How to: Make and Use Eyelid Tape

This a picture tutorial on how to make your own customized eyelid tape. Rather than buying precut tape, you can buy a roll of clear medical tape. It's in the first aid section of drugstores. I got mine at CVS for around $3-4. I think there are several different brands, but I use Nexcare. Here is a PDF coupon you can print for 55 cents off a Nexcare roll.

I do use tape sometimes to create a double-lid. It's not that I don't like my monolids, but I like to try different things. I don't do this often, but just once in a while for fun and a temporary change. Lurve mentioned a girl using tape to make her double-lids smaller or more monolid like. I had really never heard of such a thing! So, I'm sure you double-lids can toy with this too. This will take some practicing and experimenting. It took me several trys before I figured out what size tape and shape best suited me. Don't get discouraged if you can't get it right at first.

When I do use tape, I don't usually wear any shadow. I just go for a natural, simple look. I use eyeliner and mascara. Shadow will apply over the tape, but that's something you'll also have to experiment with. This tutorial should yield 4 pieces of eyelid tape, just in case you mess up or want some for the next day.

This is with makeup, eyeliner and mascara. I used L'oreal HiP eyeliner in Midnight Blue and Laura Gellar mascara (which doesn't hold my curl).

I hope this is helpful to whoever wishes to try eyelid tape! Please let me know of your results! Now tell me, which do think better suits me, a monolid or double-lid?

A Spankedelic Look

This is my Spankedelic look I created using the pigment samples I received from Trinh! Thanks again! It was really simple, but I ended up liking it a lot! I went a little higher on my lid than usual with the shadow and I didn't look so clownish. I'm going to have to keep experimenting and practicing. Again, late at night so I didn't do the whole face.

Also, I still can't take pictures that well. My eyeshadow looks so different in the pictures than it does in person. When I look at Temptalia's pictures, I always wonder how she takes it at the exact same position every time. It's so clearly detailed and her mascara always looks clean. Mine always looks so clumpy! I need a new camera!! I was going to use the Laura Gellar mascara that Trinh gave me, but I forgot I had it and used Voluminous. As you can see, Voluminous does not hold my curl!

What I used:
* Relvon Creme Shadow (white shade as base)
* MAC pigment in White Frost (inner half)
* MAC pigment in Fuschia (outer half)
* Stila Smudge Pot in Black (top liner)
* Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal pencil in Black (bottom liner)
* L'oreal Voluminous mascara

Review: MAC Dazzleglass

Dazzleglass is a limited edition gloss collection. I picked up 2 from their 16 available colors. Something to note is that a standard lipglass contains 4.8 g/0.17 oz, while the Dazzleglass is only 1.92 g/0.06 oz. Dazzleglass contains less than half the amount, so don't be fooled by the larger double thick plastic tube. Dazzleglass is also $2.50 more than the standard at $16.50 a tube. So I say, what the heck MAC? What's with the price difference and the less amount of gloss?

Still, I like the packaging better than the standard. The double thick clear plastic looks classier. It's still pretty simple, but I think the clearer plastic just brings out the color of the glosses. It comes with a brush wand rather than a doe-foot kind. I don't really have a preference between those two, but in general I prefer the plastic tip angle applicator. I can wipe the tip and it just seems more sanitary. I know the wand gives me more control and better application, but I just don't like the sticking the used wand back in the tube idea. That's probably just me though, lol.

These glosses are very sheer in color, but extremely high in shine. It's packed with large chunks of glitters and shimmers, and I mean packed! If you like only a little shimmer or matte gloss, this is not the gloss for you. It's super sparkly and has very noticeable iridescence. If you're doing a very simple look in the day, this will definitely dazzle it up. It's perfect for night because its' brilliant shine will really pop.

As for texture, the gloss is very thick and heavy. I think it's much thicker than your regular lipglass. A little will go a long way. If you put on too much, you'll get that gross gloss look. Like when you separate your lips to talk, you'll see the gloss like stick together. You know what I'm talking about right? So yes, this gloss is sticky even though the MAC website claims it's "non-sticky, non-tacky, lightweight and moisturizing." No, it's very sticky and can be very tacky with too much application. I think it's heavy and not lightweight, but it does feel moisturizing. These terms are all relative because what I think is sticky may not be to you. But I do consider these to be thick and heavy. On the plus side, it does seem to have a much longer wear time because so. After about 3 or 4 hours, I still had a good amount on.

