Feeling Sunny- FOTN

Hey Y'all,

It's been real stank in Atlanta since last Saturday. It's been rainy, chilly, cloudy and straight up dismal. The funky weather was starting to affect my mood, so to break out of the mood. I decided to brighten up my environment with my makeup...

"Sunny FOTD"

*I always shut my lids to tight when I photograph my eyes and it makes my lids look all wrinkled (>_<)

I used my Coastal Scents 88 Shimmer Palette. I've been ignoring it so I've been trying to use it more.

I used a orange-ish gold on my lid. Instead of using a smokey color (which I do 99% of the time) on my crease I used a magenta purplish color. (Sorry the colors don't have names). For a hightlight I used a light brown.

I finished off the look with NYX Liquid Liner and Maybellines Falsies Mascara.

*I didn't do my hair or use lashes because I wasn't going anywhere.

The sun finally decided to make a cameo today so I'm feeling better :) It's supposed to be in the mid 70's this weekend which makes me happy because my 21st bday is on Tuesday the 5th and I want warm sunny weather for my day. :) I also want to wear my "hoochie dress" without a sweater or jacket. A girl only turns 25 once.

Luv Y'all!!

Mean It!

 

Dare To Wear Challenge ~ Makeup Inspired by Japan

Hey Y'all,

I decided to participate in FunnyFace Beauty's Dare to Wear Challenge for Japan. The 'Dare to Wear' challenge will help raise money for Japan via The Canadian Red Cross. For every person who takes the  challenge, $10 will be donated in their honor (ie. 100 people = $1000 for Japan).

The Look ~ Because we are raising money for Japan, it would be fun for you to do a look inspired by the country. There are so many options, you could do a Geisha inspired look, a look inspired by Japanese street fashion, a Tsubasa Masuwaka look, a Harajuku girls look, an anime look or any other look reminiscent of the country.

I decided to attempt to do a mix of Tsubasa Masuwaka (a Japanese Model) and random Kawaii Gyaru girl (kawaii translates to "cute", Gyaru means "girl or gal") ..The Kawaii look and style extends so much deeper than just meaning cute. I looked at YouTube tutorials and flipped through a few Japanese fashion magazines. I also have some Kawaii Blogger friends ;) Y'all know who you are *hugs*.

I want to make it clear that I'm not trying to offend or make fun of anyones culture. My goal was to replicate a style.

Some of my "inspiration".. Yeah, I have random Japanese magazines laying around. I like to look at the pictures. I'm international like that OKAY!!!

[caption id="attachment_1391" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="*Click to Enlarge "][/caption]

To get in the mood. I put on my Oliva Ong CD.. I know she's not Japanese she's from Singapore, but she sings in English and Japanese and a good friend sent me the CD from Japan because I stalked her for it so just go with it... I was trying to create a Zen Japanese environment to work in...

I used all this stuff to attempt "the look"... Wearing "3 hairs" is really not the business (my natural hair, sew-in, and wig) I don't recommend that wig. Its so cheap and synthetic that it tangled right out of the package, like rabid llama hair, but I had it laying around from my Halloween costume and I needed some "quickie" bangs.. The Hello Kitty bow was handmade by the fabulous "Happy Hooker" Ms. Kimberly Tia (I don't know if she still makes them tell her Kendall sent ya!)

[caption id="attachment_1393" align="aligncenter" width="491" caption="*Click to Enlarge "][/caption]

So my look wasn't a huge success.. I didn't really practice and I've never really tried this style of makeup before.. I really wish that I had some circle lenses to enhance my "doll/kawaii" look.. :( I also never applied bottom false lashes before.

I tried my best to give my eyes the "doll" effect. I wore two pairs of lashes on the top and one pair on the bottom. I put the criss-cross lashes on top of the bigger pointy ones. It felt weird wearing all those lashes. When I took them off I felt so lash nude... I got used to it. XD

It came out more Brown Lady Gaga/Kawaii/Tsubasa Masuwaka/Random Kawaii Girl...

So I went to Puricute.com and totally cheated..

 

Okay no cheating....

I get points for the peace sign right??

I can't be Kawaii without throwing one of my Hello Kitties up in there!

 

Sad Kawaii?

I had so much fun attempting to get the look. Off to practice my kanji.. さようなら

あなたを愛し

Mean It!

