My Favorite Makeup

With the wedding, the earthquake and hurricane Irene behind us, I think it's time to talk beauty and fashion again on NY Spender. What do you think?

One thing I've learned from the wedding is that you can definitely save money by doing your own makeup, and that with a good amount of practice, everyone can become better at putting makeup on. Really!

Look at me!

I was so happy with the end result of weeks of practice! I had primer and foundation on, but it never looked heavy nor cakey. I'm happy that I picked the purple for the eyes (blended with beiges), because it helped me keep that "fresh face" look I wanted to have. The lipstick was a different shade of pink, so that I didn't look all one color all over.

The best thing about this makeup is that it lasted through the whole wedding, and that was sooo important for me, because I really didn't want to re-apply all the time.

Thanks to all of this "forced" practice, I went out there and tried so many different products and combinations, that in normal circumstances it would have taken me years to get around to them all! And out of this experiment, I've found new makeup favorites, which I will share with you.

FACE 

Primer - I used Smashbox Primer on my face, and while I still have a few other primers I would like to try before naming a top favorite, this Smashbox one is pretty good.

I've used the original in the past, but this time around I bought the green color-correcting one, since I have a bit of red undertones in my skin these days, and it helps cover it up. Definitely LIKE IT.

Foundation - This one is easy. All the hype about Laura Mercier's foundation is true. I've already tried two of their products (a light and a medium coverage) and loved both.

I currently use the silk creme foundation, and I am very happy with it, and I think I will stick with it for a long time to come.

The only drawback is the price, but if the results make me happy and don't make me look streaky nor heavily caked, but absolutely natural, then I'm glad to shell out the money. LOVE IT.

EYES

Primer - I finally caved in and bought an eye primer. The main reason is because I wanted something that would help keep the eye shadow in place for hours for the wedding, but now I use it because it works! 

I picked the Urban Decay Potion because it had excellent reviews and I am very happy with it. 

I am not sure if it's the best eye primer on the market because it's the only one I've tried so far, but I think I'm satisfied enough to not feel the need to look around for something better (like I usually do). LIKE IT.

Eye Shadow - Ok, it's time to admit the complete superiority of these eye shadows. I've looked high and low, every where. I've tried Revlon, Rimmel, Lancome, Prescriptives, Clinique, Urban Decay, Chanel, L'Oreal, Estee Lauder... but none of them beat MAC. A close second was Chanel, but their prices make MAC such a better deal.

The variety is incredible. The price is fair. And most importantly, their coverage is stupendous! A little primer underneath, a little shadow over it, and you are guaranteed at least 6 to 8 hours of wear! (Some of the brands mentioned above didn't last 30 minutes!).

It's safe to say that I will embrace these shadows going forward, and I can finally give my brain a little rest in the "looking for the best eye shadow" quest. LOVE THEM!

Liner - I've always been terrible at putting eye liner on. You know, the one with the wand and your hand trembling all over and you making a mess and having to wash your whole face and start all over. Yes, that kind. 

So for a long time I've used pencils to line my eyes. But a pencil never really looks like a liner, and worse of all, it needs to be sharpened! 

I think I've found the solution: MAC Fluidline. It's a little pot with this black cream, and I use a little brush with a sharp edge point to put it on. I make no mess, it goes on rather smoothly, it looks like a liquid eyeliner, it lasts forever and it doesn't need to be sharpened! LOVE IT.

Mascara - Oh gosh, another MAC product. But I just love my PlushLash Mascara! 

I've blogged about it before here, and I'm still using it and loving it, and I have no desire to try another mascara. LOVE IT.

And this is where my FAVORITE MAKEUP post ends. 

Unfortunately I have no favorite blush nor favorite lipstick.  :(

But that is actually good news because it leaves some room for makeup quests and reviews! 

Do you have any favorites? Any makeup that you wouldn't change for any other? Please share your finds with the rest of us! 

Two Things I've Learned from Earthquakes

We are all doing ok in NY.

I was inside a store, waiting at checkout, when the earthquake came around and I felt myself undulating back and forth. At first I thought I was getting very dizzy for some reason, and I seriously thought "wow, maybe I'm about to pass out or something". Then I looked at this sunglasses' stand next to me, and I saw it was also moving back and forth, and then I looked at the little table next to the stand and that was still moving a bit, too... so I figured it must have all been caused by the subway train close to the store... even if there was no train currently passing by...

As soon as I got to the register, the cashier had received a phone call from home and was commenting out loud that we had just experienced an earthquake. So we all started telling each other "yes, I've felt it too" "me too" "I thought it was the train" "I thought it was the customer moving the counter"... and so on.

I looked over to the side, at my mom waiting for me, while pushing my baby's stroller, and I felt a pang in my heart. I wasn't really scared, more like a bit in shock. I thought New York had a lot of dangers, but I never thought about having to worry about earthquakes. What would I do in case of...?

