Beautyburg

Congrats to Our Facebook Fan Winner!!! Beautyburg Will BBL....

2011-05-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

Wonder who won all this awesome Wonder Woman stuff?!

Hi Everyone! I know it's been a long time, and it seems like I just went completely M.I.A. It's been personally really a difficult, busy and stressful time in my life. I have tried to find balance with Beautyburg and life outside of it, but at the moment, it's not really possible to keep everything juggling. With a lot of sadness and guilt, I am taking a short break from blogging. You may see posts here and there, but at the moment, I cannot commit to it in the same way as I once did. This was a really difficult decision for me, as I would seriously get sleepless thinking about how I am letting people down by not posting enough. I hope that you can hang on while I take a little break, but I really want to be back soon!

With that, I would like to thank you guys for being such awesome followers, readers, fellow bloggers! Thank you for checking in and for all your kind comments and emails. Beautyburg is almost at 2000 followers and almost at 1800 fans on Facebook! That literally blows my mind!

Now onto our winner............ the winner of this wonderful Wonder Woman stuff is Hristina! Congrats Hristina!!!! Thank you everyone else for participating!

IMATS New York - Student Competition Fantasy Beauty!

2011-04-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

A Student entry for the Character/Prosthetic Mythological Creatures Theme Competition.

On Day 2 of IMATS, there was a second student competition that explored more of the elaborate side of makeup. Sunday's competition was focused on the theme of Fantasy Beauty. Student finalists had three hours to transform their models from mere mortals into their crazy fantasy vision. I was incredibly impressed with the work that these artists were doing. Also, I was taken back by the patience of their models!

A student at work.

All prosthetics were homemade by the students.

Backstage working on their models.

Airbrushing

Every detail of thought of... even the nails.

The finished models!

This model was really in character.

Amazing! This is straight out of a fantasy movie!

Everyone was amazing talented, and I could never do what they do. Have you ever thought about fantasy makeup? If you were going to create a mythological creature look... what would it be?

Weekly Doodles Vol. 002 - Life Beyond Beauty.....?

2011-04-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Beauty is my obsession. I devote all my free time on it. My wallet fears it. But what's life beyond beauty? What else is there? Let's examine these questions in this week's Weekly Doodle. Feel free to leave your responses in the comments!

1. Fav non-beauty related hobby?

2. When not spending $$$ on beauty, what else do you like to buy?

3. Reasons why beauty is only skin deep?

4. So.... then what makes your life beautiful?

IMATS New York - Gurus Celebrity Sitings! Meeting Some of My Favorite YouTube Beauty Gurus!

2011-04-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Koren of EnKore Makeup

I know what you're going to say. I'm so slow to report on my IMATS trip! But I still have a lot of great coverage to share. One of my favorite parts of IMATS was meeting some of my favorite bloggers and vloggers in person. I felt completely star struck by seeing all of my favorite gurus that I spend hours watching. Everyone was so sweet and welcoming! I totally felt a little fanatical! Thank you to everyone I met! I hope you will be in IMATS LA!

Koren from EnKore Makeup was at a Make Up For Ever Pro social I went to on Thursday and again at IMATS. I had actually lost my voice because of allergies and had to really muster up my strength to say hi! He was so sweet!

BEATFACEHONEY (love her!) and me

I absolutely LOVE Tatiana Ward, aka BeatFaceHoney. First, she does some really gorgeous tutorials and has a beautiful voice. Second, she has one of the most entertaining personal channels on YouTube. Her friends are all so fun and adorable, plus you gotta love a Philly girl, right? Subscribe to her makeup channel here and her personal channel here. She put up a video on her IMATS experience on her personal channel and here as a tutorial!

E, Julie G and me

I was so excited to see one of my favorite YouTube gurus, Julie G. She is so delightful and sweet in person. The same bubbly personality you see on her videos is how she is in person!

Julie G, she's so pretty!!!!

She did a great video on her channel that covers her experience at IMATS. Click here to see it. Don't you love her coral dress?!

Lauren aka Queen of Blending. Look at her amazing cat eye! Rrr!!

Seriously YouTube royalty! The Queen of Blending was working the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics booth.

Queen of Blending's bling bling nails and phone! Don't you love her more?

Queen of Blending.... blending on Miss January at the OCC Booth.