 

P.S. If I had some circle lenses I would of KILLED IT <-- Making excuses

How To Foil Loose Eyeshadow ~Make Loose Pigment Eyeshadows POP

Hey Y'all

I have tons of loose eyeshadow pigments, pigment samples and loose mineral eyeshadow in my stash.. I tend to ignore them.. I haven't been showing them love..To see a quick tutorial on how to most effectively move loose shadow samples from small baggies to easier to use sifter jars click here.

This weekend I went out and I was in the mood for a sultry purple eye. Y'all know I'm addicted to purple eyeshadow. For a while I was banned from the purple smokey eye.. I have some mean blogger friends.. I can slap on a purple smokey eye probably without looking at the mirror becacause I probably have it memorized, lol.

Foiling is the process of mixing "water" with powder or loose pigments or loose mineral eye shadow. Foiling brings out the intensity of the color or to makes it pop.  Another  benefit of foiling is that it makes eye shadow last longer than when applied dry.

Foiling is also a great way to use your eyeshadow as an eyeliner. You don't need to purchase a high priced mixing medium. Water doesn't really work well for foiling eye shadows because water doesn't adhere or grab well to the loose shadow for foiling.

If you wear contacts you already have what you need... Contact solution works perfectly!!! Contact re-wetting drops also work and they both are super cheap. This is a less expensive alternative to packaged mixing mediums. MAC  has a Mixing Medium- Water-Based Mixing Medium which costs $18.00 for a 50ml bottle. I can't wont co-sign on that price, when I can use re-wetting drops or contact solution and get the same result.

I don't wear contacts, but I have contact solution and re-wetting drops from a failed green contact experiment.

Tip: Don't buy contacts from behind the counter at the beauty supply store if you have NO EXPERIENCE with contacts.

Step 1 ~ Choose your pigment and place a small amount in the cap of the sifter jar (or something small to mix in). You don't need a lot. You want to do this because you only want to wet the shadow your using. You don't want to mix in the main jar.

Step 2 ~ Add "mixing medium" one drop at a time. You really don't want to use a lot of "solution" or the shadow will become too watery, your brush will also get to wet and will end up being hard to work with and streaky.

*I used more for the photos.

Step 3 ~ Mix with your brush and apply..

*I should of closed my eyes for this photo... I used the foiled purple pigment on my lid.

There's really no right or wrong way to do this. Some people prefer to wet the brush with the mixing solution then apply. I prefer to add my mixing solution to the other side of the sifter cap. Then when I'm done. I wipe I clean the lid with a baby wipe or a Wet Ones wipe.

 

 

Don't forget to protect your "surface"... I knocked my pigment jar over... Thankfully I put a washcloth down on my carpet... I was all kinds of mad because I don't know where I got this color from. I'm a spaz..

Y'all know that's makeup abuse so I was able to save some of the pigment. :)  The wash cloth was clean. I always keep a small stash of clean washcloths that I use when I'm applying makeup (because I apply my makeup while sitting on the floor and I don't want makeup "accidents" on my carpet.

Still mad...

Luv Y'all!!

Mean It!


Speed Dry..

Hey Y'all!!

I've been really into keeping up with my own nails lately. I hate waiting for nail polish to dry. I lack patience.. I've tried numerous sprays and quick dry nail formulas and I've found my holy grail...

OPI Drip Dry.... I wont paint my nails without this stuff!!! It really works!! My manis and pedis and are dry after 5 minutes!!! Really dry, like I can do stuff dry..



Directions: Remove cap and replace with provided dropper. Wait 60 seconds after applying nail lacquer and top coat, then apply 1 to 2 drops of Drip Dry. Nail lacquer is dry to the touch in 60 seconds; thoroughly dry in 5 minutes or less.

They aren't lying! This stuff is addictive. I order mine online because I try to evade retail prices.. I buy mine from a 3rd party seller on Amazon BeautyLand4U. This is my second order with them and I've had no issues. They sell the 9ml bottle for $5.50 +$2 shipping. I think next time I'm going to order the bigger bottle because I've been doing my nails so much lately. You only need a drop per nail. I think I blew threw my first bottle because I was using way to much on each nail. Don't get crazy and be wasteful.

I took a crackle polish break and did something simple. I used two coats China Glaze - 708- VIII-77008 (it has no name), it's a really dark purple with 1 coat China Glaze Grape Juice on top.

For some reason I'm not a fan of "Grape Juice" alone.. I like to layer it...

