Recently..

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted, I have been super busy. Most importantly, I got engaged. So I have begun to plan our wedding. Add that to work and Halloween parties, and that's why I have been m.i.a. Anyways, I figured for the time being until I post something beauty related, I would post some pictures of recent events. Enjoy!

Current favorite lip products

I go through phases with lip products, i.e. bright colors, dark, vampy limps, and so forth, but I always come back to my nudes or nude pink products. The products in this picture include MAC Cremesheen lipstick in Creme Cup and Creme D' Nude, MAC Cremesheen Glass in Boy Bait, MAC Lipglass in Bubble Tea, MAC Tendertone in Tread Gently and NARS Pure Matte lipstick in Madère Let me know your favorite lip products in the comments below!

Rant: Maybelline the Colossal Cat Eyes

I bought his mascara and I'm not going to lie, I just bought it because of the packaging and I typically have great luck with Maybelline mascaras. Unfortunately, this mascara was not up to my standards. This mascara has a claw blush, and it literally felt like I was clawing at my eyeballs. The brush was extremely uncomfortable when applying the mascara. The formula was clumpy after 2 coats. I hate to post 2 rants in one week, but I just wanted to share this before I throw it away. I don't like wasting products, but I will have to trash this mascara. I will continue to try Maybelline mascaras since I love the brand and one bad apple won't spoil the bunch for me.

Rant: L'oreal nail polish in "The Perfect Trench"

I had to post this before anyone goes out and purchases this shade. "The Perfect Trench" is part of L'oreal's London Fall Nail Color Collection. I previously bought "Tea and Crumpets" and "Rainy Piccadilly", both of which are gorgeous in my opinion (posts coming on those polishes soon). But "The Perfect Trench" fell short of what I was expecting. I thought of a warm yellow that would be perfect for fall. However, what I got almost identically resembled the ground mustard I have in my spices (see picture). It took 3 coats to become opaque, applied streaky, but came out thick. If there is any color to avoid in this collection, I would say it would have to be "The Perfect Trench". Let me know if you had any better luck with this color in the comments below.

Lunch for today

Today I made a grilled Swiss and roast beef sandwich topped with lettuce and homegrown tomatoes.

FOTD: glitter eyes

Current loves: Concealers

I took a picture of the current concealers I am using and their brushes; this is how I use them:
*bareMinerals Correcting Concealer in Light 1- I use this to clean up my brows after I use my pencil and powder on them.
*MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW 15- I use this on all my blemishes.
*Milani HD Advanced Concealer- I use this to brighten up my under eyes. I prefer Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer, but I am using this since it was discontinued.
*MAC #217 brush- Although this is typically used to blend out eyeshadows, this is a great brush for blending out concealer and making it look flawless.
*e.l.f. concealer brush- I use this to clean up my brow area.

Sephora sale

Sephora is having an awesome sale going on right now that you don't want to miss! Especially if you are a makeup artist, or an aspiring one like I am, there are plenty of products at awesome discounts. I picked umather Sephora Collection Make Up Artist Brush Belt Set with 15 brushes in it, valued at $422, with an original price of $275, for only $99!! I have personal brushes but I don't have a set that I can use on other people,so this will be perfect. This is the information I grabbed about this set from www.sephora.com:

What it is:
A makeup artist's belt with a range of brushes for your every need.

What you need to know:
Sephora's Brush Belt includes fifteen deluxe, professional brushes that will never leave you at a loss for makeup application. Every brush imaginable is at your fingertips, so you can create a professional makeup look anytime. The brushes come in Sephora's Makeup Artist Brush Belt case, made of easy-to-clean faux leather, with interior nylon pockets on the left and the right that are made to fit all brush sizes, and center pockets designed for a Kabuki brush on top and a bronzer brush underneath. An adjustable strap allows for the belt to be comfortably worn around the waist or over-the-shoulder. When you're done, simply cover brushes with the nylon flap, then fold the belt in half and close with the attached strap.

