Almost Back!

Wow!  It has really been a long time and I am working diligently to get everything back up and running here and on YouTube.    


I got a new computer and home network for Christmas so that is finally done.  I am at least connected now...slowly, but connected.  


Somehow, my email got hacked yesterday though!  Luckily, my free anti-virus software caught it before it did any harm though!  (Now, I'm a FIRM believer in anti-virus!  Its a small price to pay for the piece of mind!)  It didn't harm my computer but the hacker sent emails to everyone on my contact lists on both my makeup address and my personal address so I scrambled to contact everyone I could before they opened the email and ended up like my BFF, Mandy, with a crashed computer.  I feel SO bad about that too!  Crummy thing...it happened while she and I were on the phone together!  Now, she is without a computer until next month when she visits back home to get it fixed!  I'm sorry honey....AGAIN!!!  So, as you guessed it, I have a new email address and I have closed my old ones!  If you ever have a question or a reason to contact me, please do so through the new address above!  :)  I try and check my account at least every other day!


Were also in the middle of remodeling our house as well.  We had some damage to our roof that the insurance company decided deserved a new roof and a new interior ceiling!  YAY!  So, to get new walls to replace the old, 80s paneling throughout the living areas, we decided to do the majority of the work ourselves to really get the most out of our money!  Yes....I helped put the roof on this house, put up drywall, and primed until I am just sick of it!  This has been my past two weeks!  All of my makeup and craft room stuff got crammed in our guest room and we have been living out of our two rooms this entire time.  Were putting the living room back together tonight because my father in law is coming to pick up his trailer tomorrow.  I spent my morning unloading 6200 pounds of shingles, molding, old sheet rock and insulation at the dump!  How glamorous!  LOL!


So, you see...just with the little I have shared, I am sure you can all tell that I have been overly busy this past, well, month!  I am diligently working to try and get a space to begin videos again and get back to blogging on a regular basis.  I will probably only be doing basic things.  I don't have a great deal of cash right now to try new products because I am still on the job hunt.  I may also start a craft channel or blog as well....IF I can find the time that is!  (Note: If you have a job and hate it, don't just quit!  Start looking because even the crummy jobs are hard to come by!  My advice for the day!)  I will do all that I can though.  I really miss doing YouTube and I miss talking to you guys on here and via email everyday!  :)  If for some reason all my efforts don't work out and I am unable to make videos or blog for any reason, I will certainly let you all know!  However, that is not the plan at this point!


Thank you all for being so patient with me and still subscribing!  It means a lot to me to open my accounts after so long and see that people are still coming by and wanting to stay!  (Even if it is just a few, it means a lot to me!  I may not have a million subscribers like some, but the ones I have I will always cherish!)


Take care and I will hopefully have the moment to talk to you all again soon!  Once the first stage of this portion of remodeling is finished, I will take post some before and after pictures for you all to see!  :)  


Keep smiling!  :)

Yet Another Update...

It feels like I have been gone for years at this point and I apologize to all of you!  I finally got moved but being unpacked and totally settled is a totally different story!  We got our daughters room remodeled and she got to move in and we just finished gutting the guest room before we decided to head to the inlaws for the weekend.  We can't decide what internet service to go with quite yet and that really doesn't matter considering our computer is down.  However....all of these things are in the works and hopefully will happen very soon so I can get back going with my blog and YouTube pages. 
I don't have a set place to do my filming so I have not created anything new either.  I only get to use the computer when we visit family so I will always try and get online to update you guys when I can.  I know I am being totally lame to all of you that are being so patient and staying with me through this.  I keep telling my husband that I probably wouldn't be so stressed out if I could just be able to get back in the swing with all my websites!  LOL!  I rarely get to do my makeup anymore!  Our air conditioner went out about a week ago so I have not even thought about pulling anything out since it is SO hot!  The temp in the house is about 5 degrees higher than it is outside!  The outdoor temps are running between 95 and 105 daily with heat indexes around 110.  It is miserable.  I have to make sure to at least check my makeup daily to make sure it doesn't melt.  My husband cleared out an area in the mini fridge, that we use for parties, for me to put my makeup if need be.  (He is the BEST!)
Again, you guys, I am really sorry that I have gone missing for so long this time, but know I am checking messages as often as I can and will continue to do so until we have the net and a computer up and running.  And as soon as our connection is up, I will be here to update and to stay!
Thank you ALL for being here and waiting for me!  I have so many things planned and can't wait to share them with you!  Talk to you all very soon...I hope!

Just A Little Bit Longer...

I do apologize for not being around you guys.  I was getting back in the groove just when a HUGE change in my life came about and I am now in the middle of a HUGE move.  I do not have regular computer access, which I am now in the process of getting worked on (litterally) and should have a new system up and running in a bit.  I may even have a borrowed or "rent to own" laptop from one of my greatest friends.  Either way, I will have SOMETHING to work on! 

