Believe Make-up by Andrei

Champagne Tastes on a Beer Budget: DIY Face Masks

2011-02-17T18:57:00.000-08:00

"For Champagne Tastes on a Beer Budget" is the slogan for the youtube channel Vainglorious, a sect of Threadbanger that focuses on fashion. I love it, and it inspired to put together this little post for all you fashionable poor people out there (like me).

A DIY FACIAL USING ONLY INGREDIENTS YOU'D FIND IN YOUR KITCHEN:

For dry skin- This is the method I use, so I know it's tried and true :) Get an avocado, chop it in half, gut it, and mash it up. Mix it with about a 1/4 cup of honey. Smear the yummy mixture on your face, let it sit for 10 minutes, and then wash it off. Enjoy your naturally soft face!

For oily skin: Try Milk of Magnesia. Now, this might not be in your kitchen (for those of you who don't know, Milk of Magnesia is a liquid often used to aid in, ahem, digestive issues), but it is a relatively easily accessible item, even if you don't have it. You can find it at Walmart for really cheap (look in the medicines). Anyway, just rub a little Milk of Magnesia all over your face, let it sit for 10-15 minutes, and then wash it off. According to Paula Begoun in "The Beauty Bible", this absorbs oil even better than clay masks do, and will leave your skin feeling nice and refreshed.

For acne- For this mask, you will need about 3 aspirin, honey, water, and olive oil. Crush the aspirin using a coffee cup or glass, and put it in a dish. Mix in a few drops of water so it dissolves and gets a little pasty. Then, mix in warm honey and olive oil. Rub the concoction all over your face, allow to dry, and then wash off after 10 minutes. This should help dry up any existing pimples and redness on your face :)

Now, take into consideration that FOR ALL OF THESE MASKS, everyone's skin is different. You may have a reaction to something that I don't, and therefore an at-home facial might not be the best. However, I do have really sensitive skin, and I've never had any issues with kitchen facials lol. So, I hope you try one of these and enjoy it!!! Let me know if you do! I'd love to hear it. (Email: faebaby18@gmail.com, Twitter: BelieveMakeup)

Hair guru-dom

2011-02-15T17:33:00.000-08:00

We're only two days into the second week of cosmetology school, and I feel like I've already learned so much! Yesterday, I learned the techniques for the three basic curls: 6, 8, and barrel curls. Today, I learned three more forms of hair cuts! I'll be a stylist before you know it.

Before: curly hair

After! I straightened it by blowing it out with a hair dryer.

6 curls

Diagonal graduated cut

Graduated cut

I took an under shot so you could see the layers better

Layered hair!

You know, before I started cosmetology school, I was actually really, really nervous. Living in my apartment means that I have to work my butt off in order to go to school full time and still pay all my bills. But, I can honestly say that I don't regret the decision I made at all. I LOVE cosmetology school. Even theory, which can be boring, is still about things that I'm interested in. Everything I do in school everyday makes me happy, because it's all about beauty, hair, and fashion. I've never enjoyed working on anything the way I love doing this day in and day out. It's gratifying, really, because I finally feel like I found my niche.
Speaking of niches, even in cosmetology, people have specialties. At first, we were doing mostly blow-outs, which was a little discouraging at first, because I.... suck at blow outs. LOL. I mean, they look acceptable, but a lot of the girls in class are amazing at it, and I am not one of them. However, I seem to have picked up cutting hair pretty easily. For every cut we've done, so far, the teacher complimented my cut when she came over to check it. I'm pretty happy about it. I'm glad to be good at something. I was worried it would take awhile for me to pick up on things, but I seem to be a pretty fast learner.
Anyway, if there's ever a picture that I post that'd you'd like a tutorial on, just ask, and I'll make one!! That way, you can learn all about hair vicariously through me, without paying $15,000 to go to school for it, hahahaha... (Of course, you won't qualify for a license to become a professional through me, but for personal use, that's pretty perfect.)
I hope you guys enjoy! Wish me luck!

Love always,
Andrei

First Week of Cosmetology School!!!

2011-02-13T17:08:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!
This week, I started cosmetology school. (Just so you know, cosmo school focuses mostly on hair, not make-up.) It's been pretty fun so far. I got the first chunk of my kit, which included an awesome BaByliss hair dryer and straightener.

Classmates Colleen and Cache model our cosmetology tools hahahahaha

BIG bag to lug around. Bleh.

