You Can Save Lives

So today was our graduation ceremony (for Milan ~I'm there for cosmetology). Our dean decided to share a story during her speech thing. And it was a pretty amazing thing to hear.

She was telling us about a hair dresser she knew or had spoken with. He worked at a salon, of course and was typically pretty busy with appointments all day. There was finally a slow day and he wasn't in the best of moods so it was like "yes, no apt. I cant just sit and relax. Good, kinda don't want to deal with people"-kind of thing, right? Well he had this lady come in and she just wanted a total makeover basically. She told him she just wanted to get really dolled up. And at first he it was like "*sigh* damnit, fine I guess I have to do it." But instead of keeping a foul mood he was like "I'm just going to make the most out of this, pamper her and spend all day just making her experience great" or something like that. Basically he decided to drop the foul mood and put extra effort into this. And at the end of the day he ended up having his mood completely uplifted and turned around. He said that this time he was the one who had his day and mood just changed so positively by a client (b/c usually it's the hair stylists job to turn the clients day around, brighten there moods and outlook and what not ~this field is seriously a form of therapy, a change in someone's appearance can do so much for them, whether it be good or bad, it has the possibility of giving them all the self-love and confidence they ever needed). Of course, he brightened her day as well. She was so happy and thankful with the entire new look and left with a smile and all, hugging him and thanking him before she left. A few weeks later he received a thank you card from her. She told him that what he did for her the day she came in meant so much for her. She said she went in there to get all dolled up and look and feel pretty one last time because she had planned to go home and kill herself. But their conversations, the makeover, and how good she was left feeling about herself just changed decision for her and her entire outlook and she thanked him a lot for that.

Some people I heard commenting "oh whatever" and rolling their eyes. And whether it's true or not, it's not far fetched. This career can change lives. A makeover, just a experience, anywhere's at any customer service revolving job can effect someone so much, both the employee and the customer. A lot of time, especially with today's media people get incredibly depressed over their appearance. Whether we like it or not, appearance plays apart in feeling good about yourself and having confidence and being happy. When people like the way they look they're a lot more happier than if they didn't. And having a good conversation with someone and feeling/knowing you're being listened to and given attention will brightens someone's day.

All I'm, and this story is saying, is if you're working in the customer service field, whether the other person appreciates it or not, be nice, take your time, smile, say or do something to make that other person smile, throw around some compliments, make a few jokes, honestly mean it when you say have a nice day. It can make a difference. Lots of people just need that one kind act from a stranger to save them or change their outlook, and it becomes infectious. You'll help them so much and they'll want to help like everyone else as well. You don't even need to be in a customer service job, or any, you could be just some random stranger on the street. Smile at people. You hear stories all the time about how someone smiling at them just made their day so much bright, people don't always say smiles are infectious for no reason.

It reminded me of this time I was walking once and this girl who was jogging stopped and asked me if something's wrong. She said she just worried because I was walking alone and she knows it's something people do when somethings wrong or they're feeling down (she wasn't alone btw! She was jogging with another girl). I told her no (b/c nothing was! xD I just didn't wanna deal with walking my dogs atm ~cuz hyperness). But it was really sweet. And made my day better and happier even if I wasn't having a bad one. Never a bad thing for a good day to get better. Then she continued to say something about having a good day and hoping things go well and keeping your head up and what not, not to let things get me down if they ever get rough. Or something along those lines. Was fairly word-y but in a good way, you could tell she meant it and was concerned.

I don't know why I'm sharing this. I just like things like this xD

Fake Freckles Makeup

Uploaded a fake freckles makeup tutorial! :)

I love freckles. I think they're cute and can help create a very sweet look. The video shows two easy ways to create freckles and when blended well they look very natural. 

~Keep in mind when picking the color of the eyeliner/eye shadow/eyebrow pencil it's best to use something close to your skin tone, something that's only a couple shades darker. But if it is a lot darker you can easily make it look more natural by applying a light layer of foundation over it.

Videl Cosplay

Videl from Dragon Ball Z

I went ahead and pieced together this Videl cosplay over a short time :)

I pieced this together over a short time, either using stuff I've already owned and then a few things I found on eBay. I made the badge. Bought the leg warmers, shorts and gloves from eBay. The ball was from Walmart (a plain orange bouncy ball). I already owned the wig and shirt.

Floral HeadBands

Made a flora headband/crown tutorial. I'm so in love with these! I've made two so far but have lots more flowers to make even more!
~Gotta balance spending all my time making far too many of these and finishing and starting cosplays xD

Monthly Favorites | March 2014

Monthly favorites!!

