Makeup by Gaby

Drugstore Mascaras and a Review| Maybelline: The Falsies

I love mascara. Even more so, I love drug store mascara. A lot of people don’t like to use drug store mascara because they’ve tried it before and just aren’t happy with the results but believe me, there have been a handful of drugstore mascaras that are on the market that do an amazing job and are comparable to higher end mascaras. Believe me, I’ve used my fair share of mascaras that don’t work well on me but it’s all about finding the mascara that does the things you are looking for. Nowadays, there is a mascara for just about everything; from waterproof to volumizing to lengthening, the choices are endless. At the end of this post I’ll put a few of my favorite mascaras that you can pick up at your local drugstore, Target or Walmart.

Mascara is one of those things that you generally need to throw out every 3 months or when it starts drying out because every time you use your mascara, it’s being contaminated due to the mascara wand coming in contact with the air. Whenever you apply mascara, you are constantly taking the wand in and out of the container. Not only does this push air in the mascara tube which dries out the formula, but it is very possible for bacteria to get stuck in the container in an environment that makes it easy for it to multiply. This is why it is important never to share your mascara with another person. This is an easy way for people to get eye infections or styes. So yes, make sure you keep your mascara to yourself and make sure you change out your mascara every couple of months!

Well enough of that gross stuff. I have used The Falsies mascara before which was a pretty decent mascara, but I think Maybelline started a new formula called “Black Drama” and now I think it’s my new favorite mascara. I picked it up at Target two weeks ago for around six dollars which is pretty standard for most drugstore mascaras. CoverGirl Lash Blast has been my go to mascara for over a year now and I can say that this mascara does everything Lash Blast does for me, and more. I love how Lash Blast really separated, lengthened and volumized my lashes but I always felt that it could give my lashes a little bit more definition and thickness. I have a pretty good amount of eyelashes but the problem I have with them is that they are too thin. Whenever I try to use mascara to make them a little thicker they always end up clumping together which is just not attractive at all. When I tried The Falsies in Black Drama, I couldn’t believe how much definition, volume and length I got from just one coat. The only other mascara I have ever tried that has done that is the Diorshow mascara in Black Out but let’s face it, I am not willing to throw down thirty dollars every couple of months for mascara. I’m really happy with both the formula and the actual brush and I’m sure I’ll be purchasing this again soon.

The formula in this mascara is a bit more on the watery side, which has its ups and downs. You’ll have to wait a little longer for the mascara to dry on your lashes, but it’s easier to apply additional coats without it clumping up too much. Also, the wand is curved to give your lashes a little bit more volume and is a pretty good size for all eye shapes. The problem I had with my Lash Blast mascara was that the wand was too big. I wasn’t able to reach my smaller lashes in the inner corners of my eyes and I couldn’t put mascara on my lower lashes because of the wand size. With The Falsies, I’m able to reach all of my lashes without a problem. This is also probably the darkest mascara I’ve ever used. With just one coat, I get that dramatic black color that I always want to achieve with my mascara which is a plus. The only problem I have with this mascara is that the bristles on the wand tend to poke my waterline when I try to apply mascara as close to the base of my lashes as I can but I suppose that’s something that I will just have to be careful with. Overall this is a great mascara that I would recommend to anyone looking for a mascara that gives good definition and volume.
Other recommended drugstore mascaras:
CoverGirl Lash Blast
L’Oreal Voluminous Original
L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes
Maybelline Express One by One
Maybelline Define-a-Lash

Makeup Kit Upgrade!

Last week my makeup kit underwent a total make over thanks to Justin Element! With wedding season here my make up kit needed some help. I’ve been trying to keep my set up small for easy traveling but it’s been so difficult narrowing down the essentials for when I work, I decided to just forgo the small make up kit and get the huge make up train case I’ve always wanted, and it even has wheels! I love having all the space and now I can actually see all of my stuff instead of having to dig through my entire kit to get to something. Justin ordered it for me from yazmo, which is a great site if your looking for any kind of makeup case. I’ll make other posts later on that go more into detail on what I bought but for now I just wanted to give you guys an overview of all the new stuff I get to put into my kit.

It’s nice and sleek and I can roll it everywhere. No more back pains for me!

