a night out....first one in a long time!

Hiyaaaa

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season, and the cold weather; my least favorite part of this time of year!
Here's a look I did the other night when I went out with a huge group of people had some fun!

Some of the products I used, 120 palette, MAC liner in Smolder, Sephora bronze liner, CG eyelight mascara in Black sapphire...

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Festivus, Happy Chanakuh!
<3 Laurie

All is Merry and Bright...

Ahh...the holidays. A time where people come together and celebrate all that they are grateful, thankful and happy to have. Even when times are tough, and the road ahead is blocked by obstacles, we still strive to give other people that warm, cozy feeling.

My family, crazy and dysfunctional, consists of some of the most generous souls I've ever seen. I work with some of the nicest people I've ever met. Even though working the holidays in retail is tough- as long as we make eachother laugh, we can get through the day. As long as I have my mom's smile, and the encouragement of my brothers,the laughter of my friends and co-workers- we can get through.

I hope everyone has a safe, happy, and fulfilling Holiday season...
<3 Laurie

my bridesmaid look- shimmery silver

This is a close up of my look for my brother's wedding- tutorial is up on youtube!
http://www.youtube.com/user/Laurina20

For this look I used a Stila smokey eye palette( beige, gray, and black) and silvers from my 88 shimmer palette. I kept it neutral with just some brown cream eye liner from Sonia Kashuk and a brown sephora eyeliner.


I will redo the look and take better pictures and upload laterrr!

<3

Oh, how we danced the night we were wed....

Fresh off of walking down the aisle- my brother's wedding this weekend was superb...My whole family had such and awesome time, and boyyy do my feet hurt from cuttin' a rug.


Here's the look I did for my bridesmaid self. Smokey, silver/gray look...






My dress was beautiful, a pewter colored cocktail dress. The food was delicious and the music was good.

Every time a Michael Jackson song came on the dancefloor exploded. I will post some of the best pictures later!

Hope everyone had an awesome and safe Halloween!
<3 Laurie

Arggghhh...

you guyssss, I'm in a serious rut.
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I'm literally working so much, and coming home exhausted that I haven't had the motivation to do any looks, record tutorials, write to you guys etc.

There's so much stress in my life, mostly having to do with family issues, that the only thing that keeps my mind focused is working. Hopefully, I can get out of this ditch that I've dug myself into. I'm so thankful for the people I have in my life, my friends and family, they know how to make me smile and laugh. Laughter truly is the best medicine. They also know how to make me look at things in a different perspective and sometimes that's a hard thing to manage or think about.

I'm tellin' ya, life certainly may not get any easier as you go along, but there are things you can do to make it a more comfortable ride.

Things I like to do to de-stress:

1. watch a funny, touching movie
2. Listen to some relaxting music- i loovee Rosemary Clooney
3. watch some youtube tutorials, I love Kandee Johnson( my sunshine girl i like to call her) Pixiwoo, there are so many!
4. pick up my camera and walk around and shoot anything.
5. and when I 'm not in a rut like I am right now- draw up some facecharts, and do some looks...
6. take a longgg shower.


SO.....What do you lovelie's do to de-stress and decompress from your day???

<3

My quest...for the perfect EVERYTHING

It's been awhile. I've been so busy with life, working hard, playing...not so much hahaha. Hey, I need to save money to buy my car in a month, so I've been neglecting the makeup quest for a little while. I've been searching for the perfect foundation foreverrr. Personally, just for myself, I love mineral foundation. ELF makes a good one for cheaaap. And most drugstore brands are making them now. However, for photoshoots, and sometimes every other occasion, clients don't like it. So, I'm going to do a review on my lastest purchase. Revlon colorstay foundation.



Price: $13 at most drugstores and grocery stores
Overall Rating: 4 1/2 out of 4
Packing: 5 out of 5
Product: 4 1/2 out of 5
would I buy again: Yes

Pros: formulas for all types of skin( oily/combination, dry etc)Good range of colors, goes on smooth, super blendable.

Cons: price. Maybe it's just me, but $13 is a little more on the expensive side for a liquid foundation. Most higher end foundations are just $6 + more expensive than this.


