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!