A Palette Is A Palette Is A Palette?

Are all palettes created equal?

I know that in the wide world of make-up, the answer is no. Not all palettes are created equal, but some are. But for the past few months, I've been hearing a lot of buzz about companies like BH Cosmetics, Crown Brush and Coastal Scents. These companies specialize in HUGE palettes. I had initially shied away because these reminded me of the large palettes I would buy as a teenager. They were cheap, not that pigmented and in my formative years, I had a knack for making myself look like a clown with these sorts of products.

With so many great holiday sales going on, I managed to snag a Crown Brush palette on HauteLook and a BH palette on sale. I am still waiting on the Crown palette to arrive, but I can say that the BH palette has great pigmentation. The colors are lovely and bright. It really surprised me.

Whilst shopping around online, it's easy to see that many of these companies offer palettes that are similar, if not identical. The main difference is the price. And then you have to factor in that these products are sold on Amazon and eBay too! I saw one 120-color palette for like $14 total on one site and over $50 on another. Same palette.

So, I decided to make a collage of what I found while surfing. What's funny is that most of these companies don't even try to make their product stand out. They simply call a collection "Palette #1" or "1st Edition." "Metallic Madness" is another palette I couldn't help but notice a few companies had. Basically, these people buy from manufacturers and wholesalers in Asia and slap their name across it and that's it. But enough of my rambling, let's see some photos.

Here's "Palette #1" or "1st Edition":

Here's "Palette #2" or "2nd Edition":

Then there's the 66-color lipgloss palette:

And last, but not least, here's a 180-color palette/set:

I threw the last one in for the fun of it. Crown Brush has this 180-color set coming out in January, but it only took me a couple of minutes to find multiple places that are already selling the same thing. It certainly does pay to spend some time and research when you are shopping around. Now the ONE thing I cannot find is a palette similar to the pink "Cosmo" palette shown in the Crown Brush photo above. :\ **Please note, little is shown from Crown or Coastal scents because they mostly sell 88-color palettes and smaller.**

And if you think some of these palettes are not the same, they are. Simply pick a row of colors and you will find it, identically laid out, in all of the palettes. Yes, some have different lighting and yes, some are turned around but I swear, these are the same palettes.

Do with this information what you will. I know my BH palette was made in China. Almost all of the sellers with identical products on eBay are from Hong Kong. I am willing to bet that all of the palettes shown in this blog came from China. So, I think I'm going to pass on names for now and shop around by price. I'll let you know what I turn up! (And of course, I feel compelled to own most of these now.)

What do you think? Do you have palettes from any of these companies? How do you like them? Have you noticed a difference between brands? Would you recommend these to friends? What are you looking for in a palette?

On a totally UNRELATED note, I'd like to add that I have a sale going on in my Etsy shop, Jewelry by Glamourpuss. Use the coupon code: NEWYEAR and get 25% off your order!

And I have posted quite a few goodies on eBay, just click ----> HERE!

I know it's shameless self-promotion, but I'd really appreciate it if you took a look, spread the word or picked a little somethin'-somethin' up! Thanks!

Nude, Naked, Natural Eyes & Such...

For those who are not fans of bright colors, there are so many products geared towards natural looks. I suppose Urban Decay's highly sought-after Naked Palette was the one product that really got the snowball rolling this year. It's a nice palette, costs $48 and comes with a very nice UD brush. I picked one up. I think I've used it once so far. In my opinion, there isn't enough contrast between all of the colors and they tend to get muddy when blending them. Besides, after I read this blog by Affordable Beauty comparing the Urban Decay Naked Palette and E.L.F.'s Beauty Book Neutral Eye Edition, I am kicking myself over the $43 wasted. (But don't feel too bad, the E.L.F. Beauty Book is no longer available.)


I've picked up a couple of other neutral palettes I really like too. NYX Cosmetics has come out with some really great ones. NYX's Nude on Nude Palette is very nice. I like that there is a greater range of contrast, from white to black and everything in between. It's $25 and includes 10 lipglosses that slide out from underneath the shadows.


Most recently, NYX has launched their Butt "Naked" Eyes set. First of all, I did have a hard time getting past the name. "Butt Naked" just irritates me, in general. From what I have researched (sad, huh?) "Buck Naked" IS the original term, but was bastardized by the Yanks (that's us, in the States) to become "Butt Naked." Today, the terms are pretty much considered interchangeable. Although, I am having issues that it says Butt "Naked" Eyes on the actual lid of the palette.

