MAC X ARCHIE'S GIRLS .

I've been very excited to check out MAC's Archie's Girls collection, ever since I first heard about it way back in July last year (2012) - because I was a major Archie comic book fan. & i'm very pleased with the collection, especially the lipsticks, Betty's colors are more flirty & girly (Daddy/s Little Girl being my fave out of the whole collection) & Veronica's are more on the darker vamp side. Check it out, they're selling fast, of course.

MAC X VGN2 .

VGN 1 & 2

($15.50)

MAC Viva Glam Nicki 2 Lipstick ($15.00 for 0.10 oz.) is described as a “pastel lavender pink” with an Amplified finish. It’s a cool-toned, lavender pink with a creamy finish and natural sheen.  Viva Glam is by far one of my favorite charitable beauty causes, because it really does give back–the full selling price of the lipstick. It’s not just a gimmick where they give some unknown “portion of proceeds” or a dismal 5%.  Viva Glam Nicki 2 is fully opaque and has good slip and glide. It didn’t pull or tug at the lips while I applied the color from the tube. It's not a color that will appeal to everyone, but for those who like their really cool-toned pinks with lavender undercurrents, it's going to be a fun shade to play around with.

- photos (except swatches) courtesy of GOOGLE.

MAC X OFFICE HRS .

MAC Office Hours Collection

$19.50

MAC Prolonger wear Lipglass :
Everlasting Nude, Patience Please, Long Love Love, Next Fad, Persistent Peach, Boundlessly Beige, Driven By Love & Forever Rose .

$20

Blush :

Stay By Me, Baby Don’t Go, Rosy Outlook, Stay Pretty, Blush All Day, Whole Lotta Love, Eternal Sun & Stubborn .

$15

Eyeshadows:
Every Ivory, Linger Softly, Bloom On, Always Sunny, Uninterrupted, Endless Passion, More Amour, Mauveless & Fashion Fix .

"She's a glamorous go-getter with nothing temp about her! Full-time, overtime-her makeup, like her day, goes on and on."

Jaws drops* excitement can no longer be contained ! .

- photos courtesy of peaches & blush.

CONCEALER .

( clearly my favorite product, cant breathe without) .

Whats not good to be said about concealer?! Ugh, where do I begin !? Whether your not heavy on makeup & just want to cover bags, under eye circles, puffiness &/or blemishes, the possibilities are endless & then you find yourself just plain ol' addicted to concealer (like I am), its def. one of those MUST HAVES AS A HUMAN BEING. Two thumbs up to whoever invented this stuff! I prefer pot concealers over liquid, i'm not really a fan of the consistency of liquid concealers but of course have plenty in my kit. My all time favorite? Dermablend Cover Creme (a heavy duty concealer especially good for covering scars, burns, tattoos & vitiligo) & Mac's pot concealer is runner up. But it all depends on which brand you feel will provide you with the best coverage. It is always best to get a concealer that is about 1 or 2 shades lighter than your foundation/skin tone to give you that natural highlight under the eyes like Kim K or to get one that EXACTLY matches your skin tone if your only trying to cover blemishes & then apply pressed or translucent powder on top. Skin tone colored concealer is especially great for defining the brows NATURALLY if your not going for that "dramatic concealer obviously around the eyebrow look"  which I am not now, never have been & never will be a fan of ! BUT whatever floats your boat & toots your horn :-). Some concealers are colored so they can cover up those tough to cover up imperfections. Green concealers are used to best cover up redness on the face because the green cancels out the red color, and yellow/peach concealers are best to cover up under eye dark circles because the yellow cancels out the blue under the eyes and the peach color cancels out the brown under the eyes. It is best to use concealer before your foundation, but some people prefer using their foundation first and then concealer. It all depends on what you are comfortable with and what works for you. Overall, concealers are amazing, the best thing ever, period, no exceptions .. concealer for president - they are a must have in everybody's makeup routine. !

A FEW DO'S X DONT'S .

Do it, honey!
Do wear sunscreen EVERY day, even if you work indoors. Use a moisturizer with anti-oxidants and sunscreen to keep even artificial light from causing premature aging.
Do carry a small powder brush to touch up your makeup during the day. The sponge in your compact can hold the oil from your skin and cause breakouts.
Do wash your makeup brushes, even the ones used to apply eyeshadows as often as possible, I wash mine after every use. Bacteria breeds in your brushes which in term gets into your pores and can cause bad breakouts & further acne.
Do always apply perfume behind the knees, inside the elbows, and behind the ears. These areas are more likely to warm up to the fragrance and give a subtle scent instead of overpowering.
Do buff natural nails with a rough buffing pad before applying polish. It will create an oil free bed perfect for keeping polish on at least five days.
Do apply eyelash primer before applying mascara. Primers condition and create a fuller and longer look for your eyelashes, plus it helps keep it on longer.

