If you don’t know who Mariah Leonard is, aka The Gals Guide, stop everything and go check out her channel! She created a challenge where she randomly selects eye shadows, blush, highlight and lip color to inspire creativity and force you to come up with something interesting. When my colors were first chosen I had no idea how I was going to make these shadows work but I did and I LOVED the outcome! I have a feeling this is the first of many times I randomly grab colors to create a makeup look. Life is too short to always wear the same five eye shadows 🙂

PRODUCTS

• NARS Sheer Glow Foundation – Mont Blanc
• Tarte Shape Tape Concealer – Light
• RCMA No Color Powder
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow – Medium Brown
• Makeup Geek Single Shadows – Bitten, Mai Tai, Moondust, Pixie Dust, Purple Rain
• Tarte Lights, Camera Lashes Mascara
• Milani Blush – Luminoso
• Makeup Geek x Kathleen Lights Highlighter Palette
• Colour Pop Cosmetics Lippie Stix – Aquarius

When you’re so excited about a glittery new product that you HAVE to shoot a quick, genuine Get Ready With Me in the morning before work. I think I literally gasped out loud when I saw this Stila glittery goodness in Ulta, as I had been searching for it without success at every Sephora I went to. It was a mildly out of body experience swatching all that shiny, liquid metal on my hand. It was painstaking choosing the right shade but I think I nailed it with this gray, bronzey shade.

PRODUCTS

• Benefit Porefessional Primer
• Covergirl PhotoReady Foundation – 105
• Tarte Shape Tape Concealer – Light
• RCMA No Color Powder
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow – Medium Brown
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder – Dim Light
• MAC Fix+ Spray
• Makeup Geek Eye Shadows – Beaches & Cream, Latte, Stealth
• Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow – Smoldering Satin
• Maybelline Volum’ Express The Colossal Big Shot Mascara – Very Black
• Tarte Park Avenue Princess Bronzer
• Makeup Geek Duochrome highlighter – Lit
• Colour Pop Lippie Stix – Aquarius
• Redken Iron Shape 11
• Kristis Ess Dry Finish Working Texture Spray

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day I am bringing you a seriously beautiful green foiled eye makeup look! I myself am not of Irish descent but I do enjoy a Guinness & corned beef so count me in. I also love any excuse to get creative & fun with my makeup, and holidays are the best excuse maybe ever for this kind of behavior. I can’t get over this foiled pigment though…Marlena you have nailed it once again! As always, use whatever you have to achieve a similar look or just feel inspired by what I’ve slapped on my mug. Love you guys!

PRODUCTS

• Benefit Porefessional
• NARS Sheer Glow Foundation – Mont Blanc
• Maybelline Master Concceal
• Tarte Shape Tape Concealer – Light
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz – Chocolate
• RCMA No Color Powder
• MAC Prep + Prime 24 Hour Extend Eye Base
• Persona Cosmetics Identity Palette
• Urban Decay Electric Palette – Freak
• Makeup Geek Foiled Pigment – Voodoo
• Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Liner – Black
• L’Oreal Primer Mascara
• Maybelline Volum’ Express The Colossal Big Shot Mascara – Very Black
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit – Moonchild
• Tarte Park Avenue Princess Bronzer
• Revlon Blush – Melondrama
• Makeup Geek Plush Matte Lip Cream – Beach Bunny
• MAC Prep + Prime Lip Base
• Redken Iron Shape 11 Thermal Protecting Spray
• Kristen Ess Dry Finish Working Texture Spray

It has been about a week since I filmed my first impression on this foundation which you can watch riiiiiight here! For more thoughts, read below the video.

Everything about this foundation sounds right – hydrating, dewy, great coverage. But I have SUCH mixed reviews on this foundation! While I love the way the foundation sat on my cheeks, I found that it quickly wore off my nose especially and chin. I’ve tried a few different primers but none of them seem to make the foundation adhere to my nostrils (does anyone have a tip for this problem?!). Benefit’s Porefessional has been working ok with this foundation but I still haven’t found the holy grail combination!

I also found that I don’t like either a brush or sponge to apply this product – I actually prefer using my fingers! I never use my fingers to apply foundation but I was getting desperate and I really want to love this foundation so I tried it and I loved the result! Because it is a thinner, lower coverage product it is ideal for applying this way, much like a BB Cream.

PROS:

• Perfect color match
• Thin formula that easily builds
• Lasts well on the places it does stay
• Looks natural on the skin

CONS

• Dropper is not easy to use and doesn’t dispense product consistently
• You need a lot of product! Both my sponge and brush sucked up a considerable amount of product
• Without proper setting it easily comes off

I put together a few alternative Valentine’s Day looks for the Cool Down Blog! The red eye/black lip combo is giving me some serious My Chemical Romance vibes and I dig it BIG TIME! Peep the blog post & video below!

http://cooldownblog.com/valentines-day-makeup-amber-rae-beauty/

Filming a Valentine’s Day look will forever be special to me, as it was the first video I ever uploaded. If you want to check out the cringe-fest that was my first ever video you can peep it here! Anyways, I wanted to use this crazy pretty Stila Magnificent Metals eye shadow I rarely touch & what better excuse to use a pinky, insanely reflective shadow than for the sake of the day of love? If you have time to play with makeup before a date, DO IT! If that’s not your thing, who cares. I know you are just as beautiful without a stitch of makeup on your face & so do your loved ones. Enjoy your day with whoever is lucky enough to spend it with you! xx

PRODUCTS

• Urban Decay Optical Illusion Complexion Primer
• NYX First Base Primer
• Makeup Forever HD Foundation – 117
• MAC Prolongwear Concealer – NW20
• RCMA No Color Powder
• MAC Prep + Prime 24 Hour Extend Eye Base
• Makeup Geek Eye Shadow – Beaches & Cream, Purely Naked, Bitten
• Stila Magnificent Metals Eye Shadow – Kitten
• Kat Von D Tattoo Liner – Trooper
• Maybelline Colossal Big Shot Volum’ Express Mascara
• L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara
• Kat Von D Shade + Light Blush – Piaf + Poe
• Makeup Geek x Kathleen Lights Highlighter – Starlight
• MAC Prep + Prime Lip Primer
• Rimmel Lip Liner – Spice
• NYX Lip Lingerie – Exotic
• MAC Fix+ Spray

Friends! It’s been a minute. I haven’t filmed for a bit because ya know, life happens. We are in the midst of house hunting, trying to cope with politics & catching up on much needed sleep after the holidays. The first video back is using the stunning Persona Cosmetics Identity Palette, which is supposed to be excellent for brown eyes (spoiler alert: IT IS!). I have been following Sona on YouTube forever, and was super stoked when she announced her own cosmetics line. Her aesthetic is sultry, sexy & perfectly blended, so I knew whatever she released would be along those lines. If you want to know how I feel about the palette, watch the video below!

PRODUCTS

• Urban Decay optical Illusion Primer
• Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer – Light
• Makeup Forever HD Foundation – 117
• RCMA No Color Powder
• MAC Prep + Prime 24 Hour Extend Eye Base
• Persona Cosmetics Identity Palette
• MAC Fix+ Spray
• Urban Decay Naked 24/7 Glide-On Double Ended Pencil – Naked 2
• L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara + Primer
• Colourpop Cosmetics Brow Pencil – Bangin’ Brunette
• Becca Pressed Shimmering Skin Perfector – Champagne Pop
• Tarte Bronzer – Park Avenue Princess
• MAC Ariana Grande Lipstick
• NYX Lip Liner – Prune
• Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color – Caviar Couture
• Wet n Wild Photo Focus Setting Spray