Pictorial: Concealer/Foundation Routine *pic heavy!*

In my latest Project Gal post, the theme of the week is about concealer and foundation application. I decided it would be fun to post my routine at its heaviest, this what I usually do for church or special events, when I want that "Bitch, I'm flawless!" face lol. I love doing this because my face is so scar ridden from picking acne when I was younger, and now I'm reaping what I've sown. I now follow a semi-rigorous routine to keep my skin at it's clearest but I'm starting to feel like I'll have to dip into my health insurance and see what some alternatives are. With that said, I wanted to share my routine with you guys and I'll mark what the extra steps are that I do for special occasions and what not :).

Here's my face before the applying anything D: Make sure to put on a headband or scarf!

Step 1: Removing the Excess Oil: I use a LITTLE rubbing alcohol and rub off any oil that my be on my face to begin with. My face gets extremely oily and gross so every little step counts here. I usually use a regular or scrubbing cleansing cloth for my face when I'm short on time and choose to skip Step 2.

Step 2 *extra*: Prepping the Skin: I LOVE THIS STUFF!! mark's Matte Chance Lotion is freaking awesome and has light smell to it too. It relies on sugar cane and pumpkin seed to help keep my skin oil free and is so lightweight but moisturizing at the same time!

Sorry! My mirror is off to the side lol

Step 3: Concealing Under the Eyes: I have really bad under eye bags and circles because my sleep habits are just plain awful, I'm happy I found this stuff that I can use on a regular basis without my face breaking out. I know I had mentioned in my P.G. post how I was becoming interested in the brand and I am by no means disappointed! I put this stuff all over my eye actually, from underneath up to the brown bone. I also use it on my nose from time to time. Despite being a cream concealer, it doesn't feel heavy at all, and if I'm not mistaken, there is some oil in the formula, but it doesn't really affect me when the other steps are completed :)

Step 4 *extra*: Concealing the 'stache': I don't know how many other women have this problem, but I've been getting increasingly frustrated with that much darker region right above my lips, I look like I have a mustache from time to time and ugh..... it looks weird! When ever I get those days where I can't stand to look at it, I reach for Wet n' Wilds Cover all Stick! 

The Color is Medium :)

Obviously this is not my most flattering moment XD I feel like Grandpa!

Step 5: Foundation Time!: MAC foundation has been my lifesaver time and time again. With all the foundations I've worn over time, people have never really said anything about my skin until I starting wearing MAC Studio Fix. Needless to say, I've been hooked ever since and this has become one of my few major makeup expenses, but so worth it! Anyway, in this step, I cover my entire face and make sure to cover the  grandpa mustache!

The shade is NW45

Step 6 *extra*: A Little More Coverage: Okay I lied, another splurge is MAC's Prolongwear Concealer :) I use just a little bit is this under my eye, and the left over I use above my lips:)

The shade is NW40 

Step 7: Finish him It! <-- bonus points if you remember where that's from lol! Anyway, in this last but most vital step as I've learned, if finishing my skin with a finishing powder. I've fallen in love with Black Opal's Finishing Powder because it helps keep my skin oil free (most of the time anyway!). I use my kabuki brush to apply it... it's so lightweight! :D Also, if you have really oily skin like me, always keep blotting paper handy, I use Palladio Rice Paper in Natural, good stuff right there!

The shade is O4 Dark

Step 8 *extra*: Snap a Picture! Okay obviously you wouldn't do this EVERY time you apply your makeup, but hey, a little selca never hurt anyone right! So find a nice spot with sunlight, take a picture, and revel in your beauty because you are done!! 

No touch-ups here! ^O^

I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed putting it together! Now I'm gonna go take all of it off because I don't want to sweat it all off at the gym tonight! Wish me luck! x.x

Model/Fashion InsPost: Kei/Lie

Another model that aspires me try my best!! I've only found this model in the EDGE Style Winter Magazine from 2009. As far as I know currently, her name it Kei, and she is flippin gorgeous! As you can see, she has much harder edge than my other inspiration, Natsuko Togo, and I absolutely LOVE this look on her! She definitely fits the bill for what I'd want to aspire to dress like if when I begin the fashion portion of my gyaru journey. Here are a few pictures of Kei and all her awesomness from EDGE Style!