Hair clips galore!

Fancy hair dryer heehee

(I also got an EXCEPTIONALLY SEXY uniform. Yum.)
This past week, we learned how to properly shampoo hair. Exciting, I know. Actually, though, it was pretty fun. We all got to blow-dry and style each other's hair when we were done, and our teacher let us do whatever style we wanted.

We also did LOTS of theory (boo), including professional development (aka "You better show up to work on time. And take a shower first, too"), tricology (hair science haha), and CHEMISTRY... I hate Chemistry. *sigh*
Anyway, on Friday, I got to do my first hair cut!!!! Granted, it was on a mannican, but it was still super exciting- to me ahahah. Yay! Anyway, I'm going to continue to take lots of pictures... I'm sure my fellow students will love me for it. (... not. LOL. Oh wells.)

Disturbing sea of mannican heads lol

Me creepily taking pictures of classmates hahaha

My first cut!!!

My mannican has a mohawk... I only cut the bottom, I swear hahaha

Proof!

So, what do you guys think? Looks like fun, right? Since I have, in fact, started school, I figured I'd mention one more thing... If you ever want to see a particular blog post, or want to know a certain skill, see how I did a certain make-up look, etc., you can always comment on my posts or email me (faebaby18@gmail.com) to let me know! I tend to post for requests immediately, since it gives me focus haha, and being as busy as I am, that is SUPER HELPFUL. Thanks guys :)
Wish me luck!

Polka Dot Nails!!!

2011-02-07T13:38:00.000-08:00

My most recent design on my nails was a very cute watermelon pink polish topped with white polka dots. Usually, I opt for dark and/or glittery polish, but this time, I was feeling open-minded. I ended up loving them. They had a very adorable, retro vibe to them. I felt like I should be dressed as a pin-up girl 24/7. Hahaha.

The polishes I used were:

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Polish in "Pink Sapphire." I got this for $0.75 at CVS!

Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen in White

Sally Hansen Hard as Nail Clear Top Coat

I love the Sally Hansen Nail Art Pens. For this design, I basically just colored in big circles, and put tiny little dots in the open spaces. The only problem I've found with the nail art pens is that they fade... FAST. Back when I did the black and white striped nails, the strips came off after, like a half hour. You have to make sure you put a top coat on the design once it's dry, so the color won't rub off. Other than that, though, they're pretty awesome. I hope you like!

Love always,

Andrei

The Basics: Make-up Brushes 101

2011-02-06T11:32:00.000-08:00

I finally decided to put up some useful information on my blog (haha.) So, to start with my make-up instruction, I'm going to talk about brushes.

ESSENTIAL BRUSHES EVERY GIRL NEEDS:
1) Flat eyeshadow brush
2) Round crease eyeshadow brush
3) Fluffy powder brush
4) Blush brush
5) Angled eyeliner brush

I use those five brushes basically every time I apply make-up. Here are the brushes I use:

My blush brush. I love this for contouring as well as for applying blush. I got this in a Sonia Kashuk set from Target for $20.

My flat eyeshadow brush. This brush is extremely important for applying your base colors of eyeshadow. It helps the color appear more vibrant, and applies the color much more evenly than the dingy little cotton pads that come with your shadow. Mine is from Sephora.

My round crease eyeshadow brush. I love love love this brush. I use it for smoky eyes, to add dark color to my crease. I also use it to blend my eyeshadow colors. I got mine from Sephora.

This is a dual brush with a flat eyeshadow brush and an angled liner brush in one. It came in my Sonia Kashuk set as well. I mostly use the angled brush for filling in my eyebrows, because the bristles are really stiff and precise.

My other angled eye liner brush. This is from Sephora. It's much softer than the Sonia Kashuk one. I use it for applying eyeliner to my top and bottom lashes.

This adorable kabuki from actually opens up to a blush brush as well. I mostly use it as my powder brush. I prefer big brushes for powder brushes, because they disperse the powder better.

