People adore heaping abuse on Kim Kardashian. She’s easy to harass. sex tape. pushy show-biz mom, and she’s simply stunning. People forget that she was a successful stylist before she did a show, made her own money and started two stores that do very well with her sisters. They also focus on her affi8nity for African American Males and her father defended OJ. Hey, if he helped get that creep off, at least he was very talented. It was her father, not her. End of story, period, exclamation point. Her father was on the side of the accused. Sometimes, that means he gets people who did bad things and he has to work for them. A criminal Defense Attorney is a hard road. You have to believe your client at all costs and defend that client. I’m glad they’re out there. Accused without proof sucks.
Okay, my defense of Miss Kim’s background is over. I’m all about the test sample of her perfume. Yes, I had to be talked into trying it my friend. Why? I buy one perfume a year, in the smallest quantity they sell, so I can use it up. My Betsy Johnson is two years old, but still smells the same. I got a larger bottle because along with the most fantastic scent, it has a stunning top. Not smart. I can’t travel with it. Last year, it was Vera Wangs, Rock Princess. I go for florals with unexpected undertones and Kim’s fragrance has it in spades.
Floral top-notes smell amazing right out of the bottle, but it blends down to a slight musky undertone. It’s very Kim as I see her, being a fan. She’s sweet, honest and girlie, but under it? Her mother raised strong women and Kim is strong. She has her life in her hands. Usually celebrity Perfumes are all the same, no feel for who the celebrity is. This seems to capture her public persona very well. Floral and spice, simple, but not. The undertones show complex notes that seem to be her hallmark. She doesn’t run from the bad stuff. She shows real emotion and this perfume does the same. It describes me perfectly, only without the hot sex tape, mother who pushes, but she’s her manager and the ability to take care of herself.
I require frequent perfume additions, so I will be buying this in the roller ball and the smallest size. I ran through my sample so fast, I almost cried. It’s a perfume to look into. I give it a lot of stars, but here’s the thing. Perfume is very personal. One perfume will never smell the same on two people. Try it, wear it for ten minutes and think about it overnight. Get a sample of it at Sephora Stores. Wear it, play with it. For me it’s a twenty four hour scent. Maybe a tad much for some people during the day, but I’m a tad flamboyant.
Kim Kardashien Perfume is available at Sephora online and in Sephora stores.
Yesterday, Talkin Makeup on YouTube, posted a silly video with some great advice. I always watch Camile’s videos right when they come out. I’m super uptight about viewing a few people right away. She’s one of them. I think she thinks I’m stalking her. Lol! With my bundles of joy, there is no time to stalk and besides, it would be Shemar Moore. I can’t evoke the sound of a low cougar growl, but you get the idea. The man is beyond fine.
I digress. She suggested using hydro-cortisone cream for a moisturizer if you’re having a red blotchy day. I was just having a red-blotchy day. I’d say that was synchronicity, but I’m always having red blotches. It seems I’m allergic to my cats. I see shots in my future.
I tried her trick last night and woke up with soft skin, not over oily, no new zits and my peeling skin, from my peel, soft and supple, with no flakiness. I was in total amazement. I double checked the ingredients. Aloe Vera was among the first of them. Okay, that’s good. The other ingredients were all good for my skin. Is relying on a corto-steroid every day a good idea? Not really, but once in while? I think she’s onto something.
Love this cleanser
Last summer, I’d say August, I was given a sample of, “Baby Face Cleanse.” I’d expressed frustration with every other makeup remover I’d tried. My eyelids are very sensitive and always red. If I drag most makeup removers over them, including ones for sensitive eyes, they actually peel. That makes it hard for me to wear eye makeup and I’m a makeup artist. Sheesh.
So the woman at Lush handed me a sliver of, “Baby Face.” Which seemed impossibly small. I got on the Internet and researched the product. Armed with my information and my sliver of Baby Face, a face full of waterproof makeup, I hit the bathroom. My makeup came off. I mean right away, even the waterproof stuff. ALL OF IT! Okay, great, but my face is so dang oily, I feel like I can power every car in Michigan. This was BOUND to lead to breakouts.
