Video Tutorials

I miss them. :( I had fun making them cause i'm all about makeuppyhaircosmo stuff, and I'm all about video editing. So it's like, win/win - 2 of my loves in one. But with my little man being bigger, napping less and wanting to play more, it just fell by the ol' wayside.
Plus, there are a LOT of tutorials out there and I'm by no means a pro at make up application, hair styling, etc. Most of my vids are just MY way of doing this or that, not the expert way.

I had a smokey eye tut that i recorded a long time ago and in the middle of editing, my computer freaked out and i lost everything. Even the captured footage. But i found the tape a few days ago, and am gonna get that bad gal uploaded once and for all! Then i'm gonna try to get some others recorded in the not-too-distant future.

So i need some ideas. Whaddya want me to demonstrate? What silliness shall i subject you to? What have you been wanting to see? Comment here or email me at carastarr28@gmail.com and give me some ideas!

Dumpin' meh BumpIts

I've had a few people ask me about the bumpits. Sorry i didn't review them. I felt like in order to give a decent review, i should use them, take pics, explain the process, etc. Problem is that i can't get the dang things to work very well at all. So everytime i set out to take some pics of them in action, it winds up being a bad hair day.

I received my bumpits about 2-3 weeks after ordering them. I was starting to believe it would be the entire 6-8 weeks they say in every infomercial. I was TICKED that i paid $7.95 S&H to get my "free" hollywood bumpit, and then ALL THE BUMPITS CAME IN ONE BOX! Total i received 2 regular ones, 2 tiny ones, and one gigantic one. I had paid $5 extra to get the ones that have this rubber gripper lining stuff. It was supposed to make them hold in my hair better.

Now, i have a lot of hair so i never thought concealing the device would be a problem. And as far as actually seeing it thru my hair - no problem there. But the "bump" it creates is very precise, and very noticable in my opinion. Because it is making one narrow section of hair stand up quite high, the hair around it can't compete, and you can "see" that the bumpit is there in my bouffant.

I've played around with them a few times with very little success. I have yet to wear one out of the house. Heck, i've not even worn one out of my bathroom! Maybe i just have a weird head. Or weird hair. i dunno. I'll say this much, it wasn't worth the $50 i paid.

So if you want to give them a try, don't order them like i did. Instead visit Sally Beauty Supply who now carries them. I've also heard that Walgreens has them. Better yet, write to me and ask for mine! LOL!

If you DON'T want to try them, but want the look, get inspired by Pursebuzz's method that uses no devices and very little teasing.

You big FAKER!

So, i've been itching to get my nails done. I used to get them done regularly. It was like, oh, between $35 and $40 a month for fills, and then of course i'd want to get pedicures while i was there. But I HATE when i have my nails done (with acrylics) and then like, my leg itches. i swear scratching never satisfies with those big thick fakes on. So i have to ask hubby or go find a comb. It's really lame. And then the underside of the nails get dirty and gunked up and i can never keep them as clean as i'd like...

And then i'm tired of the french mani (glitter or no) and decide i want purple or fuschia, but i WILL NOT paint bold or bright colors on long ol' nails. So then i start itchen' to ditch the nails, and i have to wait a month and a half for the crappy torn up bendy-weak acrylic aftermath real nails to grow out. Do i really want to commit to all this right now?

NO.

So, i revisted yesteryear, my childhood, one of my most fave things as a little girl - PRESS ON NAILS! Woot! They aren't made by "Lee" anymore, the ones i got are by "Kiss". But oh my god they're great! And my commitment is only for 7-10 days. As soon as i put them on i felt 10 times prettier. and i swear you just do things different when your hands look great with any kind of manicure. For example, you pick things up more gracefully. Like you're about to display them to the crowd on the Price is Right.

So, inevitably, in a few days i'll be tired of them and be ready to wear a short purple mani, and it'll be all good! If you want a quick lift of your spirits, or you haven't time to get a mani before the office xmas party, glue on some fakes! LOL! You'll be pleasantly surprised.

(ETA: Sorry. i don't know why my hand is such a weird color in this pic! Kinda creepy.)

Oh, Allure Magazine, How Do I Love Thee?

Let me count the ways...

1. your magazine rocks.

2. you have a presence and a wall of fame on one of my fave shows - Shear Genius.

3. you send me presents!

Yes, today i received a sample of Exceptionnel De Chanel volume intense mascara and all i have to do is try it in place of my beloved Loreal Telescopic for a week, and then tell them how I like it. DONE! It was like Christmas in my mailbox today. Woot! Thank you Allure!!

