hey sweet, another giveaway!!

This one is a $25 amazon gift card. I love these so much, because they never expire and can be used for so much. I've got some stuff I've been ogling myself.
Anyway there's a billion ways to enter and get a chance to win. Do it!!
go here and enter

Giveaway on a friend's blog

What's more frugal than free? How about a free product for your hair?
Go comment on my friend's blog, and read and subscribe. Totally worth it, and you might get some free stuff!! She has giveaways pretty often

Go here

And maybe I'll get to come back soon with some more blog entries. I miss you.

Reader Request - Derby Make Up

I'm coming up with lists of what I can do for a reader who wants to roller derby, and needs some wicked sexy eyeshadow. I'm trying to determine what's too subtle, and maybe what's too scary. I stumbled across one that I HAD to do. Hoping my reader loves it, here it is.
No. I didn't do a video tutorial. I'm SORRY already!

So, I failed at taking step by step pictures on this one, but I had an audience. It's kinda awkward taking pictures of yourself with your husband staring at you, know what I mean?

As usual, I started with a primed eye. I used a green tinted primer, because the shadow I wanted to use wasn't as green as I'd like. I could have dug out my brighter green but I am SO lazy. So, after a primer, I applied tape to the corner of my eye. You'll see why. Then I applied the green shadow up to the crease.









The tape isn't incredibly sexy, or comfortable, but it makes an infallible line to follow for the winged liner you're about to embark on.

I used black shadow for this particular attempt, but I think next time I might use a liquid liner first, and then top with black shadow and blend. Anyway, with my still wet brush, get a full load of black shadow and start at the very inner corner of your eye, and take it out as far as you can. I went to the end of my eyebrow. To get a really dramatic look you'll want to take it at least past the lashes. Remove the tape, and then take your line under your eye and into the inner corner and create a point. I tried as hard as I could to make the point asymmetrical, I love the look. Man I suck at descriptions.
Picture time.

After the liner, top off the green shadow again with a dry brush to set. Then get yourself some false lashes and put on a slim and thin coat of glue. Wait a few seconds, and then apply as close to your lash line as you can. Hold until set, and then curl. I apply a thin coat of mascara at least to the base to hold the set.























And the finished product! I hope you love this. I have a couple more on deck that I can't wait to share with you. If there are any other looks you want to me to bring, leave me a comment below!!

Baking Soda

I have a box of this in my bathroom, and if you don't.. you should. I have tons of things I use this for, I put it in my bath, I polish my teeth with it (once a week though, I have crazy sensitive teeth) and I use it for a microdermabrasion like scrub on my face.
The key difference between using a soft "scouring" powder, and granules is that you're not cutting the crap out of your skin in order to get the dead cells off. I used peach face scrub for a very long time so I'm just as guilty. I now save that stuff for my body and I use this for my face.
It's deceptively strong, so I wouldn't suggest overdoing it and if you've never used it before, do it on a night where you aren't going anywhere the next day. Here's how I do it.

Put all of your hair up and away from your face. You want nothing hanging down at all to keep you away from hitting every part of your face, and I hate getting my hair wet. Cleanse your face like normal (unless you use something like proactiv, then I'd suggest skipping that and just wetting your face)
I used to do it instead of washing, but I found that it never felt as fresh as if I washed first. I use Timewise on my face before scrubbing instead of my usual cold cream "wash". Pour some baking soda in a bowl so that you don't waste the whole box with your wet hands. Make sure your face is good and wet, and dip your fingers in the baking soda. Rub your hands in a circular motion all around, making sure to do extra deep on your T-zone. Do your neck, too.. heck when you're done, hit the backs of your hands as well!! Scrub scrub scrub for at least 5 minutes, but I usually do 10. I actually do 5 with my fingers and 5 with a damp washcloth. Rinse well, and if you want to you can do a honey mask after. Honey masks are super ridiculously simple, just warm up some honey in a bowl, pat on your face and leave on for 10 minutes then rinse. Finish with your usual moisturizer (if it has retinol, skip it)

This makes me think that I need to do a session on home facials and masks!

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Intense Eyeshadow

I put this on yesterday before heading out the door to go for a girl's night out with my friend. I'd been dying to try this but it felt  like too much for daytime. This is a pretty intense eyeshadow application but I'm in love. I used black and white, but this is something I plan to play with and try other colors. I know for a fact purple and white would look amazing. Here's the finished product.

I really can't do a video tute today, but I can give you a step-by-step at least so you can give it a go. It was SO much fun to do.

I started with a primed eyelid.
This is a very thick application and if you don't use a primer, you will find yourself with creases very fast. I used Mark. Hold Please eye primer (8.00) I actually used two coats.


Then I have a spray bottle with an alcohol/water solution for this purpose, I sprayed my sponge brush with water to soak it. For both colors, I used the Mark. Super Flip compact which they regrettably don't seem to have on the site any more. I used Fluffy (white) and Black Tie (black).

Starting with the white, I put a thick layer all over the lid, in the inner corner and under the eye.

Here's where I had trouble. I am so used to following my natural lines for everything that it took a lot out of me to go outside of that. With my black (and a wet sponge brush, of course) I started on the bone of my eyelid, not the crease. Not dragging, blotting, pull the color across into the crease. Be careful not to create too thick of a line, and make that line thinner as you go.

Back to the outer corner of the eye, on the bone still, pick up more color from your palette and pull it on an angle down. You're creating somewhat of a triangle shape, but when you're pulling the color it needs to fade to the middle of the eyelid, it's not a solid color. Clear as mud? (This is why I do video tutorials!!!)
With a short bristled eyeshadow brush, clean up your lines with some fresh color.

Finish with a very thin line of liquid liner all around, curl lashes and be generous with your mascara.

So there you are. Some thoroughly cute eyeshadow that you can take to a fun night out. Dazzling, and would work with almost ANY eye shape there is. You may need to adjust your eyeliner lines if you have different shaped eyes. Any questions feel free to ask in the comment section below.

What I've Learned from Cosmetology School

1. "Girls" will be "girls." Regardless if they're 16 or 50. And of course by that I mean spreading rumors, and  smack talking behind peoples backs. In that situation it's very hard to be the woman of the group and tell them to knock it off, because it's kinda fun to watch.



2. There is nothing that a little glitter can't fix. Bad moods, bad manicures and bad hair? Put glitter on it!


3. Everybody poops, and farts.. and thinks it's hilarious.


4. There's always time to do your makeup. If you don't have time to go all out, just some eyeliner and mascara can make you look put together.


5. Homework is kinda fun.


6. You are a personal cosmetologist to everyone you know the second you sign up for school.


7.  Acrylic nail enhancements should never be done by 20+ people at the same time in the same small unventilated room.


8. Acrylic fumes give you a body high, and then body exhaustion when you come down. Then for days your hair and clothes still smell.


9. Being locked in a small room 8 hours a day with the same people for months creates a family that you can't break down, and it's pretty freaking rad.


10. I love what I do.


Did you go to school for cosmetology? Feel free to add your own in the comment section below.