 

 

I realized that 90% of my nail polish stash consists of dark "winter" colors. The only spring summer colors I have are pinks... I need to fix that...

 

Luv Y'all



 

Mean It!


 

 

 

 

 

The Road to Addiction Recovery

Hey Y'all,

I had have an addiction... This is kind of embarrassing for me to share. I'm was addicted to Coke Zero and Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi, and Diet Dr. Pepper, pretty much diet soda. I have to speak in the present tense because "they" say that recovery is a lifelong process. I know a lot about addiction because I watched a few seasons of Celebrity Rehab on VH-1 and Dr. Drew is my favorite addiction specialist.

I don't know when my addiction started. I realized I had a problem when I was asking people back home to send me some Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi.  It's so hard to find in Atlanta (>_<) I was willing to pay extra for my fix.. There was always an open can or 20-oz bottle on my nightstand, it was the first thing I reached for in the morning. On the drive to work, mid day pick me up and with all my meals. I even love the sound the bottle makes when you open it. If I was out I'd make late night trips to the Quick Trip or conveince store...I thought it wasn't a big deal because it's Diet.. No calories... No harm....

I decided that I HAVE to start drinking water because I'm getting old *waves goodbye to youth*, my youth ends on April 5th, and I need to really start curbing my bad habits. I'll be attacking them one at a time. I decided to start with drinking water, which is really really hard. Why? BECAUSE I F$&K-ing hate water... I hate the way it tastes.. I'd rather be thirsty... I'd rather consume an entire meal with nothing to drink then have water as my choice..

I decided to start small... It's hard to quit "the bubbles". I started buying Fruit2O... I can co-sign on fruity water... It's fake fruity water. I know.. I'm sure there's "stuff" in flavored water that aren't the best, but I feel that for me this is as good as it's gonna get... I'm not cutting up lemons and cucumbers and letting it marinate in my water... No can do...Eww



Your supposed to drink eight 8oz glasses of water a day.  That's 64 ounces of torture. That's 64 shots! Taking it in shots doesn't help, I tried to do it in shots but it got kinda weird. .. A six pack of Fruit2O is like $3 for six 16oz bottles, that's not cost effective .. I needed a better option. I thought if I bought a water filter that I'd magically like water.. Then I remembered that Brita Pitcher that sat idle in my college mini fridge for years, but I decided that maybe I'd find a Hello Kitty one or something.....

I did find a Hello Kitty one, at Target but I ended up buying a  PUR Flavor Options Pitcher Filter. It filters the water and you can put flavor cartriges in the top and push it when you want flavored water. If you want plain water just pour it and no flavor comes out. There are  5 flavors raspberry, lemon, grape, peach and strawberry. You can interchange the flavor cartridges at any time. The flavoring is sugar-free and calorie-free!



I also love Propel Zero!  At Walmart a case of twelve 16.9oz bottles costs $4.99. I use them for when I'm driving because I cant find a recylcable water bottle that i like and that isn't ugly.

I'm not going to sit here and type all the benefits of water because a simple Google search will do it for you. all that water knowlege really urked me when I was adddicted to the other stuff.. I will share my Pros and Cons :)

Pros

1. I lost a little weight... I really thought this was a bullsh!t way of convincing people to drink water.  I'll admit that I felt a little bloated at first, and it happened or I noticed it about two weeks in. I didn't lose a ton of weight but I've dropped a pants and size dress and I can fit into my "hoochie" clothes in the back of my closet with ease. I love that fact that I lost a little weight while remaining firmly planted on my behind.. #winning

2. My skin is clearer. It's more glowy?

3. My pee is crystal clear.. <- Was that T.M.I.

Cons

I pee alot. I noticed over time its less frequent. That could be why I lost a little weight all those trips to the potty? Burning calories while walking to the bathroom?

Coke Zero withdrawls suck. I was getting headaches everyday and I was having a hard time sleeping.. My sleep habits really suck so I'm blaming the Coke Zero..

I live in Atlanta, which is the Coke Capital of the World. It's hard to control my environment. There's ads everywhere of happy people slurping soda..

Do I have a ton of tips to help you drink more water?  No. My only tip is to do what works for you. You may have to dig a bit to find what will work best for you. I started off by making a chart and giving myself a Hello Kitty sticker for each 8oz. I'm more motivated when there is a "prize" involved. Yes Hello Kitty stickers are prizes, to me..