My first monthly favorites video. This one included a lot of products. My bad. I just couldn't choose! But don't worry. I'll only be doing 1 or 2 from different categories or a top 5 kind of dealio from now on.

Liquid Latex: eBay

Liquid latex from Mehron. Of course this be in my favorites! I love special effects makeup so much. Now I haven't gotten around to making much with it yet but I plan to. I'm making two different types of elf ears at the moment.

Clarisonic: gift (?)

I don't use this nearly as often as I should but whenever I do I always see next day results. I use it whenever I can feel my face getting a little spotty or red looking. Both the cleanser that came with it are great too! I bet if I kept up with it and used it once or twice a week my skin would be flawless. I should start xD

Wen Replenishing Treatment Mist: gift (?)

Love this product. I have it in Winter Cranberry Mint and the scent is just amazing. One of my favorites. It always leaves my hair feeling so refreshed and healthier afterwards. Less dry and more moisturized too!

Redken Antisnap: Milan Institute

I've reviewed this in the Monthly Haul post. To quickly put it. It's one of my favorite hair care products. It's almost like magic, my split ends will be there, I apply this and then they're just like gone. It leaves my hair feeling less dry and damaged afterwards too. Smooths it all out.

Bella Pierre Eyeshadow: gift (?)

I have it in four colors; Haha (Blue), Bronze, Sensation (White), and Refined (Black). They're all shimmery. It's powdered eyeshadow and I love it so much more than pressed or cream. They're super pigmented and all the colors are dark (as in the color actually shows up on my skin) and vivid. And a little goes along way. I use them so much but it's like they haven't even been touched. Be careful though if you carry them around with you, when you open the lid make sure you're not being shaky with it and kinda tap on the lid to make sure the powder doesn't just fall everywhere.

Face Mask: Daiso

A BB Face Mask with collagen that I bought from what's basically a Japanese version of a dollar tree but $0.50 more expensive and with a way better selection (and quality) of products. This always leaves my skin feeling refreshed and super smooth afterward. I am wanting to try some others that contain different fruit and vegetable ingredients though!

Kool-Aid Liquids: Walmart

I've reviewed this already in the Monthly Haul post. But to put it shortly, I like these. Use them whenever I want something sweet to drink since I'm trying to cut back on soda. They have 0 calories too. Even though I love watermelon flavoring more usually, I think I'm leaning towards the cherry. It just seems to have more flavor than the watermelon in general so I have to use less to not have that watered-down taste.

La Riche Directions: eBay

By far my most favorite temporary (colorful color) hair dye line. I usually went with Manic Panic (they're still good and convenient to get if in America like me, though).  Yes you'll still need like as light of blonde as possible hair if you want the color to show up. No it won't go over dark hair, that's just not how temporary hair dye works, it doesn't have any lift to it. This also means though the dye itself is not damaging to you're hair, it's just a stain, and in fact this one is even conditioning! My hair (and my trashed extensions) felt and looked a lot better after this, like I had gotten a deep conditioning treatment. Now I got this in carnation pink and mixed it with conditioner to dilute it. It's one of the best pink's I've used. It stuck to my hair and was so vibrate and my hair wasn't even that light of a blonde and still had a yellowish tint to it. It takes the longest to fade out of the dyes I've used and when this specific color does fade it fades to a pretty pastel pink color before going back to the blonde you had dyed over. It's a European brand hair dye which is why I said it can be inconvenient to get if you're in America because I've only ever seen it online, never in a store. 

Matte Nailpolish: Daiso

By the brand Kleancolor. Love this. It's really cool to watch the glossy look just disappear when this starts to dry. It dries really quickly too. But it lasts (before chipping) about as long as any other drugstore nail polish. Either way though, I still really enjoy the matte look.

Smart Sense Water: Kmart/Target/Walmart

I can't remember which store the Smart Sense brand belongs to but it's one of those. My favorite flavor is the pomegranate one. Once again, since I'm trying to drink less soda this is another nice fix to wanting something sweet. It's carbonated as well so it has the soda-like feel/texture if that matters to anyone. And it has 0 calories. It's also not like other flavored water's I've tried where it tastes super watered-down and has hardly any flavor to it. This one actually has the right balance.

Black Button-up: Walmart

Got it in a size medium for an over sized look. It's a sheer, long-sleeved button up. Easily one of my more favorite and often worn shirts. So far I haven't had any problems with it. The material seems sturdy enough, not easily torn or anything.

