Interview Makeup Look

Here's a look I would wear to a job interview or to a business meeting. For formal occasions, I normally stick to neutral colors with a little bit of contouring, a touch of blush, and eye shadows that are shades of brown, light gold/peach, and cream.

I use a light color on the inner corners of my eyes to bring attention to them. When you're interviewing or meeting with people, you want to make eye contact during most if not all of the conversation -- your eyes should be the focal point.


EYES
MAC Paint Pot in "Soft Ochre" (entire lid)
MAC E/S in "Honey Lust" (inner and center lid)
MAC E/S in "Nylon" (blend on tear duct and apply on inner lower lash line to brighten eye)
MAC E/S in "Saddle" (outer corner)
MAC E/S in "Antiqued" (outer V, on top of "Saddle")
MAC Fluidline in "Blacktrack" (upper lash line)

CHEEKS
MAC Powder Blush in "Harmony" (contour)
MAC Sheertone Blush in "Peaches" (apples of cheeks)

LIPS
MAC L/S in "Jist"

I also straightened my hair with a flat iron in these pictures. My hair is already naturally straight, but I like to flat iron my hair to give it extra shine. I used the Chi flat iron my mom got me for my last birthday. :)

Colorful Makeup Look

I bought a colorful plaid shirt from Forever 21 last night, and I wore it today. I used purple, pink, green, and blue makeup to match the colors of the shirt.


EYES
MAC Paint Pot in "Soft Ochre" (entire lid)
MAC E/S in "Sour Lemon" and "Aquadisiac" (mixed together and applied on inner corner)
MAC E/S in "Swish" (center lid)
MUFE E/S in #92 (outer V and blend slightly on crease)
MAC E/S in "Ricepaper" (highlight)
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in "Electric" (lower lash line)
MAC E/S in "Electric Eel" (outer to center lower lash line)
MAC E/S in "Aquadisiac" (inner to center lower lash line)
MAC Fluidline in "Blacktrack"

CHEEKS
Estee Launder Signature Silky Powder Blush in "Rose Nuance"

LIPS
MAC L/S in "Snow Orchid"

I'm still gathering items for my first giveaway. Stay tuned! Subscribe/follow my blog! :)

MACCosmetics.com Sale Starts Now!

I just got this email from MACCosmetics.com! Use code EARLY25 to get 25% off online purchases today (on shipments to the US only). Happy Shopping!!!

Save the Date: 25% off at MACcosmetics.com!!!

Hi everyone! Start making your MAC list! MAC Cosmetics is having 25% off online purchases from June 16 to 18, 2009!

This offer is only valid in the United States and Canada, online only (not at the stores).

Just enter SUMO at checkout!

They now have the MAC Pro refill pans and palettes on http://www.maccosmetics.com/, so I will probably order more of these! I also want to get another Fluidline, because I love how it doesn't smudge even when my eyes are watery.

What's on your list? :)

My New Shoes!

I first saw Blowfish shoes at Macy's a couple months ago. I tried on a pair, and I really liked how the material felt on the inside of the shoe. It's so soft and comfortable. I didn't buy it right away, because I wanted to wait for a sale. I have a Macy's card, so I got some coupons in the mail -- $20 off any $50 purchase. So I went to Macy's last Sunday to look for the black flat shown on the bottom of the picture. I couldn't find it anywhere! Then before I was ready to leave, I found one on the clearance rack for only $27.30! I ended up getting a pair of flat boots too (which was also on clearance), so that I could use my coupon. The grand total was only about $39 with tax for both pairs! These are the first pairs of shoes I bought this year (I've been trying to be good haha), and I'm glad I got such a great deal. :)

They come in other colors too, for example:

If you try a pair, I suggest going 1/2 size up like I did. They run a little small.

Have a fun Friday!

Pink and Purple Makeup Look

I bought MAC Pro refill pan eye shadows in "Creme de Violet" and "Yogurt" in April, but I haven't used them yet! I put them in my "colorful" MAC Pro palette (I named each of my palettes -- the others are "natural" and "smokey"). I just realized that they were untouched, so I definitely wanted to use them today.


"Creme de Violet" is a matte purple color with bright gold flecks, and "Yogurt" is a matte pale pink. In case you have the Hello Kitty "Too Dolly" palette, "Yogurt" is one of the four colors.


And speaking of Hello Kitty, I decided to use my MAC Hello Kitty Beauty Powder Blush in "Tippy" too!


