Mineral Makeup-is it worth it? And a Review

I've never really been a fan of mineral makeup. I've always thought it was too messy and just a LOT of work. Also, I'm always paranoid of spilling the powder everywhere and wasting all that money. No bueno.

For Christmas, my wonderful hubby bought me this cute 9 pack of mineral shadows from Bare Minerals (so sweet!). The colors are beautiful, but it's really a lot of work to use.

Ok, backtrack a little....several months ago, I joined a group on CafeMom called Beauty Tips & Tricks. (For those of you who are unfamiliar, CafeMom is like a myspace only for moms-and it's not lame, haha).
Anyway, the owner of the group, Laurie, makes her own mineral makeup. It's called MFFX, Mineral Face FX. All the girls in the group are just obsessed with it. I looked at her website, and she has soooooooooo many colors. She also has liner, foundation, concealer, primer, blush, etc. So after a few months of seeing these girls obsess over her makeup, I decided I should probably place an order. I ordered 3 sample size eye shadows and told her to surprise me with the colors.

O.M.G.

I don't use the word amazing (it's SO overused) but let me tell you. This makeup is uh-MAY-zing!!!! The samples are $2 and you get quite a bit! The colors are just so brilliant and vibrant. The consistency is awesome. So smooth and it goes on so easily.
Needless to say, I'm hooked. I've since ordered more samples and much more to come. She has the fastest shipping I've ever seen..it's really nice to order something and not have to wait 443420349 weeks to get it!

For those of you who keep up with my YouTube channel, you'll know that a while back I did a review on Model in a Bottle. So here is a true test of both MFFX and Model in a Bottle:

This morning I was excited to try out all my new MFFX colors. I settled on a yellow and two shades of green. I LOVED the look I came up with. Subtle but fun. PS. I also used an MFFX color on my lips-very versatile.




Everything's going great, got my eyes all done and I'm putting on my mascara and BAM- I realize I forgot to prime my eyes. No bueno!!! I have really oily lids, and even when I DO use a primer, I have a hard time getting my makeup to last all day. ( I hate doing touch ups.) So after a string of profanities, I did double time with my Model in a Bottle. I crossed my fingers that it worked.

Model in a Bottle

Guess what?

It's now 3:33 pm. I've been at work all day. I had a major workout/dance session. I chased my son around the house for an hour on my lunch break. I sweated my ass off. MY MAKE UP IS STILL ON. Holy freaking cow! I can't believe it!

So there you have it folks. A kick ass review for MFFX and Model in a Bottle.

And just to clarify, I haven't been compensated at all in any way for these reviews. It's just so nice to happen upon good quality products.

You can find Model in a Bottle HERE.
And you can find MFFX HERE.

Much love and many kisses,
Sarah

Old School Hollywood

I wanted to do an 'Old School Hollywood' series...so naturally I thought immediately of Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe...but you know what? Everyone makes tutorials for Audrey and Marilyn. Honestly, Audrey Hepburn is my idol. She's so classy and beautiful, and Marilyn just oozes classic sex appeal..BUT- I wanted to do something different.

Lucille Ball.

Comedian. TV icon. These may be some things you think of when you think of Lucille Ball.
I admit, I know nearly nothing about pinups and rockabilly style. I think the style is great, but I know nothing about it-and it's not something I think of when I think of Lucille Ball. But really, with the neutral eyes, the false lashes, dark liner on the top lids, and the bright lips-not to mention the occasional bandana-all a big recipe for the classic pinup style makeup. So Lucille Ball it is.

Things you'll need to do to achieve this look:

• Eyeshadow: Neutral browns!






• False lashes of course! (If you need help with this, here is my tutorial on apply false lashes)






• Black liquid liner only on the top lash line.






• Eyebrows: Lose those arches! Her brows are smoothly rounded.






• For the lips, make sure you use a lip pencil and exaggerate that upper lip outside of your natural lip line. (But don't forget to make a deep "V") Now add the bright lipstick.
  
  

I was going to post my tutorial here, but unfortunately, the file is about 4 times too big.
So instead, just click below and it'll take you right to the video!

Lucille Ball Tutorial!