Also, at the current time, I do not have any sort of studio to work in.  No where quiet I can work on my videos or spread out my makeup at all.  Sadly, most of my collection has been packed VERY carefully and relocated for the time being.  Today was the first day in about a week I even put on makeup!  (I know, I know...it is really sad!)  All that is going on right now is working out for the best, but going pretty slow so I do not have a final date set on when everything will be back in order.  When I got laid off from my job, I really saw the light and really wanted to make some changes, so I AM!  :)  I KNOW I will be happier for it and just hope you all understand! 

I WILL pick up this blog and YouTube right where I left off and hopefully all the projects I had in the making will surface and come to light as well!  :)  For all of you that have been faithfully waiting for me, I truly appreciate all your support and I am still here waiting for the day everything is back up and running and my life is back in order enough to continue with my one true passion...makeup.

Beauty Blog Link Love - Check These Out!

Over at theNotice, Rae has been bitten stung by the Misikko bug -- and she is not pleased!

Betty Girl Makeup is back, and continuing on with her series on contouring!

Vex in the City shares her delight at discovering the wonders of Mehron's new Celebré HD-Pro foundation.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed checks out the multitude of choices in lash enhancers.

Louise pens a love letter to a BLUE eyeshadow, and is now trying to deal with her embarrassment.

Mz. More from The Glamorous Gleam tells you all about her experience with the Zoya Nail Polish Exchange, and shows off her new goodies!

Does your significant other complain about "too girly" shower gel scents? Want a happy medium? Look no further and discover what shower gel Hellcandy and her bf are raving about!

Jeweled Thumb shares how she spot cleans her brushes, and reviews 6 cleansers to help you find the best one for you!

Hot Beauty Health shares the top beach beauty buys for summer 2010!

Krasey Beauty meets Dany Sanz, the artist, legend, and creator of Make Up For Ever.

Spiced Beauty shows you that you can look fab in red lipstick... even if it just costs a dollar!

There's a new natural cosmetics line on the block! Lipglossiping casts her eye over Bourjois' little sister, Une.

Jolie Laide Girl is glowing with Make Up Forever's HD Blushes.

Learn how to get 'Perfect Skin' with the help of makeup artist Jon Hennessy at Makeup by Kim Porter.

Phyrra shows you the newest collection from Aromaleigh, Victoria’s Revenge. If you like steampunk, you’ll love this collection!


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Find out what Audrey Dao is giving away for June's Reader of the Month Giveaway!

Cindy from Prime Beauty is a Stila IT girl and you can be too, with her awesome Stila giveaway!

NOTD: Essie Resort Collection Part 2

Here is the second color in the Essie Resort Collection that I purchased.  This is Splash of Grenadine which is, like the other colors in the collection, very creamy.  It is a pink with purple undertones that would glow against tan skin.  (Sorry, my fair skin does NOT do this color justice!)  Even though I have a lighter complexion, the color still worked well for me. 

I got a great life out of the formulation, again, wearing 2 coats over China Glaze Base Coat and finishing with my normal 2 coats of Seche Vite Quick Dry Top Coat.  On the fifth day, I did get some chipping and wear on the tips, but for me, that is GREAT!  I am very hard on my nails taking even a fresh (home) manicure into the garden or working on the remodel.  I know it is a sin, but life goes on even after "new" nails.

I can't say it enough, Essie polishes are really starting to grow on me and the fact that they offer their collections in the mini bottles makes my life complete!  I am patiently waiting for the Summer collection that is coming in June (according to the sales associate at my local Trade Secret).  I have seen swatches in Allure and Glamour and cannot wait to share them here! 

If you didn't catch the first post in this four part series, click this link to check it out!  Stay tuned for the next two parts to this series coming in the next 2 weeks!

Beauty Blog Link Love!

Retrodiva checks out the fun stuff at The Makeup Show, slideshow-form.

Mz. More from The Glamorous Gleam is taking you To The Beach with a sneak peek at the latest collection from MAC.

Who knew that baby shampoo could be dangerous? Betty Girl Makeup tells you how it could be hazardous to your skin!

Sarah from I Heart Cosmetics is ready and prepared for some sun with her too favourite facial sunscreens.

Curious as to which products Louise from MakeupLoveer is using right now? Find out here!


Swatch-o-rama! The Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks are finally landing on UK shores... Lipglossiping has them sussed and swatched!

Beautywoome.com unearths the the best dry shampoos on the market.



Jen at beautyjunkielondon gets a sneak preview of the new Autumn/Winter range from Boots No7.



Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed checks out drugstore concealers.

The Pink Sith is smitten with BECCA Lip & Cheek Creme in Tuberose.

Phyrra tells you all about her Holy Grail eyeshadow product, Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy.

