my first swap & n.o.t.d.

hiya dollfaces!! recently i did a swap with the gorgeous sarah who has this amazing blog, i heart cosmetics and this wonderful youtube channel . we both did videos all about the swap... if you want to see our videos here is mine and here is hers.

the main reason we were swapping was we both we itching for nail varnishes. she wanted sephora by opi and i wanted models own! if you have read my blog for awhile you know that i have been wanting to try models own nail varnishes for a loooong time and now i don't have to wait any longer.

without further adieu... here are my first nails of the day with models own!! this is lilac dream and it is beautiful. it applies quite smoothly and 2 coats lasted me a week without chipping. love it!

stay tuned for more n.o.t.d. dedicated to models own... thanks sarah!! xoxo

mac/rodarte: my take

** i try to keep this blog as fun as makeup is, but this topic has gotten under my skin... and maybe not for the reason you're thinking...

i'm sure you've heard all about this whole mac/rodarte controversy and what not. i just wanted to take a second and chime in. it's really irritating that mac are being chided for "only" making a $100,000 donation. if it really p*sses people off that much then why aren't they making their own donations? perhaps any monies that they would have spent on this line...

i look at it like this... mac either:

1. really had no clue when they named the nail polish or lipstick or whatever and, therefore, are being super cool in donating money now that people have brought it to their attention

or (the more likely)...

2. mac is an empire. it's a business people. and that business prides itself on marketing. perhaps they knew EXACTLY what they were doing and wanted to shine some light on the plight of the women of juarez.

and, if the latter is the case, then beauty bloggers and everyone else who is up in arms should be finding a useful charity and making donations that will actually go to those women... or, better yet, find out which companies manufacture their products in these hell holes and stop buying them.

don't put it as mac's responsibility to donate all profits to this cause. i think that is highly unfair. i also believe anyone who says they will boycott this line will go right back to the counter when venomous villains comes out or when they run out of their studio fix foundation and that is highly hypocritical if one is so upset with mac.

this is my take. mac provided a little controversy... that controversy shed some light on a topic that has been swept under the rug for ages... that light made people aware and angry about the topic... and that awareness and anger may actually get people to act... and those acts will create change.

thanks mac.

lookie what i got...

hiya dollfaces!! it's nordstrom anniversary time again and this year MAC had two great brush sets... one for eyes and one for face. as i have been itching to try their face brushes i went for that set and am completely in like! here's what the set looks like... and yes, it comes with a brush roll!

it comes with a 194 concealer brush... which doubles quite nicely as a lip brush (thanks brandi for mentioning that).

i had been waiting to purchase a 168 blush/contour brush because i knew that this set was coming and i absolutely love it!!

it also comes with the 190 foundation brush and i have been using this to apply concealer under my eyes and blend. it's pretty soft and glides nicely over the skin.

the reason i got the brush set was this beauty. the 187 stippling duo fiber brush. i use this to apply my foundation. i have to say i like it, but i'm not in love with it. :( the hairs are too long and i wish it was more dense. alas, that is why i bought the set... to see what i might want to purchase in full size... the 168? yes! the 187? no.

all in all it will make a great travel set. i will just switch out the 190 and the 194 for a 239 and a 224 and be out the door!

testing, testing YOU!!

hiya dollfaces!! i want to get to know YOU better! in an effort to make this a more interactive blog i need your input!! i have 3 questions for you and they are as follows:
1. where in the world are you from??
2. name one of your holy grail products... something you simply CANNOT live without...
3. tell us one piece of beauty advice that you heed...

i would be overjoyed if i could get even half of my followers to respond to this!

as for my responses...
1. southern california, USA
2. shu uemora eyelash curler
3. even if you're exhausted you must always, always wash your face before hitting the sheets!

k, dollfaces... your turn!! don't be shy...

found: perfect summer polish - NOTD

this is weekend rendezvous from Icing and it is the perfect summertime polish shade. a wonderful coral pink made to compliment a summer glow (err... which i have yet to obtain).. but even now in my paleness it still looks lovely! if you haven't tried the Icing polishes i suggest you get thee to a mall a.s.a.p. sooooooo worth it!!