But I'm rambling on a tangent, so let me reel it back in. I really love this set of shadows, blushes and highlighters. The shadows are great neutrals and the face colors are really wearable for most complexions. It is also $25, so it won't break the bank.



Now, if you really want a small collection of great neutral shadows, I recommend NYX's "I Dream of Jamaica" 5-color palette. I like browns and grays that are not too cool or too warm. If you use a brown that is too orange or has too much red, your eyes will look red and irritated. If your grays are too blue, you may get a look you weren't planning on. This smaller palette is gorgeous. If I could only recommend ONE palette of neutrals to someone, this would be it. There is a great shade for highlighting and great darks for creating a wonderful smoky look. And at $8.75, it's a steal!

Me + E.L.F. = It's Complicated

It started out innocently enough. I was just an observer from afar. I can easily remember the beginning, when things were starting out and while there were some limitations, the interest was still there. Slowly, I tested the waters. I tried something new here and there. Flirting. Courting. Then things blossomed and I decided to take a leap of faith and make the investment in this relationship. I put in my time, did my research, paid my dues and saw wonderful things in exchange. But that's when things turned. That's when it got creepy. There were and still are multiple emails a day...I'm not good when things get clingy. Sure I could just delete them, junk them, block them and so on, but I'm a glutton for punishment and I'm curious about what goes on. Even though I'm toyed with, tempted with one enticing offer after another, I still stick around.

Is this an excerpt from a cheesy. Harlequin romance novel? No, there would be a lot more heaving bosoms and heavy sighs. This is basically what's going on with me and E.L.F Cosmetics or Eyes Lips Face Cosmetics.

I can remember back when they first appeared on the scene. Everything was $1. The range was nice, but somewhat limited. They have expanded so much and their sales are so good that I finally decided to place an order. Well, before I even got the order, I started getting "We Miss You" emails from them. What? You miss me? I didn't go anywhere! I haven't even had the chance to try out what I ordered! It's only been 12 hours! I know you've got it bad, but this is ridiculous! What Pandora's box did I open!!??

I jest, but it really is a poor marketing tactic. It's clingy, almost spammy. What frustrates me the most is that I get multiple coupon codes a day. Almost every one of them is GREAT, but there's always a catch. The coupon is only good on brushes or holiday stuff or their Studio line. I got one coupon that was for a discount on all holiday items including their new bath stuff! This would be the same bath stuff that isn't even on their site yet!! So, it makes that 48-hour coupon pretty useless if you are hoping to buy bath stuff. And nothing makes me angrier than shelling out my hard-earned money, only to get a better coupon emailed to me a few hours later!

But like any subway station around, just hang out for a little bit and another train (or in this case, coupon) will come along.

The MOST misleading one I've seen yet arrived in my inbox today. On the surface it looks great!

What was even better is that when I clicked the link, I was lucky enough to be "chosen" to have a whopping 50% off! Holy moly! That's not even shown as an option in the email!! Sign me up and fill my cart, I'm all over this! Well, it sounds too good to be true, so guess what? It is. If you look at the photo above, read #3 int he fine print. "Your personal secret discount will be applied to the first fifteen dollars in product and deducted from the total."

Wow, a whole $7.50 off is going to be the maximum you're going to get. That's not great at all. That's only slightly better than free shipping. While it's totally legal because of the fine print (which is much smaller in the email, I enlarged it for this blog), that doesn't make it any less tricky and deceitful. And that angers me. I can freely admit that I did not read the fine print at first. I went and looked at my cart (which keeps a standing list of things I am considering buying in it) and only saw the $7.50 deducted, I knew I was dealing with shenanigans.

When I find that I'm dealing with shenanigans, I feel like I have a responsibility to inform others. While I like E.L.F. just fine and would LIKE to order more from them, I really hesitate because of their business practices. They are counting on confusing customers by inundating them with tons of offers in hopes that the customer will not be informed and just go along with one because it says "50% off" when in reality it's only $7.50. Do they really think a customer is going to buy from them in 3 or 4 separate orders because the coupon codes are for different things? Who wants to pay shipping 3 or 4 times over? The more I think about this, the angrier it makes me.

What do you think?

