Mama Laura's Beauty Blog

Keeping it simple

2010-07-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

During my neutral rut, this is one of the looks I tried. I've seen something very similar worn by one of the girls on The Real L Word (not one of the main chicks, but a friend of one of them), and decided to try it myself. It was a really low key day, and frankly I was lazy, so I didn't bother with falsies.

Face:
MAC Moisturelush Cream
Smashbox Phot Finish Light primer
MUFE Camouflage Cream Palette No. 1
MUFE HD #155
MUFE HD Microfinish Powder
MAC Sculpt & Shape Powder in Bone Beige/Emphasize
MAC powder blush in Peachykeen
MAC Cheeky Bronze MSF

Eyes:
Beautique eye pencil in brown (eyebrows)
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Covergirl Volume Exact Mascara
These colors from the 78 palette
MAC Carbon e/s
MAC Nylon e/s
Beautique eye pencil in black

Lips:
MAC Gaga lipstick
MAC Sock Hop lipglass

Random questions tag

2010-07-29T00:27:00.001-07:00

"Would you rather..." (tag)

2010-07-26T22:41:00.003-07:00

Making sure I still have "it"

2010-07-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

I've been in quite the rut lately, and only doing looks with neutral colors. Or maybe that means I'm getting older? That's what Jacqueline, Trinity, and I speculated over Twitter recently. Maybe the lack of bright colored makeup is a result of us growing up LOL. Boy, does that sound dreadful! Anyway, I threw this on last night on a whim, and decided to film a tag video afterward. My 3 year old daughter kept asking why I was putting makeup on at night time, and were we going anywhere LOL. Nope, I just felt like seeing if I could still even wear the bright colors, and well, I personally think I've still got it ;)

Face:
MAC Moisturelush Cream
Smashbox Phot Finish Light primer
MUFE Camouflage Cream Palette No. 1
MUFE HD #155
MUFE HD Microfinish Powder
MAC Sculpt & Shape Powder in Bone Beige/Emphasize
MAC powder blush in Peachykeen
MAC Cheeky Bronze MSF

Eyes:
Beautique eye pencil in brown (eyebrows)
Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Bitter e/s
MAC Wondergrass e/s
MAC Kelly e/s
MUFE #92
MAC Clarity e/s
MAC Electric Eel e/s
MAC Atlantic Blue e/s
MAC Nylon e/s
MAC Carbon e/s (to line upper lash line)
Covergirl Volume Exact Mascara
Hot Topic purple pencil eyeliner
Andrea ModLash #33

Lips:
MAC lip liner in Nightmoth
MAC lipstick in Violetta
MAC Lustreglass in Little Vi

Quick hair update

2010-07-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

So while in Virginia, my uber bleached hair started doing funky things. First it really started absorbing my Shimmer Lights, and then it started getting weird orange/peach streaks in the under layers mostly. No bueno. I gave it a little bit of time when I got back, to see if going back to my normal water and routine would fix things, but it wasn't getting better and was possibly getting worse. So I decided to go back to being brunette. Here's the blonde I had gotten to (before the streaks showed up).

I was loving it, but not the issues I was now having. When I first started the process of going brown, it was a bit of work. We filled it first

Then we dyed it

But it was really uneven, so we did it again

We ended up using 5 or 6 boxes of dye, and I don't think I got pictures of the process, but I think we dyed it 3 times, I just don't remember for sure now. We did it July 2nd, I believe. Here was the final outcome from that whole session.

I liked it, but the ends just weren't taking no matter what we did. Just from all the bleaching, though we did cut some off, as you can see. The other day, however, I decided to dye it myself at home. I figured, why not? Luckily it was a success! I don't have a picture of it right now, but it basically looks like it did late last year.

It's not black, it's just very very dark brown. I'll add highlights eventually.