Spiked Hat: Wet Seal

Favorite hat ever! I've never been really big on flat bill hats or ball cap hats in general really but I absolutely love this. Sturdy. Spikes are attached in a sturdy way. No trouble with any of them falling off or even beginning to. Which is good seeing how often it gets warn! xD

Cat Ear Headband: Wet Seal

Can be found for cheap on eBay as well. I've seen them have pearls on them but I got the one with rhinestones/crystals. Love this. It's not to bold or stand-out-y? It's subtle so it can be easily warn for a daily look if you don't like having big or possibly strange (as in people may give you a few weird looks hear and there with bold, noticeable cat ears) statement pieces. It adds a nice cutesy detail to any outfit, especially frilly and pastel ones!

Mermaid Leggings: eBay

I got them in blue but they come in 2 other colors as far as I know (possibly more). My favorite pair of leggings. They're a very bold piece. I prefer to wear it with a solid color top and shoes, usually black. One thing I must say though is when worn a lot and after a few washes the pattern/paint will start to come off/fade at the joints (knees) and seems. 

Orange Sweater: wholesale7.net

I can't find the listing so you may have to look around. It is a year old though I believe. Anyways I love knitted sweaters and earth toned ones so this one is like the perfect mix. It's over-sized like how I like too. It's really sturdy too seeing as I've had it for quite a while now and wear it way too much during the fall and winter.

Kigurumi: eBay

Not the same listing I used. Both of them can be found there but I'd suggest searching "spyro kigurumi" and/or "espeon kigurumi" first and you'll probably find cheaper. I got mine a bit cheaper than that. The espeon was around 27$ and the spyro was more towards $20-23 I believe. Made of fleece material, well made too. Super warm though so it's only really good for cold weather. With the spryo one the tail can get in the way sometimes and the hood may be a bit awkward to wear because if worn to far back it'll just fall off due to the weight of the horns. I still love it though!

Vanellope Funko Pop: eBay

I couldn't find the listing I had, it's been a while. Feel free to search around since this listing is a bit pricey and I was able to find it for the price of any other funko pop character (about 10-15$). Love this. I love all these little vinyl figurines! They're always so super cute and add a nice detail to my room. I'm going to end up having way too many and no room though since I prefer to leave them in the box because the packaging is just always so nice.

Red Violet Hair

New Hair!

It's suppose to be a 5RV (Redken's Shades EQ). But since my hair was a level 10 blonde (bleach blonde) with faded pink and purple patches we (the lovely Hannah who did my hair at the school and the instructor) had to fill it with a red. It was quite a dark red so we went ahead and put a dark-ish violet on top of that. And that's how I got this. Very similar to the 5RV only more on the purple side and a bit lighter.

It looks black-ish purple hair. Which is true. In poor and darker lighting it'll look blackish with a purple/red tint.

In sunlight it'll have more red showing. So it'll look like a red-violet. I absolutely love this color. I feel like it makes my eye color look cool. More red and orange in my eyes now.

I also went ahead and filled a fake freckles makeup tutorial but I'm not sure if it'll ever be posted because the bad yellow lighting in my room may have made it hard to see. It's a very natural looking freckle look so it's not meant to stand out and look off or bold which is why it may not show up well in the video. I'll have to look soon.

I also filmed a grunge cat eye look to go along with it.

Here are more of the colors my hair looks in the sunlight by the way. More reddish see? In artificial/florescent light it's more on the purple side. That black patch is slightly odd, I feel like it was the way the light hit my hair and the layers shadowed the others, although yes, my hair does get darker at the ends more blackish even in the sunlight ~and I am wearing extensions~ so that may be why.

March 2014 Collective Haul

My first monthly collective haul!

Check out the haul video I recorded for it! ^^ Anyways, I'll get on to the more in depth reviews now.

Kool-Aid Liquid: Walmart

I purchased two Kool-Aid Liquid bottle things. One in cherry and one in watermelon. While I prefer watermelon flavor usually, I have to say the cherry one was my favorite. I feel like it had more flavor to it or at least took less to flavor. But both we're still good. I also believe they come in some kind of citrus flavor and grape. 

Suave Dry Shampoo: Walmart

Now I'm sure there are better dry shampoos out there but for a couple of bucks this works just fine. If you're on a budget and really need this I recommend it. I believe it was only around 2 something.

Liquid Latex: eBay

One of my favorite products I bought. I haven't used it too much besides one elf ear. But I've used liquid latex in the past and it's just so much fun. I'll have tutorials on different stuff using this soon, once I get more special effects makeup products. I purchased this in the color Light Flesh by the way.

