Pantone Color Of The Year: Tangerine Tango

Product names listed below!

Every year, Pantone puts out a "Color Of The Year" which clues us into what will be in trend for both industry designers and end-users.  These are used by trend forcasters to communicate to designers, fashion houses, product developers, etc. to plan out what we will buy for years to come.  This year, 2012 has been dubbed "Tangerine Tango" - a bright coraly orange, just in time for spring!

Can you imagine all of the trends for the next 5-10 years have already been planned, or are already in the works for us?  Crazy-talk!

Pictured above are a few of my favorite staple items that will help you jump on this trend and start the year right!

1. Revlon's Colorburst Lipstick in "Coral" - affordable, and super pigmented!
2. Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blush in "Tipsy" - a cult favorite and must-have for all!
3. OPI Nail Polish in "Big Hair, Big Nails" - my favorite jelly polish, and a flattering color on many since it lets your skin show through!
4. Make Up For Ever's Glossyful Lipgloss in "Coral" - another jelly textured item, flattering on all since your own natural lip color shines through and gives a juicy fresh tint.

Hope you guys try these out, they're definitely amongst my favorites in my makeup collection for this spring!  Also, I will make more of an effort to update in February.  January has been a super hectic month dealing with job hunting, registering for school and getting my internship lined up!  It will be a busy few months, but I promise it will be worth it!  I wish the best for all of my readers, and that 2012 will be the year that rewards you with success and recognition for all the hard work you've put forward!

Kabuki Voodoo LOVES YOU!  xoxo ♥

NYE Mani-Pedi and Shoezies!

OPI Miami Beet & China Glaze's Swing Baby metallic ombre nails!

So I've been super lagging on holiday blogging, but I know you'll forgive me!  [I do wish I did post a few of these things sooner though]

This year, we're doing a low-key NYE... no countdown plans, but we are driving up to Napa for the weekend for dinner at Morimoto's.  My boyfriend's 30th birthday is on the 2nd, so we booked a hotel so that the following day, we could do the Napa Safari adventure... [random?]  =P

No holiday looks to post just yet, but just for the extra eye-candy, here's some presents from my home to your computer screen:

Christmas Reindeer and Lamb we wrapped gifts in!

How could you still be mad after seeing this???  Remember, Kabuki Voodoo LOVES YOU, and may 2012 be the best year yet!  [You may imagine whatever goodies you want filled inside of these Xmas presents/pinatas... I imagine them choc-full of makeup!]

Skinfood - Salmon Dark Circle Under Eye Concealer

Ah, yes... concealers - the bane of my existence!  I've only found a few I fancy, and the salmon colored ones are far too pasty for me to blend.  Bobbi Brown's concealer, Benefit's Erase Paste, Cargo, Tarte's Maracuja concealer... of all of those, my favorite is the Tarte one.  Although it was super creamy and pigmented, it was more of a yellow/green tone, and much better for cancelling out redness than dark circles or shadows...

Enter: Skinfood's Salmon Dark Circle Under Eye Concealer!

It is VERY creamy, has omega3's, full of vitamins and has brightening properties.  It comes in a HUGE pot, and if you order online via Amazon or Ebay, it's super cheap for the amount of product you get!  [Don't pay more than $14.50/pot!]

DEMO TIME!

"Hi, I just rolled my happy ass outta' bed!"

Sorry, guys... that was unpleasant, I know... I deal with that face daily, so I feel your pain...  =P  - I don't feel like I have dark circles as much as I have bags, but anything to help hide the shadows will help!

Just foundation and eyebrows!

Starting this demo, here I am with Make Up For Ever's HD foundation in shade#: 123.  I filled in my brows with a mix of MAC shadows in Espresso and Copperplate.  [Am I the only one that constantly changes shadow shades to fill in their brows?  I'm on the epic quest for the perfect mix of colors...]

Ah, yes... puffiness and fallout - my two worst enemies.

So full face of foundation and eye makeup [sans mascara] and you can see my main issues are shadows and fallout.  I rarely get dark circles underneath my eyes unless I am lacking at LEAST 24 hours of sleep.  Concealers for me are more to brighten, eliminate unsightly shadows from puffiness, and clean up for fallout.

Super clean!  Puffiness concealed!  Def. brighter.

Concealer applied like I normally would on a "need to look polished quick" day.  I like it a LOT!  At first, I was a bit turned off by how hard it was, but once I wore down the initial layer of waxiness, this is super creamy... almost oily because it is so rich in oils... but easily set with powder.

