Conditioner Wash Only... Does it Work???

Recently I have been looking for new ways to condition and treat my hair. I was drawn in when I heard that Leesha (xsparkage from youtube) had tried Wen Cleansing Conditioner and was loving the results. I immediately checked out the site and was taken back by the cost of the product! I started researching other methods and found a similar product at Sally's, only to find out it is not available in Canada! My search started again and I was pleased to find a method where you can use normal conditioner to get similar results.

First I learned not to use treatment conditioners as they are too heavy and till not achieve what you want. I turned to my Tresemme conditioner for curly hair as I had it on hand and it had a pump ( something that you will want for ease of use when co-washing!). I actually used my conditioner as directed in the WEN infomercial so I had a clear guide I could watch. I soaked my hair thoroughly, then started by using approx. 6 pumps on individual sections of my scalp until coated! That's right... unlike normal conditioning where you avoid the scalp with co-washing you must coat the scalp so that the conditioner can wash and remove excessive oil from that area. I then added additional conditioner to the ends until coated. This method takes A LOT of product, but if you don't it WILL NOT work! I then combed the conditioner through and let it sit for 10 min ( also note you will not get a foam as you do with shampoo so don't be surprised). I then rinsed thoroughly and ended with adding a little conditioner as a leave in to soaking wet hair. (For this step I used a different conditioner, it was the one I get with my hair colour.)

For the first week I also avoided heat styling, just for the sake of my poor hair that gets tortured often!! LOL I could not believe how soft my hair was, even after only one time co-washing! Usually when I let my hair dry on it's own it feels dry, but my hair felt soft to the touch for the first time in a long time. My hair was not weighed down and felt as clean as it normally would with a shampoo wash!

I do find that I need to use a little shampoo on my roots once a week simply because they tend to be oily, but shampoo hasn't touched the ends of my hair in a few weeks now and I am loving the results!

There are a hundred and one youtube video's and blog posts on how to achieve a shampoo free life. I had to filter through a lot and do some trial and error before I found what works for me. So if my method doesn't work out the first time you try, make some alterations and try again! For me it is totally worth the results!

Storing Your Pigment Samples

So I am always forgetting to use my pigment and mineral shadow samples. All those baggies are just so hard to deal with that I store them away and forget about them. Well today I found a solution to my sample storage problem.

My friend and amazing YouTube guru Stacey Brennan posted an amazing video today about using those multi day/time pill containers as pigment storage. It's clean, neat and easy to see all your samples at a glance. All you need for this solution can be found at your local drug or dollar store so it's also a cost efficient solution! If you are worried about seeing your sample colours, I have recently seem these storage containers in clear plastic not just the usual frosted plastic usually found.

Please watch Stacey's amazing tutorial on this great storage solution, if you love her as much as I do don't forget to subscribe to her channel as well!

Quick Tip - Using Eye Liner to Change the Size of Your Eye

Want your eye's to look bigger? Use a white liner in the waterline of your eye, it extends the look of your eye. Create extra drama by using a light brown shadow slightly under your lash line. This gives you the look of a larger more awake eye.

Want to create a smaller more rectangular eye? Use a black liner on your lower waterline, this will give your eye some serious drama. Using a deep shadow in the lower lashes will further the drama of this look. Using a black liner will also make the whites of your eye's look even whiter making them 'pop'.

DIY Spa Exfoliation

So I've seen all the ads and youtube reviews about Clarisonic brush tool and how amazing it is for exfoliation and general skin care. I really wanted to give it a try but wasn't ready for the over $200 price tag that was involved. The other night I was up late watching youtube video's and came across an amazing idea... use an electric toothbrush to aid in exfoliating the skin (disclaimer...I am not an expert on skin care and  advice I give is to be taken with a grain of salt and used with caution).

