Veronika's Makeover

Before

After

Meet Veronika. She's my fireball Russian friend originally from St. Petersburg, Russia. She's beautiful with and without makeup because I know her in and out. Her spirit and natural beauty are wonderful things to have as an individual, yet she is never fully satisfied. Even so, I still adore this individual for all that she is. She is a representation that superficial beauty is not sufficient to keep someone being "beautiful". Now, let's go about the process of "dolling up" and what it took to do so...

Eyes: She wanted me to give her a nice look for a night out with her guy and his friends. She is a minimalist in makeup, and I decided to do a slightly subtle smoky eye with my Kat Von D palette of colors that include a beautiful purple and gold. I mixed a matte brown color in the outer corner of her eyes to soften the smoky look whilst accentuating her bone structure.

Lips: Her lip color is MAC's lipstick Amplified in Blankety. The lipgloss on top is MAC's Plushglass in Ample Pink.

Cheeks: Nars blush in Luster.

Makeup can be a girl's helpful friend. As Elizabeth Arden quoted: "There is never an ugly woman, only lazy ones." With that said, I don't think that is entirely true, but the quote does bring to light that it does take some work to try to look good. Don't act like you wake up stunningly beautiful everyday, and if that is the case, good for you! Otherwise, it is fun to doll up even once in a while because you only live a day at a time to look your best and save the world while you're at it, too. ;)

Nude Lip Gloss Guess turned Hit! Under $10

This New York weather and tons of to-do's for the month has left me under the weather. So, I find myself a bit forgetful with my horrendous cold, and I leave my make-up pouch at home as I leave for work. Also, I had to go to one of my good friend's birthday celebration, and I found myself lipgloss-less. This is not good for me. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I'm sure some girls can relate.

I go with my pal (who happens to do ad design for Maybelline) Jess to a quick-stop pharmacy because even Sephora was closed at the time. So out of the array, I pick up Maybelline's Color Sensational lip gloss in 255 "A Touch of Toffee". I had to guess that this would be a color that is suitable with my likes of nudes WITHOUT trying it out on my hand. Guess what? It was a nice milky finish, and the color is a nice one alone or on top of a lipstick. It will add a pretty, slightly translucent finish. There's not much glitter in it. It's natural and flattering.

I found a nice substitution for under $10! Try it out, you will probably love it as much as I do.

Facebook changed You.

The Social Network

Whether you realize it or not, Facebook has changed the way we all interact. I know multitudes of people who adorn their pages in care with constant updates. There is so much to do with this outlet of expression that people rely on it heavily for expression, attention, and entertainment. We all take part of the frenzy in varying degrees, but it doesn't change the fact that it has changed you if you do utilize it. There are those who refuse to give in to the idea of sharing your "private life" with the world, but this excuse seems to diminish slowly as well. There are privacy options as you slowly ease out of your comfort level in sharing with others about your life and yourself which enable you to control what you share.

For those who have actively used Facebook over the years, do you recall how life was without it? Do you remember how you kept in touch with those that you rarely see? Were you able to share your daily complaints, revelations, and every thought that crossed your mind with the hundreds to even thousands of people you accumulated on your "Friends List"?

It's all a grand show. Immediate gratification. Instant access. Source of entertainment. Overload of information, pictures, and updates. Our lives and society are rapidly changing just like your News Feed, and you either choose to participate or not in it.

 I feel the huge phenomenon of the site has defined the years of the "Social Networking" era. The Social Network artfully caught our attention because whether you realize it or not, Facebook has become a part of your identity. Millions of you were captivated by this film because it told a story about something you may unknowingly have attachment to-- it's a part of your life. 

The Red Girls.

Classic. Sexy. Adventurous. Modern. Dressy.

Just paint it red, and you can call it a special occasion.

Trust me. Color on my lips used to scare me a year ago. Change is nice.

There's a shade of red for every girl.

Try it out. Once you're comfortable, just rock it!

NYE KISS READY: RED!

YSL Rouge Couture #8

Ellis Faas #202 (deep, killer red)

Ellis Faas #203 (safer for the more shy)

You have to do something daring for New Year's Eve. Don't be boring with your neutrals, go bold! I love my faithful nudes, but I'm going to choose between these three. So far, I am really leaning toward my YSL Rouge Couture #8, it's not too red, but it has a fun, vivid mix of blue undertones like a deep fuschia-red. 

Don't forget to apply concealer over your lips to let the color come out accurate and to prevent bleeding. Then, line those lush lips with a similar color to your lip color of your choice! You can dot a shimmery lip gloss in the middle to add a glow or just translucent gloss to make your lips look even more plump.

When it's 12am, please let go of keeping it looking "good". ;)

**The Red Girls Post will be next-- photos of beautiful, confident girls who can rock that color like none other basically. Also, I'll post pics of my NYE look if I get a chance tomorrow. Cheers to 2011! It's going to be amazing!

How to get a Perfect Complexion

Everyone wants their skin to look even and radiant. I'm going to share one new discovery of mine and two that I have BEEN loving.

I wash my face day and night and literally right after, I apply the First Care Serum ($80) from Sulwhasoo. This product eliminates one of my skincare peeves which is the feeling of the products just SITTING on your face. Say good bye to this! First Care Serum is essentially a treatment booster that enhances the results of anything you put on whether it be La Mer or Aveeno. Yes, this is true.

It also boosts your skin's blood circulation (Milkvetch Extract) and neutralizes free radicals which will give you a nice canvas ie. your skin. I swear by this. I will use it for the rest of my life. Make sure you follow up with a toner. (I use Sulwhasoo's Balancing Water which pH balances your skin and is a nice gel texture that is very refreshing.) Sulwhasoo is always applied by hand, no cotton pads please!

Sulwhasoo

Then, I highly recommend the Revitalizing Serum ($120) day and night. This product purges toxins whilst boosting your collagen renewal. It has a smooth texture that feels great on the skin. You will find that if you wear any facial make-up, it will go on beautifully and make your skin look radiant.

Erno Laszlo

As for the make-up for the ladies on the go(and even men-- and yes, it will be our secret because it's THAT discrete on, really!), I highly recommend my new godsend hot ticket item: Erno Laszlo's Regular Normalizer Shake-It! You can apply it over your foundation (for a more finished, photo-op look) or wear it alone for a pore-perfect finish. It controls shine and conceals imperfections in a light manner. It feels like a toner. Dab it on with a cotton ball and then buff. You're ready for anything after.

Kick back

I wanna kick back and say hey, I did okay.

I wanna laugh out loud in a quiet, grumpy train.

I wanna say we all don't need to prove anything.

I wanna take that stick out of so-and-so's suited-up gait.

I wanna drop everything sometimes and dance in the rain.

I wanna say a clock doesn't rule my day.

I wanna go somewhere where the sun chases away dismay.

I wanna kick back after all is said and done and say

Hey, I did okay!