BFTE Swatches Set 1

These are the first 5 swatches from my recent order to BFTECosmetics .

I absolutely LOVE these & can't wait to try some looks with them!!! ;)

I wish the flash didn't drown out how truly sparkly these are. I will add a natural sunlight version if I can ever get a little sunshine around here. :)







If you would like to see larger version of each pic please visit
here and here

Lovin' Light Lavender Eyes

I totally forgot to post this look! I used
BFTECosmetics eye shadows Runaway (lavender) & Panurple (light purple). I also used their Violet Stardust as an inner corner highlight. I finished with deep violet eyeliner and pale pink lips. Enjoy! :)

Layla Prismacolor Colored Pencil Portrait

Sorry for the gap between post! I have several makeup looks done that are awaiting editing. I will try to get those posted this coming week. I promise! :)

Any hoooo, I wanted to share with everyone a commissioned portrait I recently finished of a friend's child. The pic is 8x10 & created using Prismacolor colored pencils. I have been working, working, working for the Christmas season coming up. Hand drawn portraits of children seem to be a big draw this year. :) I'm glad to be doing them.

Below, I also included the original pic I used as a reference.

Finished Portrait



Photograph for Reference

Fall Themed Eyes

My FOTD inspired by the changing seasons and all the wonderful colors associated with this time of year. I love all the yellows, oranges, and browns....

So here is the look. Products used will be listed after the photos.

















Eyes
-Urban Decay Primer Potion all over lid.
-Beauty from the Earth loose matte mineral eye shadows
-Hangover- orange, love it!
-Black Cherry- a deep reddish brown... An awesome color! This was my first
time using this color...
-Eye liner, Urban Decay 24/7 liner, color Zero
-Maybelline Volum' Express Turbo Boost Mascara, color Black

Brows
- Ulta eye liner pencil, color Bronze


Lips
-Lip liner, Rimmel, color Cafe'au lait
-Lip stick, Urban Decay, color Naked
-Gloss, Styli Style, color Stiletto
-Gloss, Styli Style, color Tango (used just on center of bottom lip)

Cheeks
-Nars Blush, color Orgasm

Face
-Smashbox Primer
-Estee Lauder Double Wear Liquid Foundation, color Fresco
-Estee Lauder Double Matte Oil Control Powder color Medium
-BFTE Loose Mineral Foundation Powder, color Medium
-Rimmel Bronzer

New Orleans Saints Team Colors Inspiration

My Sweety and I were getting ready to watch the Saints game and I was inspired to do an eyeshadow look based on the team colors: Black & Gold. I thought this would be a challenge considering I was fairly certain I didn't have any gold eyeshadow. But as luck would have it, I had forgotten about my BFTE loose mineral shadow in Antique. This is a perfect gold color. For black I used Ulta's pressed shadow Galaxy. I love the teeny tiny sparkly flecks throughout it. For inner corner highlight, and fade into gold color I used Platinum. This color is also a pressed shadow from Ulta. My eyebrow pencil is actually an eyeliner from Ulta in the color Bronze.



To make the sharp black crease I used Urban Decay's 24/7 liner in Zero. I took an eyeliner brush, rubbed the pencil on it, and drew the crease. I put Galaxy on top of that and faded up. This method also works well to make sharp "cat eye" wings on the the inner and outer corners of the eye.

The lip liner is an off brand drugstore pencil in color Auburn. I used an Estee Lauder gloss in the color Ginger.









Lip picture was taken indoors... That is why I suddenly have a tan! :)




I did not get a full face picture that I really liked. So here is me and my "niece" Jocelyn. She is a very good friend's daughter. I was taking Halloween pictures for her today.

Mississippi Mud & Honey

My FOTD using BFTE matte mineral eyeshadow Mississippi Mud and sparkle mineral eyeshadow Honey. I wanted a smokey look for the day and Mississippi Mud was the perfect selection. This shadow is a rich deep dark brown. It's a very silky chocolate color, which is also a matte. The shimmery sparkles on my lid comes the mineral shadow Honey. The is a beige-ish sparkly color, with tiny flecks of glittery shimmer in it. I use Honey often because it is so awesome!

Mineral eyeshadow available from www.beautyfromtheearth.com

Below is a swatch of the eyeshadow colors, lip liner in Cappuccino, lip gloss in Vanilla.

Cupcake Sprinkles Jewelry Set

A friend of mine makes handcrafted jewelry. She uses different molds and a type of acrylic epoxy to create these pieces. She also makes the clasp and earring hooks herself as well.

I put in a custom order for a cupcake sprinkles necklace. I have seen them before on esty. I am SO happy with how this turned out! I love having something unique, and it was made especially for me. I just wanted to share with everyone. :)

The cool factor about this is, anything small enough to fit in the molds can be made into a custom jewelry piece! The possibilities are endless! Just think of all the different types of glitter, charms, etc...





Modeling the Sprinkles :D

Purple and Gold, School Spirit!

I went a friend's homecoming football game this weekend. I went to take pictures of her because she was in the homecoming court. I was feeling the school spirit so I wanted to wear their colors. I really like this color combination. All products used are listed after the pics.





My eye started to water, bleh...






Homecoming was held in the gym due to the rain, and the power was out right up until it started. Thankfully, the rain stayed away for the game later on that evening.

