The Glamorous Gleam

Up The Amp

Mz More — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:49:15 +0000

Around here in these parts, groundhog Staten Island Chuck did not see his shadow today. I hope the furry little critter’s foresight is correct as this unseasonable weather we’ve been getting lately in NYC has me longing for an early Spring. In celebration of the occasion I decided to pull out my MAC lipstick in Up The Amp, a lavender violet amplified creme. Perfectly pastel falling right in line with this Spring’s trends.

Wearing Sweet As Cocoa for the 6th day in a row. Think I’ll make it a full week.

Products Used

Face

Black Radiance Complexion Perfection Shine Control Primer
Sleek Luminaire Highlighting Concealer in L05 to conceal under eye
Revlon PhotoReady Foundation in Cappuccino & Mocha, mixed w/ NARS Orgasm Illuminator
Ben Nye Neutral Set Setting Powder

Cheeks

MAC Sweet As Cocoa Blush

Eyes

UDPP
Black Radiance Fine Line Liquid Eyeliner in Fine Black on upper lash line
Milani Liquif’Eye Eyeliner in Black on waterline
Maybelline The Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara in Glam Black
MAC Brow Pencil in Spiked & Senna Brow Fix FX to define brows

Lips

MAC l/s in Up The Amp

Up The Amp is gorgeous and would work on many different complexions. You can alter the color with a liner or lipgloss to make it lighter or darker if you wish. MAC lipstick retails at $14.50. Looking for a dupe? Check out Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Berry Haute. Spot on and will run you about half the cost.

How will you be rocking your pastels this Spring?

MAC Sweet As Cocoa: A Necessity For The Brown Skinned Beauty

Mz More — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:18:59 +0000

Another must have for the brown skinned beauties, MAC Sweet As Cocoa Blush. A shimmering brown with slight red undertones that lights up the entire face with a natural looking glow. Did I say that this was a must have?! Yes, it’s a stunner.

See my sweet and innocent face? *batting my lashes* lol. I’ve had Sweet As Cocoa for about two years now and wore it non stop when I first added it to my collection, but after a while began to ignore it for MAC Raizin… which if you guys haven’t noticed is my absolute fave (full post coming soon.) Trying to keep my makeup as simple as possible lately due to time constraints, I’ve been wearing Sweet As Cocoa for the last four days straight and I’m in love again.

Very pigmented, applies smooth and blends well. Slight shimmer, definitely not over powering. Just a small amount on the apples of the cheeks does wonders. Even better, it’s pretty universal so anyone can wear it. Application is key.

Products Used

Face

Cheeks

MAC Sweet As Cocoa Blush

Eyes

UDPP
MAC e/s in Club all over lid
MAC e/s in Embark on outer v & crease
MAC e/s in Shroom to highlight brow bone
Black Radiance Fine Line Liquid Eyeliner in Fine Black on upper lash line
Milani Liquif’Eye Eyeliner in Black on waterline
Maybelline The Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara in Glam Black
MAC Brow Pencil in Spiked & Senna Brow Fix FX to define brows

Lips

Milani HD Advanced Lip Color in Classy Nude
Inglot Sleeks Cream Lip Paint in #91

MAC Blush retails for $19.50. Want something similar at a fraction of the cost? Try NYX powder blush in Cocoa which retails for about $6 and is also gorgeous, I had it and used it all up. Only blush I’ve ever finished (although that is when I was first starting out my collection).

Do you have MAC Sweet As Cocoa in your arsenal?

Conair Xtreme Instant Heat Ceramic Hot Rollers Review & Tutorial

Mz More — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 04:36:45 +0000

Hot rollers are my latest addiction. I’ve been using them a lot lately to add volume when my hair is too straight, or to just change my style up on a whim. They are easier to use than a curling iron or flat iron, and safer for your hair in my opinion as the heat temperature is just right so you won’t burn your hair out and they don’t snag or pull causing damage. I use the Conair Xtreme Instant Heat Hot Rollers. It has 20 rollers in three different sizes medium, large and jumbo.

They heat up in 75 seconds and you can also heat the clamps, causing the hair to heat from the inside out for longer lasting curls. The rollers are easy to put in and feature ceramic technology which means better heat transfer, and the ions promote shiny, healthy hair. The clamps hold pretty well without leaving marks when placed properly. Love.

I figured since my hair is cut short it would be hard to use hot rollers but that is far from the case. I get awesome results every time. The curls last just as long as when I use a flat iron or curling iron, but I tease them most of the time to just create volume like this…

Here is a tutorial to show you guys how I use the Conair Hot Rollers to style my short haircut…

Link to video: http://youtu.be/SK-6pmepT18

The Conair Xtreme Instant Heat Rollers can be found all over the web, but one of the cheapest prices I have seen is $22.77 at walmart.com

Fierce & Tangy Tutorial

Mz More — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:17:13 +0000

I created this look using the Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR cream eyeshadow in Fierce & Tangy as a base. It’s a golden and orange sunset themed eye, with bronzed cheeks and golden nude lips. A perfect look for warmer weather. Uughhh I can’t wait until Spring!