I tried this my using my normal exfoliator of Cetaphil and making soda then used the toothbrush to aid in those area's I find it hard to exfoliate such as around my nose and lightly all over the face as well. I was amazed with how smooth my face was after, much smoother then with my normal exfoliating techniques. My post treatments seemed to penetrate my skin much better leaving my skin feeling the best it had in quite a while. I have tried it with my normal cleanser as well and was still impressed with the grime that came from my skin! 

If you have used electric cleaning aids for you skin before give this one a try. It worked on my sensitive skin without a hitch! If you have never used something before you may want to get the advice of a skin care professional before starting a new routine.

FOTD Indigo Sorbet

Yet another video posted, having a creative few days I think! LOL This one is a little brighter, you need to love colour for this one! Bright blue, orange and turquoise give this look a lot of punch! This one is all NYX shadow's, all coming from various trio's that I have collected over the past couple of months!  You can substitute your own favorite colours but be brave and keep them bright ;)

FOTD Violet Sunset

Just posted a new youtube video with a look that I hope you all love!

For this look I used purple yellow and red to create a sunset kind of look. To create the sort of harsh line for the outer edge of the eye I used a card held up to my eye from the outer corner to the edge of my eyebrow. The tape method (which I love) I find had been creating some sensitivity for my eye's this sumer.

Colours used for the eye were from Red Earth and and NYX, I find their pigment quality wonderful!!

I hope you like this look as much as I do!

What Look Should I Do a Tutorial on Next??

What tutorial should I do next?? I had this brown and gold one ready to go, or so I thought. When I took the photo's from the camera most were fuzzy and I don't know why. So here I am back where I started!

Which look would you like to see next?? Please leave a comment and let me know!

Old Hollywood Contest Entry for Tiffany D

Hey everyone! There seems to be a lot of contests right now based on vintage and old Hollywood themes. I just can't help myself so I've done another one! For this look I went with a Sophia Loren type look. 

Take a peak! I've even included the look that didn't make the contest. It was a 20's type look that I thought made me look just too angry!! LOL

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Sigma Brushes Contest Entry...FOTD Dramatic Smokey Eye

I absolutely love this look, and think it ay be my new favorite. It is a dramatic smokey eye with a hit of turquoise to really take it to the next level. I have always loved smokey eye's and think it creates a look that makes everyone's eyes look larger and more beautiful! It is my most requested wedding look by far!

Sigma brushes hold monthly youtube contests and this is my first time entering. The prize is a great set of brushes and I LOVE trying new brushes. This line gets some great reviews so getting a chance to try some out is amazing.

For this look the colours used on the eye were;

• black gel liner
  
• ebonysShadow for Elizabeth Arden
  
• turquoise pigment from Faces
  
• martian shadow from Annabelle
  
• gold dust mineral shadow from Pure Anada
  
• black pencil liner
  
• Ardelle lashes
  

I really hope you all like this look as much as I do! Don't forget to checkout the tutorial on youtube for complete details on how to achieve this look.

FOTD Brown and Blue/Green Smokey Eye

I just posted this tutorial and wanted to give you some info on the colours and products I used to create this look. This is part one of a little series I'm doing on natural looking eye's with a twist. Some days you don't want to do an extreme look but you still want to have a little fun, this will be a series dedicated to that type of look!

For this eye look I used;

• deep brown gel liner as a base
  
• So foxy shadow from Annabelle
• Faces blue pigment
• Elizabeth Arden's Ebony shadow
• Golddigger shadow from Annabelle
• Martian shadow from Annabelle
• Buff Naked Shadow from Annabell
• Black liner pencil
• Rimmel Glam Eye's Lash flirt mascara

I hope you like this look as much as I do. Please check out the tutorial for full instructions on how to create this look.

FOTD Warm Brown Yellow and Red Look

I was inspired to create this look after seeing a video on youtube from Stacey Brennan with a licorice inspired entry to a contest. I loved the look of the brown and mustard yellow, so I decided to create a day look based on her idea and add a little red into the simply because I liked the combination.

