Thursday, July 29, 2010

The More The Make-Up Merrier!

What's up glamouristas and fexies!

I'm looking to hold a contest or giveaway VERY SOON, but first I need YOUR help! As soon as I hit 150 blog followers, it will be on! Here's where I need your help- please get the word out for your friends, followers, subbies, etc. to follow my blog!

You want to know what you can win, don't you? Well, of course you do! LOL Once we hit 150, I'll post a video to my YouTube channel and also post here on my blog regarding prizes.

To be a winner you must:

1. Follow my blog!
2. Participate on blog posts (Let's keep it interesting! I like reading your comments/responses when I log-on!)
3. Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Simple, isn't it? Now let's get it poppin'!!! ;)

xoxo Trinity

Monday, July 26, 2010

Review Time- Sally Hansen La Cross Double Curl Lash Curler; Gimme or Gimmick?


Right before going to IMATS last month, I ran into Walgreen's to pick up a few essentials for my trip... and by "essentials", I mean stuff I didn't really need. LOL

Of course I browsed the cosmetics aisle, after-all... how could I not? I picked up a few Sinful Colors nail polishes (which were great, btw) and also this nifty little contraption, Sally Hansen's new La Cross Double Curl Lash Curler.

At first I was a little skeptical and almost passed on purchasing it. If you've watched my "5 Products I Regret Purchasing" video, where I ranted about the horrible Mally curler, you'll know that I haven't exactly had the best experience when it comes to eyelash curlers.

If you take one look at the Double Curl, you'll notice a feature that sets it apart from traditional lash curlers; the double bar. With traditional curlers you have a single curved bar, whereas this curler has a second bar running parallel and a little higher to the first bar. This revolutionary design gently curls your lashes in two spots at once, results: a more natural, graduated curl.

The design works flawlessly for me, I have yet to pinch my eye or feel like I'm pulling out my lashes when using it. I love the pink grips rather than loops, making the curler appear more advanced than its predecessors. I also like that the curler comes with four pads, one in the well and three replacements. The pads differ from the norm, while most pads are flat topped, these have grooves to accommodate the double bars.The pads are of perfect firmness also, not too soft to where you run through replacements, or too hard.

I would not say the double bar feature cuts down on the actual time you spend curling your lashes, however it does give you the highly sought-after natural, relaxed curl, rather than the harsh crimped look... otherwise known as the "OMG!" crimp that has you looking like someone just scared the religion out of you! LOL Again, if you've watched my videos, you'll know that I have about five eyelashes, stick straight, and they like looking at my toes... Unfortunately I was not blessed with full, thick, curly lashes. :(

With lash curlers in the past, I would need to gently pull and slide the curler down my lashes to achieve a natural curl (though I do not recommend anyone doing that, as you risk pulling out your lashes and pulling the delicate skin on your lid). However, with this curler, I no longer need to sacrifice a nice, natural curl or pulling my lashes out!

Overall, I would definitely recommend picking this up. It's roughly about $7 (including tax), which isn't bad considering you have four pads, where most lash curlers come with two, that alone doubles the life of the curler.

Below you will find some comparison photos, enjoy!

My Natural Lashes Before Curling

My Natural Lashes After Using a Traditional Lash Curler

My Natural Lashes After Using the Sally Hansen Double Curl


If you've tried this, let me know how you like it... if you have a better recommendation, I'd love to hear about it! Be sure to follow my blog and subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more information on a possible upcoming giveaway of the Sally Hansen La Cross Double Curl Lash Curler!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Photo Shoot With Male Model- Brandon Lundby

Hey Glamouristas & Fexies! I've been meaning to share these pictures from a photo shoot I did a few months back. This was a fun shoot because it was my first male model. Believe it or not, Brandon is only 16 and has amazing presence in front of the camera. 

The photographer, David Eckert, is extremely talented and patient. This particular shoot was booked to try out new lighting techniques on-set.

The first set was more of an editorial-style shoot. I concealed his blemishes and evened out his skin tone using the Graftobian Super Creme Palette. To make his features and bone structure more prominent, I also contoured around his nose, cheeks, and jawline. With the same shade used for facial contouring, I added a little shape and depth to his eyes. I groomed his brows and added a single, light coating of mascara just to thicken his lash base and "open" up his eyes. His lips were kept natural with a bit of Aquaphor and a flesh-toned lippie.
 
The second shoot was more high-fashion/creative. David and the other photographer had a vision, they gave me a rough sketch of what they wanted, and asked me to create a look based upon their sketch.


The checkered print was created using everyone's favorite... NYX Jumbo Pencils in "Milk" and "Black Bean"! :) I added MAC's 3D Gold Glitter on lips and also used it to fade out the black strip across Brandon's eyes.

The shoot lasted approximately seven-hours, with two models and four sets altogether. We had a quick pizza break in between, though I didn't get to eat until after the pizza went cold... guess that's the life of a MUA on-set (who's lucky enough to even get to eat)! LOL

Luckily I had Ashleye there with me to keep me company and also assist with make-up and brush-cleaning between models. I've posted more photos of the shoot below. Feel free to ask questions if you have any... I always love hearing from my subbies! :)



Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Star Costume & Theatrical Supply, Las Vegas- & Info On Upcoming Giveaway!




This past weekend, I took a trip down to Star Costume & Theatrical Supply located at 3230 S. Valley View, Las Vegas, to purchase another Parian Spirit Brush Cleanser specifically for my kit. As most of you know, I attended IMATS last month and one of my haul items happened to be Parian Spirit.


