I'm rocking gray nails!

Today I bought Maybelline Forever Strong nailpolish in Couture Grey # 800. - a gray nailpolish.
I've seen so many girls rock this, but I've been thinking it's not for me. Why? Because I'm not 25 years of age and obviously can't get away with everything anymore.. and second, my style is pretty classical so I thought a gray color would crash with my style and make me look like a rock chick.. haha (oh the horror! lol)

But after applying this nailpolish to one nail I really liked it.
After applying this nailpolish to all my nails, I LOVED it! It looks amazing! I think I can totally pull this off with a suit too!

Now all I need are some cool gray leather boots to go with my nailpolish...

Verdict:
Love it! Totally recommend this even for those of you who usually opt for French manicure :)

I got my ring!!

I got my little parcel in the mail today! My ring is here!!(my blog post on the ring)

It comes in this really cute box and is placed in a tiny zippered plastic bag. Along with the parcel was a note from the seller saying how to take care of the ring etc. Everything is just so adorable and cute and I LOVE my ring!!!!
It's sterling silver and has a fresh water pearl.

I was sure I would love it, but you never know when you haven't seen it in real life, right?

So if you love pearls or have a girl friend who does - this is the perfect gift!!
6 stars from me!




Click on me to go to Mu-Yin's Yewelry shop!

Mac eyeshadow collection - updated

You probably know by now that I'm slightly obsessed about Mac eyeshadows... When I see that Mac stand with all the colors - I'm like a child in a candy store!


This is an updated entry on my Mac eyeshadows - and yes, the dividers are back in!! The palettes looks so much prettier when them in! (I'm so OCD about this...)
This time I wrote the name of the eyeshadow on the colors so it's easier to read in case you are curious about a few colors ;)

I also have to point out that this is not to show off or brag about my stuff. Keep in mind I work as a makeup artist (freelance) so this is for work too!

As far as organizing the palettes... that's science! SO difficult! Some colors are in between two: purple-brown, brown-grey, blue-gray etc. so it's difficult to place them, but this is how I have organized them so far:

PINK/YELLOW/GOLD

HIGHLIGHTS

BROWN MATTE

BROWN SHIMMER:

PURPLE/PLUM

GREEN/TURQUOISE

BLUE/GRAY/BLACK

I probably should have cleaned my palettes before I took these pictures.. but I forgot! Sorry. I clean them before a job though, so I'm not a total mess ;)

FOTD - Brown office look

I wasn't going to do a FOTD entry today, but while eating breakfast this morning (at 6 am!!!) I thought, why not take a picture of my "office face"?
So here it is!

Face:
Shisheido stick foundation
Mac msf Medium deep to set the foundation
Clinique cream blush in Rosy Blush
Mac msf Soft and Gentle as highlight
Helena Rubenstein concealer and Benefit's Boing on top (the HR didn't cut it today!)







Eyes:
Guerlian eyeshadow primer
Mac Brule all over the lid
Mac White Frost in tear duct and inner corner
Mac Style snob all over the eye and a little bit above the crease
Mac Magnetic Fields in the outer corner
Estee Lauder eyelash primer
YSL Faux Cils mascara
Mac eyeliner in Smolder

Lips:
Maybelline lipstick in Sweet pink

You Tubers in Norwegian press

I just opened up a new magazine and saw sweet Marlena featured in a little article on You Tube gurus worth watching. Yey!
She's an amazing makeup artist and she's got some great videos on basic makeup techniques for inspiring makeup artists. She's also got an adorable personality! Love her.

Here's her You Tube channel: MakeupGeekTV
Here's her web page: Makeup Geek





Magazine: Kamille, no 19 - 2009, page10

Mac store in Oslo

So this is how the Mac store in Oslo looks like! It's a "semi-pro" store, meaning it's pro - but it doesn''t have all the pro products unfortunately.
I was standing outside the Mac store on Thursday morning waiting for the store to open, so I took a picture of it and twittered about it in stead. ;) Sorry for the poor quality of the picture.
I guess most (or all?) Mac stores look pretty much the same though..

