Current Want: Clarisonic Skincare System from Skincarerx

One item that is on my current wishlist is the Clarisonic Skincare System from Skincarerx! I've heard amazing things about the skincare brush. Plus, the cute pink color is definitely my style. Though the system also comes in a white color. The brush comes with 3 types of skin cleansing creams so you can see which type works best for you, and it comes with a gentle brush head. The cool thing is that you can replace the brush head as times goes on, so the brush is always fresh. Best of all, no batteries!  The brush charges in your wall outlet, and once ti's charged it's ready to use and completely waterproof so you can even use the brush in the shower. I'd love this system! My skin can get pretty dry because I have a thyroid condition, so this would be awesome to help me achieve smooth flawless skin thats soft to the touch. I also heard that this brush helps to hydrate the skin and can even reduce outbreaks of acne, or facial redness. Awesome!! My birthday is on the 11th of August, so I'd definitely love to try this out!

LuminessAir review

I can't even begin to describe my excitement as my LuminessAir airbrush system arrived! I heard great things about the system previously and couldn't wait to try it out for myself! I have a thyroid condition so I was anxious to try anything with good coverage to mask the redness on my cheeks, I will divulge all about my results later in this post. I got the iLuminess package ($229.90 value). I text messaged a bunch of my friends and told them that my airbrush system arrived and even displayed my excitement on my personal Facebook page. Many of my friends inquired about it and a few of them even asked if I would airbrush their foundation for upcoming social events. They were very pleased with the results, and so was I!

Even the carrying case looks awesome, how cool is this?! I love the bright shiny silver color, the pattern, just everything looks awesome and it's very eye-catching!

How professional does this stylus look? It's extremely easy to use! When I was airbrushing my best friend's foundation, she said "That thing in your hand looks so professional!" :) I felt like a professional with the stylus in my hand, applying coat after coat to my friend's, my sister's, and my mother's face.

I recieved a moisturizing primer, three shades of foundation, a bronzer, a blush, and a pearly highlighter. The foundation shades are surprisingly versatile, I used the lightest shade on my porcelain skin and the darkest shade on my friend who is of Filipina descent. I also used the second lightest shade on my very warm-toned sister, and the third lightest on my mother's olive toned skin. It seemed to match perfectly and everybody was very pleased with their results.

The amount of product I put on my face to conceal the redness was drastically cut in half! That was definitely a plus. I was very happy with the system and have spent time trying to learn how to get the most out of it, and different techniques to create a variety of looks. My skin looked pretty much flawless while using this system. The foundation didn't "cake" or appear too thick. Be sure not to hold the stylus too close to your face, if part of your face feels too wet, then you're holding it too close. Holding it further away help the color to spread properly and to not pool on the skin

Cleaning the stylus is easy also. You simply add a few drops of water, while holding a finger of the spray, this flushes out the part of the stylus that holds that foundation/color. You can also use a little amount of rubbing alcohol along with the water to clean it a little better. Dry the stylus completely, and be sure not to get water into any parts that shouldn't get wet. Always keep the system dry Cleaning the stylus between uses will help your system last you a long time to come.  You'll also receive a DVD that you should watch before using the system, so you know exactly how to work the airbrush and how to care for it properly.

Here's how it works:

Check out Luminess Air! They have many different packages to choose from from beginner to pro, check them out and see which works best for you.

LuminessAir also has an airbrush tanning system!

-Ashley

Check out my friend Sonja's blog!

She's an awesome chick and one of my real-life friends and she started a blog! Her first beauty-related post is about the Urban Decay Ammo palette, complete with swatches!

Check it out!

Great job, Sonja! Welcome to the beauty blogging world! :)

Vote for me, pretty please?

Hi! Could I ask a favor? Please vote for me in Roxy's blog giveaway! She's giving away Stereo Rose and Viva Glam Gaga. I'm up against three other girls, we were to create a makeup look using pink, teal or purple. Voting is very simple, just click the link and the poll is at the upper right hand side. Please vote for Ashley (that's me!) Roxy's blog is awesome, so be sure to check it out! :)

Roxy's Blogaversary Giveaway

Voting would be so very much appreciated, thanks ladies!

-ash

Top 5 M.A.C lipsticks

 

(L to R: Jubilee, Ruby Woo, Lady Danger, Girl About Town, Port Red)

Jubilee was my first M.A.C lipstick therefore it will always hold a special place in my heart. I'm typically not a fan of nude lipsticks, but this is my favorite nude.My sister loves Jubilee too, she bought her own tube and it's her go-to everyday lipstick. I love that it's one of the few nude lipsticks that don't wash out my fair complexion, and I have seen this shade suit a variety of skin tones. If you're looking for a pretty nude lipstick, try Jubilee! It's the nude lipstick I recommend to friends and family, and now, to my amazing readers. I credit this shade for starting my lipstick addiction. The one in the photo is my second tube of Jubilee, I used the first one up!