I hope you enjoyed the look and feel free to check out my BLOG and YouTube channel for more tutorials, looks, tips & tricks!

Muchos Besos,
Sarah Mae

Ideas Galore!

It's been so long since I've made a new blog post! Things have been uber busy lately, I'm sure a lot of you can relate...

So I have so many ideas for tutorials, I'm just having trouble finding the time to do them...here are some that I have planned:

• A yellow smokey eye look
• Barbie Doll
• Red Rose
• Avant Garde Wedding: Snow White
• Purple & Yellow F.U.N.

That's just a handful.

I find myself getting inspiration from colors. Mostly from things you can find in nature that have cool color combos-and I also get some inspiration from my husband, with him being a tattoo artist, he gives me great ideas for colors.
For those of you who are creative artistic individuals, where do you get your inspiration?

I'm going to add a few videos that I've done recently, some of you may not follow my youtube channel, so you can see it here, too :) (Check back this evening, I'm typing this from a different computer, so I don't have the videos saved to this one!)


Beauty Bomb of the Day: Eyebrows!

I also wanted to touch on eyebrows today. This seems to be a source of much frustration for many people. It's way too easy to over pluck, under pluck, and lose those suckers all together.

I'm going to give you some tips so you can get an idea of how to get the basic shape you should have. (I have to add, though, going to a professional always helps!)

You will need: One long long eyebrow comb/brush, tweezers, small eyebrow scissors (I use cuticle scissors), and any color eyeliner/brow liner
To get started, take the brush (you can also any long handled brush or a pen/pencil)

• Hold the brush vertically to the side of your nose, where it meets the eyebrow. This is where your brow should begin-Make a mark so you can remember the spot
• Now keeping the brush at the base of your nose, angle until it is in line with your pupil; this is where your arch should be. Again, make a dot or a line.
• Finally, keeping the brush against your nose, angle it until it is in line with the outside of your eye; this is where the brow should end. Now mark your spot
  

Now wasn't that easy??

See your dots you've made? Pluck any stray hairs that come past those marks. For the dot on your arch, pluck underneath, following the natural arch of your brow-be careful, it's better to underpluck than overpluck.

If I were you, I would stay away from plucking above your brow, unless your very confident. It's way too easy to over pluck above your brow and completely lose the shape!

Now take your brow brush/comb thingy and comb your brows downward. Trim any long hairs. Now comb them upwards and do the same!
You can now take a brow shadow or pencil and lightly fill in your brows!!





I hope everyone has had an awesome Easter weekend

Let me know if you have any requests!!!

Lots of Love and Oodles of Kisses,
Sarah

Coming soon to a Youtube near you :)

I have been a SLACKER!!!!!!!!!!!

I was uber sick this last weekend, so I did not film ANY tutorials, no bueno!

However

A shall be making that up this weekend AND I'm super excited about it!

I have 3 inspirations for tutorials this week....

FIRST: Rose Inspired









This will most likely consist of (obviously) deep reds and black...and some gorgeous red lips to go with it.


Secondly: Cherry Blossom



And this one will consist of different shades of pink, very spring/summer like!



And finally...........

As most of you know, my very talented husband is a tattoo artist, so it comes as no surprise that I LOVE tattoos, so this one will be.....

Koi Inspired!

I also wanted to share a little exciting news as well......I belong to a few makeup groups on CafeMom, and recently entered a St Patrick's Day contest...and won! My lovely Makeup Mama's sent a very cool prize, also...I believe there's more coming, but...here's what I got so far!





Isn't that just freaking awesome! Thanks so much mama's!!!!!
I hope all is well in your beautiful world!!! See you on youtube!!!

Back to Basics: Blending

Blending can be one of the most difficult aspects of applying makeup. Blending depends on the brushes you use, the makeup (quality) that you use, technique, & practice.

Let's start with makeup, shall we?

I'm not going to go through all the different brands of makeup and all that, but a lot of times, you pay for what you get. Higher quality (and often higher priced) eyeshadow have a lot better blendability (um, is that a word? It is now). This is something you'll just have to play around with.

Second: Brushes.

This is a biggie. There are a million different types of brushes and a million more places to purchase them. Obviously MAC brushes are going to be top notch, but there are a lot of lower cost options out there (without sacrificing quality).