I got Baby Sparks, a very pale pink with a purple iridescence. I also got Bare Necessity, a peachy nude color with a reddish iridescence. These were my favorite of 16 shades. Again, they are sheer, but have a tint of color. Over some lipstick, the color is more vibrant. Other favorites includes Money Honey, Steppin' Out, and Glamour O.D.

Review: MAC DressCamp Palette

I was able to get the palette from DressCamp, thanks to the Muse. As you guys know the collection completely sold out the first day it was online. I was uber disappointed I didn't get anything until the Muse informed me that if I call MAC SoHo, they will ship it to me directly. It was available in stores at MAC Union and MAC SoHo last Thursday for about 10 minutes before they sold out too. Apparently MAC Union only got 6 pieces of each item and they sold out in 5 minutes. By the time I got through on the phone lines, MAC SoHo only had the palette, so that's all I got.

The packaging is gorgeous! I like it better than Fafi or Heatherette. The gold casing and the zebra like print with the crest and hot pink plaque is dynamite! I only wish I could have gotten the awesome lipstick packaging as well.

The palette comes with 1 powder blush or Beauty Powder in DressCamp Pink. The back of the palette calls it a powder blush while the website calls it a Beauty Powder. The texture to me makes it more seem like a powder blush though. It's a hot pink with silver, whiteish shimmer. It also comes with 3 eyeshadows. Sunny Girl is my favorite. It's like a 10k gold shade because it's so light and sheer (24K would be very dense yellow). Trend is very light bronze color with a hint of gold tone. Golden Gold doesn't look very gold to me. It looks like a cooper bronze with tons of shimmer. It also came with a little compact-sized brush. Overall, I really like the palette! I think the colors will be great for summer and it's all in a nice, pretty on-the-go packaging.

Thank You Trinh!!!

The lovely Miss Trinh had a giveaway on her blog and I won 3rd place! It was such a surprise and totally unexpected! Today I got my package and I just wanted to say...

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

She's so incredibly sweet to do this giveaway! I got SEVERAL great prizes!! She sent me a Laura Mercier Foundation Primer sample, a mini Laura Gellar Bronze-n-Brighten, an OPI nail polish, 4 generous MAC Pigment samples, AND something not even mentioned on her prize list, a Laura Gellar dual-end mascara!!

I had been looking for a bronzer because of summer and this Laura Gellar is right up my alley!! I absolutely love the nail polish color. It's this gorgeous bright pink color. I don't have any of the pigments so I can't wait to use them! The mascara wasn't even part of the prize so this was like an extra bonus! Seriously, this is like the perfect prize! I've never tried any of the products so I'm very excited to try them all!! I really love my prize, THANK YOU!! Again, THANK YOU so much Trinh!! I can't say it enough!! You're a sweetheart!!

*Off to play with my prizes* :)

The Blushing Giveaway Winner

The Blushing Giveaway is now over. A big thank you to everyone that entered! The winner is xteeener! She's a super fantastic beauty guru on YouTube. She has lots of videos and helpful tips. She is definitely one of my favorites. Please check out her videos and subscribe! She is listed under my Daily Specials section. So congratulations to her!

If you're wondering how I draw winners, I use a computer program. I googled different stuff like random number, raffle drawing, etc. and I found this website. He has a very simple program that you can download for free and looks like this:

Basically, you enter a number and a random number will be generated between 1 and the number entered. So for this giveaway, I entered the number 35, because that's how many comments there were. The resulting number was 29. Then I counted the comments down the list to that number and that's the winner. That's how I did my other giveaways as well. It's a random computer generated number, so I think it's fair, not to mention fast and easy.

Also, I'm thinking about doing giveaways differently. I might impose a cap to the number of entries, so the pot is smaller and people have a better chance of winning. I like the thought of having giveaways solely for active readers and fellow beauty bloggers only. I'm also thinking about contests where you must a submit a look and I choose a winner based on it. This isn't set in stone or anything, I'm just considering different ideas. If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to let me know by commenting!

