Hey everyone,

This will be my final post for now. I still haven’t decided if I want to keep up with this blog, although I feel like it has been very successful.

I just wanted to thank every one of my 1,000+ viewers for checking me out. It really means a lot to me that I got that many hits.

But, because this was meant for a class assignment, I still need to decide about this blog’s future.

Until then, I’m going to say goodbye, and thank you.

Stay fabulous!

Now, my sister is actually perfect for this type of makeover, because she rarely ever wears makeup. Granted, she’s 13, but she’s at that age that all girls start to experiment with makeup. To start, I kept her eye color and facial type in mind. She has blonde hair, blue eyes and is very fair-skinned, so I can’t do anything dramatic.

* This is the ever-infamous “before” shot you see in many makeovers.

Moving along, I started with her eyes. I used a light purple eyeshadow, and rubbed it lightly on her eyelid. Then, I took a Q-Tip and made a darker line right above her eyelashes. I then used mascara and eyeliner to make her eyes pop out a bit more.

* This is right after I put the eye makeup on her. I love purple for blue eyes because it really makes them pop out.

Next, I moved to her face. Now, I didn’t want to put too much makeup on, because I didn’t want it to look too harsh. So, I used a little bit of blush on her cheeks, and swept it across her nose and forehead, just to make it look more blended in on her fair face.

* This is right after I put the blush on her. It’s not too much of a dramatic difference, and that’s what I was aiming for.

Finally, I put some lip gloss on, to finish her face. I used a real light, almost white color on her, just so her lips don’t overpower her fact.

* This is right after I put the lip gloss on. It completely finishes her look.

So, her makeover was a complete success, and I can almost bet she’ll use this look more than just once.

* This is the even more famous “after” shot associated with makeovers.

After doing this, I realized that I do have a couple tricks up my sleeve that I can use on other people beside myself. I think I did a pretty good job, and she was happy with it, so that makes me happy!

Well, what can I say? It’s been great doing this blog, and now the semester is coming to a close. I will be doing an official post going more into my plans for this blog, but I wanted to do a little prelude into this post, and the next one. The next 2 posts will be for my final project, which I have mentioned earlier. I wanted to show everyone what I’ve learned over the semester, which is actually a lot. First, I’ve learned how to record a video on my laptop’s web cam. I’ve honestly never used it before, so this was a trial-and-error process.

Anyway, here’s my final product, uploaded to my Youtube account. It’s my take on a dramatic eye makeup look. So, kick back, relax and watch my triumph!

Now, I do check a lot, but unfortunately, there’s never any stories that stick out to me. Luckily, I found a couple.

The first story is titled “Ensure Makeup Products are Worth the Price”. As everyone knows, makeup and beauty product sets are huge this time of year, and this story helps the curious consumer figure out what exactly is worth the money you’ll spend on it. The main one the writer talks about is from Sephora. It’s called a Cosmetic book of shadows, and it’s by Urban Decay. Urban Decay is HUGE in Sephora, and they have a lot of really cute makeup. Unfortunately, it’s a bit on the expensive side, so their makeup would be considered a splurge.
The set itself costs $48, and you get 16 different colors of eyeshadow, 2 different eyeliners, and a makeup primer. This is a very good deal, for Urban Decay makeup. If Christmas weren’t so close, I’d go after it myself.

The next post is titled “‘Mood-Enhancing Makeup’ Set to Dominate  Cosmetics in 2010.” This post caught my eye because I’ve actually never seen a post that looks into the future, having solely to do with makeup. Now, this makeup, according to the article, contains “biochemistry and nanotechnology advances” that are supposed to enhance your mood. The article is very interesting and shows that even cosmetics are getting into the new technology crazes.

There was one blog post from a blog called TruthinAging.com. This post, titled “How Safe is my Makeup Case?” gives some good insight on makeup crazes, including organic/all-natural makeup. Sarah (the blog’s author) goes into her own makeup case, and truly looks into everything. She lists the ingredients of everything she checks out, which is good, especially if you own any of the makeup she goes in depth about.

This was a good day for makeup news, and if you want to check anything out, all you have to do is go to Google News! Enjoy

I’ve just realized how much time has gotten away from me, and I haven’t done half of the things I wanted to do within it. My ultimate goal is to show everyone what I have learned while doing this blog. So, I’ve decided to dedicate this blog post as a prerequisite to my final project. (which you’ll see in the following week)

I was never an expert on makeup, and I’m still not, but I feel like my expertise and knowledge has vastly improved since I started the blog.