Cliche Cosmetics Giveaway at Glam Morena

2010-07-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

Glam Morena is hosting a Cliche Cosmetics Giveaway, that's open internationally. The prize, going to 5 lucky winners, is Dark Primetime, a brown eyeshadow primer (good for looks using dark colors). The giveaway deadline is July 6th @ 11:59pm CST and entering is easy; leave a comment on the giveaway post stating the eyeshadow primer you use now (if any) and why you'd like to try Dark Primetime. There are a couple of additional entries you can gain, so check out the post to find out about that.

Good luck to everyone that enters.

Hello from Virginia!

2010-06-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been MIA lately - I've been in Virginia visiting my best friend. I'll be going home in a few days, and will be resuming posts, including the rest of my series on eyebrows.

Until then, I have a favor to ask. Could you please vote for me over here? I'm entry #1

50% Off Blowout Sale at Yandy.com

2010-06-07T22:26:00.000-07:00

Attention lingerie aficionados, where can you get your favorite lingerie items at 50% off??? Yandy.com that's where! For one week only, Monday, June 7 through Friday, June 11, Yandy is having their BIGGEST sale ever with 50% off of over 2,000 items including bras, panties, costumes, babydolls, sleepwear and so much more*! Hurry quantities are limited and these sexy little numbers will be flying off the shelves faster than his head will spin! Get to the website and start shopping already!

A Brilliant Brunette's SkinCareRx giveaway

2010-05-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

Jacqueline is hosting a giveaway for a $100 giftcard to SkinCareRx. SkinCareRx carries a long list of skincare brands, including Clinique Medical, Clarisonic, and SkinCeuticals Skincare, and brand that's pioneering the treatments of anti-aging, photoaging, and many other skin care conditions.

Head on over to A Brilliant Brunette and enter the giveaway. There are many ways to enter, but you've only got another day to do it!

And hey, even if you don't win, SkinCareRx is looking like a great site to purchase from because they offer 115% price, coupon, and cash back matching.

Eyebrow grooming (part 1)

2010-05-27T21:35:00.000-07:00

There are several ways to groom your eyebrows, and figuring out the best way can be a daunting task. In fact, I know some women who basically let their brows grow wild and free because deciding what to do, and what shape to go with, can seem so complicated. You can tweeze, wax, thread, or even shave. You can go straight, rounded, or arched. Rounded on the inside, squared, or slanted. Thick or thin. And then what about filling them in? Should you, or should you not? Pencil or powder?

To me, the first step to take is figuring out which hair removal method fits your needs best.

Tweezing

If you feel you already have a nice, natural shape to your eyebrows, you can likely stick with tweezing for any stray hairs. It's pretty quick, and easy when targeting just a couple of hairs. Once you own a pair of tweezers, the rest is free, and you can do it yourself. There aren't many cons to tweezing. It can be painful, but most methods are.

Threading
A step up from that, in my opinion, would be threading. It can be easier than tweezing when targeting more than just a few hairs, when you don't have a massive amount of hair to remove. You can do it yourself, or you can get it done professionally which runs and average of $10. It's not painless, but it's no worse than tweezing. A downside to threading, is if you or the the person doing it aren't careful, you can catch your skin. It leaves a little tiny cut, and then scab. It can usually be covered with makeup, but it can still be annoying.

Waxing
The ideal method for removing a lot of hair at once, while still maintaining the shape of your eyebrows is to wax. You can spread the wax over as large of an area as you need, but be selective about which hairs are covered and which are not, making sure only the ones that you want are removed. If you end up with wax on the wrong hairs, warm, soapy water can wash the wax off and you can start over again without sacrificing the hairs you don't want removed. You can wax at home, or have it done professionally starting around $5 and going beyond $20 depending on the quality of the salon. At home, you can use a soft, heated wax or go with pre-done wax strips that you typically heat between your hands. Downsides to waxing: If you aren't careful, you can wax hairs you really didn't want to, and if your wax is too hot, you can burn your skin.