National Record Store Day

Today is the first ever National Record Store Day! I'm fortunate enough to be in a town where there are several record stores. I went to my nearest one this morning because they were having a blowout sale with 3 for $1 LPs and 99 cent CDs. I got several of the 3 for $1 vinyls and two new 7" singles. I also got some free sampler vinyls and singles too! My sister bought some 99 cent CDs and got a goodie bag filled with CD samples, stickers, and buttons!

We were one of the first people there so it was pretty slow in the store, but then suddenly it got super busy! By the time we left, the small store was jam packed with people. I might go to another store but it's much further away. Check out this website to see if you have a participating store near you. You might be able to snatch some really good deals and freebies!!

Caribbean Look

This is my attempt to do a Caribbean, spring colored look. The colors were really bright at first, so I tried to tone it down to a more wearable look. I only did one eye because I was a bit bored and I was just playing around with color combos. I know many monolids tend to do more neutral looks, so this was my attempt to rock colors. I only used one palette for all the colors. After I finished, the pictures kind of reminded me of my MAC Fafi inspired look, except brighter. That really wasn't my intention, but they are different. And, please excuse my wonky lashes!

What I used using LA Colors palette in Tease:

* White shimmery pencil (base)
* Yellow shade (inner)
* Green shade (middle)
* Blue shade (outer)
* Orange shade (highlight)
* Benefit Gilded Pencil (bottom liner)
* L'oreal HiP cream eyeliner in Black (top liner)
* Benefit Kohl pencil in Onyx (bottom liner)
* Max Factor Lash Perfection waterproof mascara

My Other Collection

What else besides makeup do I collect, you ask? I recently started collecting vinyls. Vinyls as in records you play on a record player with a needle. I don't have a lot, but I have some. I know some people are thinking "You spend money on music?" Yes I do! I spend money on music! I buy all my music. I don't download it illegally. I buy all my MP3s from iTunes and I buy vinyls.

I like to download from iTunes because I know the quality of the song is good. When I used to DL songs from Limewire, I could hear the volume changes in my headphones while listening. That's because the quality of each song was different and in turn the volume would be louder or lower in my headphones. With iTunes the quality is same with each song. It's also fast, easy, and convenient. I like to keep my things organized and iTunes organizes it beautifully! It has the picture of the album, the correct names listed, and alphabetized whatever way I want it. I remember I used to sit there for hours organizing all the names and search for album covers. Now it don't have to deal with all that and it's plug & go!

I started collecting vinyls because it's kind of neat. Can you imagine the person who created the vinyl record? I mean, technology has certainly come a long way but a disc made of wax can play music. To me, that thought is quite incredible. How does one invent that? It's just phenomenal!

So besides makeup, I really love music! I love anything that sounds good, even some country! I also watch too much movies, because I really want music playing in the background of my life on cue :P My boyfriend mainly collects the Beatles, but also Styx, Eagles, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, etc. We both like modern stuff like Weezer, John Mayer, and Foo Fighters. But my favorites are actually my budget vinyls I got for $1 like Journey, Marvin Gaye, and Pavarotti! I also have stuff like Diana Ross & the Supremes, Grease OST, Green Day, Pearl Jam, Barry Manilow, Matchbox 20, the Beach Boys, Boston, and lots more. Check out some pics below!

I have another box.

Doesn't it just make you want to sing "I just wanna keep on lovin' you!"



"All Out of Love" is one the greatest ballads of all-time!



This is an original US 1st pressing!



This album is amazing! I really dig The-Dream's R&B vibe.



I think this is my only picture disc! I have a few colored vinyls too.



My Journey Collection!! I love love love Journey!!

What are some of your other hobbies besides makeup?? Tell me!!

Review: L'oreal Original Voluminous Mascara

Let me start by saying that everyone's mascara needs are different. Some need length while others need volume, etc. Because of this, I'm not going to do a traditional review with a scoring out of 5. Rather, I'm going to shortly discuss the individual elements of the mascara, but realize my mascara needs are lengthening and holding a curl. I got this from my free haul of L'oreal goodies, but it's around $7 at drugstores.

"L'oreal presents Voluminous Volume Building Mascara. Uniquely formulated to resist clumping, soften lashes and build lashes to 4x their natural thickness."