Sophie shows off and reviews the Sleek Kajals, with swatches.

Madame B Fatale interviews the Boss of Gloss winner, Cathy Mason.

Louise has a chat with celebrity hairdresser Andrew Collinge and reveals photos of her 80's hair shame.

The Pink Sith is smitten with BECCA Lip and Cheek Creme in Tuberose!



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Flying of on your holidays? Enter Lipgloss86's giveaway to win some Lee Stafford haircare.

Ever wanted to check out Annabelle Cosmetics? theNotice is hosting a giveaway of their new Mineral line, and you get an extra entry just for being... not Canadian?!

NOTD: Essie Resort Collection Part 1

Another nail of the day for you guys!  I saw the Essie Resort Collection of polishes in my copy of InStyle Magazine and knew I HAD to have them.  I thought they were going to be like others that I had, but they are in fact nothing like anything in my collection!  I picked them up at Trade Secret ($12.50 for the kit) in my local mall this weekend.  I was pumped to see that they had the collection in mini's since I prefer to buy sets in the small bottles because it is doubtful that I will make it to the end of a bottle before the stuff dries up and is replaced by a much more beloved color I get!  This way, I get to try all the shades for the price of one or two full sized bottles.

The first swatch out of the new Essie kit (above, it's pretty messy but I wanted a shot before I totally screwed up the color while working in the yard) is the color "Lapis of Luxury".  It is a creamy sky blue (which the photo makes it look a bit brighter than it really is, I'm sorry!).  The first day I wore it out, I got multiple comments from women saying, "Now, that is a blue I could wear!".  I personally think it would look great on toes as well!  As for the formula, I have always felt that Essie polishes are a bit thin for my liking.  I like to be able to slap on one coat and be able to go out if I have to before applying the second coat and you just can't do that with most of this brands polishes.  I like them, don't get me wrong, but most of the time, I have to apply 2 or more coats to get a nice, opaque coverage like I prefer.  The above swatch is one coat of China Glaze Base Coat, 2 coats Essie "Lapis of Luxury", and 2 coats Seche Vite Quick Dry Top Coat. There are 3 other colors in the kit and I will be doing NOTD on them soon!  Which color would you like to see next??!!

Great Markdowns @ CVS

Saturday afternoon, my daughter and I went into CVS to pick up some sodas that were on special this week.  I hadn't PLANNED on going NEAR the beauty wall, but a bright neon sign caught my attention so, of course, I HAD to go over and check it out!  The store had marked down some of their most phenomenal (and expensive, I might add) beauty products from every brand.  I believe they do this at the end of every spring season, but I was taken aback at some of the items I found.  Of course, I didn't purchase everything I wanted to, but since I am currently unemployed from what my family deems a "normal job", impulse shopping in high dollar amounts is pretty much out for me.  However, I knew that I could get away with a few things since the markdowns were for 50% & 75% off! 

Every brand had SOMETHING on clearance including Rimmel, Wet N Wild, Revlon, Sally Hansen, Loreal...you name it!  There were mascaras, eye shadow palettes, nail polish, I mean it was endless the bargains laid out before me.  This was very difficult for me, if you know me, since I am the queen of sale shopping!  I passed over H.I.P. shadow sticks and pigments, kohl pencils, summer polishes, and shadows I had been wanting to try for ages and only took home two items.  I know, I know, I was a good girl, I should be proud and hold my head up high! 

I generally begin in most places at the polishes and CVS carries Seche Vite, which I needed more top coat anyway so that was a necessary buy.  They had marked every Seche Vite product down to 50% off which made base coats $3.50 and the quick dry top coat that I needed $4.50.  This price is cheaper than I would have been able to get it at Sally's with my Beauty Club Card.  I should've got TWO!

I also picked up a Loreal Infallable Lipstick...one of those items I have been wanting to try for ages, but the $12 price tag kept me from doing so.  I'm sorry, I just don't spend that kind of cash on drugstore products and NEVER WILL.  More power to those of you that do, but if I know I can spend $2 on a MAC l/s, than I am going that route.  But, I got this one for 75% off which made it about $3!  Yeah, I can live with that.  AND it turns out it is GREAT!  The color really lasts and the conditioning top coat doesn't give you glassy lips which I really  prefer with my no makeup makeup looks on the weekends.  I picked this l/s up in the color Walnut, number 87, which I swatched for you below!  (I know its not the greatest pic, but of course the color swatch is on the right and the coditioning top coat is on the left.  The top coat looks super shiney in the pic but it really isn't.  It does have a little shimmer, but not too much so any age group will look great wearing it and be comfortable!)  I am in love with this color and the formula is great, in my opinion.  I also like the packaging in that you have  a built in mirror for on the go touch ups and both tubes each have a cozy spot together...no chance to lose either in the black hole of your bag!  LOL!  But, I still won't pay $12 for it (sorry Loreal, that's just a little rich for my blood considering this is a DRUGSTORE).  I WILL pick up more if I see them on clearance or on BOGO though.

