Dramatic Purple Eyeliner & Bold Lips for New Years Eve

This holiday season, I have been feeling especially festive and I've been trying out all sorts makeup looks.  One thing I've been obsessing over lately is colored eyeliner and I've decided to start a little collection.  So far, I've accumulated a light aqua, eggplant purple, navy blue and hunter green.  And yes indeed, I do intend to do makeup looks with them all.

This time around, I decided to try something simple but with a little added drama with extended purple winged liner and a bold complimentary lip.  I think this look would be great for an upcoming New Year's party.  Check it out.

How to Achieve a Smooth Roller Set (A Tutorial) / Under Construction

I'm sure you've noticed that there have been some changes in the look of things around here. That's because I've been cleaning house and preparing for 2013 which I intended to be a great year of blogging. 

Aside from concealing my excitement about my pregnancy and battling first trimester fatigue, whenever I had energy to actually turn the computer on, I've been working behind the scenes to make things a little more streamlined for myself as well as making things more pleasant when you visit.  This meant moving things, changing the look and feel to my satisfaction (finally), with a brand new [permanent] header and the whole nine yards.  

I'd also been using an old email address to manage this blog instead of using the blog's actual email address so I went through changing over all the admin stuff and removing the other from google friend connect and then adding the other which TOOK forever because I follow over 100 blogs. To unfollow and then re-follow has been quite the task but now that it's done, it's done!  I've finally followed through on what I'd been wanting to do for my blog these past few months.

There will still be some minor changes made around here but those will definitely be done in any spare time I have.  I love you guys for sticking with me.  Thanks for all the love, kind words, encouragement and the requests for an update! ;-)

Also, I've created a new YouTube Channel and the old one will be left behind come January so if you haven't joined, I encourage you to do so!  Click here to go to the new channel and subscribe or you can watch one of the first videos from my new channel here--a Roller Set Tutorial:

Here's my roller set on Day 1:

And here it is on Day 7 after rain & even working it out in Zumba class.  Held up well, aye?

See the tutorial below.

Proof of Life

I've been a complete absentee blogger and usually when I return, this is the part where I lay out an apology and explanation of why I've been away followed by a promise to do better.  But as I sit here enjoying my fruit salad consisting of out of season strawberries, seedless red grapes & surprisingly sweet blackberries, I'm not so inclined to include any of the above. Well, except maybe a slight explanation--but it's more like an update.

First, let me say that I'm a person of celebration.  I like to celebrate birthdays and holidays and any other monumental/defining moment in not only my own life but for those of my loved ones and even my blog friends.  My birthday recently passed and I barely mentioned it anywhere online and I absolutely neglected my usual post in honor of my birthday (on purpose).  And not because I didn't want to acknowledge my birthday but simply because I couldn't mention my birthday or any great occasion without being tempted to mention this:

Chief and I decided when MJ was around a year old that we would not be having another child--we were SO absolute about it.  About a year later, I'd changed my mind because I didn't want my baby growing up alone.  Still adamant, Chief didn't want another and after many conversations about it, I'd resigned and gave it up to God because only He has the power to change a man's heart. (Proverbs 21:1 -- The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.)

Nearly a year later, on September 23rd, at the end of an awesome and touching church service, Chief leaned over to me as our Pastor began the benediction.

"We should have another baby."

"Shut up! Uh uh! For real?!"

Never mind my surprise, but I knew that it was God that had changed his stubborn heart.   And later in conversation over brunch, he admitted that it was something that the Pastor said that hit him hard.  Therein was my confirmation that God had done the work on my husband for me.

This might all sound cheesy to some but I'm a firm believer that God has the ability to change hearts & lives.  I also believe that God's timing is perfect and infinitely superior to my own.  This is a constant, reassuring lesson for me that when I open myself up and surrender to God's will for my life no matter the circumstance instead of trying to handle things on my own, he really does come through EVERY SINGLE TIME--right on time.  

As it stands on 12/12/12, I am 12 weeks into my second pregnancy.  We found out at a mere four weeks on October 17 (my mom's birthday) and then on October 31 (my birthday) we had our first sonogram.  At that stage, all there was to see was a little bean with a heartbeat but it was absolute proof of life.  So you see, I was bursting at the seams and I had to stay away because I wasn't ready to share and I didn't want to slip up or give stupid little hints.

 Doing the math, our child was conceived shortly after September 23rd.  Again, God's own perfect timing because it was meant to happen when He wanted it to.

This was one of my "31 things" but I surely intended it to happen next year just before the challenge ended.  Well, you know what this means.  I'll have to make a revision to that list. Coming soon

Get Red Carpet Ready for the Holildays

***CLOSED***

Whether you're attending a holiday party, joining your honey for a dinner date, or attending a high school reunion, there are times when you pull out all the stops to ensure you're looking your very best. With that in mind, I've put together a list of my Top 5 Tips on Getting Red Carpet Ready:

1. Avoid Heavy Makeup

A full face of heavy makeup can cause you to look cakey and overdone. Keep it light by hiding redness, blemishes or dark circles under your eyes with a little concealer and using a tinted moisturizer instead of foundation. If you tend to get oily as the night goes on, swipe on a little translucent powder before heading out and remember to tuck a few blotting papers into your clutch.

2. The Eyes Have It

Keep your eyelids from becoming mini oil slicks by priming your eyes before applying eyeshadow. After you've created the look you want, finish it off with a volumizing mascara like the new COVERGIRL® Clump Crusher Mascara. This is just the mascara to help you avoid the dreaded "tarantula lash" at one of the most important party times of the year. The curved shape of the brush fits the shape of your eye, allowing you to build mega volume without worry. The tight spacing of the bristles stops clumps before they even start while making for beautifully full, separated lashes.

3. Make a Statement Without Saying a Word

Make it count and give some power to your pout with beautiful red and berry shades that are fit for the holiday season. Make lip color stay put by applying one coat of a creamy matte lipstick and then lifting excess product by blotting with a tissue. This method will help your lip color endure through the night by leaving your lips with a beautiful stain.

4. Make Your Skin Look Amazing

Are you wearing a revealing dress or top to your holiday shindig? If so, you'll want to make sure your skin is at its best by exfoliating your back with a long-handled loofah brush. Don't forget to exfoliate your neck and decolletage with a gentle sugar scrub as well. After your skin is polished and pretty, rub on a little cocoa butter or your favorite moisturizer to ensure your skin is supple and glowing.

5. Finish with Festive Polish

Metallic polishes continue to be all the rage this fall and they are an ultra-chic favorite of mine. Not only do metallics compliment your staple black and white party outfits but they're festive and oh-so-appropriate for the holiday season. A polish I would recommend is the new COVERGIRL® Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss in Golden Opportunity. The great thing about these polishes is that the formula is fast-drying and just one coat provides even color and coverage. The Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss polishes come in an array of 15 gorgeous, high-pigment shades from which to choose and even more colors in January!

What makes you feel 'red carpet ready'? What are your go-to tricks for looking your best during the holiday party season? 

Visit COVERGIRL on YouTube for more great ideas on how to get red carpet ready!

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