Volume: With the name "Voluminous," you would hope it does volumize and it most certainly does. It adds major volume with about 5-10 swipes. You can do as many swipes as you need because it's volume building. It claims 4x the volume and that's something I don't think I can test exactly. I would say there was a very noticeable increase in volume at least twice as much, in a visual comparison with my bare lashes. It did kind of create that fluttery look if you know what I mean.

Length: I didn't really expect it to do much for length, but it added a good amount. I was actually impressed with the lengthening because I figured the focus is on volume. It wasn't extreme length but just enough for me to notice.

Curling/Hold Curl: On one eye I curled my lashes before and after, and on the other I just applied without any curling at all. My curled lashes were sadly uncurled after a few swipes. Then I curled again after application and my lashes were limp. On uncurled lashes, it did absolutely nothing! But you must consider, I have extremely stubborn lashes and only waterproof formulas work for me. If your lashes are naturally curled (I hate you :P) or not so stubborn, then you probably won't have an issue.

Clumping: I didn't really experience any clumping actually. It applied very smoothly! The package claims that it's "clump-resistant" and I agree.

Separation: I find that most volume mascaras do not separate the lashes. Since it's getting thicker between the lashes to create the volume, the lashes tend to stick together. This is definitely the case here. Towards the base, there was not much separation at all. The tip of the lashes were better, but it still wasn't has defined as I'd like it to be.

Wand/Brush: The brush is fairly big, where as it almost reminded me of the DiorShow brush. I had problems getting the inner corner lashes because it was just too big. Also, the very tip had like a glob of mascara on it and I hate that! I always have to wipe it off and I feel like it's such a waste of product. With the newer plastic wands, I've noticed less globage.

Formula: It does smudge after a few hours of wear, but that's pretty much expected of a water soluble formula. I prefer waterproof just because it can hold my curl and it doesn't smudge. However, many waterproof mascara leaves your lashes dry, hard, and tend to flake. This left my lashes soft and I really like that. It didn't flake either.

So, for me, I didn't really like this mascara mainly because it just wouldn't hold my curl. That's really the most important aspect for me. If other regular formulas hold your curl and work for you, then this is probably will too. If you're looking for volume, this is definitely something to consider, but it's just not what I need or want. I really did appreciate the clump freeness and the softness of lashes, but that's not enough for me to continue using it. However, rather than just throw the tube away, I'll use it on my bottom lashes which need a little volume and then swipe it once with my waterproof so it doesn't smudge on me. I think I might try the waterproof version because hopefully that will hold my curl but still leave my lashes soft. That was a great plus!

I don't feel it's really fair to rate this product with a scoring system just because my lash needs may not be the same as yours. Just based on what I want in a mascara, I would give it a poor rating. But if you need volume and prefer regular formulas (some people just do), then of course I recommend it. If you have stupid lashes like mine that don't curl, then no, I wouldn't get this product.

Image Credits: Drugstore.com

The Blushing Giveaway

In lieu of all the contests and giveaways on other blogs, I thought I should do another too. I'm calling this the Blushing Giveaway because one lucky winner will receive a brushlab Rx Blush Brush (as seen in my review) and a MAC Beauty Powder Blush (also in a review) in the color of your choice! Please note that the color will depend on what my local MAC has available.

To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment with your email address in this post telling me your favorite current blush! Mine is by Bourjois in Rose D'Or, a soft pink with gold iridescence. Comments should be left by Saturday, April 19 at 11:59 PM EST. Only one comment/entry per person. Multiple comments will not increase your chance of winning. One winner will be chosen in a random drawing. You must have a valid email address to enter, so that I can contact you if you're chosen. I will announce the winner on Sunday, April 20th.

If you don't win this time, no worries! I'm going to do more giveaways and another soon. Just check under my Free Cupcakes section.

Good luck!!

Image Credits: MACCosmetics.com

How to: Make an Aspirin Mask

I've been asked by a few readers about the aspirin mask and to elaborate on it. I first learned of it on MakeupAlley.com; this is not something I invented or claim to. I wanted to try it because I read lots of positive reviews about it. I was also interested because I was looking for home remedy skincare solutions. The aspirin mask turned out to be one of the best discoveries for me! It's extremely affordable and easy to do. The following is based on my own research and experience. I'm not a dermatologist or skincare expert by any means.