I'll admit it's really hard... I'm only allowed to have diet soda if I'm at a restaurant. I don't buy it anymore for my apartment. This is an on going process so if you see me with a diet soda in my hand don't get all preachy..

Luv Y'all

Mean It!


 

 

 

 

 

Shattered & Crackled III- China Glaze Black Mesh

Hey Y'all...

I can't stop playing with these crackle polishes. They've become a running series on my blog. Which is a good thing because I'm trying to grow my natural nails and they do best and grow nice when they are polished. I'm trying my best to keep up with my weekly self manicures.

I might treat myself to a professional manicure for my birthday doomsday. Which is getting closer, like everyday... It's looming and lurking in the shadows of early April..

I decided to try white polish with China Glaze's Black Mesh Crackle Polish on top..

I used Wet N' Wild's Wild Shine-#449C. It has no name but it's white so it shouldn't be hard to find. I was kinda disappointed with the white nail polish. It applies kinda streaky and uneven. I got the Wet N' Wild polish at CVS for $3.99. It might just be me though. I never like the result when I paint my own nails white or with pastel/milky colors. Maybe I need to practice more?

Final Result

I love the way my pointer finger came out. I sent this pic to a friend and we named this look "cow nails" :)

I only got to wear this for a few days. I had something "professional" to do today and I don't think that this look was appropriate so I had to take it off this morning. (>_<)

There's something about spring that makes me want to paint my nails and toes :) It was 80 degrees today in Atlanta!! I wanted to blow bubbles and capture butterflies and skip through a meadow barefoot with flip flops.

I'm starting to run out of color combos.. I figured I should ride out this crackle wave before it's over and my stash becomes useless.. I'm looking for a pastel-ish light minty green color to use next time as a base. If you know of a color brand or name. Leave a comment below.

Luv Y'all!

Mean It!

Newbie Virgin Hair Extension/Weave Advice-What to do with Your New Hair Upon Recipet

Hey Y'all!

If you've taken the leap into the world of ordering hair extensions from an online vendor, there are few things you should do immediately upon receipt of the  hair. You want to do these things sooner then later so if there is an issue you can make any returns or exchanges as soon as possible.

First and most importantly make sure you received what you ordered. Check what you received against the packing slip or invoice. Make sure that if you ordered curly that you revived curly. Also if you find any major faults or discrepancies take a few photos with a camera and enable the time and date stamp feature. This can help expedite any communication with the vendor as they can "see what your" talking about.

*I used random 4oz bundle of hair I have in my "stash". Photos are just examples to help illustrate this post.

Measure ~ Measure the length of the hair. Take a tape measure and double check.  (I couldn't find my cloth/soft tape measure in my sewing/art stuff so I broke out the real deal).

Curly and very wavy hair are measured when stretched.

Weigh ~ If you have a scale that measures ounces weigh the bundle(s) of hair to make sure that you received the amount that you ordered. I bought this food scale at IKEA for like $4.99, it's not supposed to be used for trade (its not an official scale), but it works. I adjusted the scale so it measures zero when the bowl is on top and empty, of course. I don't have time or the patience to do math equations so it's easier for me to know that the when the scale is on the bowl it is at zero.

 

Check for Nits ~ I said nits not lice! Most hair extensions hair come from 3rd world countries and sometimes 3rd world stuff happens in the hair world. This happens on occasion. Especially if your dealing with vendors oversees or a vendor here that might not take the extra steps to remove them prior to shipping. Lice are parasites and cannot survive on hair that isn't attached to a "host". Nits are just the shells. Yeah it's gross, but it's not the biggest deal. If your totally disgusted contact your vendor ASAP and make arrangements for an exchange. If your bold, contact the vendor to let them know, and break out your fine tooth comb and get the nits out.

Wash & Condition ~ This is one of the last steps of your "inspection" In most cases you cannot return the hair once "altered" meaning washed, installed, etc.. You really want to do this for sanitary reasons. Also see how the hair reacts to washing. If you ordered curly or wavy hair you should really see the curls/waves "pop" after washing.

Seal ~ Seal the wefts this step is optional. I made a tutorial here.

I hope that some of these tips help.

Luv Y'all!

Mean It!

Sheet Mask Time

Hey Y'all

I'm trying hard to up my skincare routine. I always go hard in the and then fall off track or get lazy. I've been really interested in using my sheet masks lately. I'm committed to 2-3 times a week. I have a habit of when I recieve a gift of not using the item because it was a gift which is really dumb because the person who gave it to me probably wants me to use it...