Link to video: http://youtu.be/i_s0G_3qeV0

Products Used

Face

Black Radiance Complexion Perfection Shine Control Primer
Sleek Luminaire Highlighting Concealer in L05 to conceal under eye
Revlon ColorStay Foundation in Cappuccino mixed w/ Sleek Glisten Me Illuminator
Ben Nye Neutral Set Setting Powder

Cheeks

MAC Raizin Blush
MAC Refined Deeper Bronze Bronzer
Sleek Contour Kit in Dark to Contour
NARS Albatross Blush to Highlight

Eyes

UDPP
Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR e/s in Fierce & Tangy all over lid
MAC pigment in Melon on inner v
Sleek e/s in Peach Gold (Paraguaya Palette) on middle lid & lashline
MAC e/s in Red Brick on outer lid & lashline
Sleek e/s in Stone (Paraguaya Palette) on outer v
MAC e/s in Soft Brown to highlight brow bone & blend
Milani Infinite Liquid Eyeliner in Everlast on upper lashline
Milani Liquif’Eye Eyeliner in Gold & Black on waterline
Maybelline Great Lash LOL Mascara in Blackest Black
MAC Brow Pencil in Spiked & Senna Brow Fix FX to define brows

Lips

Smith’s Rosebud Salve
MAC l/g in Frankly Fresh
Senna l/g in Bling Bling

Pomegranate Punk

Mz More — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:53:03 +0000

All berry errthang… a look created with the Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Eyeshadow in Pomegranate Punk and some complimentary eyeshadows from MAC.

Products Used

Face

Cheeks

Sleek Fenberry Blush
Sleek Contour Kit in Dark to Contour
NARS Albatross Blush to Highlight

Eyes

UDPP
Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR e/s in Pomegranate Punk all over lid
MAC pigment in Heritage Rouge all over lid
MAC pigment in Smoke Signal on outer v & lower lash line
MAC e/s in Soft Brown to blend
MAC e/s in Shroom to highlight brow bone
Black Radiance Fine Line Liquid Eyeliner in Fine Black on upper lash line
Milani Liquif’Eye Eyeliner in Black on waterline
Maybelline Great Lash LOL Mascara in Blackest Black
MAC Brow Pencil in Spiked & Senna Brow Fix FX to define brows

Lips

Smith’s Rosebud Salve
Milani HD Advanced l/s in Lovely Rouge

Walking On the Wild Side

Mz More — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:39:55 +0000

I’ve had these metallic leopard leggings sitting with tags on them for the last two years. I figured I better wear them now or never, so I decided to channel my inner Madonna and pair them with a sheer blouse and my Litas.

I love this sheer blouse, it works well with so many different outfits. *Note to self* I need it in more colors!

F21 Metallic Leopard Leggings

Necessary Clothing Blouse

Jeffrey Campbell Lita Booties

Maybelline EyeStudio Color Tattoo 24HR Eyeshadow Swatches & Review

Mz More — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:28:16 +0000

After seeing all of the reviews on this new shadow from Maybelline I just couldn’t resist trying it for myself. I picked up one to test out and immediately went back the next day to snag two more.

The Maybelline Eyestudio Color Tattoo Eyeshadows are cream eyeshadows made with ink technology to create long lasting, vibrant colors. The shadows boast 24hr wear and claims to be crease resistant. They can be worn alone or used as a base for powder eyeshadows and have been compared to MAC Paint Pots as far as packaging, consistency and wear are concerned. I can not compare the two as I do not own any MAC Paint Pots since I usually use my NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils, Ben Nye Lumiere Creme Colors and Inglot Gel Eyeliners as colored bases. The Color Tattoo Shadows come in 10 shades and I picked up 3… Tough As Taupe, Pomegrante Punk and Fierce & Tangy.

Tough As Taupe

Tough As Taupe is a matte grey-toned taupe with faint slight silver shimmer throughout it. This was the first one that I picked up and I loved it so much that I picked up the other two. The color is perfect to create neutral, nude and smokey eye looks. I can see myself using it a lot with my Naked & Naked 2 palettes as well as my Sleek Au Naturel Palette, especially the shade Nubuck. Tough as Taupe is a very unique shade as it is hard to find a true taupe matte eyeshadow, especially in cream form.

Pomegranate Punk

Pomegrante Punk is a cranberry-toned burgundy with bronze shimmer throughout. It has been compared to MAC Idyllic Paint Pot from the Posh Paradise Collection. I can not compare the two as I don’t own Idyllic however, looking at swatches online the two look very similar. Pomegranate Punk matches perfectly with MAC Heritage Rouge Pigment from the Makeup Art Cosmetics Collection as well as MAC Cranberry Eyeshadow. It would look awesome paired with MAC Smoke Signal Pigment and MAC Sketch Eyeshadow, as well as any other deep burgundy and cranberry shades.