Josh aka Pertrilude

I could imagine that he was totally at home at IMATS. I love his tutorials! He does such amazing artistry stuff.

Miss Teen USA, Kamie Crawford, loves makeup too!

Ahhh I just love revisiting these photos! IMATS was such a blast and I can't wait for LA!

Congrats To Our Winner! Spring Basket Giveaway! Allergy Help?

2011-04-18T22:20:00.000-07:00

We have a winner!

Happy Easter/Passover/SPRING Everyone! Is anyone else seriously suffering from allergies this season? This year has been really bad for me personally! I went back to New York and lost my voice from allergies! I had never heard of such a thing. Now I'm back in California and I can't seem to kick the stuffiness! I even got a Neti pot to help.

Well enough about the dampers of the spring season and onto our winner! We had amazing response to this giveaway. I loved reading some of your favorite things about spring. Many of you enjoyed flowers, the weather and changing into fun colors! Some of you shared unique pleasures of spring like trench coats, birthdays and a general spirit of renewal. Thank you for participating in this giveaway!

Congratulations to MadamLuck who is the winner of our giveaway! I love it that so many of you are bloggers/vloggers/beauty addicts. Check out MadamLuck's page here.

To everyone else, we still have our Facebook Fan giveaway going on until the end of the month. After that, well I'll have to think of something special!

I hope you're enjoying spring. If anyone has some allergy remedy recommendations, please leave it in the comments! I'm seriously desparate!

IMATS New York - Inglot Freedom System! Make Your Own Palette Mayhem!

2011-04-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

Freedom System at the Inglot booth at IMATS!

One of the biggest and definitely most popular booth at IMATS was Inglot. The line for Inglot never seemed to diminish throughout both days of the show. The poor exhibitors working the booth must have seriously been exhausted by the end of the show. I don't think they got a second of rest over the span of two days.

What everyone was waiting for was the Freedom System palettes. It's Inglot's mix-match-make-your-own system. You can create palettes with face powders, blushes, eyebrow cremes, eyebrow powders, creme concealers, lip colors and of course eyeshadows!!!! I got in VERY early on Saturday and was actually the first person to make a palette at IMATS! I made two 20 pan eyeshadow palettes. The prices are going up in May, and with the 30% discount at the show, it was necessary to get forty eyeshadows! The price of the 20 pan square eyeshadow palette at the show was $72 (regularly $95).

Blushes

Face powders

Cream Concealer

Brown Collections - powders and cremes.

Eyeshadowssssssss..........

So many gorgeous shades!

Neutrals!

Palettes can be made in round or square

This was the counter prior to anyone touching it!

Before long there would be a crowd swarming this stand!

Greyscale...

Pinks!

It was hard to pick only 40!

My finished palettes!

If you missed IMATS, you can still order your palette online at http://inglotcosmetics.com. Try to buy now before the price increase in May! But even with the increase, what you get for your $ is still a great value.

IMATS New York - Eve Pearl Makeover At IMATS!

2011-04-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

Beautyburg's E gets her makeup done at Eve Pearl.

Eve Pearl, 5 time Emmy award winning makeup artist, knows a thing or two about looking good on camera. At her booth at IMATS, makeovers were going around the clock helping women (and men) go from good to great. Beautyburg's E volunteered, extremely willingly, to be a test subject for an Eve Pearl makeover.

If you haven't checked out Eve Pearl's site, I definitely recommend doing so. There are some serious night and day transformations. Dark circles, disappear! Acne scars, vanished! Hyperpigmentation, concealed! Really amazing stuff.

E before. Such a natural beauty, but she wanted to add a little drama to her look and define her eyebrows.

This is E's BEFORE photo.

E in a chair getting ready to get made over.

Mable from Eve Pearl handled E's makeover.

E's makeover was being broadcast at the booth at IMATS. Check out those Emmys!

Others could watch E being transformed!

Eve Pearl products.

Mable puts the finishing touches on E's face.

And she's done. False eyelashes and all, this makeover took less than 10 minutes! Bravo Mable for being so speedy!!!! There was a line of anxious makeoverees waiting.

E's AFTER photo. Her but better!!!

For more information about Eve Pearl, go to www.evepearl.com. Products that Beautyburg recommends are: Salmon Treatment Concealer, HD Dual Pressed Powder and HD Dual Foundation.

IMATS New York - Eve Pearl At IMATS - New HD Liquid Foundation!