My suggestion to you guys if you dig the drugstore makeup selection, is to check out your local CVS and see if they have the same markdowns going on right now!  The prices are only good while the products last, which won't be long!  They are also running some buy one, get on 1/2 off sales this week so make sure to check out their weekly ad online and let us know what YOU come home with in the comments below!

BBLL - Wicked Awesome Bloggers This Week! Click & Follow!

New to perfume? Don't fret; theNotice has an easy three-part guide on how to get started!

Glitter Geek goes bananas (B-A-N-A-N-A-S!) over a stunning eyeliner that even stays put on your waterline.

So many primers, so little time! Vanity's Edge is going to battle it out and she needs your help!

Looking for a great summer foundation? Clarins' latest offering is put to the test by Lipglossiping.

Phyrra from Fresco Phyrra shares some of her favorite Blacklight Reactive products.

Is make up really that complicated? Help Hell Candy's boyfriend unravel the mysteries of make up and read his guest post!

Jellyminx creates another pictorial creating a pretty pinky-purple look with drugstore products.

Christelle from Beauty Crazed shares the secrets of her shiny hair!

Sophie shows you her Five Skin Essentials!

GlossQueen tries her first mineral lipstick. Mosey on over to see if she liked it.

MAC Senior Artis Nicole Thompson tells us her must haves for Rosemount Australia Fashion Week at Madame B Fatale.

Hypothesis? Glass flecks make everything better. Jeweled Thumb experiments with different topcoats and proves just that!

Cawfee Tawk on Prime Beauty welcomes you with this week's topic -- Blast from the Past Beauty Products. Discuss!

Joeybunny swoons over her Holy Grail fragrance on the PinkSith.

Art Class is in session as Krasey Beauty takes you on a tour of MAC's newest Greasepaint Sticks.

Louise takes a look at the new Armani Nudes Contrast Palette and re-discovers her hatred of pastels!

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Tsahi over at The Makeup Artist is ecstatic about having 50+ followers; check out her giveaway and enter here!

Beautywoome has extended the competition for a full set of Ellis Faas makeup until May 14th!

Audrey has 2 giveaways going at once! Check out her Facebook Fan Appreciation and May's Reader of the Month giveaways.

It's Time...

Now that my job is ending, I figure it is time to make amends with all my lovely followers and subscribers here and on YouTube.  I know I have been MIA because of the no computer thing and I really hate it!  Between work and home, I just have not had the drive in the evenings to do makeup or loaf around on YouTube like I used to.  I have been hitting the sack at around 9 or 10 every night and it just has not felt right.

Since my layoff, today being my last day at work, I have thought that I really must consume myself with projects so as to not get bored, thus causing insanity!  I got a planner and I plan (no pun intended...how ever bad) to use it!  I have lists of videos I am going to be making and blog posts in the works.  I hope and plan to get online each and every day to get some sort of work out there for you guys to enjoy since I have slight access to a computer for job hunting.

I had planned a trip to the nearest CCO to create another tour video and that just won't be happening probably for a VERY long time.  The CCO that I speak of is in Nashville, TN and I am sure you have all heard and seen the photos of the terrible flooding in that city.  The flooding took over the Opry Mills Outlet Mall which was the home of the CCO.  The water is starting to receed, but it will be a VERY long time before they are open for business again.  I hope to be able to plan a trip south after the oil spill is contained a bit and the diesel smell is out fo the air in Mobil to be able to visit that outlet mall and CCO for a tour.  Until then, I do have some fun and exciting things planned.

Since I don't have a job and unemployment is not guaranteed, I will have to hold off on giveaways...however badly I don't want to.  I may have a few things stockpiled that I can do a small giveaway with but purchasing new items is not in my near future.  I don't even know if my situation will allow me to purchase for reviews, but I will certainly do my best so I can inform you guys of the new products out there.

So, this is a small update for you all.  I plan to do a Vlog this weekend to really update you about things coming up so make sure to stay tuned for that.  I will resume nail swatches here soon and some reviews that I don't plan to create videos for.  Plus, the battle of the primers will be a huge undertaking since I will actually have time to devote each day to this.  If you have suggestions on "match-ups" or a primer you would like to see in the battle, let me know in the comments below or email me!  I will release the list of primers I have already planned to include within the next couple of days as well as the rating system i will go by!  Any suggestions are always welcome!

Thanks again for all of your patience and I cannot WAIT to get back into the swing of things!  I am super stoked and I am not going to let my current situation get my down!  I am going to use my time wisely and keep myself busy with all of you!  :)

Much love always - xoxo - Laura