EYES
MAC Paint Pot in "Fresco Rose" (lower lid)
MAC E/S in "Yogurt" (inner corner and highlight)
MAC E/S in "Creme de Violet" (center and outer lid)
MAC E/S in "Swish" (use to blend where "Yogurt" and "Creme de Violet" meet)
MAC Fluidline in "Blacktrack"

CHEEKS
MAC Hello Kitty Beauty Powder Blush in "Tippy" (on apples and blend toward temples)
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in "Medium/Natural and Shimmer" (shimmer just above apples; powder on forehead, nose, and chin)

LIPS
MAC Cream Colour Base in "Crushed Bougainvillea"
Lancome Color Fever L/S in "Luminous"

Dupes: MAC vs. Milani Eye Shadow

Hello my lovely readers! You may have noticed that I like using Milani powder eye shadows from time to time in many of my looks. Although I could use MAC eye shadows, I intentionally use Milani sometimes to show how great the colors are. Milani is definitely a wonderful alternative to some of the MAC eye shadows, especially if you don't want to spend as much money. Milani eye shadows typically sell for $3.99 USD (regular price) whereas MAC eye shadows are $14 USD (or $11 USD for a MAC Pro refill pan).

I came up with the idea for this post a few months ago, so I was slowly buying both Milani eye shadows and MAC eye shadows that look similar so that I could post more dupes for you. So here they are!


MAC "Stars 'N' Rockets" and Milani "Shock" are very similar. "Shock" is a little more purple toned, but I usually use "Stars 'N' Rockets" on top of a purplish base to bring out the purple anyway.


MAC "Black Tied" is a bit darker than Milani "Storm", but they look pretty much identical if you apply a couple layers of "Storm" to make it darker. They also match in the silver shimmer as well!


I couldn't decide which one Milani "Java Bean" would be a MAC dupe for. I think the closest in shade is MAC "Mulch" (they look the same even in the pan), but the closest in shimmer would probably be "Twinks" or "Glamour Check!" (part of the Starflash collection). What do you think is the closest match?


The first Milani eye shadow I bought was "Blue Ice". I got it when I barely owned any blue eye shadows. Of the MAC eye shadows I have, the closest one to "Blue Ice" is "Fall Deeply" from the MAC Devoted Poppy: 6 Classic Eyes palette (Holiday 2008 Collection). They vary a little in color, but I think it's still a close match for the price.

I also own two of the Milani Runway Eyes single eye shadows ("Leaf Green" and "Caribbean Sea"), but I don't think they are as nice as the smaller Milani eye shadows in my pictures. The Runway Eyes are more expensive too (I bought mine for $4.99, which I believe was on sale). Don't be deceived by the pretty shimmer -- as soon as I swipe some off the top, the rest of the eye shadow underneath doesn't have the same shimmer. Boo.

I highly recommend checking out the Milani powder eye shadows (there are more shades than the ones I've included in my pictures). I also have the Runway Eyes Fashion Shadows in "Glamorous Gems" -- this is awesome too! It comes with six colors, and the colors are vibrant. They are a little pricier though (~$8.99 USD), but I got mine on sale for $5.99. I also looked it up on Amazon.com, and I found some for only $6.99!

I usually buy Milani products at Walgreens and Target, but I think they are sold in other places as well (Longs/CVS). They also have a website: http://www.milanicosmetics.com

One last thing I want to mention in this post:

I'm going to have my very first contest/giveaway soon, so subscribe to (or follow) my blog so that you don't miss it! :)

Flip and Antiqued Brown Makeup Look

After writing my post yesterday about using MAC "Flip" eye shadow instead of "Gorgeous Gold" for a more golden look, I decided to do it so that I could take a picture and show you how it would look like.

I used different blush and lipstick this time for some variety. I like the look of "Flip" eye shadow more than "Gorgeous Gold", and I think it would look nice with any type of outfit because it's more neutral.


The steps I used for the eye shadow application is the same as yesterday's look:

EYES
Too Faced Shadow Insurance (entire lid)
MAC E/S in "Flip" (inner corner)
MAC E/S in "Saddle" (center to outer lid)
MAC E/S in "Antiqued" (outer V and blend towards center)
MAC E/S in "Vanilla" (highlight)
MAC Fluidline in "Blacktrack"

CHEEKS

MAC Mineralize Blush Duo in "Light Over Dark" (use the dark color to contour and the light color on apples of cheek)

LIPS
MAC L/S in "Touch"

If you try other colors besides "Flip" and "Gorgeous Gold", I'd love to see a picture! I think the "Saddle" and "Antiqued" combination is so nice and can be used with another color that matches some part of your outfit. Email me your photo (nerdygirlmakeup@gmail.com), and you could be featured on my blog. :)