We now have three Mac stores in Norway: Oslo, Stavanger and Bergen. Hopefully they'll get one in the town I live in now too one day...

The great thing is that you can phone in your order, no matter where you live in the country. I've done that several times. You pay a flat rate of 200 Norwegian kroners ($ 33) in shipping and handling fees, and you can order as much as you want. You pay for the makeup and the shipping when you pick it up at the post office ("Postoppkrav").

I'm still waiting to get all my papers together to apply for the Mac Pro Card... It's basically useless here in Norway, but I can use it when I travel to England or other countries and get a discount. Yey for discounts! ;)

Mac brush 225

This is not a review of the Mac 225 brush (because I've only had it a few days), but more to show you a comparison to a couple of other brushes.

I Googled this brush and it seems like this is a discontinued brush, but a brush that still can be found in several Mac stores, CCO's and All Cosmetics Wholesale. It retails $38, but at All Cosmetics Wholesale you can get it for $25. I love this brush so much that I think I want to get a couple more of them.


As you can see from the picture it's a huge 224 brush basically. The brush on the right of it is the Mac 165 - just to give you an idea of the size.

I've read on blogs etc. how people use this brush and this seems to be an all purpose brush. It's great for:
* All over eyeshadow
* Applying concealer
* Highlighter on your cheekbones
* Cream blush
* Conctouring (especially down the bridge of the nose where you need a more tapered brush).
I own a brush that comes a little bit close to it in size and that is Coastal Scent's Pink Blending Fluff Brush ($ 1.99) (in the picture above). The Pink Fluff Brush is not as soft (or it would probably be as expensive as the Mac one...), but still a great brush for it's price.

Verdict:
This brush is a must-have for me! Mac doesn't have any brushes like this in the permanent collection, so if you have the opportunity to get it, I would!
If you are an inspiring makeup artist - or if you are a makeup artist: run and get it!!! ;)

Mac Haul - swatches + a mini haul

I thought I had seen that color before.... :P

As you can see, Satellite Dreams from my Mac haul this weekend is a dupe for Fashion Groupie (which is a LE e/s).

Mac colors usually swatch the way they look in the pan, and this is no exception. They are pretty much the same thing!

It's a really beautiful purple color that I will use a lot, but had I known that I wouldn't have bought Satellite Dreams....


If there are any differences what so ever, it must be that Satellite Dreams seems to be a tad more bluish - but can you really tell?








Here are the two Maybelline lipsticks I got:
On the left: 162 Feel pink
On the right: 132 Sweet pink

Airport Haul:

At the airport today I had to pick up a couple of things and I got a double pack of YSL Faux Cils mascara (I always but this at tax free. So much more cheaper), and a Clinique eyeshadow and lip palette. How cute is that!! I love palettes and this is tiny with a big mirror, an applicator for the shadow and lip pencil for the lipsticks. Great to throw in my purse to touch up my makeup at work, for the weekend or when you can't bring a long a big bag of makeup.

4 pinkish lipsticks and 4 eyeshadows.

Mac haul + Maybelline

This weekend I've been visiting my mom - all alone without any kids! I've been away from my baby for the first time (for fours days!!) which has been a little sad, but it's been nice to have some alone time with girl friends too.
I have tried to meet as many of my friends as possible while I've been here, but time just flies by so unfortunately I haven't been able to meet up with everyone. Hopefully next time I will! :)

Anyway, I went to the Mac pro store and was so excited to get the new quads from the Makeup Art collection. I have to say I was slightly disappointed when I saw the colors. I didn't think any of the colors were unique. The only unique color in my opinion was the Noteriety eyeshadow. So, I didn't get any of them - believe it or not!
I did get a few new ones that I thought were lacking in my collection though + some other goodies:

1. Mac brush 225. OMG!! Where has this brush been all my life?? I didn't know this existed! My new favorite brush to use for a all an all over wash of base color (like Brulé). Mac 224's big sister for reference

2. Mac 266. I've been wanting this for a long time to use for eyebrows. Love it! (although I hear the Sigma dupe is better....)