Ruby Woo is one of my favorite reds from M.A.C. I love the amazing reds M.A.C offers, and Ruby Woo definitely delivers! I love the very matte finish, I feel like a pin-up girl whenever I swipe this shade on. It has a very strong blue base, but even my sister (who has very predominant warm tones) can pull off Ruby Woo beautifully. In my experience, this lipstick looks amazing in any lighting (natural, artificial). We all know how crucial it is to find a color that looks great even in unflattering lighting, and this is it. I have worn this shade to the movies, to school, etc. There really is no place that I wouldn't wear Ruby Woo. Dress it up, dress it down, Ruby's versatile! It also has great teeth-whitening properties because of the strong blue base and that's always a plus!

Lady Danger is one of my other favorite reds from M.A.C. It's the most gorgeous poppy red when applied to my lips. This shade looks exceptionally nice in natural lighting/outdoors. Sometimes I apply this lipstick when I'm having a bad day and the perkiness of the color makes me smile. However, because of the strong orange base, it might pull the yellow tones in your teeth but my teeth are pretty white so it's not much of an issue for me. To rock Lady Danger, you need confidence in knowing just how amazing the shade looks on you. However, how can you feel truly confident if the orange tones are making your teeth appear a bit more yellow? An easy way to remedy that is to use a red lipliner to really play up the red tones of this lipstick. This is a color that I think everybody should try, it's so bright and fun and I really love it. I thought I lost it one day and nearly cried, that's how much I love this lipstick! It looks very orange in the photo, but it looks much more red in real life.

Girl About Town is my go-to bright pink lipstick. I bought it on my birthday 2 years ago and it was love at first swipe. This is such a gorgeous blue-based dark bright pink. I love it, it's so versatile. You can blot this lipstick on for a pretty stain, or apply straight from the tube to really bask in the beauty of the color. This was my first "bright" lipstick that started my affair with bright lipstick colors, so like Jubilee, this one holds a very dear place in my heart. I like to rock this with shimmery lids, false eyelashes and black winged liner. However, I have used this lipstick with a smokey dark eye for a "rocker chick" look. This lipstick looks great with Style Minx (from Heatherette '08) on top, or a Dazzleglass (Extra Amps, Ms. Fizz and Funtabulous are my favorite dazzleglasses to pair with Girl About Town)!

Port Red is sadly discontinued, but I tracked one down on ebay and I'm so very glad that I did! This is such a gorgeous metallic red. It's a bit lighter than the highly sought after lipstick "Queen's Sin". The frost finish really sets this lipstick apart from the rest, it's a gorgeous red without the frost but the frost gives it the gorgeous metallic appearance that makes me love this shade so much. I'm running low on this color, so I will probably end up tracking down another on eBay when I run out. I would be a very happy girl if M.A.C re-promoted this shade, I would buy 10 tubes! That's how much I love this color. This is a lipstick that I feel pretty whenever I wear, I have worn this on dates and even if the guy turned out to be a boring dud (and they usually always do), at least I know that I looked good!

MissKC027's contest entry for July

1. What is make-up for you?
For me, makeup is an art. It's a form of expression and something that I love to do. I love being able to create different looks based on my mood, and being able to use different colors and products to express myself. I love doing my friends makeup, and I love doing my own makeup. When I do my friends makeup and I see the way they look at themselves in the mirror, with a new found confidence, it makes me really happy. I wear make-up for me, because I like it, because it's something that makes me happy and something that I think is artistic.

2. What is your makeup routine?
I usually wear different makeup each day, but on a basic day for me, I like to wear a bronze color on the eye with some MAC Vanilla on the brow bone. I use black mascara, and Blacktrack Fluidline to line my eyes, usually leaving a little cat-eye wing on the end. I use a soft shimmering blush that is pretty but looks natural, and then I usually wear a pretty coral color like Crosswires or Coral Polyp, especially in the summer, I love coral and pretty pink lips.

Hot Summer picks from Illamasqua! Liquid Metal, Illuminator, Intense Gloss

I can't believe it's already July! With Summertime in full swing, I wanted to share some of my hot summer picks from one of my fav beauty brands, Illamaqua! Liquid Metal in Solstice, Illuminator in Halcyon, and Intense Lipgloss in Follow. All of these products have been staples in my cosmetic bag this summer so far, and I see no sign of them leaving my makeup bag any time soon.

