some!) get to know me a little better. The idea is to name 3 things you like about yourself and 3 things that you don’t like about yourself. I’ll move on as to not bore you with rabbling!

3 Things I Like:

My Lips: after being a teen that hated her full lips, I have now grown to love them. It took years, but I figured I should be thankful that I have what people want!

My eyes: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my almond shaped eyes. I’ve always been told my eyes are nice and often had nicknames such as China, Chink, China Doll and such. My aunties traced our heritage and found Chinese ancestors…how awesome!!!!

My teeth: My friends are probably going to laugh because I’m always telling them that I want braces to correct the two crocked teeth I have. I even asked my dentist once and he laughed so hard I was embarrassed.

3 Think I Do Not Particularly Like:

My eyelashes: along with my high cheekbones and almond shaped eyes I also inherited those stubborn Asian lashes. My eyelashes are pretty much non-existent, although I’ve been using the Avon Renew lash growth stuff and its working!

My height: I’m a lovely 5’3’ 1/2…yes I need to add the 1/2 on it! Everyone in the family is tall or has a little more height than me. I actually don’t want much more just like 2-3 inches…please!

My boobies: Some people would say I’m blessed, but I say I’m cursed. I have a pretty large rack that can be annoying at times and definitely get in the way. I'm actually considering getting them reduced as they are way too big!

whelp…that’s about it for this random posting of “get to know me better”. I hope you enjoy and learned a little more about me.

love and hugs,

LadybugB

Red Hot…

I was cleaning up the pictures on my computer recently and came across a a picture of my first time wearing red lipstick…how fun! This was a while ago, but I still love the picture so much that I thought I’d share with you. I also plan to do a post on big, beautiful, lips and the range of lipsticks we can wear. When I was younger I had a HUGE complex about my lips and now LOVE them so much and want to share that love with other women that may have a complex. Now on the the picture!

What I used: Well what I can remember using!
Face:
MAC Studio Fix Power or Clinique Perfectly Real Foundation

Eyes:
MAC Bare Nature Paint
Crème Liner
Mascara – MAC Zoom Lash or Clinique High Impact

Cheeks:
Amazing Cosmetics Watermelon Fizz

Lips:
Clinique Red Hot Lipstick

Ambering Purple

I decided to photograph my makeup look for a night out with my best friends and post it. I love the way my makeup came out and the combination of colors I used *which was totally random*, but I did not like the way my pictures came out. Oh well…I still decided to post it though. Enjoy! 

What I used:
Eyes:
UDPP – Urban Decay Primer Potion
ULTA - Eyeshadow Base
MAC – Amber Lights    
MAC – Haux 
MAC – Deep Secret
MAC pigment – Push the Edge
MAC – Carbon
MAC – Vanilla
Wet ‘n Wild – Creme Liner
Avon – Eye Pencil in Night Glisten
Mark – Mascara

Cheeks:
ELF – Bronzing Quad
Iman – Afterglow Bronzer
L’Oreal – Studio Secrets Anti-Dull Primer
Face:
Monistat – Chafing Gel (used as a primer)
MAC – Select Moisturecover Concealer
Este Lauder – Nutritions Foundation
MAC – Fix +

Lips:
EOS – Lipbalm
MAC – Cork Lipliner
Wet ‘n Wild – Barely There Lipstick
MAC – N1 Lipgloss 

Love and Hugs,

LadybugB

Monday Night Fun…

After filming a video on Sunday or Saturday talking about my makeup I got bored and decided to document another makeup look. I hope you like my attempt at a video and I promise to shoot more soon…hopefully live tutorials this time around!

enjoy!

LadybugB

I Got Mussels!

