Friday Night FOTD

It's friday night and I wanted to go out with my man only to find out his friend is taking him to a Goapele concert at Yoshi's. Lucky asshole. I LOVE GOAPELE! I also love Yoshi's -____-;; OH well..

I did this FOTD for you guys, now i'm gonna pop open a bottle of moscato and call it a night :P

click to enlarge

Products used:

- udpp

- kat von d memento mori palette

- urban decay l/s in naked

- mac e/s in expresso for brows

- mac mineralized blush in band of roses

- mac msf in petticoat

- the faceshop black gel liner

- chanel mat lumiere foundation

Anyway, hope everyone else had a good friday!

D.I.Y. Jewelry Rack!

Here's a cheap alternative to having your jewelry on a stand that gets cluttered or is too short for your necklaces. It's a wall rack and all together it cost me under $10!

You will need:

• wire net (used for hanging kitchen utensils) ($1.50)
• hooks for wire net ($1.50 for a set of 8)
• basket for wire net ($1.50) (optional)
• push pins ($2)

Basically you just snap the hooks on the wire net any way you want. I added a basket for things I don't want to hang like my HelloDrama stuff and a few bracelets that didn't fit on the hooks. Use the push pins to hang it up on the wall and voila! Instant (and cheap) wall rack!

I got all the supplies from a place called Daiso, it's like a huge japanese super store. Anyway, try it out and I hope you like it. If you have any questions about the jewelry feel free to ask.

-jess.

let's put you on nail game!!

Hope everyones week is going great. I know mine is awesome.. just finished out my semester!! SUMMER FREAKIN' VACATION I'M HERE!! Plus, Cj just started a new job so she's super busy. Anyway, now that finals are done I finally had time to take my ass to the spa to get a mani/pedi.

L'Esprit - American Apparel

I went with a pastel purple/cobalt-ish color. I ordered hella nail polishes and some other stuff from the american apparel f&f sale. Cremes and pastels are hot right now and american apparel's nail polish line is pretty much only cremes and pastels. This is the first time I've tried it so I can't say how long wearing it is but so far so good. I love this color.. reminds me of melted ube ice cream. All my filipinos, tell 'em about ube ice cream!

Another good pastel color I've tried is..

Milf - Illamasqua

I love this Illamasqua polish! It's so long wearing and goes on so smooth like butttttaaaaah!! I got it because it reminded me of like matcha green tea or something. Try it and let me know what you think!!

-Jess

VARIETY STORE HAUL :D

A couple weeks ago my girl Connie and I went into the local variety store. I needed some emergency fishnet stockings for Vegas and the variety store is definitely the place to go to for cheap socks and hair ties and stuff like that. I haven't been to the variety store since I moved out of my parents home.. but now I'll go all the time. Here's why..

A WHOLE FREAKIN ISLE DEDICATED TO SUPER CHEAP NYX!!

Obviously we went crazy. They sure didn't have all this the last time I was there. There was like every single NYX product you can think of and it was way cheaper than what you'd find it for at ULTA. They even had a nice section of LASHESSSSSS and NAIL POLISH!!! Check out my haul!

All this for under $20!! That's like 7 pairs of red cherry lashes, a pair of leg avenue fishnets, and a green NYX concealer for my kit.

The Red Cherry lashes were under $2 each, the leg avenue leggings that I JUST saw for $20 on Haight st were also under $2, and the NYX concealer was like $3. Makeup junkies of SF, do yourself a favor and check out the Variety Store on Clement!

-Jessica

David LaChapelle Shoot

As you may or may not know, I started school at the Academy of Art in SF for photography. This week I had a shooting assignment to emulate one of my favorite master photographers, I chose David LaChapelle. CJ agreed to be my model AND by my MUA. Here's a few of the shots I got, hope you enjoy!!

This is based off his portrait of Lil Kim. You can view it here.

This was the one my peers liked the best. It's based off his portrait of Uma Thurman. You can view the original here.

This was probably me and CJ's favorite. This was personally my favorite shot out of all of them, I preferred the darkness of it though I turned in a different image with more background. It's based off his "Declare Yourself" series. You can view the original of Christina Aguilera here.

Maybe if you're lucky CJ will do a post on how she did the makeup. MAYBEEEE!!