Shaving
A less popular option for removing unwanted eyebrow hair is to shave. This is usually for people who want a quick swipe to remove a unibrow, to shave half, or even a whole eyebrow off. This method has a bad reputation, and is associated with the "Chola eyebrows". But it doesn't have to be such a drastic thing if you're careful, know what you want, and know what you're doing. The problem is that razors can be big and difficult to control, and with one slip, oops! You've taken too much off. The risk of cutting yourself can be pretty high, and then there's also a risk of razor burn. On the plus size, razors are generally inexpensive and you can do it yourself at home.

Happy Birthday, Desa!

2010-05-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

Remember about a month ago when I posted behind the scenes pictures from Desa's shoot? Desa, someone I knew a long time ago, was having a shoot as a gift to herself for her 21st birthday. Well today is her birthday - happy 21st Desa! To celebrate, here are a few of the shots we got at her shoot last month.

Late dawns and early sunsets

2010-05-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Like the last look I posted, this one was inspired by someone else. Specifically, Zoffe.

This is also the photo debut of the pink I recently put in my hair. I went with peekaboos of Cotton Candy Pink by Manic Panic.

* MAC Moisturelush Cream
* Smashbox Photo Finish Light
* MAC Studio Tech NC25
* MUFE Camouflage Cream Palette No. 1
* MAC MSF Natural in Medium
* MAC Sculpt & Shape in Bone Beige/Emphasize
* Revlon Colorstay black liquid liner
* Covergirl VolumeExact mascara
* MAC eye brows in Lingering
* Ardell Wispies
* Hot Topic purple eyeline
* MAC Nylon e/s
* MAC Chrome Yellow e/s
* MAC Frankly Scarlet (as e/s)
* Make Up For Ever #92
* MAC Amber Lights e/s
* MAC By Candlelight MSF
* MAC Well Dressed blush
* MAC Cranapple lipliner
* NYX Snow White Lipstick
* MAC Florabundance gloss
* MAC Bonus Beat gloss

Summertime skincare (part 2)

2010-05-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

With summer comes mosquitoes and other annoying insects. What makes the problem worse is that bugs are often attracted to the products we use daily – suntan lotion, perfume, hairspray, deodorant and shaving cream. The problem with insect bites is that they're not only itchy and unattractive, but they can expose you to things like West Nile Virus and Lyme disease.

Increasing your vitamin B will naturally repel bugs, so keeping this as a summer staple can be worth it. You can get your B vitamins in pill form, or by consuming some foods that are particularly high in them, such as bananas, potatoes, tuna, and even energy drinks had quite a bit of added B vitamins. When looking for an actual repellent, you should know that the ones containing DEET are the most effective, and are recommended by the CDC. Just base your choice on how long you'll be outside and exposed. The shorter the amount of time, the lower the concentration you can get away with. You can find the concentration of the active ingredient on the back of the container.

Check out
Sawyer Controlled Release Insect Repellent $6
Off! Insect Repellent II $6

Poison Ivy/Oak

It's not uncommon to have a run-in with poison ivy when you're camping or hiking. You can even get it from indirect contact. Not everyone is allergic to the plant (or rather, something in the plant) but most people are. If you know you've had contact with poison ivy or something/someone who has, wash with soap and water immediately. If you can wash right away, even if you only have access to water (and no soap) you may be able to completely rid yourself of the substance that causes the reaction. Waiting even 15 minutes won't remove all of it, but it can still help. Some people believe scratching will cause the rash to spread, but it won't. Still, it may cause infection so it's best to avoid scratching as much as you can. Calamine lotion, cold showers, and oatmeal baths can relieve the itch. Familiarizing yourself with the way the plant looks as well as any outdoor areas you may be visiting can help prevent contact in the first place.

Dealing with the damage

Sometimes we end up with a sunburn or other skin problems anyway. Accidentally forgetting your sunscreen at home and not being able to reapply, for example. Maybe a camping trip where you run out of bug repellent. These can be painful and ugly mishaps.