Barbie With Pink Hair? And Tattoos? Oh, please.

This topic has been gnawing away at me for the past few weeks. I know it's not about make-up, but it's about Barbie and I can't think of much that's more glam than that.

Recently, the Tokidoki Barbie was launched. I know BarbieCollector.com had had photos up for a few months prior to the release, so it was no big deal for me. Well, that is until I started hearing about the backlash over the doll. People are worried that we, as a society, have lost our way. Is Barbie having a midlife crisis? Her hair is pink! I've never seen that before! And tattoos!?!?! Shocking!!


But did you know that this is NOT the first Barbie to have pink hair OR tattoos? It's been going on for years. If people actually paid attention and didn't just jump on the hot-topic-of-the-moment-bandwagon, they would know this.

Way before Tokidoki, Barbies had tattoos. While researching for this blog, I discovered that the 1st edition, Generation Girl Barbie from 1999 had a heart tattoo on her ankle! And it was brought to my attention (thank you Kat Thompson) that there was the line of Butterfly Art Barbies released in 1998 and were apparently recalled very shortly after parents began to complain. Then there were the annual Hard Rock Cafe dolls. They were rock 'n roll all the way, their hair, their clothes and yes...their tattoos. (Please note, the 2008 doll does not have tattoos, but she does have questionable hair.) A couple of them have shoulder tattoos that are kind of large. One of them has a sleeve, another has a skull and crossbones and yet another has a barbed wire bracelet going around her upper arm. That one's pretty funny because it is so cliche! And what other famous person has an identical, albeit crooked, tattoo? Pamela Anderson. So do you think there is a subliminal message to kids about being like Pamela Anderson? If you said yes, you have bigger problems than this doll. You should be wondering why your kid knows who Pamela Anderson is. In more recent history, there's the Jacob Black doll inspired by the Twilight films and he bears his werewolf tribe's symbol on his upper arm. Oh and he's not wearing a shirt because when he becomes a werewolf all of his clothes are ripped off and he only carries spare shoes and shorts with him. Don't you think that's offensive too?




Pink hair has been around for years too. As a collector, I have a few dolls with pink hair. There were the Fashion Fever Barbies that were released around 2004. One had pink hair, that was cut long in the back and shorter in the front, not a mullet, but it looks like a bob in the front. She was also wearing a cheongsam dress/long tunic with jeans and platform shoes! Was she crazy?!?! Pants and a dress!?!?! Who does that?

Jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino helped design a Barbie bearing her name. Ms. Tarantino has pink hair, so naturally, her doll does too. (Please don't let the rainbow of hair colors below completely send you into a state of shock, Barbie's alternative ways are not limited to pink hair alone. OMG, green dreads!! AAAHHH!!!**with Muppet arms flailing wildly**)


Last but not least, the final pink-haired Barbie I'd like to discuss is based on the character who may have started the whole pink hair trend...Frenchie from Grease. There is a Frenchie doll with pink hair. But the character was so cute and sweet in Grease, I guess no one had a problem with it. If I were a nit-picking, whiner and complainer, I'd be more worried that Frenchie dropped out of high school AND beauty school! And while we're on the Grease dolls, let's discuss a couple of other things. There's a Marty doll, but wasn't she the tart who was coming onto the much older TV show host? There are at least 4 Sandy dolls, so pure and sweet, except for the post-makeover, bad girl Sandy. Oooh, what is that teaching kids? Dress like a hooker and you'll keep your man? Sheesh. Then there's Cha Cha, and she was just a mean, badass. Who wants a doll of a mean, badass? And we can't talk Grease without having Rizzo, the picture of grace and charm. Do you really want your kid to have a doll that promotes unprotected sex? I don't want my kid to get knocked up because there's a Barbie based on a character who thought she was! (And for those of you are hardcore Grease fans, have you ever listened to the words to "Greased Lightning"? YOU must be a terrible influence for exposing your kids to such filth! "You know that I ain't braggin', she's a real pussy wagon - greased lightnin'")



But that's not even the worst of it!! Tattoos, pink hair...these things don't compare to PIERCINGS!!! When the first Generation Girl Barbies came out in 1999, Chelsea had three earrings in one ear and only one in the other! And the most scandalous thing was that she had a nose ring!!! Gasp! Shock!! Horror!!! Apparently in the next edition, she only had one earring in each ear and the nose ring, but in the 3rd edition she had neither earrings or a nose ring. SEE, this just proves to all the naysayers that Mattel will sanitize it's products if you make a big enough fuss. But it's short-lived because the 2004 Hard Rock Cafe Barbie had a nose ring.


