OT - Word Verification

i hate this. I have been doing so much commenting on other blogs that i've realized what a pain it is to stop and do those things - those things i hate ANYTIME i'm forced to do them. But especially when i'm just trying to show some comment love and feel as though I'm being put thru the paces before my comment is worthy. lol. it's time consuming. is that a lower case "g" or a number "9"? they almost always tell me my entry isn't accurate. Then i remembered - i had the same feature enabled on my own blog. So sorry to everyone who had to endure it. i want your comments! You're welcome here! Please forgive me - it has been disabled and the commenters have been set free. Comment away!

I can't wait to visit Sephora

I wonder if there is one in Portland for my next trip out of town??

ETA: There are *3* in Portland!

Really REALLY Upset with ULTA right now!

On the phone with customer service - FUMING MAD! Oh how my love has turned so quickly to fury!

My New Eyeshadows

These are the 8 new shadows I got from ULTA. They are all beautiful and I've already worn several of them. (They are laid out below in the same order as they are swatched on my hand):

It's a little hard to see here, but Luna has a hint of Radiant in it, and both have a gold shimmer. So those 2 together with the Gold Leaf made a very pretty combo yesterday.
The only one i really wanted and didn't get after 3 trips to 2 ULTA stores, was the "Flirty", but i did find a very similar shade by Urban Decay and am super happy with it. Flirty is even sold out online, so you can imagine how pretty it is! Everyone has snatched them all up!

Bath & Body Works Sale + 2 Year Old Gift Card

Here's the crazy amount of lotion, gel and bubble bath that I bought yesterday at the Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale.
I have had a $50 B&BW gift card in my wallet from Christmas 2 years ago! I bought lotion and shower gel in a new (for me) scent "Mango Mandarin" and it smells so yummy! Those, (along with all their regular products) were $5 each. Even my hubby liked it.
I also bought all they had of Plumeria, Magnolia Blossom, and Pearberry because they are my all-time faves. All of those items were 75% off, so i paid $2.38 each for them. I am so upset that they are doing away with all of the "classics". If any of you know of Plumeria, and know a lotion that is similar in scent (it has a sweet smell in addition to the flowery smell...) PLEASE comment here and let me know.
I also got 2 hand soap pumps for $2.50 each. I picked up a few 4 oz. bottles of gel and lotion in Pear Blossom to keep in my last minute gift closet. Those were only $1.50 each! I got small bottles of body splash and lotion for my purse for $1 each, and a bottle of Ginger Verbena self-tanning lotion for $3.63. My shopping bag was so freaking heavy, I had to wrap up my shopping trip because I was exhausted carrying it!!

Watch this clip of the goodies:

FREE Mani or Pedi!

Even though I am very devoted to Pureology shampoo and conditioner for my color treated hair, my "back-up" shampoo is Herbal Essence! (The one in the pink bottle.) It smells so good, and never hurts my demi-permanent hair color. Well, Herbal Essence is running a promotion where if you purchase specially marked bottles of their product, you can redeem a voucher good for a free manicure or pedicure! Go HERE for all the info!

Putting My New Eyeliner to Good Use

So I am feeling a lot better today and decided to go do some more shopping. Since it's sure to be a FUN day I thought it would be the perfect time to try out my FUN new Bourjois liner that I got yesterday. (I got the one linked there: "Bleu Cliquant 54")


I LOVE it! So pretty and such a quick way to add a little something extra and different. Plus the texture of this pencil is awesome. Glides on super smooth and creamy. In fact - you have to be careful not to use too much!


Today I used my Urban Decay Primer Potion as a base, then, using a large shadow brush, i swept NYX single shadow in FLAMINGO onto my lids. I used a shading brush to put a light layer of Maybelline Expertwear eyeshadow in ETERNAL FLAME (a bronze-y gold color) into the crease and up toward my browbone. I lined with my new Bourjois pencil, smudged both upper and lower lines with a smudger, and finished up with my Loreal Clean Definition Telescopic Mascara in Black.

DON'T BE A CHICKEN!!! TRY SOMETHING NEW!!!

That one place I keep talking about...