3. Maybelline Color sensational lipstick (I got two) in 132 Sweet Pink - a light sheer pink with some shimmer. Really pretty pale pink, but I'm too tanned to use this.. (read: I look like a porn star)
162 Feel Pink. A super pretty midtone pink. Glossy, but matte- My favorite of the two.
I didn't bring my camera with my so the pictures I took of these lipstick were really bad. I'll post swatches when I get home :)



4. Face and Body Foundation.
I got this in C4 (this is a good match if you have a cool, beige or pinkish skin color in Mac 25-35). I've heard so much of this foundation, so I finally got it! What makes

this foundation so unique is that it's:
* water proofed (tear proofed for brides!!)
* buildable
* leaves your skin looking dewy
* you can use this on your body (hence the name).

I haven't been able to use it, so I can't say what I think of it yet. If any of you have got this; what do you think of this foundation?


5. Mac Digit e/s. A pale lavender with shimmer (satin). I absolutely love this color and think this is a must-have color for makeup artists and brown-eyed girls. This is amazing on brown and green eyes (brown especially) for a highlight in the tear duct or just above the pupil (middle of the eyelid). Makes brown eyes pop!

6. Mac Violet trance e/s. This is a limited edition color that came out with Color Art collection. I love this color. Amazing to use as an eyeliner for brown and green eyes or a bright purple look.

7. Mac Filament e/s. "Platinum silver" is Mac's description of this... I would say it's more beige...? I'm not sure why I got this color.. I think I already have a few that looks like it :/

8. Mac Brulé e/s. This color I use on 95% of all my clients. I have hit pan a long time ago on the one I've got in my palette, so I had to get a new one. A must-have for ever anyone to use either as an all over wash of color or a matte highlight if you have a darker skin tone.

9. Mac Nehru e/s. How can I NOT get Kim Kardashian's favorite Mac eyeshadow? Ha ha. It really looks like carbon, but it is a super dark bluish-black matte color. I don't know if I can see the blue... but pretty non the less ;)

10. Mac Prussian e/s. Another color I don't know why I haven't bought a long time ago. This is a matte dark blue color.

11. Mac Satellite Dreams e/s. A neutral plum/purple color with some shimmer. I'm pretty sure I already own a color like this... (Fashion Groupie?) I will have to check that out when I get home to my palettes (I only brought with me one palette). The only reason I got this is because the Mac girl said this was a super popular color in Norway and that "everyone buy this". - And yes, I would jump off a cliff if everyone else did it. ;) haha

So, there's my haul from the weekend! I'm very happy about it.
I think my Mac eyeshadow collection counts 88 now! :O (please don't do the math...)

Pearls for ever!

I was browsing for "wedding inspiration pictures" on Google picture and came across this ring.

It's handmade, sterling silver with a huge freshwater pearl. - And it's so cheap! ($ 17.45 including shipping to Norway)

I HAD to have it, so it's on it's way and will sit perfectly on my ring finger :)

Take a look at this seller on Etsy. She's got so many cute rings and jewelry! Mu-Yin Jewelry

10 makeup tricks and tips!

How I love learning new makeup tips and tricks and telling others! That's one thing women love to hear when I have makeup classes, so here are 10:

1. Ever bought a lipstick after swatching it at the makeup counter, then to come home and find out it looks completely different on your lips? Try swatching on your fingertips and not the back of your hand. The fingertips have a more reddish color like your lips and will give you a more true color.

2. Apply foundation before applying concealer. That way you can tell what spots on your face will require more cover-up than just your foundation. Maybe the foundation was enough in certain places?3. For an eye-lift: apply a lighter color foundation or concealer on top of your eyebrow's arch. Blend well so that it will just have a highlighted effect (no shimmer or glitter!) and give the illusion of a lifted eye.

4. Want to make your face look slimmer? Concentrate on making your eyes and lips look bigger so they will draw the attention.

5. To make your lips look more plump; add a clear gloss in the middle of your lips or a highlight color (a white shimmery eyeshadow, eyeliner, cream base from Mac etc).