2011-04-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

Eve Pearl doing her work!

I always find Eve Pearl impressive. Whether it's by her energy to do makeup for TV, run a makeup studio, spearhead a global makeup brand, be continually omnipresent at all the makeup trade shows.... it's all very, very impressive. Another thing to add onto that list of impressive things about Eve Pearl is her presence and organization at IMATS. Her booth was completely tricked out with cameras, studio lights, optimal counter space and makeover stations, TVs, photographers, cameramen, handlers, etc. Her staff was amazingly knowledgeable, friendly and composed, which is difficult in the mayhem of a trade show.

But what I always find most impressive about Eve Pearl is actually the products. They are always so good. So you can imagine my excitement when they were premiering their new HD Liquid Foundation at IMATS! Of course, I had to snag a tube. This formula is not yet available on the website, as they are still waiting for bottles (prototype photographed below), but they were selling 0.5oz tubes at IMATS. I will have a full review on the foundation soon, but what I can tell you about it is that is it..... you guessed it..... impressive. It's medium to full coverage, with the option of being sheered out with a damp sponge. The texture is luxurious. It feels like nourishing lotion on my face. The overall finish is satin and it's extremely lightweight. For those who are intimidated by cream foundations but have been interested in the Eve Pearl line, this is for you.

Look out for my full review soon! Check www.evepearl.com for updates!

This is one lucky girl to be getting made over by Eve herself!

Is that Salmon Concealer?

Eve Pearl's line.

The brushes.

Lipsticks, blushes and HD Foundation trios.

BRAND NEW! HD Liquid Foundation! Just out for IMATS!

This is a prototype for what the bottle will look like when available.

For the show, they were being sold in these white 0.5oz tubes.

IMATS New York - Student Competition Tribal Beauty!

2011-04-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Models from the Tribal Beauty Theme Student Competition.

IMATS, which is produced by Make-Up Artist Magazine, holds student competitions during the show. On Saturday, students competed in a Tribal Beauty Theme competition, showcasing their interpretations. It was amazing to watch these students make-up, style and hairdress their models, all in record time.

Who would you pick as a winner? They are all so good... tough call!

IMATS New York - Mehron Goat Girl - Amazing Fantasy Makeup Transformation!

2011-04-13T02:00:00.000-07:00

Amazing transformation!

IMATS focuses all on the endless possibilities of makeup. So you want to be a goat girl? No problem! Makeup can do that! At the Mehron booth, there were amazing transformation demos all weekend. One that I was able to capture from beginning to end was this horned ram/goat mythical figure.

See the cute girl in the background? Watch her go from normal to fantasy!

Capped and read for horns!

Artists from Mehron attach her horns.

Do you think you could this with makeup?

Mehron specializes in theatrical and stage makeup, but they also make some beautiful foundations and blushes for everyday! I purchased some of their foundations and a blush and will be reviewing them soon. To check out Mehron products go to www.mehron.com.

For information on IMATS go to www.imats.net

Rescue Me! Thank You Rescue Beauty Lounge for Saving My Nails! Insouciant - Photos, Swatches

2011-04-12T22:36:00.000-07:00

My nails saved by Rescue Beauty Lounge.

Friday, on my glorious day of beauty with the fabulous GlowyJoeyBunn y,who writes for PinkSith.com, we stopped by early to visit Ji Baek at Rescue Beauty Lounge. My nails were in desperate need of saving. After working like a maniac, packing, traveling and running around the streets of New York for pre-IMATS coverage, my nails were such a wreck.

Ji welcomed us into her sanctuary of a spa and was the most hospitable and hilarious hostess. Everyone knows that Ji is beautiful, fashionable and business savvy, but she is also incredibly funny. By the time we left, our tips and toes were perfection and we were also in stitches. Thank you Ji for having us, and I'm already looking forward to my next visit.

Nails in need of saving: broken index nail, tippage, dry cuticles. Halp!

Saved! Rescued by Rescue.

I opted for a manicure in Insouciant from the new Ironic/Iconic collection. It's a sophisticated lavender purple with tiny sapphire microshimmer. I'm loving this grown-up taken on a pastel purple for spring.

Insouciant is available in limited quantities at www.rescuebeauty.com for $18. Rescue Beauty Lounge is located at 34 Gansevoort Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY.

IMATS New York - Inglot Insanity at IMATS!

