A rusty look! And a pretty look using the Naked palette!

I've had this color from Beauty From the Earth Cosmetics called "Vamp" for a while now, it's a beautiful rusty color with some sparkles in it, and I really was itching to use it and make it the focus of my look today.  So I decided to go with something bold but not overpowering.  So here's the look I did!

And then I've seen this thing around called, "how much does my face cost?" or something like that where you figure out how much all of the makeup you're wearing costs.  So I thought that would be interesting to see.  So here's everything I used and how much it all cost (if it's a drugstore product, I'm going to put the WalMart price):

Face:

Revlon Colorstay Foundation "Sand Beige" $9.98

L'oreal True Match Foundation N2 $7.98

Covergirl Professional Loose Powder Translucent Fair $5.98

ELF Studio Blush/Bronzer Duo $3

ELF Studio Blush "Pink Passion" (HIGHLY recommended!) $3

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser $7.94

Maybelline Super Stay 24/7 Concealer $6.48

Eyebrows:

Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil "Blonde" $22

Anastasia Brow Powder Duo "Golden Blonde" $22

ELF Studio Cream liner "Coffee" $3

Eyes:

Lime Crime Eyeshadow Helper $17

BFTE "Vamp" mineral shadow $6.50

Makeup Geek "Purely Naked" shadow $5.99

Makeup Geek "Corrupt" shadow $5.99

Glamour Doll Eyes "Ancestry" mineral shadow $6

L'oreal HIP Chrome Liner "Black Shock" $8.47

L'oreal Voluminous Power Volume 24h "Blackest Black" $8.47

Lips:

MAC "Creme Cup" lipstick $15

MAC "Boy Bait" Cremesheen Glass $19.50 (website price, I got mine at a CCO)

So the total I spent on my face is... $184.28.

Wow.  That's a lot haha.  Though most of the products I use every day, really the only interchangeable things are eyeshadows and lip colors.  So really it's not so bad.  Gosh, now I wonder how much money I have invested in my whole makeup collection!

You guys should try this and let me know how much your face costs!

And I wasn't going to add this in but I figured I might as well.  This is just a pretty look that I would totally wear again using just the Naked palette for shadow colors!

And here's my color placement on that:

I liked the way the cool grey played off the warm browns.

But that's all I have for today!  I hope you all had an amazing week!  Don't forget to let me know how much your face costs!

I'm back (with some looks and some other ramblings)!!

Hey guys!  It's been forever since I've done a post and I'm so sorry!  It's just been so much harder to bounce back from this last surgery than I thought it would be and then not having a camera didn't make me more motivated to do anything.  So I finally got a new camera (a Nikon Coolpix P500, in case anyone is wondering.  I got it on Craigslist and saved myself $250!!) and hopefully I'll be able to figure it out so I can post more.

In all honesty, I haven't hardly worn eye makeup at all.  Today was my second time wearing an actual colored eyeshadow and it was my third time wearing black eyeliner since my surgery, which was almost 7 weeks ago.  So you haven't really missed much.  But I do have two looks for you today.  A colorful one and a neutral one.  I'll go with the colorful one first.

I was feeling the bright blue today so I went with that.  I didn't get very many good pictures but I do like the pictures I got. 

There's something I really like about just being able to see the color around the eyes, especially if it's such a bright color.

What I used for this:

Eyes:

Lime Crime Eyeshadow Helper

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in "Black Bean" as a base all over lid and under the eye

Makeup Geek (MUG) "Poolside" shadow all over lid and under eye

MUG "Neptune" in outer corner and along the crease

MUG "Mermaid" on center of the lid for a pop of shimmery color

MUG "Purely Naked" to soften the edges of the blue

MUG "Shimma Shimma" as a highlight

L'oreal HIP Chrome Liner "Black Shock"

MUG "Corrupt" to soften liner

L'oreal Voluminous Power Volume 24H Mascara "Blackest Black"

Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara "Blackest Black" to add a little more definition

Eyebrows:

ELF Cream Liner "Coffee" to outline

Anastasia brow pencil "blonde" to fill them in

Anastasia brow powder duo "Golden Blonde" to soften the pencil

Lips:

MAC "Myth" lipstick

Revlon Lip Butter "Tutti Frutti"

And my neutral look.  Since I was playing around with my camera, I figured I'd show you the pictures I took of my Naked 2 palette (which I used for this look), even though we all know what the Naked 2 palette looks like haha.

