A Blog from my Droid

It's Friday night, and I have just taken a shower. Naturally, I have tweeted about it, too. I'm lying on my bed with one of my kitties at the foot, and I'm thinking about everything I would like to accomplish this weekend. I want to finish painting the guest room. I want to clean up my makeup/craft room, which will entail organizing my sewing and craft stuff. These will be my tasks on Saturday. On Sunday, my friend and coworker Emily will be coming over, and we are going to film some tutorials and reviews!! Yay!
I am finding lately that I am more likely to accomplish my goals when I have someone with me when I'm working on them. It's too bad my husband doesn't enjoy playing with make up. I'd be all set!

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It's Been a While...

Once again, it has been such a long time since I posted anything.  I'm a loser, and I know it.  I wish I had something interesting to post right now, but I've been sort of busy as of late.  My mother-in-law came to town for a few days, so my husband and I needed to focus some time and energy on cleaning up the house.  I wanted to finish painting the guest room, but that didn't happen, unfortunately.  The bright side is that I got it all primed and started with the main color.  I need to get a second coat on that and then tackle the trim.  I can do it, yes I can!!


I'm going to try to get on some sort of a schedule with making posts and videos.  I would like to film on Sundays and then post on Mondays or Tuesdays, depending when I go to my parents house to do laundry.  (Haha, once again, I'm a loser!)  I use my dad's iMac to edit video.


So, I'm making no promises, but my hope is that I will start to get my act together.  Just throw something at me if I don't get something posted in the next two weeks!

LOTD: Sexy Smoky Gray

I did this look today and thought it turned out pretty well, so I thought I should share!  It's a basic smoky eye, and I used mainly MAC products.  Eyeshadows used were Smut, Copperplate, Cork and Vanilla, as well as Virgin (Urban Decay Naked Palette).  On the lips, I used the lip liner from MAC's To the Beach collection and the Viva Glam Gaga lipstick, and on my cheeks I used Ripe Peach Blush Ombre.  I used false lashes from Ardell, number 45, I think.

Would anyone be interested in a tutorial for this look?  Leave a comment and let me know!!

LOTD using Make Up Forever

I hope to do a tutorial on this look sometime soon, but for now, here are pictures of it.

On my lid, I used Make Up Forever aqua cream #2, which is a pewter, shimmery grey color.  I blended it up to the crease using my finger.  Over top and using a flat shadow brush, I patted on Urban Decay Mushroom, which is almost the exact same color but a bit darker and possibly a little browner.  Then, I used MAC 222 crease brush and smoked out the edges using MAC Copperplate, which is a matte grey/brown color.  In the crease and outer V, I used MAC Typography, a matte dusty black, to deepen the look, and I used a fluffy angled brush since precision placement was not needed.  I wiped of the 222 brush and used it to apply MUFE #5 shadow, a matte coral color, just above the crease on my brow bone but not quite up to the brow.  I used MAC Samoa Silk, a lighter coral/peach color, to fill in the rest of the space under my brows.  On the lower lashline, I smudged a little of the MUFE aqua cream, and then over that I used Bare Minerals Luxe eye liner, which is a smoky grey.

That's the look!

"Na na na na na, na na na na na na na na na na na, na na na na na na na na na na na

she's got the look!"

Little Weekend Project: Table Facelift

It is crazy, dare I say ridiculous, that I haven't blogged in over four months.  The main reason (excuse) is that my husband and I bought a house at the end of March, and we have been busy working on the house and settling into it in the midst of our already busy lives.  For so many reasons I can't wait to be completely settled, but one of the top reasons is so that I can spend more time on blogging and making tutorials.
I'm sorry that this post will not be make up related in any way, but I do hope that as my blog develops more it will include other subjects such as cooking, crafts and ponderings of life.