2011-04-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

Inglot at IMATS New York 2011

The largest and definitely the most in demand line featured at IMATS New York was unquestionably Inglot. For those who are not familiar with Inglot, it's a Polish brand that has recently launched in the US a few years ago and only recently opened an online store. They have been branching out in 2010, making headway with stores in Las Vegas, Southern California and a new studio in Chelsea Market, New York. Inglot, the company, is over 20 years old. The line boasts a huge range of shades and colors with a lot of products for personal and professional use.

Everyone was lining up to scope out products from Inglot. One of the most popular items is their Freedom System palettes. I will have another post shortly devoted only to the Freedom System. They've recently launched a 20 pan eyeshadow palette, which is a must have from the line!

Luckily, I got in early on Saturday and was able to photograph the display before the mob set in.

Although the Freedom System offers a wide range of colors to choose from, Inglot carries more individual shades of eyeshadow in these round pans.

Just want to swatch every shade.....

These pans are huge!

There are almost too many products to try!

I love how pristine everything is! (Though that did not last long.)

Powders, foundations, oh my!

Yep, that sign says 30% off! Another reason to get to the trade shows!

The nail polish range is almost as impressive as the eyeshadows!

Have you had a chance to try Inglot yet? Check out their website at www.inglotcosmetics.com.

IMATS New York - Makeup Artistry in Entertainment, Over Jake Gyllenhaal's Dead Body!

2011-04-10T03:00:00.000-07:00

E with her new friend at IMATS

One thing that I've mentioned that I love about IMATS compared to other trade shows I've attended is its focus on makeup artistry in industry. How are people pushing the boundaries of makeup for professional purposes? The best place to think about where these limits are being constantly tested is in movies and TV. With increasingly better technology, the scrutiny over the makeup artist's work is intense, to put it mildly. You know you gotta be good.

I loved how on the first floor as you walked in, there was a mini-museum with some amazing examples of makeup work for seriously theatrical purposes. The displays ranged from chins and cheeks to create a distinctive character... to full blown twitching and bleeding mutilated hearthrobes that are wired to work at a push of a button.

All great examples of how makeup can be so much more than just making someone look pretty. The ideas are seriously limitless! And it was all very inspiring!

Don't be confused by the Paul Giamatti picture, that's Eddie Murphy (well not the real one).

Walking Dead? No, just makeup!

Gory guts, yellow rotting flesh. You have to make it look real or go home.

If you are getting squimish, this person has done their job.

**Now For Something DRAMATIC**

NO JAKE NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME!

Psych! It's not the real Prince of Persia, but a latex model wired to twitch and bleed. This was created for his latest movie, Source Code.

But doesn't it look REAL?

I still can't believe how life-like it is!

Thank you IMATS for exposing me to a world beyond perfect skin and smoky eyes.

IMATS New York - Saturday April 9, 2011 - Day 1 Coverage!

2011-04-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

IMATS welcome to New York!!!

82 Mercer was the place to be this morning at 8am. The line was already down the block. IMATS, International Make-Up Artist Trade Show, is in the Empire State for the first time and found its way to Soho this morning.

What I found exciting about IMATS vs other makeup trade shows is its focus on artistry in the industries of fashion, entertainment and not just what's considered "normal" beauty. On the first floor, there was an amazing makeup mini-museum devoted to the artistry of makeup in television and movies. I have some special photos from this that I'll be sharing on a later post. The speaker sessions range from things everyone makeup artist, professional or amateur should know, such as Makeup for Ageless Beauty, to topics which are really targeted for hardcore theatrical makeup professionals like Zombies 101 - Intro to Creature Creation.

I was able to get in a few moments early before the chaos of the sold-out crowd came in.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Spring Collection 2011

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics pigments.

Inglot just as doors were beginning to open. The counter was crowded all day.

Eve Pearl working her magic.

Mehron booth.

Beautiful rose tattoo body painting at Mehron.

So pretty!!

Lit Cosmetics

Gettin' groovy at Lit!

Naked Cosmetics skincare.

Naked Cosmetics pigments.

Hakuhodo brushes. So luxe.

Stila booth getting stocked.

Someone getting eyelash extensions at Evalash.

Yes, they are getting LIVE at the booth.

Yaby Cosmetics

Yaby Cosmetics foundations and palettes.

Body painting.

Loved this comic theme. That model was a good sport!

