REDKEN Color Rebel Hair Makeup

Y'all may have known me long enough to remember my BLONDE PHASE... I remember the ceremonial night perfectly. It was a haze of beer and ASMR as my friend rubbed bleach through my brunette locks. Then midway we ran out of bleach and had to drive to CVS with half my scalp aluminum foiled to buy more... after a couple deep conditionings my hair was fire blonde! The bad news? My mom hated it SO MUCH she sent me to the most expensive salon in town and forced me to have Steve Wynn's hairdresser dye it another more "palatable" platinum shade. Then my already thin hair fell out from the maintenance. Ugh. It was a big fat follicular mess.

Come 2014, I'm back to brown and have a pound of 22 inch extensions installed to cover for my balding scalp. But brown can be so so soooooooo BORING. That's why I went blonde in the first place! (And also I kinda have a Debbie Harry vibe with lighter locks... LITERALLY ME.) Fortunately, HAIR MAKEUP EXISTS DEEZ DAYZ. I'd heard of hair chalk and tinted spray from Claire's, but not the next level of non-permanent color. 

Enter Redken Color Rebel Hair Makeup. Makeup. Is that not the most perfect way to describe a noncommittal color transformation? "Oh, I'm just putting some foundation on my hair -- I'll be out in a minute!" That's literally what Color Rebel is. Foundation. FOR YA HAIRS, PEOPLE. YA HAIRS.

And, like pretty much every Redken hair product, Color Rebel is heaven. You apply it through a sponge connected to a screw-top bottle that releases small rations of liquidy, jelly goodness every time you twist it. The application is extremely clean and the product itself doesn't end up all over your counter, your sink, your mirrors, your car interior, wherever it is you decide to give yourself an existential breakdown makeover... jk. But seriously. It's so easy to manage and even easier to apply. Just screw the top and swipe that shiiiii all over the place!

I tested out violet ("Purple Riot") and red ("Red-y To Rock"). Couldn't resist mixing them together and doing a cray cray Demi Lovato look. When I saw how it turned out I FREEEEEEEEEEEEEKED. I pressed my hand against the glass and let my breath fog up the bathroom mirror as I asked my spankin' new ombre locks "where have you been? All my life?" (Rihanna voice naturally.)


















Forget permanent hair dye and just load up on the tinted makeup. It washes out in two shampoos, so theoretically you could be Nicole Richie over the weekend and Plain Jane by Monday morning, just in time for work.

Watcha think?? Should I make temporary hair color a permanent routine?? Get a couple bottles of your own at Redken's Color Rebel makeup station! Plenty of shades to choose from including "Gilty As Charged" (yellow gold) and "Punked Up Pink" (fuchsia). In the words of a boring blonde who desp needs some hair makeup of her own: LOVES IT.

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Everything is infinite,

Bebe

LASHEM colour strokes brow tint review!

Since my induction into makeup guru-ship (jk) I've learned that my favorite beauty secret is using mascara as a sculpting medium for my eyebrows. The tinted gel lifts every follicle and, like glue or hairspray, hardens them in place. Trouble is, MY EYEBROW HAIRS ARE OBVI NOT JET BLACK. And there's no 'maybe' in question: I'm not born with it -- blame Maybelline. 

As much as I love how effective traditional mascara can be at sculpting, defining, and holding together the specific shape of my eyebrows, I don't love how dark it is, how easily it stains my skin, and how long it takes to dry. Fortunately, there's a product on the market that has all the precision and reliability of a heavy duty mascara but none of the mess. It's Colour Strokes Brow Tint by Lashem!

BEFORE








AFTER

Flake-proof, smudge-proof, and paraben free, this magic wand really does deliver in a few strokes or less. I tested out the brunette shade and it took no more than 10 seconds to apply (per eyebrow of course, anyone who spends less than 10 seconds on both their brows needs to speak to a life coach asap!!) I was surprised to see that the gel itself is a metallic bronze brown -- not dark and matte, but glittery and high-sheen. 

As soon as the brow tint dried in natural light, I died, went to heaven, negotiated with a couple angels and hired a ghost intern to write this post for me. It's a perfect product. Sculpts, lifts, emboldens (have wanted to use that word for a while now) - basically does everything a fancy paintbrush would do. And it's elitist approved!