Like a lot of us, I had a long weekend in celebration of Independence Day.  Mine was even longer because I took today off of work as well.  I really wanted to make my weekend worthwhile and not just spend it sleeping in and watching movies.  I always feel like I wasted my weekends when I do that, plus, my husband went out of town to visit a friend, so I had the entire house to myself.  I decided that I wanted to do a little table DIY project, and this is what I did:

I started with this junky table that I purchased from Goodwill for $4.  I liked the shape of it and the sliding doors, and it was pretty stable.

I didn't like the worn away and dated handles, the gold tipped feet on the legs or the faux wood look.  I have a subscription to Do It Yourself magazine, and a lot of what they do to update an item is to paint it.  It's simple and cheap as well as easy to tailor to your own color scheme.  I also wanted to go a step further and put on new handles and add fabric to the table top to give it some extra pizzaz.

Before I primed it, I made sure to clean it well with soap and water.  Since I got it from Goodwill, I have no idea where it came from.  It did have some cobwebs and dust on it, so it was just a good idea to wipe it down so there wouldn't be any nastiness trapped under the paint.  Then I primed it with a spray paint primer.  I took the doors out in order to give them a complete coat of primer, but I didn't completely coat the inside.  I figured the doors would be shut most of the time, so only I would be able to see the faux wood on the inside.

After the primer dried, I started to spray paint it black.  Of course, I couldn't help myself and had to tag the inside of it with my YouTube name.  I really had to control myself to not tag the inside of our porch which is where this whole project took place. :P

Because the top would be covered with fabric, I didn't worry too much about the blotchiness of the spray paint.  However, I did touch up the other parts that would be visible.  Probably it would have been easier just to use regular paint with a paintbrush and roller, but I didn't realize that until I had already started with the spray paint. (Sidenote: if you are using spray paint, make sure you are in a well ventilated area and wear a face mask.  You might not realize it, but spray paint gives off a lot of paint dust that gets everywhere -- you don't want that in your lungs!!)

I painted the doors cream to match the fabric I would use (not shown in picture).

Once the paint had dried on the doors, I put on new handles.  The screw holes were just a little wider than on the original handles, so I had my husband drill new holes for me.

For the fabric, I just cut a piece that measured the same as the table top.  I wasn't exactly sure if  it would stretch out or not, and I figured it would be better to have too much fabric than not enough.  I used Mod Podge matte glue and covered half of the table top with it.  I placed the fabric on top and made sure it reached to all of the corners and edges.  Then, using an old gift card, I smoothed out the surface.  Once that was done, I spread glue on the other half of the table and smoothed out the fabric over top of it.  After that, I applied more glue over the surface to seal it in.  Once that was dry (about 20 minutes), I applied more glue on the top.  I did end up trimming the fabric around the edges, but it was not very much.

That is pretty much it!  It was a fun project to do, and if I undergo another project like this, I will probably film the whole process and make a DIY video out of it. :)

LOTD using Kat Von D - Memento Mori palette

This is a look I did using the Kat Von D Memento Mori palette.  I watched a video from MentalShiver and was inspired to recreate the look.  I was recreating the shape and idea and not so much the color scheme.

The lipstick I'm wearing is the Viva Glam Gaga from MAC.  Lady Gaga is great.

I used Urban Decay primer potion all over my lid and crease.  Then, using the purple cream base (called True) from the palette, I drew a very sharp cut crease.  Then, using a pencil brush I set the cream base using the dark green shadow (Hard Luck), which helped maintain the stark contrast from lid to crease.  Again using a pencil brush, I blended the aqua green (Peggy) over top of Hard Luck.  For a brow highlight, I used the shimmery pale yellow (Sugar Skull), and on the lid, I used the fleshy pink color (Agatha Pink).  On the lower lash line, I smudged Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Electric (electric blue) and set it with the dark green in the outer edge and the aqua green in the middle to inner edge.  I lined my top lash line with Kat Von D liquid liner in Proud Peacock (a dark peacock-ish green).  I used Benefit BadGal lash for mascara.