In my opinion, the two most important types of brushes you should have for shading your eyeshadow are these: Flat Brushes and Rounded Brushes (And you'll find that brushes all have a ton of different names, just notice the shapes :))

FLAT BRUSHES

Flat brushes are used basically one way: a side to side windshield wiper motion. The shorter and stiffer the bristles, the more you're going to be able to blend out. You can also do side to side and up and down, but don't use circles with these flat brushes or you'll tear up your eyelids! Ouch! If you have a harsh line you really need to tone down, these will probably do the best.

ROUNDED BRUSHES

My favorite brush is that white one in the middle. It's just a Sonia Kashuk round crease brush. This is wonderful for blending in the crease. The bristles are really soft and therefore blends color out beautifully. Another way to use a rounded brush: Dip your brush in a darker color, then on the outer corner of your eye, draw a 'C' from the outer edge of the crease, down to the corner of your eye.

After that, you can either use a windshield wiper motion, a side to side motion, or my favorite, little circles. When you use this brush to blend with circles, it really softens your look and blends the color out.


These are some of the basics you need to know for blending. But I think what it really comes down to is practice.

I know it's probably difficult to picture what I'm saying, I'm terrible about explaining things, I will make another blending tutorial this weekend for you!

Love,
Sarah

Practice Makes Perfect.....Sometimes.

I had a new challenge this week. Create a Mardi Gras mask using only makeup (or accessories; jewels, feathers, whatnot).

Needless to say, I was super freakin' excited about this. The deadline is the 12th, tomorrow. So last night was the only night I really had to do this. I started at 9pm and didn't finish until 11.

Do you ever get these great ideas in your head, and they just don't pan out the way you want them to? I do that all the time. I HATE that! I spent about 30-45 minutes doing my mask....and I decided I didn't like it. So I took it off and started over. It still didn't turn out nearly how I wanted it to or how I imagined.

I'd like to think that if I'd had the time to really practice that it would have turned out much better. But I can't really buy that. Sometimes in life there are going to be things you just aren't great at. And I think making a Mardi Gras mask out of makeup may be one of those things for me. That's ok, though. There are still other things I think I'm great at...like being a mommy, and being a good friend and a loving wife. And a hard worker. And I think that makes up for the things that I'm not so great at.

What do you do that totally rocks?

Kisses,
Sarah

P.S.
Here are some pics of my mask :)

A fun haul :)

Good afternoon everyone!!

So yesterday I finally received my makeup packages! I'm going to film a haul & some reviews for youtube tonight, but I thought I'd give you a little preview first.

I kind of feel like an idiot admitting this, but this is the first thing from Coastal Scents I've ever owned-or even tried! *Gasp*

So I ordered the 88 palette:

I also got some Gel liner in "True Black"

And...some new brushes:

In addition to that, they also sent me a sample of Coral Eyshadow

Also, I had never tried NYX, so I ordered 10 jumbo pencils. Here are the colors: Black Bean, Cherry, Hot Pink, Rust, Pots & Pans, Baby Blue, Purple, Lemon, Yellow, & Gold.
I'm going to have to play with the NYX pencils a bit, though. I have oily eyeballs and with these being so darn creamy anyway, I'm going to have to figure out how to get these to stay put. But the colors are just GORGEOUS!

And the Coastal Scents palette: O.M.G. ...It's just beautiful!! The shadows are so pigmented, I'm in love! So I tried to do something fun today with my new colors:



Anyway, that's what's new with me..I hope you are all having a super special week!!!
Oodles of Love,
Sarah

Whew!

What a day!


It's Saturday early evening and it's already been a long weekend.


I've spent the day preparing for my son's birthday party tomorrow-that means cleaning the carpets and dusting and making the house look like a toddler and 2 cats don't live here. :)


On top of that, my son would not take a nap for mommy..ok, no biggie. So with his afternoon snack I gave him kool-aid. Undiluted. To a child who never has sugar. Oy. Tis been a looong afternoon :)





I wanted to brag a little too. About mi madre. See, in my town of about 40,000, we don't have a Sephora OR a MAC. Bummer, right? So I have to order everything online. Well, my mom went shopping today in a town about an hour away...which happens to have both :) So she picked me up some Tarina Tarantino Peal Glow Primer and some new MAC concealer. Yipee! Thanks mom!

