Mood:  chillin'

Motherhood is a bitch, because it eats into all of your "me time." It gets even harder when you have a child in school, because that child has to be at school a whole hour earlier than you have to be at work. Essentially, I've been spending the last 5 months awaking a "not-a-morning-person" kindergartener while trying to get my own motor running. Once I've gotten my daughter completely ready for school, I have 20 minutes to be work ready from shower to coat. This has turned me into a grumpy and a bland-faced miss, but I've resolved this by putting on my "face" at work which isn't so bad since I now arrive at least 20 minutes earlier than needed.

I hate that I have to apply make-up at work, because I'm really the only one in the office who wears it and I feel like this little feminine ritual might dimish my credibility with my co-workers. Yet, I persist because if all it takes is a little mascara to separate them from their respect for me, then I never really had it at all. *ahem* But, I digress. 

This new desktop make-up routine has taught me to appreciate the smaller and more portable products, which I will now review.

1.E.L.F. Essentials Eyelind Primer is a miracle prodcut that costs only $1. I couple of swipes of this primer will sop up the oil on your lids and provide a smooth and mattified canvas for your favorite eyeshadow colors. The liquid to power formula does take a little longer to dry than most cream eye shadow bases, but it works for hours! I literally get no color fading after 5 hours. Just one tip, a little goes a long way. 

2. 32 Endless Eyes Studio Eye Shadow Mini Palette is a perfect purse-sized palete that includes an array of eye shadows in matte, shimmery, dark, bright or neutral colors. Even better, it was only $5!! Use with the primer and you have a banging eye look. The only downside is that the included sponge-tip brushes are incredibly cheap. Use one of your travel eyeshadow brushes or disposable eye shadow sponge-tip brushes. (Hint: the sponge-tip brushes will give you a bolder cool which I like.)

e.le.l.f. Studio Endless Eyes Pro Mini Eyeshadow Palette

3. Wet n Wild's Mega Length mascara gives me nice, long, defined lashes all for $2 and it fits in the palm of my hand! Wnw beauty has certainly stepped up its game and I'm benefitting. Besides their new nail polishes, beautiful eye shadow palettes, they also have a a slew of mascaras for you to chose from depending on your lash needs. I have to get another tube to keep in my house now.

4. WnW ColorIcon Eye Shadow Palette in Cool as a Cucumber is my favorite goto green shade. (I'm a huge fan of green eyeshadow.) The included brushes also work very well. For $3, it's a steal! 

Mood:  down

This morning I had some extra time, so I decided to do a full face of make-up. In retrospect, I think I should have gone with my CoverGirl Queen Collection Bronzer in Ebony instead of the CoverGirl Simply Ageless Cream Blush in Berry. I should really, really, really find a spot in my house where I can work in direct natural light. Actually, there is a great place but it is also a very inconvenient space--my living room. If I ever buy a roll top desk that I could transform into a vanity, it might work because I can hide my make-up works when I'm not using them. But, I digress.

Below is the full face.  How do you like the vibrant golden yellow eye courtesy of Nicka D and N.Y.C. color?

1. I dusted my eyelid with E.L.F.'s Studio line translucent powder; 2. I dotted on a very thin layer of Ultima II base; and, then, 3. applied the yellow (the highlight side) from N.Y.C. Color's latest eyeshadow duo Upper Zest Side from brow to lid. (The yellow is much more vibrant when you dampened the brush, which I did. I used a tapered eye shadow brush to stipple on the color.

Finally, from crease to lid, I applied Nicka K Duo Eyeshadow in Toasted Almond. I swiped across both sides for a sunshine golden color. This picture came out dark, so it's not doing the vibrancy of the colors justice.

On my lips, I'm wearing CoverGirl ShineBlast in 880 underneath Black Radiance Liquid Lip Color in Coral Kiss. I used CoverGirl for moisturizer, because it really isn't highly pigmented. I used a light swipe of Black Radiance. Their coral is more pink than orange. It's a subtle hint of color. (I suggested using Black Radiance or any brand geared towards African-Americans or Latinos because you'll always get more color vibrancy.)

Mood:  mischievious

I haven’t done any FOTDs in awhile. It’s just a little too hard for me to do it whilst my little ones are running around trying to get my attention before I go to work. However, I’ve still been doing my make-up each morning. Glamour magazine was right, a little bit of waterproof mascara and tinted moisturizer make it easy to do a flawless face during the heat and humidity of the summer. Goddess bless Kiss My Face’s tinted moisturizer and CoverGirl’s LashBlast Mascara.

