Flash Bronzer

One of the best benefits of working in cosmetics is getting to sample different products. This week one of the girls from Lancome gave me a sample of the Flash Bronzer for legs ($34.50) and Flash Bronzer Anti-Aging ($38) for face.

So I took the two samples home, hopped in the shower, exfoliated and then went to work. I love that both are tinted because it makes it easier to blend and be sure that there are no streaks. The color is really natural.

I love that the gel itself has some sparkle to it. I used it at night, but you could put the leg bronzer on in the morning and the face bronzer has SPF. It is a little oily so if you have an oilier skin, it might not be the best for you to wear during the day if controlling shine is an issue.

Overall, I loved both products. They both had a mild scent. I would definitely wear them during the day.

Trying these bronzers has made me want to compare and contrast different bronzers. I'll be reviewing the Clinique sunless-tanners soon!

Lush Coming to Omaha for One Weekend Only!!!!!

Today I got a really exciting email! The weekend of April 16th Lush will have a Kiosk at Westroads mall in Omaha!!! They will have their fresh face masks which is awesome because they have to be refrigerated and I can never buy one in California and trust that it will make it home.

You can also pre-order items to be sure they have everything you want by emailing oakpark@lushusa.com


Check out the web page if you have any questions, but you can guess I'm going to be there!!!

Sneak Preview: my Fantasy Wedding Show giveaway

Last night I met with my Artistry Supplier, Anita. She had a really special treat for me. I got to try a bunch of new Artistry products including their new Intensive Skincare Renewing Peel. It is a gentle, yet effective peel that has stop-action technology that keeps you from ever being irritated by it. Being someone with light, more sensitive skin, I found this intriguing. It was amazing how soft my skin was without any irritation.

The other product Anita loves to show is the Creme Luxury. Sandra Bullock endorses Creme Luxury (have you seen her skin in The Proposal)? This is an awesome anti-aging product.

The most exciting thing about both of these products is that everyone who visits me at my table for the Fantasy Wedding Show will be able to sample them. Anita will be demo-ing the Skin Renewing Peel and I'll be doing face brightening touchups. The first 40 people to demo will get to take a sample of one of these amazing products. We are so excited to help brides get beautiful for their big day. So mark your calendars for April 3rd and head down to the Grand Manse between noon and 4.

Katy Perry Shatter Polish by OPI

My wonderful cosmetologist who does my nails, Karla of Younkers Salon, saved a bottle of the shatter polish for me from her last shipment. This is an awesome new product. You paint it over whatever OPI color you want and the black crackles and reveals the color you have underneath. It is really fun to use. I tried it for the first time today of my Melon of Troy. These are the results. I think I will definitely be sporting this at the Gaga concert tomorrow evening.

I will definitely be posting pics of that in the near future. Cheers!

The Weaponry Shoot

This past Sunday was The Weaponry Shoot that I have been organizing for about a month and a half now. I'm really thrilled with the results. You can definitely tell that everyone involved was super excited because they all had the pictures back to me in less than 48 hours.
Big thanks to Rae'n Boutique for providing the clothes, Crushedbox and Emilio Franso for photographing, Hart Dance Academy for the space. And all my models: Ashley Knott, Jennyrae, Kelly Engquist, Scarlett Bailey, Lindsey Hand. Oh yes, and Mandi Lowe for awesome hair!
Here's a few.

Product Review: BADgal Mascara by Benefit Cosmetics

Alright. So a few months ago I got a Benefit Cosmetics bonus as Sephora. It included BADgal Lash and BADgal Plum. I was super duper excited to use the plum color because I've never really worn colored mascaras and I love other Benefit products like High Beam and Posie Tint.

I used the plum first. I was really excited about it. The color is understated but when I'm in sunlight it's very noticeable to others. It's pretty.

The trouble is...
When I went to sleep that night, I woke up in the morning with completely crusted over. I thought that maybe it was just the Plum. Then I tried the BADgal Lash. Same issue. So I tried a completely different tube just yesterday that I got in another bonus and I had the same issue this morning. I'm really displeased because I'm not sensitive really. It's a HUGE bummer that it would have that effect even after I washed it off.

So try it first because I've noticed a lot of people complaining on the Sephora web site that this mascara caused similar problems. But for people who don't have the sensitivity problem, it could work great.

It's How You Do It: Exfoliation

No matter how many steps a skincare line claims is necessary for great skin, one of those steps will always be exfoliation. Exfoliation is necessary to lift dead skin cells to allow all the other good stuff you're putting on your skin to get in there.

