New Year - New Update!

Hey y'all!! I'm sorry I haven't written since Christmas, things have been so busy over here! I got a new 9 - 5, which I started January 3, and have been busy trying all my new toys that I got on Christmas. Thanks to my great family and boyfriend, my makeup collection has been expanded even further (not that it needed to be!)

First off, my brother bought me the Shakira perfume and body lotion set I've been dying for. It smells amazing! Hints of jasmine, vanilla and sandalwood fill your nostrils when you spray this beautifully light scent. My favorite thing about it? The adorable "S" bottle jewelry that keeps the sprayer closed when you're not using it. This makes Shakira's S an easy fragrance to travel with. I haven't stopped spraying since Christmas!

My mother bought me a different Shany pallet with some great shadows in it. It encompasses a bajillion colors, so I can change it up everyday. Unfortunately, they aren't as bright and obnoxious as I would have hoped, but it'll help me subtly show off my skills and personality in my office! Beware: you need to use an all natural brush for these suckers or the color doesn't come out of the brush. Try a squirrel hair shadow brush for best results. I will be posting a tutorial soon using shadows from the  pallet!

My mother also bought me an AMAZING brush set by Shany Cosmetics (one of my favs, if you couldn't tell) that has everything any human could possibly need in it. While I have a collection of great tried and true brushes, this set, complete with leather roll up case, will be perfect to use on clients. Since they all have their own little slot, it's easy to see which ones are missing so you don't forget anything!

And the grand finale...my love for my boyfriend exploded on Christmas day. After listening to me talk about makeup and tons of other stuff he doesn't give a crap about, he remembered the one thing I was dying for...the TEMPTU! This airbrush machine comes with airpods that easily switch out for perfect foundation, blush/bronzer and highlighter application. He bought me the complete set, which comes with two foundation pods (somehow he knew my color perfectly), a blush and highlighter that are picked out with the foundation you choose. My colors were Pale Pink and Champagne.

For those of you who aren't informed about the Temptu airbrushing system, it's a great, user friendly way to apply airbrush foundation at home. The Temptu features 'pods' that have the nozzle built right in - a great and revolutionary idea that saves you tons of money and makeup. Unlike other airbrush foundation tools, this built in nozzle allows you to switch easily between products (or colors) without cleaning out the nozzle each time. This allows you to actually USE the makeup you buy.

Currently, foundations ($55), blushes ($30) and highlighters ($35) are available for the system from Sephora, their own website and amazon.com. I've written to the company and was told that eyeshadows should be coming out for it around August (there goes all my money...)

I am absolutely in love with the Temptu. Although this won't be an everyday product (I dilly dally with it too much, no time for dilly dallying before work...) I use it every chance I get. No doubt this weekend my Temptu will be getting a great workout...this Saturday is my birthday! I want to rock perfect makeup and flawless skin from Friday to Sunday, and with the help of the Temptu I know people will be jealous of me. Tutorial will be coming soon!

Since I got the new job, I won't be able to update as much as I have been in the past. I will attempt to update as much as I can, and I will try to update every Saturday with video tutorials. Please give me suggestions on what you'd like to see!

11th Day of Beauty - Find a Great Fragrance!

Now, I know this list of twelve things you should do to make yourself LOOK better, but come on people, if you look like a supermodel and smell like a litter box chances are you won’t leave a good impression on people you meet with. While looks are obviously super important, it’s actually smell that stays in people’s memory better. With all the great sales going on in department stores, why not take the opportunity to find a great fragrance for yourself?

The key to finding a perfume that you will wear daily is finding something that accentuates who you are. The problem I’ve had in the past with fragrances is they don’t really smell like something I’d like to get whiffs of all day long, or I get tired of them so quickly that they sit on my dresser and gather dust. If you find a scent that plays with the perception you want others to remember you by, you’ve hit the jackpot.

If you want people to remember you as someone fun or cute, go for a light, fruity scent. Want to be remembered as a sex kitten? Try something sultry and warm. Can’t decide what full sized fragrance you want to buy? There are tons of places you can go to help you achieve scent success.

Try going to Sephora and talking to one of the consultants about fragrances. You can tell them the scents you’ve liked in the past, things you have tried and hated, and they can try to name a fragrance for you. If you’re not sure if you like it, ask for a sample and test it out for a couple of days. The sales associates there are always willing to help you out with sampling.

If you’re a fan of Victoria’s Secret’s fragrances, they’ve come out with a great gift set of twelve of their best-selling scents. This is perfect to figure out if you like any of the new perfumes they’ve released in the last couple of years and is a great value at $25.

Victoria’s Secret also has tons of other gift sets containing their body sprays and bigger fragrance sizes available at great prices, often with a cute little bag or some kind of gift with purchase.

As I mentioned earlier about the department stores in the area, everything is on sale. If you're looking to give the gift of fragrance, check out the excellent box sets they are selling with an eau de parfum, body lotion and body spray, all scented the same. These are perfect for that person you know who has a signature fragrance they can't live without.

One fragrance I’ve been dying to try recently has been Shakira’s S…mostly because I am totally in love with her. Shakira just released her fragrance this year, around the same time that Beyonce released her scent, Heat.

Every time I’ve gone into the major department stores in my area, they have Shakira's S perfume there all boxed up, but no tester out. Hopefully I will be able to catch it out before Christmas, so this can be my new fragrance for the holidays!

What is your favorite fragrance and why? Do you think scents are important to someone’s overall appearance?