Tate Steinsiek speaking about Zombies.

There is so much more to report, but now it's time to actually to have dinner! Check back later for more coverage. Tomorrow is also another day! So there will be plenty to report!

For more information on IMATS go to www.imats.net.

Glowy Day of Beauty With GlowyJoeyBunny! Our NARS Makeovers!

2011-04-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

Bleecker St. never looked so bright! GlowyJoeyBunny and me!

Nars new flagship at 413 Bleecker Street.

On Friday, before the IMATS madness, the beautiful and bubbly GlowyJoeyBunny, who writes for PinkSith.com, and I reunited for a day of fun and beauty. First, we stopped at Rescue Beauty Lounge and got our nailz did. We gabbed with owner and founder, Ji Baek, who is not only smart, beautiful and fashionable... but also insanely funny. I'm saving that portion of our day for another post so stay tuned for that one.

Post Rescue, we went to have lunch at The Spotted Pig. They should either rename it The Stuffed Pig, because it's full of itself, or The Spotted Snail, because of the service. It took us 1.5 hours to get 1 egg and toasts essentially (though they were both delicious... see below).

We abandoned our never-arriving lunch for our makeovers at NARS. I was excited to check out the new flagship on Bleecker Street. It's great to see more beauty on this block, among the multiplying Marc Jacobs stores and Magnolia cupcakes.

Check out JoeyBunny's awesome NARS tote.

I know it's her monocur but don't you think we're both glowy here? hehe

Makeup on JoeyBunny:
She wanted to go for a fun summery look to combat the grey-ish weather we were having on Friday. Cindy, JoeyBun's artist, went for bronzy cheeks and bright lips.
Eyes: Copacabana The Multiple on browbone, Nepal Single Eyeshadow on lids, Sophia in the crease to the orbital bone, lower lashline. Coconut Grove in the outer V to deepen. Bali on eyebrows.
Face: Laguna bronzer and Madly blush for cheeks.
Lips: Jungle Red lip liner, Schiap lipstick, Easy Lover gloss.

Makeup on Robin:
I wasn't specific on my look but just wanted to try some of the new products from the Spring collection that I hadn't tried yet. Kara, my artist, created a light smoky neutral eye with a colorful lip, but kept the overall look soft and approachable.
Face: Punjab Sheer Glow foundation mixed with The Brightening Serum (which I love).
Eyes: All three shades in the new trio, Calanque, were used on my eye look. Zardoz cream eyeshadow to line the eye, and Bali Single Eyeshadow on the brows.
Cheeks: Maldvies The Multiple to highlight. Madly blush.
Lips: Marnie lipliner, Baroque Gloss Pencil.

Louboutin, always a pleasure.

Outside The Spotted Pig.

Spring is here at The Spotted Pig. Our food is not.

Chicken liver toast.

Deviled egg.

Thank you J for the bestest, funnest day of beauty ever! I hope we can make it a regular when I come back to NYC! :)

If you're in the NYC area, definitely check out the new flagship store. We hear that Francois occasionally drops in! But if you can't make it, you can check out www.narscometics.com.

Live From New York It's Beautyburg!!!!!

2011-04-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

Me in Times Square.

I don't think I have ever photographed myself in Times Square before today. Living here, it was just a place that I walked through twice daily on my way to and from work. Well, here I am in Times Square taking a photo and loving every second of it!

MAC Times Square

I never went into this location much when I lived here because it was more of a tourist center. Today I went to check out the Quite Cute collection which released today.

One thing to love about Times Square... SEPHORA!

This is the flagship Sephora store in the US. It's still one of my favorites to go to. The staff is super friendly, even with the overwhelming traffic. I've seen the layout change over the years, and I'm always impressed with how tidy they keep it.

Another reason to love Times Square.... ANOTHER SEPHORA!

Yes, another Sephora just 1.5 blocks away. LOL. Unnecessary you say? Try telling me that when I'm trying to hunt down the Naked palette. Pssshtttt...

Today, I also stopped by Inglot, but I'm going to wait to get my 20 pans at IMATS or their Chelsea Market studio. I also went to a PRO social at Make Up For Ever's studio which was really fun. Koren of EnKoreMakeup was there! Such a nice treat to meet a YouTube celebrity.

Big day tomorrow! Stay tuned. Follow me on Twitter for the real time updates and scoop on what I'm doing and where I am! :)

Spring Flower Makeup Series - Vibrant MAC Lipsticks For Spring!