Contour/blush/highlight/finishing powder applied.

This being my second "step-by-step" photo post, it's a trip seeing this blog post come to fruition.  Man, it's amazing what a little gloss can do for dry lips and some quick makeup to conceal my lack of rest!  

"Ahhh... MUCH better!" [and easier on the eyes!]

Why you might like Skinfood's Salmon Concealer:

• Price: $14.50 avg. found online - for 30g of product [1 full ounce w/ some change] - now compare that to Bobbi Brown's concealer for $22.00 - and did I mention you only get 0.05oz of that?  Math is not my strong point, but you don't need to tell me twice I'm saving money!  Win!
• Easy to work with, I prefer to apply with a brush [Sonia Kashuk's pointed foundation brush]
• Product contains Omega3's, vitamins and brightening properties.
• Does not settle into fine lines or oxidize.

Why you might not like Skinfood's Salmon Concealer:

• Only TWO shades to work with... shade#: 1 & 2 [#1 being lighter, #2 being darker]  I am NC30 and shade#2 passes with FLYING colors!  Sadly, this being a Korean product, there is nothing else beyond that.  *sadface*
• You'll need to order from an outside source since the product on the main site is much more expensive.  Shipping can take longer than expected since it may be an international delivery.

PURCHASE @: www.amazon.com or www.ebay.com

Makeup Book Review: Bobbi Brown's Makeup Manual

I've been super curious to pick up a few makeup books just to keep around as reference guides in case the zombie apocalypse rears its ugly head and internet becomes inaccessible... [yup!] and decided to find a few first edition hardcovers.  [I'm a sucker for a first edition hard cover - books are the new heirlooms of our generation, especially since books are slowly becoming obsolete with electronic data being so easily accessible]

Anyways, onward with the review!

Being a person that considers themselves an avid watcher of countless YouTube tutorials, I found this book to be a bit redundant.  It was nice to see a comprehensive list of what might be found in a professional MUA's kit and a regular individual's makeup bag and essentials to pack... it was also nice to see the book promote products that were not just from Bobbi Brown's self-named makeup line.  I read through many of Amazon.com's reviews, and I decided to purchase this and Kevin Aucoin's Making Faces, and I definitely agree with many that this book is a better primer for those that are complete novices.  I enjoyed the break down of brush shapes and application techniques - but there were a few stand out shapes I loved that were not included.  The reference photos lacked in challenging real-world situations of covering up severe skin issues, but the inspiration photos for "clean" makeup is definitely there.  My main complaint would have to do with the book's editor - more so than Bobbi Brown herself.  The writing style of this book rubbed me the wrong way because everything was said in short/curt style statements...?  I hope that makes sense.  There are a few run-on sentences, and considering how this book is supposed to be a comprehensive primer on how to get started as a novice OR pro, it failed to deliver a professional tone that I could trust teaching me a few new tricks.  This book was much better as a novice book than being something that could help a professional.  There is no mention of airbrushing makeup, not all tools were mentioned [tapered/tulip brushes missing!  *gasp!*] and the Asian eyes breakdown of how to do makeup was lacking in detail, and many of the step-by-step photos left more to be desired.

OVERALL: 6.5/7 out of 10.  I think this book is decent for understanding color correcting and matching foundation shades.  A lot of the tips in there are definitely beneficial for a beginner, but for someone looking to branch out into the professional world, I think it just gives you a tiny glimpse of what there is to come if you decide to follow that career path.  Nice pictures, but I do agree some of them might have looked airbrushed.

QUICK TIP: If you decide to buy a hardcover, buy it used!  New books are just the same if you know how to search out the correct condition through a used seller on Amazon.com!  Save trees, and start a new tradition by handing down the knowledge from our time to future generations with hard cover books!  =)

PURCHASE HERE: Bobbi Brown's Makeup Manual

FREEBIE ALERT! Sephora: Hello Kitty, Tokidoki or Kat Von D. makeup bag and samples!

Image from www.allthosethingsilove.com

Make a $25 purchase on Sephora and you can get a free makeup bag filled with 12 sample goodies while supplies last!  I needed to use the $20 gift card they sent to me as a VIB member and restocked on my favorite staple foundation: Make Up For Ever's HD foundation in shade 123/desert and their Sense Eyes makeup remover.  That way, I got the foundation, free shipping, and technically, received the make up remover almost free thanks to the $20 gift card - AND I was able to get the 12 samples and cute Tokidoki makeup bag!  This all applied since I made a phone order regarding my $20 giftcard (I accidentally threw mine out cleaning up all of the Black Friday junk mail) and their customer service was fantastic!