Shoe Strings: eBay

Not much to say here. They're just shoe strings I'm using for a cosplay so these work fine. Bought them in the color deep purple.

Above the Knuckle Rings: eBay

Bought in the color Gold. Not exact listing, I bought mine for $0.99. 

A bit disappointed. Looked like it would fit from what I read but it was much too big. Non-adjustable. Luckily they fit just around some fingers normally but if you have slender and/or small fingers I would not recommend. There are other adjustable one that can be found for similar low pricing on eBay just by searching above the knuckle rings. If you're buying online I recommend only buying adjustable ones unless you have larger hands. I feel like they'd fit right on larger hands but it still may be a gamble. Not that big of one though because it only costs pocket change.

Redken: Milan Institute

This is one of the most favorite hair care products I've own. It works like magic almost. I'll see split ends then apply this and they're literally gone, at least a majority of them. It's a leave in hair treatment and can be used to prep before applying heat. It helps make the hair smooth and soft and repair damage. From personal experience I can say it really helps and makes a difference and has improved my hair's condition. By the way, this is a professional product. Meaning it has a better chemistry to it, better ingredients and isn't watered down and diluted like the everyday products found in department stores.

Blue Wig: eBay

A 40" blue wig from eBay. It's what expected. It was a good price. About 14-15$ and free shipping. It's shinny of course. It sometimes can tangle easily. It's fairly thick though. There's not holes or patches where you're able to see the wig cap through the hair. I haven't gotten around to styling it yet but since it'll only end up in braids it should be fairly easy to manage. Be warned even though it says heat resistant the ends can still end up getting a little messed up and keep whatever you're using on the lowest setting possible.

Bullet Necklace: eBay

Bullet necklace bought from eBay. I absolutely love the design on the bullet. I also really like the way you're able to tighten and loosen the necklace using slipknots. It's not a really bullet of course, seems to be made of plastic or some kind of material like that, maybe something more sturdy since it seems sturdy and heavy-ish.

Malibu Miracle Repair: CosmoProf

Was a gift. Only used it once so far. I can see improvement to my hair. Now I can directly relate it back to this but this is a professional product bought from a professional only store so I'm sure it's doing something to help. It does leave my hair feeling softer and more moisturize/less dry.

Say Yes to Tomatoes Makeup Wipes: Walmart

My favorite makeup wipes. It's good for clearing blemishes and cleansing the skin while removing makeup. The brand is cruelty free and I believe vegan (but I may be wrong~ I assume it would be considering it's makeup up mostly comes from fruits and more natural ingredients). Say Yes to is one of my favorite lines of skin care products. I love their acne clearing pen (I don't remember exact name but you'll know it if you see it~ trust me). I've never had a break out problem using this product. If you're allergic to tomatoes though, obviously don't use. Also wash your face after using these or else it'll leave it a bit dry feeling and you'll have soapy residue left behind. They're very moisturized. Now these are a bit pricey. Around $5-ish for a pack of 25 towlettes and they'll dry out if not used up after so long (but if you where makeup often then they'll be used up before even needing to worry about that). They do have the lid you see and another seal underneath so as long as you keep both closed you should be fine. 

Ogx Keratin Oil Shampoo & Conditioner: Walmart

To me it feels like any other shampoo and conditioner really. Although it is doing it's job. I've only used it a few times so that may be why it seems average at the moment. But it's definitely not making my hair worse or leaving it dry. It's leaving it soft and moisturize. The ends aren't splitting and feel nicer. It's not too harsh either because it didn't remove much or any color from my hair when I had my most recent pink/purple pastel hair. 

Beauty Blender Sponge: eBay

The seller I bought from just sends a random color. I don't mind because all the colors they're available in I knew I'd be fine with. I will probably be buying a few more just to have around in case of loss and what not. I love this. Now you have to make sure to have it damp before use, this helps it spread the foundation more smoothly and evenly and to me it seems like it helps it soak up less foundation. It allows for quick coverage and using the smaller end you're able to get around smaller areas (like around the nose and eyes). Now I've been told it's suppose to give you an airbrush look but I personally wouldn't say that. Although it does give a much more even and smooth application that using your hands or a brush.