I tried calling my brand-new-hubby but my phone was out. Fortunately he texted me asking if I was ok. He must have felt it too then, to be asking me if I were ok.

Long story short these are the two things I've realized today:

1) There is no point in having a cell phone during a big emergency. Mine didn't work during 9/11, nor during the blackout of August 2003, nor today. Verizon and AT&T need to get cracking on this issue.

2) Seismology is useless. I don't care about the aftermath information of an earthquake (too little too late). I would like some of these scientist to be able to predict an earthquake for a change...

Off my soap box now.

And on a lighter note, this is my husband's (a longtime bachelor) email to me after he left work to come back home today:

"Heading home, see what happens when I get married..."

Wedding Planning: Sneak Peek

This is for all my ladies asking for pics, I don't have much yet, just a few shots taken from relatives... but you can get a first idea.  :)

Wedding Planning: Tomorrow is the Day!

Holy Crap!

I would be lying if I said that I am not nervous.

In fact, I should be sleeping already and I can't...

I will have some pictures up as soon as I get some back from the photographer.

Love ya all!

Elisa

New Coach Patent Leather Bags Are Not My Thing

I don't know, maybe it's just me, but there is something about patent leather that cheapens a look.

I remember having a spacious black patent leather bag when I was 21 and I loved it. But it was all part of a look, of a twenty-something edgy experimental new yorker.

But today, in my 30s, I don't find much room in my wardrobe for a patent leather bag.

Especially not for one that costs $400.

So I don't really like any of the new Coach patent leather bags.

The patent look has a bit of a "bad reputation", and while I understand it can be fun, I also don't think it can be a "classic" and I love a classic.

Let's see... given the choice which one would you pick (you can't say both)?

Which one would you buy?

Wedding Planning: Makeup, Makeup, and more Makeup

I'm almost there. I think.

I've been obsessing about my wedding makeup and I've tried to do a few more looks, and I think I'm finally coming to a good understanding of what I want to wear on my wedding day. I want a more neutral look for the eyes, with somewhat bolder lips. Yes, that's it. Because the overall look has to be fresh and simple, beach-friendly, and "bushing bride" kind.

So I've spent the last three days on just one website, which I am about to share with you, but I have to warn you: if you are a compulsive person at all, or if you are anything like me, where you can't just have a look, but you try to take in as much information as you can, then be careful! This website will suck all the free time you have! But it's soooo worth it!  ;)

Let me start by showing you what I've been looking at for 36 hours straight (these are not my eyes)...

quick-neutrals-with-urban-decays-naked-palette

soft-neutrals-for-thanksgiving

simple-neutral-matte-eye

holiday-makeup-icy-blue-smoky-eyes

dramatic-blue-teal-look-with-false-eyelashes

I love Christine and all of her looks! I've known Temptalia since the old days of my blog, but I was never a big fan of "let's play with makeup", so after looking at a post or two I would feel satisfied and I would move along... but not anymore, and especially not right now!

I feel I'm developing a more mature relationship with makeup, and also, I think I'm getting back the enthusiasm I had for makeup back in my teenager's years. I'm not sure if it's all due to the wedding coming up and afterwards I will just slip back in my "safe" makeup zone. We will have to wait and see. One thing I know for sure is that I've learned TONS about makeup and makeup techniques, and this new knowledge makes a difference, and makes me love makeup more!

One more thing about Temptalia. It's not just random makeup looks, it's a powerhouse of information. Since Christine's boyfriend is a tech guy, they've created a highly searchable blog, and you can sort all that information in many different ways. For example:

1. You can go to LOOKS and choose to see only NEUTRALS, and so you will see only neutral palettes.

2. You can go to MAKEUP SWATCH GALLERY and pick LIPSTICK and then you can further sort by color or by brand, and you will see ALL THE LIPSTICK Christine has ever tested in the color you are interested in. It makes is easier to go out and buy a new shade.

3. The FOUNDATION MATRIX helps you find the right shade of foundation for your skin tone!

4. The DUPE LIST has a dual scope, to help you not buy the same shade from different brands, and to discover if that great shade from Chanel has a "duplicate" in a cheaper brand like Maybelline.

All in all, I can't say enough great things about Temptalia. Go on... take a day off work and dive right in!  ;)

Wedding Planning: The Makeup Quest Continues

This is the most  informative video I've found on YouTube about "hooded eyelids". This is more or less the shape of my eyes (I'm a little less hooded than he is). I was able to get many tips out of his two videos on this shape of eyes. The thing is he has these hooded eyes, and he is a makeup artist, so if he is the perfect teacher!

I've learned that I need to keep the base of my eyes light, and then dark on top, which might make the smoky eye not an option for the wedding.

