Fashioning Your Face!

This post is about fashioning your face a.k.a makeup. Here are products I suggest so you can look and feel as great as I do! You may have or haven't tried out these products, so remember that different things work for different people.

Eye Makeup: NYX, MAC, Dior, NARS & Maybelline
As you can tell, these are my favorite brands to use for makeup. I will admit that I don't use a lot of face makeup because I don't like the way it feels on my skin. I mostly emphasize my eyes.

To start off, I use a base on my eyelids. There are two that I use depending on how long I will be wearing my makeup. Plus, one is a lot less expensive than the other and is a cream base as opposed to a liquid base.

The NYX Eye Shadow base in Pearl is the one I use for just simple, everyday eye shadow. It goes for $6.00 at nyxcosemtics.com, but is also available at Ulta Cosmetic stores (along with other NYX products). Just apply a small amount to your eyelid with your fingertip, as if you were applying lip balm. The shine of the minerals adds some sparkle to your eyeshadow.

A more expensive alternative is the NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, which goes for $24 at Sephora. I have a sample size of this that I was given from the store, but I would spend the money on it if I run out. It works very well. If you want all of your eye makeup to stay on for a long day, this stuff will do the trick! Just apply a small amount with the applicator to your lid. After a few seconds of drying, apply your eye makeup.

Next, I apply eyeshadow, but not all over my lid. To give a full-blown effect, you should apply a medium color on your lid, a dark color in your crease, a light color on your brown bone, and a very dark color in the outer corner of your lid. For eyeshadow, I use the NYX Runway Collection eyeshadow palette in Champagne and Caviar. The colors in this palatte are a mix of neutrals and darks. They work great for smokey looks and last pretty long. I find that this brand of shadows goes on really well. There are nine other colors of palettes and all of them go for $9.75 at the company's website as mentioned before.

After applying eye shadow, I apply eyeliner. Eyeliner is a great way to enhance your eyes and nothing works better than MAC eyeliner. I use their Powerpoint Eye Pencil because it's waterproof, goes on very smooth and when you smudge it on your lids, it gives a great effect. These pencils go for $14.50 at maccosmetics.com as well as in their stores. I find that the best color to get is black but grey is also good if you don't want something that's too dark around the eyes. I don't really have cheaper alternative to this because I've been using this type of pencil for years and have found that nothing works better. I usually apply my liner just on my bottom lash line and not my lid. I feel it gives a better effect, especially if you smudge a little black eyeshadow in the corner of your lids.

Lastly, two coats of mascara are a must to make my lashes look thick and dark. My favorite mascara to use is a Dior Diorshow Blackout Waterproof mascara. As reviewed by most fashion and beauty magazines, they are right when they say it is one of the best splurges when purchasing eye makeup. This mascara is exclusively sold at Sephora for $24, but for $18 you can get a sample size of two Dior mascaras by the register. This mascara lasts all day and makes your lashes look their darkest and fullest. It also applies on very well.

A cheaper alternative to this is Maybelline's Colossal Volume Express mascara, which goes for around $6.00 at most drug stores. The brush does add volume to your lashes but be careful, because the mascara tends to clump. It's a good alternative and does the job.

My next post will be on hair, but for now here are the make up products I mentioned above, along with an eyeshot of a look I have done with some of these products:

Celebrity Normalcy

Once in a blue moon, we hear of celebrities doing things us normal people do. As recently as 2007, four actors decided to take a leave from Hollywood and enroll in an education.

The most recent actors to do this are Dylan and Cole Sprouse. Stars of the hit Disney Channel show "Suite Life on Deck", the twin brothers announced in June that they would be wrapping up their show for good and heading to NYU. Each brother had NYU in mind, as well as other schools like Pepperdine University and Otis College, both in California. Dylan said he chose NYU because it's a much bigger and better school than Otis, while his twin chose the school for its study abroad program. Dylan will be majoring in Fine/Studio Arts while Cole will be in the school's Film and Television Productions major. The twins say they're "nervous that they won't know anyone", but I'm nervous that they'll be like the Olsen twins and drop out from the prestigious school.

Another celebrity to take a different route than most teen stars her age is child and teen superstar Dakota Fanning. The actress known for her many film roles from childhood till now, enrolled in Campbell Hall School in North Hollywood, CA. I was unable to find out why she decided to attend a high school, but it may be due to the fact that Ms. Fanning was homeschooled for many years. And diving even more into normalcy, the sixteen year-old was crowned "Homecoming Princess" last year and is a member of the private school's cheerleading squad.