What do you think of my bare brows versus the finished product?? I can get used to just a few swipes a day... the whole five-step "filling in with eyeshadow first" process feels unjustified now that I know I can do better in less time. 

Thanks for the chance to level up my brow game, Lashem! It's what I do best. ;)

Colour Strokes Brow Tint with Lash Enhancing Serum also comes in Blonde and Raven and retails for $20. Look for Lashem products at Walgreens, Nordstrom, or online: http://www.lashem.com/

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Everything is infinite,

Bebe

NO FILTER: glamour dolls makeup review

Kinda feels like overnight I forfeited my primary role as a fashion blogger and exchanged it for beauty guru instead! Glamour Dolls Makeup privileged me with the opportunity to try out some products and (as their slogan promises) make Barbie jealous. There are honestly only a couple cosmetic brands I trust for lipstick -- Makeup For Ever and Lime Crime. But after trying out Glamour Doll's lip creams and 'gloss snobs' I realize I can break up the monopoly and patronize another team of awesome artisans, too. These lipsticks and glosses are as opaque as paint! I'm used to the slimy, sheer bottled glosses you find at drugstores... and unhealthily familiar with the disappointment that immediately follows sliding a wand across your lips only to see a slightly pigmented residue staring back at you in the mirror. But I'm a beauty guru now, remember? I have standards!! Standards that demand trashing those filmy gobs for high-sheen, high-performance creams and glosses from Glamour Dolls. 







For every shade of lipstick, there's a top coat to match - either in a plastic tube or bottle. 



First I tried a pink lip cream called "Dolls Gone Wild." One word: accurate. I was ready to strip naked in this shade... and take exhibitionist selfies on my Las Vegas balcony. Love me a little matte sex appeal. 



"Dolls Gone Wild" was perfectly complemented by an opaque 'gloss snob' in a mauve shade called "Plastic Heart."



The second lip cream I tried is called "Juicy Melons" -- Jessica, the beaut who arranged this care package, specifically chose this pastel orange shade for me AND a coral lip gloss in "Wildflower" to match!







The third lip cream I tried is called "Karma." Expect to feel the wrath of her bitchier side with this purple shade because you can do NO GOOD looking this intimidating. Combined with the dark purple gloss snob in "Zombie Kiss," I felt more devilish than ever. Vixen is so the look for me. 







I also used the "Gypsy Duo Eyeliner" pencil for contrasting and experimented with a little glitter eyeliner. The silver is called "Kate" and the gold is called "Molly." You can guess which one I'll be wearing to my next rave amirite? ;)









So I have a lipstick, gloss, and eyeliner for every occasion -- parties, weddings, one-night-stands, selfie extravaganzas, you get the gist. Fulfills each of my beauty needs and leaves me with only one question: Barbie, can we at least still be friends?







--------> GLAMOUR DOLLS MAKEUP
Lip Cream: $2.99
Lip Gloss: $3.99
Gloss Snob: $1.99
Gypsy Eyeliner: $1.99
Glitter Liner: $1.99


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Everything is infinite,

Bebe  

billion dollar brows: tutorial and review

Anyone who's followed me and my blog for the past few years can testify that I've made several questionable makeup choices that turned into full blown phases... phases that were often the subject of derisive comments from beauty elitists and miscellaneous instagram haters. My eyebrows are a particularly contentious topic. I used to darken and enlarge them severely. Click on any link from December 2012 in my blog archive and you'll see EXACTLY what I'm talking about. People really don't like it when I challenge beauty standards by tremendously exaggerating features. They get angry (not realizing that such a corrosive attitude doesn't serve them) and harangue me about how I don't look attractive -- and isn't that the point of makeup?? To look attractive? In my opinion, absolutely NOT. Makeup is a tool for change, not standard rectification and reinforcement. But that's a conversation we can have privately on ask.fm. Today, I'm indulging the elitists and doing an eyebrow tutorial that (hopefully) fits right into the 'natural but improved' beauty principle. 

SO, if you're one of those people who'd rather look beautiful than weird and opinionated, you'll benefit from this brief course in ~eyebrow enhancement~ brought to you by Billion Dollar Brows. It's my first time working with a eyebrow kit and, as the haters will tell you, GOD KNOWS I NEED ONE. Not just an eyebrow kit, but an eyebrow makeover, an eyebrow paradigm shift. I need something, anything to save me from my self-imposed proportion crisis. 

