So I know people...like Edward Bess...and I kind of love him...

(Ladyboss, Edward, moi)

My 23rd birthday was last Thursday (6/17). All I wanted for my birthday was to be pretty (and drunk, but that part came later), so my dear friend and makeup fairy godfather Edward Bess came to my rescue!

My darling Ladyboss and I went to Bergdorf Goodman for some lunchtime fun with Edward. Both of us wanted dramatic looks; Ladyboss wanted smokey eyes and I wanted a 'f*ck me' red lip.

Ladyboss' look utilized Edward's "Eye Love You" set (a smokey grey-taupe eyeshadow trio, sooty black eyeliner, and black mascara), plus Daydream bronzer and Afterglow All Over Seduction. Her pale lips were concealer, Pure Impulse lipstick, and Nude Satin lip gloss. She looked so sultry when Edward was finished with her!

My look was simpler but no less dramatic: a nude-taupe eye with strong black liner, glowing cheeks, and a bold red lip.

This is what Edward used on me: Nude eyeshadow all over my eyes, with Intimate eyeshadow on the lids, and a bit of Dusk in the crease. Black eye liner was heavily applied, as was black mascara. I had the honor of being the first person ever to try Edward's new foundation (coming out in September!), and it's a fabulous cream formula. Some concealer and Daydream bronzer brightened my skin, and Afterglow All Over Seduction highlighted my cheeks and nose. My lips: Natural lip liner, Eternal Passion lipstick, and Warm Flame lip gloss for shine.

A treat for you readers: I have video and high-quality pictures, courtesy of kickass Ladyboss. Enjoy!

This one, I dedicate to Scrangie...

I love Scrangie.

Scrangie represents everything unfulfilled in my life; namely, she has nails to die for, and my nails bloody effin' never grow. Thus, I have never gotten into nail polish.

Talking with her on Twitter showed me that not only is: 1) Scrangie awesome, but also; 2) Scrangie loves bright makeup - and she really loves the Make Up For Ever (MUFE) brights.

She inspired me to pick up #92 and #75 eyeshadows, so this look - and the palette I created for my birthday - is dedicated to her.

Make Up For Ever eyeshadows are creamy, blendable, and PIGMENTED. Seriously, I have never before worked with eyeshadows this pigmented and bright ; really, a little goes a long way with these colors, and they do have a learning curve. The mattes, especially, are to die for; the shimmers are so sophisticated. I'd marry this palette if I could.

My little work-in-progress palette consists of: (in order from L to R, top to bottom rows)

#92 : the infamous bright BRIGHT purple, matte.

#75 : HOT PINK!!, matte

#121 : dark plum, shimmer

#79 : mauvey-plum with a slight shot of gold, shimmer

#136 : pinky-coral-peach, shimmer (this shadow I've had for about 4 years, always used it as blush!)

#84 : gold-gray-green, shimmer (like MAC Greenstroke, but nicer)

#127 : TAUPE, shimmer - but more sheen-y

#129: warm brown, shimmer - but more sheen-y

(swatches are in the same orders they are in my pan - and are WAY more pigmented IRL!)

Today's look combines #92, #75, and #79. I used the beige from the Maybelline Natural Smokes quad as a highlight. #79 went into the inner 2/3 of my lid. #92 went into the outer third and into the crease of my eye. #75 went over #92 on my crease and about 1/4" over the crease. #75 also went on my cheeks, as it makes a fabulous blush!

Here's a silly collection of pictures - sorry, I get bored at work and like taking pics! If you want to know what's on my lips, it's Paul and Joe Lipstick #003 from the current summer collection.

Too Faced Glamour to Go Palette - yay for (sort of) free makeup!

Hi everyone!

I know, it's been forever since I updated. I've been terribly busy - my birthday was this past Thursday and I spent about 4-5 days just celebrating. Plus, work has been frantic.

Luckily, I've acquired a ton of new eyeshadow lately, and I've made a promise to myself to blog more often, so...let's hope for the best!

Today I bring you the newest Sephora Beauty Insider 500pt gift: the Too Faced Catwalk Collection. This set features a Too Faced Glamour to Go palette, with a mini Too Faced Shadow Insurance and a mini Too Faced Lash Injection Pinpoint mascara.

The palette is really quite nice; I was expecting shitty quality, but I was blown away by it! The eyeshadows are extremely pigmented (of course, my Blackberry doesn't take the best pictures) and the blush and lip colors are lovely. The palette is very neutral and perfect for every day - there are two or three shadows that can really punch up a look: a lightly glittery black, a color that looks chartreuse but is really a very yellow gold, and this gorgeous iridescent pink that seems duochrome (it flashes purple and green). This is really the perfect travel palette.

(the best picture I could take while at work)

(first four shadows are the top row, last four shadows are the bottom row - prettier IRL)

(bottom part of the palette; how pretty is that blush?!)

