Halloween

I'm brainstorming a few ideas for halloween makeup tutorials. So far I have

1. Mermaid
2. Native American
3. Necromancer
4. Fairy
5. Witch
6. Super Heroes (such as Captain America, Batman or Hellboy)
7. Vampire
8. Valkryie

If there are any other suggestions leave a comment. I'm wanting to do several looks for Halloween since it is my favorite holiday.

I need hinny motivation

I feel so horrible about not posting & such. I'm a lazykins >.< Just need some darn motivation in my hinny. I will be making a schedule for myself & hopefully sticking with it. I am wanting to film a new video soon but I need to figure out how to film at a good angle. The last video's angle was pretty bad. I will start posting more but since things on my end have been a bit stressful I keep pushing back this blog. So I will be repriorotizing myself & get back to posting okay.

xoxo, Vanessa Lauren

Finished Products of the Summer

 

These are the products I have recently finished.

• Lancome Nutrix Royal Body Lotion
• This lotion is incredibly moisturizing & smells fantastic but it does leave skin a little oily. Love it!
• Mane 'n Tale Conditioner
• I use this conditioner on my extensions. It helps strengthen the hair while also moisturizing it & the price is unbeatable $4.50. Love it.
• Brocato Cloud Nine Miracle Repair Shampoo & Treatment
• LOVE LOVE LOVE this! I've been using Cloud 9 for almost 2 years. It makes hair nice & soft, helps repair damage, cleanses hair extremely well & doesn't weight hair down. Love it!
• Manic Panic Amplified Formula Virgin Snow White Toner/Mixer
• This is great for mixing with other vibrant semi-permanent colors to lighten the shade but isn't that great for lifting yellow tones out of hair. Leave it.
• OPI Acetone-Free Polish Remover
• It has a bit of a smell but does a good job of removing polish. It does have a tough time with removing Essie & China Glaze polishes though. Undecided.
• Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover
• Great at removing MaryKay makeup but bad at removing other brands. It tended to irritate my skin & normally took me like 10 minutes to remove my makeup fully. It often left behind makeup residue. Leave it.
• Brocato Big Easy Volumizing Dry Shampoo
• Great at volumizing hair but left a white powder on my dark hair. Great for blonds but bad for dark hair. Leave it.
• Bath & Bodyworks Butterfly Flower Shower Gel & Bubble Bath
• Love the scent but it really isn't a great body cleanser. The bubble bath creates tons of bubbles but takes a lot of product to do so. Leave it.
• Bath & Bodyworks PocketBac Hand Gel in Warm Vanilla Sugar
• My go to hand sanitizer at the salon. Smells great & easily clips to my pants. Love it.
• Redken Nature's Rescue Refreshing Detox Shampoo
•  It deep cleanses &my hair feels like it can breathe after I use this shampoo but it also dries out my hair. Leave it.
  

Lime Crime's Lip Noir

Lime Crime Makeup just announced yesterday that three new lipsticks will be coming on September 1st, 2011. They are inspired by Old Hollywood in the 1920s. You can read more about the collection on Doe Deere's Blogazine. The three colors are:

• Chinchilla - Light grey with lilac undertones (semi-gloss)
• Glamour 101 - Blood-red with berry undertones (semi-gloss)
• Styletto - Opaque black (glossy)

I am personally excited for this collection & will be marking this date on my calender. I do wish that Lime Crime would add more magic dust eye shadows to their line but so far I don't see that in the near future. I would adore if they added matte eye shadows & palettes. It would be great if Lime Crime added look palettes like smokey eye or even natural eye collections. I would also like to see a light lilac & dark blue/turquoise magic dust. As for lipsticks I would love to see a lip primer, a white lipstick & even a deep violet color.

What are your thoughts on this collection? Will you buy them or just pass it up? Also what colors of lipsticks or eye shadows would you love Lime Crime to add to their line?