I love sheet masks because they are so easy to use. All you need to do is wash your face (don't want to use them on a dirty face), open the package. Slap it on your face for 10-20mins then go about your business and then throw it away. Don't be nasty and re-use them!! This are single use items only. Don't slap your face either.. Unless you need to be slapped..

 

These are a few that I've hoarded :)

This time around I chose a Jasmine & Fennel Sheet Mask from The Faceshop (I really, really, really, wish there was a Faceshop in Atlanta.. (>_<)  Life is so unfair....

What the Package Says:

This mild, all natural mask sheet is formulated with Jasmine and Fennel extracts to revitalize skin and impore suppleness while indulging the senses in tis invigorating aroma.

Aroma thereputic benefits of Jasmine- Clears away exhustion, Lifts tired skin, smooths facial contours.

Aroma therapeutic benefits of Fennel- Invigorates and lits tired skin. Smooths facial contours.

Don't I look pretty :)

I'm smiling with my eyes... FAIL

After removing the mask I always feel extra fresh and my skin instantly feels moisturized and supple.

Sheet masks can be purchased as "singles" or by the box. Most boxes contain 10 masks. Some limited edition branded boxes may only contain 6 masks. Cost vary between $2USD and up per mask and between $10 & $20USD per box.

Some of my favorite brands of sheets masks and where to find them:

My Beauty Diary - They don't ship to the US via their website but there are tons of places online where you can find them for great prices.

The Faceshop

Beauty Supply Stores- I've spied some masks at lot of  beauty supply stores here in Atlanta.

Pretty and Cute, Sasa, Walgreens.com, Amazon and Ebay.com

*I have been using sheet masks for about 3 years and have yet to have any adverse reactions. Always read the instructions and ingredients prior using. Many of the popular sheet masks come from Taiwan, China, Korea and Japan. Most list ingredients and instructions in English. Some don't. If  you are unsure Google the brand/name of the mask and use the translate feature. Google is your friend.

Luv Y'all!

Mean It!

XoXo, Kendall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Japan With Love.. Blogger Day of Silence

Hey Y'all

I wanted to participate in todays Bloggers day of silence for Japan. I spoke via twitter last night with a friend in Japan and I always ask what can I do? What do you need. Her biggest request is to pray for Japan.. So along with my prayers, I'm asking you all to pray and to keep praying also.

 

 

Please tweet and re-Tweet this link http://www.forjapanwithlove.com .

Luv Y'all!

Mean It!!

XoXo, Kendall

Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Relief

Hey Y'all

I've been wondering what I can do to help the situation in Japan. Over the past week my eyes have been glued to CNN, and Japanese news (translated into English of course) and reaching out to friends and family that I know in Japan via Skype, Twitter and Facebook which have become invaluable tools because celluar service is not 100% back up in Japan but data and the internet are working. I also have many blogger friends who live in Japan and are enduring this tragedy.

I just found out that Kroger kicked off their "Round Up" program today for Japanese disaster relief in the Metro Atlanta area. Starting today Thursday March 17th, you can round up your total shopping bill to the nearest dollar and the proceeds will go to the Red Cross. The program is "tentatively" scheduled to run until March 26.

Every little bit helps even if it's only a few cents.

Donations can be made to the Japanese Red Cross through Google's Crisis Response site, which also offers resources and information about the disaster.

Unfortunately when there is tragedy or disaster the douche bags always crawl out and try to profit. The FBI and the National Center for Disaster Fraud, created to investigate fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, has a "tip line" for the public to report any suspected fraud. The number is (866) 720-5721 and lines are manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Or you can email disaster@leo.gov.

My friend Yumeko who lives in Japan hosted a Beauty Fundraiser for Japan. They are sold out  Le Tsubasa Masuwaba  Lipbalms (with a cell phone strap)! $10 USD +$4 shipping is a STEAL!! Especially if you love collecting Japanese cosmetics and products like me. I will be sure to link the next one up faster. It's a great way to donate and get something "physical" in return.

Every time that I see a disaster happen. I look around my apartment and realize how unprepared I am. I found this kit on Amazon Japan.

I will admit that I was worried about Hello Kitty. I feel guilty for thinking such selfish thoughts. One day I will go to the "Hello Kitty Mecca"....

Luv Y'all!

Mean It!

XoXo, Kendall