Blue Christmas....

I'm dreaming of a bluuuuueeee Christmas.

I'm from the Caribbean so we don't have white Christmases but we definitely have blue ones. The skies are usually blue and hopefully tomorrow won't be as rainy as it's been earlier this week.

I'll personally be having a blue Christmas :( because this is one of the most difficult holidays for me. Waking up and not having mom around is VERY hard but thankfully I still have dad who happens to be my hero. I wonder if he knows. I guess this would be the moment to tell him. This Christmas is also going to be unusual for me because this will be the first year in a very long time that my family isn't gathering at my grandmother's house for Christmas lunch :(. Honestly there's NOTHING better than grammie's cooking.

Anyway, I disappeared from the makeup scene because so many things were going on but decided that I better get back into the game so here goes....

You could also find this video for this look on my YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/user/shadesmakeup

Products:

NYX Jumbo Pencil (Milk)- e/s base

Pure Luxe Cosmetics (Glory e/s)- outer lid

MAC Pure White loose shadow- inner lid

NYX Liquid Liner (Gold)- top lid

Maybeline Volum' Express mascara

MAC Espresso- brows

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Christmas Greetings.....

From my heart to yours........Merry Christmas

Click on image to enlarge.....

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NARS Swatch & lots of wind.....

Hiya,

This is just a quick post so that you guys don't think I've fallen off the face of the Earth because I'm still here. I've just been super busy.

As per my previous post, I was in the "Windy City" (Chicago) visiting my sister and my very short trip was GREAT! I visited her in July of this year but I really needed a trip so I flew up to see her again. She's going to be away from the family here in the Cayman Islands :( Here are a few photos of she and I :) I never got a chance to make my snow angels but I did hold my face up to the sky and let the snow fall on it :) Yup, I'm a BIG kid at heart.

While I was browsing the streets in Chicago, I decided to pop into Sephora to check out eyeshadows (as if I need anymore). At any rate, I picked up a few shadows from NARS. I totally fell in love with the colors and HAD to buy them. My NARS collection is pretty small but I'm working on it.

Here are the colors are purchased:

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Brief Update and Happenings....

Hi bloggers,

Am soooo sorry that I've been neglecting you but I've been supppppppppper busy with stuff...makeup, work, preparing to travel, Cayman Islands 2009 Jazz Fest.

Travel- I will be flying to Chicago to visit one of my sisters from Dec 8-14. It's a pretty short trip but I know it'll be worth the time. I also know that I'll freeze my butt off because I'm from an island where am used to 70 degrees and up, NOT 20 degrees and below :(.......I'll keep you posted though.

Makeup- I haven't been doing any tutorials as of late because I've been doing LOADS of makeup for my cousin, KK Alese who's a singer and will be releasing her first album on December 11, 2009. Woo hoo!!!! Am soooooooooo excited for her because we actually used to sing together but we moved on to other things. She continued her music and now has her own album. How exciting is that? I'll be posting photos soon.

Cayman Jazz Fest 2009- This year's headliners for the Cayman 2009 Jazz Fest (http://www.caymanislands.ky/jazzfest/) were ALICIA KEYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, Peabo Bryson, Oleta Adams, Kirk Whalum, Arturo Tapin, Mike Phillips, Keith Sweat and others. The fest was from December 3-5, 2009. Honestly, am still trying to find words to describe the performances. They were completely OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!! What was even MORE exciting was that I was the OFFICIAL MUA for the emcees of the event which means that I was actually on the stage with Alicia Keys, Jermaine Paul (www.myspace.com/jermainepaul) and crew. It was AWESOME!!! I also took photos with Elle Varner (www.mysapce.com/ellevarner). She has an AWESOME voice and she's an absolute sweetheart.

Christmas Makeup Giveaway- a HUGE and VERY GINORMOUS :) congratulations goes to Tinuke Wilson of New Jersey who was the lucky winner of my first Christmas Makeup Giveaway. She did an awesome job of creating a wearable Christmas look which was inspired by the colors of Christmas (green, red & white), Santa Claus and snow flakes. How cute is that? I'll also post those photos later.

More details coming soon.....