Okay i swear if I type or say ULTA one more time I'll go nuts - so I imagine you are equally sick of hearing it. I'll try to wrap this up here and now. :)


I got to go to the store and was in heaven. I spent HOURS in there. I ended up buying a lot of goodies, as well as getting my wax and playing with A LOT of makeup. The girls there were super friendly, letting me snap pictures, and helping me hunt high and low for a particular eyeshadow color that i wanted.


If you are fortunate enough to have one of these stores near you, please tell me you visit it often. It's a girly wonderland and I just hope and pray one comes to my area soon.

Now the bad news. The first morning we were here, i woke up feeling a bit feverish and had a very sore throat. I eventually felt well enough to go on my shopping trip. I had HOPED to go back today to see the Benefit Brow Bar event, and take the Bare Mineral class on how to master the new Masterpiece collection. But last night i was a wreck with fever and chills, and when i got up this morning, i felt like someone had beaten me with a baseball bat. So i'm not going anywhere today. I've been chilaxin in the hotel room, and am about ready for a nap. At least i got to have fun playing yesterday, and i wasn't extremely over the moon about the Masterpiece kit when i saw it in person.

So here's some funny little videos of me and my Ulta Adventure. I took them with my little Kodak, so i sound really weird in them - especially when i say "S" sounds. Just ignore that. :) (as of the time i'm typing this, one is still uploading to youtube - so you may have to check back to see the goodies i bought...)

Belly Up to the (Brow) Bar

I had an appointment last week to get my brows totally made over, but I had to cancel because my car was being stupid and had to go to the dealer for a checkup. Yesterday when i visited ULTA, i was THRILLED to see the Benefit Brow Bar in the front of the store.



Without an appointment, I had a seat, and Stephanie (AKA Eyebrow Genius) gave my brows a new 'do!




What do you think?


If you have an ULTA with a Brow Bar near you, visit them today (June 24th) for a little "Brow Bar Grand Opening" celebration and complimentary Brow Arch!

Turquoise and Purple Eyeshadow

First I used Neutrogena Skin Soothing Eye Tints in PETAL SHIMMER as an eyeshadow base. Using my blending brush, I applied NYX Shadow in OCEAN on my lid, and PURPLE PEARL in the crease. I swept the purple upwards and out towards the end of my eyebrows. I used a Maybelline shadow in LINEN on my brow bone. Then I lined my eyes with a Jesse's Girl Kohl Eyeliner pencil in GRAPE EXPECTATIONS. Then I used my slanted brush and put the PURPLE PEARL over the liner on my upper lash line. I finished off with Clean Definition Telescopic Mascara by Loreal in Black.

Going Shopping

Well, I joined my husband on his trip out of town for work. While he sits in boring classes all day, I'm strategically planning my shopping trips. Today after I meet him for lunch, I'm off to one of THREE Ulta stores in this area. *SIGH* Why are there 3 of them here, and I can't have ONE where I live?

Before we headed here for the week, we took the boys to San Francisco for the day. It was a nice day but HOT! We went to Pier 39 where i discovered a BARE ESCENTUALS STORE!!!!! But after spending the entire day sweating and sweltering, I felt really gross and was too embarrassed to play make-up with the sales girl. I did take a good look at all the goodies, and will get to see more at Ulta today.

I forgot my cord for the camera, so i can't upload eye makeup pics today - but i will when i get home because today i did a purple and turquoise eye with purple liner and it turned out so cute!

Stay tuned to see my Ulta haul! :)

ULTA Sale

So, being that I am a busy RockSTARRMom to 3 little boys, there isn’t a lot of time or opportunity to do things that I want to do, without planning it around school taxi duty, naptimes, or feedings. This is why I get such a pathetic thrill out of picking up a new eyeshadow or two (or twenty) from my local PHARMACY. If you’re like me and can’t get out when you’d like, or don’t have some of the fun beauty supply stores near you, there is the wonderful world of ONLINE SHOPPING! I frequent ULTA.com more than Sephora simply because that was where I bought my Bare Minerals, and when I did, I joined a “club” and even got a special “membership card” and those kinds of things suck me right in.
The nearest ULTA is about 8 towns north, and saving a dollar on my favorite hairspray just doesn’t justify the $25,435,434.00 in gas I would spend to get there. So when my ULTA sale ad came in the mail my heart just sank. There is a coupon for BOGO NYX cosmetics, Loreal H.I.P, and Make-up brush sets! PLUS - Hot Tools ROUND brushes on sale, AND! A new BareMinerals set came out called “Masterpiece Collection” and when you purchase it, you can schedule to take a class in-store, to become a Master of the Masterpiece set. Then I realized that all of these specials are for June… and I’m supposed to be doing something in June… OH THAT’S RIGHT! I’m going out of town with my husband! And I’ll be near an ULTA STORE! And you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be buying all of my travel souvenirs THERE! I’m so excited that I could just burst! So watch for some new eyes appearing soon… I’ll be such a MASTER after my class, I’ll have tons of secrets to impart!