Well…not the kind you’re thinking of, I’m actually talking about seafood. My best friends and I got together for our annual holiday gathering at Buddha Bar in D.C. and one of my besties ordered one of the specials which happened to be mussels in some type of lovely Asian inspired sauce. As always I was nervous *I get extremely nervous when trying new foods* and didn’t know if I should indulge or run away from the table o_o, but I was soon convinced by the bestie and was happy that I did…I LOVED them! I couldn’t believe how good they were and how great the sauce was as well. For some strange reason I thought they would be chewy…like this horrible calamari that I had once, but much to my surprise they weren’t chewy at all and almost melted in my mouth actually. I’m really happy that I’ve tried them because I can now add them to my list of likes! I’m also happy that I tried Buddha Bar…it’s a great place with lovely ambiance as well!…give it a shot if you haven’t already. 

Love ‘n Hugs,

LadybugB

essence…NOT the Magazine!

Sometime this year my local ULTA began carrying UK beauty brand essence which turned out to be a match made in heaven! At first glance you may think its for the teeny boppers, but when you try the products you soon find out its nowhere near it. I also love the price points for this beauty line which has its most expensive item at $3.99…scoooooore!

I have tried a few of their products and figured it was time to share the wealth. I’ve found a favorite mascara and 2…yes 2 eyeliners.

essence – liquid eyeliner…waterproof: this product is great. It has a brush (not felt) tip which I prefer as it gives you a precise line. Its also a matte black!…which I love most of the time. I did not have any problem with cracking or smudging like other liquid liners. Price $2.79!

essence – eyeliner pen: I was skeptical about this product since I had a bad experience with a pen liner before. Being that it was so inexpensive I figured that I could splurge a little to try this out and boy am I happy I did! This is a great “marker”, it didn’t tug at my eye or dry out halfway through lining. This is also smudge proof and dries quickly…which allows you to quickly complete your makeup process! It does have a slight gloss though nothing over the top. Price $2.49!

essence – maximum definition volume mascara: this is a great mascara that really separates lashes and adds volume. Its not clumpy like some cheaper products…which is a MUST. Price $3.99!

I will do another post once I pick up more products which I plan to do ASAP! Be sure to leave me a comment if you pick any of these products up.

Love and hugs,

LadybugB

Wet ‘n Wild Collection

There has been a lot of hype over the new and improved quality of WnW products and being that I’ve some how *really not sure how it happened* collected A LOT of their from the Color Icon line I thought I’d do a comprehensive post! You can always find WnW on sale at a drugstore somewhere often BOGO or BOG1 50% off which is why I’m pretty sure I have so much of it now…thanks CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid! Be sure to check out my other posts that included WnW (to see my August Favorites post which included WnW click here and to see my WnW Holiday post click here). I hope you enjoy this post and run out and give these inexpensive products a shot.  

LIPS:

MEGA LAST^® LIP COLOR is described by WnW as:  

Lips take center stage! This 4-hour, longwearing lip color leaves a semi-matte, crème finish in one stroke. Glides on easily with rich, velvety color that doesn't cake, feather, or bleed. Made with hydrating skin-care ingredients: Hyaluronic Microspheres provide extraordinary adhesion to lips, an exclusive polymer complex offers cushion-like feel and texture, and natural marine plant extracts Coenzyme Q10 and Vitamins A & E help smooth lips.

I absolutely ADORE *in my sing song voice* these lipsticks and plan on buying a few more of them. I can vouch for (pictured below L-R) 907C Mauve Outta Here, 919B Vamp It Up, 903C Just Peachy, 916D Ravin’ Raisin, 918D Cherry Bomb and 902C Bare It All-my favorite nude right now. My only gripe about this product is the packaging…frankly is SUCKS, despite the the quality of the product the packaging is extremely cheap. Price $2.99!

 

MEGA SLICKS™ LIP GLOSS is described by WnW as:

Super-shiny gloss adds luster and color to lips, while Vitamins A & E moisturize and condition.

I don’t use these much, but when I like them for the most part. Stay away from these if you don’t like frost-its not too bad, but it does show. I will say they have a nice smooth feel and do not have that sticky/tacky texture like some MAC glosses. Try these out (pictured below L-R) 563B Sun Glaze, 566 Strawberry Ice, 570A Berry Burst, 578 Sinless, 564A Cherish and 567A Sheerly Cocoa. Price $1.99!

