Finally...I've Found It!

last summer i started my search for the perfect bright pink lipstick and a semi-nude pink lipgloss without shimmer. i searched high and pretty low and everytime i settled on something it was either out of stock or it just didn't hit the spot. i recently went to MAC as i heard the Give Me Liberty of London collection had a few must see lip items in it and boy o boy was i happy i decided to stop in. i had a giftcard which of course made the purchase a lot easier...although i still dropped a few $$ outta my own pocket!

i picked up 2 of the 4 lipsticks (petals and peacocks and blooming lovely) and almost picked up a 3rd (peachstock..a nude color)..but opted for a backup of one of the other products. I only picked up 1 lipgloss (english accents)...with a backup since they're limited edition! the lipgloss is by far my favorite grab from this haul since i've been searching and i mean searching for something like it. its the perfect color and can deinitely be paired with many looks! i'm so scurred i'm going to run out that i hardly use it although i have a backup..i guess spring/summer will really make me share this with the world or least people that see me! if you want a bright lip then petals and peacocks is the way to go...it kinda reminds me of Up the Amp by MAC but instead of the purple undertone its all pink and i mean ALL pink.

i wasn't interested in any of the other products since i swore i would only buy lip stuff thats by far the most scarce items in my collection. the beauty powders looked cool although i'm still trying to figure out how to use my one from the Hello Kitty collection. i think there is a blush that looks pretty cool as well, but i have a couple of those that i need to start using before i purchase anything else. i will say i am super stoked by the products that i did get.

i included a few pictures below i hope you enjoy. if you decide to buy anything make sure to drop me a note letting me know how you like them!

until next time...

Give Me Liberty of London

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Blooming Lovely

Petals and Peacocks

English Accents

First FOTD...

I went out this past weekend and was really feeling the lipstick so i decided to do a FOTD post. I'm still learning the bold lip look so my eyes were extremely neutral. i opted for gold on the lid as i thought it would stand out a little but also looked great paired with PINK! the lipstick is MAC's petals and peacocks that was released with Give Me Liberty of London collection.

face shot...not sure what i was looking at

profile while driving!

Got Thread...

so...i recently let my brows grow back because they were way uneven and i didn't like the shape anymore. i started filling them in and using the concealer method to make them look sharp....however i knew at some point i needed to get them professionally done. i toyed around with the idea of doing them myself (i bought wax and everything) but then decided it was a BAD idea.

i feel like i woke up with the idea of getting them threaded...totally out of the blue. i went to my to my local mall with the plan to check the CCO (cosmetic company outlet) to see if i could find anything cool and realized there was a thread kiosk thingy...so spontaneous...i've started planning everything out lately! i figured i'd give it a try or at least stop by and talk to the person since it was monday and the mall wasn't busy. i was so scurred as i've heard it hurts a lot..actually one of my best friends called me nearly crying after she had her sideburns done so you can imagine the picture i had in my head. i talked the ladies ear off and probably insulted her by reiterating my NEED for them to look as similar as possible and after watching her do another persons i thought what the heck!

i sat in the chair and braced for what i knew was going to be the worse paid i had ever felt and started to ask what type of signal she wanted me to give her if i needed her to stop...when i noticed she was going to town. it didn't hurt for the most part...like i mentioned earlier i had let them grow back so i had a mini bush which i'm sure was the reason for the little pain i did feel. its weird i don't know how to describe the feeling, it wasn't like plucking or waxing...i guess it kinda felt like thread going up and down your skin...i'll think on it and try to come up with a better explanation. i will say i LOVE the shape and the fact that it didn't leave me too red...after waxing i'm red for HOURS. its so super sharp and i feel like it will take forever to grow back. this will be my new thing...i'm sure my regular eyebrow lady will be a little upset but i'm lovin' them way too much to think about waxing again. i also feel like this is way more sanitary than most waxing places...i've seen some things in certain salons.

all in all..i'd definitely recommend this to anyone that hasn't tried it and for those of you who have why did you let me wait so long!

Oh Happy Day!

so...this weekend was absolutely beautiful in my area, which was much warranted after the winter we had! i'm super excited that spring seems to be upon us..of course i don't want to speak too soon, but nonetheless i'm a happy camper. i'm also happy that i'm finally getting the hang of this blogging thing...i really want to try to step my game and my page up now. i do have one post in the working and i'm thinking of a couple more. well, happy reading. 

until next time... 

First Product Reviews!

now that I've officially become a makeup junkie who actually wears makeup I figured I'd start doing product reviews! i have two items that I bought recently and wanted to share with the world...these may not be new to any of you, but they were to me.

my first item is the 120 eyeshadow palette i bought from eBay seller starriedesign. i kept hearing about this from vids on youtube and finally decided to google to find out what the hype was. i found many variations of this and decided to buy on eBay for the free shipping. the one i bought was the Manly 120 Pro Palette version 2 which is a lot warmer than version 1. the package came bubble wrapped very well so nothing broke while being shipped from AZ. i was soooooo super excited when i got it and that i started swatching immediately. the colors are extremely pigmented but i noticed that on my hand they stood out A LOT...but when i blended them on my eyelid the color faded A LOT. you MUST wear a primer or base under these colors to help hold them in place for blending or learn to blend with a shader brush. you will be fine if you just pat them on your lid, but everyone knows a great look is a blended look *ok*! i was able to great really pretty looks with this palatte, i LOVE the blues and yellows...but was a little disappointed in the pinks. i just didn't get the color pay off that i wanted, but i'll keep messing around with them...i haven't given up yet! prior to buying this i had about 60 shadows which for the most part were not duplicated with this palette. i'm sure i could use multiple shadows from the palette to duplicate the individuals that i do have, but i don't really have time for mixing...i'd prefer it come packaged for me. i wouldn't look at this palette as your 1 stop shop to eye shadows as it doesn't have everything. you will definitely need to find most of your highlighters somewhere else...happy i had a few on hand. all in all i would definitely purchase this again...the price was great 29.99 + free shipping and the colors are great. if you decide to buy let me know how it works for you!

