M.A.C. is not the GOD of Makeup

To The People Who:

• Think they know everything about makeup because they own MAC products. 

              Let me tell you right now, you don't. If you're limiting yourself to one brand because                      you think "it's the best", you're missing out. There's more to it than just MAC. It's like                      since MAC is more "high-end", that's what people flock too even though in reality MAC                is on the lowest end of high end makeup. It's the most overrated cosmetic line, in my                    opinion. There's company's with better products like Make-up Forever, Inglot,                                TooFaced, Kat Von D, Illamasqua and a bunch load of other brands that I'm too broke                to try at the moment lol. 

•  That know me personally, but think they're better than me because I don't own anything MAC. 

              I have a friend who swears by MAC, and refuses to buy her makeup from any other                       company but MAC. I don't know why she is like that, but I'm sure she's not the only                         person who is so closed-minded to only use one brand. The other day she was saying                 that she was thinking about going into makeup artistry, because I suppose she knows                 'oh-so much' about makeup? Yeah... right. Whenever I try to give my advice to her, it's                  like she completely disregards me because I'm not as "high-end" as her. But oh well,                  meanwhile she's talking to me, I'm just staring at the distinctive line of demarcation                      her jaw like #GirlBye! Good luck in your ventures haha

• Who "aspire" to be a MAC artist

            I question the sanity of these people. Not saying that there is anything wrong with the job,             but for that to be your goal.... I hope it's a short-term one. Like I stated before, there's                   more to life than MAC! I suppose it's a starting point though. So many women while                     working at MAC do freelance because the pay is crummy. Another thing is at MAC, or                 any other makeup counter, the workers there aren't specialized or properly trained to do             their job. They're basically glorified youtube "guru's" (whom most of which feed off of the             other "guru's", who have no idea what they're doing, yet proceed to make they're                           own nonsense video based off the nonsense video they've watched.)

I could continue to rant, but I'll cut it off at three. I don't want it to seem like I'm anti- MAC, because I'm not. I just feel like it has too much hype and that people revolve all their beauty ideals to MAC... like helloooo, you do know there are other places too right. It's annoying as well, because drugstore products are comparable to MAC, so I don't know why people look down on it. Oh, and MAC causes breakouts, by3!

Beauty Icon of the Month

Miley Cyrus

I've been a fan of Miley since she was living the best of both worlds as  Hannah Montana, through all the times that she couldnt be tamed and just wanted to party in the USA, and still even now that she cant stop. A lot of people nowadays don't like her because of her new attitude and erratic behavior, honestly she's just behaving like any other girl in my opinion. 

I chose her as the beauty icon for this month because she's been headlining everywhere lately, especially since the notorious VMA performance. Earlier this month, her video "23. came out and she just looked beautiful in it. Lately she's been wearing a lot of candy apple red lips, but in this video she was wearing a soft light pink and it is such a great contrast for her. The color resembles Mac Snob, or Viva Glam Nicki.

Her album Bangerz also released this month.

Miley at her CD release party

Eyeliner: Mechanical & Eye Kohl Pencils

1. Eye Kohl Pencils

The original! Most girls when they're first starting off with makeup experiment with these. This is the kind that literally looks like a pencil. It has a softer, creamier consistency which makes it easier to apply. They're also easier to blend and smudge, for a smokey eye look. What I don't like about these pencils are that they are usually thicker, so you don't have full control of how exactly you want your liner to look, and also you have to have a sharpener for these. 

Gia's Choice: Covergirl Queen Collection Eyeliner

2. Mechanical Eyeliner 

Mechanical eyeliners are the ones that you have twist in order for the eyeliner to come out. This is helpful if you tend to lose the caps/tops to your liner; it helps preserve the product because you can limit how much you need by twisting out, and when you're done you can just twist the liner back in. Mechanical liner glides on easier, and is a lot more firm than pencil liners.  

Gia's Choice: Maybelline Master Drama & Maybelline Unstoppable 

Blacklisted Liners: 

Almay- The pencil is so hard and every time I tried to apply it, it would literally break off! 

Mayeblline Define- A-Line smudges so badly, you'll look like a racoon by the end of the day. 

Jordana- This eyeliner literally evaporated from my face. I know Jordana is a cheap company but sheesh! 

Resurgence

So I started my blog in August, I don't know what I was expecting from the blog when I first made it. I just wanted to do something other than be on social media all day, and I enjoy reading other people's blogs and inputs on aesthetic related topics so I decided to make my own. After about a month and a half, and nine posts later, I figured whats the point of even having it anymore and I was just going to stop using blogger. In my mind I had all these setbacks as to why I don't really need this blog anyway: I'm not the best writer, I have no creative topics, I really don't have that many products to review, no one even looks at my blog, I have a crummy camera so all my pictures suck,etc.
But then I remembered that I have a bad habit of starting new hobbies and them getting old to me really quick. 
 I mean, I have over 300 page views which is something to be proud of, and I still do have people that follow my blog between Bloglovin' and Google+, and basically for me to have not posted in almost a month (and planning not to post again) is a waste of their follow. So this is my resurgence back into the blogging world, and this time I will try to be more hopeful and optimistic in my work. I've brainstormed some topic ideas that will hopefully be helpful to my readers and others. Also I'm expanding my range of topics from just about skin and makeup, so I will be incorporating topics about hair, pop culture, music, fashion etc. That way I can always have spmething to write about:) I'll try to post more frequently, build up my followers on here, and hopefully get more feedback that way I can have a more successful experience. 