P.S. I'm sorry that it has been so terribly long since I have blogged. I feel really ashamed honestly for being such a procrastinator but I just kind of lost my passion for awhile but it's back & hopefully here to stay. I love you all & I promise I will be updating more frequently.

Affiliate links used.

LimeCrime Giveaway Winner

And the winner is....

SeraphimKiss! If you would please email me your contact information and such to vanessalaurenmua@gmail.com by May 30th, 2011 I can get your LimeCrime goodies to you.

If the prize is not claimed by May 30th, 2011 I will redraw a winner. Thank you to everyone who participated & good luck next time. There will be another giveaway in the near future.

April Favorites

This is late I know but better late than never right?

I normally vlog about my monthly makeup favorites but I think it would be a bit easier if I just blog about them so I don’t ramble in a video for 10 minutes. Also it is easier for linking & post photos and details about each product. But if you prefer I do a vlog instead just tell me. I don’t mind. I’m just trying new things.

Smashbox Sheer Focus Tinted Moisturizer in Fair *
Young Blood Single Mineral Eyeshadow in Halo
Ultraflesh Panthera Mascara
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper
Kat Von D High Voltage Eye Primer in Skin
Ulta Baked Eye Shadow in Natural Beauty *
Nars Powder Foundation in Sweden
Lorac Perfectly Lit Powder in Luminous
MAC Lipglass in Strange Potion (Limited Edition) from Venomous Villains Collection
Tarte Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler *

By the way I am not using direct links for fear of them breaking. So I'm linking you to the main site & you can just search for what product you are looking for.

* I just recently purchased these items on April 23rd but they quickly became my favorites. I’ve been using them every day since I purchased them at Ulta.
 

Look Tutorial: Everyday Makeup

Products are listed in order of use and with website links, although they are not directly linked to each product. You can search for them once you reach the main site. This is to prevent any broken links.

Target Up and Up Instant Hand Sanitizer Gel Aloe
Repechage HydraMedic Mattifying Moisturizer
Smashbox Sheer Focus Tinted Moisturizer with UVA/UVB SPF 15 Oil-Free in Fair
Too Faced Absolutely Flawless Felxible Coverage Concealer in Perfectly Nude
Nars Powder Foundation in Light 3 Deauville
Lancome Star Bronzer Magic Brush Body & Face Bronzer
Lorac Perfectly Lit Powder in Luminous
Revlon Brow Fantasy in Dark Brown
Kat Von D High Voltage Eye Primer in Skin
Young Blood Single Mineral Eyeshadow in Halo
Ulta Baked Eye Shadow in Natural Beauty
Lime Crime Magic Dust in Diva
NYX Eye/Brow Pencil in 915 Taupe
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper
Tarte Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler
Ultraflesh Panthera Mascara in Black
MAC Lipglass in Strange Potion (Limited Edition) from Venomous Villains Collection
MUD Make-up Designory Brushes in  720, 300, 810, 800, 100 (210 works better than 100)

Tips

If you mess up your eyeliner just wet a q-tip & wipe away the problem then re-powder if you removed  your foundation. If you get mascara on your skin wait for it to dry & flick away with a dry q-tip.

Photos

Lime Crime Makeup Review & Contest

I will be reviewing 2 Magic Dust eye shadows & 3 Candyfuture lipsticks from Lime Crime. These products were all bought with my own money & all opinions are my own. I am also holding a giveaway, all the rules & prize are listed at the end of the review.

Magic Dust Eye Shadows

Product Grading System

This rating system is based on my opinion on products that I have personally tested. I give my honest opinion on all products that I test no matter if I purchase them or are given to me. As a makeup artist I am here to be your personal beauty informer. To help you with all your beauty needs & by providing this rating system I hope to help you with your future beauty purchases. This is my pledge to you.

All categories of the rating are based on a point scale that add up to 100% & will receive a letter grade for overall score of the product.

What is to come....

