NARS MULTIPLE - COPACABANA

NARS MULTIPLE IN COPACABANA

Nars The Multiple is the original all-in-one, cream-to-powder, multi-purpose
makeup stick. With fingertip application, The Multiple highlights, sculpts, and
warms eyes, cheeks, lips, and body in an array of shades from sheer accents to
mauve and bronze.

NARS COPACABANA (Heavy Swatch)

I like NARS Multiples in general. I love the texture and the convinient case it comes in. I have owned Multiples before and this is a totally different color from whatever I have.

Copacabana is best used as a Highlighter. Its a described as Glistening Pearl and true to its name it has this Silvery sheen, which is not Stark White. The stick itself has some sort of greyish tone to it.
I was tossed between LUXOR and COPACABANA and finally went with Copacabana.
Luxor is described as iridescent pink and it sure does has some hint of pink in it, which I didn’t want because it might have altered the color of my blush or restricted its use as highlighter over certain shades only. Its just my thoughts after swatching the product in store. I may not be right.

Copacabana is a silvery highlighter. Its totally different from South Beach which is a Shimmery Apricot color and gives this warm Sunkissed glow. Copacabana being a Silvery Highlighter might give a Moonkissed glow????????

The Multiple can be used either on the brow bone or cheek bone, over cupids bow, on bridge of nose and also on some parts of body, which I never use.
The texture is lovely. Its smooth and creamy, yet firm enough, easy to spread and blend. Its a cream to powder formula which will end up giving a satiny finish. It has no offensive smell.

The end result on cheeks remind me of Benefit’s Highbeam, which is a nice highlighter, but I had some trouble blending it initially. Consistency has a lot to do with products like Moonbeam and Highbeam. They tend to turn a bit thick and goopy in longer run. Now I am pretty comfortable in using them aswell.

The major difference between end result of Copacabana and Highbeam is the finish. Highbeam gives a dewy look, this one does not gives a satiny finish and highlights the area beautifully.


NARS COPACABANA MULTIPLE (Sheered)

The application technique

I use my fingers to apply this. I can’t apply any of my Multiple with brush. I find it difficult to pick the product. If you have any suggestions please share.

I 'Dab' the product and slightly rub it in. If I over blend it, the moisture or cream that holds the tiny sparkles or shimmer, just melts in the skin and I am left with scattered tiny sparkles all over. As it is, there is no base color holding the shimmers. (I hope this description is making any sense)

Drawbacks/Cons

Apart from the hefty price tag, the product has a tendency to dry in the longer run and being a cream product, it comes with some sort of expiry aswell.

Overall a great product and I think it would work on many skintones. I do have a feeling that it might turn ashy on some darker skintones, but again it depends on how and where you want to use it.

Philosophy - Eye Hope™ Advanced Anti-Aging Eye Cream

Philosophy - Eye Hope™ Advanced Anti-Aging Eye

The Claim

What it is:
An antiaging eye treatment that reduces puffiness.

What it is formulated to do:
Philosophy Eye Hope™ Advanced Anti-Aging Eye Cream
provides moisture and protection for the delicate eye area. It is designed
to diminish dark circles, reduce puffiness, and minimize the appearance of
fine lines and wrinkles. A dose of antioxidants fortifies skin against
future damage.

What else you need to know:
This formula contains beta glucan, an agent that has been shown to help address aging concerns such as wrinkles and loss of skin elasticity and tone. In this product, beta glucan works synergistically with a team of age-fighting counterparts to deliver
serious results.

My skin is Brave...It reacts badly to very few skincare products, especially the ones that have Salicylic Acid in them. It reacted badly to this Philosophy - Eye Hope™ Advanced Anti-Aging Eye.

How I Used it

Once at Night
Duration: 4 weeks

I had 3 samples of 2ml each that I got from Sephora. 6ml of product is a good amount for an eye cream and it lasted easily for a month.

Texture: Semi-liquid. Not to thick like cream, nor too runny. Pretty much like a serum.