CHEEKS:

COLOR ICON™ BLUSHER is described by WnW as:

Sweep on this silky-smooth blush that strikes the perfect balance between a blendable transparent sheen and a radiant pop of maximum color. A special blend of treated nylon powders provides long-lasting color. Dermatologist-tested.

I LOVE the 2 blushes that I have so far and plan on getting the other 2 in this collection! They are really buildable which means they are great for day and night looks. I’ve tried the two picture (L-R)832E Heather Silk and 833E Mellow Wine. Price $2.99!

COLOR ICON™ BRONZER is described by WnW as:

Add a golden glow and a touch of luminosity to any complexion for a healthy, sun-kissed look. Special blend of treated nylon powders provide long-lasting, blendable color. Dermatologist-tested.

I only have (741A Princess) because I thought it looked the best for my golden skin tone. I was actually impressed because I was able to use this for a slight contour of my cheekbones and forehead. Price $2.99!

EYES:

MEGA EYES^® CRÈME EYELINER is described by WnW as:

The precision of a liquid liner with the ease of a cream application, this velvet-rich eyeliner provides long-lasting definition in a waterproof formula. Easy-to-use brush included.

This stuff is amazing despite the horrible brush included with it. Its very creamy, super black and very matte!!!! This has been compared to MAC’s Fluidline in Blacktrack which is around $16…so this definitely gets my vote in the money saver column! I like them so much I have 2 on stand by just in case I can’t find them in the store for some odd reason. Price $3.99!

COLOR ICON™ EYESHADOW SINGLE is described by WnW as:

High-pigmentation and pearl-density create a unique, satiny texture that lasts and lasts. A versatile collection of classic and trend shades can be easily worn alone or playfully combined for a variety of looks.

I have 256BP which is a dupe of MAC’s Humid - green *which I also have* and 255B Penny which is pretty close to MAC’s Expensive Pink – Coppery Pink *again, I already have it*. These colors are very pigmented and soft…they glide on like BUTTA! Price 1.99!

COLOR ICON™ EYESHADOW PALETTE is described by WnW as:

Glamour-eyes from day to night! Each complementary shade can be mixed-and-matched for a variety of day-to-night looks. These palettes of 3 matte and 3 highly-pigmented effect shades are sure to please the shade sassy minimalist and enthusiast alike!

I really like these palettes especially for the convenience and versatility they offer. I will admit a couple of the colors are a little chalky or very sheer to the point of not being buildable. I love that all of the palettes have 3 matte shades and 3 shimmer shades which is great for those of us that like to mix textures. Overall, the quality of the palettes are impressive and really stand up to some higher end brands. I have all 4 in the permanent line - 246 Greed, 247 Pride, 249 Vanity and 248 Lust (picture L-R ). Price $4.99! 

COLOR ICON™ EYESHADOW PALETTE LIMITED EDITION – does not have burb on the website.

These limited edition sets were released with holiday themes and offer the same great quality as the permanent collection. All 6 shadows have a shimmer, frost or glitter. These have the same great quality as the permanent line and also include a few dupes of high end brands! They also come with a bonus eyeliner pencil which the permanent line does offer. Picture below L-R Golden Goddess, Snow Sprite, Night Elf and Sugar Plum Fairy. Price $4.99!

Overall, the new Wet ‘n Wild products are awesome and the price point is unbeatable…I really hope they don’t get wind and raise prices like everyone else! I hope this review has helped you you save a few $$$ building your collections! 

Love and hugs,

LadybugB

Saturday Night Fun

According to the video below I’m in desperate need of a life! I decided to play around a little and record it afterwards-still trying to get my set up right so that I can record live tutorials soon.

Fun Times

Enjoy,

LadybugB

 

My Makeup Story…so far

I was looking over pictures from throughout the years and decided to put together a video montage while testing out my movie maker skills. I will be the first to admit its not all pretty…some of the pictures shocked the heck out of me  when I saw them. I couldn’t believe some of the makeup “mistakes”  throughout the years but, hey that’s what growth and progress is for…right!?!