The fact is that sunburned skin heals slowly, so start the process as soon as possible. Your first step, besides getting out of the sun, should be to take a cool shower or bath to soothe the pain. Not ice cold, but cool or just below room temperature. Avoid bath salts, oils, and perfumes because they're likely to irritate your skin even more. Avoid scrubbing the skin or shaving the skin, and pat yourself dry rather than rub. Apply aloe, moisturizing cream or over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream to the burned skin. Continue moisturizing even once you've begun to peel, and while it can be very difficult (and trust me, I am definitely one who has a hard time with this) try as hard as you can not to peel the skin yourself. You can end up peeling skin that wasn't meant to come off. From personal experience this is incredibly painful. I am not exaggerating, after having 2 children, that when I did that to myself accidentally, it was the most painful experience of my entire life. Writing about it even now is giving me horrible memories. I actually ended up in the emergency room due to the combination of overly peeled skin, blisters, nausea, and the resulting pain.

Following a sunburn, don't cover anything that is open or blistered with any ointment or salve or anything like that, as it can increase your chances of infection. Do increase your intake of vitamins C and E. You know how your food can continue cooking, even after you've removed it from the stove or oven? The same thing happens to your skin. Taking a warm shower will help draw out the heat from a sunburn to prevent you from continuing to burn.

Check out
First Aid Beauty Healing Stick $14
Mill Creek Aloe Vera Gel $3
Aloe Ice Sunburn Relief Gel $4

And everything's right with the summer comin'

2010-05-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I was getting ready to go out with a friend and browsing MySpace at the same time (yes, some of us still use it LOL). One of my MySpace friends had just put up new pictures, and I saw a look that I really liked so I commented and told her I planned on copying the look, and I did it that day. So this is my version - very similar to the original. I really only changed the lip color, lower eyeliner, and the shade of blue used.

* MAC Moisturelush Cream
* Smashbox Photo Finish Light
* MAC Studio Tech NC25
* MUFE Camouflage Cream Palette No. 1
* MAC MSF Natural in Medium
* MAC Sculpt & Shape in Bone Beige/Emphasiz
* Revlon Colorstay black liquid liner
* Flirt! Cosmetics pencil eyeliner in Pool Party
* Covergirl VolumeExact mascara
* MAC eye brows in Lingering
* Ardell Wispies
* MAC Nylon e/s
* MAC Chrome Yellow e/s
* MAC Azalea blush (as e/s)
* Make Up For Ever #92
* These colors from the 88 palette
* MAC By Candlelight MSF
* MAC Well Dressed blush
* MAC Lavender Whip lipstick
* MAC Ever So Rich gloss

Low key look

2010-05-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

We all have a couple of go-to looks for days when we just aren't feeling very creative, right? Well this is one of mine. It's really easy, and I think it's appropriate for nearly every occasion. On this particular day, I wore it to dinner with a friend.

* MAC Moisturelush Cream
* Smashbox Photo Finish Light
* MAC Studio Tech NC25
* MUFE Camouflage Cream Palette No. 1
* MAC MSF Natural in Medium
* MAC Sculpt & Shape in Bone Beige/ Emphasize (for contouring, and the light side as e/s as well)
* Revlon Colorstay black liquid liner
* Covergirl VolumeExact mascara
* MAC eye brows in Lingering
* Ardell Wispies
* MAC Nylon e/s
* MAC Typographic e/s
* MAC Peaches blush
* MAC By Candlelight MSF
* Beautique Natural lip liner
* MAC Angel lipstick
* MAC Nymphette gloss

2010-05-09T16:53:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to my fellow mamas!