Well, Billion Dollar Brows happens to be the Jesus Christ of kits for heathens like me. It saves. Here's how my 4-step baptism went down.



I started out like this. Naked brows in desperate need of reinvention.



First, I applied the "Brow Duo Highlighter" pencil above my brow bone. BROW BONE?? If it weren't for the pamphlet that came with this kit, I wouldn't have known that blending in a light matte cream accentuates the shape (especially arch) of my eyebrow. 



Second, I rubbed in the pencil marks with the smudge brush to keep it clean and cohesive. Noticeable highlighter and concealer is a no-no... everything about the eyebrow should appear effortless. 



Third, I used the brown mechanical "Universal Brow Pencil" to make hair-like strokes, just as the pamphlet advised. I didn't draw outside the lines as per usual and I tried to keep the coloring conservative. The crayon looks extremely realistic and doesn't just 'fill in the empty space' like the dark powdered shadow I formerly used. 



Next, the brush attached to the other end of the crayon smoothed out the rogue hairs and showcased the natural, youthful shape of my brows.





Finally, the clear brow gel. It looks like translucent mascara... and that's exactly what it is. Not only does it hold the brow hairs in place so I can maintain my look all day without having to worry about fading, it makes the entire eyebrow POP. The finished product is bold and firm.





FINISHED.



And with a little extra glam... this is my final form. 



For such a transformative makeup kit, I'd expect to pay the big bucks. But Billion Dollar Brows is available at Kohl's for only 35 dollars, not the billion it's worth. $35 is an affordable price -- but not SO affordable (read: cheap) that you question the quality of the goods. Every tool I used, from the highlighter/concealer duo crayon to the brush tip for smoothing hairs, felt top notch and proved itself with top notch results. 

I hope this review/tutorial was illuminating for some of you! Surely many of my readers will wish that I had this makeover opportunity years ago... but better late than never. Pick up a pack of Billion Dollar Brows Best Sellers at Kohl's if you're still in your December 2012 phase. Take it from me... that shit saves.

Everything is infinite,

Bebe

makeup review: one direction's midnight memories collection

I'm super excited to publish my first ever makeup review! I'm a little camera shy when it comes to recording, so hopefully these progress shots will suffice to illustrate how I achieved #thelook. The makeup kit I'm using is a limited edition set of products from One Direction's new makeup line called "The Looks Collection." Each makeup kit comes in a keepsake tin named after one of three albums: Up All Night, Take Me Home, and Midnight Memories. My palette features the boldest shades of the bunch -- dark and holographic shadows, deep rouge lipstick, fluorescent magenta gloss, and glittering gray nail polish. Together, they create a cosmetic ensemble fit for the craziest concert, wildest after party, or (if you're lucky) tour bus turn-up.



Check out the artistic direction I chose for my face!
❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ 

First, I applied a base layer of foundation and filled in my brows to prep my 'facial canvas.' 



Next, I whipped out the mascara and loaded it on - top and bottom. Didn't expect it to do exactly what I wanted! Love a sweet surprise.



Then, the hard part. Lining my eye with a creamy kohl pencil. 



I chose a semi-pointed smoky blend over a traditional cat-eye. Specific shapes are easier to accomplish with liquid eyeliner, and the pencil works best when you gently rub it in. 



But now the FUN part - painting those lids with shimmering shades of eyeshadow.



I went aaaaall the way and used every color but the glittering peach... we'll save that hue for another day.



Glam time with "Best Song Ever"- the perfect shade of ruby red and a creamy quality texture.



Finally ready to rock n' roll... Zayn where you at when I'm lookin' this good????



And I gotta say it... THAT'S what makes me beautiful. Midnight Memories.



The Looks Collection is available all over America starting August 25th (today!) -- you can pick yours up at Macy's, Dillards, Lord & Taylor, Beauty Brands or Stage Stores. And if you choose another palette, like the electrifying "Up All Night" or girl-next-door-chic "Take Me Home," send me a pic. I'm curious to see what you do with your art!

Everything is infinite,

Bebe

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