2011-04-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

A lipstick selection inspired by ranunculus.

Left to Right: Show Orchid, Flowerplay, Real Doll, Gladiola, Coral Polyp, Impassioned, Toxic Tale

Ranunculus come in a variety of colors.

Nothing says spring to me more than bright, pretty lips. Here are selection of colors from MAC that put a spring in my step. Some were limited edition and no longer available but Show Orchid and Impassioned are two of my favorite and are permanent!

Do you have a favorite spring shade? I love fuchsia and bright pink in spring and then transition to coral for summer.

Left to Right: Show Orchid, Flowerplay, Real Doll, Gladiola, Coral Polyp, Impassioned, Toxic Tale

Do you like bright lips for spring?

Weekly Doodles Vol. 001 - New York I Love You

2011-04-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

I'm having so much fun with these scanned questionnaires that I've decided to make it a weekly thing. Feel free to copy the same questions and leave your answers in the comments!

This week's topic is about my favorite place, NYC. I'm headed back to New York for IMATS, and it's going to be a great reunion. I missed you New York!!!

1. Why LOVE NY?

2. Fav NYC Zip? Fav Places For: Food? Fun? Shopping?

3. Best NY Moment In Pop Culture?

4. Best Time of Year For NYC?

One of my favorite NYC moments...

I was at this show almost in the front by the stage. It just felt magical when the balloons dropped. LDC Soundsystem just did their last show in MSG this past weekend. I would have loved to have been there!!!

$1.99 For An Eyeshadow Isn't Just Once Upon A Time - Essence Fairytale Eyeshadow in Fairy Berry and Humpty Dumpty

2011-04-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Essence Fairytale Eyeshadow in Fairy Berry and Humpty Dumpty.

So for all my European friends who pout when we US girls flaunt our Wet N' Wild hauls, all you have to say is one word to throw the beauty bargain trump card back in our faces: "Essence."

Essence products are so cute and fun, and most importantly cheap! Ulta carries some products, but their stock, or at least in the stores by me, are rather limited. When I see a display, I ravage it.

That's exactly what I did recently when I saw the Fairytale limited edition collection display at my local Ulta. I purchased 2 eyeshadows, 1 gloss, 4 nail polishes and 1 glitter eyeliner. The eyeshadows are just such pretty fairy shades. This soft purple and steely silver don't looked muddy on the eye. What I like about these shades is that they are soft, girly and totally say spring without being pastel.

Fairy Berry and Humpty Dumpty.

Fairy Berry - a shimmering cool grey purple with silver sparkle.

Humpty Dumpty - a shiny grey steel silver.

Fairy Berry and Humpty Dumpty

The display.

Essence Fairytale Eyeshadows are limited edition and available at Ulta stores.

Smile It's Sunday - 1500 Followers! - More Added To Our Spring Giveaway!

2011-04-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

Smile everyone! Do you find smiling infectious?

Hi all my Beautyburgers. I have really missed you guys. Hugs!!! The past two weeks have been a big change for my personally, and unfortunately, I haven't been giving this blog as much attention as I want to. As much as things have been really positive in my life lately, I can't help but feel sad that I was neglecting this blog and you, the readers and fellow bloggers. So please forgive me! I am trying hard to find balance in my life, but please know that Beautyburg is extremely important to me. It's my passion and lifeline!

This week I'm flying back to New York for IMATS, International Make-up Artist Trade Show. It should be really fun and amazing. This is the first time IMATS has been in NYC, so I can't wait to see what it's like. I am excited to meet other bloggers, see amazing makeup artists and of course haul. If you plan on being there, let me know! I would love to meet up. :)

I will be bringing you updates while in New York, so follow me on Twitter for the latest updates. Aside from IMATS, I also plan to hit a lot of other fun beauty related places while in New York. I have plans to get my nailz did at Rescue Beauty Lounge and check out the new Nars boutique in Soho!

I'm also smiling today because we hit over 1500+ followers this week. Thank you guys so much for checking in and reading Beautyburg. As I mentioned before, this blog means so much to me, and it's beyond touching to see it grow! Thank you!

I don't think they have places like this in NYC!

Marlowe is looking for the Easter bunny.