Now, those aren't all my brushes, but those are the ones I use most often. You don't need to spend a lot of money on brushes, especially if you're only going to use them for basic make-up application. There are obviously more types of brushes as well, but as far as basics go, these are all you need.
I don't use foundation or concealer brushes on myself. It's better to apply those with your fingers, because your skin warms up the foundation/concealer, and therefore helps apply it more evenly. On other people, for sanitary reasons, I'll use them, but I always put the foundation/concealer on the back of my hand to warm it up, and then dip the brush in that.
These are the pro brushes that I WILL HAVE EVENTUALLY!!!! (hahaha... As a student, I am currently a little on the broke side... But eventually, they'll be mine.)
15 Piece Professional Set with Designer Case from Crown Brush
I hope this was useful. If anyone has questions, I'd love to answer them! You can message me at my Believe Make-up by Andrei page on Facebook, on Twitter (username BelieveMakeup), or you can simply comment below. Good luck!

Love always,
Andrei

First Photo Shoot Pictures are up!!!!

2011-02-05T19:48:00.000-08:00

Yay! I'm so excited to announce that the pictures from my first professional photo shoot with James Andrew Photography are finally done! Here they are!

I hope you like them! I absolutely love them! Now that they're done, I'm ready to start up my online make-up portfolio, and hopefully start getting clients! Wish me luck!

Love always,

Andrei

Believe Makeup Photoshoot with Art School Dropouts!

2011-01-29T17:50:00.000-08:00

It's finally up! Last Tuesday, I had my first professional photo shoot for my make-up biz with Jim Yost from James Andrew Photography. My friend, Joey Min, filmed the shoot, and put together a promotional video for me. It came out AWESOME! I am so thankful to both of them for all their help, and can't wait to work with them again soon. As soon as Jim finishes up with the pictures from the shoot, I'll post that, too. You can check both of them out here:
Jim- www.jamesandrewphoto.com
Joe- www.artschooldropouts.wordpress.com

Recently, I started using all-natural products for my beauty routine. I picked up Burt's Bees More Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner, and Burt's Bees Orange Essence face cleanser. (Tada- Burt's Bees More Moisture Raspberry & Brazil Nut Shampoo - 12 oz, Burt's Bees More Moisture, Raspberry & Brazil Nut, Conditioner 12 oz (340 g), Burt's Bees Facial Cleanser, Orange Essence, 4.34-Ounce Tubes (Pack of 2).) I love them. My hair is super, super soft and shiny, and my face is so soft and moisturized that I didn't even need to use face moisturizer. I just started using them, but so far, I'd say they're amazing. They smell great, too.

I start cosmetology school, too, soon! February 7th, to be exact. February 2nd is my orientation, and I can't wait! Besides, once I'm started, I'll be good at hair, as well as make-up. :) Wish me luck!

Experimenting with Face Art and Hair Design

2011-01-20T20:02:00.000-08:00

First of all.... I AM SO SORRY I HAVEN'T BEEN POSTING! My laptop had water spilled all over it, so it's kind of on the fritz :/ Anyway, I finally have something to show you guys! I decided to experiment with art design on my cheek, and then hair design. Both of these inspirations were caused by SecretLifeofaBioNerd on youtube, from her video BoA Energetic Inspired UpDo with Waves. My hair is actually just a series of twists, and then a few crimped pieces for texture. I hope you like it! I might do a tutorial if people want it.

I posted more pictures, plus a cute picture of my outfit, on my Facebook fan page. :)

This picture was the inspiration for the design I drew on my cheek

My original drawing of the design

The finished product!

A slightly closer look

How to paint Cheetah print nails!!!

2011-01-12T18:26:00.000-08:00

New nail polish!!!! This time, I took step-by-step pictures so I can show you what I did!

Step 1:

Start with clean, polish-free nails. File them into a rounded square shape. (I know mine aren't perfect, but close enough haha)

Step 2:

Paint each nail with a few coats of gold polish. I used Wet N' Wild polish in SHIELD.

Step 3:

Use a thin brush specifically for nail art, and pick a black polish.

You're going to create semi-circles. Start with a curved line like this one.

Then create another curved line on the bottom! See how easy that is?

Step 4:

Make the c-shaped semi-circles all over the nail. Add small dots to fill in empty spaces. Do this to all your nails.

Ta-da!!! Isn't it cute??

Hope you like!

Love always,

Andrei

P.S. I've been sticking to my organic and all-natural foods, and so far, I've been feeling healthier, and more energized. I tried some cream cheese wontons from a local Chinese food restaurant, and it made my tummy hurt! Blah. Definitely like my healthy food better. :)

Quote of the day:

"It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, 'Always do what you are afraid to do.'"
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Simple Make-up for Work, and my 2011 healthy eats!