Revlon Colorstay foundation has become a sensation with MUA's around the world. You can definately find several reviews on youtube, and if you watch tutorials...A LOT of people use it. I most certainly understand why. The liquid is not too thick so it blends very easily. I apply the product with my fingers or with a damp sponge. The great thing about drugstore brands is that there is always plenty of color options. I've had a hard time buying concealer or foundation from some high end brands( ie benefit) that only supply 3 or 4 shades. I use the formula for oily/combination skin, which is also a good option to have available for consumers. The makeup lasts almost all day. I give it a little credit, since I work in a cafe and I'm always perspiring and running all over the place. I would definately recommend Revlon Colorstay Foundation to anyone. GO OUT AND TRY IT!


Hope everyone is having a good week and keep smiling.
hugs <3 Laurie

tutorials, tutorials, and more tutorials!!!!!

Smokey, smokey, smokeeeeyyyyyy...with a bit of purple...

anddd..

my top favorite drugstore brand products!









ENJOY ENJOY ENJOY- AND COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBEEEE...


Hugsvand more hugs <3

Show me your flawless faces=

hey y'alll

Hope everyone is well...

here's my latest tutorial on flawless facessss...

Comment, subscribe, and friend meee! <3

Part 1



Part 2

Lookie Lookieeee

Heyyyyy...

So this weekend was fantastic. Got to visit my brother up in Buffalo, NY. He's a tattoo artist there! I went with my mama, and my two step sisters.

The whole weekend we ate....greek food, italian, all kinds of goodies. Nevertheless, I'll be hittin' the gym tomorrow morning.

Here is a look I did for dinner on Saturday night...






When I do looks like these, I usually use my Manly cosmetics 120 palette...or my CS 88 shimmer palette- both are great and well worth the monayyyy.

Alittle tip for all you blue-eyed gals...Brown eyeliner is your best friend!

No matter the look I'm doing- I always use brown liner on my waterline, its hardly noticeable, but it just gives my baby blues the perfect pop of color. Girlie's with brown eyes can get a way with tons of black liner, and if you are lucky enough to have gorgeous hazel eyes, plummy purple liners work great to enhance your eyecolor.

My younger step sister has blue eyes and I'm having the hardest time convincing her to stop using all her black eyeliner! I even do looks on her with the brown and she admits it looks great, but still doesn't do it herself. So frustrating! Que Sera...she'll do what she wants I guess...

Well it's time for bed...yawwwnnnn...

Sleep tight beautiesss..

It was a photoshoot kind of day

hey guys!

So last sunday it was super hot- phew. I had a photoshoot to do for some girls that wanted some portraits taken, it was a great portfolio updating opportunity!
Here are some shots taken from the day- including some before and after...

















I had tons of fun and it was a great experience- Can't wait to do another shoot! Hope you guys like it
<3 Laurie

everybody's talkin' about winged eyeliner...take 2

HERE IT ISSSS...

enjoy, comment and subscribe to my channel!
hugsss
<3 Laurie

Problemmmsss

Okay, so THIS STINKS...

I uploaded my first and awesome video for doing winged eyeliner and it doesn't work. Can anyone give me some tips on how to do this properly? Bah I need help!

Everybody's talkin' bout that winged eyeliner...

hello all!
Hope everyone's having a great week so far! If not, it's almost over baby!

So, I've now delved into the world of web tutorials- I'm seriously nervous about this. I've never done it before! But the topic is winged eyeliner! I've heard so many people saying their lookin' for the perfect way to achieve this sexy look, and hopefully I can help. I got the idea from Enkoremakeup on youtube. He's fantastic.

Enjoy the video- leave me some feedback! I'd love to hear from you.

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MISTAAAKKKEEEE

Just so you guys know, the pictures in the last post were reversed. GO MEEEE!

the first look should be the pink and gold, the second is the blue look.




I....AM.....SO.....TIRED. lol

More of my favorite looks :-)

So, not many of you may know this, but I am absolutely obsessed with The Golden Girls. Yes, that's right. Four menapausal or above woman living together. Television gold right there. I try to watch it everday...I am officially a loser.