Just as an extra, I found a few extra polishes to add to our Spring Basket Giveaway. If you haven't entered yet, click here to do so. The contest ends April 15th, 2011 at 11:59pm PST.

MAC Master Class with Senior Makeup Artist Louise Z. - Eras Reinterpreted!

2011-03-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

Louise Z. & Me

This past weekend I went to one of the three MAC PRO Master Classes that I signed up for this spring. When living in NYC, I never was in a position to take advantage of these, so when I saw that three upcoming classes worked with my schedule, I was game! Plus the fee for your class is completely refundable in MAC product. Win win, right?

Louise Z., Senior Makeup Artist, was conducting the class. The theme was Eras Reinterpreted. During the course of the class, we discussed makeup and cultural icons of three different decades: 1920's, 1940's and 1960's.

Many of the MAC PROs attending the class worked as makeup artists, but it seemed that the majority of students in the class had little experience with editorial makeup. I try to do what I can at home, but of course, I'm still just a beginner. It was great to see a master in action. I regret not being able to take advantage of these classes more while I was in NYC, but that's life eh? Thank you Louise for an inspiring class. I learned a lot from your notes and also loved your attitude on makeup.

Here were some of Louise's tips on editorial makeup:

Do your research - know the references, know the designers/photographers/models/icons/movies/culture/experience... Everything! Immerse yourself! Knowledge is power, so doing your homework will help you see eye to eye with the designer, stylist, client, whoever you are working with to get that special look.
Editorial doesn't always mean literal - A reference can be just that... a reference. A nod to a certain idea. Not a carbon copy.
Editorial can be wearable - Just because it's titled as editorial doesn't mean that it can't be wearable. See Louise's 1960's inspired look as an example. A nod to mega lashes and nude lips of the era without being a straight-up Bardot clone.

Louise Z.'s 1920's inspired look. This could be straight out of Vogue!

Love this vampy smoky eye. I might try recreating this!

Louise's nod to the 1960's.

Notice the drawn on lashes.

Louise's Editorial Must Have blushes.

Louise's Editorial Must Have Eyeshadows. Happy to see Orange in the in mix!

To read more about the class go to the MAC PRO website. To sign up to be a MAC PRO go here.

Eve Pearl Lip Color in 209 Amaretto - Brown Lips Didn't Die With 90210

2011-03-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

Eve Pearl Lipstick in 209 Amaretto.

Now I am a child of the 90's. Maybe it's me getting old, but something about that decade felt like the last great wave of cool underground edge. Before everyone had the internet... when people just had one phone.... things felt more precious.

If you wanted to be cool, you did your research. Things are so easy now. Want to know what your favorite celeb has on their face at the red carpet? It's usually online in full detail with a video tutorial on YouTube before they've even handed out the first award. Back in the 90's, I always wanted to know what lipstick Kelly and Brenda were wearing. They had this perfect brown, brick red matte shade that epitomizes that era for me. I remember trying color after color to get that 90210 brick red.

Possibly due to my exhausting attempts to find the perfect Brenda and Kelly shade, I always associated brick red lips with 90210. And subsequently I've always associated 90210 with the 90's along with MC Hammer, Roxette, Z. Calvaricci and other things I loved at the time but feel dated now.

So sure enough, it's been a while since I've even thought about brown reds for lips. (Full disclosure) The lovely Eve Pearl and her team sent me a lovely package to thank me for some recent reviews I had done. Her products seriously blow me away, but I had to say when I saw the tube of lipstick.... my first reaction was oh no 90210! I thought why would they pick this color? But of course, not to look a gift horse in the mouth, I decided to try it.

The formula on this lipstick is sublime. Very nice slip. It doesn't feel cakey on, and there is great pigmentation with a very light, glossy texture.

Now for the color. In the tube, 209 Amaretto looks bronzey, warm brown with golden shimmer. And on the lips, it is that... but more. There is a rosiness to it. This color is glossy, moisturizing and has a great sheen. It isn't that dry matte that was popular among our friends at Beverly Hills High. Amaretto brings out a brightness on my face. The hue is a perfect amount of color and intensity without being overbearing or brash. The overall effect is colorful but polished... A blushing, brownish red that makes me think that there was legitimacy to why I thought brown lips were so great back in the 90's.