2011-01-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

Wooooo! I've been able to maintain my organic/all-natural eating for 4 DAYS!!! I'm quite proud of myself. Today, for lunch, I ate organic Chicken Teriyaki, which was DELICIOUS. For dinner, I ate organic cheese raviolis, which were also amazing. It helps that the food tastes good. I don't feel like I'm depriving myself, or putting myself on a diet. I've even got my boyfriend eating healthy food (*gasp*), because he keeps stealing bites of my food. :)

Healthy frozen dinners?! Yum.

Yes, this is the whole package. My boyfriend found the portion of raviolis quite upsetting, haha. I think it's definitely a dinner for one.

I put this over the raviolis, and it was amazing. The spicy kick was the perfect complement.

I can't wait for my Pilates dvd to come in. I'm so proud of myself. I think if I can make it to 1 month of consistent exercise and healthy eating, it will- hopefully- become a habit. Yeaaaah!

One last thing. In case anyone wanted to see it, this is my toned down make-up for work. :)

Very light, simple, and barely there

Look look! You can see the auburn in my hair!

I'm wearing:
-Cover FX concealer in Light/Medium
-MAC eyeshadow in Brule
-MAC eyeshadow in All that Glitters
-the dark purple shadow in the MAC eye duo Odd Couple
-MAC blush in Blunt
-Lancome lipstick in Creme de Marroon

Wish me luck!

Love always,

Andrei

Health and Beauty and Fashion oh my!

2011-01-07T19:20:00.000-08:00

2011 is on! This year, I've decided to eat healthier and throw myself into my passions. Starting today! Today, I dyed my hair auburn, and went grocery shopping, as well as started eating my healthy stuffs woooot.

My new, unevenly auburn hair hahaha

Super shiny hair! I've been using Bumble and Bumble Creme de Coco shampoo and conditioner. It's the best shampoo I've ever used!

Bumble and Bumble Creme de Coco Shampoo, 8-Ounce Bottle

To stay healthier, I decided to eat REAL food. When I can, I've been eating all natural or organic food. I'm not trying to deprive myself of yummy food in place of low calorie/ fat free foods or anything of the sort. I've actually had some quite delicious meals since I started my natural diet.

I had this salad dressing with my salad tonight, and it was delicious.

At the grocery store, I realized that the majority of foods I eat on a daily basis are sold in an organic or all natural form as well as the highly processed foods I usually love. I'll keep you updated on what else I eat and love. :)

To go with my new healthy diet, I also have a goal to wake up 2 hours early in order to exercise before I get ready for work, and soon, school. My exercise of choice is PILATES. I haven't started yet.... Heehee... But I ordered a dvd that I read great reviews on, and I can't wait for it to get here so I can try it out.

Pilates Complete for Inflexible People <---- The dvd I bought woooooo.

One last thing. In the mall nearby me, a store opened up just before Christmas called Charming Charlie, and I finally got to check it out today. It's adorable!!! The store is color coordinated, and filled with awesome accessories, from jewelry to frames to leggings. Today I bought a pair of sterling silver studs for both sets of holes in my ears, and this adorable plaid cuff.

I lovelovelove it. I can't wait to shop around in there again. <3 <3 <3

Love always,
Andrei

Andrei through the ages (haha)

2011-01-02T21:40:00.000-08:00

I've been skimming through old photos, and I decided to show you the progress of me (and my style) throughout my life (I know, I know... I've got soooo many years to account for. Hahaha.) Ta-da!

ME AS A WITTLE ITTY BITTY KID (hee hee):

I'm the miserable looking one in the pink and white haha

I'm all the way on the right! Smile!

I don't currently have any pictures of me in middle school, so we're just gonna have to follow my style from high school onward, lol. Don't worry. I didn't have style in middle school, so you're not missing much HAHA.

ME IN HIGHSCHOOL:

Delectable lol.
C'est moi with my brother and sister.

This is my favorite picture from senior prom.

New Year's 2007

Silly faces with friends senior year

The red is actually hairspray hahaha. I didn't really dye my hair until I was living on my own.

AND THEN I GOT CRAZY:

Me with black and pink hair... and a nose piercing!

Super blunt bangs that I cut myself hahaha

Modeling for the student fashion show (I also happened to be the student producer of the show... Oh multi-tasking...)

Burgundy hair!

I was a faery for Halloween

Green eyes?!?!

