The Value of Good Service

As a result of an internet outage at my house, I'm way behind on my blogging, YouTube video uploads, and blog surfing.

Remember when companies actually had good service? Apparently that time has passed for AT&T Local Phone Service and Earthlink. So has my time as their customer for home phone (who needs that anyway?) and DSL (since we are now switching to cable modem service, we don't need phone service). Note to big corporations. Stop wheeling and dealing and get you some customer service. Laissez-faire economics and capitalism means we have choices. The customer is always right. So long suckaz!

Turns out this is actually a pretty appropriate post for the week of Independence Day. Let me, everyone I know and love, and all of you lovely readers be free of the tyranny of bad business practices and companies that don't care about the customer experience.

Here are the products I used for my 4th of July manicure. Pictures, too!

I love my Julep America. It's so pretty and the stars are so cool. I also love the Nicole for OPI Kardasshian Courtney needs a Pedi red I used in this mani. It's so candy-like. Kind of jelly-ish and a bit sheer. But yummy with the 3 coats I gave it. I also adore the OPI designer color I used for the navy blue. It's like a soft sparkly paint you could maybe get on your Schwinn Stingray bike back in the 70s. And lots of folks have been admiring the Milani gold glitter polish I put on the end of the white.

Hope you enjoy!

I say long live competition and anti-trust laws. May we start enforcing them better soon in this country. Like, for instance, maybe individual companies shouldn't own local phone lines, since that is like water and other utilities, and is more of a public service.

God Bless America!

:)BeautyJones

Epic Fix: No More Raccoon Eye!

No Raccoon Eye for me today!
And, by the way, are you feeling lucky, punk?

I dread the raccoon eye like no other makeup faux pas. And something about the way I smile, or the planes of my face just makes it want to happen, so I was searching and searching for a solution.

Was I using too much concealer? No, because when I used none, the eye makeup under my eyes still moved. What if I didn't put anything on my lower lids? I still got those smudgy raccoon spots under my eyes, the stuff on the upper lids liked to transfer itself there.

Then, yesterday I tried something I'd seen lots of YouTube beauty gurus do, from Cora of Vintage or Tacky to the Pixiwoos.  And it worked.

Here's what I did:

• Line lower and upper lash line with pencil of your choice. Smudge it or don't. I went for a bit of a cat eye look, so I didn't smudge it very much at all.
• Find an eye shadow that matches the pencil color, and sweep some on over the pencil to seal it.
• That's it.  That's all. So simple. Why didn't I try it before?



Out of focus works like Vaseline on the lens, doesn't it? (Oops.)

I ran back from a lunch walk because I was late for a meeting, and by the time I came up in the elevator I wasn't just warm, I was dripping.

My green eyeliner didn't move. It did not move.

Here's what I used:

NYX Slide on Pencil Shade

• NYX Slide on pencil in Tropical Green
• Crown Brush 180 Palette, Yellows/Greens/Blues/Purples in G3 (Yes, I made this name up—ain't it catchy? Please see picture below)

So, I guess the moral is, if you see a cool technique on a Beauty guru's vid, give it a shot, even if it seems to take extra time or thought. It might be a hot new technique you find you want to use every day!

I hope you guys find this helpful, and I'd love to hear your results if you try it!

The rest of my look that day was out of the NYX "butt" naked palette. Still in love with that!

What do you use to help avoid the raccoon eye or other makeup epic fail situations? What are your biggest challenges with the whole make-my-face-pretty-today thing?

Comment below and let me know!

Happy Friday, All!

:)BeautyJones

Epic Fail: Night Cream under BB Cream!

Don't do what I did, unless you want to have to take off your base and start again! Do this only if you like being about 15 minutes late to work!

In my NewBeauty Testtube is Neostrata Skin Active Cell Savior. It is indeed active, so don't put it on under any makeup, like I did. It made the pigment in the Dr. Brandt Signature BB Cream with Flexitone precipitate out into brown pills and red streaks! That is some powerful cream!

I'm giving Dr. Brandt a break and trying him again today, over my staple Embryolisse Cream. And going to give my face an extra wash before I put him on.

Also I knew I was going swimming, so I thought I'd test the waterproofiness of my Make Up For Ever Aqua eyes and Sephora and Stila eye stuff.  You be the judge...

Turquoise under eye with palest peachy lip

Really like this OCC Lip Tar in Hush

NYX Stick blush in Tea Rose is so easy to blend, perfect for my neutral skin tone

Post-Swimming--A bit of Texas Chainsaw Mascara

It's not total Tammy Faye, but it could be better. What do you think?

Chlorine is hell on your skin! Wash it off, Baby!  But my shoulders feel fantastic! I love swimming!

Here's what I did, partially cautionary, this time:

Face:

• One Love Organic Face Balm from BeautyBar Sample Society
• Neoskin Active NIGHT (duh!) moisturizer
• Skyn Iceland eye pen
• Dr. Brandt BB Cream, which pilled into dark weird streaky pigment—brown gobbets, red streaks — the Horror! Removed with Simple Eye Makeup Remover.
• Then, back to the tried and true: Skin79 Hot Pink Super+ Beblesh Balm Triple Functions (could this name be longer?)
• Coty loose powder rolled on with my gigundo crown brush

Cheeks:

• NYX stick blush in Tea Rose
• Aveda Contour, later at work

Eyes:

• MUFE Aqua Eyes in Bronze on Lid
• Maybelline Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner Black
• Sephora waterpoof eye pencil under eye in Turquoise.
• Anastasia Brow Wiz pencil in Ashe Blonde

Lip:

• Too Faced Lip Insurance
• OCC Lip Tar in Hush

Do you wear makeup to go swimming?

Have you ever had to reapply your foundation/base/BB Cream because it reacted badly with a moisturizer and pilled all to heck?

Comment below!

Cheers and Cheers!

:)BeautyJones