Another instance where Mattel self-censored for that part of society who doesn't understand that some of their dolls are for COLLECTORS ONLY would be the Farrah Fawcett doll. Take a look at the photo below and see if you can spot the difference, beyond the obvious mediocre likeness.


Did you find what makes one of these things not like the other? It's the thing(s) that made this poster so controversial. NIPPLES! See, if Mattel wanted to stick to historical accuracy, the doll would have nipples. Obviously this is a collector's doll, what kid would want a doll who can only sit, frozen in one position? Kinda limits the Barbie story lines that run through a girl's head. But because people are so freaked out by their own bodies and nipples are considered taboo, the doll is historically inaccurate. That should make you feel better. Happy?

At this point, I am not happy. It really bothers me how people are so quick to vilify something they have no idea about. It just perpetuates the notion that people are superficial and only care about what's on the surface of something. But only sometimes, right? There are the double-standards like tattoos being manly on men and trashy on women. Perhaps that's why there was no hoopla over the Jacob from Twilight doll. It's ignorance. It would only take a little bit of research to discover that other dolls have had all the things people are bitching and moaning about with the Tokidoki doll. But if we're going to get our knickers in a twist, then let's take a look at some other Mattel dolls from the past.

Totally Stylin' Tattoo Barbie came out a couple of years ago for Christmas. I know because my daughter wanted one. Basically, it has the water-transfer tattoos that you can use on Barbie's clothing or your skin. It also comes with a "gun" that holds the transfer in place and douses the back of the tattoo with water. Where were you whiners back then!?!?! See, I lead by example and rather than expecting the world to sanitize itself so I don't have to do my job as a parent, I simply stepped up and said NO to my daughter. And I didn't buy it. The end. It's just that easy, it really is.


Remember back when Cher had the "Turn Back Time" video and there was a huge uproar because she was wearing what was essentially a body stocking with some strategically places black strips of fabric? Oh, and don't forget that she's straddling stuff and fraternizing with sailors and acting in a way that's unbecoming of a respectable woman? Mattel made a doll of that too. Be sure to check out the doll with the throwback costume that pays homage to the "Half Breed" TV performance she did in the '70s. The sides are cut to where!!!???? Shocking. And I suppose if you really wanted to split hairs about whether Cher is a role model or not, you could delve into Cher's past and instead of looking at how she's overcome so many adversities, you could dwell on her romances, addictions, having a transgender child, etc.



These dolls were just recently released. One is Barbie dressed as Sinatra, the other is Barbie's take on Elvis. IF we were looking at these outside the realm of quirky collector's dolls, what message are these sending out kids? Is it saying it's okay to cross-dress? Is it acceptable to get famous, do tons of drugs, eat horrible foods and expire in the loo? (And I know I have simplified these things, but this is how ignorant people think, forget the stories that lay below the surface.)


It sounds crazy, doesn't it? Of course, I'm being facetious throughout this whole blog. But some people really think like this. And that scares me. Barbie is a doll. That is it. She is plastic, has sparkly and shiny things and has pretty hair to style. That's it. At least, that's the way I saw her as a child. I never considered her to be a role model. People are role models, not dolls. Parents should be role models. Don't expect the world to make itself a place where you can do nothing and "raise" (I use that term loosely when referring to these types of people) your child without something questionable popping up. That's what parenting is...being active in your child's life and aware of what they are exposed to. The fact is people are lazy, too lazy to monitor what goes on around them. Yet let them catch wind of something as ridiculous as a pink-haired doll with tattoos and watch them go wild! Imagine how much worse it would be if these people got hip and educated themselves!

The bottom line is Barbie is a plastic doll. Bratz dolls are even scarier and have a body type that is insanely unlike anything a human could ever have. The Monster High dolls are fashionable MONSTERS!! But what does this really matter when we are talking about kids, pretending to play, with TOYS!!?? It's pretend, not real. Give your kids some credit. I'm willing to bet they know the difference.