Why I LOVE Beautylish.com

So about two weeks ago I discovered this website, Beautylish.com
Yeah I know, you probably already know about it, but I'm a newbie, shhh!
But if you don't know about Beautylish, it's like Facebook for Youtube gurus, makeup artists, beauty bloggers, etc and everyone else who fancies makeup, nails, hair, and all that jazz. So since I fancy makeup, nails, hair and all that jazz I immediately made an account and it's really easy.You can register using you Google+, Facebook, or email account. Basically, you create a profile and you have your little about me section and a profile picture where people can follow you and like/comment on your page and pictures that you post.

The site is broken down into 4 parts:

SHOP
When you first become a member, Beautylish is ever so kind to give you $10 OFF your first purchase, which is AWESOME! They have all types of products (nail polish, beauty blenders, lashes, brushes, lipsticks) of various brands (Anastasia, Embryolisse, Inglot, Sugarpill, Too Faced).

COMMUNITY
On this site, they have reviews for nearly E V E R Y single marketed brand available. (Seriously! I didn't know there was that many). It's very helpful when considering purchasing or trying out new products.

Members can post their Youtube videos onto the site for others to view. What I like about this is that the videos are sectioned into categories (tutorials, looks, face, hair, eyes, lips, nails) so it makes it a lot easier to find what you're looking for, unlike how on Youtube if I search "how to do a smokey eye" I'll find videos where I have sit through the first 5 minutes watching the person do their foundation routine and then watch them rush through the eyes without giving any specifications to what theyre doing.

The "Talk" section is my favorite part of the site. Members of the community write start a conversation asking a question on a certain topic and people comment giving their opinions and tips or whatever. I like helping people and giving advice so I post a response on nearly every post lol. But I love it because everyone is always giving each other compliments and are always sweet. It makes me happy to see people being positive and uplifting one another; thats not something you see often in social media today!

PHOTOS
This section is kinda like instagram in a way. It's separated in the same way most of the site is sub-categorized inc by looks, hair, eyes, lips, nails. You can just scroll through each category as if you were to hashtag search it on IG, and like a picture and follow the person who posted it, if you like their work.

EDITORIAL
In the editorial section you can find a lot of interesting articles. They cover a variety of topics. If you are a blogger I'm sure you will especially enjoy this section because you might find something that'll spark your interest for a new entry on your blog.

BEAUTYLISH, THE APP
I like the app. Just like apps are made to be, it's very easy to use and convenient. If you're new and are first starting off on Beautylish I suggest using an online/webpage version of it because there are a few features that app doesn't have.


Thats an overview of how the website works. I really, really like it! It's always a great thing when people who share a common interest come together for a greater cause. Well, there's not really a greater cause, I don't think... But I couldn't think of a more accurate analogy lol

Anyway, that's all. Be fab

DIY- Homemade Lipstick

Haven't found that right shade of lipstick that matches you? Want to to experiment with eccentric lip colors like electric blue or a bright yellow, but you're not sure if it's worth the purchase? In a rush, and you can't find your favorite lippie? Not many know that you can actually use eye-shadow as a substitute for your lipstick. In just a few easy steps you can have your own custom made lip color.

EYESHADOW METHOD

What You Need: 

-matte eyeshadow palette

-something to scrape out eyeshadow (sanitized bottom of makeup brush, plastic spoon, something to dig in there)

-clean sheet of paper

-chapstick/lip balm
-lip brush (optional)

Steps:
-Apply your chapstick/lip balm

-Using your tool of choice, scrape out a small amount of eyeshadow onto a clean sheet of paper
-And using your finger, or a lip brush, pat the eye-shadow powder onto your lip
-Don't rub your lips together, just pat the color on to cover all over your lips.




My knockoff Candy Yum Yum (by Mac). I used a hot pink shade out of my Coastal Scents Original 88 palette to get this lip color.

The Art of Makeup

A lot the time when I tell a guy that I went to beauty school and that doing makeup is one of my hobbies, they laugh... yeah, a lot of the time they laugh! Then they go into this speech about how they like girls who dont wear makeup and that girls dont need makeup and all this "natural beauty" crap, meanwhile I'm standing there with a full face of makeup staring at them with a blank expression, waiting for them to finish. I hate having this argument. So many people are ignorant to the fact that makeup is an A R T. Hence the term makeup artistry. "Mascara and 10 pounds of foundation, yeah thats really artsy"; I get snarky comments like this all the time. I respect people's opinions, but there are different forms of art and if you consider tattoos, photography, origami, or even an edible arrangement as art, then there is no reason to not include makeup. Makeup artists are artists, their medium is the human body. Theres more to makeup than a contour face and red lipstick, theres body painting, airbrushing, special effects, fantasy, and other specialties. It is truly an art, and a special talent. Not every women can, or properly can, apply makeup on themselves, so imagine someone having to apply makeup to others, working with different faces, and having to decide what will work best with their features. Blending and applying color theory is also a skill that takes a lot of practice.