The last celeb in this post is far from being a teenager. A graduate of UCLA, actor James Franco decided to go back to school at age 29 in 2008. He proudly announced on "Saturday Night Live" that he enrolled in Columbia University. Frano also enrolled in NYU's prestigious film school and Brooklyn College to study fiction writing. It is unknown if he is still attending these schools, but what we do know is that he may have gotten a little bored. A picture of Frano asleep during a lecture class surfaced the web last year.

See, everyone! Celebs are really just normal people!

Fashion's Night Out!

Fashion's Night Out is almost here! The kick-off of New York's Fashion Week, Fashion's Night Out is a new, consumer-friendly event that happens once a year all over NYC! Due to the economy being so bad and fashion shows being extremely exclusive, FNO allows everyday people, just like you and me, to explore and see what Fashion Week is all about. On this night, stores will be staying open till about midnight and will be having celebrity appearances and giveaways.

The one event I'm predicting will be huge is the star-studded gala that will be going on at Barneys. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Alexander Wang, the Proenza boys, the sister team of Rodarte and tons more will be there all night doing tons of events. This one has been the most talked-about of the events going on during the evening all around Manhattan.

Some other places you can find celebs and designers:
- Supermodel Bar Rafaeli will be at Armani on 5th Ave.
- Tommy Hilfiger and other authors will be at The Plaza
- Mark Badgley and James Mischka of Badgley Mischka will be at Bergdorf's
- Also at Bergdorf's: Nicole Richie, Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, and fashion designers Monique Lhuillier, Catharine Malandrino, Tom Ford and more!
- Actress Rosario Dawson will be at Bottega Veneta on 5th Ave.
- Designer Carmen Marc Valvo will be signing t-shirts at Lord & Taylor
- Designer Chris Benz will be playing Nintendo Wii at Saks
- Supermodel and "Project Runway" host Heidi Klum will be at Destination Maternity on 57th St.
- Designer Donna Karen will be at her Madison Ave. DKNY store
- Frederic Fekkai of the famous haircare line will be with Marchesa at Bendel's along with socialite Olivia Palmero.
- Kenneth Cole will be at his 5th Ave. store

Okay, so I think you guys get the idea. This is where the runway of Lincoln Center (sorry, no more Bryant Park) takes on NYC. There are TONS more than just these events going on. To check out what's happening in any neighborhood of Manhattan or even any other state or country (this isn't just happening in NYC, but all over the world!), go to www.fashionsnightout.com or check out their Facebook and Twitter pages.

If you are into fashion, do not let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity pass you by. It is something you will never forget.

White T-shirts: My pet peeve

For the longest time, I've been wanting to do a post about how people sometimes do not wear white t-shirts properly. Some girls wear t-shirts that are so see-through, that you can see their black bra. Others like to show people they don't wash their shirts when you see, dry, yellow sweat stains. And some just wear them plain dirty.

Now, I may seem OCD about my white t-shirts, but I thought a little advice would help. I'm not trying to be mean, just honest and helpful.

Don't: Wear any dark, neon or even a white bra under your white t-shirt.
Girls seem to make this mistake all of the time and I don't know why. Maybe they're in bad lighting or something. No matter how thick your shirt is, most white t-shirts are see-through. Wearing a dark colored bra shows you probably don't care about how you look. Sometimes we don't care, but we should in this situation. A bra of some sort of neon color or crazy pattern makes it seem like you want people to see your bra. In my opinion, you should never want people to see your bra. When girls wear a white bra, they probably think it doesn't show through but it does. The solution here is to wear a flesh-toned bra. Flesh tones usually do not show through, but sometimes do. If this type of bra does show through your shirt, you can simply wear a bandeau over your bra (since bandeaus are not made to BE bras). The bandeau should be of a flesh tone or even white, since it's cotton under cotton. Your last resort should be a tank top another color underneath the t-shirt.

Don't leave your white shirts with sweat stains.
Good hygiene is important for everyday living but I've noticed that some people do not bother to wash their white t-shirts. When you sweat, sometimes you have sweat stains. On white fabric, sweat discolors the fabric due to the small amount of urine in your sweat. This turns your white shirt to a nasty yellow. My advice is to be hygienic and WASH YOUR CLOTHES! Or at least use some clinical strength deodorant.