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A Fresh Green Christmas Mix

I find that I am drawn to neutral/ warm colors (browns, tans, rusts, coppers) and greens!!! I absolutely LOVE green and I'm never usually very picky about the shade. I just love green! Green is peaceful, it's calming....

Today's look is another look that can be worn for Christmas. Even though this year's Christmas is focusing on strong dark colors, I think this look is beautiful for Christmas. Mix it up a little. Have fun with the "trend".

Am sorry that I didn't show my entire face. I'm actually not feeling well. I have a TERRIBLE headache. It's more like a migraine.

Products:

Two Faced Shadow Insurance (1st primer)
NYX Jumbo Pencil- Milk (2nd primer)
MAC Fresh Green Mix mineral e/s (inner lid)
Lime Crime Lime Criminal pigment (mid lid)
Lime Crime Enchant pigment (outer lid)
MAC Espresso e/s (brows)
Urban Decay Sin e/s (highlight)
Maybeline Volum' Express mascara

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Beauty Tip: November 29- December 6, 2009

How to Remove Make-Up Without Your Make-Up Removal and Toiletry Supplies

Step 1
To remove mascara, a few drops of baby oil on a cotton ball will effectively remove mascara from the eye lashes. Gently apply the cotton ball to the eyelashes and swipe downward on your eyelashes, when your eye is closed. Repeat process for your second eye.

Step 2
Olive oil will remove make-up from your skin. Dab a few drops of olive oil onto a cotton ball and rub it on your face, using circular motions. Repeat with a second cotton ball if needed.

Step 3
Rinse the olive oil from your skin with a warm, wet washcloth.

Step 4
If you have a toothbrush but no toothpaste, create your own toothpaste with one teaspoon of baking soda and a few drops of water to create a paste with a viscous, toothpaste consistency.

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A neutral Christmas

For those of you who don't like strong eye color, today's LOTD is dedicated to you. I personally love color whether it's warm color or bright, bold, shocking color. I know that this year's Christmas makeup trend is about lots of shimmer and dark, bold colors but who says that you still can't be fabulous in neutrals?

This is probably my first "very neutral" look and I like the way it turned out. I gave the look a bit of "spunk" by framing my "bright brown eyes" with a true blue/ royal blue winged liner.

Unfortunately I'm not able to list the eye shadows I used because the colors are from my MAC Pro Palette and silly me didn't save the labels for the colors :(

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Christmas is coming (Burgundy & Black)

Christmas is definitely in the air. I feel it in the weather, I feel it all around and it's a great feeling. All the vendors are dropping prices, advertising new products, decorating their shops with bright lights and goodies for all. I always like the feeling that I get leading up to Christmas but as soon as Christmas comes, my mood changes. I just never understand why.

Anyway, this is my LOTD. Yes it's ANOTHER Christmas look using too simple colors (burgundy and black). I will actually recreate this look but using a stronger application.

I really enjoyed this look. I thought it was a beautiful combination.

Eyes:

Two Faced Shadow Insurance (primer)

MAC Greasepaint Stick (lid)

MAC Cranberry e/s (lid to crease)

MAC Dark Soul pigment (outer lid)

MAC Reflects Blackened pigment (on top of Cranberry e/s)

Urban Decay Sin e/s (highlight)

MAC Espresso (brows)

Maybeline Volum' Express mascara

Urban Decay liquid liner- Perversion (top lash line)

MAC Engrave liner (bottom water line)

Lips:

MAC Get Rich Quick dazzleglass

Face:

MAC NC50 Studio Tech Foundation

MAC Refined Deeper Bronze Powder

MAC Breezy Blush

MAC Espresso e/s (contour)

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Colorful Daisy: Weekly Challenge (Makeup Geek)

This week's challenge on Makeup Geek is to create a makeup look using the vibrant colors of the photo below.

The colors in this photo is an absolutely GORGEOUS combination and I just had to attempt this challenge.

Whether I win this week's challenge or not, I totally enjoyed creating this look. The winner of this week's challenge will win a pair of vintage earrings by Kelly Eo (http://www.etsy.com/shop/kellyssima) AND the NYX Strike A Pose eyeshadow palette.

I submitted two different looks because I couldn't decide on which to submit, after all, you were allowed to submit more than one.