So, in order to celebrate my growing knowledge on the makeup subject, I’ll be recording my very own Youtube how-to video from my laptop’s web cam. On top of that, I’m planning to perform a makeover of sorts on a willing guinea pig, we shall see how that goes….

As far as anything else, I haven’t fully planned it out. I guess you’ll just have to wait until Monday and see.

Here’s another smokey eye look video. It’s 12 minutes long, but is very detailed, and actually has over 1,000,000 views on Youtube. So, I figured I would share it with you guys as well.

It’s by MakeupByTiffanyD. Check it out!

Enjoy!

Big deal, right? Well, if you’re over 21, it is. It’s the biggest party night of the year, since pretty much everyone is off tomorrow. Because of this, I decided to dedicate a post solely to party makeup.

Basically, I call this post a mixture of a video post and a blog stroll. I just Googled “party makeup ideas” and got a ton of results. So, if you’re looking for what to wear tonight, or what to do with your makeup tonight, this post is your one-stop shop, so to speak.

Here are some blogs/articles that I found handy-
Taaz.com
lifetips.com
lovetoknow.com

Here’s a couple videos you might enjoy:

- This is from vixxenbby. It’s an easier how-to.

- This is from JuicyCouture977. Judging by the time, it’s also an easier version. You can thank me later.

Well, for those of you who are 21 and over, have fun tonight!! And, please, be safe! Don’t drink and drive!!!

And, drum-roll please, there are some places that will do it “for free” if you buy at least one of the products they used on you.  So, for example, if you agree to buy just the eye shadow they’ll still do it, hoping that you’ll tell your friends and family about what a wonderful job they’ve done.

As I’ve said in the previous post, you just have to “shop around” to see where would be the right place for you to go. Here’s an interactive map to make your search a little easier. Enjoy!!

But, until then, I’ll post my weekly top-? list. This week’s topic? Makeovers, of course.

1) Ulta
Ulta is a great place to get a makeover, as many locations have a salon right inside. Depending on where you go (I’m basing my prices by the one located in Mt. Laurel, NJ), the prices and services vary.
- the location in Mt. Laurel has not only a hair salon, but also a place to get your makeup done. A basic shampoo and style costs about $30, and makeup application costs about $30 as well. This is a great place to go to if you have a special occasion coming up, such as a wedding or prom. They also have different kinds of beauty treatments as well, starting at about $30.

2) MAC
Of course, you knew this was going to end up on here. Now, from knowing a couple people who have gotten makeovers done here, I pretty much have an idea on what you have to do. Like any other salon, you have to make an appointment, or I believe they take walk-ins as well. The actual cost of the makeover is free, but of course a tip is only appropriate, and they require you to buy at least one item that they used on you. It’s not a bad deal, especially if you like what they did.

3) Sephora
Now, this one is iffy. I have a friend that works at Sephora, but she hasn’t been working there long, so I’m not sure how it works. But, like MAC and Ulta, you can get them. You can visit your local Sephora and check out how it works. I believe it’s like MAC, as in you don’t get charged for the actual makeover (except tip, if you wish), but you have to buy at least one product they used on you. If not, than it shouldn’t be more than $30-40.

Now, I’m not counting this as a top spot, but it’s always a possibility. If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of a mall/shopping area, as pretty much every location of the three stores above is around a mall, you can always check out your local salon. Many salons double as a hair and nail salon, and also do other beauty services.

Happy makeover!!

I would like to take the time to thank everyone who’s visited my blog since I started it. This is giving me the inspiration to keep up with it after my Online Journalism class is over.

Thank you guys so so so much!!!!!!

On another, more interesting note, I was driving home from school the other day, and heard something that, while I probably should have known, completely shocked me. Makeup and other kinds of beauty products are one of the most shoplifted items in 2009.

The reason why? Because of the ailing economy, according to MSN, people feel the need to “maintain a quality of life they can no longer afford” (said by Bruce Cromley of TIME magazine)

It’s a shame, really.

Along with makeup, infant formula; 50-pack aspirin; razors; pregnancy tests and Primatene, an asthma OTC medication.

A very interesting mix of items, if you ask me.