Welcome to The Messy Vanity. A place where you can explore beauty, find bargains and discuss all things girly. The Good. The Bad. And the brutally Honest.
I received an amazing palette in my March Ipsy Bag, the Be A Bombshell Bora Bora palette. So many looks can be created with this small palette. Here is the one I created this morning.
Begin by taping off the corner of your eye and apply NYX Milk to lid.
Apply the lightest shade of brown to crease.
Apply the darker brown shade to lower crease and outer V.
Use a flat brush to pack the teal color to the outer 1/2 of your lid.
Apply the rust color to the inner 1/2 of your lid.
Apply a light shimmer shade to the highest point of the browbone and inner tear duct area of the eye.
Use a clean brush and blend the colors slightly into each other.
Remove tape.
Apply black liquid liner to upper lash line and smudge the rust and teal shade along your lower lash line.
Some of you who've been following The Messy Vanity on Facebook already know that Benefit Cosmetics and Ipsy have chosen me to host what they're calling, a "Lash Bash"! Which is basically a makeup party to promote a few of Benefits best products. This news is a BIG deal to me for the following reasons:
1. I never win anything and the fact that I was picked for this opportunity is "Totes Cray". For those who don't know what that means, it's TOTALLY CRAZY AND I COMPLETELY FREAKED WHEN I FOUND OUT BECAUSE I'M A MAKEUP OBSESSED NUTBAG! (OK I'm calm now.)
2. It gives me the chance to try Benefits' most popular mascara "They're Real". If it wasn't for this party and Ipsy, I honestly might never be able to afford to try these products on a regular basics (kids gotta eat). That's not saying I wouldn't splurge for myself every now and then but we all know I don't buy ANYTHING unless it's on sale for close to nothing.
3. I get to share this amazing opportunity with 9 of my closest friends. I've chosen some of the most supportive and good hearted ladies I know and not only do they get to try out some super cool makeup products, but it gives me a chance to show them my appreciation and gratitude for their support and for pushing me to start The Messy Vanity although I really didn't know if I was "good enough" to do it. These ladies have been my rocks through so much in my life and I am so fortunate to know this incredible group of women.
4. This "Lash Bash" will hopefully spread the word on the great products Benefit and Ipsy have and also hopefully get a couple of new followers for The Messy Vanity. ;)
5. Ummm hello... It's a makeup party!!!!
Anyway, shortly after receiving this awesome news, I started to freak! What do I do for games? What will we eat? PRIZES! You can't have games without prizes!! Oh crud, Decorations! Ahhhhhh!!! So much to do, so little time!
About a week later, I received my hostess package. A box full of everything I need to be the "hostess with the mostess"! Opening the box was like opening the doors to heaven (aaaaaah).
(Pic cred:http://gospellightminutex.com found on Google images)
Ten of everything plus a full sized "They'reReal" mascara as a hostess gift! Ok, now I'm excited!
We're now 2 days away and I think I'm on the right track. I've got my games planned, goody bags ready (Provided by Benefit Cosmetics), I've gone to the exclusive Lash Bash hostess website to get decorative printouts and party ideas and most importantly, I've sent out my invites.
To cut down on cost, I've asked each of my guests to bring an appetizer. Who doesn't love a good potluck?
What's next? Prizes! I have got to go get my game prizes!
Today is the big day and since I did absolutely nothing I had planned on doing yesterday, I need to get on my grind. I'm making my Easy Party Meatballs so I have to get those and I've still gotta get prizes and a few decorations. It is going to be a loooooong day.
House is clean, prizes and decorations are bought. Finishing touches include stuffing gift bags, putting pink and black balloons outside and of course filling my house with some if my favorite scents from Scentsy.
sugar cookie and baked apple pie
Party time! Everything is ready to go!
Guests begin to arrive and I can finally breathe and I start to think to myself... " Why am I freaking out? I love being a hostess. I'm surrounded by people who love and support me. I have been chosen to represent Benefit, a fabulous cosmetics company, and Ipsy, both of which I am a huge fan!
Let the games begin! We started the night out with a game called What's in your Purse. This game was a great ice breaker. It's really kind of amazing the things women keep in their purse. It's no wonder why our purses are so heavy. We went on to have Blind Makeup Races in which 2 players had to race to apply a full face of makeup and create a smoky eye without using a mirror! Needless to say, WE WERE HYSTERICAL! A game of Beauty Charades was next. I must admit the clues were quite challenging.
Clue Example: "Breaking your heel while walking up a flight of stairs." & "Holding the dogs back while the pizza guy is at the door and you have lipstick on your nose."
After charades we played Two False and a Real which was really hard for me because my life us such an open book. I had a hard time stumping everyone. Finally, it was time for everyone to try the "They're Real" mascara that they all received in their gift bags.
After a bit more noshing and a few group pics, the Lash Bash was over. Everyone had a great time and I am so grateful that I've gotten this opportunity.
My recipe for Easy Party Meatballs Making amazing meatballs in just a few easy steps. •Any frozen meatballs •bottle of barbecue sauce •grape jelly Crockpot Combine bottle if barbecue sauce with 1 cup grape jelly. Pour over meatballs in crock pot. Stir to coat. Turn crockpot on low for 6 hours and ENJOY!
Yes. I am still having technical difficulties. It's been quite a while since my last blog but I assure you, I will be back up and running very soon. In the mean time.....
Keep Your Eyes Peeled! Many reviews are coming your way. I've recently gotten quite a few new makeup and beauty additions that I can't wait to tell you about. Some of them include:
•Benefits Cabana Glama kit
•A few new make up reviews from a
Target haul
•a couple of Bobbi Brown Beauty books that I got a great deal on from Ebay
•and of course, my February Ipsy Bag reviews which, I can assure you, contains some new everyday faves
•much more coming your way!