Sign my new guestbook!

At the bottom of the blog!

Palladio Cosmetics

I took Baby Caleb for a walk a few days ago and we somehow ended up at Starbucks, to feed ONE of my addictions, (Iced Venti NF White Mocha, 2 pumps white mocha, 2 pumps vanilla, 2 pumps caramel, with whipped cream.) then we found ourselves wandering around the drug store and you'll never guess where i ended up...

I'm proud to say i didn't buy anything...
Not anything NYX anyway. ;>


When i tore myself away from the NYX rack, i walked past this display for "Palladio" Herbal & Vitamin Enriched Cosmetics...

I'm not sure about vitamins in my make up but I was curious so I bought an herbal eyeliner in "Eggplant" for $3.99. I prefer retractable liners - i'm no good at applying liquid liner, and I don't like cheap pencil liners that are dry and tug at my eyelids. This one said it was waterproof and I did wear it for an entire day with no smearing or anything. I did a little research and found that Palladio is originally an UK brand, but my liner says made in the USA.
I'm not sure that I'll be trying any of their eyeshadows anytime soon, since I'm pretty well stocked up, but i do like the liner so far and might try their glitter pencil liner since the tester seemed creamy when i tried it on my hand. They also had some nice make-up brushes, and a lot of brow grooming products, so I may give those a go after my new brow-do. *Eyeliner Rating ~ 3 & 1/2 STARRS*

More eyebrow news...

So i recently decided that my eyebrows need a total re-do. I stepped away from the tweezers, and they've been growing for about a week or so. I was going to try and re-shape them using some stencils i bought, but i decided that after refraining from plucking all this time, maybe I'd treat myself to a pro shaping and wax. I called my very fancy-smanshy salon to see about getting in and they said it would be no prob and that their estheticians are brow geniuses, so June 19th at 11:00 am I'm getting a new brow-do. I am so beyond excited! I'll definitely post some before and after pics!

Hair Teasing Tutorial

A how-to on backcombing your hair to get it nice and poofy. :)

The products i use are Pantene Touchable Aerosol Hairspray, (i recommend an aerosol for sure, and i like the Pantene cause it's like $3, smells really good, and isn't to sticky/has a flexible hold.) a rattail comb, and a shine spray by Samy. (I will not get the samy gloss stuff again. It's stinky. Next I'll try the one by Garnier.)

The little hair clip i used is a Goody, and you can get 2 on a card for a few dollars at Target.

By Request - How to apply fake eyelashes

A few people asked about this but i don't wear fake eyelashes and would probably glue my eyes shut trying - so, I asked Jody of Monroemisfitmakeup if i could post her how-to video. So here it is! Have fun and send me pics of your lashes when your done!

Bare Escentuals - Before and After Pics

I cannot praise these minerals enough. The time i spend doing my face is mere minutes and when time is not on your side, saving it is priceless. I thought I'd show you a before and after of myself so you can see what exactly the minerals do for me. Pay attention to the dark circles under my eyes, and the evenness of tone and color on my face, and the zit on my chin that i managed to hide. It's not a drastic change - but it does make just the right difference!

You MUST buy this shirt!

So, i went to Kohl's 2 nights ago, and got a few simple shirts to wear for day to day hum-drum stuff. I walked into the store, looked for bright colors to pop out at me, and made a beeline for them. Well, i picked up this cutie, in this "Merlot" color, (which is a much deeper hue in person) on sale for $12.