So to top off buying my brand spanking new train case, Justin let me go crazy at MAC to update all of my client makeup. It was like Christmas. I imagine heaven to look like MAC…and to smell like doughnuts. Okay that wasn’t important but anyway. Justin got me a whole bunch of stuff so now I’m super duper ready for the wedding season! Oh, and a very special thank you to Ro Crisostomo for helping me actually rebuild my kit. I met her when she did the makeup for the Kaba Legacy photo shoot that Justin did, and she took me through the entire store and gave me a crash course on MAC’s products. She’s an amazing makeup artist and make sure you check out her work! If you’re ever at the MAC store in Cerritos make sure you go to her if you need help!

You have no idea how happy this makes me.

I’ve finally put together a nice neutral bridal palette! Lol now I just need to put all of my single eye shadows into palettes so I don’t forget I have them when I’m working…

Eyeshadow palette, fluidline, eyebrow pencils, and brow set. I’ll definitely need to make a separate post on my neutral shadow palette.

MAC Face and body foundation, Prep + Prime powder, Pro Longwear Concealer and Fix +

Brush cleaner and my new MAC 130 brush!

Cream color bases and yay! I got a new blush palette too!

So yes, as you can see, we did quite a bit of damage at MAC. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever bought so much makeup at one time. Thank you again Ro for taking me around the store and helping me pick out stuff and thank you thank you thank you to Justin who funded my shopping spree. I am a VERY happy girl!

Salon 25| Justin Element Haircut and the Ombre Technique

Yesterday Justin and I went to Salon 25 (which if you haven’t seen my post on feather extensions at Salon 25 click here) to have his hair cut by Vanessa! He really enjoyed his cut last time when he went in but decided to do something a little bit more structured since when Justin’s hair grows out, it literally grows out. Like it defies gravity by sticking straight out. He also wanted to try something a little bit different from his usual faux hawk so Vanessa gave him a new cut, style and a little bit of color that Justin loves. I swear he looked like a little kid on Christmas when he saw how Vanessa did his hair. The only other time I’ve seen him look like that was when we were at B&H in New York!

Justin before his super awesome new hairstyle. Look at that sad face

Justin after his super awesome haircut. He’s ready for the wedding season! 😀

So while Justin was getting his hair done, I started asking the lovely people at the salon about the ombre technique. It’s a hair technique that is basically a gradient in color with your roots being the darkest and the ends being the lightest. The great part is that if you keep your roots your natural hair color, it can be really low maintenance since it’ll still be a nice gradient in color as it grows out–unlike normal hair coloring where you have to touch up your roots often. Anyway, if you know me, you probably know I’m very spontaneous with my hair. The day I get my hair cut is usually the same that I decided to get it cut and that’s how it was with the ombre technique! Luckily, Moya had an opening so she was able to do it for me and I love love love it! It’s been a while since I’ve had my hair a different color and I feel like it’s perfect for summer. My hair now goes from my naturally black color to a nice, warm caramel brown color. I think I might go a bit lighter the next time I come in to the salon, I forgot how much fun it is to have a different hair color! If I do end up going lighter, I’ll definitely let you all know. 😀

Yay for new hair! And look, you can see my striped feathers even better now! 😀

Thank you again to everyone at Salon 25 and especially to Vanessa and Moya for doing an amazing job on Justin and myself once again. Definitely give them a call if you’re looking to get your hair done!

Which One? | Neutral vs. Bold Lipstick

I’ve never really been one to use lipstick, or any sort of lip color for that matter but for a while now I’ve been experimenting with different kinds of lip colors. While I mainly focus on my eyes when I apply my makeup, I like to try something different from time to time as well. I usually only ever put on lip balm on a daily basis but when I want to feel glamorous I opt for lipstick. However, with so many different colors to choose for your lips, what’s the best? In my opinion, it’s all about balancing the face when you’re putting on makeup. If you plan to create a dramatic eye look, go for a more neutral, understated lip. If you want to play up your lips with a bright color, create a simple look for your eyes using neutral colors. This is probably one of the safest ways to keep yourself from looking like a clown, for a lack of better words. However, I have seen girls rock an intense eye look with super bright looks and they look AMAZING, but it’s just not for me. Remember, makeup is an expression of yourself, so if you’re feeling particularly bold one day, don’t be afraid to go all out with your makeup. Believe me, when I was taking pictures for this blog last week, Justin gave me a call asking me if I wanted to go out to get food and I had bright purple lipstick on. I decided to take off the lipstick but when I did, my lips were stained purple! I ended up having to put on some red lipstick to cover the purple, which made my make up look a little more dramatic than I wanted to, but to be honest, I feel super fabulous with red lipstick on. It’s not something I do on the norm since I hate having to touch up my make up throughout the day but I can deal with it once in a while. So here’s some pictures of a few different shades I like to play with. I’ll list the colors underneath!