I am going to IMATS In a couple weeks in New York, and you will see me getting more lippies from Eve Pearl because of the formula. Will you see me there in brown lips? You just might. :)

Ingredients:

MICROCRYSTALLINE, COPERNICIA CERIFERA (CARNAUBA) WAX, POLYETHYLENE, BEES WAX, CERESIN, EUPHORBIA CERIFERA (CANDELILLA) WAX, ISOSTEARYL ISOSTEARATE, POLYGLYCERYL-2 TRIISOSTEARATE, BIS-DIGYLCERYL POLYACYLADIPADE-2, DIISOSTEARYL MALATE, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRAISOSTEARATE, OCTYLDODEANOL, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE (VITAMIN E) B.H.A, HEXAPEPTIDE-11 +/-: MICA, C.I.77891 TITANIUM DIOXIDE, C.I.77491 IRON OXIDE RED, C.I.77492 IRON OXIDE YELLOW, C.I.77499 IRON OXIDE BLACK, C.I.15850 D&C RED NO.6, C.I.15850:1 D&C RED NO.7

Super moiturized.

Donna, Kelly, Brenda.... call me!

Eve Pearl Lip Color Lipstick in 209 Amaretto is $24 for 4.2g, 0.147oz and is available at www.evepearl.com

What's your take on brown/red lips? Do you have a favorite 90210 episode?

Week In Review - Miss Something?! - This Week's Preview!

2011-03-28T02:00:00.000-07:00

Marlowe gets grumpy.

So here's what happened last week in case you may have missed something. Last night, I went to a MAC Master Class which was really fun. The topic covered was called Eras Reinterpreted. Senior MAC Makeup Artist Louise Z ran the class, and it covered editorial ways to reinterpret some classic iconic eras without looking too literal. I will have a post on that soon, and I may even try recreating some of her looks.

Until then, here's some stuff from the past week.

I want to say YES to clear skin.

My Yes To Tomatoes Daily Clarifying Cleanser Review.

Marlowe wants to be a model.

My lazy girl waves' secret ingredient? Scrunchie.

Milani's Infinite Liquid Eyeliner is no lie.

Not all Insta-Drys are the same.

I'm still working on my Dove VisibleCare challenge.

Only Chanel could make green posh.

More of our spring flower makeup tutorial series....

My new favorite brow powder.

New feature at Beautyburg... HOLLA! It's Haul Holla Vol. 001!!!

And of course there's Vol. 002... there will be a lot of volumes in the future.

What would you wish for? 3 wishes handwriting tag!

What do you have going on this week? Is everyone in the US done with their taxes? I gotta get that together :-/

Sunday Night At Beautyburg - Finding Balance

2011-03-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday everyone! A really late Sunday (Monday in some parts of the world) post for me. This past week has been insanely busy. I am trying to find balance in life, work and love (namely this blog). I just want to do everything all the time, and we all know that's not really sustainable... so where to draw the line?

I picked this photo from a really scenic park on the German/Czech border where I went hiking once. At the time I was in a similar situation and had to pry myself away from work for what felt like a forced vacation. I was constantly checking my Blackberry.... staying up at odd hours to see what was going on back in New York. But at some point on the vacation, probably when I was on this hike, things kinda came into perspective. I was worrying myself sick with stress when I was literally half a world away. And it just seemed stupid.

So bringing it back to now and today. I am trying to find balance in my life where I still find time doing the things I love to do (meaning this blog) and getting everything I need and want to do done. I can easily over-commit myself, so I am stopping myself from feeling like I have to force myself to blog and put out content in a way that isn't sustainable (e.g. staying up past midnight to make sure that I have three posts out the next day).

So until I find that groove, don't be upset at me if I'm posting only once daily. I am working on finding a balance, but please know that this blog is such a passion and pleasure for me.... and I wouldn't want to give it up, ever.

I hope you guys have a great week. I am looking forward to tomorrow! Good night!!!

Three Wishes Handwriting Tag - What Are You Wishing For?

2011-03-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, there was a handwriting tag questionnaire going around some of the beauty blogs. I normally don't really care for surveys, but I really enjoyed seeing everyone's handwriting and getting a little bit more of a glimpse into people's personalities.

I have been dying for another excuse to do a handwriting survey, so I decided to just start my own. Feel free to play and link your wishes in the comments below! I love these.

How to play:
1. Write 3 beauty-related wishes.
2. Take a photo or scan it and post it on your blog.
3. Tag some friends!

Can't wait to read some of your responses! What would you wish for????