The gothic rag doll costume... I loved this make-up

Nice and pretty... I'm 19 in this picture... Before I started butchering my hair with bleach

Modeling headshot

Rawr

When I fell in love with red lipstick

My tattoo all sexyfied

This is my tattoo right after I got it done... It says "love truth beauty freedom." And yes, I did my research. That's what it actually says LOL.

So anyway, I hope you enjoyed. I thought the little trip down memory lane was fun, anyways. :)

Love always,
Andrei

New Year's Beauty :)

2011-01-01T21:02:00.000-08:00

I didn't exactly have a lot of time to sexy-fy myself for New Year's Eve this year.... I literally got dressed in the car on the way to my friend's house haha. But I did paint my nails and pick out my outfit the night before :)

The nail polish is "Sparkling Diamond Black" by Sally Hansen, with a top coat of some random sequin-and-glitter top coat by NYC.

The glitter in the nail polishes make this picture pretty cool haha

The shirt I wore! I paired this with super cute dark blue jeggings and black heels, as well as lots of silver jewelry :)

Sorry there aren't any pictures of me in my New Year's outfit, but I was so rushed and slightly disheveled that I didn't take any pictures </3 The makeup wasn't anything special, though, because I did it in the car hahaha. You're not missing much.
By the way, thanks for all the support on Facebook guys!!!! I now have 29 FOLLOWERS on my Facebook fan page! (That might not be a lot to you super bloggers, but it's exciting to me hahaha.) If you haven't checked it out yet, my page is here: Believe Make-up by Andrei
Pleasepleaseplease subscribe to my Youtube channel and blog, too! I really need all the support I can get to get my make-up biz rolling. <3

One last thing I want to show you.... This sweeeeeeet hanging makeup case I got from Target!

It doesn't fit all my makeup (because I have LOTS of makeup), but for the typical chickie, it definitely holds a lot. I love that I can hang this in my closet. Super convenient :)

I hope everyone had a great New Year's! Cheers to having an amazing 2011!!!

Love always,

Andrei

"Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake."
-Henry David Thoreau

Quickie Vlog, Christmas, and My Florida Visit!!!

2010-12-30T22:00:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Sorry I haven't posted in forever.... Taking a week off of work turned me into a slacker. >.<

I know this isn't the greatest vlog ever, but I wanted to keep you informed of my whereabouts haha. Hope you like it anyway :)

Now on to the fun part. FLORIDA MAKEUP!!!:

The makeup I wore to Ryan's family Christmas party. His Aunt Barb liked it so much she asked me to teach her to do her makeup! Hahaha

I wore this on Christmas eve.... You can't see it too well because of my *ahem* lovely camera, but it was all shimmery reds and white.

Such a lovely close-up hahaha

Zek looks so happy to be photographed with me hee hee

I hate this picture, but it shows the detail of the makeup better.

And just for fun, here are some pictures of the rest of my vacation :)

That's me looking super Asian with my boyfriend and some of his family at their Christmas party.

The electric drum set I got him for Christmas :)

Florida Christmas Tree!!!

Satchel and Zek, my cousins :)

This is Zek suckling on my blanket. No joke. Rotfl.

For Christmas Eve, we played Pin the Nose on the Snowman!!!

Moi and Aunt Alex <3

Aunt Alex and friends on Christmas Eve <3

The fancy hotel we stayed in Jacksonville before I flew back to Jersey

Apparently, the Omni Hotel is very pet friendly! Satchel even got a goody bag!!!

Hope you guys like them!

Oh, one last thing.... In case you hadn't noticed, I changed the url to my blog! It's now www.believemakeup.blogspot.com. :) Plus, you can now follow me on Facebook as well as Twitter!!! It's http://www.facebook.com/pages/Believe-Makeup-by-Andrei/175207689178249.

Love always,

Andrei

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."
-Harriet Tubman

I'm flying to Florida!

2010-12-23T16:03:00.001-08:00

Yay Christmas time is here! It couldn't have come soon enough, either. I've taken 7 days off from work- which, if you know me, is practically unthinkable- and am spending 5 of those in delirious amounts of relaxtion with my Aunt Alex in Florida! Woooooot! I'm going to try to update my blog from my cellphone, since the laptop is at home with my lonely boyfriend, but it's a little trickier. (Apparently mobile blogger and Virgin Mobile don't get along. Go figure.) Anyway, I hope everyone has a great holiday!!!

