Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Review: Makeup Forever Smokey Lash Mascara

Hey girls!
If I had to choose just one makeup item for the rest of my life, it would be mascara. I barely have any eyelashes, and with a good formula, I can look like I have the longest eyelashes in the world! I was hooked on Maybelline's Lash Stiletto (which is an AMAZING formula) but now I'm loving MUFE Smokey Lash Mascara.

A lot of people said that this formula is too wet for them, but when I bought it, the consistency was perfect. Wet enough to leave behind a nice thick layer, but dry enough to layer on fast. This mascara does a great job at lengthening as well as thickening, which I love. It makes my eyes look huge and open, while also making my lashes look healthy and thick.

Though expensive for a mascara, I think it is well worth the money! Try out the Smokey Lash Aqua and let me know what you think! It is waterproof.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Bright Blue Eyes! A Look I Wore For A Photoshoot

When I was in the process of creating my website, I needed a few good pictures for the banner and the About Me sections. This meant I needed amazing makeup as well! I had the hardest time figuring out what kind of look I wanted to portray- classy, sexy, simple/sophisticated or just all out wild. I finally settled on this bright blue, sparkly eye look, and I hope you all love it! Go to here to see the makeup tutorial on this look!

PRODUCTS USED

EYES
1) Too Faced shadow insurance for my all over eyelid primer
2) MAC's Petrol Blue eyeliner as a base, press and rub it in with an eye shadow brush
3) Freshwater eyeshadow by MAC only on the lid and crease, on top of petrol blue eyeliner in step 2 (used 239 brush by mac)
4) Beauty Marked e/s by MAC with 217 blending brush onto the crease
5) Contrast e/s by MAC with 217 on top of beauty marked in step 4
6) Clarity e/s by MAC with 239, press it right onto the center of eyelid
7) Steel Blue e/s pigment by MAC, foil (dip brush in water, then onto pigment) and press onto eyelid, but not onto crease
8) All That Glitters e/s by MAC as highlight on the brow bone with 217 blending brush
9) Use Petrol Blue eyeliner to line lower lash line
10) Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal eyeliner in Jet Black to water line
11) Blacktrack fluidline by MAC to line top lid with angled brush
12) Freshwater e/s on top of petrol blue eyeliner on bottom lash line
13) All that glitters e/s to tear duct area
14) Espresso e/s to eyebrows to fill it in
15) Makeup Forever Smokey Lash Mascara to top and bottom eyelashes

LIPS
1) Bbq lip liner by MAC
2) Half and Half lipstick by MAC

FACE
1) Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Tahoe
2) MAC Mineralize skinfinish in Medium Dark
3) Espresso e/s by MAC to contour cheekbones
4) Harmony blush by MAC to cheeks
5) Trace Gold Blush by MAC on top of Harmony
6) Shell Cream Color Base by MAC on cheekbones

Here are some pics from the photo shoot. Hope you like them! This look is very dramatic, but remember, in pictures you need to accentuate colors so that they show up really well.








Go to to here to look at how I achieved this look!

xoxo,
Megha

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

MAC Venemous Villains Collection: My Thoughts and What I Bought

I was invited to an event at MAC where they would be showcasing the products from the new Venemous Villains collection. This collection won't be out until September 30th, but pro members were able to get to see them a week early. This event was craziness! People were literally falling over each other to see the collection and have the MAC mua's try some products on them!

This collection is centered around 4 Disney Villains. I was so excited because in general, the princesses from all the movies are the ones that everything is centered around, and the though villains play big parts in all the movies, they are the bad guys and never really talked much about. The 4 villains are Cruella De Ville (Whom I LOVE from 101/102 Dalmations), Maleficient from Sleeping Beauty, the Evil Queen from Snow White, and Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog. I am really happy about the 4 villains chosen, because they each have different looks in the movies, and make for awesome inspirational makeup products.

First Impressions- When I first saw the collection from afar without really touching anything, I was a little under impressed. I was envisioning really dark, unusual, shades of everything, but what I saw immediately were dupes from the original mac line. 