'til next time sweethearts, have a good rest of the week!

Jessica.

PEOPLE WITH ACNE AND DRY SKIN REJOICE!!

I've got another product review for everyone! I'm sure you guys have read/watched a few reivews on Mario Badescu products. Here's another incase you haven't seen enough.

DRYING LOTION is perfect for those with moderate acne, or just those people with practically GODLY skin and only a few pesky zits every now and then. You don't shake it. Use a qtip to pick up the pink sediment at the bottom and apply it to your little problem. Obviously you would do this before you go to sleep unless you think pink dots are sexy. Let it dry overnight. When you wake up in the morning, as I have found, your pimple is either dried up or significantly reduced.

ALOE MOISTURIZER W/ SPF 15 I suppose this was ment for people who spent way too much time in the sun and ended up with painful sunburn. This has become my HG WINTER FACE MOISTURIZER! I have never experienced such dry freakin' skin ever in my life! This winter has been a bitch on my skin! Typically I have combo/oily skin.. lately that has not been the case. A little goes a long way with this baby, less than a pea size amount is more than enough for my face and neck. It absorbs slow which keeps my skin from completely drying out. Has a nice smell and gives my face a soft feel. LOOOOOVE THIS STUFF.. but I can only use this during the winter when the weather is cold otherwise its too moisturizing.

ALL IN ALL.. I would def buy these products again and recommend them to people with similar skin problems to mine. Check them out and let us know what you think!



Hope everyone's Thanksgiving was great, be safe shopping this weekend!

HAI, NOT DEAD!

Yes, I know.. CJ and I have been MIA. We have been mighty busy.. (lazy.)

So today, I don't have much but a product review. Check it out!

YU-BE MOISTURIZING BODY LOTION is sold at Sephora, I got mine at some asian super market. It retails on Sephora.com for a steep $29, I think I got mine for around $20. It's described as being a glycerin rich, fast absorbing lotion, perfect for winter skin. FAST ABSORBING is what I've been looking for lately. This winter it's been so cold in the lofty, all I care about when getting out of the shower is moisturizing and getting my damn clothes back on ASAP!

PROS:

- Truly fast absorbing, feels like rubbing baby powder on yourself
- Sufficiently moisturizes
- Doesn't have an offensive or sickenly sweet smell

CONS:
- Anything over $10 is a little much for lotion
- Might not moisturize enough for those with severe dry skin

WOULD I BUY THIS AGAIN: ..for $29 probably not. I have to say though, this lotion absorbs into my skin like NO OTHER. For that, maybe I'd buy again.

Q&A w/ Sarah!

As you all know I had my makeup done by Sarah at MAC a few weeks ago. She has been nice enough to answer a few questions for TNB. Like I said she's a PRO, so listen up!
Disclaimer: All things mentioned in this blog are the opinions of Sarah and TheeNewBlack, NOT M.A.C. Cosmetics =D ..So with that aside, time for the Q&A!

What's the life of a professional MUA like?
It's awesome! I have always been an artist way before I even did makeup. I am fortunate enough to be able to be creative in the workplace and I get to work with people all day. That's both of my passions combined into one!

What or who has inspired you throughout your career?
I have learned the most from working with many other makeup artists over the years. Everyone has a different technique and a different style. My transitional clients are probably the most inspiring however because they tend to share the same excitement that I do. Generally they didn't have the opportunity to learn from their mothers as genetic women have. They are usually the ones that take the "craft" of makeup very seriously and they tend to practice the most after makeup lessons. On another note, On Makeup magazine is my favorite and most inspiring makeup magazine. It is manufactured by the powder group. Check it out!

What is THEE most important beauty tip that you can give to women?
THEE most important beauty tip that I can give to women is... don't be such a hard critic on yourself. This is something that I observe everyday... as women we tend to obsess about our imperfections and not on our perfections. If you don't feel good about yourself you won't feel good about the makeup no matter how amazing it is.

What is your biggest makeup pet peeve?
My biggest makeup pet peeve is denial about dirty brushes. I have had clients that have said that their foundation is breaking them out when really their brush hasn't been washed in years. Neglecting your brushes from a good bath can be damaging to the brush itself and transmits bacteria on your face. Don't do it! Many women don't realize that they can actually give themselves pink eye if their brushes aren't cleaned regularly.