6. For eyeliner with staying power (especially water line): First use an eyeliner, then add an eyeshadow in the same color on top with a thin brush. OR, use your small eyeliner brush and dip it in your water proofed mascara to draw a thin line by your lashline. To soften the look, add an eyeshadow on top (will also help to seal the eyeliner).
7. How to always have a perfect matching foundation to your skin color? Buy your foundation in two shades: as tanned as you get in the Summer and as pale as you are in winter. For everything in between: blend to the perfect match!

8. For fuller lashes: apply a thin coat of powder on your lids before applying mascara. Repeat if you want even fuller lashes.

9. To remove excess lipstick so it wont stain your teeth, close your lips around your finger and pull the finger out. The excess lipstick is now on your finger in stead!

10. Apply your under eye concealer with a fluffy brush. That way you will get a more air-brushed look. The brush wont tug on the thin under eye skin and you are able to build the coverage a lot better. Brush examples: Mac 224 and 217

Tag: Eight things!

8 things I'm looking forward to:
(in random order)

1. Loosing my last pounds/kg and feeling great!! (and eating food other than eggs...)
2. Fall/ Autumn when it gets dark at night and I can cozy by the fireplace :)
3. My birthday, ocotber 3rd! Going out with my fiancé for dinner and a movie! ♥ (hoping for a great pressie from him... but he's a little gift-challenged....My very first gift was a suit case! lol)
4. Going to Oslo in two weeks without any kids! Going to meet up with girlfriends, shop at Mac, Bobbi Brown and Zara
5. Going to London with Hege!!! - Meeting my girl Anna (the Style Diet) ♥
6. Making my shopping list of must-haves for London!
7. Christmas!!! OMG! I'm such a Christmas-person!!! Love, love, love!!
8. My baby's first birthday, October 10th! Aw.... ♥


8 things I did yesterday:

1. Woke up at 5:45 to be at work at 7! *yawn*
2. Tweeted way !too much about all sorts of randomness... (sorry followers!!)
3. Promised myself I would have 2 cups of coffee, but had 5!
4. Was in a meeting with my boss and answered a question by "uuuuuhhhhh......" lol
5. Had scrambled eggs for dinner because I couldn't think of anything else to make
6. Applied Lilash twice (I don't think you're supposed to do that...) Nothing happened though
7. Decided to start using ONE computer at a time at work. I prefer two, but it takes up space
8. Went to bed at 10! Sooo tired and I had to get up at 5:45 again this morning.


8 things I wish I could do:

1. Live on chewy chocolate chip cookies and cookie dough ice cream without gaining weight!
2. Stay at my dad's house in Kenya for at least three weeks!
3. Move to another country for a couple of years. Love living abroad!
4. Become a really confident business woman! (I'm a business woman without the confidence..lol)
5. Win the lottery!! I do believe money CAN make you happy!
6. Go to a meet-up with all the YT and Twitter girls :) Yey!
7. Get a lot of new clients for my makeup-artist work in this town.
8. Wish I would one love making food...


8 shows I watch:

1. The closer. OH, how I adore the leading lady and her HUGE purse she carries with her everywhere! lol
2. The Apprentice. Love it! (The American version).
3. Greek. My new TV show love! I have a love-hate relationship to this though because it makes me miss Uni SOOO much!!! Kids! Stay in school! Don't graduate and get married! lol
4. In plain Sight. Love this tough woman and her sarcasm.
5. Lost. Waiting on the last season to begin at new years!
6. Gossip Girl. Not as intriguing as it used to be, but I'll watch one more season.
7. ANTM (America's Next Top Model). Love watching pretty girls! I do. Love watching the cattiness and bitchyness too and once in a while Tyra going bonkers! lol
8. The Dollhouse.
9. Honorary mention: Lipstick Jungle!!! So much better than Sex and the City. - But then again I haven't watched a lot of that... don't like it. This is full of beautiful women with awesome sense of style. Perfect makeup, outfits, accessories, hair... And it got canceled!!!

Lipstick Jungle

I am tagging the following beautiful ladies:

The Style Diet
Bubblegarm
Yorkieluvs
All the Vanity
Miss Natty's Beauty Diary
That One Girl

- and everyone who wants to do it!