Mini update: I'm not sure if this is actually an update, but I've learned that Kei actually goes by Lie now (well, HAS been for a few years now I think?) And has also modeled in Happie Nuts! (as Lie) So I'll definitely be looking for her more (She's also pregnant ^O^ I think the baby is due this month? Fingers crossed! Explains why I haven't seen her in more recent editions of EDGE Style lol). If/ When I find her in some other magazines, I'll be sure to add some of my favorite pictures here! Btw, her real name is Takahasi Keiko <3

Kei - EDGE Style







Hope you enjoyed this posting! More coming up soon! :3

Project Gal: M2W1 + Workin' it out!

I've fallen off the path or Project Gal for some time now, and I think with the New Year almost around the corner, I need to put the pieces back together to be the Gal I want to be! Following the lovely Chaudie's Project Gal Template, this months theme is:

Application and Practice!
Week One focuses on Concealers, so I'll definitely be putting up some reviews on what I find! Here are my current ones:

Mac Pro Longwear Concealer (L), Palladio Concealer (M), and Wet n' Wild Cover  All  Stick (R)

This month revolves around foundation and concealer, contouring, eye make, eye brows, blush and lips. Now granted, I do pretty much all of these steps when I go all out in my makeup routine, but I think it helps to break everything down week by week. If need be I can extend a week or to o.~ The first week is dedicated to concealer, which is a big one for me so I know that this will get extended because this is one of my weak points. My current concealer is by MAC and I. LOVE. IT...period but it doesn't give the coverage I need for my dark circles which is quite frustrating ;~; As of late two new brands (at least, new to me) have popped up at my local CVS pharmacy.

I've used Black Radiance a few times in the past actually, their loose foundation made my skin break out and their cream concealer was too heavy for my eyes ;( but I've recently fallen in love with their gel eyeliner, baked blush, and lipstick! (I'm bound to post a review on YT soon lol)
Black Opal is a brand I'm unfamiliar with but I've looked at some of their products in the store and I'll definitely be testing out some of their products!

We are fierce, strong, and most importantly, won't snap like a twig over someone's knee!! XD

Now, I'm pretty sure this is in my intro somewhere, but I am a big girl, which I'm not ashamed of, just upset that certain aspects of the world cater to smaller sizes. I would love to invest in clothing lines like Torrid but, I really can't afford to pay $80 bucks for some jeans when I can invest it to some new lenses, or hell, some DINNER maybe? Anyway, what I'm getting at is I need to slim down, not only so I can fit into some cuter clothes, but also get my health in order. My vitals are okay for now, but good Lord only knows what could pop up 10 - 20 years down the road!

It doesn't help that my dear sweet loveable mother dropped a diabetic magazine in front of me a few days ago and said they had a lot of good info on getting and staying healthy. Needless to say I nearly tossed the thing in the trash can..... but I did read one very important thing about getting into the habit of exercise:

Find something that you like. Do you love to play tennis? Have you ever tried boxing? Are you a runner or a cyclist? If you truly enjoy some type of exercise, make it part of you plan.  It's best you pick something you can do year-round.

Um.... well I like video games! That's a start right? Haha... but seriously, I don't really do anything else aside from work, classes, eat, sleep, and play video games XP so I've promised my self to invest more time playing my exercise games like Your Shape, and Dance Central, anything that will get me up and moving rather than sniping people in Borderlands! Also, my co-worker Deidre said she'll start going to the gym with me... but she's tiny already sooo, it still might end up sucking, BOO!

Ah well, until next time!

AUSA (mini) Meet! ^o^

So this is what I attended awhile back!! <3

I had originally titled this post as a BEFORE post, but then things got incredibly hectic and I never got the chance to. What's worse is that things were still crazy throughout so my $50 weekend registration only yielded a short lived few hours with the gals... I'll have to prepare much better for Katsucon in February! (especially since pre-reg is a bit more pricey!)

