Holiday 2011 - #8 Too Faced Shadow Brushes Essential 3 Piece Set

Next up on my Holiday List at the eight spot is Too Faced Shadow Brushes Essential 3 Piece Set!  This set features a Liner/Smudger, Lid/Smoker, and a Crease/Blender.  It also includes instructions on how to use each brush.

At the retail price of $39 (plus tax), that's about $13 per brush.  If you frequent stores like Sephora or Ulta, professional shadow brushes can cost anywhere between $14-20 each (more if you go for the fancier collections)!  So I think this is a steal.  They come in a cute slim case, so it keeps them separate from the rest of your brushes.  In fact, the case can fit about 1-2 more brushes depending on their size(s).  As you can see from the photos, the case can stand alone on your dresser for easy access!

Too Faced exclusively uses "Teddy Bear Hair", which are synthetic hair bristles that are super soft and blends your favorite eyeshadows really well.  I used all three on Thanksgiving day, and I thought they blended my shadows really well.  What's great about synthetic bristles is that they are easier for applying and blending, as well as easier to clean!

Here are the three pretty brushes with instructions on how to use
them with your eyeshadows.

The case is adorable that you probably just need a cute bow and it's ready to give away (or keep for yourself).  This is also perfect for your holiday travels!

I used the brushes for the time getting ready for Thanksgiving 2011.
I forgot to take a photo of my eyelids, but I just thought I'd share this
photo anyway.  Gobble gobble!
Taken with Instagram

Holiday 2011 - #10 Too Faced Borderline

Photo credit: sephora.com

The holiday season is here!  This year, I'm going to start a Top Ten Holiday Makeup Wish List for you readers looking for gifts, stocking stuffers or wanting to add some new makeup products to your own Wish List.  Starting, at number 10...Too Faced Borderline Anti-Feathering Lip Pencil.

I think this works really well for that bright red or pink holiday lipstick.  When those colors smear or wear away, it's so obvious because the color is such a standout.  It's happened to me where I was the lipstick wore off, but the lip liner still stayed, leaving me with an outlined lip with no lip color filling.  And if you're not big on buying a matching lip liner for every color of lipstick, lip gloss, or lip stain you own, Borderline can act as a universal lip liner! 


This can be purchased at your local Ulta or Sephora stores (keep in mind that not all Sephora stores carry Too Faced, but they're sold on their online store!)

Holiday 2011 - #9 A Long Lasting Liquid Eye Liner

  At number NINE we have...Kat Von D's Tatoo Liner in Trooper.

     Eyeliners are a staple in the world of makeup.  Even when I think I've found "the one", as a makeup junkie, I'm always looking for what's new in the market.  Well, right now, I think Kat Von D's Tatoo Liner in Trooper (ink black) is one of the best liquid liners.  It has a fine tip, and the liquid liner is absorbed really well in the tip - as in not too inky or too dry.  It's well pigmented with a matte finish.  I've owned mine since the summer, and the tip has yet to show signs of drying out (which is common in liquid liners over time).  One of the best things about it is how long it lasts.  I wore it all day at work, then went to the gym, and the liner didn't budge at all.

After a morning of errands!

Kat Von D's Tatoo Liner is easy to apply.  With its fine felt tip, applying a thin line is very achievable, but it's also easy to thicken the line for the cat eye look.  It also dries pretty fast.  Just a few hand fanning and I'm ready to finish my eye makeup.

Taken with Instagram

For beginner liquid liner users, lightly apply an eye pencil in the same color as your liquid liner.  Using the pencil line as a guide, apply the liquid liner on top of it.  This is a great way to get the hang of applying a liquid line.

I'm keeping this post short and sweet, mainly because it's a solid product and worth every dollar!

Going Mad - Halloween Edition

Image Credit: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

Happy Halloween!  Even if it's a weekday, I hope everyone enjoys or has enjoyed some Halloween festivities.  This year, I didn't go to any Halloween party or any bar crawl.  But in the last two weeks, I attended a Mad Men TV Party and the 4th Annual Silver Spring Zombie Event.  For those not familiar with the Mad Men series on AMC, the stories take place in the [early] 1960s, mainly in Manhattan at an advertising agency, where Don Draper (Jon Hamm) is the biggest ad man in the business.  In this series, the characters truly capture the essence of the roles of men and women in the workplace and family life, as well as the iconic fashion of the 1960s.

Image Credit: Frank Ockenfels/AMC

Since I decided to go a little last minute with my cousin, it left me a week to put together a 1960s outfit.  Luckily, the office fashion styles of the 1960s can still be seen today with just a bit modernization - the form fitting pencil skirt, the cardigans, the stiletto pumps.  I used a satin black form fitting (through the hips) cocktail dress.  I topped it off with a jewel-toned yellow cardigan, and a black and white silk scarf from my mom's closet.  I used my mom's vintage framed Ferragamo handbag and her 1960s Dior sunglasses.  I also used my Stella Dot Bella Fleur earrings that I won from a Facebook contest just a week earlier (perfect timing!).  My mom also had a pillbox hat, but I didn't have enough time to pin it down to my hair.  Everything was from my or my mother's closet!


In the 1960s, their makeup was often understated and simple.  From watching the shows, I noticed that their makeup is very matte, unlike today, where we love smokey eyes and everything shimmered.  Heavy eyeliner only on the upper lid and a matte red lipstick are two noticeable features of their makeup.  Let's not forget the hair teasing lol.

After reading a few articles and looking at photos and videos on Mad Men fashion, below is what I came up with.  The only thing I bought was the tarte matte lip tint in a mauve/brick red shade called Envy.  Keep in mind that I didn't do any trial runs.  I could have made it a bit bolder for camera-sake and teased my hair before putting it in a bun, but again, no time!  What do you think? :)

From my makeup collection:
Foundation: Bare Minerals Golden Tan
Concealer: Benefit Boi-ing #3
Cheeks: Laura Mercier Second Skin Blush in Lush Nectarine
Eyeliner: Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in Black
Eyeshadow: Bobbi Brown Surf and Sand Palette (applied lightly) and Urban Decay (applied on the edge)
Lips: Tarte Matte Lip Tint in Envy

Then I topped it off with Bare Mineral Veil and Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray

Me with a very strong Manhattan drink @ the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse.

Have a safe and fun Halloween!  Bring on the holidays :)

Just some photos of the makeup I used. :)

Bobbi Brown Surf and Sand Palette

Foundation, Blush, Concealer,
Mineral Veil