What are your favorite products in you makeup kit?
My favorite products in my makeup kit are: M.A.C PRO Pale Yellow pencil, M.A.C Prep and Prime powder, and Korres face primer (it's one of the few water based primers on the market).

What products do you think should be a staple in every woman's purse?
Lip liner!!!! So many women skip out on it for all sorts of silly reasons. Some say their lips are too small, some say their lips are too big, others think it is just plain too heavy. Just do it! Lip liner will provide definition and seriously increase the wear of any lipstick.

What advice can you give to those aspiring to become MUA's themselves?
For those aspiring to be makeup artists, all I can say is dedicate yourself to your passion. Many try to take up an alternate career to "fall back on". Don't do it. You will end up spending more time on your alternate career rather than doing what you really want to do. Not all of us were meant to be doctors! Do whatever makes you the most passionate, the most fullfilled, and the most excited. If you do what you love most, you will never fail.

Hope you guys learned something new,
Have a great weekend!

ProArtist Series: Sarah of MACpro

So Saturday I had my makeup done by my girl and fav MUA, Sarah. She's a vet at the MACpro on Union and has been working at MAC for ..like, ever. Haha, no I think around 6 years or so if memory serves me right. She's been a great mentor and has helped me hone my skill and foster my love for makeup for the past year and a half.

Here's the look she did, we were going for something smokey/vibrant.





I don't remember what products we used, probably something to work on for the next Artist Series installment.

Some stuff I learned while sitting in her chair: The 191 is truly the most slept on foundation brush, shimmery is not always the best way to go when using a highlighter, and the best way to apply reflects glitter is by finger.

Disclaimer: All things mentioned in this post are the opinions of Sarah and TNB, NOT M.A.C. Cosmetics. =D

Hope you liked the first installment of TNB's Pro Artist Series.
Have a great week, bitches.

Bomb ass week of shopping!

I have to be up at 445am for work but w/e. Cjay and I had an effing AWESOME week of shopping. Refer to the last two posts as well as this one for what we got. Week started off with trying to get rid of our bags and bags of old clothes and trying to get money for them at buffalo exchange, crossroads, etc.. you know, buy/sell/trade spots.

I got some straight BRAND NEW sex heels, a BCBG envelope wallet, and two FREE rings (plus the dude still cashed me out for the clothes I turned in!)


Rings - Freenintynine!


Here's the makeup haul I got for the week. Some Christian Siriano VS Makeup (peep last post for swatches, etc..) and some pieces from the Make Up Art Cosmetics collection from MAC. I also picked up a small pink soft train case that was 40% off at VS. Ohhh and I found Mandom makeup remover at Genki!



Swatches L-R: Off the Page e/s, Push the Edge p/m, Brash and Bold p/m, Artistic License t/l, Obviously Orange t/l, Color Matters t/l, Full of Fuchsia t/l, Full Body l/s, Young Thing l/g.


Swatches T-B/L-R: Notoriety Quad (Skintone1, Rich and Earthy, Skintone2, Notoriety), Photo Realism Quad (Photo Realism, Fresh Approach, Image Maker, Grey Range).

I recommend pretty much everything I got, unless you already have dupes for any of these. Many of the products from the Make Up Art Cosmetics collection are dupeable in fact.. fortunately for me my current collection was lacking. My MUST haves.. probably the technakhols, pigments, I love the Full Body l/s for fall, and if you don't already have a nude lip gloss, I'd go with Young Thing l/g.

That's all for now bitches. I'm going back to dsw for some bad kicks. <333 jess.

Christian Siriano haul.

So I think a collection that's pretty slept on from what I've seen (or not seen) is the Christian Siriano for VS Makeup collection. I'm REALLY not a huge fan (like, at all) of Victoria Secret makeup.. it's all hella small timer and not great quality. I wouldn't have even known about this collection if I hadn't have seen it in my mom's room. I wont lie either, when I first caught sight of the gold pyramid inspired packaging I swore it must have been from Saks or Bloomingdales which are my mom's usual haunts. Anyway, on to the hizzaul.