I wore it today and OH MY GOD! I freaking love this shirt! First off, the fabric is comfy - not too thin (nipplage/seethru) not too thick (stiff/uncomfy). Its got a great scoop neckline, not too low, not too high. Plus, it has that GREAT band around the bottom, which i am really into right now, because it structures your look a bit, and helps define your shape, but forgives your muffin top, if you have one. (i do.) I cannot get over how pretty the color is! And the other colors were equally exciting - "billiard" green, "dutch" blue, "paprika" orange, "chocolate" brown, black and white. I am SO going back for the blue, green, and orange!!

BTW: I wore mine today with cutoff capris and my saltwater sandals.

Got my nails undone

Finally got the acrylics off. Whew. Don't get me wrong - i love a perfectly "polished" acrylic french mani, and I was having WAY fun trying out all the glitter powders, but... I could not type, and am I the only one who cannot get a good itch to my scratch with those fake things on? Anyway, I wish i could have brought my camera to show you guys the way and HOW FAST they got the fakes off! It was amazing. I've removed my own in the past and once pulled my own real nail off so far down into the quick that i bled all over and almost passed out. LOL! The way the salon did was WAY better and then i got a nice bright fuschia pink mani afterwards. And guess what? My nails are still kinda long-ish!

Of course I caved and got a pedi too... oooooooooohhhh did it feel wonderful. The massage is so awesome, and because "Mary" knows I'm a good tipper, I notice i often get a bit extra EVEN when they are packed with people waiting. When it comes to your beauty treatments - Hair, nails, waxing, etc. ALWAYS tip good (unless of course they suck!) and it will always make a difference. I worked in a salon for a while and let me tell you - they remember a good tipper vs. a so-so one. When they have to change their schedules, good tippers get right in, and measly tippers get to have dark roots for weeks.

Hoping to get some new tutorials up this week and trying to get a contest together too!!!!! Watch for details!

I've decided to grow out my...

EYEBROWS! I don't even know what shape they are supposed to be now... They are out of control. So, I bought some eyebrow stencils by Ardell and as soon as I grow them out a bit, I'm going to be rocking either "Delicate", "Elegant", "Glamorous", or "Classic" brows...

I'm leaning toward "Glamorous"... If only they had a "Rock STARR" shape, I'd have no problem making a decision. ;>

Mantra

Boots No. 7 Restore and Renew

So, my British "mate" Katie told me about this product a few months ago and I went right out and bought it. It is like, a MIRACLE wrinkle serum. Seriously. I guess it was scientifically proven to help repair damage to your skin, and when the study was publicized in Britain, people went berzerk buying out shelves of the stuff. In the UK it is called Protect & Perfect, but here in the US it is called Restore & Renew and sells for ONLY $21.99 at Target. I have a really deep crease between my eyebrows that makes me look mad all the time but since i started using Boots, it is going away! *Rating ~ 5 STARRS*

Here is a Today Show segment on the phenomenon:



I'm also in love with MANY other Boots products. Because I am a bit obsessive, I'll probably own one of each soon.

Plumped Lips

So, two of my new fave things are anything Soap and Glory, and anything Boots No. 7. Soap and glory is another British line of bath and beauty products available at Target. They all have a signature bright pink packaging, and old 50's black and white photos in the advertising. The scent of their lotion and body scrub is WONDERFUL and according to my friend Jaime, (The Eyeliner Maven) their plumping lip gloss equally rocks:

"I got the 3-pack of the "Sexy Mother Pucker" it was $25, but well worth it. It smells like chocolate, and tingles like MAD...........the package says it activates with water............I haven't put water on it, but I'll see what it does ;)

Hopefully I wont look like Daisy from Rock Of Love!"

I'll be making my almost daily trip to Target to score mine!

FYI: NYX Coupon

NYX is my fave drugstore make up and here i get it at Longs Drug Store. They have a coupon in their coupon booklet for $0.50 off any NYX purchase. I didn't buy any eye shadow since i just got 20 new ones last weekend (don't ask!) but i did buy a pretty new Diamond Sparkle Lipstick in Sparkling Copper. I also nabbed about 5 coupon booklets for later since the Q is good until the end of June! Hee hee!

