It’s official: I am slowly but surely falling in love with my Urban Decay Naked Palette!
This is one of my favorite takes on a bronzey smokey look, with a pop of color on the bottom. And loud pink lips to match
Enjoy!
Here’s the video tutorial
-Products Used-
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Urban Decay Naked Palette
Makeup Forever HD Foundation #177
MAC Brow Crayon in Spiked
Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in Deep Dark
Yves Saint Laurent Faux Cils Mascara
Maybelinne Ultra Liner
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliner in Baked
OCC Pigment in Chlorophyll
MAC Cork Lipliner
MAC Impassioned Lipstick
OCC Liptar in Cha Cha
Okay so prom season may or may not be over depending on where you’re from. But you can still totally rock this sexy sparkly look!
Watch me while I show you how I did it!
Here’s what I used
Makeup Forever HD Foundation in #177
MAC Lustre Drops
MAC Brow Crayon in Spiked
E.L.F. Cream Base in Purple
Urban Decay Naked Palette
INGLOT #86 Pigment
MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer
MAC (Pro) Invisible Set Powder
MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Deep Dark
MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder
Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara
Covergirl Queen Collection Bronzer
NARS Dolce Vita Blush
MAC Creme Cup Lipstick
MAC Flourabundance Lipglass
You remember that little flier I posted recently about going on tour? Well I recently just got back and am finally getting around to talking about it!
I spent a total of 10 days in Paris. My cousin from Los Angeles flew out there and met me in Paris, our flights just so happened to be minutes apart so we got to meet right at the airport! The fact that she had a friend in Paris also helped, she hosted us for a few nights and helped us get in and around town and helped us check into our hotel.
My initial reaction to Paris might shock some, mainly those that have never been there. To be quite honest at first I was NOT impressed. I found that people were actually quite rude there, and if you don’t act a certain way they will not give you the time of day! Some also appear to be offended when you speak to them in English, almost as if it’s insulting to speak English! My first day there I got injured! My foot got stuck in a metro doorway (I was trying to help someone else that got stuck and got hurt in the process) EVERYONE saw us struggle and no one got up once to help two ladies in a jam. It was awful and at that point my first day there I was already ready to go home!
I think once I got over the initial shock I began to actually enjoy it. When in Rome, do as the Romans do right?
Aside from the rude people and me getting hurt, everything about planning our trip was perfect lol. We had a great hotel near the city center and right near a metro so getting in and out of town was super easy. I was extremely impressed with their public transportation system, it’s even better than New York! Their metros run minutes apart most days. And everything in Paris is fairly easy to get to.
My favorite part about Paris is no matter where you live, for the most part, everything is easily accessible. I mean like walking distance too! You know how when you live in LA and you want to go grocery shopping you hop in your car drive a few miles and you’re there? Yea, not in Paris! We’d walk outside our hotel and even in the this little bitty small town we stayed in there tons of people out and about every evening, all of the local business were having their sidewalk sales! And that’s another thing, small businesses THRIVE here! Rather than your Applebee’s, Carl’s Jr., and Burger King restaurants, there are tons of mom and pop shops that make up a lot of the city. I absolutely loved that! Instead of larger franchises there are so many little bity individual restaurants and shops. It really is refreshing walking outside your hotel and visiting a local restaurant next door and having an amazing home-cooked style meal.
And the the food there??! Off the chain. Nuff said!
I was amazed out how great some of the site seeing was…
The Arc De Triomphe
Sacré Cœur
Eiffel Tower
The Louvre Musuem
my favorite little local bakery
Other misc. places and things
Some of the lovely ladies who were kind enough to get in touch with me when I announced I’d be visiting Paris, we all had dinner together
SMILE ANNA!
BON VOYAGE PARIS! <3
Originally I had planned on visiting London and couldn’t get clearance into the country!!! (SCREW you Heathrow Airport!) But anyhow, I ended up in Germany because of that, and to be quite honest I am so glad I did. Germany was breathtaking…
I took a bus into Rhine where there were tons of dope castles…
and then I went wine tasting! It was my first time! Germany has AMAZING ice wine! If you’re ever in Rhine, I highly recommend it!