I haven't tried it yet, but as soon as I do, i will tell you what i think. Upon initial inspection, the Chanel brush looks like a combo of the Loreal Telescopic "comb" style wand, and the new Maybelline Colossal "super full" wand - so this could be very promising!

Review: Joppa Minerals

Somewhere i saw a reference to Joppa Minerals and looked them up. They had a sample kit for $0.01 + s&h so i ordered it. The sample kit came with 2 tiny jars of foundation, 1 tiny jar of "finishing silk" (their version of mineral veil), and then 4 baggies of various concealers, bronzers and blush. I did get to select each and every color i wanted for the kit so that was cool. I've had it for a while now and just didn't even know where to begin with it, such small amounts, and in baggies and stuff...

Finally today i gave it a whirl and EWWWW. I didn't even get thru the entire application because it is so chalky and powdery. ugh. it felt AWFUL. Just AWFUL! Even to the touch. Bare Minerals are creamy to the touch. These Joppa Minerals made me feel like i'd just been playing with sidewalk chalk. I seriously had to go wash and put on lotion like, stat, because where i rubbed my finger tips against my hands and everything, just felt sucked up and dried out.

So i give these like, negative 5 starrs.

Seriously.

So bad.

Review: Revlon Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer

Well, this past week, Target had Revlon's new "Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer" foundation primer on sale for $10.89 down from the usual $12-ish. I had Target & Revlon coupons so in the end, i spent $5.89 + tax for a .85 fl. oz. tube of the stuff.

I compared the primer to Smashbox's Photo Finish Foundation Primer.

Side by side my initial impression was that Revlon goes on "wetter" than Smashbox. So I would venture to say that if you have dry skin, or if Smashbox ever felt drying to you, Revlon may feel more comfortable on your skin.

Perhaps because of whatever makes it "wetter", this product also seems much more noticeable on. As in, I am aware of it being on my face for some time after I apply it, like it is thicker or heavier... I've never noticed that with Smashbox.

Second, Revlon's primer is scented, & this feature really bugs me. It is a faint fresh scent, but the idea of adding fragrance to something that you put on your face, RIGHT NEAR YOUR NOSE, strikes me as a bad idea. It's so unnecessary. I wonder if the fragrance will cause any negative effect for sensitive skin users. I would caution you to try it in a small inconspicuous area first, if you have sensitivity to such things.

The first time i ever used Smashbox, i rubbed a bit on the back of my hand at the store. I was like WOW! because instantly, my skin looked smoother, my pores looked way smaller and the effect was dramatic. (Not to mention it felt good on, and wasn't SCENTED!) When i tried the same thing with Revlon, it didn't have that wow factor.

So then I wore the Revlon primer under my minerals yesterday and i just wasn't impressed. My make up stayed put, but Bare Minerals have a way of doing that on their own. The reason i like using the Smashbox primer is because of how great it makes my skin look before and after i apply the mineral foundation. I just didn't notice the same effect with the Revlon primer.

Perhaps Revlon's primer would be better reviewed by someone who uses liquid foundation. It has, after all, premiered along with an entire line of Beyond Natural Skin Matching liquid make up. It's possible that i don't see a dramatic result because it isn't meant to be used with mineral foundation. Then again, neither is Smashbox's primer, yet i love the combo.

So I'm at a loss. I hate to say don't buy it if i just haven't used it in conjunction with the correct products. But i hate to say GO GET IT! when i'm not really impressed by it. I'll say for the price, it isn't a bad product to keep in your arsenal. Especially if you don't want to shell out $36 for the other. If you are simply in the market for something just like Smashbox but with a lower price tag, this isn't it.

Review: POSH Makeup brushes

A while back, Elessa at Pursebuzz alerted her readers that Big Lots had NYX shadows for $0.49. I HATE that store almost as much as i hate Walmart, but for NYX I happily made the trip. While I was there hoarding NYX shadows, i also scored 4 POSH brushes for a total of $10:

Lg. Powder Brush

Purse Powder Brush

Kabuki Brush

Smudge Sponge Duo

Posh's slogan is "You can purchase a more expensive make-up brush, but not a better one." And i think they are right. They use natural and synthetic fibers, and the powder brushes - which i use DAILY - have barely ever shed on me. These are the softest brushes i have ever used. In fact, you can see me using them with my Bare Minerals in this video. Plus, the red and black is different, and i love the font they use for "POSH". LOL. I notice all those kinds of things. All of the brushes come in durable little zip lock style pouches, which are great for travel. I seriously love theses brushes and cannot sing their praises enough. Some of you might find these in your local drug or grocery store. I've not run into them anywhere where I live but you can also purchase them online (and the website says you receive a free gift with purchase). If you do purchase online, use the code "UA123" at checkout to receive 50% off your entire order! Then come back and comment here to tell me which ones you bought and how you like them! :)