***Again, I would like to point out that this "hot topic" is moot since the doll is sold as a collector's doll, intended for adults. Most of the dolls mentioned in this blog are not intended for children either. The exceptions would be the Butterfly Art dolls, Fashion Fever dolls, the Generation Girl dolls and the Totally Stylin' Tattoo Barbie. I am solely discussing it to shed some light and provide new insight for those who don't know any better.***

Tinted Lip Balms

It's pretty funny, I am a freelance make-up artist but when it comes to doing my own make-up, I usually opt for whatever is the fastest. I have two kids who usually don't give me any peace while I am getting dressed, so I don't usually have a lot of time to do something elaborate or overly artistic.

One of my favorite "go to" items is the tinted lip balm. It's quick and easy and some of them are sheer enough that you can apply it without a mirror. Back when I first remember seeing tinted lip balms, I tried Tarte's and Delux Beauty's. I am not sure how Tarte's are now, but about 12 years ago they were very dry and the color was pretty heavy. I bought two that I never ended up wearing. The package was a pain too because it was a plastic lip balm tube with a metal cylinder over it. My cylinder came off and when I tried to put it back on, I totally screwed it up. Delux Beauty's lip balm was a lovely rosey, pink. But again, it was more like lipstick in a lip balm tube.

Over the years, one of my favorite tinted lip balms is Aveda's Lip Tint. I'm not a huge fan of the flavor, but the color "Peony" is the most beautiful, shimmery pink that can be worn by anyone. For the longest time, it was pretty much the only color I'd use on brides. My only gripe is sometimes it can be a tiny bit gritty because of the sparkles, but it's not enough to keep me from going back to it time and time again. Although, to my dismay, it looks like Aveda no longer makes this product.

Aveda Lip Tint - Peony

A few months ago, I picked up a couple of Tokidoki's Gelato Lip Balm Stain. They come in fun colors, but there are only 3 to choose from and a clear one. They are all creamy colors, without shimmer or sparkle. I have Donutella, which is a coral/peach color and Pink Martini. The colors are nice and clear. I feel kinda like they are like the old mood lipsticks because they tend to get a little brighter on me after the initial application. But remember, I am a super-white redhead. Not many people are as pale as I am. I would still like to try Skeletrina which is a purple color. As for Ciao Ciao, I really don't see the point in paying $9 for a clear lip balm.

I recently picked up a new Baby Lips lip balm by Maybelline and decided to give it a try. I got the darker, purple one (grape) because I figured if it was sheer it would look nice. It was incredibly sheer. Great if you don't really want much color at all. It is light and feels nice on, but if you're looking for color payoff, this is not the product for you.

Maybelline Baby Lips - Grape

Last but not least, on my quest for tinted lip balms, I was sent the new World Balmination from Hard Candy. The packaging is hip and trendy, reminiscent of Tokidoki, but definitely in the Hard Candy style. The color I got is called Lovestruck and is a light pink. At $3.00 a pop, these are by far the most affordable tinted lip balms out of all of these. The texture is quite light and not sticky or thick. The color was very sheer. Now I have to take into account that it is a very light shade. There is a darker pink and a red that may have a little more oomph.

(On the right, Hard Candy. On the left, Tokidoki.)

(On the right, Tokidoki. On the left, Hard Candy.)

So here's the lowdown. If you want a balm you can just throw in your pocket and apply without having to look in a mirror, I'd say Hard Candy is the best deal. The Maybelline is nice, but is about $2 more and doesn't provide anything else for that added expense. If you want color I would have to suggest Tokidoki. Sure they only have three colors, but they are lovely! And $9 won't break the bank. I'm sad that Aveda no longer makes their Lip Tint, but there's nothing to be done about it except scour resources online for a good deal on leftover stock. And I don't really even factor Tarte in since I saw that the packaging has not changed. I really like some of Tarte's products, but I am so not a fan of their packaging. (I once had concealers by them and the names were on the caps, not the other ends of the tubes. So it wasn't hard to get them mixed up. No bueno.)


Bonus - When I got my Hard Candy World Balmination, I also got one of their new sparkly eyeliners, called Stay In Line. The color is a lovely chocolate brown with a lovely splash of sparkly glitter!

Halloween Giveaway

Guess what time it is ghouls and boys? It's time for another Glamourpuss Giveaway! This time it is a really fun contest. The prize is the great new House of Horrors collection from Madd Style Cosmetix. As you can see in the photo below, these colors are really fabulous. The white has lovely, shimmery sparkle. The photo doesn't show much detail, but it's a beautiful color!