Next morning, no flaking skin (I took it off with a damp facial sponge and washed with my normal cleanser) and NO NEW ZITS! IK am forty six and break out like a teen. No zits means the world to me. I used my sliver, and used it, and used it and used it. That stupid sliver of, “Baby Face,” lasted months. I mean of everyday use. I finally got it small enough to justify buying it for myself. Forget it. I cut it up and put it in small bags for my clients. I’ll buy another one for me. Okay, maybe more than one. I want to pass this around. On days I plan a deep clean, complete with careful and taught, blackhead extraction (almost all gone now), I use, “Baby Face,” first, then wash with my regular stuff after and my face does not get red, or inflamed. I recently had three moles removed and am using an anti-bacterial product during the day and, Baby Face, at night. My scars are healing nicely. I also used it on a recent tattoo (family names on it and a special something for my son who passed) and the healing is great. Only one small area that is stubborn and that’s because I scratched at it, before I started in on the, Baby Face.”
This is a product I would give a ten out of ten for. Does what it says, does not break out the break out Queen and has wonderful abilities to get stubborn eye makeup off. Go Lush!
Note, “Baby Face,” is a solid cleanser, meant for dry skin. Its oil based and probably comedigenic. If I were a Teen, I would not think of using it. As an older woman, even with breakouts, it’s a Godsend, but I never leave it on for long, except were I am healing something. It’s a great product.
All products can be found in the links and I suggest these stores because of their commitment to customer service.
There will be more on my vlog, but these are some of the things I loved in 2009. Too Faced Shadow Insurance. All my eye primers do a good job, this stuff glues my shadow in place all day, no matter how chalky it starts out. Ala, Coastal Scents. Which I love, but can be very fly-away. I buy a lot of my higher end stuff at Sephora. I’ve found them to be superior to Ulta in many ways. Mostly in customer service. Don’t lead me to the Revlon when I want Urban Decay and told you so twice. It does not matter that I’m in Yoga Pants and a workout top. I want what I want and I am not looking for judgement, thank you.
Coastal Scents Gel Liners. Superior, in my opinion, to MAC Paint Pots. They are waterproof and in a side by side test conducted on Youtube by makeupbytiffanyd, they are shown to be as good with the staying power of MAC. At a third of the price. I use them under my shadows to create amazing color. I didn’t link directly to that video, rather her channel, because all of her videos are really good. She’s totally into MAC, but in the bridal market, you really need to be.
NYX products. Which can be found on their site, or in many other places. I suggest Pinkholik. They have great prices and amazing customer service.
TKB Trading anything. I am delighted with this company. Beyond delighted. They are super fast with shipping and have colors I’ve never dreamed of in stock and plenty of stuff to make your own eyeshadow from, along with recipes. I am totally in love.
Zoya Nail Polish. Colors, staying power, everything about it. I have the catalog of colors, because I bought my first set through Zoya and I swear I want every darn one of them. It’s sad.
Vera Wang Rock Princess Perfume. I buy one new perfume a year and usually it lasts me two years, so I always have two to choose from. The combination of Betsey Johnson and Vera Wang Rock Princess (cheap at T.J. Maxx) is a perfect compliment to my moods and wardrobe. One of them always works well on me. The only problem is, that as oily as I get, perfume does not last on me. I need an atomizer for them.
My Flat Iron. Not expensive, Revlon(available in every store that sells curling irons, etc), but I never thought I would want, nor need a Flatiron. I can’t live without it anymore. I use it about half and half with my curling iron. When I do my hair.
Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil in 0. WOW!!!!! It stays all day, if I set it with powder. I use Kat Von D’s Motorhead in either side, depending on my desire for sparkle.
Speaking of Kat Von D, I am in love with her shadows. I can find exactly what I want every time.
What I still want? Some NYX, Graftobian foundations for my kit, and buckets of bobby pins for clients. Oh, and Mildew from Urban Decay. I love, love, love that color. It’s in the Show Pony box, which would be a good investment for the end of the year and tax deductible, since it’s for work. I’ve been reading tax laws for services and man, it’s complicated.
This post feels so important to me, that I’m posting it on both blogs today. Anyone, who puts two and two together on the name of this company and threatens me, will be reported to their ISP. I’m not 19. I’m almost, gasp ick, forty six and I know the laws when it comes to copyright and defamation. So, put a hat on it. I will turn around and bite people who try to blackmail me and I won’t play along. Ever. It gets my back up and I become belligerent and it’s no fun for anyone. Free speech is just that. Besides, I never name your company. Interested parties can go to Google and type in, “_____ (company name) + repackaged makeup. Very interesting. Take all reviews, good and bad, with a salt lick. Mine too. We all get biased about our favorites.