From left to right: Viva Glam I, Shy Girl, Bust Out!

Viva Glam I is the first lipstick created for MAC’s Viva Glam program which was launched in 1994. This program was created to help people all over the world who are suffering from HIV/AIDS. All the money earned from every piece sold in the Viva Glam collection is donated to the MAC AIDS Fund. It’s a great cause and now I don’t feel bad buying lipstick. According to MAC, Viva Glam I is an “intense brownish blue-red”. It is matte in finish so I always make sure to use lip balm before hand because matte lipstick always tends to make my lips look very dry and cracked. I find that putting on lip balm beforehand and applying a lip gloss on top keeps the dryness away.

Yeah…I put a boo boo on my lipstick while I was taking pictures for this blog. x\

Shy girl is a coral beige color that is in MAC’s cremesheen finish. I usually have to put on a few layers of the lipstick to make the color even. I like using this lip color when I’m really playing up my eyes because it gives my lips a little bit of shine without looking too crazy.

Bust Out! is a gorgeous purple-brown color that is part of MAC’s current summer collection, Surf, Baby. If you remember when I blogged about that collection, I kind of bought this impulsively and I must say I love how it looks. I can definitely see myself wearing this color more often. When applied, it isn’t as bright as it is in the container, but you can use a purple lip liner to bring out the color.

So don’t be afraid to wear a bold lip color! It’s a great way to change up your makeup routine when you want to go for a different look.

MAC | Surf, Baby!

I finally picked up some stuff from MAC’s summer collection! I’ve been trying to avoid MAC like the plague since I knew I was going to go crazy when they came out with their summer collection but I had to give in. I’ll have you know though that I only picked up a few things from this collection. I like Surf, Baby! more than MAC’s summer collection last year because I feel like this collection is more inspired by that beach bum, sun kissed tan look instead of last year’s “preppy” beach look. This collection heavily focuses on getting that bronzed look, which is perfect for the summer. I really wanted to get the blushes from this collection but they sold out by the time I decided to go to MAC. That’s my fault though but maybe I’ll run into them at another store. They are so cute, the blushes have a golden shimmery hibiscus flower imprinted on the top that can be combined with the blush or used separately. I was also planning on getting a bronzer stick, but after I tried it on, it made me break out a little bit so that was a no no. I’ve got to keep my skin nice and clear since it’s just recovered from all the stress during finals week a couple weeks back. Well here is what I did pick up!

Lipstick in Bust Out!
Bronzing powder in Solar Riche
Blush in Melba (not in Surf Baby collection)
Crushed metallic pigment in Surf the Ocean

And here are some pictures

Blush in Melba. According to the MAC website, it’s described as a matte, soft coral-peach color which is perfect for summer!

The Surf, Baby! products I picked up

Bronzing powder in Solar Riche. I really loved this bronzer because it has more of an orange undertone which really warms up the face without being too dark which can give you a “dirty” look if you use a heavy hand.

Lipstick in Bust Out! I kind of bought this on a whim. It’s such a pretty color though! I’ve always wanted a purple lipstick and even though I have no idea where I’ll wear it, I just figured it would be good to have. I’ve been wanting to do a really creative look so hopefully I can incorporate this color in.

Crushed metal pigment in Surf the Ocean. There’s a lot more water in these pigments than usual which lets it melt on the skin to a nice metallic finish. As you can see, the gold one actually was melted when I got it! There’s such a large water content in the gold pigment that when it was being shipped it actually melted due to the humidity.

See?! It’s all melted, ewww….

Swatch time! 😀

Surf the Ocean pigments. They’re so pretty! I really love the color on the right. The pigments have a pretty good color pay off, but it was difficult for me to actually pick up the color to swatch it.

Lipstick in Bust out!, bronzing powder in Solar Riche, and blush in Melba. I like how light Solar Riche is, the problem I have with other bronzers is that it’s so dark that it just makes me look like I have dirt on my face when I apply it. Bust Out! is really pretty too. It looks like a true purple in the container but it applies as a brownish purple which is very wearable. I’m pretty sure you can wear a purple lip liner to bring out the purple or a brown lip liner to make it even more neutral.

Eyelash Extensions: Are they worth it?

It seems that having full, long, and voluminous eyelashes has been the trend for years now. From false lashes to lash serum, plenty of people I know have tried everything to get those amazing lashes you see in mascara commercials. Now that eyelash extensions have caught on, it seems that everyone can get full eyelashes with ease. But are eyelash extensions worth it? I’ve personally never had eyelash extensions put in but I’ve always contemplated it. The problem I have with my lashes is that they’re just super thin. I have a lot of them, but they’re not as defined and full as I would want them to be. After doing some research, I found some pretty interesting information that I wanted to share with you guys.