I used a red colour from Red Earth in the upper part of the crease sing a fluffy dome brush. I then used a warm brown from Annabelle using a small dome brush and placed that right in the deepest part of the crease. I then added the mustard yellow colour this one was fro Red Earth as well and placed that all over the lid. I took a very deep brown and added this to the outer "v" of my eye to add even more depth. I finished my lining the eye, adding my highlight etc.

I really like this look, it's bold, yet still subtle enough to wear during the day. There is so much inspiration out there to create amazing looks. If you see something you would like see me put into a look send it to me and I will se what I can do.

As always please remember to comment and subscribe either my RRS or by email update. It's free and it is the best to stay up to date with all the latest reviews and tutorials.

New Youtube Tutorial!

Another youtube video is up! This one is inspired by youtubes Petrilude. I adapted it to make it my own, I found it so stunning I had to try it out for myself! It uses antiqued colours to create a vivid look that can be used on anyone. I've used a blue/green pigment to give it a little bit of a kick. I really hope you enjoy it! Don't forget to subscribe, comment and rate so that I know you stopped by to check it out!!

Caring for Your Makeup Brushes

I am always asked about brushes and how to care for them. I am working on a post about types of brushes to buy but today's focus is care. 

When you buy your brushes you don't want to throw our money away so care is the best way to make your brushes stand the test of time. Clients always ask me what type of brushes I use because they are so soft, well really it comes down to the fact that I care for my brushes.

Firstly please remember the main reason for cleansing your brushes is to rid them of bacteria that can not only harm your brushes but your skin as well. Not washing your brushes can lead to breakouts that will not go away as every time you use the brush it spreads the bacteria. Cleansing your brushes will solve this problem easily.

First of all I wash my personal brushes once a week, as well as using a brush cleaner (alcohol based) after each use. When I wash my brushes I use a gentle cleanser such as baby shampoo so as not to harm the bristles and have even been known to condition my brushes on occasion to keep them soft. After creating dramatic looks where a lot of makeup is used I will often use a stronger shampoo in order to really cleanse the product away. Try as much as possible to keep water out of the barrel or shaft of the brush by washing them on their side and laying them flat to dry. Keeping them upright will cause water to get into the glue allowing the brush to fall apart before it's time.

As a final note PLEASE do NOT use the little pads that come in your powders etc. These are breeding grounds for bacteria as product combines with oils from your skin. If you must use these applicators from time to time please spray with brush cleaner to destroy some of the bacteria.

I hope this answers all your questions. If you require more info please leave it in the comments below and I will do my best to answer them!

50's/Cry Baby Inspired look

Well I have just finished adding a new tube video giving a tutorial on a 50's/Cry Baby look. Cry Baby is a John Water film starring Johnny Depp, Ricki Lake and Traci Lords along with a host of others. 

I created this one as a day look so the colours and lashes are a little more subtle then I would use for an evening look.

I have always loved this type of look as it works on everyone and created a larger wide eyed look. If you don't like a red lip a nude one would work just as well!

 Please take a look at my youtube channel for a complete tutorial of this look!

Smokey Eye Tutorial

I often get asked about creating a smokey eye. There are various way's to do it using almost every colour imaginable. For this look I used classic grays using the simplest techniques.

I first primed the entire eye using Urban Decay's primer potion. I then started my using a small shader brush and applied a light silver colour to the inner corner of the eye. The followed by blending a medium gray colour into the edge of the silver and over to the outer third of the eye. I then took a dark gray and put it into the outer third of the eye. I then took my black shadow and a small dome brush and created a v shape in the outer corner and into the crease. I then went back in with my medium gray colour and a larger shading brush and diffused the black to create the softer smokey look. I then used a highlighter in the inner corner and at the brow bone and brought my black into the lower lash line to create drama. A pair of false lashes and lots of mascara and voila a simple smokey eye. Feel free to use various themes to create your look...browns, greens any colour can be used in a smokey eye!

Have fun!!

