Kryolan: Letting Creativity Out

This month marks my one-year anniversary working for my preschool. It's been such a crazy journey; I have both amazing and some sad memories (kids leaving the school, being switched to a different location), but the biggest change I've seen this year has been my confidence.

I've never been the most confident person. I've been through a lot in life that has actually caused me to doubt and limit myself. Maybe someday I'll write about what I've been through, but today I just want to talk about the positives.

A kind note from one of the parents, she wrote in Spanish! (I blurred out the names)

Working in the baby room, I've been encouraged to let my creativity loose. Every month, the lead teacher asks me to paint something on the class window. It's the first classroom all the children and parents pass by. I've never been put on the spot to let my creativity flow like this. While I paint, the children pass by and are so excited to see the process from start to end.

I spliced two pictures together for a good shot of this one!

I've been so inspired lately and I began to wonder if I could do something more with this. This may seem like a strange leap to make, but I've started to face paint. 

My face, my husband's face.

And, although I still have so much to learn, I'm having a BLAST! 

A few weeks ago, I went out to Kryolan in downtown Chicago and got some face paints + brushes. This is slowly turning into my newest obsession. If you follow my Instagram, you will clearly see how crazy I've gotten with this. I'd like to point out that these are not my original designs, but designs I've based on some I've seen online. I'm still learning how to face paint!!

I'm heading into finals week, so you may not hear much from me for the next week or so. Check out my Instagram and Twitter if you'd like to keep up with me.

Until then, 

-Claudia

Review: Mirrored Plum Lip Gloss

Purple lips have been all the rage lately. There have been quite a few purple lippies that have come out, from bold plum to more muted lavender. If you're like me, you're a purple lip newbie whose a bit shy about wearing such a bright lip out.

I picked up this Maybelline lip gloss in "Mirrored Plum" a few weeks ago. I don't usually wear lip gloss, but I thought it'd be a fun way to try out a purple lip without committing to a full on purple lipstick.

In the tube, "Mirrored Plum" looks a lot more purple than it is on the lips. The gloss is more of a magenta than purple. This is both a good and bad thing. Good, because it makes it a heck of a lot wearable. Bad, because this is supposed to be a purple gloss! I wish this gloss could be built up to the purple tone of the tube, but after a few swipes it still looks the same tone. 

This is way more magenta than purple, but still very nice and wearable!!

Would you rock a purple lip or opt for a lip gloss instead?

-Claudia

Sephora VIB Chic Week 2013!

Last Thursday, Sephora held a VIB-only event in stores for Chic Week 2013. Makeovers, a free bag full of samples, and a 15% off coupon for the VIB + one friend.

I wasn't able to have the makeover, but did stop in quickly for the gift bag and what may have been my greatest Sephora haul ever.

 Cue the drums and wind.

Yes.

I realize people usually post major hauls for events like this, but honestly for me 15% is not that big of a discount. I've had this Urban Decay sharpener on my shopping list for ages and I finally decided to get it. Mainly it was because I realized I have nothing to sharpen my giant NYX pencils with, since I lost my previous sharpener. Or threw it away in a fit of rage? It was a bad, very bad sharpener. But this sharpener is AMAZING. I have since sharpened all of my pencils.

Here it is in action. I knew you guys would want to see this!

The other great part of this event (and the main reason I got out of my sick bed to go down there, besides having to replace my iPhone) was the gift bag. There were a lot of great samples included.

What was in the bag:

Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum

Ole Henriksen Brightening Moisturizer

NUDE Perfect Cleansing Oil for Face & Eyes

Gucci Premiere

Shiseido SPF +50 Lotion for Face and Body

Makeup Forever Pro-finish Multi-use Powder Foundation in Light

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream

There are a lot of samples I can't wait to try (Josie Maran hair serum, NUDE cleansing oil,..etc). The only sample I was pretty disappointed with was the Makeup Forever powder foundation. I would LOVE to try out one of Makeup Forever's foundation products, but there is just no way I'm a "light." I wish there had been more skin tone variety available. I believe this was the only color given out, which is disappointing for all us girls who don't fit into that category.


Use the code CHIC to get 15% off your order at Sephora.com!!
Beauty Insiders get 15% off until Sunday, April 21
VIB Members get 15% off until Monday, April 22


Did you go to Sephora's VIB Spring Event?

-Claudia

ipsy - April 2013

April's ipsy bag is all about pretty in pink. Getting this bag full of its pinky cuteness really cheered me up after having been sick for an entire week! Read on ahead for my review of this month's bag.

{In this month's bag}:
Be a Bombshell blush in "Beach Please"
Big Sexy Hair POW!
Two Cosmetics Duo eyeshadow in "Heartache"
Sation nail polish in "Of Corset I'll Call You"

Be a Bombshell blush in "Beach Please"

There's something exciting about this super hot pink blush. "Beach Please" is a ridiculously bright pink color and looks so fun to wear out. I love that I didn't receive a simple, everyday blush, but one that is more interesting. 

Big Sexy Hair POW! Powder Play

Volume and texture are two things my hair is definitely not lacking! Seriously, I'm a bit scary with a blowdryer. 

Two Cosmetics Duo eyeshadow in "Heartache"

I know the theme is Pretty in Pink, but I wasn't expecting to receive duo pink eyeshadow in this month's bag! Pink is such a versatile color. It can be used to accentuate a neutral brown look or to add a bigger pop to a look. I can't wait to try this out!

