Tha Gabulous Lyfe

A good majority of my followers are makeup artists or aspiring makeup artists and part of the makeup I buy is for my makeup artistry kit, so... each month I will feature a few items that I use in my professional makeup artistry kit for clients-hopefully this will give artists (both professional and aspiring) a good idea of what products work and what doesn't work. These are the eyeshadows that I use in my kit. I thought it would be cost effective to purchase eyeshadow palettes and it also saves space. COASTAL SCENTS 88 PALETTE I think it's safe to say that this palette needs no introduction. The shadows are good to work with, they're pigmented and the palette offers a wide range of colors, some of the colors can be chalky but I have so many eyeshadows in my collection I could really care less about a half a dozen shadows being chalky.  This palette was one of my first ever reviews on my blog. If you're interested in reading the review click HERE . 88 NEUTRAL PAL...

This is the 4th and final look of the day using the Wet n Wild 6 pan palette series. This palette has beige, peachy, gray and black colors. I wanted to do a cut crease with the eyes because I haven't done a cut crease look in a while but it didn't turn out that way. I'll try another time :) For those who don't know what a cut crease is, click here .  I'm practicing more on contouring and highlighting... so, I did some subtle contouring and highlighting on my nose, cheeks and forehead. Hopefully, you'll be able to tell the difference. Hopefully you can see the cheek highlight and jaw contour in this pic.  Eyes -Urban Decay primer potion as my eye base -matte beige color in my inner lid -matte peach color in my middle lid -matte black color in my outer lid and crease color -matte beige color above my crease -Mac Studio Finish concealer in NC42 as my highlight -Elf brow kit in medium -Ardell Sweetie lashes -L'oreal Lineur Inten...

This post doesn't directly apply to beauty but I think this information is well worth reading. By recommendation from a coworker I found out about a company, Bzzagent , that uses a word-of-mouth marketing strategy to advertise products... in layman's terms-you can sign up to review FREE products! The company has been in business since 2001. It's the world's leading social marketing company that helps people try and share products, services and brands. To date, the company has over 800,000 agents across the US, Canada and the UK. I am a Bzzagent and I have received several products to use and review that have included a variety of products from: Red Box DVD rentals, hair products, cleaning products and even makeup. These are products that I've received through BzzAgent to use and review: L'oreal Illuminating mascara campaign L'oreal one sweep eyeshadow campaign Spring Cleaning campaign     To become a BzzAgent is easy: 1. Go to the BzzAgent ...

Hey Glamour Dolls, I've been MIA on posting on my giveaways page. I've just added some great giveaways that are being held by some of my blogger friends. The details are under the "Giveaways" page. I haven't entered the giveaways... I'm just spreading the word. Enjoy!

After promising myself to take better care of my hair, I read in a hair care magazine that if you have breakage or dry hair (like my hair) to consider purchasing a leave-in conditioner, since you don't have to rinse it out-the conditioner keeps on working and conditioning your hair. This was perfect for me because I'm really lazy when it comes to styling and taking care of my own hair... usually I look for products that are easy and quick to use. I do use Creme of Nature's Detangling shampoo, so I figured I would buy their leave-in conditioner. FYI- Creme of Nature is a brand that specializes in hair care products for women of color, who have natural or relaxed hair. They mostly use natural ingredients in their products, which they call "Certified Organic." Product Claims "Pamper your hair with this creme-based formula to soften, detangle, and provide the ultimate conditioning.  Perfect for color treated hair, organic  Lemongrass works to tone and hig...

This is the third look of the day featuring the Wet n Wild palettes that I've won from a blog contest. This is the Vanity palette. It consists of golds, browns and beige colors. This is the perfect palette for that every day neutral look.This is probably the most toned down palette out of the 4. I really like the colors. I'm practicing on applying false eye lashes on myself. I can apply them well on other people but when it comes to applying them on myself it's a different story. I struggled a bit with the lashes, but I got them on. I'll probably be wearing lashes in every LOTD (look of the day) until I become better at applying them on myself. Sorry, there are no close up pics... my skin broke out really bad for a while around my mouth and chin (sighs). It's finally getting back to normal. Eyes -Mac Painterly paint pot as an eye base -matte beige in the inner third of my eye lid -gold eyeshadow in the middle of my lid -matte brown in the outter third o...