This set includes:
- Professional Natural Crease Brush #10
- Professional Natural Smudge Brush #11
- Professional Natural All Over Shadow Brush #12
- Professional Natural Medium Eyeshadow Brush #14
- Professional Lash & Eyebrow Comb #21
- Professional Angle Brush #22
- Professionnel Platinum Smokey Eye Brush #24
- Professionnel Platinum Natural Powder Brush #40
- Professionnel Platinum Natural Slant Brush #42
- Professionnel Platinum Natural Fan Brush #43
- Professionnel Platinum Stippling Brush #44
- Professionnel Platinum Concealer Brush #45
- Professionnel Platinum Foundation Brush #47
- Professionnel Platinum Bronzer Brush #48
- Professionnel Platinum Lip Brush #61

I also picked up the tokidoki Arte Palette in Lion Pappa for only $3, original price: $10, $48 value. I got 3 brushes: the Sephora Collection Pro Natural Dome Smudge Brush #13 for $9, originally $20 and 2 Sephora Collection Double-Ended Brow Sculpting Brush for $3 each, originally $18 each. I got one for my personal brush set and then one to use on other people. The items in this sale are going fast, so hurry before the items go out of stock! Let me know if you decide to get anything in the comments below.

Target haul

I know in my last post I said I would try to review some of the products I already owned instead of buying new products. Well... That lasted for about a day. I read some reviews online saying that Target had limited edition Maybelline Color Tattoo shades and all the reviews I saw on them looked promising. So originally, I went to Target to get the 3 colors I had my eyes on (Fuchsia Fever, Test my Teal, and Ready, Set, Green). However, I started browsing through clothes and other beauty related items and came out with more than I had originally gone in for. Since my iPad doesn't let me put the pictures I post in order, I will add a few side notes.
-the Maybelline Color Tattoo shades I got were Fuchsia Fever, Test my Teal, and Ready, Set, Green. There is a bright blue in the shades and i am not sure of the name, but all of the swatches I looked at seemed to make the blue look streaky. These are limited edition as I said before, so if you think you might be interested in them, head to your local Target. These were $5.84 each.
- the brushes in the pictures are e.l.f. brushes with a gold snakeskin pattern. I don't know if these are limited edition or not, but they come in a few colors other than the gold snakeskin. I got the Professional Eye Shadow Brush and the Defining Eye Brush. These were $2 each.
- after seeing a review on the L'oreal nail polish in 'VIP status' on www.temptalia.com, I have been on the hunt for this color. The review stated that this is a unique color with no dupes. When I found this at Target, I knew I had to snatch it up. There will be a review for this along with Rainy Piccadilly and Tea and Crumpets from L'oreal's new collection, London Fall. The polish was $4.99.
- lastly, I snatched up some clothes that were on clearance and some that were on sale. I got two Long and Lean tanks in white and pink ($8 each), a cheetah print shirt ($5.98), two pairs of black leggings ($5 each) and a cute pair of studded shorts ($5.38). Plus an agenda for school ($7).
Hope you enjoyed the haul, reviews coming soon!

Getting ready for fall Haul

Eventually I will review these products, but until then, if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments :)

MAC Mineralized Eyeshadow in Thunder and Rain FOTD

I created a look using MAC's Mineralized Eyeshadow in Thunder and Rain. I found out this duo was limited edition, but I am glad I got my hands on it. However, this look can be recreated with any blue based purple and a silvery grey. Let me know what you think or if you have any other mineralized eyeshadows that you recommend.

Haul & FOTD

This is a small haul over the last few weeks and a look that I did using the NYX Loose Pearl Pigment in Turquoise Pearl and my new Lancôme bronzer (first Lancôme product I've ever bought! And I'm in loooove)

Beauty blogger tag

I found a tag that would help y'all get to know me. Read to find out more about me!

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?
Neither. My hair is wavy, but it is getting more straight the longer I grow it out.