Oh, and real quick, I wanted to share two things with you: a picture of my sexy new Uggs (from the boyf's amazing family) and the book I've basically been devouring for the past two hours. It's called "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins, and it is fjfrloeifrjfirj ridiculously good!! (The litte button mash was my lack of adequate adjectives, btw.) I highly recommend you check it out. I don't know if the pictures will work since I'm doing this through email... but I'll figure it out.

Okay, now have a Merry Christmas, my little fae people. :)

Love always,
Andrei

My ex bloggity blog!

2010-12-19T12:22:00.000-08:00

Today, I was reading my friend Faiz's blog, Art School Dropouts, when I realized that he still has a link on his page to my old blog! I was so excited! There aren't a whole ton of posts, and it's over a year old, but even then, I was trying to start up as a make-up artist ;) I decided to take some modeling pictures I did with my friend, Jesse, and post them up on here. For extremely amateurish work, I'm kind of proud of the make-up I did back then. :) Also, if you want to look at it, the website is Geeky Chic.

I love that I used silver eyeliner as lipstick for this picture. Very ethereal.

I added this one super huge, because I wanted you to see the subtle touch of the green contacts. I thought it looked really cool.

Holiday Nails :)

2010-12-17T20:42:00.000-08:00

These nails were inspired by MissChievious's holiday nail tutorial. I've gotten a lot of compliments so far!!! I hope you like them!

They're little gifts!!! MissChievious put rhinestones in the middle of nail, but I wasn't too fond of an overly blingy look, so I opted not to. Kinda wish my nails were longer, but I used to have fake nails a couple months ago, and they're still weak from them, so they broke. :( All in all, though, they're pretty cute :)

Love always,

Andrei

SHORT HAIR!! O.o

2010-12-15T18:49:00.000-08:00

Okay... Before you panic, I didn't cut my hair just yet, lol. I've been very unsatisfied with my hair as of late, so I decided to pin up the bottom layer of my hair and test out short hair. This is what I look like:

So, what do you think? Yay or nay on cutting off my hair??? ..... I kinda like it. Hahaha.

Oh! And, in case you were wondering, here are some close-ups of my make-up from the "TAG: Naughty and Nice List" video.

This is how long my hair is now O.o

I'm wearing eyeshadow from my Coastel Scents 88 Color Palette, MAC brown blush in "Blunt," and Rimmel lipstick in "Bordeaux." (For the video, I put all the make-up on a little heavy, because the video always fades out color >.<)

Thanks for reading!

Love always,

Andrei

TAG: Naughty and Nice List

2010-12-14T17:07:00.000-08:00

Yay, my first vlog!!! This TAG on youtube was started by frmheadtotoe, and consists of a "naughty" list (products we don't like), and a "nice" list (products we love). Here are mine!

Naughty List:

1. Korres Pomegranate Cleansing and Make-up Removing Wipes

2. Living Proof Styling Cream for Medium to Thick hair

3. L'Oreal Paris Lineur Intense

4. L'Oreal Paris Double Extend Mascara

5. Milani Eyeshadow in Lily White

Nice List:

1. Cover FX concealer in Light/Medium Cover FX Conceal FX Camouflage Concealer
2. MAC blush in "Blunt" http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/156/329/Powder-Blush/index.tmpl
3. Oxy Vanishing Spot Treatment OXY Spot Treatment, Vanishing .65 oz (18.4 g)
4. Sephora 25 Makeup Removing Wipes http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P173806
5. Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment 4.6 oz (133 g)

Drag Queens and Make-up Mastery

2010-12-10T21:07:00.000-08:00

I think my favorite make-up artist to have worked with during my modeling days was Lady J, a drag queen/ make-up guru from North Jersey. She was so incredible, fierce and totally fearless. The anime doll pictures (one of which I believe I showed in my "Brief Career in Modeling" blog post) were all done by her. I loved working with her.
I recently just discovered Petrilude on youtube, a drag queen expert. He is the 24th most subscribed to guru on youtube of all time, and there is definitely a reason. In the video I picked out to show you guys, Petrilude looks... HOT! It's so stunning, the transformation. I love watching his videos, because the drama behind all his make-up looks teach me so much about basic contouring, highlighting, and creative eye make-up. I strongly suggest you at least check Petrilude out. You might find yourself just as stunned as I was. :)

New Makeup Tutorial :)

2010-12-09T23:53:00.000-08:00

Yayayayayayay new makeup tutorial! I hope everyone goes and watches it to support me (::hint hint::)!!!