Anyhow, I've bought and already tried two products from my list: the Smashbox green primer, to counterbalance the redness in my face, and the Anastasia brow pencil. I love the primer, it does its job but I need to bring back the pencil because the shade is too dark for me.

This is what I love and hate about makeup at the same time: the labor of trial and error. I love trying things on, but I hate having to return them and/or never finding the shade just right for me. I have a great foundation that I love, the Laura Mercier, but you know something? It's in the wrong color. And I keep wearing it. Because I don't even remember where I bought it.

Like I said before, I'm only going to mess around with makeup a few more days, and then I need to stop myself or I'll go crazy. I have a tendency of all or nothing attitude, so in my mind I fantasize that I could try all the best makeup out there in just three days, in order to find the "absolute best" for me for the wedding. But then the more rational side of me tells me that I better relax and just go with what I have, otherwise I'll never be happy.

I keep looking, though. I'm planning on buying the Naked Eye Shadow palette from my shopping list, because I keep reading, from different sources, that is absolutely great. I also need one of two eye shadow brushes. Might buy a Chanel lipstick. And I might stop by this makeup studio in my neighborhood and ask how much they want to try on some makeup on me, just to see what they would do. Oh, and I'm planning on another makeup session at a MAC store next week. And that's it. Really.

By the way, here is another look I'm not too crazy about... this is me with absolutely, positively, no makeup on whatsoever. I had just washed my face and I was squeaky clean!

And this is me after messing around with makeup and FALSE EYELASHES! Holy crap! What a pain they are! They do add to the look, but I need to get better lashes, because these I had were too short (are they supposed to be short?)

I had messed around with eye shadow so much that in the end it got mudded. Lesson learned. I can't just add colors on top of colors. The fake eyelashes feel heavy on the eyes, and that might not be ideal for someone like me that already has heavy looking eyes. I'm not crazy about the lipstick either. Too pink, I think mauve is closer to my lip color and looks more natural.

See you soon with a new look. Keep sharing your ideas and thoughts, they help me with this madness!  :)

Wedding Planning: The Makeup Shopping List

I don't usually wear a lot of make up. And by this I mean I don't go and pile up tons of products on my face. But from watching all these YouTube make up tutorial videos, I now feel like I should maybe try to get at least a primer for my face (under the foundation) and a primer for the eyes (to make sure my eye shadow lasts the whole day), oh, and a good brow pencil. So after browsing Sephora for a bit, this is the shopping list I've come up with.

Some of the items are duplicates (like a few different primers) because I would like to test them all. The problem is that I have sensitive skin, and I don't want to mess around with too many products right up to the wedding day, so I'm planning on playing with new makeup only until this coming Monday or Tuesday, and then I'll just stick with what I have. I'll keep you posted.

Wedding Planning: Best Make Up Tutorials from YouTube

And so it started: I've watched so many make up tutorials on YouTube yesterday, that my fiance' got upset because I totally kidnapped his iPad for the night.

Side note: the iPad is great for this sort of activity. I can take it with me in the bathroom, sit it on top of the sink, and practice applying make up while the video is playing. Pretty cool!


I practiced with this first video:




I love the way the make up looks on her, a little less the way it turned out on me. What? You want to see pictures? Hehe. You sure?

This is me, with minimal, work makeup on:

I have some foundation, concealer, eye shadow and mascara on. No lipstick.

And this is me with the make up from the tutorial. Hmm. I'm not quite sure it works. 

I need to find the right make up for my eyes, and after a few decades you would think I knew what works for me. Truth is my eyes have changed some. Between age, water retention, having a baby (hitting a wall) and sleep deprivation, my eyes are puffier than ever. And I have bags under them (genetics! argh!). I will go out and buy a depuffing eye cream, and I'll also start a cold cucumber regime. Since the beginning of August I've been more disciplined about exercise and beauty routine.  :)

Also, I've been watching a lot of Asian girls and their makeup tutorials (they simply are the best!), but maybe their "mono lid" makeup doesn't really apply to me, since I don't have a mono lid but a hooded lid (the stuff you learn on the internet!). 

Stay tuned for the next lesson, and if you want to have fun, check out these three girls, as they are so far the most amazing ones I've found on YouTube:

This is the girl from the bridal video above, From Head to Toe, and her make up is always nice and fresh, and pretty natural.

This girl below is Michelle Phan, and not only is she ridiculously beautiful, but she is sooo good, so much so that she is probably the biggest make up star on YouTube, and because of that she got hired by Lancome and is now their spoke person:



Last but not least, Dope2111, another amazing make up artist! She transforms herself from plain Jane to pretty much anything or anybody she wants, and the results are phenomenal! I won't be using her much for the wedding make up but I watch her videos because they are amazing! Fun fact: she is Michelle Phan's sister in law. Too much talent for just one family, if you ask me...