Well, I'm here for a reason, yes besides rambling about my favorite 80's tv shows. Here are some more looks for you guys to take a gander at with the products used posted! YAyyyyyyy

MakeupGeek weekly challenge
Face: (flawless face look)
Jemma Kidd Primer
Erase Paste
Boi-ing Concealer
ELF mineral foundation in Light
Almay smart shade blush in natural
Flirt blush in foxy bronze
MUFE HD microfinish powder

Eyes:
CS shimmer palette, pinks and golds
SK cream liner in Truffle(brown)
CG eyelight mascara for blue eyes




My own creation
Flawless face look

Eyes:
120 palette browns, and blues
Ardell False lashes
Sephora brown liner
L'oreal HIP cream liner in black


I wasn't feeling well today, had a huge migraine for the past 3 days. So, I came home from work early and slept most of the day. I'm feeling better though! Maybe, I'll do another review tomorrow. Whaddya you guys think?

Hugggsssss
<3 laurie

New Looks!

Yessss, new camera! So excited..I got a canon eos rebel xsi...you can read up on this camera at


So the looks I'm posting here today are great- very wearable. Here's a nighttime look where I used Bare Escentuals shadows disco, and nightowl.





The next look is a smokey purple look inspired by Kandee johnson's mac look

I used my 120 palette.





Hope everyones enjoying the summer- its' almost overrr! ahh so scary.
I've been spending a lot of money lately, and- it needs to stop, seriously. So, I'm not gonna be buying a lot of makeup for awhile- i'll use up what I have. I need to save for 2 months in order to buy out my car at the end of October. I hope I can do it! .

Hope everyone had a great weekend- lots of hugsss <3Laurie

New looks- new fun

Alright, so I'm trying to post some good pics of a couple of looks I've done recently- but seriously? blogspot is being a pain ugh...So, I'm gonna give it a try again laterr.


One of the looks was inspired by the Almay intense eye color collection for blue eyes,but I just pumped up the color a tad bit more- realllly intense and so cool.

The second look was for makeupgeek.com, one of my favorite sites. Marlena( whom I lovee) puts up a weekly challenge and this gold and pink look was for this week...hopefully the pictures so up! ugh.

A lot of people ask me what my favorite drugstore brands are, so here's a list of some of my favorite products that I like to get a cvs, walmart etc.

Covergirl:
Eyelights mascara is sooo good, i have it for all my clients eye colors- no smudge, no budge
Lipstain- helloooo magic marker. Fool proof stain that really lasts a long time, good neutral colors as well

Almay:
Intense eye color collection-fanastic colors chosen for each eye color
Smart match foundations- really, truly work

Wet&Wild:
Creme Liners- so easy to work with, foolproof application makes wings and flicks easier to apply.

L'oreal:
Lash tubes extension mascara: Love this mascara, it has the primer to use first and the black really forms a tube around your natural lashes and extens them outwards and upwards.

Okay, this is getting a little long, i apologize. lol Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend! <3 laurie

Hot fun in the Summer timeeee....

Uh, it has been an absolutely insane summer for me. I'm transferring to another b&n, closer to my home, so I'm just working like a dog. Tomorrow is going to be the first time I really get to relax, ON THE BEAAACCHHH. I can't wait. I have to go to the beach every summer, its a necessity for me.
So, after I'm all tanned and relaxed i will come home and work on a couple of looks for my friend who is going to be a bridesmaid for her cousins wedding. I'm not actually available to do her makeup for the wedding so I'm just gonna give her some ideas.



BTW I'M OBSESSED WITH KANDEE JOHNSON.
No, but seriously, she's amazing- great makeup artist. I love all her videos and she's sooo knowledgeable. Just finished watching a couple of her looks, so I'm gonna recreate one for my next blog. Maybe a cool smokey purple look? or great smokey gray/blue smoked look? Maybe I'll just do them all.

Hope everyone is having an awesome weekend.
<3 Laurie

Review: Benefit's Erase Paste

Hi all you beauty's,

Hope everyone had a good Sunday. I pretty much worked the whole day, gotta make the dough for my next haul lol. So, as I promised here is my review for Benefit's Erase Paste.

Price: $26

Size: 0.15 oz

Options: Colors in Fair, Medium, and Deep

Would I buy again?: Yes

In this little pot, Benefit's Erase paste packs a strong under eye concealer/brightener. It is really a paste, very thick. So, most people tend to warm up the product on the back of your hand and apply it with the included spatula, your ring finger, or a sponge. The coverage is great- gives my undereye area an instant lift, and the creaminess allows the product to blend easily. The only real con to the product is that Benefit hasn't released many color choices, the same with Boi-ing, Benefit's industrial strength concealer. I've almost gotten use to buying items that are so small, and are a little pricey, but last forever because of the strength of the product. I highly recommend this for anyone who needs cover for dark undereye circles.