The thing was absorbed easily and it was not greasy at all. It didn't provide much moisturization though. Infact, the under eye area felt dry.
On application, it burned my under eye area like nobody's business... The burning did subside after 10 minutes, but those 10 minutes were very uncomfortable. I did continue to use it and after a week, the burning was changed to stinging. I think I got used to that whole burning thing.

In the past, I had tried Origins Plantidote Mega Mushroom Eye Serum and it would make my eye water or sting only if the product accidently entered my eye. I still use that serum (only once) because it works for my dark shadows, but it lacks the moisturizing properties. Unfortunately, this too lacks the moisturizing properties.

The packaging is nice, as the pump is the most hygenic thing for creams and lotions and foundations.

I didn't notice much difference around my eye area during my one month duration of using the product. May be one month is too less to notice any difference, but I couldn't bear any more stinging...Had to Stop...

p.s: Eye Creams, like Skincare products would work differently for different people. This didn't work for me, but it might become HG product for some body. Asking for sample before committing to full size product would be a wise decision.

Oh, Brother! A GREAT new Comic Strip Debuts Today!

  There's some exciting news in the world of newspaper comic strips.

Bob Weber Jr. (creator of the adorable Slylock Fox puzzle comic) and Jay Stephens (creator of The Secret Saturdays, Jet Cat, and The Land of Nod) have teamed up to create a new daily strip called "Oh Brother."

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Both Bob Weber Jr and Jay Stephens have drawing styles that are super appealing and capture the innocence and fun of being a kid.

I'm totally psyched to see a cute, funny comic strip that's wonderfully well-drawn to boot!

 "Oh Brother" hits newspapers TODAY! June 28... so check out if it's in your local newspaper.

Right now you can see a preview of the strips on Bob Weber's Facebook page. You need to be logged in to Facebook to make this work, but the link is http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2028458&id=1122146965

The layouts are very cool...in most strips it looks like it could be split in half to run horizontally, but then I see others (see above) that are built like a comic book page: multiple-tiered, and really taking advantage of the unlimited layout possibilities that a comic could have.

This is the best thing to hit the comics pages since Richard Thompson's Cul-de-Sac!

MONDAY MORNING...

My Saturday was like this...

Hi Friends,

Hope everyone is doing good... Me? I am great...

The weeks are passing by so fast...I am happy, because we soon will see Fall/Winter, which is my favorite part of the year, but that also makes me a bit paranoid, because even before I know I will be celebrating my next birthday and getting a year older...

Anyways, Saturday we had been to Ocean City. It was so so Hot and Humid. We were baked like Potatoes and then Broiled in our car, that was like pre-heated oven in that open parking. It was a good day though, with friends and families and kids.

Sunday saw me in mall...Obviously! I had to cool down after this Hot Saturday...in blasting A/C for free...lol!

Did a little damage at Sephora. Oh btw, I did manage to get a LE DIOR Shimmerskin Powder in Copper Diamond at Sephora. Can you believe this? It was released in Fall 2008 and was an instant sellout at that time. Finding something which was that old, in a busy Sephora is a MIRACLE in beauty world. I wanted it so badly. No one was ready to swap or sell.

I am getting so good at Rambling....Proud of myself...lol!!

Wish you all have a Fantastic week ahead....Keep yourself HYDRATED...

xoxo,

dazzling...sparkling...me!!

STILA - It Girl Eye Shadow Trio Palette

It Girl Eye Shadow Trio Palette

Anybody obsessed with makeup knows ‘Orgasm’ and ‘Kitten’ have two meanings.
Never trying any of these and calling myself a beauty blogger is close to CARDINAL SIN!
Well I am on Sin side….Never tried Kitten eyeshadow from Stila. This palette gave me chance of trying 3 shades for just 10 bucks! Can’t beat that…


Lame, Chloe, Kitten

A trio of Stila's award-winning eyeshadows in a chic palette.
Stila's award-winning eyeshadows are recognized for their high-quality formula and
texture, which can be worn wet or dry.