For my EOTD today (which I had like two minutes to do), I swept the the bottom left color (a shimmery pink-beige) from last to brows. Then I added the light silvery taupe color (second from right on the top row) to my lids, and the warm brown (top left) in my crease. I used my Maybelline Natural Smokes quad to line my lids and fill in my brows. Simple and quick, but pretty! My look was finished with mascara, blush, and one of the shimmery glosses in the palette. I highly recommend this!

(see? simple and quick...because yoga never waits! haha)

Summer Breeze, makes me feel fine...

I love any excuse to break out into Seals and Crofts' "Summer Breeze", and today's eyeshadow choice is the perfect excuse for song! I'm wearing Urban Decay's latest palette, Summer of Love.

Summer of Love was a very generous gift from my second adopted mother, Cindy of Prime Beauty. She had reviewed it and decided that it wasn't the best palette for her, but she thought I'd love it. Mother knows best! I really adore this palette.

Summer of Love includes a mini Sin Primer Potion (not pictured, but it's nice enough), four eyeshadows (Flash, Maui Wowie, Chopper, and Smog), and a mini 24/7 liner in Bourbon (a warm, shimmery medium-to-deep bronze-brown). It retails for $29 and I think it's quite nice and worth the money ; I would have purchased it had it not been a gift.

The thing that I love about Urban Decay's eyeshadows are their pigmentation and blendability. The thing that I dislike about Urban Decay's eyeshadows are that the glitter shades have incredibly annoying fallout (meaning that the glitter falls all over your face). There are two glitter shades in this palette: Maui Wowie and Chopper. Maui Wowie is an incredibly gorgeous color: a cool-toned dirty gold, but I had never purchased it because of the glitter. Chopper is a bright and dirty peach color. The two non-glitter shades in this palette are equally gorgeous: Flash is a pretty blue-purple (but a little sheer, which I think makes it easier to use) and Smog is a truly divine bronze color. Honestly, Smog is a must-own eyeshadow color. Just sayin'!

(Smog, Flash, Maui Wowie, and Chopper - swatched over Pixie Epoxy)

Anyway, I am dealing with the glittery shades by using Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy as a base. Pixie Epoxy keeps the glitter on my lid, allowing for the beauty of Maui Wowie and Chopper to shine through, and I adore these two shades as lid colors (the glitter lays flat to create an intense, eye-opening look!). Today, I am wearing Chopper on the inner 2/3 of my lid with Smog in the outer 1/3, and blended into the crease. I lined my bottom lash line with a wide smudge of Flash, for some color and pop against my tanned skin. The effect is sexy, summery, and young. I love it!

(closed eye shot)

My Cherie Dior, pretty (expensive) one that I adore!

Ah, Dior 5 Couleurs palettes, how you mock us with your gorgeous colors, silky textures (whether matte or iridescent), and your high price tags.

I only own a few Dior quints, because I refuse to pay $58 USD if I don't like every single shade in the palette (which happens almost every time a new palette comes out). The four that I have (well, five, but one is mini) are much beloved by me.

My very favorite came out for Fall 2009: #089 Smoky Crystal. I reviewed this palette on Pink Sith when I purchased it, and people really thought it was bizarre that I found this palette warm - warmer, in fact, than the ever-popular Earth Reflections is on me. I don't know, it's a skin tone thing I guess. All I know is that this palette is full of gorgeous greyed colors ranging from a pretty light taupe to bright silver, and a very pretty warm-toned pinkish-purple. I remember my mom oohing and aahing over it during dinner.

Honestly, I wish I had purchased a back-up of this palette. I use it more often that one would think by viewing my picture of it (it's hard for me to capture how worn the surfaces of the shadows are). I even used it when I went to see Lady Gaga in concert back in January!

(gah, don't I look excited to be seeing Gaga?!)

I love these colors because they all work together (today I used all five shadows in one look!), or they work well alone. They are glamorous, shimmery, and versatile. It was well worth the exorbitant price tag. Here's today's EOTD - please ignore my unbelievably vapid expression

(oh no, braindead Joey!)

And Adele, this is for you! It's the best I could do with my Macbook and the lighting at my job!

Drugstore Delights - L.A. Colors 5 Color Metallic Eyeshadows and L'Oreal HIP Metallic Shadow Duos

For the past three days or so, I've been on a drugstore kick and have dug out some old (and affordable) favorites. I don't usually buy drugstore items, so whenever I do, you know that the product is good!

(L'Oreal HIP Metallic Duo in Gunmetal, Paul and Joe Eye Gloss #01, [on top] L.A. Colors Tea Time, [on bottom] L.A. Colors Fabulous)

On Sunday and Monday, I wore two different L.A. Colors 5 Color Metallic Eyeshadow palettes. L.A. Colors is an incredibly underrated drugstore-priced makeup line similar to NYX (it's probably so underrated because it's hard as hell to find). I am particularly smitten with the 5 Color Metallic Eyeshadow palettes, which come in an astonishing range of colors (here's a link to them on Cherry Culture - look how cheap they are!). I own four of these palettes, and I am thrilled with each and every one. The finish of these eyeshadows is incredibly elegant; they are called "metallic", but I find them to be shimmery-iridescent. In fact, I used to call these "the poor woman's Dior quints" on Makeup Alley because they reminded me of the finish of a Dior Iridescent eyeshadow! Seriously, the pigmentation and lasting power of these shadows is high-end.