Gorgeous Gold and Brown Makeup Look

The first MAC eye shadows that I completely used up were "Antiqued" and a limited edition shade called "Bagatelle". I finally bought a refill pan of "Antiqued" on Friday, and I have added it to my MAC palette collection. Unfortunately, I haven't found "Bagatelle" anywhere -- it's a soft, goldish tan color that's great as a highlight and for inner corners. Here's a look that I used to wear almost everyday, but with "Gorgeous Gold" instead of "Bagatelle":


EYES
Too Faced Shadow Insurance (entire lid)
MAC E/S in "Gorgeous Gold" (inner corner)
MAC E/S in "Saddle" (center to outer lid)
MAC E/S in "Antiqued" (outer V and blend towards center)
MAC E/S in "Vanilla" (highlight)
MAC Fluidline in "Blacktrack"

CHEEKS
MAC Powder Blush in "Harmony" (contour)
MAC Sheertone Blush in "Peaches" (apples of cheeks)
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Medium/Natural and Shimmer (shimmer just above apples; powder forehead, nose, and chin)

LIPS
MAC L/S in "Tanarama"

I think "Gorgeous Gold" kind of has a yellowish-lime look to it, so I wore a lime green shirt when I wore this makeup look on Saturday. You can substitute MAC "Flip" or "Amber Lights" to achieve a more golden look.

Quick EOTD: Colorful Look

This is what I used and what I did (in order):

1. Too Faced Shadow Insurance (entire lid)
2. MAC E/S in "Bright Sunshine" (inner corner)
3. MAC E/S in "Paradisco" (center lid; blend where it meets "Bright Sunshine")
4. bright pink E/S from Coastal Scents 88 Piece Makeup Palette (6th row, 7th column; apply to 3/4ths part of lower lid towards outer corner without overlapping "Paradisco")
5. light orange E/S from Coastal Scents 88 Piece Makeup Palette (3rd row, 9th column; use this color to blend edge where "Paradisco" and bright pink meet -- this will create a gradient effect)
6. MUFE E/S in #92 (outer V and blend slightly on crease)
7. MAC E/S in "Vanilla" (highlight)
   
8. MAC Fluidline in "Blacktrack" (upper lash line)
   

Alternatively, you can just use the 88 palette for all the colors. I just like MUFE #92 so much, because it's the most vibrant bright purple I've come across so far!

You can find a picture of the 88 palette here in case you want to look up the colors.

Have a great weekend!

Office-Friendly Makeup Look with a Pop

I used MAC E/S in "Newly Minted" to add a hint of colorful teal for this look. Putting a bright color that matches your clothes on your lower lid and then blending a brown/taupe color on your crease helps dim down the brightness to give you a more professional yet youthful look.


Here's what I used and how I applied this makeup:

EYES
Too Faced Shadow Insurance (entire lid)
MAC E/S in "Newly Minted" (lower lid)
MAC E/S in "Satin Taupe" (outer corner and crease; blend with a fluffy brush like MAC 224)
MAC E/S in "Brule" (highlight)
MAC Fluidline in "Blacktrack" (upper lash line)

CHEEKS
MAC Powder Blush in "Harmony" (contour)
MAC Sheertone Blush in "Blushbaby"" (on apples of cheeks and blend just above "Harmony")
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Medium/Natural and Shimmer (shimmer just above apples; powder forehead and chin)

NOSE (optional)
MAC Powder Blush in "Harmony" (contour sides and bottom tip of nose with MAC 224 brush; use a light hand!)
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Medium/Natural and Shimmer (shimmer down the nose, between the contoured sides)

LIPS
MAC L/S in "Touch"

MAC Matte2 Eye Shadows For Less!

I've seen MAC eye shadows at Costco for a few months now, but I only bought one of the shades ("Orb") because for ~$10 USD, I didn't think it was that good of a deal when I could just buy the refill pans for $11. However, when I was there Sunday, the MAC eye shadows went down in price to only just under $6! Now that's a deal. So I bought the colors that I didn't own yet -- "Copperplate" and "Newly Minted". The only other colors left were "Poison Pen" (which I got at the CCO in Gilroy, CA last year) and "Handwritten" (which I bought at the MAC store for full price *sigh* BUT I really like this color). All of these colors are matte2.


I swatched these two colors without any primer. They feel silkly smooth. "Copperplate" is a greyish brown color that is nice with smokey looks, and "Newly Minted" is a pretty teal color.

I will post a look using "Newly Minted" next. :)

Smokey Purple Makeup Look + Maker Faire Haul

I got a cute purple shirt from Maker Faire over the weekend (pic at the end), so I came up with this smokey purple look using MAC "Shadowy Lady" for the first time.