Gel Eyeliner: eBay

Love it. Super cheap. Goes on really smoothly. The brush it came with I wouldn't recommend using. It's very cheap but that was to be expected for the price. It's brand-less so I can't tell you much about that. If you want to know more information on the product you can always try contacting the seller or reading the description. Now warning this isn't waterproof and will smear if rubbed constantly. It makes it easy to just wipe off and fix mistakes though. I'm happy with this product. I'm able to get cleaner lines and a different better winged shapes than I was with the shadow eyeliner I was previously using (although I still love that product too!). For the price it's a great and affordable product.

Faux Leather Fingerless Gloves: eBay

Bought for a cosplay. Super cute though. I love these even for non-cosplay wear. I think it's the heart cut out. Unfortunately (at least the listing I found) has only one size and they're on the smaller size. They are slightly loose on my hands I guess it'd be width wise but they're fitted length wise. They fall exactly where it's shown on the image for the listing so if you happen to have really long palms of your hands I can't promise they'll fit exactly right. They're warm too! The inside is made out of quite soft and warm material so they wouldn't be too bad for the winter (except for the fingerless part xD). It's also not irritating to my skin either.

Etude House Eye Brow Color: eBay

Love this! It colors even my super dark (basically black) eyebrow hairs so well. It even fills them in so there was really no need for pencil (unless you use pencil for shaping). I want to try other colors as well. One thing I must note is with how often I used it, it felt like it ran out fairly quickly. There's still some left but I can feel it getting empty and the brush's grabbing less product. It lasted a month or so though with almost a daily use. I must also note this product (in whatever preferred shade~ I prefer this one, was perfect) is great for creating fake freckles!

Pink Shorts: eBay

I bought it in pink. I bought them in a size 28 assuming they'd run small but no they run about right where it says. Size 28 was lose and buying the smallest size (27) would've fit me just fine. But it was no big deal because they weren't like super/unwearable-ly lose, plus I'm wearing a belt anyways. They're long as well. Or longer than in the photos. In other words, they're not body shorts or anything, but they're also not like mid-thigh hitting either, I'd say they fall in between. Sturdy, good quality jean/denim material.

Elf Makeup Brush Daily Cleaner: Kmart

Love this! Makes cleaning brushes go really quick and easy. Now you'll still want to do a normal shampoo wash every so often but on a daily basis to clean up after applying your makeup or something it's great. Just spray and then wipe and let your brushes dry. Cleans them well. Cruelty free product too!

Bike Shorts: eBay

Spandex light material. Thicker (so it's not see through really). Falls about mid thigh or just above. Stretches. Not the exact listing but similar. Same product. It's a one size fits all in black.  Light weight feeling when worn.

 

Pink Fish Net Thigh Highs: eBay

Bought in pink. It's a darker (a bright like pink) than in the photos. Not too bright but it's pink. In the photos it looks like a pinkish white but in person the color is a normal pink. Which was good, I was hoping it wasn't as washed out as in the photo. Believe it's a one size fits all. Stretchy material though.

Purple Thigh Highs: eBay

Bought in purple. One size fits all. Is meant for thinner legs. Doesn't stretch to much at the thigh part, or may start feeling a bit uncomfortable tight if so. Will stretch some though, so I wouldn't worry too much. It is an Asian product so it's made according to Asian sizing. I'm happy with it though. Goes above the knee at or just below mid thigh on me. 

Elf Flawless Finish Foundation: Target

Bought in sand. For whatever reason sand is so hard to find around here, had to go to three different stores. Love this foundation. It's the only foundation that'd fit my skin tone so well. It's fairly hard to match my skin tone because it changes shades so easily whenever sunnier weather comes and I feel like it's just an odd shape to start with. Goes on so smoothly though and gives a nice even coverage. It's also super light and fluffy feeling and I've never had a problem with it being pore clogging or causing any break outs. It's a mousse like foundation. Lasts me about a month and a half or 2 (sometimes longer) before I need to buy more. Really cheaply priced though. A cruelty free brand.

Elf Angled Eyeliner Brush: Kmart

I love this! This brush has now become my favorite. I take such good care of this. Was a really good low price (about $3 or 4). It's bend at the top to make it easier to apply eyeliner. Perfect for gel liner. The brush's hairs are really nice, it doesn't fall apart or split or separate. It stays smooth and at a thin point. It also helps to do what I do and keep the little cap to back on after every use, be careful not to divide and mess up the hairs when applying it back on and to apply it back on the right way. It's bent to match the brush so one side will be longer (this will be the top part that goes along the hairs) and the other is shorter (this is the bottom of the cap).

Black belts: eBay

Bought in black. It seems quite long. So it can be cut and adjusted to fit smaller waists if need be. Very thin. Good material though. Haven't had any problems with these.