As you have probably noticed I haven't posted in quite awhile. Well that is due to the fact that I got horribly sick & was out of school for over a week & I am now behind like 52 hours at college which is really bad. Means that my Tuesdays have now become class days. I am not the happiest camper about it either. I am bound and determined to graduate on time, which is July 2nd! It isn't that far away. I'm kind of getting antsy about it too.

The Neon Beauty is now on Facebook!

So I have finally gotten the time to create a facebook fan page for this blog to keep everyone connected, involved and up to date! There will be discussions, polls & much more on this fan page so if you would like to get involved this is the ideal way to. I would love if you would go like the fan page & hopefully after awhile there will be a contest for you all. I am still trying to figure out the details but I will be keeping you all up to date as things unfold.

Also I would love for you guys to take a look in the sidebar to see the new affiliates I am now in business with. Every click helps not only this blog but me as well.

xoxo, Vanessa Lauren

Stila Summer 2011 Collection

Early last week I got a sneak peak at Stila's 2011 Summer Collection. I have already gotten a hold of one of the items at the American Beauty Show prior to this but hadn't seen what else they've had in store for this collection & I have got to say I am pretty excited about what Stila has to offer this summer.

Launch Date: Now available on Stila, Available in May in Ulta & Sephora

Romantic Eye Classic Beauty Shadow Collection

Brand: Too Faced
Price: $35
Store: Sephora & Ulta

Perfectly Lit Powder

Brand: Lorac
Price: $32
Store: Sephora & Ulta

Urban Decay All Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray

Brand: Urban Decay
Price: $9-29 (depending on size)
Store: Sephora & Ulta

Specs: Paraben Free, Oil Free, Dermatologist Tested, Vegan, Cruelty Free, Fragrance Free (ingredients list a fragrance), Allergy Tested

I have been using All Nighter for about two months now. I love it & it has now become an accentual in my kit. The packaging is like a normal spray container with a gorgeous skylit label on it along with product details & list of ingredients on the back. All Nighter has a hint of a clean scent but nothing to over powering. It comes in a nice spray bottle that mists product really well over the face. I have noticed that when you go to spray a few times the sprayer can get stuck due to product buildup. All Nighter is extremely easy to apply. I spritz my face before, to act as a base, & after my makeup application 3-5 times. It really keep my foundation from sliding due to my oily skin. Which is a major plus for anyone with oily skin. Also I have noticed that when I touch my face I don’t get makeup residue on my fingers or when I’m on my phone. It doesn’t quite hold up on the 16 hour makeup wear that is stated on the bottle, more so around 12 hours. When first applied to skin it can feel a bit tacky but after a few minutes this feeling goes away. Also All Nighter doesn’t feel heavy on the skin, its very lightweight & sometimes you don’t even noticed you spritzed your face. When I used All Nighter I have noticed that my makeup looks fresh throughout the day. As if i have just applied it. No hourly touchups needed which saves me so much time.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), SD-Alcohol 39-C, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Isononyl Isononanoate, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Sodium Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, PVP, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Methyl Diisopropyl, Propionamide, Dimethicone PEG-7 Phosphate, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Gluconolacctone, Sodium Benzoate, Glycereth-5 Lactate, Methyl Methacrylate Cross Polymer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Fragrance.

Product: 4/5
 

Value:5/5
 
Ease of Use: 5/5
 
Packaging: 3/5
 

Overall:4.25/5
 

Have any of you tried All Nighter or any of the other Urban Decay Setting Sprays? What were your thoughts on them?

Puss Puss, Neon

American Beauty Show Goodies

These are all the products I snagged at the show. Everything from skincare to haircare to makeup. I will be doing reviews on all of these goodies within the next two weeks.

American Beauty Show in Chicago: Night 2

The night after the American Beauty Show my college, La James International, held a kind of party for us at the Fountain Blue. It was a 1920s theme with great music an amazing meal & of course the best of friends. The building was gorgeous & perfect for a wedding reception. Its on my list for wedding locations. Here are a few pictures of that night.