Enter coupon code: FROMSEPHORA  (while supplies last!)

What will you be spending your $20 gift card on as a VIB member?  Which makeup bag did you pick?  Let me know!

Setting Powder VS Finishing Powder: What Is It?

...sometimes, I'm a bit confused by marketing buzz-words and gimmicky names.  Okay, so I REALLY get lost when companies put out new products with different names, and they do an awesome job of grabbing my attention.  After research, many consider this the same thing - (to-may-toh... to-mah-toh) - and I feel like I have two great examples of my favorites to help distinguish what I think of them:

MUFE HD Microfinishing Powder: This has been a staple for years... and a god send since using Bare Mineral's mineral veil.  It mattified my looks, and added no extra color.  Set my makeup well, and prolonged my foundation's wear without oxidizing and turning my face an orange tint.  It's a translucent silica powder, so no extra color was added, just mattified.

Guerlain's Meteorites in Teint Beige 02: After seeing all the luxurious hype about the infamous "Ballz" on Make Up Alley, I decided to treat myself this holiday season with something new.  "Teint Beige" implies that it has a "beige tint" and there is an irridescence and floral fragrance to this product in which I very much enjoy.  The main difference between this and MUFE's HD powder is that this has a very fine amount of pigment, for which includes color correcting pearls with a slight shimmer.

Where they both are the same: You "finish" your makeup looks with either of these products and they are in powder form.  They also "set" the makeup in place because of their powder properties.

The difference is there!  - Where MUFE's HD powder is supposed to be an "invisible" powder, it definitely "SETS" the makeup.  There is no added purpose for it, thus the reason I consider it a "Setting" powder.  Guerlain's Meteorites however, has color correctors and shimmer for a "glow".  I find that the color correctors and light shimmer in the pearls give that "Glow from within" look ["Yay!" for marketing catch-phrases!] and it can definitely be used as a highlighting powder.  Used as an all over "Finish" to your look with the slight glow it imparts is gorgeous!

The VERDICT? - TIE.  I find that each serves a seperate purpose.  

Guerlain gives that glowy/dewey look without making you look oily throughout the day AFTER you've "finished" your makeup and want to add that extra OOMPF!  [This is why I consider it a "finishing" powder, since it's the last step of adding any color correcting, pigment or highlight properties to your look.]

MUFE HD mattes down your look and "sets" the final look in place once you are done with everything.  What you see is what you get, and applying the "setting" powder will not change the look once applied other than its mattifying properties.

What are your thoughts on this?  Agree/Disagree?  I'd love to see what you have to say!

Quick Fix: China Glaze Shatter and Swing Baby Nails!

China Glaze "Swing Baby" and crackle w/o flash

Have you ever been attracted to a polish because the color called to you... only to try it on your nails later and find yourself saying, "What the hell was I thinking?!" - I feel that way about "Swing Baby"...

On my nails alone, it clashed with my NC30 skin... it looked like my nails were glowing metallic too strange of a color to work.  I was faced with that feeling of regret and dread having to face taking off a freshly executed manicure to do it all over again.  The attempt at feeling the "Holiday Spirit" with a glittery polish color started to suck so bad, I felt even more negative about the season...  My room filled with fumes, and I was feeling light-headed... the boyfriend couldn't stop pointing out how weird it looked.  I was almost defeated...

China Glaze "Swing Baby" and crackle w/ flash

In comes crackle polishes to save the day!  When these first flooded the market last year... I was all over it!  Excited to see something new happen on my fingertips, it was a noob's new best friend when it came to nail art.  After a month, I was quickly over it and it joined the bf's little sister's polish collection as I tired of it.

I quickly ran to her to borrow it, and man, did it help by toning it down!  I completely forgot how crackle polishes could save a manicure by toning down color trends that were too bright for many uncomfortable with that level of eye-catching color.  I was once again, able to face myself in the mirror again, and put on a smile.

Thanks, for saving the day, crackle polish!  I no longer condemn you as a trend I can quickly disregard.  I promise to always have you somewhere in my collection so you can save me from myself and impulsive color choices.

Swing Baby: best used for those that enjoy metallics/glitters in their collection, SUPER pigmented and requires 1-2 swipes to be opaque, BEST for nail art stamping designs.