QUICK SEXY PURPLE SMOKY EYE (click the link! click the link!)

I used MAC "Odd Couple" eyeshadow, MAC "Myth" lipstick, and black eyeshadow from the 88 Color Palette by Coastal Scents. The eyeliner is MAC eye kohl in "Smolder." I filmed my prep steps, like foundation and contouring, but halfway through editing the video, I decided not to include it. If you'd ever like to see my prep steps, though, just let me know. :)

I hope you guys watch and enjoy!!!

Love always,

Andrei

New Apartment!!!!!

2010-12-02T21:51:00.000-08:00

We're finally all moved into the new apartment! Yay!!! The video tour (for all our relatives that can't come see it themselves) is posted on youtube. :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUUbNepw_-w

Ryan displaying our bed. Isn't the "headboard" cute? I made it with wall decals :)

The fancy wall decoration is from Pier One hahaha

Yay cute couch!!!

Our refrigerator message board... And of course, Mystery Guitar Man hahaha

ThreadBanger: DIY Heaven!

2010-11-28T21:17:00.000-08:00

Recently, I discovered (via youtube, of course), the wonders of ThreadBanger, a website dedicated to craft junkies. The website is full of video tutorials done by the ThreadBanger team, and each video is filmed like a mini television show, which is cute. I can't even explain how awesome some of these tutorials are. I learned how to make wall decals for my new apartment (2 days!!!), how to make a bean bag chair (also going in my apartment), and how to screenprint my own shirts!!!!

I can't stop watching videos... Although I have to now, because I have to pack. </3 Anyway, fellow d.i.y. junkies (that's do it yourself, in case you were wondering), join me in saving some cash on expense belongings you can create yourself, and check out ThreadBanger. So far, my favorite channels on ThreadBanger are Decor It Yourself, Secret Life of a Bio Nerd, and ThreadBanger Projects, which are generally clothing ideas. Enjoy! I'm going to go buy contact paper for my nifty wall decals a.s.a.p. I'll post directions on how to make them and after pictures when they're done. :) Wish me luck!

My hair smells YUMMY

2010-11-26T15:47:00.000-08:00

My new hair addiction is Ojon Revitalizing Mist- This stuff smells AMAZING, and keeps my hair super, super soft! I mean, one time, my coworkers literally grabbed my hair and started sniffing it, because they couldn't get over how good it smells. Hahaha. I just bought the shampoo, conditioner, and hair treatment samples to try out, too.
Ojon Revitalizing Mist 4.8 fl oz (142 ml)

I'm definitely going to update you guys on how it works. Apparently, the hair treatment visibly rejuvenates hair.
While I'm talking about products I love, I just discovered a MAC counter at my local mall that totally wasn't there before. I'm SO EXCITED! Being the carless young lady that I am, MAC products have, as of late, been more of a fantasy than a reality. Not anymore! Today, I bought powder blush in BLUNT, and used it as a contour. It's perfect for contouring, because it's totally matte. (Matte finishes are essential in contours, btw. Any hint of sparkle diffuses the shallowing impact of the contouring color, because it draws attention and light to the area.) I also bought eye kohl in SMOLDER, which is jet black, and by far my favorite eyeliner.
MAC Eye Kohl Smolder
I can't wait to get my hands on more make-up. Mwahahaha.
Anyway, I hope you guys all had an awesome Thanksgiving! 4 more days until I move into my new apartment!!! Wish me luck!

Love always,
Andrei

I did it all by myself. Woooooah.

2010-11-24T09:39:00.000-08:00

(Sorry, this post was supposed to go up last night, but my blog wouldn't let me post pictures!!! ahdfhsofhwen?!!?!)
Today, I razored my hair into one long layer with lots of short layers. Aka the Asian mullet. Aka Emo hair. Haha. I love it.

That's how much hair I chopped off O.o

I didn't like the way my face looked in all my pictures, so I started covering my face hahaha.

Basically, I pulled the bottom layer of my hair up into a bun, and razored the rest of it into short layers. This is what my hair looks like with the bottom pulled up!

I think it looks cute :) It's still gonna take awhile for me to get used to... But in general, I like it. Of course, you never know... I might get bored and decide to chop it all off. *shrugs* Wish me luck!

Love always,

Andrei