Gettin' a little tropical

2010-05-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

* MAC Moisturelush Cream
* Smashbox Photo Finish Light
* MAC Studio Tech NC25
* MUFE Camouflage Cream Palette No. 1
* MAC MSF Natural in Medium
* MAC Sculpt & Shape in Bone Beige/ Emphasize
* Revlon Colorstay black liquid liner
* Covergirl VolumeExact mascara
* MAC eye brows in Lingering
* Ardell Wispies
* MAC Chrome Yellow e/s
* Orange e/s from 88 palette
* MAC Freshwater e/s
* MAC Nylon e/s
* MAC Carbon e/s
* Wet N Wild black eyeliner pencil
* MAC Peaches blush
* MAC By Candlelight MSF
* MAC Lollipop Loving lipstick
* MAC Nymphet gloss

Deals of the day 5/5/10

2010-05-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

e.l.f. Cosmetics

Buy 1 Get your 2nd 50% Off !!!
Min. order: $20

Code: FBEGMGS

Benefit Cosmetics
Free High Beam with $55+ order
Code: CINCOMAY
Make sure to add it to your cart before checkout!

Beauty From the Earth Cosmetics

You can get one RANDOM item for only 25 cents with any $10 order
You do not get to pick the item. It is random!

Summertime skincare (part 1)

2010-05-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

Summer is quickly approaching which means it's time to adjust your skin care routine to account for long days of sun, sweat, and salty or chlorinated water. Below you'll find my own opinions, tips, tricks, and advice based upon research I've done for myself over the last few years.

Staying hydrated
Skin can get greasy during the summer, but you don't want to neglect it. You don't want to over do it with a heavy moisturizer that you might use on your dry, winter skin so switch from a cream moisturizer to a gel, serum, or other lightweight formula. You'll want something that will absorb quickly and not leave your skin feeling greasy. Creams are just too rich and suffocating for such warm weather, and they tend to get melty and gross. Stay away from emollients, and because most weightless options don't have SPF you'll want to make sure to put one on separately.

Check out:
L'Occitane Immortelle Brightening Renewing Serum $52
Garnier Nutritionist Skin Renew Daily Regenerating Serum $11
Shiseido Pureness Moisturizing Gel-Cream $32
Boots No. 7 Rebalancing Day Gel $13
Olay Definity Deep Penetrating Foaming Moisturizer $24

Rub a dub dub
Make sure to use a good body wash in the shower. Heat and sweat cause bacteria to breed, and cause breakouts. Concentrate especially on the oilier areas of your body. Making sure your soap has salicylic acid in it is a good way to fight those body breakouts. If your skin is dull and ashy, make sure you choose a body wash that has exfoliating properties. Also on the bathing subject, be sure to at least rinse off each time you get out of the water. Between salt, chemicals, and bacteria in water you're just asking for dry, scaly skin. Cleaning this stuff off will keep them from doing any more damage to your skin once you've left the water.

Check out
Boots Botantics Rough Skin Scrub $9
Burt's Bees Radiance Exfoliating Body Wash $8
DDF Glycolic Exfoliating Wash $35
Murad Acne Body Wash $40
Glytone Exfoliating Body Wash $24

Sun protection
I won't get preachy about how bad the sun is for your skin, and how we all should just keep our natural color without tanning. Pale can be perfect, but we all know that golden is gorgeous, too. I don't deny that I sunbathe, but I'd also be lying if I said it didn't scare me at all. I definitely do worry about skin cancer in my future, and premature aging of my skin. So I try to take it easy and not overdo it. I don't and won't do it year round, so as to give myself a little peace of mind. Further, I do several other things to keep my skin as nourished as I can. I also still wear sunblock. You can and will still get bronzed while using one, it'll just happen at a slower, steadier rate which will lessen your chances of developing a sunburn which is really what you want to avoid at all costs. Not only is it unsightly, but having had the sun beating on your skin enough to cause a burn is incredibly unhealthy. Giving yourself a veil of protection is what will keep your skin from becoming your hide.

One mistake many people seem to make when it comes to sunscreen is that they apply it in the morning and forget about it, when the truth is that you have to reapply it throughout the day. Sweat, swimming, and normal summer activities cause sunblock to wear off. The lower the SPF, the more often you'll have to reapply. Further, it seems people often don't apply it for everyday wear, but instead apply it only for days of hours spent directly in the sun, with minimal clothing. The summer sun is harsh, and 10 and 15 minutes of sun exposure here and there add up surprisingly fast. You really should replace your sunscreen each year. Even if you haven't hit the expiration date, the change in temperatures from summer to winter, and then back to summer can leave you with less than stellar protection.