I'm tired of people not giving credit to makeup artists for what they do.

Maybelline Waterproof Ultra Liner Review

This is one of the few liquid liners I have tried, and initially when I first started buying it a few years ago I never had problems with it... maybe because I was younger and didn't know better... I've given it a couple chances but I wont be buying this again. I'm literally embarassed when I wear this liner. It gets so dry and cracks, #notcute! 

You can even see in the picture below how crusty it looks.

Pros- long lasting, waterproof, small brush

Cons- dries out, cracks, peels off, breaks off lashes,

Mascara Review: Inglot False Lash Effect

For months now I've been loyal to Maybelline Falsies as my go to mascara, but so far I like the Inglot mascara a lot better. It definitely gives a false lash effect as advertised. You can see below that my natural eyelashes are really short, but with the mascara I get great length (touching my browbone), it's a significant difference. I give it a 4/5

PROs

• lightweight formula
• performs well
• defines each individual lash
• lengthens lash
• doesn't clump
• doesn't make my lashes look dry
• not messy

CONs

• not waterproof (depends on your preference)

I ordered this mascara from Beautylish.com. It's $17 (Including shipping, no tax added). 

D.I.Y. Makeup Remover

If you're like me, you probably have these random urges to go play in your makeup at any given time of the day. And if you're REALLY like me, one of the deciding factors of if you choose to act on the impulse is how much you really don't feel like washing your face afterwards... I mean, getting all that soap in your eyes, then having that oh-my-gosh-i-might-be-blind-after-this panic only to still have remnants of eyeliner still lingering... is it really worth it? Didn't think so. Of course there are alternatives, like makeup wipes/cleansers, but those are usually a bit pricey and contain ingredients that usually dry out your skin.

I'm here today to share with you a low-cost and very effective way to remove your makeup. That's right, homemade makeup remover! All you need is:

• - Coconut Oil
• - Distilled/Filtered Water
• - Small Container (jar, spray bottle, liquid dispense bottle etc)
• -Cottonballs

1. Fill your container with 2/3 water
2. Add 1/3 coconut oil to 2/3 water (exact measurements depend on the size of your container, but always use the 1:3 ratio)

And THAT my beauties is the end of the recipe. 

Yup, that's it.

Yes, it's that easy. 

I know right! 

Whether it's the middle of the day or late at night you can easily remove makeup with this solution, and it's always handy to you. The best part about it is that coconut oil works as a good moisturizer for your face. 

GiaBeautyy Suggestions:

      - When removing makeup from your eye, always use circular motions, from the outer corner of your eye to the inner corner and around. 

      -You can substitute coconut oil for olive oil or even almond oil. Just know that olive oil is a lot thicker/heavier than coconut oil, so you would use a lesser oil to water ratio (maybe about 1:4)

      - For your container, I recommend a spray or dispenser bottle. With a jar you're inclined to dip the cotton ball into the mixture which can add germs (gross), or you can even accidentally double dip an already used cotton ball leaving makeup particles into your mixture and causing more germs (gross).
         you can find these at a Dollar
General, theyre usually sold as travel bottle kits.

              -Thats just a suggestion. I dont want to seem like a hypocrite but I use a glass tupperware bowl for my solution, which is totally fine as well! Just make sure to wash it out and make a new solution frequently (about every 7-10 days)

Skin Tip Saturday

Most people know that the main factor to having better skin is to drink a lot of water, but what they dont know is that drinking tea can also promote prettier, clearer skin. Teas are filles with antioxidants that can improve your overall health and most importantly your skin. Most commonly you will hear about the effects of green tea on the skin, but it's not the only kind; white tea and black tea work just as great.
I suggest any brand of organic tea (bigelow, imperial organic, touch organic, etc), theyre a lot more accessible nowadays so you should be able to find them at any grocery store, but if not definitely check out a Whole Foods market or even Marshalls/TJ Maxx (yes, the clothing store! lol they have a food section in the back where you can search around). Drink about 1-2 cups a day. I drink my tea straight but Ive read that you can add milk, brown sugar, lemon or maple syrup to it for taste.
Dont like drinking tea? Well here's the tip within the tip:
To have a fresh face on the daily, try adding green tea to your daily cleanser (preferably a cream cleanser).
1a. If you prefer not to drink to tea, run the teabag under super hot water
1b. If you prefer to drink tea, you can use the teabag used to steep tea.
2. Cut the tea bag open and empty the tea grinds into a small cup/container
3. Spoon out about two tablespoons of your cleanser into the cup/container
4. Mix the cleanser and tea grinds together
5. Spread on your face, like a mask and leave on for 5 minutes
6. Rinse off with cool water.
7. Pat face dry and moisturize
If you want, you can use honey as an alternative to the cleanser.
Thats all for today. Be fab!