Sation nail polish in "Of Corset I'll Call You"

I've been able to try out quite a few different nail polish brands through ipsy since I subscribed last year. Sation is yet another new brand I've been introduced to. Though this is such a cute pink tone, I already own quite a few similar shades. However, ipsy tends to send out a couple different nail polish bottles before moving on to a new brand, so hopefully I'll be able to try out different shades in the future. 

ipsy Extra: 

I also received an invitation to Generation Beauty, an ipsy event in LA, California. Generation Beauty is a series of workshops to "meet, learn, and network" with other bloggers, including ipsy's gurus. 

Tickets are 60% off for ipsy subscribers until April, 24th with the code IPSYSUB!

The bag:

I'm so glad the bag this month is better quality than last month's. I love the inside stiching: "ipsy beauty by you"

You can purchase an ipsy subscription {here}.

What did you think of this month's bag? 

-Claudia

Maybelline Color Tattoos - Limited Edition Summer 2013

I felt like Indiana Jones in his search for the Arc of the Covenant hunting these guys down. My husband, Sam, might tell you how when we finally came across a fully stacked stand, I rolled on the ground cackling. Though I suppose that's much less Indiana Jones and more crazy makeup obsessed cat lady. 

Why are people going nutty for these eyeshadows? Well, Maybelline Color Tattoos are consistently amazing quality. That plus the wide variety of colors they are putting out, wouldn't you rush out to get any shades you could get your hands on? I picked up five of the six shades. I wasn't too interested in their yellow one. Look below for my review and swatches of the five!

The latest limited edition Color Tattoos are a complex bunch. The Summer 2013 Color Tattoos are  unique in that they are duochromes. Because of their nature, the true colors of these shades are hard to photograph, but I tried my best! 

Waves of White, Icy Mint, Seashore Frosts, Cool Crush, Lavish Lavender

Waves of White

I don't usually pick up the lighter shades in collections, because really how many white shades can you make? Well, Maybelline managed to make a "white" that I couldn't resist picking up! "Waves of White" is an icy white with an inner green/blue glow. It reminds me of Winter or, more in line with the Summer theme, of sea foam. I can't wait to play with this one more.

Icy Mint

I was a bit disappointed with this shade. It's very sheer, which might make it difficult to wear on its own if it's not built up enough. However, it's still a great minty shade perfect for Spring and for that wild child Summer gal. "Icy Mint" is the only shade that is all-out mint and not a duochrome.

Seashore Frosts

"Seashore Frosts" is the shade that sent me on this wild frenzy to find these Color Tattoos. If not for this one, I might (*MIGHT*) have passed on the collection, as it was very difficult to find! I don't think I can adequately describe just how beautiful this shade is. "Seashore Frosts" is an everchanging color. It shifts from a blue-toned purple to brown to green. You can see from the swatch pictures that it looks entirely different in that light from the pot here. It is absolutely stunning.

Cool Crush

This is one of the colors I hadn't intended to buy until I saw it in person. It's a very shimmery blue with bit of a purple shift. In this picture, "Cool Crush" seems a lot deeper blue than it really is. As I said before, the duochrome nature of these Color Tattoos made them difficult to photograph! The true color of this one came out nicely in the swatches. "Cool Crush" is not for everyone, especially if you dislike shimmer!

Lavish Lavender

"Lavish Lavender" was another I wasn't sure about until I found myself carrying it out the store door. This lavender pulls more blue than pink, which makes it a more interesting color tone. In the swatches, it actually pulled a bit of silver as well. It's just an all round gorgeous color. 

Waves of White, Icy Mint, Seashore Frosts, Cool Crush, Lavish Lavender

I definitely recommend this collection. If you like any of these shades, you need to hurry over to your nearest Bed Bath & Beyond, which is so far the only carrier of these limited edition colors. 

Were you able to pick up any of the new Color Tattoos? Do you think they're worth the effort to find?

-Claudia

NOTD - Bearly There

Rain, umbrellas, flowers. These are all things that remind me of Spring. But you know what has been long left out? Bears. Specifically, teddy bears!! Winter is over and those fuzzy darlings are coming out of hibernation. I saw the cutest teddy bear nail design on Instagram yesterday and decided to recreate it.

What I used:

Essie Base Coat

Essie Top Coat

ORLY "Sheer White Tips"

Essie "Petal Pink"

OPI "I Don't Give a Rotterdam" or NYC 220B "Canal Street"

Color Club "Get a Clue" or theBalm "Don't Pink About It"

Wet n Wild "Ebony Hates Chris"

I couldn't decide on which bear color, so I decided on two: Brown and gray!

I think my right hand came out pretty nicely!

And of course here is the inspiration behind the bear nails:

What kind of nail designs remind you of Spring?

-Claudia

FOTD - Jurassic Park Date

Hey guys! Last week I went out with Sam to watch Jurassic Park in 3D!! We're both pretty big Jurassic Park fans--we've seen the movies more than a few times. I've even written a college essay on the kids of Jurassic Park.

I wanted to try out a wild look, something "Jurassic-y." What's a Jurassic look, you ask? Well, I'm guessing it's something like what I did below.

Face

Sonia Kashuk Radiant tinted moisturizer in Tan

MAC Desert Rose

MAC Sunbasque

Eyes

Urban Decay primer potion in Original

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk

Sephora palette (light yellow)

Urban Decay 15th Anniversary palette (Deep End)
Inglot 338 (dark turquoise) + 340 (deep hunter green)

MAC eyeshadows in Swiss Chocolate + Red Brick, Ricepaper

MICA Beauty Cosmetics gel liner in Black

Lips

Revlon lip butter in Fig

The wind was whipping wildly through the trees of this...gas station. But it was a WILD gas station!

I wish I'd been able to take better pictures of this look! These pictures just do not do this look justice. This is definitely one I see myself recreating down the line. 

Did you get to watch Jurassic Park in 3-D?

-Claudia