Getting specific

When choosing sun protection, make sure the one you use on your face is made specifically for facial skin. Most basic sunscreens are formulated with your body in mind, and can clog the pores on your face. Moreover, it's a good idea to use an anti-aging eye cream with SPF in it. We've all been told how delicate eye-area skin can be, so taking extra precaution when it comes to protecting it from the suns rays is quite beneficial. And don't forget a lip balm with SPF, as well. Lips can get burnt and chapped - making lipstick go on painfully and with less than stellar results. Yuck! Don't neglect your neck, ears, hands, and feet, either.

Check out
Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Defense Moisture Lotion - SPF 30 $42
Neutrogena Sport Face Sunblock Lotion SPF 70+ $10
Jason Natural Cosmetics Earth's Best Organic Sunblock, Chemical Free SPF 30+ $16
Josie Maran Protect Daily Sun Protection Argan Oil Infused SPF 40+ $32
Ocean Potion Suncare Sunblock Lotion, Anti-Aging, Ultra Light SPF 30 $8

******
Now that you've finished part 1, go check out part 2.

In a violet trance

2010-05-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

* MAC Moisturelush Cream
* Smashbox Photo Finish Light
* MAC Studio Tech NC25
* MUFE Camouflage Cream Palette No. 1
* MAC MSF Natural in Medium
* MAC Sculpt & Shape in Bone Beige/ Emphasize
* Revlon Colorstay black liquid liner
* Covergirl VolumeExact mascara
* MAC eye brows in Fling
* Ardell Wispies
* MAC Fig 1 e/s
* MAC Violet Trance e/s
* MAC Nylon e/s
* Hot Topic purple pencil eyeliner
* MAC Pink Swoon blush
* MAC By Candlelight MSF
* MAC Lavender Whip lipstick
* MAC Ever So Rich gloss

Lights, Camera, Lashes giveaway + Tarte Clean Slate CLOSED

2010-04-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Myfamilyofthree!!
I've used random.org to generate a number to choose the window. The number 13 was chosen, and the 13th comment was from Myfamilyofthree.

It's giveaway time again!

Tarte Cosmetics, the company that brings you healthy, Earth friendly cosmetics, is bringing you (through me) a giveaway of their Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara.

Clinical results:

Increases lash volume by 424%
Lengthening: Rice bran & carnauba wax help extend the length of lashes
Curling: Synthetic film formers hold in curl
Volumizing: The formula containing provitamin B5 helps gives the appearance of thicker lashes
Conditioning: natural olive esters coat lashes and help protect against breakage

I've always been impressed with how green Tarte is. It clearly isn't easy to produce quality products that are good for you, because if it were, ALL cosmetic companies would be doing that same, right? Not only is their actual makeup safe and eco-friendly, but they also make an effort to reduce green house gas emissions by creating components that are made from "recyclable or post-consumer recycled material and can often be re-used to help reduce environmental waste". Pretty awesome if ya ask me.

Two products that are particularly noteworthy, are Tarte Clean Slate and Tarte Eye Couture Day to Night Eye Palette. I have yet to try Clean Slate, but once I'm out of my current face primer, I'll be checking it out. I love that it's cruelty free. So is the palette. I know so many people who are very strict with themselves about using cruelty free products, but even for those who haven't ventured out into that realm yet, picking up some Tarte products like these is a great way to do so. Go green without sacrificing quality.

Let's get onto the giveway, though, shall we? I know that's what you're most interested in :)

Like last time, entering is easy peasy*:

1) Comment this post telling me why you want or need Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara.

2) Include your email address in the comment (so I can notify you privately if you win).