Ins and Outs!

Ins:

Green Tea
I'm switching over to green tea in stead of all my cups of coffeeMoisturize, moisturize, moisturize!

As the weather is getting colder and we are turning on the heat inside, the temperature difference will dry out your skin! Moisturize inside and out: lots of water and good creams!

Low carb/low GI foods
I'm not saying good bye to all processed foods, but the majority of it. Food with sugar and wheat will only make me bloated and make me gain weight, so this has got to go

Finding healthy role models
Deanna Pappa - the bachelorette. I just think she is so beautiful and she has this perfect female curvy body. I would much rather have this body than a stick thin one! (I know my fiancé agrees with that too)

Mac eyeshadows
Oh, shocker! Yes, I'm still obessing..

Tan
In moderation of course, but I must say I feel a hundred times better with a slight tan. And tan from a sun bed will give me a dose of energy during those dark Nordic months coming up.

Saving money!
This is a new... I'm actually going to save money for my London trip coming up!

Lilash!
I don't have to tell you why I love this product! (hint: see last blog post...)

Accessories
Add some new ear rings, necklace and a scarf and you will make any old outfit look new!
Great when saving money ;)


Outs:

Tan in a bottle!
I know a lot of you have tan in a bottle are your "in", but I'm over this phase.. Frankly, I'm tired of seeing the tan on my white tops and sheets. I love my sun bed! (I don't do it too often though. Have to mind those lines and wrinkles ;))Sugar
Sugar is the Devil I tell you.... Never mind the fat, it's the sugar that is evil and make you fell crappy inside and will ruin your teeth. Of course we need to indulge once in a while, but all in moderation! I'm keeping it to once a week.


Buying new products before I even finish up the first one
This is a bad problem for me. I have an "issue" of some sorts when it comes to finishing up a product. I'm so scared to use things up! So I don't. I just keep buying new stuff... This is out!


Bad back!
I can tell on my back when I haven't been working out in a while, and my back isn't good these days! Bad back out - working out in!


Thin, chipped nails
I'm going to have to take some supplement for this now. All of a sudden my nails are so frail!! Hate that!


Inspired by Bubblegarm, I pass on the question: what are your ins and outs?

Lilash update

Can you tell which is the before and after picture? Omg, I laughed so much when I saw these pictures! What a difference!!!

I have used Lilash since July 11th - so almost two months now. I'm starting to experience what I've heard others say before me, that my lashes are becoming a bit unruly because of the length. It's more difficult to make then look nice and tidy with mascara on, because they just want to go in every direction! lol Maybe a luxury problem?

I'm still not using Lilash on my bottom lashes. Long dark lashes on your lower lid will give the illusion of pulling your eye down making you look tired and older. We don't like that!



















As you might see in the pictures, the lashes aren't all growing in the same length, but I don't mind having wispy lashes ;).

I've also had people ask me if Lilash makes the lashes thicker. No, at least not mine.
I'm considering moving on to a mascara that gives more body than length since I all of a sudden have long lashes. I think Dior Show is good at that.


Verdict month two:
This has been so worth the money! Like the other You Tube and Twitter girls who started using this before me, I think this is a HG (Holy Grail) product that I will be using forever!

Been a little busy-bee!

I've felt so bad for not having blogged in such a long time, but I've been soooo busy and even more tired.
The reason being my son's confirmation! Big, huge day for him and the entire family. I was cooking (tapas) for 25 people and baking lots of cakes, and then there's decorations, speaches, making songs etc etc.. All the typical things for a Norwegian confirmation.

Can't believe my baby is 15 years old!
Can't believe I have a 15 year old!!! Lol

Oh yea, and same week as all this happened, I went back to work. That has been a big adjustment for myself and my baby. She's very resilient and a really happy baby so she's coped with the change very well. But she's still just a baby (almost 11 months) so it's hard for me not to be with her all day getting to experience all those "firsts" and cute things she does.
But, that is the price we pay for having children! Thank God they do okay and grow up to be happy little people ♥