Opinion Now- Upon touching and playing with the 4 lines within the collection, I felt much better about the line. I loved the bright red lipstick and lipglass in the Cruella De Ville Collection (since that is 100% her from the actual movies!), and the nude lipsticks they had paired with the reds, to offset it. The nudes were unlike any of the other ones that MAC has released in the past, so that might be worth while for someone who is still on the search for the perfect nude lipstick shade. However, when it came to the eyeshadows, De-vil looked almost like an exact dupe for MAC's Coppering e/s (which I love), so that wasn't worth buying for me. Also, Carbon e/s was also re created with new packaging for this line (again something that I didn't care for), and there was also a frosty golden-ish shade with Cruella's line. Aside from the above, there were a few blushes (beauty powder and regular) with this line, that looked promising. 

Maleficient's line of products included mineralize eyeshadows, nail laquer (I got one in the shade Formidable), lipsticks, and lipglasses, as well as blushes. This line played up purples, greens, and light, pale pinks. I loved the colors included in this line, but I have never been a huge fan of mineralize eyeshadows by MAC. Loved the packaging for this line though!

The Evil Queen's line was the line that did not appeal to me at all. It was a mixture of colors from Maleficient's line, with a few new things, but I don't think MAC did a good job figuring out a unified collection for the Evil Queen. 

Dr. Facilier's line was my favorite, with the newest, freshest products from this entire collection. This line showcased something called Magically cool liquid powder, which is a powder that literally feels like water is being applied to your face! Interesting, but the color Cajun looked a bit like MAC's bronze iridescent loose powder. This line also had a lipgele and personally I love those! They're not too sticky, and the color payoff is beautiful. This line also had a few pigments that MAC has in their permanent collection, so I surpassed those as well. 
Bottom Line: Creative packaging, fun idea and great villains, but I wish MAC had put a little more cohesion into each individual villain's line. Some of the colors didnt' seem to make sense with the villain, and too many dupes in this collection! However, the products that were new, were very good. I am really liking the 2 products I bought, look at the pictures below! Also, go to my youtube page TOMORROW (September 23rd) to see my latest haul. Included in the haul are the below 2 products, with a detailed explanation about both!

with some friends at the event, playing around! The MUA's put on the cape and crown of the Evil Queen!

Magically Cool Liquid Powder in the shade Cajun

Nail Lacquer in Formidable

Check out my youtube page (megha8359) to see me talk some more about this collection in my new haul. It will be posted tomorrow!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

REQUEST A MAKEUP LOOK!

Hi Everyone!
I try to do as many of your makeup tutorial requests as I can on youtube, but every now and then I also do a look of my choice. This time around, I'd like for all of you to vote for the next makeup look! In the comment box below, please leave me the link for a picture with a look of your choice. Please do NOT give me color combinations, because there are literally a million ways to do a look like that. I can't wait to see what you guys come up with!

xoxo,
Megha

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Fall 2010 Makeup Trends

I'm a beauty fanatic, and if you're reading this, I'm guessing you are too. Its fall 2010 now, and that means stronger, bolder, more fierce looks are everywhere! Whether you're on the runway or running around town, don't be afraid to stand out. Fall = Glamour, and with some of the trends that are in today, you will be making a strong statement.

Dark, Thick, Brows
- brows shape the face, and this season, thicker, darker brows are in. Skip getting them threaded all the time, and instead pluck the few unsightly ones while leaving a defined, thicker shape.
- If you're doing the pin up girl look, don't color in your brows, but if you're doing a more dramatic look, color them in so they stand out against darker eyeshadow colors!



Purple Funk
- Purple is in, in, in!
- MAC's taking the lead on this one with their Venemous Villains collection (out September 21st, 2010), but regardless, purple lips are all the rage
- Make sure you use a lip liner to stop this dark shade from feathering
- Pair a deep purple lipstick with neutral eyes, highlight your cheekbones and you're ready to go!
- Remember, curl those lashes and apply multiple coats of mascara so that you don't run the risk of looking ghostly


Metal Magic
- Metallics are not just from the 60s this season. This means metallic clothes, shoes, and even makeup!
- Press on some metallic pigment on top of a black eyeshadow, smudge, and you're ready to go
- Paint your nails a fun metallic color too, and you match! May I recommend Already Famous by OPI? I've been wearing this every day and am just not ready to give it up yet!


Lips On Fire
- Red lipstick has been big since 2009, but this fall, it's being paired with neutral eyes as well as a dark smokey eye. 
- And when I say RED, I mean fire truck red. Not wine, not magenta. RED.
- Make you lips extra defined with a red lip liner, and this will stop your lipstick from feathering onto your chin


THIS FALL, MAKE A STATEMENT. WALLFLOWERS NEED NOT APPLY.