If you'd like, you can get a second entry by "liking"/"fanning" my Facebook page, and leaving a second comment on this post with your name (because I will check). If you've already done so, you may still leave the comment with your name letting me know.

The winner will be chosen at random on Sunday, May 2nd.

______________________________________________________________________________

*Unfortunately, this giveaway is only open to residents of Canada and the U.S. And if you're under 18 please just have permission to enter from a parent/guardian.
*Subscribing is not required for entry, but always appreciated.

Desa's shoot

2010-04-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I worked on a shoot for a lovely lady by the name of Desa. I had been contacted over a month ago by a photographer I've worked with many times, letting me know about the shoot and that I would be signed on as the MUA. I was really looking forward to working with Desa, because I actually knew her but hadn't seen her in years. Her sister and I were in the same grade in school, and were friends, so I saw Desa plenty. Boy has she grown up!

The shoot was for Desa's 21st birthday - a nice gift to herself. She did three locations and looks, and I have to say that while it was a long day, things went smoothly and I'm very excited to see the photos. Desa was a doll to work with! She's moving to the East Coast soon for school, and I'm bummed that this means I won't be able to work with her at all for quite a while. I hope we'll have an excuse for another once she's moved back.

Now lets get into some pictures :) These are just some taken on my camera and phones. I will post some of the professional shots once I'm able.

So the first of the three parts was slightly boudoir. Sarah and I did our Playboy inspired hair and makeup on Desa for this lingerie portion of the shoot.

Desa loves Marilyn Monroe, so while we weren't trying to copy anything of Marilyn's, we were going for a slightly inspired look.

Last was our "super villain" look. We gave Desa a sexy, dark, more edgy look for the last shots of the day, which took place at the bunkers in Santa Rosa. Here are some pictures I took before leaving for the bunkers. (She changed her top once she got there).

Anyway, it was a long day, but a fun day and I cannot wait to see the photos that come out of it!

2010-04-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

NV Perricone Cold Plasma giveaway! CLOSED

2010-04-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Jemscout425!!
I've used random.org to generate a number to choose the window. The number 6 was chosen, and the 6th comment was from jemscout425

NV Perricone, a producer of anti-aging skin care products, has asked me to host a giveaway of their Cold Plasma and I couldn't be more pleased to do so.

Without any personal experience using this product, I had to do my research on it before agreeing to do the giveaway. I can't giveaway just any old product, ya know. It has to be something that I trust and would use myself. Well let me just say that the positive reviews of Cold Plasma Therapy are seemingly endless. I can't wait to try it, myself! And am so happy that one of my lucky readers will get to try it out as well!

Addresses the 10 most visible signs of aging.

Five years of intensive research guided by a lifetime of scientific insight.

Entering is uber simple*:

1) Comment this post telling me why you want or need Cold Plasma.

2) Include your email address in the comment (so I can notify you privately if you win).

If you'd like, you can get a second entry by following me on Twitter, and leaving a second comment on this post with your Twitter username (I will check).

The winner will be chosen at random on Sunday, April 11th.

______________________________________________________________________________

Madame Madeline discount + free gift

2010-03-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

Limited time offer at www.MadameMadeline.com (which I love)

YOUR FREE GIFT WITH ANY PURCHASE OF ONLY $3.00 OR MORE.
AVAILABLE NOW WHILE SUPPLY LASTS.
1. Select from the folllowing free GIFT:
> Japonesque BLUE Lashes ($7.15 Value!)
> Japonesque PINK Lashes ($7.15 Value!)
> Japonesque PURPLE Lashes ($7.15 Value!)
2. Let us know your selection in the Message Box (not coupon box) during checkout.
3. We will include the free gift when we see your selection in the Message Box.
4. LIMIT ONE GIFT PER PURCHASE WITH THIS OFFER. APPLIES TO PURCHASE OF ONLY $3.00 OR MORE.

5. Offer expires on 04/11/2010
6. For added savings, use our exclusive 10% OFF coupon at checkout. Coupon code: MADDIE