Pros:

Lengthens and thickens natural lashes
You can achieve any kind of look you’re going for–from full, natural lashes to super dramatic and dark lashes
You can have as many or as little extensions you want put in
It’s pretty easy to find salons that offer eyelash extensions
You can do everything you normally do while you have them(shower, apply makeup, etc.)
Effective way to achieve that full lash look

Cons:

Eyelash extensions are pretty expensive (there’s an installation price and the price for the lashes)
They fall out individually so after a while your lashes can start looking uneven
When the extensions fall off they can take your natural lashes out as well (I have friends who have experienced this and now they have to keep touching up their extensions because of how many natural lashes they’ve lost)
Extensions usually start falling out after 2-3 weeks which isn’t long for how much you pay for them. However, if you take care of them well they can last up to 2 months.
It is recommended to get touchups anywhere from 2-4 weeks which means it can cost a lot to maintain your extensions

After reading up on all this information, I decided that I won’t be getting eyelash extensions. The idea seemed great at first but I’m not willing to risk losing my natural lashes just to have extensions in for a couple of weeks. I think the closest thing I can compare it to is having acrylic nails. They look amazing at first, but after a while they start growing out and they even fall off and break. At this point you either have two options: have them done again or take them all off and go through the painful process of growing out your nails. If you have ever had acrylic nails you know what I mean. Your nails are super weak and brittle and are just not the prettiest things to look at. Most of the girls I know that have had eyelash extensions keep them in because they have no other option. Their real lashes are pulled out by the glue that’s used to keep the eyelash extensions in and they can’t stand how their lashes look when the extensions are taken off. So I think I’m just going to stick with mascara and the occasional fake eyelashes for now.

Have any of you ever had eyelash extensions? Do any of you have them in now? Let me know what you guys think about them and how things are going for you!

Back to Basics| Cleaning Makeup Brushes

In my opinion, washing your makeup brushes is as important as washing your face. Think about it, you use makeup brushes every time you apply makeup and it is crucial to have them clean not only for hygienic purposes but also to make sure the color you apply onto your face isn’t mixed in with an old color that was on your brush. I try to clean my brushes after every use but to be honest that’s pretty unreasonable. If anything, I deep clean my brushes every week to every other week at most. However, I do clean my brush that I use with liquid foundation after every use because using liquid and cream products with brushes makes it easy for bacteria to build up on them. And when you think about it, you definitely don’t want to use a brush that’s dirty because it increases the chances of you breaking out. Keeping your brushes clean helps keep them in good condition as well. Some of my brushes are four years old and they still work like they did when I first bought them.

So how do I clean my makeup brushes? I actually use a mixture of dishwashing soap and olive oil, which is a trick I picked up working with another makeup artist when I was first starting out. The soap cleans and disinfects the brush while the oil conditions the brush. I’m sure some of you are skeptical about this method being safe for your brushes but I haven’t had any problems with this method, and I’ve been cleaning my brushes this way since I’ve been working as a makeup artist. If you’re still not sure, you can always use baby shampoo, a gentle face wash, or buy makeup brush cleansers however, these tend to get pretty expensive.

So here’s a step by step process on how I clean brushes!

When you combine the soap and oil, make sure to use the oil sparingly. Too much oil can make it difficult to wash your brushes and if there’s still oil on your brush after they’re done drying, they can have a greasy feel to them which is kind of icky.

Getting ready to wash!

Gross..my brush is the same color as my counter.

I rinse my brush a little bit in lukewarm water (you don’t want to use hot water) before I start to clean it just to loosen the bristles a little bit. Make sure not get anything past the ferrule (the metal part) wet, this can cause the wooden handle to swell which can make the ferrule pop off the handle.

Swirl your brush in your brush cleaner!

Ew look at all that foundation, but at least you know it won’t be on your face!

Woohoo, all clean! I forgot to put a picture of me rinsing the brush but clean your brush until the water runs clear. When I’m washing the brush clean I like to wipe it across my hand to get all the soap and makeup off. And just let your brush dry on a towel and they’ll be good to use for next time.

I hope this helped you guys a little bit, and hopefully this way will be an easier, cheaper alternative to washing your brushes!