What does aspirin do? How does it work?
Aspirin is essentially salicylic acid, a type of beta hydroxy acid or BHA. BHAs are commonly found in many anti-aging/age reversal and acne products. I don't really know the exact science of BHAs and skincare, but in layman's terms, it works as an exfoliant. It sloughs off dead skin cells to promote growth of new cells. It's anti-aging because you're basically revealing new, younger skin. It can provide age reversal because by getting rid of old cells, you reduce the look of wrinkles, lines, and hyperpigmentation. As for acne treatments, it unclogs your pores and therefore reduces acne visibility and occurrences. BHAs are lipid soluble so it can go into sebum (oil) and exfoliate dead cells clogged inside the pore.

What are the benefits of the mask?
This is solely based on my personal experience. I've experienced disappearing and less white & blackheads; reduced size of pores; reduced redness in skin; smooth, softer, and brighter skin; reduced discoloration in skin. As an acne spot treatment, I've experienced my blemishes reduce in size & redness and go away faster.

What about other exfoliating cleansers and scrubs?
The important things about BHAs is that it has to be absorbed into the skin to work. With cleansers and scrubs, you wash off the BHAs before absorption can occur and are ineffective.

Who should use the mask?
It's for anyone who wishes to improve their skin! I'd recommend if for any skin type, especially if you have acne prone skin or have oily skin. Do NOT use the mask if you're allergic to aspirin! I hope that was obvious.

How often do you use the mask?
I do it about 1-2 times per week. I would not recommend doing it more, especially if you have dry skin. I've read that some people do it everyday, while others do it every other day. Some only do it once a month, but it's really up to you and how your skin reacts.

Now that you have some background info about the aspirin mask, here are the things and ingredients you'll need to make the mask:

* a small dish
* uncoated aspirin tablets
* honey

The recipe is very simple, but there are several versions. Some do not use a binding ingredient (honey in my recipe), while others substitute it for plain yogurt or aloe vera gel. You can figure out which works best with your skin. When I use it as an acne spot treatmeant, I do not use honey. Also others use Evian or spring water, while I use just plain tap. You can use more or less aspirin tablets. People with heavy acne can use up to 10.

CAUTION:
USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
CHECK YOUR ALLERGIES!
DO A SPOT TEST!

Directions:
1. Place your # aspirin tablets in a small dish. I use 4.

2. Add a few drops of water to the tablets, only enough for it to be crushed and grainy.

3. Add a small dollop or squeeze of honey over the crushed tablets.

4. Mix the two to create a grainy paste.

5. Spread the paste all over your face, avoiding inside of your nostrils. Let it set and dry for 10-20 minutes.

6. Wet your hand using warm water and scrub your skin with the grains of aspirin in a circular motion. Repeat until you've exfoliated your entire face. I concentrate scrubbing my cheek, nose, and chin area. Then, wash your face with water only to remove the rest of the mask.

7. Now, wash your face with your normal cleanser to remove any residue. I use my Dove SkinVitalizer here. Pat dry afterwards.

8. Tone, then moisturize. I use Nivea Moisturizing Toner or Ruben's Remedies Rose Water Toner. I use Nivea Creme if I did the mask at night or Olay Complete All Day Moisture Lotion if in the day.

This is my skin after the mask and without any makeup. This photo has not been photoshopped, altered, or edited in any way except for the watermark.

This is basically my mini home facial, like mentioned in my Drugstore Staples 2 post. If you try this, I hope you see improvement in your skin like I have. Please do not hesitate to ask additional questions not answered here. I'll do my best to answer, but I'm not a professional. Remember to pull your hair back when doing the mask, it can get sticky!

Review: Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover

I used to use L'oreal Eye Makeup Remover because L'oreal owns Lancome and many of their items are similar (Colour Juice vs Juicy Tubes, ring a bell?). I've heard great things about Lancome Bi-Facil, but it's $26 a bottle! So I figured the L'oreal version even comes in a similar looking bottle, it's got to be decent. Wrong. Tons of tugging and could not even remove water soluble mascara. Ever since that nightmare of a bottle, I've been on the hunt for a new eye makeup remover. Maybe it's just me, but I don't see a lot of drugstore brand makeup removers. The first one I came across was Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover.

It runs around $5 at Walmart and Target, and $6 at drugstores. However, they have a twin pack for $8 at drugstores, which I got. I've only seen this twin pack at drugstores, not mass merchandise stores. In terms of cost, it's very much within my budget, especially with the twin pack deal. The bottle itself is pretty average, nothing special. It's already leaked on me though.