I don't know why I didn't get "Shadowy Lady" earlier -- it's a beautiful dark plum shade, like an eggplant.


Here's what I used:

EYES
Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place ShadowCreme in "Lilac Petals" (lower lid to just above crease)
MAC E/S in "Digit" (inner corner)
MAC E/S in "Parfait Amour" (center lid)
MAC E/S in "Shadowy Lady" (outer V)
MAC E/S in "Vanilla" (highlight)
Loreal HiP creme E/L in "Eggplant" (upper lash line)
Lancome Oscillating Mascara

CHEEKS
MAC Powder Blush in "Harmony" (contour)

MAC Beauty Powder Blush in "Stark Naked" (on apples of cheeks and blend just above "Harmony")
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Medium/Natural and Shimmer (shimmer just above apples, powder on T zone -- forehead, nose, and chin)

LIPS
MAC L/S in "Lavender Whip"



This is my haul from Maker Faire 2009 in San Mateo, CA. If you haven't heard of Maker Faire before, it's the world's largest DIY (Do It Yourself) festival. It's a two-day event filled with several exhibits and DIY kits for sale. It's a wonderful environment for learning, being creative, and exploring arts, crafts, engineering, science, and technology. As a nerdy girl, I really appreciate events like this and seeing little kids really getting into techonology. <3


I really liked the crafts that I saw, and I wanted to make my own. So I got two Made By Moxie needle felting kits. One is a kit to make 2 rings and a pin ($20), and the other kit is a needle felting booster pack with 15 pretty colors and 10 needles ($27). I also got a book with cute projects to make necklaces, scarfs, dolls, etc ($19.99). Also, I couldn't resist this carrot bunny called Plinki made by Planet Tokki ($12).


Close up of Plinki. Isn't he adorable?!? Hae Eun Park, the "maker" of Planet Tokki, was sewing it by hand when I bought it.


Here's the cute purple shirt I mentioned in the beginning of my post. It's by Fat Rabbit Farm. The design is called "Sweet Rain Tank w/Ruffle", and it's $30.


I just love the expression on the bunny's face. It's how I would look like if it was raining ice cream and treats!


I like the back as well with the criss-cross action going on. haha :) This one is limited edition, so buy one soon if you want one too! You can find it here.

Wow, this was a long post! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it! Maker Faire is amazing, and I hope that you all get to check it out sometime! :)

Quick EOTD: Peachy Orange Look

I used two colors from the MAC "Rose is a Rose" E/S Quad ("Solar White" and "Seeds of Love"). If you don't have this quad, you can use any golden white shimmery e/s for "Solar White" and MAC E/S in "Paradisco" for "Seeds of Love".

Here's what I'm wearing:

MAC Paint Pot in "Soft Ochre" (entire lid)
MAC E/S in "Solar White" (highlight)
MAC E/S in "Seeds of Love" (inner and center lid)
MAC E/S in "Orange" (outer V and blend slightly on crease)
MAC Fluidline in "Blacktrack"

I can't believe it's June already!!!

CCO Haul!

I went to CCO (Cosmetics Company Outlet, also known as The Cosmetics Company Store) in Vacaville, CA last week, and here's my haul:

I missed out on the MAC smokey eye holiday palette last December, so I was thrilled to see it there. Even though I now have Satin Taupe (2nd row, 1st column) and I already had Carbon, I still wanted to get this palette because the other colors are pretty too. The names of the eye shadows from top to bottom (left to right) are: Scant (F), Gorgeous (M), Satin Taupe (F), Ambiance (V), Dark Devotion (M), and Carbon (M). I got it for $26.75 USD.


I also wanted to try Bobbi Brown blush, so I got this one in "Nectar" for $14.00.


I also bought MAC Lip Conditioner Stick with SPF 15. I wanted a lip conditioner to use under matte lipstick. I recently got MAC L/S in "Please Me" -- it's a really nice muted pink color, but it's matte and really dries my lips. Now I use this lip conditioner first, put the matte lipstick on top, and it works like a charm. :) I got this for $11.00. If you decide to buy this lip conditioner as well, make sure to check the expiration date on the box first (Yes! There's actually an expiration date!). Mine expires in February 2011.

The bright orange lipstick is called "Electro", and it was $10.00. I don't have a bright, bold orange yet in my collection, so I thought this was perfect (and I won't have a hard time figuring out which one is my "orange" lipstick due to the container haha).

I was also relieved to see that this CCO had the limited edition Mineralize Skinfinish with shimmer! I just hit the pan on the one I bought when these came out, and I was already getting worried about whether or not I could find another one. I used it everyday, and I love it! I've been using "Medium/Natural and Shimmer" for some time now, so I got another one of those. I decided to get one in "Light Medium/Natural and Shimmer" too for the winter. These were $18.75 each (compared to ~$27 that I paid a few months ago). If you live nearby a CCO and they have these in stock, I definitely recommend checking them out!