Summer Eye Turorial

So this is the next installment as I play with some new products that I have been buying!! Reviews of these products will come as soon as I can I promise!!

For this look again I have included a pic of the makeup used. Please let me know by commenting if this addition helps you! I started with primer all over my eye, I then went in with orange on the inner corner of the eye with a small shader brush. I next took the lighter of the purple duo and but that on the middle of my eye using a medium flat brush so that I could really pack on the colour. I then followed up with the darker of the purple duo on the outer corner of my eye using a small dome brush so create a nice "V" shape. Finally I used a large shader brush with the purple single colour and blended out my crease. Then used the pigment to highlight my brow bone. I then lined upper and lover lash line and added 2 coats of mascara.

I really liked this look it made me feel like there was sun when I tested out this look on a rainy day!!

I'll be working on various eye tutorials over the coming weeks. If there are any specific looks or tips you would like please include it in the comments section and I will try to work on those as well over the coming weeks!!

Modern Green an Blue Eye Tutorial

Hello everyone!! Today I wanted to tell you about a look that I was inspired to create from a picture of a flower I saw online the other day. I've included pics of the makeup that I used and I hope that helps when and if you go to create this look for yourself!

I started by using the green pigment mixed with mixing medium in the inner corner of the eye using a small shader brush. I followed that my using the greenish blue pigment again with the medium and the same brush from the inner third until almost the very outer corner of the eye. Then using a stiff dome brush I used the darker blue pigment again with mixing medium in the very outer corner of the eye. I then used the darkest shade from my NYX blue trio and blended that into the crease so that it would soften the edges and give some definition to the crease. I then used the lightest in the trio as a highlighter to the brow bown.

I finished with black liner on the outer two thirds of the lash line as well as on the water line of the lashes below. A little Mascara and that completed the look.

I really liked this look however the true colours didn't translate as well as I had hoped with the camera!

I hope you all like this look it's a fun one for the spring!

Eyebrow Tutorial

So the question I get asked most is about shaping eyebrows! When tweezing remember less is more. When you can I always suggest to go to a professional, at least for the initial shaping. If you can't here are some tips.
1) Never tweeze from above (leave this to a professional)
2) At first only remove stray hairs then assess when else needs to be removed.
3) Create a guideline using a white eye pencil, this way you will not tweeze too much.

When creating a shape start by creating an imaginary line from your nose through the inner corner of your eye. Only remove hairs that fall to the outer part of this line. Next create an imaginary line from your nose through the iris of your eye. This should be the highest part of your arch. Next a line from your nose through the outer corner of your eye, this should be where your brow ends.

If you wish to fill in your brow use a brow powder as this gives the most natural look. Use an angled brush and create brow using short strokes so that the powder looks more like hairs. Never use a powder that is darker then your natural brow unless going for a dramatic look. A slightly lighter powder again gives a more natural look.

Liner and Lash Tutorial

So I've had a lot of requests on the pinup style liner with heavy lashes so I wanted to give a small tutorial on how it works.

First prime and prep your face using your normal foundations, keep blush and bronzer etc to a minimum is the eye's are the focus here.

I used a vanilla coloured shadow all over the eye and then using a deep beige added dimension the the crease of the eye.

Next is the ultimate cheat!!! Using scotch tape place it at the corner of the on an angle going from the nose through the corner of the eye to the edge of your brow. Now even if you aren't a liner expert you will have a straight line at the edge of your eye. Now using a liquid liner I started in the middle of the eye drawing a line along the eye and up the tape to where I liked. I then went from the top corner of my liner down to where I stared creating a triangle shape. I then filled in. *If you aren't a liquid liner gal you can create this using black shadow and an angle brush.

I then filled in the inner part of the eye using a blue pigment to five the look a little more modern dimension.

I then applied mascara and added 2 sets of full dense lashes to create a dramatic effect.

I then finished off with a beige pink gloss to keep the look modern but if you wanted to throw back to the pinup era use a blue red lipstick instead!