With that said, I did manage to have a bit of fun, and the girls I met were super cool! I only managed to fit in a few good photos to prove it happened (retarded camera!), I'm pretty sure I can provide a short narrative them :) And oh! The FB flyer said it was gonna be hosted by Miivii and Miyabi, but Miyabi couldn't make it D: but we still had fun!

I'm sorry it took so long to post these photos, I edited them to fix some of the over exposure of my flash, though they still look icky x.x

On our way back upstairs after picking up our registration badges :)

HOLY S**T!! WE FOUND PEDOBEAR!! We were all cool since we were legally adults XD

My favorite photo of the night at the host club <3

Dominique (L), our Host Von, and me!

Dominique isn't actually a gyaru, but we tagged along with her and her friend Ella because they were so friendly! Also, it just so happens that Host Von is an old High School er... torture mechanism of mine XD I almost feel bad for making fun of him... every. single. day.....okay not really >w< Also, the giant X on my hand indicated that b/c my license was Vertical (under 21, which I'm not!) I wasn't allowed to drink.... BS POLICY!!! >=O

This is Ella!! She was SOOOOO CUUUUUUUUUTE~!!! When she told us her name, we proceeded to sing Rihanna's 'Umbrella' XP 

Miivii's fave host of the evening, super cutie! <3

Kelli here literally snatched this host up, and we decided not to let him go for about.... 30 minutes!!! XD But anywho, Kelli can pull off one of the cutest pout faces I've ever seen, and she's so bubbly and nice!

This here is Tama and Keito! This was after they changed into their rave outfits.... I can't pull off anything so sexy just yet ToT But they're also really nice! And funny as hell too!

One of the last photos of the night, I was so pissed when I got home to see it that it was actually blurry! ;o;

In all honesty, it wasn't like anything at all like what I thought a gal meetup would be, but it was still fricking awesome and I made some new friends!! We've agreed that we'll meet up again in February in for Katsucon so I can't wait! Maybe by then I'll have dropped a few pounds too? XP I doubt that but hey, I can dream! Also, I didn't look gyaru at all! ;o; my poor bottom lashes popped off on the bus ride there and I never did find boots that would fit over my calves! I'm gonna have to stick a cork board to my wall so I can start putting up inspo pics! I have no regrets though, I had fun, even if it was for only a few hours, so I'll see you guys at Katsucon!! 

Click here for their site! <3

Project Gal Week Four

Ah!!! Finally Week Four!! Theme of the week (and my absolute favorite) iiiis.....

Well, the technical term is "Deciding on What to Start With", but I like shopping much more! However, I'm technically broke. Within the past two months, I've spoiled my self with a bigger TV (because the old one made it impossible to read text while game playing), and a tablet (because lugging a laptop to school was getting annoying). As a result, I want to pay off my bills before I do any MAJOR shopping, and I'm not trying to rack up more debt while doing so! Instead, I've been making a list of all the products I want to/ intend to buy, that way when I do begin shopping, I'll be pretty much squared away on the products I want to purchase to achieve my look. Be warned, the list gets pretty long, and there's a possibility that some things I've already purchased. This will also help me keep track, even though I have everything recorded in a little black book I carry in my bag. Here's my list, if there are any links, feel free to click them to be redirected to their respective website, you might find something useful!! :D

10/18/2012
Payday has FINALLY come! I think it's time to reward myself a bit and update my eBay shopping spree XD

1. Lighted Mirror (free standing currently watching) *purchased!*
2. Eyelashes (my faves thus far- upper, upper and lower)
3. Makeup compact with empty wells (for pressing powders) *purchased!*
4. Rubbing Alcohol (for pressing powders) *purchased!*
5. Highlighting powder for nose (I purchased this recently, can't wait to get it!) *got it!*
6. Clear UV Gel (as a starter for my nails) OR lightless gel  (iffy on this one...)
7. UV Lamp (depends on gel type)
8. Eyelash Tweezers *purchased!*
9. Makeup Brushes
10. Dragon Ear Cuff (I saw in the Pyramid Collection catalog, but too expensive... to eBay!) *purchased!*
11. Floor Length Mirror
12. Lycee Eye Drops *purchased!*
13. Nail design tools (Dotting pen, UV brush...ect.) *purchased!*
14. Hair accessories (anything I can think of!)