 Shelby & I

American Beauty Show in Chicago: Day 2

Waking up at 5 am is not the greatest especially if you didn't go to bed till 3am. But still i dragged my hinny out of bed, put on my face & dressed in my college's Chicago trip shirt & some black yoga pants and my favorite Reebok easy tones. Yes comfort was my major concern for the show. I was going to spend hours on my feet walking around a convention so don't blame me. By the way the hotel's breakfast was delicious. There was bacon & eggs & sausage plus bagels and fresh fruit yummy. Made my mouth water al over again just thinking about it.

Anyways I figured I would post the millions of photos I took that day. The American Beauty Show was amazing. I had such a blast and met many people like Ted Gibson, hairstylist from What Not to Wear, Lydia Sarfati, owner of Repechage & Luis Alvarez, Co-Founder of Aquage.

Before we attended the convention we had a little seminar for all the beauty schools attending.

American Beauty Show in Chicago: Day 1

Last Sunday I left for Chicago by bus. It was about a four hour ride. Wow was I exhausted after that ride. I actually gamed the majority of the time since I just recently purchased Pokemon White. Which I am in love with. I cant put it down. It takes up at least 2 hours of my life a day lol. I have three gym badges now but I have been focusing on training & capturing Pokemon more lately. Apologies for the nerd moment.

Missing in Action....

I apologize about the lack of blogs in the past few weeks but it was for a good cause. I have so much to bring to this blog now. I just got back from the America Beauty Show (ABS) in Chicago last night & I am completely exhausted from that trip but I learned so much & walked away with quite a bit of product. Even some exclusive Stila product that isn't even out yet! SNAG! Sorry I am just so excited about this & the ABS really re-jumped my passion for the beauty industry. I have so many pictures & information to get to you guys so within this week I will be doing a set of blogs just about my trip to ABS, all the people I met & the product I rushed to get. So yet again apologies for the lack of updates but it was worth it trust me. By the way I will be trying *crosses fingers* to post every day. That depends on if college retakes over my life like it has lately. But if thats not possible bi-daily will happen. I don't want you readers to be distressed or left out of my life. I am doing everything in my power to give you all that you need & want to know as a consumer in the beauty industry.

love love, neon

PS. I have a few sneak peak photos from a shoot i did a few weeks ago. They will be up soon in my portfolio on the side bar along with a blog talking about my photoshoot experiences that day.

Macadamia Natural Healing Oil Treatment

 

I have been using Macadamia Natural Heating Oil Treatment for almost a year now. Finally had to get another bottle the other day. It really lasted me that long. It's extremely easy to use, just one pump is enough. I use it right after I shower in my damp hair. I work it from root to tip then blow or air dry my hair. This product makes my hair dry faster & easier. Even though its an oil it doesn't weigh my hair down or leave it greasy. It helps give my hair a natural shine, tames my frizz & UV protection to prolong my hair color. It contains no harmful chemicals. Bonus! Its great for any hair type. I started using it because my hair was so chemically damaged & now I can't live without it. My hair has defiantly benefited from this product plus it smells so good, reminds me of the beach. It is the best money I've spent on a hair product. Defiantly my go to hair product.

MAC Quite Cute Collection for Spring 2011

MAC: “CUTE!” The most fanciful, fun and flattering compliment and young, modern trendsetter could ever want! Our version is the girliest kind of international glam possible, a style ride that combines postage-stamp-sized puppies with pixie swizzle-stick fashion and buttergly kisses for cute boys and even cuter shoes! Cupcake icing colors, vintage romance, an ATM card with Hello Kitty on it  and a way of life that says “yes!” to everything adorable!

Come on, get happy, with the multi-culti cutie, from Tokyo to Toronto to Paris with love! Pastel shades for Eye Quads, Lipstick, Plushglass, and Nail Lacquer…And due to popular demand, we’re completely cute-ifying three favourite Lip Pencil shades from last season that will join the fun and frolic. Flash! You’ll ♥ the Mineralize Blush with the sweet heart baked right into it. If it shines, shimmers and pops it’s completely, contagiously, cute!"