I have to admit I am kinda disappointed in this months Ipsy bag. Although I'm sure I will use each of the items I received and thought the navy bag was super cute, I felt like the bag items themselves were well...... Boooorrrriiinng! Nothing unusable, but definitely nothing special.
So lets begin...
1. Big Sexy Hair- Have never actually tried it but I'm hoping that using it with my Bed Head Deep Waver will add just the right amount of volume.
2. Nailtini Straight Up Color Nail Laquer in Frappe - So excited to try this color. Its a classic light pink that could be paired with a grey accent nail or used alone for a classic nude look.
3. Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter - THIS SMELLS Ah-Mah-Zing! Ive already used it several times. Not only does it smell great but it makes my skin silky smooth! A new fave in body butters.
4. Josie Maran 100% pure argan oil -Can be used for so many things... skin, hair, nails. Perfect for those dry elbows or split ends.
5. SOHO "get a grip" Concealer Brush - SOHO brand brushes are such a nice quality. I was so happy to get this. I had been needing a good concealer brush but hadn't gotten around to getting one. This was right on time.
Surprisingly satisfied with this product. I'm usually not a huge fan of paper blotters and such but this really surprised me. It added just the right amount of glow. Ive used it several times so far for holiday parties and dinners and I have to admit, it gave me a perfect evening glow.
Love! Love! Love! This liner. For a pencil it glides on so smoothly, almost like gel. The stay power is definitely 24/7. This is my new go-to black liner.
Urban Decay Beauty Balm I have to say I was really disappointed in this product. The color was all wrong the texture seemed nice but the coverage was lacking. I really had high hopes for this one but it was a fail in my book. Sorry Urban Decay, try again.
Wow! What a great primer. Goes on so silky smooth and is a perfect base for your favorite make up for eyes or face. The stay power is awesome and makes your make up feel light as air on your skin with am airbrushed look to it as well. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone looking for a good primer.
Super! Super! Super! Excited about my December Ipsy bag! So many Ah-Mah-Zing things that I cant wait to try and review! I finally got my laptop back up and running so you might be seeing a few video reviews coming soon on my You Tube Channel . Right now all I have is a few home videos of my pups and kids but I hope to be adding much, much more soon.
Ok! Now down to business...
Take a look inside!
Tons of goodies just waiting to be
revealed!
This gorgeous satin like steel gray makeup bag! So pretty.
Looks so classy. Perfect for winter!
Mai Couture Highlighter Papier.
I can't wait to try this one out. I haven't had
much luck with using a highlighter so my fingers are
crossed about these!
Urban Decay Naked Skin BB Cream!
I'm not gonna lie, I've really been hatin' on
BB Creams lately. I always feel like they're a
glorified tinted moisturizer. Last weekend I went on a road
trip with a couple of friends and one of them asked me to just
give them a chance....I'm thinking....
URBAN DECAY!
THIS IS MY CHANCE!
NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in Pearly Black.
This one, I am so excited to experiment with!
I can see me using this with many looks, especially during
the winter holidays. This is going to enhance my smoky eye
look by 1,000%
Now this one made me giddy!
Mirabella Prime eye and face primer.
I've been wanting a good quality multi use primer that's not going
to break my wallet. I'm really hoping this one is worth me
splurging!
Be a... BOMBSHELL!
The shade is called HOTMESS! Its a beautiful vibrant retro
looking candy apple red!Usually red glosses tend to be bit
sheer but this one stayed true to color when I swatched it.
I cant wait to create a vintage look with this one!
Last but not least...
URBAN DECAY 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil in black.
I see this getting lots and lots of use!
So as you can see, I cant wait to try these new products out and review them! I'm hoping a few of them will make it to my "These are a few of favorite things" segment.
You n fin each on of these products on Ipsy. I highly suggest each and everyone of you get a subscription. For only $10/month, it more than pays for itself. If you love makeup YOU WILL LOVE Ipsy!
Starting out with a BANG! This is the mascara that I spoke about at the end of my last blog. Now, I have to be honest, when I opened this little gem, I thought for sure I would hate it. The formula looked thick and clumpy, the bristles looked too short and it didn't seem to look as if there were enough of them. Like all products, I don't knock em' til I try em'. So There I was, 7am, getting ready for work, thinking that i was going to be very disappointed in this mascara when MAGIC happened. With each stroke of the brush, my lashes got thicker and thicker. With each application, they got longer and longer. I was so impressed! No clumps and each lash seemed to separate perfectly. To top off my excitement, I got TONS and TONS of compliments! So many people noticed how thick my lashes looked!
This too is one of my new besties. I received this in my November Ipsy Bag (formerly MyGlam). I've had brow gels before but this one really is "the bees knees" he he. The formula is light and airy and doesn't make you feel like you have a thick coat of gel on your brows. It doesn't flake like some others tend to do and your brows stay put. I have the clear because i like to use my brow filler before I apply the gel. The gel then blends the brow filler so that it doesn't at all look like I actually have a brow filler on. Just naturally full brows. Definitely purchasing more of this product.
and the Bonus Fave... Not just for November but of all time is......
This is the season 2 promo. Just to give you a little smidgen... just a little taste of what I think is the FUNNIEST SHOW EVER MADE! Modern Family comes in 2nd and F.R.I.E.N.D.S. being a close 3rd. Season 3 is in full effect so get watching! Everyone MUST click the link above and check this show out! I promise you will laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh.... Seriously you will laugh!
I have to say I was really disappointed in this product. The color was all wrong the texture seemed nice but the coverage was lacking. I really had high hopes for this one but it was a fail in my book. Sorry Urban Decay, try again. 