Hope this helps all of you who are looking for a good concealer. Got questions? I may have some answers LOL

Have a good night everyone

stay beautiful <3>

Happy 4th everyoneeee

Okay so I'm alittle late- and it's now 12:45am on the 5th. Just about to hit the sack.

Hope everyone had a great day with lots of hotdogs and hamburgers and fruit salad lol.
Tomorrow I will be reviewing another item from my most recent sephora purchase. Benefit's Erase Paste.

Anyways, gotta get to bed- i have to be at work very early. Can't wait to review for tomorrow
stay cute <3 Laurie

todays work...

Hey everyone!

Today I worked for a couple of hours on my step sister for her sweet sixteen next week. We decided on a silvery-smokey look, really cool. We unfortunately forgot to take pics( oh i know ) before she took off the makeup. But here is a look i did for myself. A fun, bronzy summery look

Here it is...

Hope everyone is having a great week, can't wait for the 4th of July. Me and catherine are gonna go to the movies to see the Proposal.

stay beautiful, you

<3

wowww...

Ok.... so I totally didn't know that the pic at the top of my page was gonna be that huge...haha I have to find some time to really try and find a better layout.

Anywayyysss, tomorrow I'm meeting with my step sister for a consultation for her sweet sixteen. I'm anticipating doing 3 or 4 girls that day, as well as my makeup. If I can get my camera to work I will definately post pics of the looks I tried out on her.

I'm awaiting a response for a macpro card. I need some studio fix products, and the discount is always helpful. I hear about how long it takes...up to like 8 weeks...holy crow. And I'm keeping on the lookout for the next beauty show in the city...hopefully its soon!

Kandee Johnson just finished a Gwen Stefan look- I'm gonna go watch it...Kandee is awesome!

Hope everyone is having a great night

stay beautiful, you

<3>

Review of Make up Forever HD Microperfecting Primer in #1 green

It's raining...grosssss

Here's my review of my most recent purchase at sephora. Make up Forever's Face primer #1 in green.

Price: $32

Size: 1.01 oz

options: 7 colors to target skin issues such as redness, sulleness, yellowness etc.

Purchase in store @ sephora.com or MUFE boutique

MUFE boasts a pretty powerful product here. I purchased the green for redness which is a common problem for me. The bottle is pretty large, so there's lots of product. The water based, oil free primer is very creamy and pigmented, but it is absorbed thoroughly through your skin. The outcome as far as color is good, however, it doesn't soften your skin like other products do ( Clarins instant smooth perfecting touch or Smashbox Photo finish ). After it dried I applied Laura Mercier Tinted moisturize, which went on very smoothly. After some concealer, I applied MUFE HD microfinish powder. The outcome was great- my makeup lasted all day, and I usually have to spray my face with hair spray to make it stay- because I often perspire while working in the cafe.

ratings 1-5:

Quality: 5

Packing: 5

Overall product 1-5: 5

would I buy again? absolutely

Hope all of you are having a good day :-)

<3laurie

lots of things to say- plus a mini sephora haul

Hi Everyone!

Laurie checking in for the first time...awesome.

So, about me, well I'm a freelance makeup artist just starting out. My little business is called Beautiful You. My mission? To have people all ages, races, and shapes look in the mirror and see the person they find is deep inside. I enchance, not cover up and I believe that the basis for a good makeup artist is beautiful skin. Oh, and I"m also a Lead Cafe Server at a B&N cafe...you'll be hearing a lot about my friends there as well.

Now let's get down to business- MINI SEPHORA HAUL....oh, the sweet life.

What I purchased:

Benefits Erase Paste #1 fair

Benefits Boi-ing industrial strenght concealer #2

Makeup Forever( aka MUFE) HD high definition primer in green for redness

MUFE HD high definition macrofinish powder

I'll post reviews for each new items i purchase and some of my old favorites.

Some things I may post here:

Reviews of products/tools/etc

video tutorials

pics of looks I've completed

my basic b.s. for the day

and more...

Well, it's time for bed for me- have to be bright eyed and bushy tailed for latte's at 9am.

Stay beautiful, you <3