I don’t know, if you know, or care, but there is what can only be described as an Internet war going on in the indie makeup community. Companies buying pigments from Coastal Scents and TBK Trading, and re-packaging them at an obnoxious price.
Over the last few days, I’ve been both furious at consumer’s for not knowing what goes into their makeup and these companies ripping off people. The key? Even if the current companies straighten up and play right, there will be more companies who take the easy way out. It gives people who work hard to formulate their own colors a bad reputation. No one trusts anyone right now and the people loyal to the brands doing the stealing, are bunch of Internet bullies.
Spamming sites that dare say even the smallest negative, “this lipstick could be creamier,” is a capitol offense and the owners of one company in particular are calling anyone with anything negative to say liars, which is an understatement. Take down notices, defamation of character lawsuits are threatened and opinions squashed. Look, if someone tells you to review their stuff and threaten lawsuit because they don’t like what you have to say, tough.
What’s so wrong with a bad review? One of my books was switched editors on me halfway through. The new editor was someone without a larger worldview who did not like my stories. She did a slip-shod job on it and I got rotten reviews on spelling and sentence structure. Something my editors and the Final Line Editor are supposed to catch. Hell-o, dyslexic writer here and they knew it. At first, I was so pissed that a good story got ad reviews, but it wasn’t the story, it was the editing and a fair cop. I should have been taken to task on it and now I’m bothered that book is not better and want a re-write.
A company should welcome, with grace, a bad review. Stand back, is it fair? If your colors are dupes of someones stuff, or re-packaged there’s nothing wrong with that. TBK makes some of the most gorgeous colors I have ever seen. It’s worth cutting more glimmer, or making matte and pressing for people. Even if you do it, you can tell people and make sales. Some people love the color, but a pigment might not have a good slip, as is, or fade because it needs a product to keep the sun off it (pigments should be stored in low-light conditions). There’s a reason companies add fillers to product. Not to ruin the pigment, but to make it bendable and lasting.
Why does this frost my cookies? Because I’m a cook who can’t cook, because I didn’t get to be 320lbs on restaurant food, it was *MY* cooking. I need a substitute. So, I’m going to formulate my own pressed shadows, blushes and lip glosses (lip stick later on) and sell them. No hard sell, just available online and in person to people who want them. Will I send some out to people on the Internet who can help? I’m no idiot, of course. Do I expect people to gush for more? Cripes no. Tell the truth and I will re-formulate stuff to be better. I don’t want to sell an inferior product.
Mostly, I will sell to friends and family and not worry so much about YouTube. I won’t be selling there, unless someone likes my shadow. Then, go for it.
The problem with Coastal Scents and TBK Trading is they do offer yummy colors that I want to press down and sell. Why? Some people could not be bothered and love the colors. Those colors will not only be clearly marked, but my cost x 2 for work. Which makes them cheaper than anything else out there, except pressing your own and it’s fun to press your own, so the color, fillers and pressing technique I use will be put into videos so you can make them even cheaper than I can. Tops will be closed with tamper-proof sleeves and everyone should feel I’m being fair.
When I come up with my own mixes, and where’s the fun in following someone else’s recipe? To use as a guide, but not dupe, I will say so and they will be a tad more. Why? I’ll be busting my hump in my sterile as can be kitchen (alcohol is your friend, as well as gloves) to make a product that’s pretty unique, but in this industry, it’s all been done before.
One wag said she only bought from high end places (MAC’s prices are fair for their pigments btw. I’m talking really high end) because they never dupe. Really? Black’s pretty much black here people. I’m studying the science carefully. Using it as a learning tool for my boys. Will it get off the ground? Who cares. I can always sell to Bride’s work with, or use in volunteer situations. Sales from this are extra and nice, but won’t be my bread and butter and that’s why I won’t push.
So, be an informed consumer. Go to the TBL Trading site and Coastal Scents. Look at those yummy pigments. Buy them in sample size if you want, but pure pigment gets in my eye and bugs me, so think about recipes. They’re out there. See what a mattyfyer can do to the pigment. Play with your makeup, or at least know what Coastal Scents sells and don’t expect your primer to hold on glitter. That stuff is chunky and needs a binder.