I used the colors from this collection for the sugarskull photos I shot for the promotional materials for Madd Style Cosmetix. I can tell you from firsthand experience that these colors blend well and look wonderful over a white eyeshadow base. I used NYX eyeshadow base. It really makes the colors pop!


So, what do you need to do to enter? It's very easy. I want you to be creative with make-up. Use whatever you have on hand and go wild. I would prefer that the photos you submit be new ones, not ones you've used from the past. Email the photos to: glamourpuss_make-up@hotmail.com. What I will do after that is post the photos in another blog. From there people can comment and "vote" on the one they like best. The photo with the most votes will win. Very simple, very easy.

You have until Wednesday at midnight EST to submit your photos. I will have the photo blog posted shortly thereafter and voting can begin once it is posted. Voting will end on Friday at midnight EST. The winner will be announced very soon after voting ends.

Have fun with this! I cannot wait to see what great creations you come up with! Thanks and good luck to all!

Giveaway Winner!!

I am so pleased to announce that Angela Antagonist Grujičić won my very first Glamourpuss Giveaway!

Angela requested some colors that will work for daytime looks, so I put together a great collection of neutral products from Ruby Kisses Cosmetics. (Although I did have to add a really fun, purple-y lipstick!)

All in all, the giveaway was quite successful! I want to thank everyone who participated and I hope you had fun. I do have another really awesome giveaway in the works, there will be more details about that next week. But start thinking "Halloween Looks!"



I am working on some new product reviews to post soon, so be sure to keep an eye out and spread the word!

Prettia Bubble Hair Color

Something has been going on with me lately...it's exciting for me and annoying for my friends, I am finding. I am pretty infatuated with my local Asian market. Anyone who knows me knows that I love all things British and Japanese. When I went to Japan a couple of years ago, I took an empty bag so I would have enough room for whatever neat goodies I'd find!

But I digress. This market that is near me is FANTASTIC. It's the nicest one in the Charlotte area, that's for sure. There is a great selection of food, drinks, spices...CANDY...but the best section of all is the health and beauty section! There is such a huge selection of haircare, bath stuff, skin care...it makes the mind boggle! Then they have hair dyes. They have a few different varieties by the brands Palty and Prettia. There is also a men's line called Gatsby. I love the packaging. The models are so cute and the faces they make are a trip!


I decided on a brand called Prettia, because they had a color that was closest to what I have been looking for. I wanted a nice, bright copper. I figured since my hair was closes to the lightest shade on the box, this would be a sure thing!

Contents: Gloves, Conditioner, Toner, Nozzle & Developer

The Nozzle, Toner & Developer

This was a nifty think (above). This was the card that was around the gloves. I couldn't figure out what the circle was for until I looked at the instructions. While I couldn't actually read them, I figured out that they tell you how to mix a drop of toner to two drops of developer for a patch test. This circle is where you'd do that. There was a depression within the circle so the liquid wouldn't just run everywhere.
I think this is a VERY smart idea.


Mixing the toner and the developer.

Here is the mixed toner and developer, with the nozzle screwed on. There are a couple of important things to note: when mixing the color, you just tip the bottle forward and bring it back upright. You do that a few times, but you do not shake it. And the nozzle is not a pump. It is completely stationary. To get the color out of the bottle, you simply squeeze the bottle. It's very simple and easy.

Here's what the foam looks like.

All in all, it was a very nice hair color. It was extremely lightweight. I didn't even use half of what was in the bottle and my hair falls below my jawline. You leave the color on for 20-30 minutes and then you rinse. For there to be such an ample amount of hair color, there was the tiniest amount of conditioner to use after you rinse. I did have to supplement it with conditioner I already had. The color rinsed out easily, there was no running or traces of color left. When the water ran clear, it was clear...my pillowcases were spared! And the best part is that my hair didn't feel absolutely fried. It felt very nice, not like I had colored it at all.

Now, how was the color? Let's see...


The color wasn't all that I had hoped for. I was hoping for a richer color, but Prettia really didn't do much at all. I think it is a hair color that is best suited for people with darker hair or super-bleached hair. The hair color I really long for is what you see below. The two photos on the left are of this great photographer from Poland. The photo on the right is a customer appreciation photo for Pravana Vivids hair color. I've been wanting to try it for ages, so I am going to have to resist the urge to buy things because of cute packaging and hold out for the things I really want.