I'm not here to talk about what products are best for exfoliating, I'm here to talk about the best tools for exfoliating. Every line carries scrubs that work pretty well or astringents that help exfoliate, but I have found two tools that will maximize the results and can be used with any product you already have or will ever have.

ARTISTRY Microexfoliation cloth
I was given this cloth by my friend Anita who sells ARTISTRY products as a Thank-you for doing makeup for a party. I was intrigued that a Microdermabrasion set came with a special cloth. I took it home and used the cloth with my Korres scrub and I was amazed at how much better my scrub worked with the cloth. How it works is with it's super fine fibers, it helps the exfoliating beads from sliding between your fingers and not reaching the skin. The fine fibers aid in the process. It's finer than human hair. You can also use the cloth alone. It will never scratch your skin because they are 50x finer than the fibers in a regular wash cloth. I LOVE this cloth so much. If you want to buy one, or any ARTISTRY product, check out Anita Rohlf's Web site.

Exfoliating Rounds
Besides scrubs, another way to exfoliating is by an astringent or clarifying lotion applied with a cotton ball or round. Today while at Walgreens restocking on my cotton supplies, I found a fabulous new product : Exfoliating Cotton Rounds. They have tiny little raised portions meant to exfoliate the face. They work great on the face and awesome on the fingernails to remove polish. You can pick these up at Walgreens.

No matter what products you use to exfoliate, there are great tools that can help you to get the most out of them.

Nail Wraps

I remember the first time I got my nails done. I believe I was with my best friend in 8th grade and it was my birthday. We had our nails done with acrylics. In a few short weeks, the nails began to break off tearing our nails with them (we were in 8th grade with no means of keeping them up). Since then, I've had acrylic nails a total of 3 times (all in high school). Since tearing them up those three times, I've vowed never to do something so heinous to my fingernails ever again.

I LOVE doing fun nail designs and painting my nails different colors, but I have a huge problem with my nails peeling. My friend Lindsey told me about how the stylist at Younkers does fiberglass wraps on nails. Seeing the strength and opportunity for growth it gave Lindsey's nails made me so excited.

Today I got my nails done for the first time. I was interested to see how it worked since I had done no prior research. Your nails are cleaned and buffed. This is followed by a couple of coats of a binding agent. The nail artist uses is a thin piece of fiberglass fiber. It's like a thin piece of fabric. Then more bonding agent is applied over the fiber glass. It is buffed and shaped. The result is a thin, strong result that can be worn itself or have polish applied over it.

I have to say that I am in love. The finish of my polishes is incredible over the fiberglass. After a full 24 hours, I have no chipping which is a miracle for me. I'm so excited to see the length that I get from keeping it up.

Karla told me that at first I'll need to have them done every three weeks. But as time goes on that can slide to about four. The process costs $30 which is a great deal if it's just once a month. And you can polish your nails yourself whenever you feel like a change provided you use non-acetone remover.

Stains, tints, and balms

Everyone wants longer lasting color that can be paired with moisturizing lip balms or chap stick. I have been search for the right shades and brands.

When lip and cheek stains first came out, most of the colors were too red for most women to wear comfortably and the application methods were difficult because of the high concentration of pigments and liquid form. Since then, lots of new colors and application methods have come out.

I've chosen three products that possess the color that most women are comfortable with: Lush's Snow Fairy Lip Tint, Posietint Lip & Cheek Stain by Benefit, and Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm. I'll review the color, application and longevity of each.

Application - Just Bitten has a dual end applicator. The color applicator basically looks like a marker. The balm is a just a stick. I wish it was retractable because I definitely broke off the end of my balm. But I like the precision of the marker end. Posietint is a brush on stain. The thin, nail-polish like brush works well on lips. To apply to checks, I usually swipe some onto a blush or kabuki brush and apply to lips in circular motions. Snow Fairy Lip tint comes in a pot. It doesn't come with an applicator. You can apply is with your finger or for more precision use a lip brush, but that of course is not included.

Color - All three are in fresh, pink colors. The brightest is definitely Just Bitten which I purchased in "Passion." You definitely have to be confident to pull it off. I would say that Snow Fairy is the second most bright. Posietint is the most subdued, but the shade is right on for everyday wear.