Makeup Montage

Enjoy!

LadybugB

September Fav's...Posted in December!

betta late than neva...isn't that what we say when we know we're wrong for being late! i'll try to get more like drake...neva late is betta...i'm trying people i promise i'm trying. this is my installment for my September favorite items. my favorites are never really involved because i don't wear makeup as often as i should based on my collection. i'm getting better and have definitely noticed i'm making more time since i don't seem to be cutting my spending. here goes...

loves...
scanda-lash mascara by mark
wow...i absolutely love his stuff. my mother is a avon sales rep (check her out!) and i think i'm her biggest spender. i've totally been on a mascara kick lately and i'm happy i bought the scanda-lash my only mistake was not buying it in black. i decided to go with colored mascara since i thought i had enough black and boy was i wrong. the formula is great, its nice and thick not runny at all, the brush is nice and small and separates like no other. i have short stubborn lashes and this definitely tames them for me. i plan to order 2 of the them (black of course) in my next order and i suggest you do as well!

get in line eyeliner by mark 
when i first bought this liquid liner i hated it and never used it. of course that was before i became comfortable with makeup and my face. the brush is super thin and flexible which i took for granted when i first tried to use it. its super black and waterproof and gets so close to my lash line. the only thing i would change (if i could) would be the finish. its shiny and i prefer a matte liner. overall, this is another great product from Avon!

carmex moisture plus
this stuff is the BIZNESS...i'm obsessed and i'm not lying...AT ALL. i saw this in walgreens and thought it was cute and had to pick it up and haven't been able to put it down. i can get a little obsessive and have since bought 3 more of these little babies...you never know when items are discontinued so you have to stock up *haha*.

not so much...
loreal lineur carbon eyeliner
i've decided to start putting the bad and ugly discovered during a given month in this post as well and this is my first one. i bought this eyeliner (i mean searched and searched until i found it) because of reviews from youtubers and i knew this would work for me...NOT. i've tried to make this work and i've actually been in denial for quite so time. this product does not stay on me no matter how much i apply. i always have to set it with a powder and that doesn't always work. i even skipped out and bought the brown because i believed the hype before trying it for myself. i love the felt brush though and would suggest this for beginners but make sure you get this on sale.

questionable...
the jury is still out on the next two items but i'll have a definitive answer soon.

iman foundation stick
another item i bought some time ago but haven't had the time to really use it because i rarely wear foundation. i've seen reviews and application tutorials on this product and i can't seem to make it work as easy for me. i have a hard time blending this out and i've tried several different application methods (wedge sponge, damp sponge, fingers, brush, etc...) and it's always streaky and takes forever to get it blended. i'm torn because once its blended and settled in with my natural oils it gives a great look coverage. oh well...i'll try it a few more times before deciding.

mac minerialized foundation
my little sister was nice enough to give me this foundation because it was too light for her...damn mac girls matching people up wrong again...and it seemed like a great product at first. i needed to beat my face because i had a job doing a brides makeup and decided i should look like something myself...OK! this stuff is really sheer which isn't horrible because i don't need a lot of coverage but i find myself reaching for concealer when i wear this foundation and its oxidizes throughout the day. i've also noticed that i get extremely oily and must carry a setting powder around with me...which i don't normally do. i'll continue working with this one to see what i can make of it.

whelp...that's it for this installment i hope this helps.
love and hugs,
LadybugB

First Bridal Trial

This post is a long overdue post and I have no clue why its taken me so long. One of my friends was getting married and keeping me in the loop on her planning process which included her makeup trials. I’m not exactly sure what came over me and before I knew it blurted out “why don’t you let me do your makeup and if you like it, I’ll do it free of charge as my present to you” not knowing she would really take me up on the offer. Our first trial went well and I soon received the news I was waiting for…you’re hired! We decided to take the pictures outside since her wedding was being held outside and figured it would be best to make sure everything was perfect. She loved her makeup so much that she couldn’t stop talking about it or taking pictures of herself..no really…I have about 60 pictures taken by her on my camera! 