This one isn't as clear but I didn't notice until I uploaded it.  Sorry!

And the look I did (sorry it's not the most exciting look ever!).

What I used:

Eyes:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

All shadows from the Naked 2 Palette:

"YDK" on inner and outer third of lid

"Verve" on middle third of lid

"Pistol" in outer v and just above crease

"Chopper" above crease color to warm it up a little

"Bootycall" as highlight

L'oreal HIP Chrome Liner "Black Shock"

"Blackout" to soften liner

L'oreal Voluminous Power Volume 24H Mascara "Blackest Black"

Not the most thrilling look in the world but it was pretty and flattering.

And these are just a few more pictures I've taken since I got my camera two days ago haha.  They're not of makeup though!

My kiddo and my meatball!

Meatball (her real name is Delilah but she looks like a meatball so that's what I call her haha).

My Sullivan

One of our tortoises.  I think tortoises are so cute!

Well that's that!  I start chemo again tomorrow.  I have to do 8 rounds which puts me, as long as I stay on schedule, to be done with chemo the week before Thanksgiving.  It's going to be a long 4 months but I will be SO glad for this to be over with.  And I think it's going to make the holidays that much better knowing this will be behind me.  You all have been so incredibly supportive of me.  I cannot thank you enough for your comments and e-mails and comments on my facebook page.  Even if I don't respond, please know that I do read what you write and it means so much to me.  I really cannot tell you enough how much it means to me.  So thank you so so much!

And hopefully the chemo won't knock me down too much so I can keep posting!  Thanks all for reading this!!!  I hope you're having a great week!!

Almost 3 Weeks Post-Liver Resection Update

Hey guys!  I hope you're all doing well!  I just wanted to update you all quickly since I really haven't since my surgery.  It's a little graphic, just to warn you.  My surgery went well, they did remove 60% of my liver because the cancer spots were too close to major vessels for them to just cut them out.  They took my gallbladder too just because people sometimes have issues with them later in life and they're trying to save me from more surgery later on.

While I was in the hospital, 5 days after surgery, actually on the day they were intending for me to leave, I developed an ileus, which is when your intestines haven't woken up yet from the anesthesia so your food can't go through your system, so you throw up.  Throwing up hurts like crazy when your stomach has just been cut apart.  They said it was causing my small intestines to swell and that my liver stitches weren't meant to hold up to that.  So they said that they would put a tube up my nose and down into my stomach and suction out everything in there so I would stop throwing up.  They made it sound much easier than it was.  First off, the tube freakin hurts.  It's hard plastic and it scrapes your nose and the back of your throat.  They also expect you to drink water while they insert this tube to make sure it goes into your stomach and not into your windpipe.  However, the tube on the back of your throat makes you throw up.

This was the most awful thing I have ever been through and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.  They did that 3 times.  The first time the suction wasn't working so they took it back out.  The second time, they weren't confident that it was positioned correctly.  And the third time they took an x-ray to make sure that it was in the right position because it felt like it was in the back of my throat still, it was making me gag.  I cried like a big fat baby while this was happening.  It was just awful.  About 2 hours after they got the tube in the last time, I started throwing up around the tube so I begged them to take it out and they did.  They took me off of food and the problem resolved itself.  I feel lucky that it got better so fast because my mom, who's a nurse, said that she's seen ileus' last 5-7 days.  I told my husband if they were going to put another tube up my nose that I was going to check myself out.  I was not going to willingly let them do that to me again.

So altogether I was in the hospital for 8 days, which feels like forever when you're there.  I had a post-op visit yesterday with my surgeon and he said from a medical standpoint, I'm doing remarkably well.  He said also that people who respond as well to the chemo as I did often do much better long-term than someone who doesn't respond as well so that was encouraging.  I'm still super sore and can barely stand up straight.  My stomach looks like I got in a knife fight with someone in a parking lot haha.  I'm all cut and scarred up.

So technically, right now my body is cancer free.  I will be doing more chemo just to make sure that any remaining cells will be killed off.  I cannot wait for this to be over.  This surgery took so much out of me.  I was not expecting it to be as hard as it has been.