2. What is your natural hair color?
My natural hair color is a dishwater blonde that is really quite unattractive.


3. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?
I get my hair done professionally.


4. How often do you wash your hair?
I have to wash it at least every 2 days, because it's so oily. After day 1, I use dry shampoo. However, this only works during the winter. During the summer, I have to wash it every day or risk looking extremely greasy.


5. Do you wear the same style every day or change it?
I try not to style it often and avoid heat as much as possible since my hair is already damaged enough.

6. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?
I do my nails myself since I can buy a polish cheaper than I would be able to get them done and I get to keep the polish!


7. How often to you change your nail polish?
About once a week


8. Do you polish your toes in the winter, too or just in the summer?
I paint my nails at all times of the year.(


9. How long does it take to put on your makeup?
Typically 30 to 45 minutes, depending on what I am doing my makeup for.


10. What do you do first? Face or eyes?
I do my eyes first so I won't have to worry about messing up my concealer or foundation.


11. Do you "collect" makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?
I definitely collect it.


12. How often do you wear false eyelashes?
I hardly ever wear falsies just because my eyelashes are naturally long.


13. Do you do a full face of makeup every day?
Not every day, sometimes I don't wear any makeup at all!


14. Do you wear makeup when you are home alone (or with family)?
Not typically.


15. Will you leave the house without makeup?
Not by choice, usually because of time constraints.


16. How many high end products do you have?
It's about half and half. If I can find a drugstore dupe that works just as well, I'd rather save my money.


17. How often do you wash your makeup brushes?
I should wash them more, but I have so many that I alternate, so I wash the whole lot about once a month, and use brush cleaner a few times a month.


18. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you are getting dressed?
I do not plan my outfits because I never know what I'll want to wear the next day.

19. How often do you change your handbag?
About once a month.


20. What time do you get up & go to sleep?
During the summer, I stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning and wake up around 9am. When I have school, I go to bed around 11 and wake up around 6:30 am.


21. How often & when do you workout?
I did it a few times a week for a while but since I stay busy,working out is not my top priority.


22. Left-handed or Right-handed?
Right-handed


23. How tall are you?
5'3


24. Do you speak a foreign language?
Nope.


25. How many pets do you have?
1 sugar glider named Bandit, 1 pit bull mix named Roscoe


26. How often are you on Blogger?
Every day


27. Do you read the comments posted blogs?
Sometimes.

28. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?
I sure do. When I see the product on sale, I might buy it.

29. How did you come up with your blog name?
My first initial is A, my last name is Wray, and mua stands for makeup artist


30. What kind of camera do you use for photographs?
I use my phone or my iPad

31. How often do you clean your house? (Daily, weekly, other)
A few times a week and we tidy up in between

32. What is your favorite color?
Grey


33. What is your favorite beauty/fashion magazine?
Cosmo


34. Do you swear?
Like a sailor.


35. What are you doing with the rest of your day?
Birthday shopping for my mom and working.


Everyone is tagged!

FOTD: Sunset Eyes

My week in photos..

*Sunday lunch with my dad, complete with a huge strawberry daiquiri
*Blueberry pancakes made for my boyfriend
*A Pinterest project I started (and actually completed!) which involves freezing the wax out of a used candle to use the jar as a container
*makeup (including pink eyebrows!) done by Julie at MAC Cosmetics in Crabtree Valley Mall for a nice, artistic change

Did you do anything exciting this week? If so, please share in the comments below!

OOTD: Jury Duty

I had jury duty for the last day today. I wore a white 3/4 sleeve length tshirt, pencil skirt from Kohl's, shoes from the mall (I forgot what store)' and a House of Harlow necklace). The dress code was business casual and this is what I wore:

OOTD:bright pants

Love these pants that I got at Marshall's for $20. I don't want to pay an arm and a leg for trends, but the price for these was right on point. Sorry the pictures aren't of my whole outfit.