[Here are swatches of the products, as displayed on my sister's warm tones. From left to right, Liquid Metal in Solstice, Illuminator in Halcyon, and Intense Lipgloss in Follow]

I love the Intense Lipgloss in Follow, it's a gorgeous reddish coral pink. Perfect for summer! This lipgloss shade makes me feel ready for the beach. Nothing says kissable summery lips like a sweet bright color that not only smells wonderful, but offers a great formula that is smooth and easy to apply. The lipgloss formula is thick, opaque, and offers a lovely sleek shine. Love it!

The Liquid Gold in Solstice is awesome. I love the feel of it. It feels as though it melts on my skin at first contact, it's smooth, easy to apply, and it's so shiny. it really *does* look like liquid metal! This makes a summer sultry and shimmery look for a night out on the town, or it makes a fun and golden glow for a beachy keen look that's both glamorous and trendy. It looks wonderful on the eyes!

Illuminator in Halcyon is an ivory pearl color that looks fabulous on both warm and cool tones, or for neutral toned girls like myself. The formula is smooth, easy to blend, and the color is oh so pretty. Perfect for getting that glowing goddess look this summer! The Illuminator comes in the same squeeze tube that the Intense Lipgloss comes in, which makes it easy to apply with your fingers or makeup brush. I like using this as a highlight on my cheekbones and brow bone. So cute!

Have fun this summer, ladies! Illamasqua has you covered.

Brigette's Boutique store review

Brigette's Boutique is a M.A.C fan's dream. Brigette also carries several other beauty brands from Almay to YSL, with several amazing brands in between such as Estee Lauder, Benefit, Bobbi Brown, Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Lancome, Make Up For Ever, Stila, Smashbox and Urban Decay! There are many more brands available at Brigette's Boutique, the only way to see everything she has to offer is to visit her website! I consider Brigette's Boutique to be one of the very best online stores. Besides the abundance of available brands, the customer service is exceptional! Not to mention the extremely affordable prices! Your beauty budget doesn't have to suffer in these hard economic times when you shop at Brigette's Boutique! She has many discontinued products as well, perfect for tracking down that favorite product of yours that sadly isn't available anymore. Also, I have noticed that the prices for discontinued items are way better than those on eBay. Brigette can't be beat!

I will be showcasing four of the many M.A.C items available at Brigette's Boutique: Electro [lipstick], Electra [eyeshadow], Ms.Fizz [dazzleglass], and Superflash! [superglass].

M.A.C Lipstick in "Electro"
I can recall my sadness the day this shade sold out at MACCosmetics.com. I had looked on eBay several times for this lipstick only to see prices that were much more than I could afford at the time. One day while browsing Brigette's Boutique, to my surprise, "Electro" was in stock!!! This is my PERFECT summer lipstick! It doesn't clash at all against my copper red hair and it's extremely flattering. I often use various lipliners under this lipstick to tweak the color a bit, but no matter what the base color is, it's always such a juicy orange! I usually use "Electro" with a red or magenta lipliner, or I wear it on its own (it's pigmented enough to wear on its own!). I really like the Lustre finish, it gives the appearance of a juicy lip that is the color of fresh citrus. It really pops against my fair skin, but would also look great against deep skintones as well. This color is very flattering with my hair color. This color is very helpful with disguising my undereye circles. I just pat the color underneath my eye with my ring finger, and then go over it with my regular concealer and the orange tones really counteract the blue tones of my circles.
**Note: Sadly, Electro is no longer available at Brigette's Boutique. But I highly recommend checking back frequently, she's always adding new products!**

M.A.C Eyeshadow in "Electra"
This is my favorite silver eyeshadow, hands down. The search is over! I was always searching for the perfect silver to pair with Silver Ring, Knight Divine and Black Tied and Shroom.(Black Tied is also available at Brigette's Boutique). Enter Electra. This is HG worthy (Holy Grail, that's lingo among many makeup addicts like myself)! It's the prettiest icy silver shimmery color in my collection and I plan to use it over and over again. This color also looks great with my skintone and I have seen this color on those with skintones darker than my own and it looked equally beautiful! This is a very versatile silver that I think every M.A.C addict should own. It really pops against my brown eyes and the contrast is double-take worthy! I think the silver hue would electrify blue and green and hazel eyes as well. A must have.
You can find MAC Electra here at Brigette's Boutique. 