Fierce & Tangy

Fierce & Tangy is a matte tangerine orange. It looks very scary and bright in the pot but beautiful and toned down when swatched. It would pair perfectly well with Urban Decay Jones Eyeshadow, and Persian Orange and Peach Gold from the Sleek Paraguay Palette. It would also work well with MAC Melon Pigment, MAC Rule eyeshadow, NYX Orange Eyeshadow, and a range of other matte orange shadows. Perfect for creating a sunset themed eye.

Now as far as wear is concerned, I was able to get 10 hrs of wear out of Tough as Taupe with only slight creasing after 7 hrs, this was without a primer. I would say that this was satisfactory as I have extremely oily lids and cream shadows usually crease immediately. I haven’t worn Pomegrate Punk or Fierce as Tangy on my lids yet, but I swatched them on my arm and left them there all day and they did not budge or fade. I had to remove them with an oil based makeup remover. I doubt you will get 24hr wear out of any of these but why would you want to wear makeup for 24hrs anyway?! I’m just saying.

The Maybelline Eyestudio Color Tattoo 24HR Shadows retail from $5-7, I paid $6.69 each for 2 and got the 3rd with a $3 off Maybelline coupon at Rite Aid. You can eventually find them at BOGO 50% off since it’s a drugstore brand and they do this a lot. I highly recommend these shadows and I’ll probably pick up at least one more, Tenacious Teal.

Have you guys picked up any of these shadows yet?

MAC All Of My Purple Life Dupe? Say It Ain’t So

Mz More — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:13:18 +0000

I was so mad that I missed out on Afrobella’s lipglass for the MAC Bloggers Obsession Collection, All of My Purple Life. I told myself that I didn’t need it or anything else in the collection. Silly me. Well while sorting through my collection I ran across a lipstick that I barely wear because it tends to be a little too cool-toned for me. So I began to experiment and swatched the lipstick on my arm, the plan being to try different lipglosses on top. When I applied the first gloss my eyes almost popped out of my head as I thought “Woah Nelly, that looks like All of My Purple Life!!!”

My little experiment included MAC Go For It Lipstick from the In the Groove Collection with NYX Megashine Lipgloss in African Queen on top. This color combination gave me the closest dupe that I’ve seen so far for All of My Purple Life. Not quite a match for the in the tube color but matches the on lip color, and more opaque.

From left to right: MAC Go For It, NYX African Queen, African Queen on top of Go For It

I had to put the combination on my lips to be sure that my eyes were not fooling me. Nope, they weren’t.

My combo…

All of My Purple Life…

Photo: Temptalia.com

Photo: Afrobella.com

Now MAC Go For It was limited edition, however the MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Goes and Goes is an exact dupe and it’s permanent. NYX Megashine Lipgloss in African Queen can be found at cherryculture.com or at your local retailer that sells NYX. It may not be 100% exact but it’s close enough. Also note that Afrobella was wearing a hint of an OCC Lip Tar under All of My Purple Life in this pic.

So what do you guys think, dupe or not?

Macy’s The Workshop Giveaway (Closed)

Mz More — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:33:07 +0000

This giveaway is being sponsored by Macy’s in honor of their 2012 Macy’s Workshop. One winner will receive a gift pack valued at $200 and includes the following items:

A $30 Macy’s Gift Card

A LeSportSac Laptop Bag

A Sharper Image Charging Valet and…

A Sharper Image Digital Photo Keychain

This Giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only and you must be 18 years or older to enter.You MUST complete the mandatory entry or your extra entries will not count. This giveaway will end on Monday, January 23rd at 12:01 am EST. The winner will be chosen randomly using Rafflecopter. I will contact the winner via email and you will have 48 hrs to respond before another winner is chosen. The prize will ship directly from Macy’s.

All instructions are in the Rafflecopter Widget below. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats Ashley E.!

The 2012 Macy’s Workshop Retail Development Program

Mz More — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:59:36 +0000

Multicultural or Women-Owned Business owner? Then this ones for you…

The Workshop at Macy’s is a comprehensive retail vendor development program designed to educate, prepare, and mentor high potential multicultural and/or women-owned business owners on how to perform and sustain growth in the retail industry. Macy’s is committed to helping diverse retail vendors grow within the industry, and after a successful program in 2011, the 2012 Workshop is shaping up to be even more exciting!

This once-a-year program is a 4 ½-day training course for up to 20 participants,and will provide you with:

An exclusive program located at Macy’s Herald Square Corporate Offices in Manhattan, New York, designed by Macy’s senior level merchants and learning and development experts
A unique learning opportunity with courses taught by retail experts and accredited faculty
Exposure to successful multicultural and women business owners
Interaction with experienced merchants, industry leaders and private brand specialists
An opportunity to network, collaborate and engage with fellow aspiring vendors

All courses and materials are free to accepted applicants. Meals will be provided during all onsite sessions. Please note participants are responsible for their own travel and lodging (if applicable).

Applications are now being accepted for the Spring 2012 Workshop and the deadline is Jan 22. For more information and to apply now, visit The Workshop site.