OK you German boys I see you!! LOL
Here’s the video footage I took of everything, hope you guys enjoyed!
For quite some time now I’ve been wanting to try some of Yves Saint Laurent’s products a lot of people rave about. I’ve heard so many fabulous things about their Touche Eclat that I finally gave in one day and bought it, there’s a funny story behind that.
So I was on a plane ride to Bahrain when an idea popped in my head; why don’t I do some duty free shopping! I’d never purchased products on a plane before and I wanted to be cool for once lol. So I whipped out the catalogue, and said I want THAT! *points at the Touche Eclat*.
Unfortunately I find that duty free products, especially the designer cosmetics, come in 2-packs. Which meant I had to buy not ONE Touche Eclat, but TWO! The total for both was about $70 USD. I was pretty convinced I’d be satisfied with the product so it didn’t really bother me. Maaaan, I took those bad boys home and when I got home and opened them, they were shade #1….the LIGHTEST shade. LMAO. I couldn’t use them!!! Not even as a highlight!
Luckily buying makeup in the wrong shade is a gift that keeps on giving. For myself I can always just put it in my makeup kit and use it on clients, which is what I’ve been doing. It was definitely a lesson learned!
I didn’t purchase the product again until visiting Paris on vacation. I stopped at a Sephora store off the Champs Elysees and just HAD to have it. I also picked up their Faux Cils Mascara, now THAT stuff I’ve seen in action and it’s amazing. I absolutely knew I’d fall in love with the mascara, and that I did!
As for the Touche Eclat, it’s advertised as a radiant touch highlighter for the face, and being that I purchased the shade that’s my exact skin tone it just doesn’t do that for me. Perhaps I should try a shade that’s a bit lighter. Overall, I think it’s a nice product to use when you want that “makeup without looking like I’m wearing it” look. I also like the fact for the most part it lasts all day and doesn’t really crease. While I do applaud them for releasing more shades that are women of color friendly, I do believe they have more work to do in that aspect. I truly wish more mainstream makeup companies would realize that we’re dark, we’re beautiful and we’re here to stay. EMBRACE us! Rather than ignoring us because it may not be marketable. And I don’t mean YSL, I just mean in general.
The mascara, again, is an absolutely fabulous must-have of the year. Their stuff is pricey, absolutely. But you definitely get what you pay for and much more with their mascara’s. It does absolutely everything I need it to do in a mascara: Volumizes, thickens and lengthens. I love that there’s tons of product in the tube, BUT use with caution! That can easily be a recipe for clumps. I on the other hand don’t mind a little clump on my lashes, mainly the roots. It makes them look even more thick and full. I can go on and on with mascara’s but just know that I LOVE this stuff!! I really wanted to try their Shocking brand but that one has been harder to find for some reason. I will definitely get my hands on it eventually!
I hope you guys enjoyed the review and had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend! Remember those who serve
Lately Miss Norwood has been looking hot to trot! Not that she didn’t before, but I do have to say that she has definitely stepped her game up and I mean that in the sweetest way possible. Then again, she has always been a beautiful and classy young lady!
A subscriber of mine told me about her being on the cover for the June 2012 issue of Ebony Magazine, and asked that I do a video tutorial on it. I liked it because to me it had a Hollywood glam type of feel, but for chocolate sisters So you know I was all over it!
Anyhow, here’s the look and what I used to achieve it. Enjoy!
-Products Used-
Makeup Forever HD Foundation #177
MAC Lustre Drops
Sumita Eyebrow Pencil
Beauty Blender Sponge
Fix + Spray
Urban Decay Naked Palette
MAC Groundwork Paintpot
MAC Feline Eye Kohl
Coastal Scents Camouflage Concealer Palette
CoverGirl Queen Bronzer
La Femme Blush in Terracotta
Yves Saint Laurent Faux Cils Mascara
Miss Adoro Half Lashes #307
MAC Cream Color Base in Fantastic
MAC Currant Lipliner
MAC Girl About Town Lipstick
Clear Lipgloss