Neutrogena was definitely a huge improvement from L'oreal. I think it removed my makeup decently. But you have to realize, I don't wear tons of eye makeup everyday. I wear it maybe 2 to 3 times a week. Even when I do, it's basically mascara and liner. Since I've started blogging, I've been experimenting more and using shadow. But you see in my posts that my looks are very subtle and I don't use a whole lot of shadow. The shadows swipe off pretty easily without any tugging. I like that it is very gentle, however I use waterproof mascara. It gets good amount off but not completely. I'm sure it could get it all off, but I don't want to sit there rubbing my eye to blindness trying to do so! I use Vaseline to get the rest off because it also conditions my lid and my lashes.

The bottle claims that it's oil-free and leaves no oily residue. So if it's oil-free, I'm curious as to what the slick feeling on my lid is after using this. Even if it's not oil, there's some kind of residue on my lid. I don't like that feeling at all! It's not gross as it is weird. I have to wipe it a few times with a clean cotton ball to remove it. Now, L'oreal's didn't leave a weird residue, but it didn't remove makeup either. This weird residue may or may not occur on you though. I've read some reviews on MakeupAlley.com and some claim it leaves a residue, while others don't.

I can't honestly say how well this works for heavy eye makeup wearers since I'm not one. I recently saw some videos from my fav makeup gurus xteeener and Lurve about their experience with Neutrogena. They tend to wear a lot more shadow than I do, however their opinions differ. But in my overall opinion, I think if you're light makeup wearer like I am, it's not a bad product. I don't think it removes waterproof mascara all that well, so 1/2 cupcake deducted for that. It should do what it claims! I'm going to deduct another cupcake for the oily residue.

Product: 3.5/5
Packaging: 3/5
Cost: 5/5
Overall: 3.5/5


Image Credits: Drugstore.com

Haul: Free L'oreal Products

I went to the mall and while shopping on the 2nd floor, I look down to the 1st floor and I see this huge L'oreal stand in the middle of the mall. There was also a line of people receiving small bags. Curious, I went to check it out.

They were promoting & selling their products and offering free makeovers. If you signed up for emails, you got a free goodie bag! After standing in line for about 10 minutes, I was gifted with a bag filled with a few full-size products. It also had a sample of their new Skin Genesis product and a $2 off coupon on any L'oreal product. So, this is a mini haul provided by fine people at L'oreal! I also went to Target and picked up my favorite snack, Florida's Natural Ausome Fruit Juice Nuggets! Yum!

Drugstore Staples II

One post doesn't really cut it when it comes to my drugstore favorites. I use many drugstore products daily so I have many favorites! I'm going to break this up into parts. Welcome to Part 2! Check out Part 1 here.

1. Dove SkinVitalizer, $9.99 at Walmart - $3.50 coupon = $6.50.

About once I week, I give myself what I call a "mini home facial." I'm a student and I can't afford luxuries such as spa trips. This is my le cheapo alternative! My mini home facial starts with an aspirin mask, as mentioned before. After the mask, I use this Dove SkinVitalizer as a massage and get off any left over residue from the mask. It foams up pretty nicely and gently vibrants. It actually feels nice. It comes with a few pillows, but then you have to buy refills. One side of the pillow is a gentle cleansing and the other is exfoliating. I use the gentle side after the mask. But, I have little soap dish and I put the pillow there after I finish and use the other side in the morning. Haha, I bet you're like "Gross!" but I'm kind of frugal and there's still enough soap in there for next morning. Other times I use it in place of my regular cleanser when I feel like my skin is yucky. I think it does a good job removing makeup too. However, I don't usually wear a lot, so for heavy makeup wears, it might not remove it all. For $6.50, it's much more affordable and convenient than going to a spa or buying that ridiculously pricey Clarisonic tool from Sephora.com.

2. L'oreal HiP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner, $10~ at Walmart.

I like cream or gel based liners. I think they're the easiest to use. Pencils smudge and liquid is too hard to apply (I suck so bad at liquid liner!). Creams and gels just work for me. I have Stila's Smudge Pot and it works great. But it's $18 a pot! On BOGO at drugstores, I can get two HiP liners for $12 or $6 each!! And I can't tell a difference at all between this and Stila's. It looks the same, feels the same, and works the same. L'oreal's even comes with a free brush! The only difference and major difference is the cost. This is a must-have for cream/gel liner lovers!