GIVEAWAY!! 400 Fans on Facebook!!

So, it's happened! I have 400 fans on Facebook! If you haven't checked out my page, you may want to do so now because I am planning a fabulous giveaway!

http://www.facebook.com/IAmGlamourpuss

All you have to do is "like" my Facebook fan page and then comment on this blog post with your Facebook username (I will make sure you have "liked" the fan page) and what the sort of colors you like to wear or would like to try out because I am going to customize the prizes around what the winner likes or requests! From there I will use a random number generator to choose the winner.

That sounds easy enough, right? I'm not a fan of the contest that have a list of things you must do like it's some sort of wild scavenger hunt. So I wanted this to be sweet and simple.

I figure a couple of days is enough time to give everyone a chance to enter...so, you have until midnight EST on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning to get your posts posted! I don't think that's such a long time that people will get impatient. Then I will have the winner chosen before the end of the day Wednesday. The way I see it, this will be all wrapped up and winnings will be out in the mail this week!

I really look forward to this. I have some great products to put together for you, I will include items to create an entire look! And if all goes well, I have plenty of ideas for future giveaways.

Thank you so much for your time. I do appreciate each and every one of you checking out my fan page and now, my blog. My goal is to provide useful and informative information and to have some fun.

Thanks again!

The Inaugural Eye Shadow Tutorial

I've been asked many times to do tutorials. Honestly, I'm pretty goofy, which is why it may take me a while to dip my feet in to the video tutorial pool. But for now, I got some make-up I am excited about and decided this would be a great time to start working on photo tutorials. Now, I will take you all the way from the totally naked eye to a really gorgeous finished look.

Please bear in mind, I am always open to your ideas. It's the feedback from my readers that lets me know what I need to do for you! So feel free to let me know what you are thinking or what you'd like to see. Thanks!

So, let's get down to business!

Here are the products I used:

1.) Here I am without make-up. Yes, I completely lack eyebrows. Shocking, I know. That's just in my family's genes.



2.) While I am putting on my concealer, foundation and powder, I have Too Faced's Shadow Insurance already on my lids. Once I am done with the face products, the primer is set and dry. The next pressing issue is my lack of eyebrows, so I fill those in right away with Gosh's eyebrow pen and NYX brow pencil. Then I add the NYX, pearl base primer. I do this simply to even out the color of the lid.



3.) Here are the shadows I am using today. This is the Palette #1 by Paul and Joe. I've lusted after something, anything, Paul and Joe for some time now. I found a great deal on this and snatched it up!



4.) I take the lightest shade from the palette and brush it right beneath my brow. It creates a lovely, not too white, not too light highlight. Then I start placing that delicious peachy color across my lid. When I am placing color that I really want to "pop" on my lid, I use a brush, but I pat the color on, rather than sweep it across. The color is placed on in a more concentrated fashion and the colors end up being closer to what you see in the palette. A lot of times color becomes more of a wash when it is swept across the lid.

(It's really difficult to get a clear photo with your eyes closed.)

5.) Now, I start to add the dark brown. I start at the lash line and then I bring the color up and over towards my crease. Again, I am tapping the color on so I get the biggest color payoff. It's not super pretty or blended...yet.



6.) Next, I establish what I am going to do with my eyeliner. I usually grab an older one and lightly draw out how I want my liner to be (today, that was Barry M's liner pen.) I used Essence's eyeliner from the Fairytale collection that was out in the Spring.

8,) It's time to start tweaking the details. I go back over the eyeliner pen (with a new my upper lid. Then I blend out the lower line. I even take the time to blend out the eyeliner pencil on the lower lid too. I add my first couple of coats of Falsies Mascara. (I forgot to add that in my photograph of the products used.)

9.) Now I take a few seconds to make sure all of the tiny details are perfected. Make sure the liner is perfect. The shadow has to be blended flawlessly, I love to blend...you simply cannot do it enough. My quick trick for that is to run my finger across the crease and make sure the sharp lines and edges are gone. I finish it off with a couple more coats of Falsies mascara and that's it! Done and done!

(There are some subtle differences between these last two photos.)

I hope you have enjoyed this. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to get in touch!