I obviously don't intend to go out and buy everything at once, I only plan to purchase little by little and I update the list as I go. Once I try out my new highlighting powder, I'll make sure to put a review up as soon as I can! 

Upcoming Posts:

The Challenge Part 3: Nails

Hampton Mini Vacay Gets!

Prepping for the AUSA Meet! ^O^

Update!! Halloween Dreams... and Vampy Nightmares

Updated!! I came across this video on beautylish.com.... and it's exactly what I've been looking for!! Enjoy! <3

When it comes to Halloween, I'll be honest... to have a day where I can step into someone else completely unnatural makes me extremely happy. I think for the past few years I've stuck to being a vampire, one because it's the easiest look to pull off for work (and because those pumpkin flashing pin-and-earring-and-necklace sets are kinda tacky XP), two is that it can be sexy as hell (curse you modern day interpretations!), three is because it's just fun! Last year I did the Halloween getup for work, fangs and some red glittery lips, but now I have something added to my aresnal! And that is...... *drum roll*

Click the picture to be connected to the Facebook Page

I originally placed an order for the I.Fairy Hanabi Red lenses, but they were out of stock so I settled for these instead. Sadly because of my stalling last year, the lenses arrived on the day of Halloween, which didn't give me the chance to soak the lenses overnight to clean out the preservatives. In order to keep them safe and clean, they've stayed in their glass vials unopened.... waiting for their time....

With that said, I've some other tools I'll be using to achieve the look I'm going for, using what I already have, plus a few new things possibly >:3

This love color is Stoplight Red from the Wet N' Wild Collection. Despite being a cheap-priced drugstore product, the color deposit is stunning, it was the main reason why I fell in love with classic red lips to begin with! I would use either this or my NYX Plush Red that I ordered from cherryculture.com (see Part 1 of my Cherry Culture Haul!!!)

Also, I'll be adding to the toolbox something to add to the drama effect... a black lip liner <3 ^O^ I've purchased NYX's Blackberry and it should arrive in a few days, I'm almost too excited! Until then, I will sit and wait patiently for my package to arrive.

And the most obvious top off for any vampire look are these babies.....

My dear trusty Scarecrow Love Bites Fangs! Their small than Scarecrow's usual products, which makes these perfect for work. I wore them last year at work and the reactions were priceless... some of my patients didn't even know they were there until I looked at them head on or laughed XD then one of the nurses dragged me from place to place, commented on my makeup with someone, then told me to smile or say something so the fangs would show. But now that I've moved to a more reclusive area at the hospital, I think I can afford to be a bit more dramatic without worrying about running into my supervisors... fingers crossed! 

As far as eye makeup is concerned, I think I'll save that for when I actually begin to test out how I actually want to look, so I will probably be saved for another post out in October somewhere... for now I'll begin on my Project Gal post, based on a Facebook Doc one of the girls from the group uploaded. I'm starting on Month One, which is based on researching sub-styles and skimming magazines and well, learning about the gyaru I want to become. That should be up sometime next week, and will be continually updated as I acquire more knowledge, that way if anyone should come across it, they might find something useful too! :D

I leave you with this inspo pic I found on Google, the look I'm aiming for however, is more dramatic I think (well obviously with red contacts lenses!).

Sweet Dreams...

Way Down But Not Out

Sadly (or maybe fortunately?) this isn't a gyaru post mostly, but instead, a wonderful time for me to vent...