3. Revlon Slant Tip PerfecTweeze Tweezers, $3.99 at Walgreens.

Personally, I could never ever justify spending $20 on a Tweezerman! These things get very easily lost and at $20 a piece...ouch! I don't like the tension spring designed tweezers because it eventually loses its' spring and its' lack of control. With scissor-hinge style, you don't lose that spring because your hand is the spring, kind of. You have much more control because you can open it as wide as you want. There is definitely a better grip since you loop your fingers through the holes too. It's designed for comfort and easy usability (is that a word?). With my bushy brows, these are the only tweezers I trust to get the job done. Plus, they have a lifetime guarantee!

4. VO5 Heat Defense Conditioning Spray, $3-4 at Walgreens.

It's really important to protect your hair from the damaging effects of heat styling. It can cause brittleness, dryness, and split ends! This not only protects your hair but makes it feel super silky and soft. I wasn't expecting the product to be that good, but it's actually great! Living in hot, humid Florida weather, I get crazy frizzes. Since I've been using this, my wild frizzes have been tamed! I know products that are strictly for frizzes and strictly for silkening and strictly for heat protecting, but this is an all-in-one for no more than $5. Another great thing is that in comes in a spray bottle! I HATE the feeling of rubbing lotion and serums with my hands into my hair. I just hate having to directly touch those types of products. This I just spray and comb-through, simple and easy.

5. Maybelline Mineral Power Powder Foundation, $9.99 at CVS.

Ever since Bare Minerals, all the drugstore companies have jumped on the mineral makeup bandwagon. You can definitely find mineral makeup much cheaper than BM, but what about the quality? I've used BM and the quality is superior, however the price is not worth it to me. I'm sure I could find something almost as good for much less and I did. I'm loving Maybelline's new mineral foundation. It's very fine in texture just like BM and has buildable coverage and up to medium. If you're looking for heavy, maybe try their mineral liquid foundation. I like my coverage light to medium though. The cost is extremely affordable. I believe it comes with 8 grams and with a BOGO offer, that's 16 grams for $10! One thing I like about this, that I didn't about other drugstore mineral foundation is the packaging. It comes in a larger sifter jar. I don't like the built-in brush stuff. It's so inconvenient offering no real control over the amount you use. Maybelline's even comes with a natural hair mini kabuki brush! While it's not that soft, it works and convenient for on-the-go.

Let me know if you try any of these products and how it works out for you! Stay tuned for Part 3!

Image Credits: Drugstore.com

Tagged: 5 Food Pleasures

I was tagged by the ever so adorable Miss Lurve to share my top 5 food pleasures. This is in no particular order:

1. Vanilla cupcakes

Wasn't this obvious? :P Although I like cake in general, the cupcake is so cutely proportioned! I don't like any special type, just plain vanilla with buttercream frosting. I can feel my butt growing in size just thinking about it...

2. Coconut based curries

I know some of you are cringing at the thought of curry but it's a favorite of mine. I don't know, I really like ethnic foods: Moroccan, Indian, Greek...I love it all!! (I watch a lot of Travel Channel :P)

3. L.A. Kal-bi aka Korean barbecue or ribs

This is the kind of rib cut long ways so there's like three bones on top. I believe it's called "short ribs." My mom makes the best marinade and I could eat it for life and be happy! It's not anything like American ribs with ketchup based sauce. It's like sweet and savory soy sauce based. I can't even begin to describe it! I wish I could invite you guys over for dinner to have this.

4. Sweet potato fries

I very much prefer this over regular fries any day! My boyfriend and I went to a new restaurant and we ordered their sweet potato fries and it was the best we'd ever had! Most restaurants serve them with honey mustard, but this placed just served them with sprinkled with cinnamon and pure goodness. Honey mustard would have ruined them.

5. Buffalo chicken

Whether it's wings or a sandwhich, I'm down! But I always got to have that side of ranch. You can't go wrong with chicken! It's chicken!! Speaking of chicken, I was driving in downtown, and a chicken (well, actually a rooster) crossed the road!! It was so random! I was thinking, "How did a chicken get into the streets of downtown?!"