Longevity - Snow Fairy has moisturizing properties so it doesn't stain quite in the same way. It leaves more of a hint of the color, but it is soft enough it can be used over and over. Posietint has definite staying power but comes with nothing to moisturize. Just Bitten stays very well. It requires you to allow it to dry for thirty second before applying the balm. I love the glossy finish the balm gives it.

Overall Favorite - For the color, I love Posietint. But as an overall product package, I my favorite is Just Bitten. Proof that the best product can come from the discount retailers.












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Nails Tutorial 1

This is one of my favorite nail looks that I do for myself. It's traditional and subdued enough for a job interview, but fun and artful. Here is how I do my signature nail. Start with clean, trimmed nails. Be sure to allow ample drying time between each coat and step. Watch the video below to see me in action.

1. Base Coat - I use Nail Envy for my thin nails and apply two coats. If you're using a regular base coat, just use one coat.

2. Base Color - Apply two thin layers of your favorite soft color base. I use "Sheer Your Toys" by OPI for this video, but I often wear "Tickle My Francey" by OPI.

3. White Design - Create a diagonal design across the nail by using heavy pressure at the beginning of the stroke and slowly lightening the pressure as you sweep across the nail. I like to do two or three lines across with a slightly different curve to each. This is fluid and free-hand. Not all of your nails have to match. I used LA Colors Art Deco nail art in white.

4. Sparkle - I finish off the nail with a sparkly top coat. I use Sephora by OPI's "Flurry Up!" I sweep the sparkle over the white lines.

Allow your nails to dry. Clean up any polish mishaps with a q-tip and polish remover. Enjoy the compliments!

Speaking of VS...

An interesting article about how models are found. I wonder what Sex Trafficking is like in the region as well...

The False Advertising Has to End

I'm blogging a little bit about fashion. I figure I'm in the industry so I can talk about this. When I lived with my old roommate who worked at Victoria Secret, they began testing bra that we all know now as the Bombshell. The Bombshell touts being able to increase the appearance of the size of one's breasts by two cup sizes. It does this through very extensive padding. It's less of a bra and more of a shelf really.

When these bras came out, my roommate and I were both turned off by them already having an adequate amount of breast (why they even make them in D cups, I will never know). But we decided that the bras are a little dishonest. As a guy, how pissed would you be if the girl you thought was rocking a D cup pops the clasp on the bra to reveal B cups? I mean really?

Well, Victoria Secret has taken it one step further, in case anyone was questioning your true breast size whilst wearing one of their Bombshell bras. If someone has accused you of wearing the Bombshell, well you just show them. Show them some nipple.That's right, Victoria Secret has taken too far to a whole new level. I give you the Bombshell with nipples. This bra not only gives you two cup sizes in size but it also provides nursing-mother sized nipples! What more could you want for snaring a man? Never mind that he'll think you're a dirty liar when he gets the bra off of you and realizes you have A cups with bug bites.

I'm pleading with you Victoria Secret, stop the madness! Stop making us feel like our boobs have to be up at our chin in order to be sexy. Stop making every woman feel like we have to look curvaceous to be sexy. Beautiful can be athletic. It can be curvy. It can be pear-shaped. It can have little nipples or webbed boobs.

So stop the False Advertising. No woman who hasn't experienced some form or breast altering sickness (pregnancy not included) needs to wear this. It's absolutely ridiculous. Ok, I'm done now.

Brazillian Glycolic Peel

During the months of November and December my mom and I bought the Brazillian Glycolic Peel from Sephora. I'm just now getting to writing about it because of the holidays and my surgery in December. So here it goes.

What it is: A professional-strength, at-home glycolic peel with self-neutralizing properties.

How to use it: It comes in a four-pack. The treatment is to be used once a week.

Cost: $78 for 4 applications.

My mother and I were both using the glycolic peels for different reasons. My mother is getting a little older and I have adult acne (I'm planning on being pretty honest in my blog).

The Verdict: I loved the results. It was subtle for me. I could tell right after that my skin felt much softer with fewer lines. I could also see that on my mom's face. But as far as the lasting effects, I have gotten much fewer blemishes. I rarely get cystic pimples now and my others are very small. It's been three weeks since my last peel and I can still see the effects.

If you need a little boost for your skin, I definitely recommend it. Use it a month before a special event to get your skin ready!

Welcome To My Makeup Blog

My name is Kate. I love makeup. When a Sephora box shows up at my door, I squeal. I'm about to take you on a journey through my life. This will more than just a blog about makeup, I plan on talking about general beauty and skin care all in my humorous tone.

So let's get started...