I am the queen of bottling emotions, everyone close to me has pointed this out several times, but I see nothing wrong with sleeping with my burdens just so I won't trouble anyone. Every time I set a breaking point for myself, I make sure that when I reach it, I am somewhere no one can hear me, and I hope any normal person would agree that sometimes a few tears dulls the heartache for at least a little while longer. When I'm just about ready to express my feelings, to pull someone under the umbrella to keep them from the rain, it turns out that they already have their own issues... my timing is never good. So as a result, I keep quiet, I smile, I nod and agree, and I send them off with a hug and a laugh. But as of late, I've noticed a downturn in my emotions, I feel like any issues I have I can't take them to my friends or even my own family. There are numerous times when I say I'm going to go out and live on my own, be the independent young black woman my grandmother feels I need to be (so why can't I move out yet, again?), but I need the links... the chains that I keep around all my loved ones feet to keep them near, because I feel that without them, I'm truly nothing. 

Even more so, I wonder why I made this decision to follow the gyaru lifestyle... this is my deepest secret, one that I have broken into pieces and given the fragments to four very important people in my life. My (self-proclaimed) sister knows I have a blog, my [younger] sister knows I want to become more fashion-forward, and slowly becoming addicted to makeup.Then my sweet beloved boyfriend, knows that I want to lose weight, to be healthier and fit into nicer clothing, and his simple reply is that he'll love me no matter how much weight I ever gain or lose. And finally, my best friend... well, she kinda knows nothing about it, she knows I own circle lenses, and she hates it, she knows that I'm changing, and she hates it, she knows that now that she's moved 45 minutes away, we've drifted apart into our busy school  and work lives, and she hates the most. This friend of mine, has made horrible decisions, and instead of bringing my burdens, my concerns, my most deepest secrets, I take her tears, her fear, her dark clouds. I sometimes really can't stand what has happened to us, it seems like we only meet up  out of some required formality,  things don't feel genuine anymore. But, as I've said, it's because I don't share things anymore like I used to, we can sit on the phone for hours, and I'll just listen and giggle to all her stories, no matter how disappointed I am in her judgement, and I'll simply reply that my life will never be as exciting as hers, when there really is so much I want to say. Not only to her, but to everyone else as well. 

It gets rather lonely sometimes, I feel that maybe trying gyaru isn't really who I ought to be, that maybe this is all a fleeting dream and that I should give up and go back the stereotypical 'normal' me. But even then, I wouldn't be happy. I reflect on the manga Skip Beat (it's been awhile lol), how the main character, after all her hair and makeup, she becomes someone completely different, someone completely amazing and stunning. I think things like these are what brought my to gyaru, with my confidence shattered, and sick of being a pushover, I feel that this is my road to take and I can't give up yet. There are so many before me, that have already gone on ahead of me, and yet, I cannot learn just from watching from the wayside. God has given me a mind to think, a mouth to speak, eyes to see, lungs to breathe, and so much more. As one of His Children, I refuse to let life pull me down completely, I will transcend above this, and be beautiful, inside and out.

Skip Beat - Because you never give up till you reach the stars and beyond!!

Project Gal Week Three

Hello all! I'm pretty sure I've missed a week somewhere, my first exams are all here so I've been a bit busy, I've been working on this post piece by piece, and I think I've racked up a nice amount of videos specifically based around the eye make of gyaru <3 There are sooo many possibilities, I'm way excited to try them all!! 

FOTD 9/16/12: Off to church!

Just a random little picture post before I head off to church, I bought a nice red blush and new lashes yesterday and tried them on, I absolutely LOVE them!!!! A lot of people at church have been complementing me on my makeup, and it feels nice to NOT come looking like a tired bum for once. As you can see, I've gone for red lips with my Mark Lip Stain and NYX Lip Pencil XD!!! It only feels suitable to give God thanks for giving me such lovely features. Growing up, I was always picked on and pinned as ugly or fat because I was different from all the other 'black' kids. I didn't really listen to rap, wasn't the most fashion forward, and really kept to myself. But despite that, here I am years later doing much better off than most, so thank you Lord for all you've done for me and all that you will continue to do. But in the words of Steve Harvey:

"Don't trip, He ain't done with me yet!!"