Sedona Lace your Face with NV Beauty

hiya dollfaces! this is my entry for the sedona lace your face contest over on the wonderful NVBEAUTY's blog... my look is a wearable one inspired by this picture... i love the water with the rock as backdrop!

get dollface nails in october!! aka i'm a WINNER!!!

hiya dollfaces!!! i am so EXCITED!!! if you recall, a few months ago i had entered the Illamasqua Design Your Own Nail Varnish Shade Contest. here's my entry... well guess what?! I WON!!!! to be precise i am one of three winners!! thank goodness for Scrangie's site! technically i found out through her. i was on holiday in san fransisco and came home to some comments on my original post saying congratulations! i immediately set out online to find more information and found nothing. however, upon closer look in my e-mail inbox i found this lovely letter...

Hi Ann
I wanted to congratulate you on being chosen as one of our winners for the Illamasqua Nail Varnish Competition 2010!

We had thousands and thousands of entries, but your entry was deemed to be superior. We have known for about a month so apologies for the delay, but we wanted to make sure that our supplier could match the colour as best they could before announcing the winners. We received our final sign-off sample [ie the colour we are now happy with] today and have requested the first samples of the colour to be sent to us in the next couple of weeks.

As soon as I receive these I will send you a couple of your chosen colour - I think you will be delighted as we are with the final outcome.

Again, congratulations. We loved your colour so much that we shot it on our models nails in the campaign for Autumn Winter 2010 [which will be released at the beginning of September] and will also be gifting the press with your extraordinary colour; who knows, it could end up in Elle, Vogue or InStyle!

I will get in touch once I know when the varnishes will be shipped to you.

Best wishes, and once again congratulations :-)

can you imagine?!!

i guess they had over 6,000 entries! and in october you, too, can own raindrops!! i will show you all the samples i receive from illamasqua, but here is a photo from scrangie's blog.

what do y'all think?! so far it looks perfect! i wanted a light gray and it looks divine.

for shine-free dollfaces...

hiya dollfaces!! i'm always on the hunt for a good primer. a few months ago i visited seattle and after alittle sephora haulage came home with this primer right here.

it is the sephora brand base zero brillance anti-shine primer. i am always on the search for a primer that keeps my oily skin shine in check. i'm not looking for a miracle worker that stops oil production forever. all i ask is that it cut down my mid-afternoon shine. and this baby does the trick. after washing my face and letting my moisturizer soak in - this is key- i apply a pea sized amount like so...

i only apply primer to my t-zone and leave the drier skin of my cheeks to fend for itself. i let that soak in and then apply foundation as per usual.

here are my observations...

pros:

blends in easily and soaks in completely

controls shine for about 4 to 5 hours

very light feeling

doesn't interfere with regular makeup

sanitary tube

excellent value! one tube is about $18 and it has lasted me over 5 months so far!

cons:

it does melt! be careful storing it during the summer months!

don't store it on its head! it may pour out! store it by lying the tube down.

if you use a matte foundation, it may take some work to blend into skin that has been primed. just wet a sponge with water or fix+ and blend. not a huge problem.

this is purely an anti-shine primer. it does not fill in pores or create a smooth base for easy foundation application.

the doll lowdown

awesome product if you are inclined to shiny noses! a must have for the upcoming summer months. definitely try it out and let me know how it goes!

tag: 5 min. makeup challenge

one of my funnest vids!!

eyes of the day an ode to urban decay...

hiya dollfaces!! here is a look i did for work the other day... can i just say how happy zebra print makes me?! ha. i used mainly urban decay shadows. the truth is i ADORE urban decay shadows... **correction... i ADORE their shadows that aren't filled with glitter!** they are well pigmented and blend beautifully. the majority of their colors have a sheen to them which brings light to your eyes! many think that is a negative as it may lead to shine overload, but somedays i'm just in the mood for some sheen to brighten up my look. a good lot of my favorite eyeshadows come from UD! here's the look... kind of a hearkening back to the 80's annie's way!

on my eyes: UD shadow - strip all over the lid and along the lower lash line
UD shadow - jabberwocky (alice in wonderland book of shadows) in outer corner and crease
MAC shadow - silver ring to blend out into highlight
MAC shadow - hush as highlight
UD 24/7 liner - zero along lashline and in waterline
MAC - opulash as mascara

on lips: MAC viva glam gaga