M.A.C Dazzleglass in "Ms. Fizz"
This is my favorite dazzleglass that I own. When I took it out of his package, my sister and I both stared at it in awe. It's the most gorgeous hot pink fuschia imaginable with amazing blue pearl and lots of visible glitter. The color somewhat reminds me of the Heatherette packaging, very bright and fun! I first heard about Ms. Fizz awhile back, but it was no longer available and I thought that I would never adorn my lips with its sparkly gorgeousness until I found it on Brigette's Boutique! I checked eBay for this shade a few times, and usually turned up very little results. Besides the color, this is so affordable! In fact, it's less expensive than a regular M.A.C dazzleglass - and this one is discontinued! This looks amazing over any pink lipstick from Chatterbox to Girl About Town to Show Orchid, to other pink lipsticks such as NARS Schiap! This dazzleglass is super pigmented, I have worn this on its own a few times and loved it just as much as if it were layered over my favorite bright pink lipstick!
You can find MAC Ms. Fizz here at Brigette's Boutique.

M.A.C Superglass in "Superflash!"
I have one other superglass and I love both of them dearly, but this was my first introduction to Superglass. The glitter in this gloss is AMAZING. It catches the light (artificial and natural) in the most flattering of ways! It looks great on its own, or over a lipstick! This color is versatile enough to go over any of my pink -bright and neutral pink- lipsticks. In the sunlight, there is a slight green iridescence to some of the flecks of glitter (reminiscent of M.A.C lipstick Lollipop Loving). This superglass has the vanilla scent that all M.A.C products have. This Superglass must have been from a particularly fresh batch of product because the scent of this Superglass smells extra-delicious!
You can find MAC "Superflash!" here at Brigette's Boutique.

Swatches:

 Electra swatched twice (left), swatched once (right)

Electro (left), Superflash! (middle), Ms. Fizz (right)

<- Isn't that the juiciest orange you've ever seen?!

<- The glitter in Superflash! is perfect.

<- Doesn't Ms. Fizz remind you of the fun and bright packaging of the M.AC collection Heatherette?







For awesome prices on wholesale cosmetics check out Brigettesboutique.com

Follow Brigette's Boutique on Twitter for updates as she adds more products to her wonderful online shop!

Wishlist item: TRIA Hair Removal System

This is the main thing on my want-list right now. Go enter to win a TRIA Hair Removal System from Real Mom Reviews:

http://www.realmomsrealviews.com/2010/06/30/laser-hair-removal-at-home/

Happy Birthday Karleigh!! + win

Happy 23rd birthday to Karleigh, from the blog Nooberella's Secret Beauty Blog. Go show her some love today and wish her a happy b-day! :)

Also, while you're there enter her b-day giveaway to win...Stereo Rose blush!!

http://www.secretbeautyblog.com/?p=563

Kaitlyn's giveaway

Kaitlyn is having a To The Beach blog giveaway! Go enter: http://kmaness930.blogspot.com/2010/06/kaitlyns-to-beach-200-follower-giveaway.html

LeCosmetique.com review

A few months back I found this awesome online cosmetic shop called LeCosmetique.com, they sell OCC makeup, Zpalette, airbrush makeup, makeup artist supplies, and more. They offer great prices and fast shipping! I was really pleased with my experience with their shop, so I wanted to let all of my readers know about the store. I got OCC Liptar in Vapid, OCC Airbrush Makeup Mixing Base and Corrector Set, and the LeCosmetique 10 Color Blush Palette.

Here is a swatch of Vapid Lip Tar, on my sister's warm skin tone. It's a really pretty pale lavender color. I love lip tar! So I was excited to try one of their newer shades. You can get your hands on this lovely color for $10! That's a few bucks cheaper than the OCC website!

Here are a few swatches from the 10 Color Blush Palette. The colors are nicely pigmented, and come in a variety of pinks, orange, and bronze. I love the darker bronze color for contouring! It's one of my fav contour colors. This palette is awesome, I use it often. It's only $17.95

The OCC Airbrush Makeup Mixing Base and Corrector set is awesome! You get a green color, blue, red, white, black, yellow, black and olive. This airbrush makeup will work in any airbrush stylus. I like the white for a color base, and green for toning down redness. You can get the entire set of colors for $25

I highly recommend LeCosmetique to all of my readers who are looking for OCC makeup at a discounted price, and for those makeup artists who want good prices and high quality products!

Ashley's Beauty Role Models.

These are some of the women who have inspired my "look" and have left their mark on the world of beauty and fashion. Each of these featured women had something special that mesmerized their public when they first came onto the scene, and they continue to mesmerize their present-day audiences through their photos and films.