Yours in truth, Nancy
For anyone interested the name of my makeup line is, “Herne’s Folly,” after my autistic son. A very visible part of the proceeds for the formula (still needs tweaking) for his eye shadow will go to Aids Foundations. I’ll post my receipts. I’m going to be darn transparent. For my friends who passed from Viral Breast Cancer, there will be a donation made to a good breast cancer organization, with scanned receipts. Anyone who says they are giving proceeds to charity, if they are a partnership, or an independently owned entity, has to do this, but why hide it? Those sales are for special things. I’m thinking about,”Autism Speaks,” and, “Susan G Koman,” but, SGK does not guarantee where the funds go, so if you have better ideas, please pass them on. I love to cook and this is cooking with gas.
Is there any obligation? No. My best friends don’t read my blogs. They don’t have to. I tell them everything. : )
Okay, day… I think four? I was told to use the Differin every third night, because most people react to it with majorly peeling skin and redness. Not me. My skin has been into every stupid acne product since the dawn of time and I got no redness. Okay, a burning sensation where I’d picked a zit. Sue me. Everyone farts, picks their nose in the car and on occasion, unless they are blessed like my son’s birth mom (perfect skin and no zits, ever, brat) they pick them. I remember girls in high-school doing it for one another and talking about it. Fascinating and disgusting all at the same time. Anyway, I have some peeling, and flaky skin, but I use my Elephant Poo Soap, (African Black Soap, no actual poo in it, just looks like it), Salicylic Acid on any active whompers and I do extractions on my Blackheads.
NOOOO!
Yes. I’m not sure how to break this to you, but Pore Strips only remove the top layer that’s oxidized and has discolored. There is sill sebum underneath and the only way to remove it is by professional, or professional quality and extraction. It won’t stop it forever, but that’s what the Differin is for. BTW, Differin is not an exfoliant. With most Retinoids you cannot use Salicylic Acid and the product on the same day, they cancel one another out. Differin is different (maoan). I’ts a synthetic and milder from of retinoid, even though it’s very hard on acne. I got the gel form, which is supposed to be more gentle.
Back to the report. Nothing major. Had a bump yesterday, gone today. I used the pink stuff over the retinoid. I’m not big on getting the Differin too close to my eye, but the wrinkles and crepiness. Yuck! So I’ll attempt one eye on the upper part of the lid tonight and test it. Not the lid itself, that is reserved for my L’Oreal. Which is working, albeit very slowly. No new milia. A good reason I don’t use pure pigments. They tend to make milia pop out on me. Yuck. NEVER EVER remove any milia (hard, little white bumps made of a wax-like substance) on your lid. Visit a dermatologist. I’m all for home remedy’s, but this is your EYE!
Now, Latisse. I have a generic, same active ingredient. I missed last night. I got it on my lid too, but I already had on my Differin and didn’t want to wash my face again, so I chanced it. The darkening of the skin is common, but does seem to go away on the maintenance routine for tester’s and I was terrified I’d wake up with HUGE dark marks on my lids. No. In the future I will, 1. wash, 2. Latisse, 3. Retinoid, 4. Spot Treat. Oh, be more careful works too. Don’t waste your time on the dorky brushes you get with it. Just buy a fine eyeliner brush, or two (mark one L and the other R), clean them well after each use (I use African Black Soap with extra oils in it) and dry on a sterile surface. I bought some white towels that I bleach to death in the wash on the sanitary mode for my makeup and medication space. Cheap at Target.
So far, three whole days, nothing. I don’t expect squat for six weeks, so hang tight. No darkening of the pigment of my eye (my eyes are olive-bright green and there is a brown spot, in the top of my left eye. I used to hate that thing, now, I feel liberated and different because of it). No change to either. Again, blue eyes do not darken in any of the tests, including the original product for glaucoma. It makes your brown eyes very brown,*IF* it happens, which is rare. Go to their site and read the studies. Very informative.
So, that’s that. I would like to state, for honesty’s sake that I purchased them online through a drug store in India, run by two American woman here. They have a stellar reputation (I tried to find a bad review and other than shipping time, could not) and had a prescription for these items. I could not and would not pay that much markup for a product in the US. Ridiculous! The products are by the same companies that sell here, and are identical in makeup. I researched the heck out of them and was honest with my doc. He was not thrilled, but conceded that they are the same and warned me against buying from China. In Michigan a lot of people take day trips to Canada and get scripts filled, because of the savings, so it seemed normal to m. If this idea terrifies you, then pay the full price. I just can’t afford it and refuse to let the drug companies hold me be the proverbial balls for my acne meds. I’m almost 46! I refuse to be forty six and have acne. I won’t use Accutane. I don’t think it would depress me, but I have enough problems without six months of headaches. A common side effect.