Don’t you dare!
Don’t go to sleep without washing your face and moisturizing. Every night that you sleep with your makeup on it adds 7 days of aging to the skin!
Don’t use foundation around your eyes. Use concealer instead. Foundation can irritate the eye area, and is not ophthalmologist tested.
Don’t let your mascara go past three months! Mascara is made to last a maximum of two months and loses the ability to do its job, and can cause irritation.
Don’t lend your eye makeup products to anyone, doing so can lead to infections. Sharing is not always caring when it comes to makeup.
DONT' continue to use the sponge brush that comes with your compact foundations, it harbors bacteria which you will continue to apply to your face, everyday! (gross).  Do purchase a bag of disposable sponges & use these instead, throw away after each use.
DON'T go longer than 5 days without exfoliating (even your lips). Layers & layers of dead skin builds up which leads to acne & flakiness, which makeup does NOT look good sitting on top of! .

NUDES X POPS OF COLOR .

Knowing that i'm completely head over heels for nude looks & the UD Naked palettes (I have a serious problem / obsession lol), I often add pops of color in the lower lash line to spruce them up a bit ! Try it ♥ .

(you might want to add a white pencil or base in the lashline first, the colors will REALLY pop!) .

Highlight: Sin.

Mobile Lid: 1/2 Baked & Smog (blended).
Crease: Dark Horse & Buck (blended).
Lower Lash Line: Gusty Grape & Sail Away (Coastal Scents).
Liner: Royal Blue (Black Radiance).
Mascara: Dior Show Black Out.
NYX Eyebrow Pencil Dark Brown.

EYES X LINER .

All different types of cat eyes for you folks ! ;) .

I wear a cat eye EVERYDAY, faithfully (& my falsies, of course lol which I CANNOT live without .. literally would keel over & die).

NAKEDS X NUDES .

My all-time favorite eye look, anything muted or nude 

(especially pin up eyes w/ DARK eye liner) with a BOLD lip!

Nudes & browns look good on any skin tone & eye color, which is why im so drawn to it. 

If your not a fan of eye liner in the lower lash line & mascara on the bottom lashes the picture in the top right is for you ! . 

All colors are from the Urban Decay NAKED 2 palette .

Highlight: 1/2 Baked.
Mobile Lid: Suspect.
Crease: Snakebite.
Liner: Revlon Color Stay Liquid.
Mascara: Dior Show Black Out.
Brows: NYX Dark Brown Eyebrow Pencil.

NAKED X URBAN DECAY BASICS.

$27

OMG! Shut the front door ! HUGH fan of the Naked Palettes & they bring me another one right before the holidays ?! GASP. The Naked Basic Palette has some gorgeous colors! I love that the palette has every color perfect for a subtle to dramatic smokey eye, but I love even more that they are matte! I can’t wait to get my hands on this palette!

What I was shocked to hear last night was that Urban Decay is actually being bought by L’Oreal! L’Oreal group are the mega giants in the beauty industry and own EVERYTHING from Lancome, L’Oreal, Maybelline, Essie, Garnier, Kerastase, Pureology, YSL, Giorgio Armani, Kiehl’s, Shu Uemura, the list goes on! Urban Decay will definitely add some funky edge to the portfolio, so I think this could be very exciting ! .

RED LIPSTICK .

$15

My favorite shades of red ! Different shades enhance & compliment different skin tones.
Remember EVERYONE can wear a red lip ! You just have to find YOUR red .
Lady Danger, Ruby Woo, (which also happens to be my instagram name (@ruubywoo), obsessed, can you tell?!) & Diva .

You can never go wrong with red! 

This is just a simple post about how awesome red lipstick is.

My favorite type is matte.

I find that it pops a little more, also a lot neater than others.

It lasts a WHOLE lot longer and doesn't move,
Especially when used with a lip liner.
Liner helps give the lipstick something to adhere to & help prevent bleeding.
Also adding a highlight color or any color lipstick / gloss lighter than the color you've applied (whether it be red, or not) to the cupids bow & center of the lips adds more definition to the lips, making them appear larger, fuller & plumper! .
& a lipstick base is a must! even if its a chapstick! .

"Kisses, even to the air, are beautiful" - Drew Barrymore.