Cupcake Chat

I've added a chatterbox on the right side, under section Cupcake Chat. Please feel free to leave comments, questions, requests, etc. there as well as emailing me at cupcakegee@gmail.com! I'll respond to you either way :)

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a deliciously sweet day!

I'm all about the BEAT!

You guys know Heidi Montag, right? Heidi from the staged MTV show The Hills? Well now, she wants to be a music artist. Her first single and video for "Higher" was le stinky poo! I was embarrassed for her, it was so bad. However, she just came out with her second single, "No More" and I kind of like it! Actually, I like it very much so. How lame am I? But my music policy is "If I like it, I like it!" regardless who sings it.

See for yourself! Listen below and tell me what you think about it!



Also, this is the first photo released of the New Kids on the Block in 15 years! I used to love them! I had a hot pink NKOTB comforter with their faces on it...LOL! Boy, have they aged!

Image & Music Credits: Google Search

Fake it: Fafi Eyes 2 Quad Inspired

This look was inspired by the MAC Fafi Eyes 2 Quad. I used mostly drugstore products to achieve this look. I wanted to show that there are plenty of drugstore dupes for MAC and high-end cosmetics. I think the products I used are pretty good dupes of the colors from Fafi Eyes 2 Quad.

These are shots of my eyes only because it was late at night and I didn't have any face makeup on either. I intentionally put a band-aid image over a pimple because it gross looking. I didn't use mascara either. And there's a special guest appearance by my boyfriend!!

What I used:
* White shimmery pencil (base)
* NYX Ultra Mania Pearl in Yellowgold (Bold as Gold dupe)
* Milani Runway Eyes in Leaf Green (You're Fresh dupe)
* Milani Runway Eyes in Blue Lagoon (Prankster dupe)
* Stila Smudge Pot in Black (top liner)
* Max Factor eyeliner in Jean Jacket (bottom liner)
* N.Y.C. Highlighter pencil in Miss Sparkle (inner corner)

My Makeup Collection

This is my makeup collection. I don't think it's small, but I don't think it's necessarily large either. More than half is drugstore stuff. And to be honest, I don't use a lot of it. But I'm going to try to start using everything so not to be wasteful. If you want any reviews or more info on any products you see, please comment or email me! I'd be happy to do it for you :) Click the image to enlarge it to supersize if you want to see details.

This is my makeup desk right in front of a window. The orange thing is just a plastic place mat I use to keep the area clean. I keep all my MAC stuff in the green drawers. Next to the liners & mascaras is my big tub of Nivea Creme. On top of the Nivea is a cup with small travel mirrors and pencil sharper. I didn't take close up pictures of those.

This is the stuff on top of my white drawers: moisturizers, sunscreens, facial mists, etc.

This is the first drawer filled with foundation, blush, and concealer.

This is the second drawer filled my lip stuff.

This is the third drawer filled with mostly eyeshadows. I put the NYX Pearl Pigments in little 5 gram jars because the jar they come in makes it "ultra" difficult to use.

This is my first MAC drawer with lip stuff and my 3 pigments.

This is my second MAC drawer with blushes, beauty powders, and my Studio Fix Concealer. I do not use MAC foundation because I hear a lot of people break out from it and I prefer mineral makeup anyway. I am thinking about buying MAC's new Mineral Loose Foundation, however I like my Maybelline Mineral Power Foundation. I'm going to try Everyday Minerals as soon as my little free sample pack arrives in the mail!

This is my third MAC drawer with eye pencils and shadows.

The last drawer is my backup drawer :P

This is my sad MAC palette. I only have two single shadows from MAC. I only depotted one (the one you see). I didn't depot the other because it's in green limited edition packaging (Aquavert) that I got from CCO.

This is the stuff right next to my drawers, sitting on top of my Sephora palette.

These are my brushes and tools.

These are my mascaras, eyeliners, all-over pencils, and UDPP.

This is my Sephora Blockbuster Palette filled with 64 shadows, 32 lip colors, 7 cheek colors, 1 translucent color, applicators, and it has a mirror. It was $48. I believe this is the limited edition Holiday 2007 palette and no longer available. However, they still have the Classic Blockbuster Palette on Sephora.com.