Friday, September 17, 2010

August 2010 Favorites!

I love doing monthly favorite videos! I always note interesting patterns in my choices, and I love watching favorites videos because if someone has loved certain products ALL month, they must be good! The way I choose my monthly favorites is that I think about all the products I've used the most throughout any given month, and why that might be. Those are the ones I feature, with an explanation as to why I love them! Many of the products in this video have also been in my previous favorites videos because they really stood the test of time! Enjoy!

My Hair Care Routine + Great Products to Style Hair

Everyone has been asking me what I do to my hair to keep it natural and healthy. Here is a complete list of products, how I use it, and how often. It's funny because I don't think my hair is that healthy! I dyed it a few years ago for my sister's wedding and that COMPLETELY ruined it! Words of advice: Don't dye your hair! I'm trying hard to nourish my hair and restore it to its natural state, and I'm glad you guys think it looks healthy! Hope this video helps you!

First Impressions: Pro Longwear Concealer by MAC

This product is surprisingly good! I have never been a fan of MAC foundations or concealers, being as they contain titanium dioxide and wash you out in pictures! However, this product really delivers. With its packaging (I love glass bottles and different shapes) it looks like serious, science-y stuff. My shade is NW35 (you should try to stick to NW for under eye) and it looked far better than the NW35 shade in Select Cover Up. I suppose this would mean that the shades did not stay 100% true to the older MAC concealers.

I was told by the MUA at MAC that this product is incredibly concentrated, and that is an understatement! You need the TINIEST, TEENIEST little bit to cover up your entire under eye area. It is not extremely high coverage such as the Select Cover Up or Studio Finish, but by layering you can achieve an incredible coverage. Moreover, it blends like a dream! It is much easier to blend than the other MAC concealers, regardless of if you use a brush or your finger. For this particular concealer, I blend with a large concealer brush then press it in with my finger. My favorite part is that you don't even have to set it with any powder! I'm not sure as far as the formula goes what is different, but this concealer truly is long wearing, and does not budge. It is 10:06pm right now, and I have had it on my face since 1pm and NO creases! I cannot even begin to sing enough praises for this fabulous product! I would run out to your nearest MAC store and pick up one, this stuff will last a life time with how little product you actually need.

Pop of Color Tutorial

Sometimes its fun to do a neutral eye with a bit of a pop! Try out this look for something easy and on the go!


Photoshoot Projects

Going Back in Time and Celebrity Inspired Photo Shoot! December 18th, 2010.

Any theme you want works! bring in a picture, or explain to us in detail what you want, or leave it to us to transform you!



Referral Discounted Rate: $40







HAIR, MAKEUP, and PHOTOGRAPHY:

Themes







Makeup and Photography:

Themes




Flawless Face

Hey Everyone, my subscribers on youtube ask me all the time to update my flawless face routine. I thought I would go ahead and tell you guys what I use on my blog instead, because I tend to switch up my face routine every once in a while. Below is what I use and love on a daily basis, so enjoy!

 
I change up my cleanser every few months, because as seasons change, so does the texture of my face! Right now I'm using Origin's Zero Oil Cleanser. It's very gentle, with almost no smell at all, so I love it! 
 
I am currently hooked on my Neutrogena Oil Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin. The same line also has moisturizers for oily skin, combination, normal, and dry. 
Oily skin, you stand no chance against my Prep and Prime Skin Visage SPF 50 by MAC! This product is absolutely 100% holy grail for me. It keeps oil at bay for 12 hours at a time, and helps makeup stay put all day! I have yet to use any other primer that comes even close to this!
I have pigmentation around certain areas of my face, and due to this its hard for me to find a foundation that works- REALLY works. I am currently using Makeup Forever's Mat Velvet Plus Foundation in the shade 65. This foundation is full coverage but does not give a mask like appearance. Great for oily skin, and matches my skin color beautifully! Expensive, but worth it.
I go through concealer phases- that's the sad truth! Sometimes I want an extremely highlighted look (aka Kim Kardashian) and sometimes I want a more natural, every day look. I love using my Pro Longwear in NW35 by MAC for the perfect highlighted under eye look.