Lovely Warm shades

The palette includes three shades:

Lamé -- shimmering gold
Chloe -- shimmering bronze
Kitten -- shimmering nude pink

Swatches of Stila eyeshadows in Lame, Chloe, Kitten

These are a little smaller than the usual Stila Eyeshadow. Its almost the size of MAC eyeshadow. All three are beautiful tucked in a palette, which is sturdy and snaps shut well. No Cardboard and Magent business here.

Pure Love!!!

Lame: This is a lovely, lovely Gold Color. By now, most of you know I am such a sucker for Golds. The texture is smooth and soft. I find the color in Lame is bit powdery in texture. Its not buttery kinds. Its very Shimmery too. This would make a very nice lid color.

Chloe: This is a Shimmery Bronze Color and has more Golden hues to it. It has no red undertones and this one reminds me a lot of the Cocomotion Pigment. The texture is smooth aswell and this one is not as powdery as Lame. It would make a nice warm lid color or outer crease color.

Kitten: The infamous Kitten!! Its a Shimmery Pink Champagne color. I honestly don't understand the hype. Its like many other colors I have seen. Its a beautiful one, no dobt. I guess Kitten was released way before other dupes or similar color from various Brands popped. This one makes a nice lid color or inner tear corner color to brighten the look. This can be worn alone with a lovely winged liner or layered over various colored cream bases. Pretty Versatile color.
The texture is soft and smooth again, but still not the most buttery one.

Swatches of Stila It Girl Eye Shadow Trio Palette

In my swatches, the Kitten one looks very pale and shimmery, I believe due to the flash. These colors are very nicely pigmented and blend easily. I did experience some fall outs though. As these can be used both wet or dry, I can take care of the fallouts.

The palette is a lovely one, but I would not use all the colors in conjugation with each other. The finishes of all shadows are shimmery, so my end result would be 'Disco Eyes'. Its a nice collection of Lid colors and at $10, I should not be complaining!!

The palette is available at Sephora website for limited time only.

Storyboard JOB ALERT! Fox Seeks Board Artists for The Cleveland Show

Storyboard JOB ALERT!

Fox Seeks Storyboard Artists
for The Cleveland Show

(Following is cut-and-pasted from the TAG Union Jobs bulletin) 

"Currently looking to fill positions for storyboard artists and storyboard revisionists. This is a primetime, 2D animated show and a full time in house position. We are looking for seasoned artists, preferably with primetime experience.

We look for key skills of perspective, solid-form drawing, shot selection, and intuitive character acting. Ability to take direction and communicate with production, and directors is a must. Looking for people with strong communication, organizational skills, thumbnailing, and tight boarding skills. This show is revision-heavy, so we need people who will happily change things as much as needed. This show has a particular style, so we need people who can adapt and stick to a style outside of their own.

This show has a rigid schedule, therefore time management is a must. We are entirely digital, using Cintiqs and Storyboard Pro. Knowledge of this program is a plus. We provide a short learning curve, so we are looking for people with digital experience.

We would like to fill these positions as soon as possible.

If you are interested in taking a test, please email Sarah Longueuiel with an attached email at sarah.longueuiel@tvbyfox.com. "

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If you skimmed that, make sure you see THIS part:

"We are entirely digital, using Cintiqs and Storyboard Pro. Knowledge of this program is a plus. We provide a short learning curve, so we are looking for people with digital experience."

If you're not up to speed with digital storyboarding, I really recommend you try to get up to speed before it's too late.

Good luck!

My First Hey Arnold Comic Story

This is my very first Hey Arnold comic story, which was done for Nickelodeon Magazine back in 1996.

Even from the beginning of my relationship with Nick Mag, I had the opportunity -- and was encouraged -- to experiment with layouts... always trying to come up with an interesting way to tell the story.