Bright Green and Purple Makeup Tutorial

I recorded a new video tutorial of this bright green and purple look. I used 5 samples (4 for my eyes and 1 for my cheek) from my Ultimate YouTube Kit from Mineral Magic Cosmetics (swatches of all my samples are here).

I also talked a little bit about Loew-Cornell brushes in the beginning of my video. If you have not heard of them already, they are good quality brushes that are a lot cheaper than MAC brushes. I wanted to make a video using these brushes in case anyone's been looking for a cheaper alternative. I used my three Loew-Cornell brushes that I bought from Michael's to apply and blend all of my eye shadows for this look.

FACE

Lacome Photogenic Lumessence in Bisque 1 (N)

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Medium/Natural

EYES

MAC Paint Pot in "Soft Ochre"

Mineral Magic Cosmetics in "Oscar" (green)

Mineral Magic Cosmetics in "Telly" (purple)

Mineral Magic Cosmetics in "Turquoise" (blue)

Mineral Magic Cosmetics in "Hi-lite Violet"

MAC Fluidline in "Blacktrack"

CHEEKS

Mineral Magic Cosmetics in "Pink Tourmaline"

LIPS

NYX "Narcissus"

:)

Estee Lauder Double Wear Swatches and EOTD

I've been looking for Estee Lauder Stay-in-Place ShadowCreme in "Sea Mist" and "Lilac Petals" for a couple months now. I usually see "Lilac Petals", but rarely "Sea Mist". I wanted to wait to buy them until I could get both at once. Last Saturday, I went shopping with my mom, sister, and my sister's bf who is a Navy officer. He took us to the commissary and exchange for the first time, and I found both of these colors there. I also bought them much cheaper there (and it was also tax free), so it came out to be $14.90 USD each (compared to $17.50 plus tax at other retail stores).


The reason why I've been searching for these colors is because I want to use them as primers. I don't have any MAC Paint Pots that are similar to these shades, so I wanted to give it a try. Estee Lauder is the parent company of MAC, so I figured these would work well. They really do stay in place, and the colors are gorgeous!

I'm wearing "Sea Mist" in this EOTD. I applied it to the lower lid, and then I put MAC E/S in "Aquadisiac" on top of it. I used MAC E/S in "Vanilla" as highlight, and I lined my upper lash line with Loreal HiP creme E/L in "Teal".

UPDATE ON GLASS BEACH: I mentioned in my last post that I was going to see Glass Beach near Mendocino, CA, and I did. However, it didn't turn out the way I expected. I guess there has been so many visitors there since the 70s that the glass rocks have greatly diminished. :(

Here's a picture of it now (you can still see a few glass rocks here and there):


And here's how it looked like back then:


I wish I could have taken a picture like that!

Hope you all had a great long weekend!

Black and Purple Makeup Look

I ended up returning my MAC refill pan E/S in "Sketch", because it turns out Sketch has red pigment in it, which irritates my skin. :| So I got 3 other colors to replace it (lol -- I need to work on one for one exchanges). Now I have refill pans in "Brule", "Shadowy Lady", and "Black Tied". I am wearing two of those three for this look.


I wore this with a plain purple tank top from Old Navy, flowy black capri pants from Forever 21, and a black scarf from Myers Department Store in Australia.


EYES
MAC Paint Pot in "Soft Ochre" (all over lid)
MAC E/S in "Brule" (highlight)
Milani E/S in "Shock" (crease and middle lower lash line)
MAC E/S in "Black Tied" (entire lower lid and outer lower lash line)
(optional) lilac concealer on the inner lower lash line/tear duct to brighten the eyes
MAC Fluidline in "Blacktrack"

CHEEKS
MAC Beauty Powder Blush in "Stark Naked"
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Medium/Natural and Shimmer (shimmer just above apples, powder on T zone -- forehead, nose, and chin)

LIPS
MAC L/S in "Lavender Whip"

I'm off to Mendocino, CA for the long weekend. I know they have a bunch of trees and beaches there, but I'm not sure if they have internet haha If any of you are planning to go there, make sure to stop by Glass Beach -- it's a place where good ole Mother Nature corrected a man-made mistake. The beach used to be a public dump, but it was later closed in the late 60s when people realized what they were doing to the beach. Now it has been reclaimed, and all the glass that was once thrown out is now colorful rocks that sparkle in the sun. I'll take a picture when I get there, and I'll share it with you all soon!