I am also officially in love with Avon’s Nailwear Pro Nail Enamel which go on great and last more than just two days on my fingernails. Without a base coat but with a Seche’s quick dry top coat, their polishes last at least 4 days before it starts to show some wear. Two of my newest colors are complimentary shades of green--Jade (see color below) and Olive Green. I heart Olive Green (picture left) for it is a dark and sexy shade that is an excellent alternative to those who are addicted to dark opaque shades like chocolate brown, blood red, and black. Olive Green reminds me of the dark green industrial trash bags. If the pastel trend is what you’re looking for, Jade is an excellent alternative to the lilacs, blues and pinks that have been crowding the shelves.

A buy one get one free sale at Rite Aid this week led me to finally buy CoverGirl’s Outlast Lipstain in Plum Pout and Wild Berry Wink. I never used a stain before and I was very excited as I tore off the protective plastic and pulled off the cap. The marker applicator slide over my lips easily without dragging or drying. My lips looked pouty and sexily stained as though I had just eaten a cherry ice pop. However, the look didn’t last long. After a morning diet soda and mid-morning snack, the stain had disappeared leaving only a faint ring around my lips. I might try it under lip gloss to give my mouth that extra pop. On a scale of 5, I give it 2.5 stars. Buy it on sale, for sure.

Mood:  spacey

Late last year, I purchased two Max Factor Vivid Impact Eyeshadow Duos and one MAXalicioius Lip Gloss at a deeply discount price at my local drugstore. It was 75% off! It was a great deal, and I was giving myself major kudos for buying such great products. The Vivid Impact Eyeshadow Duos went on smooth; blened well; and lasted all day. (I purchased the colors Sulty Sage and Smoking Rose.) The lip gloss was vibran, shiny, and highly pigmented. It wasn't until a couple of weeks later did I find out that Max Factor was no longer selling in the U.S. market hence the deep discount. Now, I was kicking myself for not racking up on such a well-performing gloss. You can see it below on my lips. That, my friends, is only one swipe on the top lip and one swipe on the bottom lip without liner.

Face:

Formula D Minerals Ultimate Vegan Face Powder and Primer, $9 on Etsy

Kiss My Face Tinted Moisturizer in Branch, $9, drugstore.com

Formula D Minerals Vegan Blush in Flushed, $7, on Etsy

Eyes:

J2 Double-Sided Eye Liner and Shadow in Black/Silver, $3, beauty supply stores

Nicka K Duo Diamond Eyeshadow in Debut, $4, beauty supply stores. (It's hard to tell on the computer screen but darker color is a soft black with silver shimmer.)

Cover Girl Lash Blast mascara, $9, drug stores

Lips:

Max Factor MAXlicious Lip Gloss in 810 Vegas Nights, various online sites, not available in United States drug stores, about $8.

Mood:  d'oh

In the following pic, I'm trying out my latest E.L.F. cosmetics haul. I purchased three liquid eye liners and two lip pencils. On my left eye, I'm wearing E.L.F. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Plum. Plum is a really, really, really dark purple. On the screen, it might read as black but it really is a dark purple. The application was easy and flawless. There was no skipping. Definitely 5 out of 5 stars. (I also got the waterproof eyeliner pen in Ash which is a very dark gray. It's a nice alternative to black.)

On my right eye, I'm weairng E.L.F. Liquid Eyeliner in Silver. I am a fan of the color but not of the pointed brush in the bottle. You cannot get a thin or fine line using the pointed tip of the brush, because you won't get much color. I used the broad side of he brush to achieve to get the line. This formula feels like water and takes a minute to dry. It is a fun product. I wouldn't use it unless I'm going out on the town for it takes a much more steadier hand for a precise application. It gets 3 out of 5 stars from me.

To complete my eyes, I used N.Y.C Eyeshadow Quartet in Glamorous. This eyeshadow goes on really smoothly. It is a rosey mauve neutral. Normally, I like my eyeshadows to be bright but I wanted the eyeliner to speak louder than the shadow. Like E.L.F., N.Y.C. makes affordable, fun, and trendy make-up. With N.Y.C. and E.L.F., I can see myself having lots of fun with my eyes in the fall. I am also wearing Cover Girl's Lash Blast Length Water Resistant Mascara in Very Black. Not since Maybelline's Lash Disvovery Mascara have I found a mascara with such a thin brush that can lengthen and coat both my upper and lower lashes without smudging during the application process. The eyeshadow rates a 4 and the mascara gets a nice plump 5.