Eyes:

UDPP

NYX Jumbo Pencil- Milk

MUFE #92 e/s (purple)

MUFE #2 e/s (yellow)

MUFE #149 e/s (green)

Ben Nye pigment (fushia)

Maybeline Volum' Express mascara

Urban Decay liquid liner- Perversion (black)

MAC Espresso e/s- brows

Ardell Gisele Lashes

Lips:

NYX lipstick- Lily of the Valley

Face:

MAC NC50 Studio Tech Foundation

MAC Deeper Bronze

MAC Breezy blush

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A TRUE Thanksgiving- Spiced Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving is not really "celebrated" as a big holiday in the Cayman Islands as we are a very "religious/ spiritual" community and observe "National Days of Prayer" etc and we view thanksgiving as a recurring "event" and not a single day event.

Eitherway, I think the concept of Thanksgiving is great because in this life, we have ALOT to be thankful for. Whenever we feel as if we're experiencing the worst of a situation, unfortunately there are many others near and far who are experiencing something alot worse.

Thanksgiving is a time to focus on all the beautiful blessings that we receive on a daily basis. We should give thanks for the simplest of things to the most complex and extravagant things. Our God is an amazing God and he never made any mistakes when placing us where we are in our lives at this very point in time.

We should reflect on the past minute, the past hour, the past day, the past month, the past year and give heart felt thanks to the Almighty for continuously guiding us and taking us through every day of our lives because he knows our paths, he knows our journey. He can see farther than our incomparable minds can fathom. God is truly amazing.

With that being said, today's look is a "thanksgiving" look reflects colors of the season (Autumn).......golds, oranges, maroons, rusts etc

Eyes:

UDPP

MAC Amber Lights e/s

MAC Maroon e/s

MAC Engrave eyeliner

Urban Decay Perversion liquid liner

Maybeline Volum' Express mascara

Lips:

MAC Beaux lustreglass

Face:

MAC NC50 Studio Tech Foundation

MAC Deeper Bronze Powder

MAC Breezy Blush

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It's a miracle.....am under your spell...

Today's look is from MAC's Magic, Mirth and Mischief Collection for holiday 2009....here I used "It's a Miracle" and "Under Your Spell" and created this look.

As beautiful as the color purple is, I really don't think it does anything for me and it really doesn't show it's true beauty on me but oh well, here's the look and I hope you like it.

Eyes:
Two Faced Shadow Insurance (primer)
NYX Jumbo Pencil - Purple
MAC Under Your Spell e/s
MAC It's A Miracle e/s
MAC Espresso e/s (brows)
Gold Gel Liner
Gosh Purple eyeliner
Maybeline Volum' Express mascara

Lips:
NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss- Biege Pearl

Face:
MAC NC50 Studio Tech Foundation
MAC Deeper Bronze

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Makeup Tip: November 16-22, 2009

Remove Your Makeup:

If you wear makeup on a daily basis, it is EXTREMELY important that you remove it daily.

Make sure you remove your entire makeup at the end of the day. The longer you can go without makeup at night, the longer your pores will be able to breathe

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Deep Truth & the Sorcerer

I'm absolutely in love with this combination. Blue, blue, blue! It's GORGEOUS. I'm quite pleased at how it turned out.

I'm actually trying to cheer up myself by creating beautiful, eye-catching looks instead of creating looks that reflect how I feel.

Sometimes in life when we're dealing with certain situations, we pity ourselves by focusing on what's bugging us. We eat comfort foods, we binge eat, we mindlessly shop and rack up a mean shopping bill (as I would do), we isolate ourselves and the list goes on and on. I am very guilty of isolating myself when I'm dealing with certain issues but I'm working on that.

Anyway, enough of the hum drum......I KNOW that I will overcome because I AM a strong woman like my mother was and I WILL overcome. We must journey down certain paths to strengthen who we are as individuals. Our experiences make us who we are. So count your blessings, focus on all the positive things in your live, be prayerful, be faithful and love life!

Eyes:

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil- Milk (inner lid)

MAC Greasepaint Stick- Black (outer lid)

MAC Blue Sorcery e/s

MAC Deep Truth e/s

VS Beauty Rush- Gold Rush e/s (highlight)

MAC Espresso- brows

Ardell Gisele Lashes

Lips:

MAC Beaux lipglass

Face:

MAC NC50 Studio Tech Foundation

MAC Deeper Bronze Powder

MAC Breezy blush

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We're in a hurry, but God is not!!