It's only been recently that I've seen the value in getting palettes as opposed to single shadows*, and the Memento Mori palette is the first Kat Von D palette I've purchased.  I've been less interested in her other palettes mainly because of the color selection.  I would see reviews and looks on YouTube, and although it seemed the quality of the shadows was good, I just didn't want to spend money to get a palette that only had one or two shadows that were different from what I already had.  The selection within this palette is a lot more varied, and I like that the cream base it comes with is purple.

As far as the quality of the shadows goes, they are quite nice.  The colors show up really well, though for the lilac color I do recommend using the base.  My one complaint is that when you swipe your brush over the shadow, a lot of product loosens up, so you end up having a lot of shadow "crumbs" in the pan.  It's not so much the mess that bothers me, but it seems like a lot of product will get wasted because you don't need to use as much shadow as gets loose.  I guess you just need to be delicate when you're picking up product with your brush.

Something I didn't realize until I got home with this palette is that many of the colors are similar to colors in the Urban Decay Book of Shadows vol 2.  Exactly the same? No, but quite similiar.  So, even though I bought this palette because I liked the color selection and thought it was a lot different from other stuff I have, it turns out I was wrong.  Haha, oh well.  I will do swatches comparing the colors in my next post, hopefully.  On the plus side, if you weren't able to get the UD BoS:vol2, you could buy the Memento Mori palette to get a similar effect!

Overall rating?  I give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

*On the topic of palettes: I used to not even look at palettes for a few reasons.  One, I used to not be able to spend more than $20 or $30 because I was a poor college student.  Most palettes are $35 or more.  Two, it always seemed like the palettes would have one or two colors that I really wanted, but the rest weren't anything special (like neutrals and light colors).  Three, the shadow pan sizes are always smaller in palettes, so I figured there was a good chance that I would quickly use up those colors I liked so much.  Then I would be left with a bunch of colors I didn't care for.

Now, my mind has changed.  It certainly helps that I'm able to spend more money now that I'm out of college and work full time.  More than that, though, I'm realizing that palettes can be a really good value for the money you spend.  I've learned how those neutrals and light colors can be useful (didn't always know that light colors are brow highlights).  I've realized that it really isn't likely that I will run out of a shadow.  As my make up collection grows, I can vary between color schemes as well as have multiple favorites.

Even if you are just starting out in make up, palettes are nice starting points because of their variety.  Most make up companies create palettes to include brow highlights, crease colors and lid colors, so you have the basics you need while still having variety to play with.

Contest Entry #2 for Glamourdolleyes Twilight contest

I forgot to save pictures from this look, but there are four pictures at the end of the video. :)

Watch me!

I did this look to represent the Cullens in general. I wanted to basically enhance my own features without schmearing on the make up. By using Smashbox Artificial Highlight all over my face, I was able to create a sparkly glow like the Cullens have in the sunlight. I used MAC Studio Fixx foundation over that which subdued the shimmer a bit. I used Revolver from Urban Decay (matte gray) to contour my face, which worked out quite well. I thought that since the Cullens are often described as having skin like statues or marble it would be better to go for a white/gray scheme, and gray made a better contour color than brown.

It was a lot of fun to do, and I feel like I learned a little more about how to do my face make up in the process.

Contest Entry for Glamourdolleyes Twilight Contest

I am entering the Twilight inspired contest on Glamourdolleyes' YouTube channel. This look is inspired by Alice. She's probably my favorite character from the Twilight series, though I like the way her character is portrayed in the book more than the movie. I'm just going to be honest - Ashley Greene isn't really who I would have picked to play her. I guess I don't know who I would have chosen, but just not her. :P

You can watch my contest entry here:

Contest Entry

Here's the link to my tutorial vid:

Alice Tutorial

I hope you like it!! Let me know what you think!

My Honey is a Sweetie!