Review: Boots No7 Mattifying Make-Up Base

I recently received a sample of Smashbox's Photo Finish Foundation Primer. It never dawned on me to use a primer with my minerals, (even though Bare Minerals markets one, duh). so i tried my Smashbox sample and loved it, and used it until it was all gone. A few days later I was making the usual HBA rounds at Target and found a foundation primer by Boots No. 7. I heart Boots, so i snatched it up. Mattifying Make-Up Base, priced just right at $6.99, comes in regular and GREEN, for those needing to neutralize a red face. I chose the regular one and excitedly tried it the next day.

~*~*~*Sound the GONG! We have a LOSER! *~*~*~

This stuff is awful. Plain and simple. Forget trying to BLEND it. It is "Matte" in every way and can't be smoothed on no matter which way you try. It actually freaks me out because it feels like my skin is being tugged and pulled while trying to blend it in. HELLO FUTURE WRINKLES! I didn't see any significant difference in my make up while using this, but i DID flip down the visor mirror in time to see a smear of this stuff that hadn't blended in and was CRUSTY AND WHITE on my face. Take it from me, learn from my wasted $6.99 + tax - it's worthless. Don't buy it.

Similar in appearance to Smashbox's primer is a newbie by Revlon called Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer. It is SO going into my cart next time. Stay tuned!

Urban Decay Product Reviews

Urban Decay Primer Potion:
I recently purchased the Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP) eyeshadow base and I'm in LOVE with it. If you frequent many beauty blogs or forums, you know that this stuff is a MUST HAVE. (I purchased mine for $16 at ULTA, but it's also available at Sephora or Urban Decay's website.)
This stuff is so awesome that one night i went to bed without washing my face and the next morning i STILL had most of my eyeshadow on. LOL! One bit of caution - it works so well, that blending can be hard with the first shadow that you apply over it. So if you plan to do a lot of blending to the first layers, you may want to lightly sweep a neutral shadow on your lid first. This stuff is like an eyeshadow magnet! If you haven't already heard, the bottle that holds this miracle potion can be a little tricky to completely empty. There are many tutorials out there on this, but here is one that is short and sweet. Just be careful! *Rating ~ 4 & 1/2 STARRS*.

Urban Decay Brow Box:
When I had my brows waxed, Stephanie, (AKA Eyebrow Genius) recommended the Benefit brow kit "Browzings" and it was a great little kit. However, when i was shopping the Urban Decay Aisle, i saw this UD Brow Box and fell in love with it. It is adorable and has everything you need to touch up and perfectly style your brows, and it's available in 4 color combinations. I got mine for $29 at Ulta in "Brown Sugar". I take the little brush and dab it - NOT swipe it - in the darkest color, then one dab in the lighter color, then apply. I follow up with the wax to keep my brows groomed all day. The box has a mirror and tweezers if you need to do any small touch ups, and it's small enough to carry in your purse if you want! (This kit is also available for $29 at Sephora and UrbanDecay.com.) *Rating ~ 5 STARRS*


You may remember from the videos during my trip that i desperately wanted a particular eyeshadow color and couldn't find it in stock. I ended up purchasing a similar shadow by Urban Decay called "Last Call". I LOVE IT TO BITS. It is gorgeous and seriously, it's worth a little extra because UD's shadows glide on perfectly. Well, there is a fantastic deal available at ULTA or Sephora, where you can get the UDPP AND an eyeshadow palette that includes Last Call - all for only $39! (I spent $32 on just my primer and ONE eyeshadow.) The Eyeshadow Ammo kit is $34 by itself! This way you get a full sized Primer Potion and an Eyeshadow Ammo palette of 10 shadows for $11 LESS than if you purchased separately. PLEASE BUY IT! Please someone buy it and tell me all about it. I'd buy it but I recently got BUSTED for my last ULTA shopping spree and am on a NO SHOP until the year 2025. :)

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*

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!

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*

Coming Soon

DIY French Mani Pedi Tutorial

How to Tease/Backcomb Your Hair

How to apply sunless tanner

Blow drying with a round brush

Bare Escentuals Review