While I wish I had a look to post for you, I'm afraid I don't because I got home from the hospital to find that my camera is no longer working.  I honestly have only worn eye makeup 3 times since my surgery anyways (and it's all been neutral and very boring), so you're not really missing out on anything.  I'm in the process of researching and comparing different cameras so I make sure I get a good one.

That's my update!  Thank you all so much for your encouraging words!  They have meant a lot to me!  I thank you all so much for your support!

My last post before surgery!

Hey guys!  So this is my last post before I go in for my liver resection and then I'll be gone for a little bit.  The surgery is tomorrow morning at 7:30 at Duke University in Durham, NC.  I've been anxious about this surgery since I found out about it.  It's kind of a big deal.  I feel like I just got better from having my stomach cut apart and put back together and now I get to go do it again (maybe sometime if I get brave I'll show you guys my scars, I swear I'm going to look like I was part of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre haha).

I think the recovery for this surgery will be about the same as my last surgery (I had a left hemicolectomy in February to remove a mass of cancer from my colon), I should be in the hospital, assuming everything goes according to plan, for 5-7 days.  Then I'm supposed to meet with my oncologist on July 13th to get me scheduled for my (hopefully) final 6 rounds of chemo.  

Now I'm sorry I don't have a better "see ya later" look for you guys but I just bought this shirt from Stand Up 2 Cancer (love this site because it doesn't just focus on just one type of cancer as so many places do) and I really wanted to wear it so this is the makeup I thought worked with it (I'm not usually a yellow girl haha). 

The shirt says "Survivor"

This is my other Stand Up 2 Cancer shirt that I bought

I just did a really pretty neutral look.  What I used:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Makeup Geek (MUG) "Pretentious" shadow on lid

MUG "Mocha" with a touch of "Corrupt" in crease

Blended up with MUG "Cocoa Bear" and "Cinderella"

with MUG "Vanilla Bean" as a highlight

On my lips:

MAC "Myth" lipstick

just a smidge of MAC Viva Glam Nicki lipstick

topped with Revlon "Cupcake" lip butter

If you're interested, depending on how I'm feeling, I'll try to update my facebook page while I'm in the hospital, just to let you know I made it through surgery ok.  And if you wouldn't mind sending some prayers or thoughts my way again, I would so much appreciate it!

I want to thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for being so amazing and supportive of me during this time.  I feel so blessed that I am able to have this sort of outlet for my feelings and to talk about what I'm going through.  Sometimes it gets really hard but reading your kind words always makes it feel like not such a big deal.  So thank you all so much.  I love you guys and I'll talk to you soon!

Revlon Just Bitten "Lovesick" Balm Stain Review and Look!

I'm sure by now you've heard about these Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stains but I decided since I bought one, I'd share my opinion about it with you!  I bought mine at CVS one week, they retail there for $9.79.  My CVS was out of most colors so I went with a fushia color called "Lovesick."  It's a pretty color, a bit bolder than colors I usually go for but I figured it was worth a shot.

So here's what it looks like, it looks like a chubby, big crayon:

Here you can see it has tiny glitter flecks in it:

When I put it on, the color reminded me of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in "Addis Ababa."  They do look a lot alike but the Revlon one is much more sheer, which would be expected from something called a "Balm Stain."

And here's a look I did wearing it.  I'm not sure what it is about fushia that makes me want to wear a black smokey eye.

I used the Naked palette for this look:

"Creep" on lid and above crease

Blended with "Naked"

"Virgin" to highlight

That's all.  Just 3 colors.

I really like the color.  I think it's fun, but it is pretty bright.  I feel like you can't tell how bold it is in these pictures.  I really liked the way it applied, it was very smooth.  I like that it has a slight sheen to it.  I applied it and then tried to wipe it off, just to see how it worked, and it stayed on, which is great and something my husband also appreciated because he's not a fan of wearing fushia lipstick haha.  However, after a few hours and after I ate something, most of the boldness of the color had worn off from the middle of my lips, but it was still bright around the edges, as if I'd lined my lips with this instead of applying it all over, which is not so much a good look.  I did find that my lips were still tinted this morning when I woke up.