Hide your Muffin Top/Coin Slot

Okay sooooooo, i LIKE low rise pants. I see the higher waisted pants more and more now and just hate them. I have worn low rise for so long now that I just can't go back. DON'T MAKE ME! But, for all the mommies like me who are still shedding pregnancy/baby weight, low slung jeans can mean protrusion of muffin top, and bending down to clean up the mess your baby made all over the restaurant floor will flash the other patrons a nice shot of your thong or WORSE. So there is a new product out to help with this problem. It's called a Hip-T and it's a lot like those things we used during pregnancy to help us wear our non-maternity jeans even longer by hiding our unzipped zippers... Whatsitcalled... Bella Bands! (TY Katie.)
SO, if you want to shell out $20 for a HipT, click the link above. OR you can make your own, like we did when we were pregnant, by sewing a TUBE of stretchy fabric. If you aren't crafty or don't own a sewing machine, buy a tube top in one size up, (usually around $5.99 at Target) and slide it down around your waist. Put your regular shirt on over it and VIOLA! No more peep show!

Bare Escentuals/Bare Minerals Mineral Make-up Review

So i ordered the Bare Escentuals starter kit from Ulta.com because I don't have an ULTA or a Sephora store near me. Each store sells a slightly different starter kit, but both include the basics and brushes, as well as a DVD to show you how to apply it properly. (ULTA currently has a free shipping special on the BE starter kit, just use the code KITSSHIPFREE at checkout.)

The kit i purchased included the Flawless Application Face Brush, the Handi Buki Brush, and the Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush. The brushes are soft and do a good job, but mine shed A LOT, and it really irritates me. When i'm in the middle of "swirling and tapping" i get loose hairs in the jar lids.

It also included two jars in two different shades of BareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation so that you can get your color just right. It included All Over Face Color in the usual "Warmth" and a bonus jar of All Over Face Color in "Glee". I started out using Warmth but now use Glee all the time. I love it. It has more of a pink-ish hue instead of a gold/brown one. The trick for this is to use VERY LITTLE, seriously, like ONE mineral in the lid. Swirl, tap and buff onto the cheeks in usual blush fashion, then i do the "W" motion over my forehead, cheek, & chin, with the residual, just so i have a slight color all over.

And lastly, it includes a jar of Mineral Veil. I've heard people complain that the Mineral Veil feels too much like powder, or makes their face look too matte when they use it. I found that it finishes my face just right, but the trick is to use very little. The mineral veil is much finer than the other minerals, and it taps out into the lid in larger amounts. You only need a teeny bit to work with.

Overall, the minerals feel very creamy to the touch - not like a powder at all. And they feel good on my skin. I wasn't a big foundation wearer in the first place, and this make-up provides a light, sheer coverage, that just balances out the color on my face and helps with my shiny t-zone. If you are used to putting on really thick and heavy foundation, this won't seem like enough to you. (But i think it IS. I think people wear too much foundation and it looks too obvious.)

Separate from the kit, i also purchased a Multi-Tasking Mineral in "Well Rested". It is supposed to be an eyeshadow base for your lids, but also works beneath the foundation as a concealer. I bought it to cover the very dark circles under my tired mommy eyes, but i have rarely used it, because i found that using the foundation with the Maximum Concealer Face Brush usually does the trick. On an especially tired day i'll use it under my eyes and on the inner corners of my lids where my eyes get really dark.

The biggest pro about this make-up, and the reason i originally bought it, is that is is very easy and FAST! The first few times you do it may take a little time, because it is something new and you have to learn and practice to get it right, but i can get my face done in less than 5 minutes, and spend extra time doing something fun with my eyes. I give Bare Escentauls a thumbs up for all the busy RockSTARRMom's everywhere. *Rating ~ 5 STARRS*

DIY French Mani/Pedi

This video shows you how i achieve a nice, even, french mani/pedi at home, without using those weird little sticker strips and without having to get the white painted on perfectly across my nail tips. Makes it SO easy!

How to apply sunless tanner quickly, easily and EVENLY!

A how-to about sunless tanner, just in time for summer! :)
(And an alternative if you just aren't confident about applying it.)

How to blow dry your hair with a round brush.

(RockSTARRMom's first video tutorial!!!!)

Can you count how many times i say the word "volume"? LOL! Listen for Caleb in the background!