I got all the shadows, except for the brown one, and the Kajal liner.


Swatches w/ flash: Sahara, Sandstorm, Oasis, Gilded Fierce.


I didn't swatch the liner, it's black.. swatch your own. The liner itself I thought was VERY innovative, well I'm sure Siriano didn't come up with it himself but it's not like I've seen anyone else with something similar.

LASTLY.. just wanted to put my girl Yumi on shoe game. As she knows, I JUST hopped on a boot hype and she is ALWAYS up on her boot game.. UNTIL NIZZZZOW. Peep game.




I know she's proud.


That's all for now babes, JESSSssss.

Royal & Langnickel Brush Review

As you all know I got four R&L brushes from IMATS and I've had all month long to test them out. On the R&L site you can see they offer many brushes, all of which are at a reasonable price and are very good quality.


L-R Crease C430, Smudger C445, Eye Shader C410, Angle Shader C500
(All brushes are from the SILK Pro line)

The first brush is the crease brush, its almost comparable to the MAC 226 brush that just got rereleased with the Color Craft Collection. It's not as dense and a little longer than the 226, and I would also say its considerably softer as well.

The next is the smudger brush, though I think of it more as a fluffy blending brush. I LOVE THIS BRUSH. It's sooooooo soft, had I known it was so good I would of got 2! Comparable to the MAC 224, perhaps even better! Ahhh I cannot stress how good this brush is!

I also picked up their shader brush. It's a pretty decent brush, its soft and all that jazz. My only con about it is that it doesn't really give they way the MAC 239 does. It's EXTREMELY stiff. It's kind of got that concealer brush feel. Might be better for things like paint pots and other bases, and yes concealers too.

Last I got the angled shader brush. Another one thats pretty decent, but not as good as the other brushes. It's fairly soft, not as soft as the other ones. It's slightly stiff and not very fluffy either. It gets the job done though, just takes a lighter hand and some patience.


So all these brushes are very very good quality! I would def buy some of these again and I'm also looking into purchasing more brushes from Royal as well. Face brushes look pretty promising on the site. DO check it out!

Hope your weekend was awesome,
Jess!

JULY FAVES! with Jess and Cj.

Cj and I are really rollin' out the posts today.

AAAAANYHOW. This stuff is the shit. That's all.




YES TO CARROTS
Can You C Me Eye and Face Makeup Remover
I was using Balms Away after hearing about it from Pixiwoo. It's cool but its so thick and resembles Vasaline I was over it quick. THIS STUFF HOWEVER.. its fresh, I like the idea that its filled with natural goodness, and if you put it in the fridge it feels like heaven. As for its makeup removing power, its pretty decent!

FYI, If it's liquid and goes on my face, I almost always put it in the fridge. Try it sometime!

With its first 5 ingredients listed as spring water, carrot juice, rosemary extract, algae extract, and cucumber extract its sure to give you a good dose of health karma points! YES, I would def buy again.

BENEFIT BROWS A-GO-GO
I was using Expresso e/s to FILL (not shape) my eyebrows. Now, both brow powders in this kit work for me. The lighter shade to fill and the darker shade to shape. Also, the highlighting shadow isn't so bad. Only CON, I prefer the Benefit Eyebright in pencil form. YES, if it's still avail in the future I would buy again.

DIOR ADDICT LIP GLOW
HG LIP PRODUCT OF ALL TIMEEEE.. or just for now. As some of you may have heard, it works with your bodys chemistry to give you a custom shade that looks EFFING FAB ON YOU! It moisturizes, lasts very long, and the shade it will give will most def work on you. HELLZ YEAH I WOULD BUY THIS AGAIN! Even for the hefty $29 price tag =/

Since i've been sooo busy with school and all, this is pretty much what gets me by in the morning. Plus my tinted moisturizer and Co Bigelow chap stick. =)

1. The Body Shop Bronzing Powder shade 2. I've used this in my FOTD.. and it's pretty much my default bronzer. I love it to death. It's sheer enough to give that nice glow, but not so it looks like a fake tan. MY MUST HAVE FOR THE SUMMER, even though San Francisco doesn't have much of a summer. lol. I have no idea how much this costs anymore, I used to work at The Body Shop (hence why I have tons of make up from there), but I really feel like it's been slept on. If you're near a body shop, mosdef check out the make-up.. also the face products. I LOURVEEE THEM!