These are supposed to be comparable to the Tarte Lipsurgence, which I've never tried so I personally cannot compare the two.  The only thing I can honestly compare is the price.  $9.79 for a Revlon one or $24 for a Tarte one... for me, that makes up my mind immediately, but I'm one who's always looking for something similar but less expensive anways.  I do like this product, I really like the idea of it.  I'm interested to try a more nude one, just to see how the color would hold up.  I was disappointed that the color had faded (though it wasn't completely gone) in the center of my lips because it just looked sloppy.

I can't speak for the less intense colors but I'd recommend this color, just as long as reapplying to the center of your lips after a meal doesn't upset you.  If it does, then pass on this guy!

Have you guys tried these?  What do you think of them?  What color is your favorite?

A look (or two) with Makeup Geek greens

Another suggestion I had received was to do a look using greens (or burgundy) from Princessa so I've played with greens a few times.  I really had a hard time getting a decent picture the first time (and it wasn't super well done) but then I tried again and I really really like the way it turned out.  It had this glowy effect and I just thought it was really pretty.  My husband saw it and goes, "So what was this inspired by?" and I said, "green." haha.  So here's the look I came up with!!

My lighting is a little off because I took these pictures earlier in the day than normal

And here's my color placement:

All Makeup Geek Shadows:
(I number them in the order in which I place them on my eye, starting at the lashline)
1- Ocean Breeze
2- Peacock (with just a touch of Corrupt)
3- Shimmermint
4- Pixie Dust
5- Ice Queen

Here's the other look I had attempted but didn't really like or manage to get any good pictures of (apparently with greens, I like the effect of having a lighter color in the center of the lid!)

And my color placement for this one (again, all Makeup Geek colors):

The top one is much much better haha.  I'm kind of embarrassed of this bottom look, it's not my best work.  But I figure I can show you the good and the bad, right?  

I hope you all have an incredible, fun weekend!  I'm going to Virginia Beach next weekend with the fam for one last little vacation before my liver surgery takes me out of commission for a bit.  Has anyone been there and would recommend going/seeing/doing anything special?  Any tattoo parlors there anyone recommends (I REALLY wanted to get a tattoo before my surgery, but I don't want to go just anywhere, I want it to be a great place!)? 

Thank you all so much for following me and supporting me, it means so so much to me!!

Inspired by Belle from Beauty and the Beast

When I asked for some suggestions of some ideas for looks, Miranda suggested that maybe I do a look inspired by Belle from Beauty and the Beast.  Trying to come up with new ideas for a look inspired by Belle is not the easiest thing to do.  When I think of Belle, I think yellow and brown.  How many ways are there to wear yellow and brown?  I've seen some looks inspired by her before, check out Kassie's look, and honestly,  if I were to do a look without having already seen hers, I think mine would look a lot like hers.  So I did my best to come up with something at least a little bit different!

And my inspiration

I wanted this look to be mainly gold, but a yellow gold so you could still tell who it was inspired by.  I also wanted to tie in the brown (from her hair) somewhere besides the crease so I put it under my eye.

What I used:

Eyes:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil "Milk"

a layer of Sugarpill's "Buttercupcake" on lid to make the gold more yellow-y

L'oreal HIP Pigment "Visionary" over the yellow

MUG "Gold Digger" shadow

MUG "Bleached Blonde" shadow

MUG "Yellow Brick Road" shadow under highlight color

MUG "Ice Queen" shadow as a highlight

NYX glitter liner "Gold"

MUG "Brown Sugar" shadow (bronze color under my eye)

MUG "Corrupt" shadow applied wet as a liner

Cheeks:

ELF Blush/bronzer duo to contour

NYX "Angel" blush

Philosophy "The Color of Grace" shimmering face powder to highlight (this stuff is really really awesome when applied with a stippling brush, it just has an amazing glowy effect, thank you so much Heather Crazy Beautiful Makeup for sending this to me!!)

Lips:

Revlon Colorburst lipstick "Soft Nude"

ELF Liquid Lipstick "Perfect Pink" (thank you, Heather, for this too!)

And that's my look for today!  I hope you all are doing well (and staying healthy!) and I hope you have an amazing rest of your week!! Thank you all so much!!!

And a little song to finish up the post!