I originally had had some kind of hope of doing an actual worthwhile post here, with goals for 2011 - maybe thoughts about the future - something. But I realized amidst my 4th or 5th YouTube makeup tutorial video, watching my nails dry, and reading on my new Nook, all I really want to say is: 

Hah - told you I had something good in the works for you guys! Now this look is something that I played around with a while back when I first picked up MAC's Clarity eyeshadow, but it's the first time I went all the way and created something I loved. I still have this unexplainable love of blue after disliking it for the longest time, but at least I think you can really see how it can work!

I used the whole 'tape border' trick for this look, where the artist (you) takes a piece of tape and (after dabbing off some of the glue on the back of the hand) applies it along the outside corner of the eye to create a straight sharp edge to the shadow. A tricked I learned from Makeup Geek on YouTube was to apply it starting from the outside corner of the bottom lashline, to keep both pieces of tape even and flattering to the face. It sounds ridiculous but really works!

This another look where it's all about the power of blending. I've used 3 or 4 colors almost all along the crease and outside corner of the eye. Blending throughout it was what allowed me to have the smooth gradient of colors even though the lid color is very bold. I think the only thing I'd change the next time I do this look (on myself or anyone else) is that I might make the eyeliner thicker and take more of it under the lower lashline. 

Products Used:

Eyes - 

~~UDPP

~~MAC Shadestick in Sea Me

~~MAC eyeshadow in Clarity (saturated light blue)

~~Paula Dorf eyeshadow in Hussy (dark matte blue)

~~Stila eyeshadow in makalu (matte black)

~~MAC Greasepaint Stick in Slick Black (tightline and waterline)

~~MAC Fluidline in Black Track

~~Rimmel Mascara Combo

Lips -

~~NYX Megashine Lipgloss in Sweet Heart

Hope you like it and let me know if you have any questions! MWAH!

This is going to completely random - not going to lie. To start off with I'm going to admit one of my deepest, darkest, reality TV secrets: I really liked Girls Next Door. With the original cast of Holly, Bridget, and Kendra the show was funny and wacky, ridiculous in its complete inability to show any type of reality. But as reality TV, what else could anyone expect? I rooted for Holly on her quest to become an editor at Playboy and laughed at Kendra when she said something else that was completely inane (she's always so nice about it - how could you complain?). When the show ended I was said. I'm just gonna say it, I was sad. And the fact that E! thought I would watch it with new girlfriends was hilarious. I didn't watch it for the half naked women you numb nuts, I watched it for those 3 women's personalities specifically. They are not inter-changeable, even if they might be to Hef, and I refused to continue my love affair with the show.

But ok, back to 2010. Hugh Hefner has just announced he's engaged to this newest 'girlfriend' of his, Crystal Harris. Enagaged after 10 years with Holly who seemed to mostly love his wrinkly old ass! I was infuriated. What the fuck Hef? If I didn't think you were such a douche I'd definitely think it now!

Still, from the title of this article you know I'm writing about why I'd be happy if I was Holly Madison right now. You know why I think that? Because I read this Jezebel article: But Hef, What About Holly Madison? And I realized there's very little in life that I'd sacrifice decades of baby oil lubricated butt sex to have. She went 10 years as his number 1 girlfriend having Viagra induced anal sex to help rev him up for whatever other little playmate he was going to try and entertain that evening. 

It's not worth it. It's just not worth it. Holly may have spent a decade doing all that to end up with little to show for it Playboy wise (she quit her job as an editor for the magazine) but I think in the end she has better more self-satisfying things to show for it. 

She has her own tv and burlesque show, plus, as Jezebel points out, paid promotional appearances. And she now gets to have whatever sex she wants with whomever she wants. No one wants to think that 10 years of their life were for almost nothing, but if I was her right now, as angry as I'd be, I'd also be happy that Crystal is where she is and I was not. Because wrinkly old man balls? No thank you, just no thank you.

I know it's almost too late, but at least by East Coast standards I still have 2 more hours or so to wish all everyone a

and  a Happy Holidays! I've spent most of my day doing nothing, waiting around for the snow, but I did manage to get in TWO makeup looks! My eyes might hate me in the morning and wow can I tell where that new benzoyl peroxide in my acne routine is taking a toll, but it's all worth it because I can't wait to share them with you! Stay tuned for pictures and descriptions and I hope that in the meantime you're all eating a bunch of yummy food and watching some great bad TV!