It was always a huge challenge to try to tell a complete story in two pages, so it was really important to find a way to condense the storytelling. In the first panel, I wanted to establish the setting as well as really set up the emotional empathy between Arnold and the goldfish
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The rest of the first page is pretty standard stuff, but on the second page there are two panels that really stand out in my memory. The first one is a wide shot of the Japanese gardens... I really wanted to contrast this scene of openness and peace with the earlier panels that were crowded and confined.

There's no panel border here, and it helps emphasize the openness…


I also like to create a sense of depth wherever possible -- hence the foreground elements and the multilayered background.


The fifth panel on the second page is another one without a panel border. Again, I wanted to emphasize the new-found freedom that the fish has.



My favorite panel in the whole story is the last one; by showing Arnold and Gerald in the reflection of the pool, I was able to keep the emphasis on the most important story point. The irony of the last panel is that as much as the goldfish wanted to be free, it was totally afraid of its new wide-open surroundings. The clever idea that Arnold comes up with is to leave the goldfish in the bowl, and let the fishbowl float around in the beautiful pond.



I got to do about a dozen of these comic strips over the three years that I worked on the show. Supervision by Craig Bartlett, story and art by me, coloring by Steve Lowtwait.

Here’s the whole two-pager:

PIGMENT PASSION -- MAC COCOMOTION

PIGMENT PASSION is a series that will feature MAC Pigments, their texture,
the ways I use them and all the fun stuff. One pigment will be posted every Friday
and I will try to share whatever pigment colors I own.

MAC Pigment -- Cocomotion

This was a Limited Edition Pigment released and re-promoted in last few years. I went on a crazy hunt spree for this pigment after the hype amongst Beauty Community began to build up. Got mine at CCO and they still have it.


Swatches of MAC Pigment in Cocomotion

This is a beautiful Antique Gold color, with some kind of Bronze in it. Its a very rich, vibrant looking pigment. There are lovely Gold sparkles in it. The Pigmentation is Awesome!
This Pigment has a nice smooth texture, but I personally get some fall outs. Its not very easy to blend like Overrich Pigments, but still better than many others out there. If I over blend, some of the Gold sparkles separate from the color itself.
I am not so good with pigments, so may be my unskilled hands give me fall outs. Its a lovely color though.


MAC Cocomotion Pigment swatch

Ways I use Cocomotion Pigment

1. All by itself, over the lid and slightly sweeping it to the outer crease.

2. As a lid color over black base.

3. As nail color, by mixing with clear nail polish. It looks pretty!

This is a color, which deserves at least a single try. I am sure, many many people will like it. The warmth in it makes it a lovely color for all skintones. Even Lighter skintoned may love this as wash of color.

P.S: Its a Limited Edition pigment, but tons of site on the internet sell Pigment samples. You can get hold of it easily. Sorry for the in-accurate swatches. I am NC42, so getting Bronzey, Gold, Browns to swatch on myself is bit difficult.

St. Ives Facial Cleanser/Make-up Remover

St. Ives Make Up Remover and Facial Cleanser

Whenever I go over board with my fun Shopping (makeup and accessories), I had to cut down on some purchases to balance out everything. Easy things to save on are, Bath and Body Products. March and April saw me splurging on Chanel and other stuff, so when I ran out of my Clinique Facial Cleanser, I randomly picked the cheapest one available at ULTA.

Product Description
This cleanser effortlessly removes even the heaviest make-up while cleaning the skin.


Cleanser with Chamomile

St. Ives is a brand that I have used before. Infact, as a teen I remember scrubing my face with Apricot scrub. During those days, that was all I could afford. Now that I am pretty much settled in life, I have become more 'over - concious' of how 'big, rough and abrasive' Apricot shell is...huh! Call me Snobby B****!

On serious note, I always liked this brand and the one reason for not spending on LUSH products is, its difficult to see $$$s go down the drain, just for fancy color and exotic smelL. I personally feel LUSH or similar kind of products should be reserved for an Occassional Luxurious Bath. Personal thoughts...no rules!!