Rita Hayworth

I used to work at a restaurant and occasionally, I would wear red lips and pin-up inspired winged liner. The older customers in the restaurant used to smile at me and a few of them said that I reminded them of Rita Hayworth. I also remember this adorable old man saying to me: "It was faces like yours that got me and the boys through World War II!"

Jayne Mansfield

Many girls love Marilyn Monroe and view her as the ultimate blonde bombshell, but I'm on Team Jayne. This woman defines the term. Although she met an untimely end at only 34 years old, she left a lasting impact on the world and nobody will forget Ms. Manfield anytime soon.

Brigette Bardot

Brigette reigns as one of the most beloved bombshells of all time and this picture shows exactly why. No need to elaborate.


Veronica Lake

I was first introduced to Veronica Lake while watching "Sullivan's Travels" late one night when I couldn't sleep, and I couldn't help but watch her during the entire movie, even when she wasn't speaking or if she was simply in the background. She had a magnetic appearance. She was often photographed with a smirk as if she knew something that the audience didn't.

Gia M. Carangi

The life of this gorgeous 70's supermodel was tragic and ended at the age of 26, but everybody who saw her couldn't take their eyes off of her. It's pretty clear why.

Angelina Jolie

Angie is not only a super talented actress (who played the former beauty role model in a biopic about her life), but she is super gorgeous as well. Her humanitarian efforts are very impressive! I have that exact same shade of (now discontinued) lipstick.

Kate Winslet

Besides being one of my favorite actresses, Kate Winslet is drop dead gorgeous. In every film I have ever seen her in including "Little Children" where she is described by the narrator as having somewhat of a frumpy appearance, she's still gorgeous.

-ashley

Camera Ready Cosmetics Airbrush Makeup

Recently I've been getting into airbrush makeup. I like the flawless look that airbrush can achieve. So when I saw Camera Ready Cosmetics own line of airbrush makeup, I really wanted to try it. They offer a wide variety of colors in the neutral, warm, and cool tones. Each bottle of airbrush makeup comes in  2oz squeeze bottle for $21.99, which is a pretty awesome price. The colors are easy to use, and will work with any airbrush stylus that you have. They offer nice coverage, and since the formula is waterbased, it won't cake onto your skin. They also have airbrush makeup samples which gives you a 1/4 oz sample for $3.99 if you want to try out several shades! I got some of the samples and they've lasted me quite awhile and I think it was a good choice for me to see what color works best for me. Check out the entire Camera Ready Cosmetics Airbrush Makeup line at CameraReadyCosmetics.com

Graftobian HD Sampler Airbrush makeup

I love Graftobian, their makeup is really high quality, and I've been using their products for about a year now. I've tried their makeup palettes in the past, so when I got an airbrush system, I turned to Graftobian for quality HD airbrush makeup! The Graftobian HD Sampler Airbrush Makeup comes in 3 different shades, #1 Cool, #2 Warm, and #3 Neutral. I have Cool and Warm. The cool thing about these sampler sets, is that you get 5 airbrush makeup bottles with shades that can be mixed or used regular to create your perfect airbrush makeup color to complement your skin tone. You also get a HD Color Palette! Which is their super popular HD foundation in cream format! The cream is awesome, easy to blend, and can be used with the airbrush makeup, or without! I use the palette along with my Beauty Blender for flawless application. The Cool shades are pretty fair in color, and go well with my porcelain skin color. The Warm shades offers medium to darker shades that are perfect for use on some of my friends that have warmer skin tones. It only takes a few drops of airbrush makeup, so these little bottles have lasted me quite nicely. You can use Graftobian Airbrush makeup in any airbrush stylus! Graftobian does have it's own Airbrush system though also. These HD sampler packs are awesome! You can get each set for $34.99 which is definitely worth the money, in my opinion, because of Graftobian's quality colors and formula. Check them out at Graftobian.com

Alice + Olivia (just a quick update!)

M.A.C never disappoints with the summer/fall collections! I can't wait for In The Groove (Stereo Rose, anyone?!) and Venomous Villains! I'm a little bit sad that Queen's Sin isn't going to be a part of the Evil Queen's collection but I'm already planning on splurging all of my birthday money on this collection! I'm really excited for Fabulous Felines too! Kittenish lipstick WILL be mine!


And how amazing does Alice + Olivia look?!






-Ashley

Elle of the Ball

Elle from the awesome blog Elle of the Ball is having a fabulous blog giveaway, head on over and enter! :)

http://elleheartsblogs.blogspot.com/2010/07/coach-poppy-ysl-chanel-giveaway.html