Sunday's L.A. Colors palette choice was Tea Time (#EP45). Tea Time is - if you want the Dior comparison -reminiscent of the Iridescent Leathers quint. The five (all shimmery) shades are: slightly gold-toned beige, golden-brown-taupe, coppery-gold, deep purple-taupe, and a deep reddish-brown. I wore the gold-toned beige all over my eyes, the golden-brown taupe on my lids, and the deep-purple taupe in the crease. The effect was easy, natural, but glowing.

Monday's L.A. Colors palette choice was Fabulous (#EP25). I was inspired by my lovie Amy over at The Beauty Chick, and her obsessive love of corals. I wanted a brightening coral eye, and this palette delivered. This palette has a pale yellow-gold, a soft coral, a red-plum-brown, a golden copper brown (similar to Clinique Lucky Penny), and a deep pink. This palette could have allowed for some adventure, but I went with a soft wash of the yellow-gold all over my eyes, the coral on the lids, and the golden copper brown in the crease. I paired it with a coral-gold lip and bronze cheeks: I looked so summery!

Today I went for something more dramatic - a smokey green eye with a gold shimmery brow. I used my Paul and Joe eye gloss #5 (expect a review of these on Pink Sith soon!) as a golden base; this eye gloss is a very pretty pale gold with a high shimmer. For my lids and crease (and to smoke out my black eyeliner), I used L'Oreal HIP Metallic Shadow Duo in Gunmetal; the name is totally inaccurate, as these are green colors - the left side is a pretty olive green, and the right is a forest green. I used the olive on my lids, and the forest green in the crease and to smudge my black eyeliner. The effect was sultry and smokey - my ladyboss loved it!

So, what are your thoughts?

Because I've been a bad blogger this week, here are some pretty pictures to make up for it!

Here's a collection of photos that are long overdue. These were used in the past week for my various EOTDs.

Friday's EOTD: Inoui ID #11 palette - I wore this because I was inspired by my favorite blondie Dara over at Belle Du Jour NYC, and her post about looking for the perfect pale sky blue. The blue in this quad is more greyed, which suits my skin tone perfectly.

(Top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right - how divine is that sparkle beige and blue?)

Sunday's EOTD: Maybelline Stylish Smokes quad in #02 Natural Smokes - A purchase from June 2009, this quad has one of the most divine taupes this taupe-addicted bunny has ever seen. The shimmer is hard to capture, but is truly gorgeous. These shadows are creamy and pigmented, and the lasting power is insane. I wore these while tanning in Central Park, and my sweat beads could not make these colors budge. A necessary and cheap addition to anyone's stash, this is one palette I could not live without.

(lawlz, look at my Blackberry Curve's shadow on the left!)

Monday's EOTD: Random Clinique GWP trio - The colors in this trio seem ill-matched, but they work well together. Confetti is a white-pink with a bizarre green shimmer-cast (sort of like MAC Vex). Lucky Penny is a very well-known and very well-loved rosy copper that looks gorgeous on anyone, and the dark brown shade is a pretty red-brown. Perfect for a quick,wide-eyed look.

(Gah, scary Joey knuckles!!)

(ooh, weird green cast! haha)

Thursday's EOTD: Dior Pop Look duo - A birthday gift from a much missed friend, this duo has an extremely pigmented matte red-brown and a gorgeous melon-y shimmer. These palettes are designed to create different looks, and I love to use the melon shimmer in my inner corners, blended into the red-brown. Perfect, perfect summery eye. I wore this alone, with a touch of the melon shimmer as a brow highlight. Pricey at about $37.50, but versatile.

So, here you go! I finally feel caught up. Today I stayed home to clean and do laundry, so I'm bare-faced. Check back tomorrow for my next EOTD!

Today's EOTD, courtesy of Hettie at Paul and Joe Beaute

You know, every time I get my makeup done at Bergdorf Goodman's Paul and Joe Beaute counter, I always get something dramatic or colorful done. Today, I was in the mood for beach-y, tan, and natural. Hettie, the counter manager, did not fail me.

My eyes are a mix of bronzes and browns, and Paul and Joe Pearl Powder #3, a gorgeous orangey-bronze color (I have this at home and will take a picture!). My cheeks are bronzed to perfection, and my lips are #25 lipstick and #10 lipgloss, I believe.

I look like I just rolled off my beach towel, dusted the sand off of my thighs, and went to work. I am in love. What do you think?