The passage that I am about to share with you is so very true. The world has become such a fast pace place that we often forget to cherish things, take our time, grow slowly, laugh loudly, enjoy the purity of God's work. We're always so caught up in trying to live our dreams and make them happen overnight that we forget to live....we forget to consult God who has given us that dream.

I found the below passage to be soooooooo very true and I just had to share it with you.

Be blessed today and take time to live. Why are we always such in a rush? God isn't....

Joyce Meyer – New Day New You

WE’RE IN A HURRY, BUT GOD’S NOT

We never learn patience without something to be patient about. Patience is something that has to be worked in us-it doesn’t just appear. The fruit of patience is in our spirits, because as children of God, the Holy Spirit is resident within us.

But for patience to be expressed through our souls (our mind, will and emotions), a work must be done in us. Once the prescribed time of waiting for the birth of each of my children had passed, I tried everything imaginable to bring on labor. I walked, took castor oil, worked harder than usual, hoping it would help ‘speed things up.’ With one of them, I even went into the hospital so the doctor would induce labor. It didn’t work; I was sent home. The doctor basically said, ‘Go home and let nature take its course.’

My advice to you from the Word of God and from my experience in life is, ‘Don’t be in such a big hurry.’ You may be full of dreams for your life, but you may also be trying to achieve your dreams out of season. We can make huge messes in our lives and sometimes get upset with God because things didn’t work out the way we thought the Lord said they would. Things will happen as God said if we wait on His timing. We are the ones in a hurry. God is not in a hurry!

Stay busy delighting yourself in the Lord, and let Him give you what He wants you to have. If God has placed the desire in you, you can be assured that He will bring it to birth in the right season. Wait on God for direction and instruction on how to proceed, do what He tells you or shows you, don’t go beyond that.

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Purple & Black- After Midnight Look

Today's look is a pretty easy combination of purple & black shadows from MakeUp Forever (http://www.makeupforever.com/)

This look can definitely be worn over the Christmas holidays paired with neutral-to-nude lips. The photos do not show the true beauty of this look because I had to use a flash (false lighting) and it took away from the true colors. The black and purple are both sparkley and they're GORGEOUS.

Be sure to check my video for this look on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/ShadesMakeup#p/u/0/KpwPts6FhV8

Eyes:

MAC GreasePaint Stick- Black
MUFE#92 e/s
MUFE# 307 e/s
Maybeline Volum' Express mascara
MAC Espresso e/s- brows


Lips:

MAC Get Rich Quick dazzleglass


Face:

MAC NC50 Studio Tech Foundation
MAC Refined Golden Powder
MAC Breezy blush

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Blah-ish

Today's look is a reflection of how I feel....blah! Hopefully when I rise with the sun tomorrow, I'll feel a bit better. Actually, I should feel better because am going for a pedicure. Yay!!!!

This is a simple combination of Lime Green & Purple from Lime Crime Cosmetics.

Enjoy!

Products:

NYX Jumbo Pencil- Milk

MAC Espreso

Lime Crime Lime Criminal (Green)

Lime Crime Empress (Purple)

Maybeline Volum' Express Mascara

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Sneak preview- Christmas Makeup Giveaway Prizes!!!!

This is just a quick post to give you a sneak preview of the goodies that the lucky winner of my Christmas giveaway will be receiving. Pretty much all of the products will be from NYX because it's one of my FAVORITE, inexpensive brands. The colors are so rich, long lasting, super pigmented and easy to work with.

I really can't wait to see all the various Christmas looks that I'll be receiving. To enter the giveaway, please see my post on the rules and requirements.

http://shadespromakeup.blogspot.com/2009/11/chrismas-makeup-giveaway.html

As I said, this is just a few of the items....a sneak preview:

NYX Glitter Liner- Jade

NYX Loose Ultra Pearl Mania Eyeshadow- Silver

NYX Trio Eyeshadow- Purple/Deep Purple/ Prune

NYX Mega Shine Gloss- Sweetheart

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