the second item i fell in LOVE with recently was the Iman Second to None Foundation Stick...this item is fabulous all around. i bought mine at my local ULTA but its also available at Target and Walmart...not sure about other drugstores though. its considered a prestige product at ULTA which means 2 things to me, you can't use your coupons (although you can redeem points) and they have testers (!!!) so you can match the perfect color! the tester definitely came in handy as i thought i was a sand 4 based on the color on the box however i turned out to be clay 1. i had to get used to this product as i had never used a stick before (i always used cream to powder, liquid or powder) after a couple of tries i found my technique. this product is pretty easy to blend using your fingers, a brush or sponge (if you use a brush or sponge make sure they're damp) and it's definitely buildable so you can have medium to heavy coverage. i've heard people say its pricey for a drugstore foundation (14.99) but for me a person used to buying MAC of Clinque the price was juuuuust right. i feel like a broken record but i would definitely recommend this product as well...especially for women of color!

well...that concludes my first product review! if you decide to check either of these items out drop me a line letting me know how they worked for you...
until next time...

I'm Obsessed!

I'm so OBSESSED with makeup that is...I've been this way for a while now but it's really gotten bad the last couple of months. I love the way you can change your look by just applying a little makeup. I'm still a newbie but I'm quickly learning. I rarely wear it, except when going out and yet my collection is extensive...YIKES (not a good thing!).

I never wore makeup in high school or even college...I was a lipgloss only type of girl. I always thought natural was better, I guess that came from my mom who NEVER wore makeup and still looked great. I was introduced to makeup by a coworker in 2000 and started visiting MAC counters shortly thereafter. It's kind of funny because my first visit I bought two things...Pervette lipstick and Plum lipliner. That was all the makeup I needed, I found myself more interested the perfume, which if you've been a MAC fan for while you remember it being one fragrance. I found myself wearing the lipstick ALOT but didn't return once I finished the tube.

It wasn't until 6 years later when I had a company party to attend that MAC enter my thought process. To my surprise I went into the store was greeted by a familiar face...an ex coworker that I had lost contact with. She's a great makeup artist and made it fun for me. She understood that I was a beginner and didn't know the latest technique, she didn't try to make me buy a lot of product just to make a sale and she was patient and allowing me to ask questions without rushing. That was the point I became hooked on MAC.

Whenever I went to a mall I had to stop at the MAC store and buy something...although I was buying I still wasn't wearing. I'm not sure if I was still nervous about making sure the coloers matched or just lacked the confidence. I believe my first palette was extremely neutral as I didn't want ot try anything with color. I felt I looked horrible with color. Sometimes I would attempt to put eyeshadow on but it was always a lid color and if I felt spunky I'd add a highlight. My eyelashes are non-existent so mascara was ALWAYS an issue and what the HECK is eyeline!?! I almost put my eye out (literally) the first time I tried it. Although I was afraid of makeup I continued to invest money into it buying anything MAC as that was the BEST thing out there or so I thought. It wasn't until a couple of my friends had mentioned how much money I spent on MAC that I realized it was time to start wearing this stuff.

I bought a makeup mirror and started practicing. I was still a little nervous about mixing color but I tried eyeliner, mascara, and even tried filling in my brows...I was on a roll! I then discovered this little place named ULTA and again there went my money. I loved that they had prestige products as well as over the counter items under one roof. That was the point that I started experimenting with products outside the MAC brand. I also found my confidence around the same as I was told by my makeup artist "makeup is what YOU make it, don't worry about doing it the same way everyone else does" that was exactly what the Dr. order for my esteem. I start putting one color (something neutral) all over my lid, or wearing two colors. I always thought I had to put on 3-5 colors like the MAC artist do to have a good look. I started adding to my collection as drugstore makeup is a lot cheaper than a high end stuff and can give you the same result.

Enough with my blabbering about makeup let's jump to present day. I've started mixing colors and doing ME something I should have tried a LONG time ago. I've really tried to focus on the whole picture but still keeping it neutral with a little POP of color. I've also discoved you tube and all of the wonder makeup videos...watch out you might see me posting videos soon! I guess I'll close now by saying...makeup is great, fun, cheap and what YOU make it. Be yourself when wearing it and shop around there are some really good deals out there.

Happy Reading

LadyBugB

Welcome Back...

Well hello there! I haven't been on in FOREVER...I guess I've been busy with other things. I have so many random things to talk about and I don't know where to start...Yikes! I guess I should start with the good stuff...MY MAN!!!!



I've been really blessed to find a great man...something I never thought would happen in a million years. I was the type of "independent" women that felt she didn't need or want a man. I thought being in a relationship meant I had to totally change who I was and want I did (bascially give up my life). I guess I was wrong!...I have definitely realized that you can still be independent within your relationship, it's not a submit and quit type of thing...I guess I watch waaayy too much TV.



My boyfriend (yes...I said it!) seems to think I've had a lot of bad relationships thus the reason for me not wanting to be involved. I keep telling him, it wasn't the fact of bad relationships, it was listening to some of the issues that my friends have with their sig. others or guys they date. That isn't to say that all of my friends have issues in their relationships, 'cause they don't. I def. have a couple of friends with really successful relationships! Now that I've found a good guy, I remember what my mother used to say "you have to kiss a couple of frogs, before finding your prince"...thanks Mom, I have my prince! Ok ok ok...I'll stop talking all this mushy stuff now!



I guess I'll close this post with saying - give relationships a chance...you will find your true love when you least expect it.