Originally, I was going to show you my lips with just the E.L.F. Long Wear Lip Liner in Natural Blush on, but it looked horrible on my complexion. It was too pink for me. The texture is a little dry, so I would rub the tip between your fingers before the first application to soften it. Or, apply a very thin layer of colorless lip balm (try Eos), blot, and line lips as normal. I am wearing the queen of cheapie make-ups, Wet-n'-Wild. This lipstick color is the colorest I get to wearing a neutral color as I prefer my lip colors to really pop. (I don't have lips and eyes popping at the same time, though.) The color is 522A. It's a dark rose although the pink lip liner might be making it look brighter than it is. Lip liner gets 3/5 and the lipstick gets 5/5/.

Just to round out the look, I'm wearing Benefit Erase Paste concealer under my eyes and Cover Girl Simply Ageless Foundation in Toasted Almond (it wasn't until I took the photos that I realized that I might need 1 shade darker for the summer in Cover Girl foundations).

Tell me what you think? This was my first attempt at the face of the day/make-up review. Should I do it again? 

Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Moi

P.S.: I know the flash bounced off my finger nail funny, but the nail color is Mint Cream by E.L.F. that I was very excited about. 

E.L.F. is having a sale this June. Free French Manicure Set with $15 Purchase. Use code POLISHED through 6/30. So, why don't you treat yourself to some wallet-friendly polishes that reflect this summer's hottest beauty trends.

Mood:  not sure

About a month ago, I saw a beauty blot post about mint cream colored nail polish by Essie (Mint Candy Apple and Turquoise & Caicos) and E.L.F. cosmetics line of opaque pastel nail polishes. Since then, I've been absolutely obsessed and searching for versions of the color high and low. I spent my Mother's Day gift money on two of Sally Hansen's nail colors-- Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color in Mint Sprint and Complete Salon Manicure in Fairy Teal. The dark teal nail polishes went on smooth and quickly with Sally Hansen's new wider brushes. They also last very long. As beauitful as the colors were, I still looked for something lighter and mintier in color.

American Apparel's nail lacquer in L Espirit is a wonderful opaque and semi-matte lilac and Office is close to the mint cream I crave. Their entire summer collection would satisfy my current hunger, but my general dislike for American Apparel and rumors of faulty polish bottles prevented me from doling out my lunch money to buy them. Recently, I did take a gander at Revlon's and L'oreal's pastel lilac colors. When I tried Revlon's (Lilac Pastelle) in the store, it was too sheer. L'oreal's in Party Hop was very close but required way too many coats.

Finally, in an act of desperation and a bit of recklessness, I ordered the colors that I desired most from the E.L.F website. The best part: I had a $5 off coupon and all I had to do was pay for shipping. I'm trembling for excited. In the meantime, I'm a fighting the urge to spend the last $2 in my pocket on an inexpensive mint cream nail polish at a local beauty supply store on the way home from work. Oh, what's a girl to do.

Mood:  on fire

Lately, one of my fav things has been tinkering around with all of the web 2.0 components out there from Twittering to Youtube, which is probably why I haven't been blogging here much myself. There is just too much stuff out there to look at instead of creating my own. 

While reading one of my favorite blogs, The Fashionable Gal, I came across a tutorial from Glam.com on how to wear high-heeled shoes. Since becoming a mom and a children's librarian, most of my shoes have been of the flat and/or comfortable variety. However, there might be a time when I'll feel brave enough to wear a heel again and this video will certainly help. (And speaking of heels, check out some of the shoes I've been covetting in my next post.)

Mood:  lazy

Moi had heard a lot about Zoya nail polish, especially when I was pregnant three years ago. Because it is free of toluene, formaldehyde, DBP (phthalates) and camphor, it is reported to be safe to use while pregnant. I doubted anything that was so free would have staying power like Zoya claims. Well, Zoya proved me wrong. 

Recently, I was able to get three free bottles of Zoya nail polish because of an awesome coupon code. I was excited. The first color I tried was Jinx, which is copper-penny brown metallic nail polish. (Zoya's website describes it as a "Deep red bronze with golden metallic shimmer.") Jinx is also one of it's more opaque polishes. With just 2 strokes, I covered my entire big toe nail. Only habit made me add a second coat, but it was very light. I didn't use a traditional top coat, but a sheer coral-orange-glittery Zoya shade called Gabrielle. It gave my pedicure an extra dose of sheen.

The smell of the polish wasn't as strong as other polishes, and dried a little bit quicker. I was expecting the color to chip in three days. It didn't matter if i wore open-toed or close-toed, the color didn't chip or rub off. As a matter of fact, after nearly 3 weeks, I got sick of looking at the color. lol. I'm kind of lazy, so I usually wait until my pedicure starts to look bad before I begin again. 

In these tough economic times, you want to get your money's worth with all your products. At normally $7 a bottle, Zoya is worth every penny invested in it.