Ok, back to the cleanser. This one claims to remove make-up. It does removes make-up, but not the eye make-up. Infact, I have yet to find a cleanser, that would completely remove eye make-up on its own. We put so much things on eye, to make sure that the eyeshadows and liner last all day, that expecting a poor cleanser to remove all of that is a pretty ambitious expectation.

Chamomile was first used for its cleansing and Antiseptic Powers. Chamomile
Flowers contain soothing Oils, that help calm irritated skin.

The texture is smooth and soft. Its a cream formula, not to runny nor to thick and goopy. It does not foams at all. I just rub it all over my face like a lotion and after a 2 minutes mini massage, rinse it off with water. The end result is soft and fresh. This does not tugs or irritates the skin. No dry feeling at all. I like the smell too. Its very soothing and refreshing.

Good things worth noticing

Dermatologist Tested

Not Tested on Animals

Does not contain Animal Ingredients

Formulated without Parabens and Phthalates

No Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS, the foaming agent)

I bought this at ULTA for $3.75, but I used some discount Coupons, so I don't know the current retail price. So many qualities at a decently affordable price....Not Bad...

p.s: Sorry, for the ramblings in between....

BENEFIT - ONE HOT MINUTE - A REVIEW

3 words made me buy this:

1. Natural Glow
2. Rose Gold
3. Radiant skin

Now, who doesn’t wants a sexy glow!! Personally for me, I find MAC MSFs way to shimmery for my taste, though I wished they worked for me.
When I saw this product a few months back, I instantly fell in love with the name, the packaging and of course the claims it made.



I read mixed reviews for this product, but finally decided to give it a try. I picked this one in March and since then I have used it pretty consistently.

A sexy-in-seconds face powder. This loose, rose-gold finishing powder is the
final touch for a "gaze at me" glow. It contains a sheer tint that works on all
skintones—anytime, anywhere. Get radiant skin in one hot minute!

I am totally in love with this product as it provides just the exact amount of luminosity, without being OTT shimmery or glittery. The end result is NOT Dewy. I am not in my twenties, so obviously my definition of glowing skin might be different than theirs.

This powder is finely milled, in fact very very fine. The color has this tint to it. It is a rose gold color. Its neither very white like Vanilla pigment or NARS Albatross, nor it has too much pink in it. It is also not overly orange or brown. The color is lovely!!

Once applied, it leaves in a fresh, glowing, radiant skin without accentuating any pores. As it has this needed warmth to it, it DOES NOT LEAVES A WHITE or ASHY cast, which is something that no warm/olive toned person would want. There is a mild scent to the product, which is not annoying.

The Application

I use a fan brush, to pick the color and apply it on the temples, on my cheek bones, on the bridge of nose and cupids bow. The fan brush that comes with it is not so great and is too flimsy, but it still can be useful for applying the product on the bridge of the nose. I can see this working on many persons with various skin tones. The color hardly shows up when blended. This is like the last finishing touch to my face make-up.

For using it exclusively as Cheek Highlighter, I use MAC 165 Brush, which helps to pick more product and gives a more precise, controlled application.

I also use it with 116 brush over a matte Blush like MAC Gingerly. It transforms a flat matte cheek to a Glowy cheek.

I prefer to use it as Highlighter during daytime, but I like to use it lightly with a Fan Brush all over face during night. Using a Powder Brush or a huge fluffy brush will make you look like a Disco Ball...Fan Brush is a must in this case.

The Packaging:

The packaging is very Vintage looking and the box is made of metal, which is nice, because the boxed powders tend to look ugly in longer run and the cap of the box becomes loose. Its not the most practical packaging though.

This is a loose powder product, so it can be difficult to travel with, but I use the tape technique (securing few holes with a clean tape)to make it easier to carry. Only needed amount comes out of the tiny holes. Either ways, every powder make-up is messy.

I personally find this to be an amazing product and if you are someone who likes glowy skin, without looking oily or greasy, this might be worth giving a try.
This is something that gives a flawless, polished finish, without actually being to loud. A little powder goes a long way. Its working for me and my skin tone and I am happy.