So now I am just waiting on the sugar to wear off so I can get my son to bed-and THEN I'll be making not 1, not 2, but 3 tutorials for you tonight!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend!

Lots of Love,
Sarah

My advice to you...

Today I have two bits of advice for you.

1. When applying false lashes...do NOT get the glue on your eyelashes. If you do, please get that crap off before it dries!

I tell you this because I got some on both of my lashes the other day and did not realize it until I took them off that evening. Let me tell you, it is a pain in the arse to get it off! I used makeup remover, moisturizer, my fingernails...and it still took me nearly 2 days to get it out of my lashes! I felt and looked ridiculous! Beware my friends, this stuff can be treacherous!

2. There are no rules in makeup. You should not listen if someone says something can "never" be done or should "always" be done. There is no right or wrong way to apply your makeup! Sure there are things you should probably do to make something look better, but ultimately, it comes down to you feeling good about yourself.

Remember when you were never supposed to pluck above your eyebrows?
Or what about blue eyeshadow?

In the words of Kevyn Aucoin, one of the Great Makeup Artists: "Makeup should be fun, not fascist."

These are my thoughts for today. Hopefully you take (at least the second portion) to heart and have FUN with your makeup! Be original! Be creative! But above all, be you.

Kisses and Hugs,

Sarah (and peewee)

Randomness: What I'm best at

So...bear with me. I'm half delirious with sleepiness :)

I just want to update on all the makeup happenings in the Clements Household..

Ideally, I would love to do 3-4 tutorials for you every week. Unfortunately, I'm a huge blabbermouth and it takes me years to edit every video..not to mention the upload time. And with my little man banging away on the drums, it's quite difficult.

BUT

This weekend I will be doing a Blending Basics tut, a tutorial on how to apply false lashes, AND a flawless skin tutorial. IF I get a chance (we have little man's bday party Sunday!) then I'm going to do Part 1 in my Old School Hollywood series...Audrey Hepburn


In other news....
*I accidentally started to get into the wrong car this afternoon. That was a tad embarrassing. Have you ever done anything completely ridiculous while under the influence of sleep deprivation?
*We had a wonderful birthday day for my little boy yesterday. Lot's of McDonald's and, thanks to the weather Gods, time at the park.
*I have bought WAYYYYY too much makeup these days. I have to slow down or I shall bankrupt my family...ok not really, but I'm still buying tooooo much.
-I bought the 88 palette from coastal scents
.....along with a few brushes
.....and some gel liner

-I also got 10 NYX Jumbo pencils.
-Not to mention some cream blush, maybelline gel liner, & some more false lashes.
Oh, and a really pretty vanity mirror.

So yeah. I.must.stop.

For now.

It's Thursday, and I still have a busy week ahead, but I can't wait to do these tutorials for you this weekend.

Do you have any requests for the Old School Hollywood series???
Time to dig out those old movies!

Lots of Love,
Sarah

Let's get the party started!

So....It was suggested to me that I start a blog...so I have! I've never blogged before, so hopefully I can make this interesting for you.

I guess I'll start with telling you a little about myself (geez, I said interesting, ok, I'll try, haha)

I'm 24 and mommy to the most handsome little boy ever (who turned 2 today!!)
He's little Denny..or peewee, or little man, whatever floats your boat..



My husband Dennis is a super sexy tattoo artist and certified goofball :)
He's my rock and my hero. I love him endlessly.



I'm pretty busy, working full time, taking care of my little man, doing as many makeup tutorials as I can...but what else do I do for fun?
Well, I LOVE to cook!!! (Come over and I'll make you something yummy!) And Dennis and I love to go out to eat and watch movies (we're total movie snobs lol)and we love music...and I love.to.read. I can read day and night. But it's SO hard to find the time-quiet time- to do so. I just finished Gerald's Game by Stephen King. WOW. Now that's a messed up book, lol..I highly recommend it...I still have the heebie jeebies!

So anyway, thanks so much for stopping by my blog, I will really try my absolute best to make this thing fun!!

Kisses,
Sarah