I will definitely do another post once I receive the actual wedding pictures which were absolutely beautiful.

If you know of anyone looking for someone to do their makeup please pass my information on (jbyrd06@hotmail.com).

		Bridal Trial VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Happy reading

LadybugB

Hair Update

As many of you know I recently decided to go natural. To help aid me in my efforts and to save time and hopefully money, I decided to get my hair braided. I rarely get my hair braided and were not feeling the places I’ve gone to in the past so I questioned my Facebook friends and got a couple of hits! After doing my research *y’all know how I am about doing my research* I decided on Princess Braiding in Landover *I think it may be Hyattsville actually* MD. The prices were unbeatable *$150 (after a $20 off coupon) for kinky twists and the service was great. My hair wasn’t pulled too tight as often is the case with braids. It was also twisted from the start *in the past it was started out with a braid and then twisted*. She also braided it to the very end instead of leaving it bushy at the end which resulted in a hot mess! Overall, I was extremely impressed with this place and like my hair…check it out if you’re in the mood for braids or weave.

Love and hugs,

LadybugB

Its a Wet ‘n Wild Holiday

I seriously thought about skipping these palettes due to the number of shadows that I have already. Then the reviews started from many of the Youtubers or beauty bloggers that I frequent, in turn I decided I had to have them. At first I thought I only wanted Bronze set (Golden Goddess), but noticed the red in the Night Elf set and knew I had to have both of them immediately. I really didn’t want Snow Sprite (green’s and blues) or Sugar Plum Fairy (purples) set until I saw them in person and figured *what the heck, I might as well complete the set*. I’m happy to report that I now have all 4 of them in my possession and can’t wait to start using them! If you’re interested you should be able to find these at your local Walgreens (I visited a total of 3 stores to find ALL 4). 

Just a Little Retail Therapy!

I decided to post this entry because I came across the pictures I had taken today while looking at my camera. I did a little shopping and thought I’d share a little of my taste with you. Let me know what you think.

Cute leather jacket from Lane Bryant. It actually fits really well…I can’t believe the sleeves aren’t too long!

I thought this shirt was really cute for the office.

I snagged a couple of wide belts to go with my dresses or shirts that need an accessory. I love the black and white dress and again have yet to wear it.

Who doesn’t need stockings!!!!

Aren’t these the best platforms pumps you’ve even seen? I LOVED, yes LOVED these shoes. Unfortunately they were a little too big and the smaller size was too tight I tried everything to make these works before returning them this week.
Love and hugs,
LadybugB

Jesse’s Girl

Jesse’s Girl…I want to have Jesse’s Girl! I’m sure that's not the right lyrics to the song but that's what i sing when i hear it! So you may have realized that I’m not referring to the song but in fact Jesse's Girl cosmetics specifically their eye dust pigments.

I heard about these products from a beauty blogger on twitter and immediately ran out to my nearest Rite Aid in hopes of finding them. Much to my surprise they were available at the rite aid in Dumfries on 234 (for those in the Woodbridge VA area). My first trip resulted in two colors…although they only cost $3.99 I didn’t want to go too crazy without trying them for myself. Being the impatient person I am I sat in the parking lot and tried them on my hand and was pleasantly surprised. I then drove (a little too fast) home to try them wet as well and boy what a difference a little contact solution made. The colors definitely come ALIVE when used wet. These are definitely worth you while especially if you like loose shadows.

My collection has now grown to 6 colors (Blue Moon, Indian Summer, Antique Green, Sunlit Cactus, Blackstar Blue and Baby Blues) with the promise of more to come. I saw a beautiful pink and purple that I want to snag sometime soon. Remember to let me know if you have tried Jesse’s Girl products or plan to buy them soon.

…and now to the fun stuff…PICTURES!

 

Dry L-R: Blackstar Blue, Antique Green, Blue Moon, Sunlit Cactus, Indian Summer, Baby Blues

Wet L-R: Antique Green, Blue Moon, Blackstar Blue, Sunlit Cactus, Indian Summer, Baby Blues

Happy reading…

LadybugB