BEAUTY BUYS -- STILA, NARS, TARTE

'BEAUTY BUYS' is another term coined for the infamous 'HAUL'. Its just thelist
of things I buy and the ones you will hear me 'yak', 'blab', 'review'about in
next few posts!!! Call this a 'Preview'...

I cannot pass a LE sale product, especially if the product is related to Make-up.
Stila came out with this It Girl Eye Shadow Trio Palette in Warm for just $10. I had to buy it! It is online only and to get free shipping I had to add $40 more in the basket….which is never a hard task.

Goodies I picked:

Stila IT GIRL EYESHADOW Palette
Stila Smoky Eye Talking Palette - The Emeralds
NARS Multiple in Copacabana (LOVE)
Tarte Mineral Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess (Original)

Tried everything! Reviews and Ramblings to follow soon…

Howie Post & His Magic Bunny – Still More Presto Pete Comics - 1948

Presto Pete The Magic Bunny
by Howie Post – from Animal Antics #17 1948     

Previous Presto Pete Posts:

Presto Pete from Animal Antics #11

----

Presto Pete from Animal Antics #15

****

More Howie Post treasures
at Ger Appledorn's great comic blog:

 http://allthingsger.blogspot.com/search/label/Howard%20Post
--------------------------------------

...and more Howie Post comics At Pappy’s Comics Blog:


…and here’s an interview with Howie Post:
http://twomorrows.com/comicbookartist/articles/05post.html

MONDAY MORNING...

Morning Lovelies....

Official Summer starts today..... My family has been in Summer mode since April...I don't know why they choose to skip Spring...

I have successfully managed to manage my son at home all by myself, since past two weeks without going insane....Kids 'NEGOTIATE' so well...and mine very well knows what a 'BRIBE' is...

Anyways, apart from my Mommy Rambling...I did buy few goodies online, just to curb my appetite to spend. Not make-up though. Blogging has been slow. Not too many posts. I don't get time and I am tired by end of the day. Weekends are busy entertaining others or getting entertained by others....

I need to go now, my son wants a cookie... He just had his breakfast and still wants a cookie... Growing kids....I am so much in mommy mode as you can tell...

Have a great week ahead...

xoxo,

dazzling...Sparkling....me!!!

PIGMENT PASSION -- MAC VINTAGE GOLD

PIGMENT PASSION is a series that will feature MAC Pigments, their texture, the
ways I use them and all the fun stuff. One pigment will be posted every
Friday and I will try to share whatever pigment colors I own.

MAC PIGMENT - VINTAGE GOLD

This was instant LOVE! I picked this one from my CCO, totally based on its external appearance and name. Vintage and Gold...both things just called my name...
It is a PRO Pigment, that was a part of the Overrich Collection. The color is described as 'Tarnished Green with Gold pearl'. The description is pretty true to the color. Its a lovely Dirty, Olive'y' green with Gold shimmers. The shimmers are finely milled and they mix so well with the green, almost giving it a fine metallic finish.


Vintage Gold Pigment Swatch

When light hits the color, the gold sheen that is imparted is so elegant! The color is in the same family as Henna, Sumptous Olive, Mink and Sable, but prettier. The finish is fine, metallic and rich Gold!

The pigmentation is obviously awesome and its very easy to blend with practically no fallouts.


Vintage Gold (different lighting)

Ways I use Vintage Gold Pigment:

1. As lid color, all by itself.

2. Blonde's Gold in the inner lid, Vintage Gold on the middle and outer lid, with Museum Bronze in Crease. This is the most common way I use.

3. Over a dark black base. I use a black liner, smudge it and then apply Vintage Gold.

4. Vintage Gold with Humid in Crease and Gorgeous gold in the inner corners.

Ways Vintage Gold can be used.

1. With a Vibrant Orange like Firespot and Purple like Hepcat.

2. With Copper and Teal colors.

I can visualize all fantastic looks with this color, but I am too timid to try these and have practically NO confidence in carrying a bold look. I am one of those people, who is not able to give full justice to this lovely color!