Products used

Face:
-Smashbox Primer
-Estee Lauder Double Wear Liquid Foundation, color Fresco
-Estee Lauder Double Matte Oil Control Powder color Medium
-BFTE Loose Mineral Foundation Powder, color Medium
-Rimmel Bronzer


Eyes:
-Urban Decay Primer Potion
-Beauty from the Earth loose mineral eyeshadow colors, all shimmery (Applied with BFTE Mix & Fix Mixing Medium)
Lemon (Yellow, over entire lid)
Tangerine (orange, slightly higher than crease)
Grape (Purple, in crease faded up toward brow bone)
Black (in deepest part of crease)
-88 palette (lightest color in palette on brow bone for the highlight)
-Gel liner in Black, applied with liner brush
-Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero, on water line
-Maybelline Volum' Express Turbo Boost Mascara, color Black

Brows:
-My brow pencil is a bronze eyeliner from Sally's Beauty Supply. I am always in
search of the perfect shade to match my red hair. :)

Cheeks:
-Nars Angelika

Lips:
-Prestige Lip Gloss in shimmer plum

Orange ya glad it is almost Halloween?

Who doesn't love Halloween? I know I do! Well, this is a Halloween inspired look. Not a dressed up in costume kinda look. I was just inspired by what I consider Halloween colors: Orange, Purple, Black....and I threw a little Navy Blue in as well.

All products used are listed after the pics... So, here goes!









Products used

Face:
-Smashbox Primer
-Estee Lauder Double Wear Liquid Foundation, color Fresco
-Estee Lauder Double Matte Oil Control Powder color Medium
-BFTE Loose Mineral Foundation Powder, color Medium
-Rimmel Bronzer

Eyes:
-Urban Decay Primer Potion
-Beauty from the Earth loose matte mineral eyeshadow colors
Hangover (orange, used wet over entire lid)
Panurple (purple, in crease all the way up to below brow bone)
Patriot (navy blue, in crease faded below the Panurple)
Black (in deepest part of crease faded below Patriot)
-88 palette (lightest color in palette on brow bone for the highlight)
-Gel liner in Black, applied with liner brush
-Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero, on water line
-Maybelline Volum' Express Turbo Boost Mascara, color Black

Brows:
-My brow pencil is a bronze eyeliner from Sally's Beauty Supply. I am always in
search of the perfect shade to match my red hair. :)

Cheeks:
-Nars Angelika

Lips:
-drugstore liner in Cappuccino
-Styli-Style lip gloss in Melon

If you would like to purchase the eyeshadow I am wearing please visit
www.beautyfromtheearth.com

Halloween China Glaze Polish!

I have to stay out of Sally's Beauty Supply... Can't help myself!

Anyway, I got these two China Glaze nail polishes for Halloween. I love the color orange, so these were right up my ally. I am a glitter freak as well, so double whammy...had to get them.

Both polishes are shown with two coats and a top coat.

China Glaze Dreamsicle (The last one they has as well)


China Glaze Fortune Teller


I love how these look in the sun. Awesome Awesome Awesome!

Quick Photoshop Elements post...

I learned a few months ago how to create a texture overlay using Photoshop Elements (PSE). I created a new photo using this technique and wanted to share with everyone.

Here is the original photo


Here is the final product


I used two different overlays to create this effect
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shashamane/3402844138/sizes/m/in/pool-807238@N23/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hanne_exurban/3887171546/sizes/m/in/pool-807238@N23/


Basically, your putting one picture on top of another to get this effect. In PSE you can adjust how much you see of the photograph by using layers. The textured pictures above can be seen at 100%, which would make them opaque. Or, you can adjust them to say, 50% or so. This way you get a hint of the texture on top of your original photo. If there is a section of the photograph that you do not want to be covered, simply erase that part of the texture.

Flickr has a large selection of groups dedicated to using textures, and some groups that contain user created textures.

Here are two more pictures I created using the same principle.

Snoogle...she is a cutie :)


Abi :)

Smokey Pinks FOTD

My FOTD which I am calling Smokey Pinks...



What I used

Face:
-Smashbox Primer
-Estee Lauder Double Wear Liquid Foundation, color Fresco
-Estee Lauder Double Matte Oil Control Powder color Medium
-BFTE Loose Mineral Foundation Powder, color Medium
-Rimmel Bronzer

Eyes:
-Urban Decay Primer Potion
-Coastal Scents 88 Palette
-Kryolan White as a base
-Gel liner in Black
-Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero
-Maybelline Volum' Express Turbo Boost Mascara, color Black

Cheeks:
-Nars Angelika

Lips:
-Urban Decay lipstick in Jilted
-Calvin Klein lipstick in Mesmerize



1. Apply UDPP over entire lid

2. Apply Kryolan Aqua Color in White over entire lid. This makes the light pinks really be able to stand out. (Use this wet)

3. Use the darkest pink, circled in picture above, on the outside edge of lid. Use next lightest pink beside that, and so on... Blend the pinks together until they make a seamless transition from light to dark. I blended the lightest pink right at the midpoint of my lid, leaving the inner 1/3 white.

4. Use the white from the 88 palette on inner 1/3 of lid and under the eye as well.

5. Use the white on the brow bone for a highlight.

6. Cut the crease with black from the 88 palette and blend up.

7. Under the eye, the outer 2/3, I used black and blended to make it look smokey.

8. Use UD 24/7 liner on water line.

9. Finish with gel liner and mascara :)

On the lips I used UD Jilted on all of my lips. except the center part of the lower one. I put CK Mesmerize on the center of my lower lip and blended them together a little.

I hope everyone enjoys my look! :) Comments always appreciated!

Any questions about where to get any products, just ask me! :)