I loved my Parian Spirit cleanser so much that I couldn't say enough about it and many of you have requested a review on my blog and /or YouTube channel. I am in the process of working on this request and hope to have a sponsored giveaway featuring Parian Spirit very soon!

I will post a haul video sometime this week detailing my purchases, in the meantime, I wanted to do a quick post regarding my recent visit to Star Costume.

Upon entering, you can't miss a large sign with store policies prohibiting customers from taking photos, or trying on costumes for the sole purpose of taking photos, to name a few. I made sure I received permission from the Store Manager (I forgot his name!) before breaking out the Canon.

The bulk of my time was spent at the make-up counter, of course, LOL! It was there that I met Jennifer Rice at Kryolan, also owner of MadDaffodil.com, an online apparel and wig site focusing on none other than Tokyo Street Fashion! Please check out her website by clicking on the link above.


Jennifer was nice enough to show me some fun Kryolan products, including their amazingly bold "Shimmering Vision" Palette, an 18-color array of sparkling treasures with shades from every color grouping you would ever need. The consistency of the product was smooth and easily blend-able. We also played with the "Viva" palette, which blew me away! The Viva palette is water-activated and will return to its original state once dry, meaning you can mist water directly onto the shadow itself and not have to worry about ruining the whole shadow! The color intensity of both palettes were extremely satisfying, especially for the color-junkie in me.

Although the Viva & Shimmering Vision palettes were a bit on the pricey end, the sticker price really doesn't seem that bad once you realize how much product you're receiving, not to mention the quality of the make-up. I am definitely putting these two items on my shopping list! :)



Jennifer awesome, she also gave me a goody-bag with four Kryolan products to review.The organza bag included a tinted moisturizer, face primer, lip primer, and amazing matte gray eyeshadow. I've already used most of the products since receiving them, with the exception of the face primer, and have loved the results thus far!

The tinted moisturizer worked great this weekend while shopping & going to the gym, when I needed some moisture to battle the desert heat, but would rather skip an entire face-full or product.

The lip primer is excellent, very moist and blends superbly, unlike most other lip primers that are too dry, resulting in tugging of delicate lip surfaces and/or patchy lips.

I absolutely loved the gray matte eyeshadow, it's a wearable, easily blend-able, silky-feeling shadow. I pressed it onto my lashline this weekend to enhance eyes, yet keeping the appearance very natural.

I will publish a post sometime in the upcoming week or two, focusing specifically on the Kryolan products.

The majority of the costume shop was dedicated to, well, just that- costumes! Aside from make-up, you can expect to find tutus *LOL*, leotards, dresses, dance-wear, traditional costumes, as well as props, acessories, wigs, and shoes. Here are some photos below... enjoy! :)




Saturday, July 17, 2010

Soft Summer Bridal

With wedding season in full-swing, I decided to do a bridal tutorial using soft-pink tones. Always a fan of color, I find myself instinctively wanting to throw some tasteful teals or pretty purples on my own lids... but I resisted! LOL A lot of bridal make-up is kept very simple, most brides request a "natural" or more "beautiful" version of themselves. Often times their request is due to a comment made by the Groom, as we all know that most men claim to not like a lot of make-up on women, but here's a secret between you and I... most men can not differentiate between what is make-up and what isn't!

With that being said, here is a bridal look that I put together using the Harajuku Hunnies "Babydoll Bride" Menage-a-5 Palette. I kept the application fairly light and focused on more neutral tones so that the make-up would still be pretty, yet not overpowering to the point where it would compete with your natural beauty or the glam of your wedding gown.







Product List

Face:
Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse "Sandy Beige"
MUFE HD Powder

Brows:
Harajuku Hunnies Brow Quad "Brunette"

Blush:
MAC "Plum Foolery"
MAC "Harmony" (contouring)

Eyes:
Harajuku Hunnies Eye & Lip Primer
Harajuku Hunnies Menage-a-5 Palette "Babydoll Bride"
MAC "Haux"
MAC "Shroom" 
Harajuku Hunnies Pick-Up Lines Gel Liner "Black Out"

Lips:
MAC Lip Liner "Dervish"
Harajuku Hunnies Lip Slick "Strip Search"
MAC "Deliciously Rich" (layered over "Strip Search")

Friday, July 9, 2010

Smokey Purple & Plum Tutorial

Hey Glamouristas & Fexies! :) So, some of you know that back in February, Rod purchased a new Canon SX20 IS camera for me as an anniversary gift. I couldn't do any videos or tuts with it because whack-@ss Windows Movie Maker doesn't work with "mov" files... grrrr! LOL So, after months of procrastination, I finally found a video editing program and was able to "produce" my first HD tutorial for my YouTube channel! :)

The look I did was a dark purpley/plum, I actually get a lot of compliments on this look when wearing it out and since I get a lot of requests for purple looks... here it is! :)


Product List

Face:
Temptu Airbrush SB foundation (004- Sand, 006- Toffee)
MUFE HD Powder

Brows:
Temptu Airbrush SB formula (062- Deep Taupe, 063- Light Putty)

Blush:
Temptu Airbrush SB formula (047- Raspberry)

Contouring:
Temptu Airbrush SB formula (009- Natural Mocha)

Eyes:
MAC Greasepaint Stick (black)
"Nocturnelle" e/s
"Very Violet" e/s
"Beautiful Iris" e/s
"Dovefeather" e/s
"Shroom" e/s
(Harajuku Hunnies) "Black Velvet" Quickie e/s
(MAC) "Blacktrack" Fluidline

Lips:
(MUFE) Rouge Artist Intense "15"
(OCC) "Hoochie" Lip Tar