Finding Your “Solemate”

Have you ever found a pair of shoes that you absolutely fall in love with? I found my pair! So for months now I’ve been looking for a pair of combat boots that don’t make me feel like a man and decided that the best solution to this was to find a pair that were high heels. I don’t know what’s wrong with my feet, but every pair of combat boots that I’ve tried on make my feet look huge and I just don’t look cute at all. A few weeks ago I decided to buy a pair and now I can’t take them off my feet. I wear them everywhere and I know all the abuse is going to take its toll on them eventually. I was talking to my sister about finding “solemates” and realized I had to buy another pair. So I bought another pair today, well actually, I bought two. I know, I know! It sounds terrible having three pairs of the same exact shoe but I swear, if I don’t buy them now I’m going to be devastated when the time comes that I have to buy another pair only to find out they aren’t being made anymore.

But yes, I love these shoes. Whenever I work weddings I tend to wear a lower heel since I’m on my feet all day. Sacrificing fashion for function is something that I’m irritated by, especially with shoes. My sister pretty much put it in perspective for me. You either get a cute shoe that’s not comfortable at all or a comfy shoe that’s not the most attractive thing in the world. Now I don’t have to sacrifice one for the other! I wore these bad boys for 12 hours and was absolutely fine, even with the heel being about five inches tall 😀 It probably helps that there’s a platform that lowers the arch for me but still I cannot get over these shoes. I think it’s comparable to the feeling you get when you’re first starting relationship and everything is right in the world. Don’t judge me people, it’s the closest thing I can compare it to! I’m sure you’ve all run into that shoe. The shoe that, when you try on for the first time, makes you feel like Cinderella. And yes, I did just write an entire post about the shoe of my life.

So let me know if you’ve ever found your solemate. Wasn’t it amazing when you found them? And send me pictures, I want to see!

Yes, I have two pairs in black.

They make me feel fabulous.

Bobbie-Las Vegas

This past weekend Justin and I headed out to Las Vegas for Bobbie and Kelvin’s engagement session. We shot at two locations; at the Montelago Village Resort in Henderson and then we headed to the strip to take some pictures during the evening. The shoot at Montelago had a business feel to it so I made Bobbie’s makeup very natural, neutral eyeshadows, a rosy blush and a pinkish nude lip–something that would be appropriate for someone working in the office. During the shoot on the strip, I gave her a darker, smokier look that played up her eyes. If you guys want I can show you all a few tricks to transform a day look into a night look so keep a look out for it! Thank you Bobbie and Kelvin for being such a great couple, and I can’t wait to do the makeup for your wedding! 😀

Salon 25| Hair cut and feather extensions!

I guess I should be studying and getting ready for my trip this weekend, but I decided to take a break from all that yucky stuff to blog! 😀 This week I visited the lovely Salon 25 in Cypress because my hair was just growing out into a hot mess. Have you ever woken up one morning and realized how long your hair grew out? I definitely don’t have long hair, on the contrary, most people find my hair to be pretty short, but it was just way too long for me to be comfortable. Anyway, I went to the salon on Tuesday and had my hair cut for the summer. Thank you thank you thank you to Moya who did an amazing job with my hair. I’ll post a couple of pictures below, but ohman she totally got the look I was going for. I love having big, messy, just got out of bed hair and now with my hair cut I can style my hair in like 30 seconds! I think I’ll be keeping this style for a while. Oh that rhymed. Anyway, Moya gave me an asymmetrical bob, and took it pretty short in the back which is exactly what I wanted because I’ve had my hair short for such a long time, that whenever I feel my hair touching my shoulders I get weirded out. She also gave me a lot of texture and volume to play around with, which I think I have too much fun with. I’ve been going to the salon since it opened four years ago and I absolutely love them. Sometimes I just want to go visit even when I don’t need my hair done just to talk with them. I even got Justin to go there for the first time today! I forgot to take a picture but trust me, his hair is amazing. And thank you Chris for taking my weird and indecisive description of what I wanted and translated it into amazingness on Justin.

Anddddd I had feather extensions put in! I’ve always wanted to incorporate a loud color into my hair but have never been willing to dye my hair so putting feather extensions in was a great decision because now I have fun colors in my hair and I can take them out whenever I want. I’ve had the biggest obsession with feathers for the longest time and I think this is such a cute trend. I was skeptical about it at first but you can wash them, style them and do pretty much anything that you do with your own hair. I love love love feather extensions!

Thanks again to Salon 25 for another amazing experience. If you’re ever looking for a great place to get your hair done please consider going to them. They do such an fantastic job and all of the people are absolutely wonderful!