2. True Blue Cotton Lotion from Bath & Body Works. My girls can back me up on this.. when i smelled this, I knew I NEEDED this. I got it at their sale, and I THINK they've discontinued it. So if the sale is still going on, and they still have it on stock, check it out.. it was only about $5!! ahh, bargains!

3. CoverGirl LashBlast! If you've never tried it, you should. I became a fan when the 3 pack was on sale @ Costco. I got it for about $9 and some change with the coupon.. pretty damn good. I love bargains! I think this has become my holy grail mascara!

Toodles!

FOTD goodness.

I should actually be asleep right now because I have work at 6:30 tomorrow morning BUTTTT, TNB has seen no love in like a week so let's get to the post!

This first one I did earlier today.. it's a take on the MAC Senior Artist Video with Keri showcasing the Look of Mineralized. You can see it here.





Products Used:
Eyes
- UDPP
- Fix Plus on brush
- Mineralized e/s duo in Earthly Riches
- Saddle e/s
- Dazzle Light e/s

Face
- Korres face primer
- MSF liquid foundation in NW35
- MSF Natural in Medium Deep
- Spaced Out blush
- MSF in Cheeky Bronze

Lips
- chapstick and Utterly Frivolous l/s

Next.. I did this like last week when I got a few things off Color Craft from my local Macpro. I picked up three things: Ever Embellish l/s, Cheeky Bronze MSF, and Mineralized e/s quad in Fashion Patch.



Products Used:
Face
- Korres face primer
- Chanel Vitalumier in Soft Honey
- MSF Natural in Medium Deep
- Beauty Powder Blush in Tippy
- MSF in Cheeky Bronze

Eyes
- UDPP
- Painterly p/p
- Fashion Patch e/s quad
- Haux e/s
- Dazzle Light e/s

Lips:
- Ever Embellish l/s

Okay that's all for now, I gotta get some sleeeeeep!
<3 jess.

Jemma Kidd/MUFE/Benefit Haul.

So I went downtown with the intention of finding and buying these daddies..



They didn't have my size at sheikh's.. LAME. I'm pretty bummed out because I was looking to up my summer shoe game. It's cool though, I ended up with this stuff instead!

MUFE Flash Color in White

I'm hella mad because I got home and opened it and it was freakin' used! BOO! So I've gotta exchange it now. I asked the Sephora SA and she said that it's not crease proof either, just fyi. Has anyone tried it yet, lemme know wsup!

Jemma Kidd Light as Air Liquid Foundation in Med.

Haven't tried it yet looks pretty promising though. Only thing that sucks is the packaging.. I opened the tube and I guess there was an air bubble in it and it started squirting like no other!

Jemna Kidd Bio-Complex Cover in Med.

IDK what exactly is up with the "Bio-Complex". Nothing in or on the box said anything about it.. oh well.

Jemma Kidd Contour & Flush Creme Blush Duo

Pretty good stuff. Reminds me of and might even be a good dupe for The NARS multiple duo.

Jemma Kidd Pro Flat Top Foundation & Pointed Cream Blush/Foundation Brush.

The girls at Pixiwoo can be seen using these babies.. unfortunately the pointed foundation brush was a little damaged but it was the last one so what the heyyy.

Benefit Brows A-Go-Go

My usual brow person wasn't in but I just couldn't wait. I was straight WOLF'n it out for about a week, it was time to tame these bad boys! Anyhow, the lady suckered me into buying this kit. It's actually not so bad. It comes with brow wax, two shades of brow powder, black eyeliner, eyebright, and a brow highlighting powder. Only thing I absolutely HATE is the packaging.. its like made from cardboard. Def NOT THE BUSINESS!





So anyhow, thats what I got. Regular price, Jemma Kidd is pretty expensive but supposedly her stuff wasn't doing too well at Neiman Marcus so she's getting the boot! I got all this for like.. idk, HELLA marked down. So if you're near NM cop some Jemma Kidd while you still can!


Lastly, MJ we miss you! I know as you're watching your memorial on that big flat screen in the sky, you're missing all of us too.
-Jess.