I just wanted to share how sweet my husband is! As I said in an earlier post, I really wanted the Urban Decay Book of Shadows: Vol 2, but my husband didn't get it for me. Instead, he got me something way better: a train case with a custom made cover. The cover really wasn't necessary because the train case is made to protect your make up while you transport it, but he wanted to go the extra mile on this Christmas present. A friend of ours makes purses, but she pretty much designs and sews anything else. (Here's her site: Ali Rags) My husband got in touch with her to make this project. She had told me a while back how she found this vintage, peacock sort of fabric (I loooooooove peacocks and decorating with peacock things), and I was planning on having her make a custom purse for me but never got around to it. My husband took advantage of my procrastination/forgetfulness and had her use it for my train case cover!

This is just an inside view of the case. It probably won't fit all of my make up, but for now while I've just been doing make up for friends (weddings, proms, etc), it should be sufficient. Plus, if I want to film a tutorial somewhere besides my bathroom, it is useful for carrying what I plan to use just for that tutorial.

This is what the closed train case looks like with the cover unsecured.This is the cover fully covering the train case and secured (with Velcro) at the top.

Urban Decay Book of Shadows: vol 2

I meant to post on this earlier, but I forgot. Also, I was planning on posting pictures, but instead I'm just going to post the link to my YT video on this. I showed the swatches on the video. Unfortunately, the lighting was not the best. I'm still trying to figure out what to do about that. I did take pictures of the swatches, so if I remember, I will also post those.

Here's the link to my video:
Urban Decay Book of Shadows vol 2

So, I'm an avid Urban Decay fan, so please consider that as I share my opinion on the BoS:v2. I LOVE it! I am consistently impressed with the products UD comes out with, and I was not let down with this one. I used to shy away from getting palettes because I would like three, maybe four, colors, generally the exclusive ones, but not the rest. However, as I've grown more in my make up knowledge (those lighter colors in a palette are to be used as highlights... go figure!), I've come to appreciate palettes more. Naturally, as an Urban Decay fan, that means that I want to own every palette they come out with. When the BoS:vol1 came out, I hadn't yet wisened up to the fact of how great they are, so I let that opportunity pass me by. And I almost didn't get the BoS:v2! I kept on hinting to my husband how much I wanted it for Christmas, so I was almost certain that I would get it. However, he went and got me something way better: a train case with a customer cover (post to follow with pictures). Anyway, after Christmas, I noticed that the BoS:v2 wasn't listed on Sephora.com or UrbanDecay.com, so I called up the nearest Sephora (two hour drive), and they didn't have it, so I called the nearest Ulta (about the same distance in the other direction), and they still had plenty. So, my husband and I took a mini road trip so I could get it. And they all lived happily ever after, the end!

On to my opinion of the BoS:v2....
First of all, I think the range of colors is pretty great. You have black, gray, purples, blues, greens, browns, pink, and one highly-impractical-but-totally-fun-more-glitter-than-you-can-handle shade.
Second, the quality of the shadows is great and exactly what you would expect from Urban Decay. They are all smooth and easy to blend. In general, I think that it's easier to make Urban Decay shadows look good even if you don't know exactly what you're doing because they blend together so well. Because the sheen is pretty uniform among the shadow, it helps your look to appear uniform and blended.
The next thing I like about the BoS:v2 is the fact that it comes with not one but two 24/y liners. One is Zero (black), and the other is Bourbon (brown with little silver glitter). They are my favorite liners, and although I already had both of those colors (Zero is a must!!), it was this added bonus! I had already seen reviews, but I guess I had forgotten about them, so when I opened it up, I was extremely pleased! Not only does it come with the liners, but it also comes with a mini primer potion! Yay!

So, I give this palette 10 stars out of 10 - **********. :D

Btw, my favorite colors are Sellout (high sheen, pale flesh color), Misdemeanor (deep sea green with some sparkle), Gunmetal (sheeny gray) and Mushroom (sheeny taup).