I haven't done a haul in a while and since most of my IMATS purchases for next month will be for my kit, I figured I would pick up a couple of things for myself. My haul starts with Walgreens... can you guess what I wanted to buy there? Wet n Wild palettes! The nearest Walgreens is a little ways from where I live, but since I was in that area I decided to stop and browse. I picked up the Wet n Wild 8 pan palette in Blue Had me at Hello ($4.99), that was the only palette that I wanted because I love blue and green eyeshadows. I saw a few of the trio palettes there but I had most of the colors in other palettes-there was no need to buy duplicate colors. Blue Had me at Hello swatches... I also browsed Walgreens clearance rack and found Jordana lip liners on clearance for $1 each. I bought mauve and spice. Next up is Burt's Bees... I've never tried Burt's Bees but heard good reviews about their products. I was actually buying body butter for a friend who has s...

I have been loving this trend every since I first saw it. I love the way skinny jeans look, they still show off your shape and can be worn with several styles of shoes. I like skinny jeans paired with boots but I love skinny jeans paired with high heels. It looks so chic. It's a casual look but the heels add glam and can make your outfit dressy. Unfortunately, as much as I love this style I haven't found the perfect pair of skinny jeans to fit me to my liking. I'm plus sized down bottom and curvy. I've found skinny jeans at a store called the Avenue but they aren't true skinny jeans-they're more of straight leg jeans that fit wonderfully around my waist and hips but they're not tapered at the bottom... they flare out. I want the jeans to fit well around my hips and legs but scrunch and taper around my ankles like the pictures show. I plan to take a trip to Ashley Stewart and Torrid to try on their skinny jeans and hopefully I can find a p...

I just bought my ticket to go to IMATS in New York next month!!! I don't live in New York but I'm making it a road trip with a friend and some other friends who are also makeup artists. I'm so excited, this is my very first EVER makeup show. I get excited about events like this because obviously I love makeup and I'm a makeup artist but I also want to sharpen my skills from the many classes that are being offered at the show. Plus, they usually unveil new products at the show and I love being in the know and it's just great to be in a room with other artists and makeup enthusiasts who share your same passion! I'm looking forward to the exhibitors. I plan to make a few purchases from: Alcone , Beauty So Clean (kit & brush sanitation products), Inglot , Nyx, OCC (lip tars) and Zuca (makeup artist case). I haven't done any major makeup purchases and I won't be buying any makeup until the show... so I do plan on splurging when I get there! W...

This is look # 2 in my Wet n Wild series. This is the Lust palette. It consists of 2 white colors, a matte purple, shimmery silver and 2 smokey purples colors mixed with shimmer. I intended this to be a purple-plum look but after I saw it NOT becoming the look I wanted, I just kept blending until I came up with something decent and ...it came out being a purple smokey eye. This is my very first true smokey eye. PRODUCTS USED Eyes -Elf brow kit in medium -Mac Painterly paint pot as a base -matte purple in the inner half of my lid -matte deep purple on the outter half of my lid -silver and shimmery purple colors in my crease -Mac NC 42 Studio Finish concealer as my highlight -Mark Eyemarker eyeliner on upper and lower lash line -matte purple smudged into my lower lash line for a smokey effect -Maybelline Falsies Volum mascara Face -Black Opal Truly Topaz creme stick foundation (I think this is becoming my fave foundation!) -Mac NC45 Studio Finish concealer under eyes -Mac C6 ...

One of my most used foundations is the Mac Face and Body liquid foundation. I've been promising a  review on it, so here it is. Product Claims "A water-based, water-resistant foundation that provides long-lasting, natural coverage for face and/or body. Ideal for all skin types. Face and Body Foundation provides sheer, natural looking coverage in an easy to blend, water-resistant formula. The long-lasting formula is available in a wide range of colours and contains several emollients to help moisturize and condition the skin. It delivers professional looking results that meet the exacting standards of beauty photography and is ideal for perfecting the face and body." Pros -Price is $32.50 retail and about $19 if you're a Mac pro card member (That could be a con based on your finances). -For the price you pay it gives you a lot of foundation. It's in a 4 fl oz bottle. -Because it's water based it doesn't feel heavy, it feels very light on the face. ...