Later!

~Dana

Hey Everyone!! Sorry I've been lacking in the makeup posts lately. I had some personal stuff go down in November and that prevented me from getting my eyebrows done which in my head is a little catastrophic. I'm vain enough that there was just no way I was going to take up close pictures of my eye makeup with scraggly brows. Luckily we can begin moving past that now as I have freshly done brows and can start contemplating what I'm going to do for New Years - get ready for some more bold evening looks!

Still, we're not there yet, and I'm almost ashamed to say that one of the biggest things I'm looking forward to on Saturday are Christmas shows and movies. I love them. I mean really love them. Some of them are picks I remember from my childhood, some from a little later, but all of them are near and dear to MY heart and just so damn happy I can't contain myself! I like happy endings - pretty much all the time - but especially at Christmas and the best thing is that at Christmas I can get them. No ones gonna argue with me and tell me how the sh*t that just went down on screen is building someone's character. Instead I get to watch happy, love filled stories (often with music) and have no worries that I'm going to be left feeling more depressed than when I started. 

In case any of you readers out there were feeling stumped about what to watch yourselves, here's my 

(not really in any particular order)

10. Claymation Christmas Celebration
(I don't own this but who doesn't love the California Raisins singing Christmas carols?!)

If you're looking for some more good ideas, try out this fantastic article from CNN, Geeks' Most Beloved Holiday Classics - you'll be set for life with that one!

I love the holidays. I love Christmas and how everyone enjoys it and the spirit of goodwill that everyone seems to possess. I don't care how corny that is, it's the truth. And this year, even at the office, the decorative air is continuing!

Cute right? While it's not an angel I have to admit I like the Santa's hat on top.

This is the whole reception area (mostly) and over there on the right in front of the computer is where I sit. (Sidenote - taking these pictures was a pain. I had to try like 3 different settings with and without flash on my camera before anything came out. This might be a little blurry but it's the best of the lot let me tell you!)

And finally, since we didn't want it to feel left out, we decorated our year long greenery:

One of my favorite looks from the past few months has definitely got to be hands down this one I wore for my birthday. It's incorporating MAC's mineralized shadow in Blue Flame and it's so much fun! I'd bought it awhile ago from my local CCO but hadn't quite figured out how I was gonna use it. On top of primer, on top of the black NYX Jumbo pencil....I knew it was going to be something but I wasn't sure what. Then - but oh then. Then I found a new guru on YouTube that I love (Vintage or Tacky - go check her out) and while she was demonstrating a different mineralized shadow in one of her tutorials it was her methodology that blew (blue- hah!) me away.

She created this beautiful dark green smoky look and did pretty much the opposite of the usual steps: she created her crease shading first and then went back with a stiff shader brush to lay down her lid color. I was inspired - amazed - ENTHUSED - because I finally knew what I was going to try.

(Plus there was that whole easy just dampen the damn brush for mineralized shadows thing she taught me, but I feel kind of like an idiot that I didn't think of it before so we're gonna gloss over that.)

I went with my new shadestick in Sea Me as an overall base under the look because I figured that if for some reason the shadow didn't last then that particular stick would look better peeking out beneath the sparkly black than my bare skin would. After covering the lid with Sea Me I used Soft Brown to warm up the crease and then went back with Contrast to really deepen the blue and create a soft focus affect around the eyes. Finally I dipped my shader brush into a bit of water, grabbed some Blue Flame and patted it on my lids. I finished everything off by lining my water lines and upper lash line, throwing on some fake lashes and adding my new YSL Mascara.

Isn't it pretty? And sparkly? I absolutely love it.

Product List:

~~UDPP

~~MAC Shadestick in Sea Me

~~MAC eyeshadow in Soft Brown

~~MAC eyeshadow in Contrast (deep blue)

~~MAC Mineralize eyeshadow in Blue Flame

~~Stila matte eyeshadow in makalu (black)

~~Sephora Kohl Pencil in 01 keep black

~~YSL Effet Faux Cils Mascara in #1 Black

~~Sonia Kashuk false lashes

You know what else I love in these pictures? My hair. I'd just gotten in cut and blow dried earlier that day and I swear it seems like Josephine has the hands of a goddess. When she blow dries my hair it still comes out super straight but has body!