Don't: Wear your white t-shirts with any other sort of stain.
As far as I'm concerned, stained clothing has never been in style unless a designer can make something look like it's supposed to be stained or damaged. However, wearing your white t-shirt that's got a spot or two is gross. I always wash my white t-shirts, stained or not, just in case there is something on it that I don't see. If you do see a stain, make sure you treat it. A good tip: Carry Tide-to-go!

I hope this helps you all!

Movie Review: "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam"

Now that I have told you all about my "Camp Rock 2" adventure, and the movie comes out tomorrow, September 3rd, I thought I'd write a little review about the Disney movie.

"Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" leaves off pretty much where the first "Camp Rock" ended. Mitchie Torres (played by Demi Lovato) and rock star Shane Gray (played by Joe Jonas) are crazy in love and can't wait to build a stronger romantic relationship over the summer. Everything goes off to a great start with the song "Brand New Day", but little does Camp Rock know that there's a new rival in town: Camp Star. Run by rivals of Camp Rock's owner, Camp Star is all about professionalism and making it in the music business. Camp Star even goes so far as to letting anyone at Camp Rock come and be a counselor for higher pay.

As the two camps soon become rivals, Mitchie decides that the camp needs to do something and soon starts the song "Can't Back Down". Mitchie, Shane, and the rest of their friends volunteer to be the counselors and basically take over all of the camp's activites, with Mitchie being in charge. She feels that the camp must work non-stop to prepare for Camp Wars, a televised performance battle between the two camps.

While Shane tries to get Mitchie away from her busy schedule, Nate (portrayed by Nick Jonas) finds a new love in his life, Dana. Dana (played by Chloe Bridges) is a top pianist at Camp Star. But there's a catch: she's the owner's daughter. Nate constantly spies and sneaks across the lake to see her. He even writes her a song called "Introducing Me". The two have amazing chemistry and remind me of how Mitchie and Shane's romance started.

When Camp Wars finally comes, the heat is on. Both camps give a stunning performance, but only one can win.

Overall, this movie is definitely better than the first one. The songs have matured with the performers and there is a ton of dancing. The story has a great message that reaches all ages. And the best thing about this movie, unlike the first (SPOILER ALERT), Mitchie and Shane FINALLY kiss!

Sorry, but I just had to put that in there.

So, tomorrow, gather around and have a "Camp Rock 2" party because, just like their song, "It's On!"

"Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" World Premiere

I've been a terrible blogger and haven't updated this in a few months. I promise I have some very exciting news to tell you all and I think you will enjoy it.

The one event I've been wanting to post about is the "Camp Rock 2" world premiere, which I was invited to and did get to attend. The event was THE highlight of my summer. Thanks to the Jonas Brothers' fanclub, Team Jonas, I was awarded tickets to the Disney-esque event that took place on Aug. 18th, 2010 at Lincoln Center.

Just about everyone from the movie was there, including Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers. Though I did get to walk the red carpet, I didn't get to walk the same one the stars did. Instead, we, meaning the guests, were forced inside the glass walls of the Alice Tully Hall lobby to watch the celebrities get interviewed by the press.

Minutes after press time, everyone was escorted into the main theatre. The fact that I was in the same room with my favorite band and role model made me want to get out of my chair and scream like a little girl.

The movie started and was great. I won't say anything about it now, but I will have a separate review about the movie. Though I will say, it's a lot better than the first one.

When the movie was over, everyone thought that the event was done. But Disney had something up their sleeve. Something BIG. A special performance.

WHAT?! (that was my reaction). I was sitting front row center and seeing Demi Lovato along with the cast dancing and singing their butts off. I had never been this close in any concert I've been too. I was so close that (not to sound gross), but I could see up Demi's skirt.

So Demi and the cast perform and I think, "Oh, cool. That was amazing." Nope, there's more. The curtain behind her dropped and there stood three of the most beautiful people I've ever seen: The Jonas Brothers.

I couldn't help but shake because for years I had wanted to be front row at one of their concerts. This wasn't exactly a concert but it was close to one. The guys performed "Heart and Soul" from the movie we had just seen along with "Play My Music" from the first "Camp Rock" movie and their own song, "Lovebug". Demi came out and sang "Wouldn't Change A Thing" with Joe Jonas, a duet sung in the movie by their characters Mitchie and Shane. To end the performance, the other performers came out and sang "This Is Our Song", which happens to also be the closing song in the movie.

The night was one of the best nights of my life. Not only did Joe Jonas touch my left hand (*sighs and faints*), but I got to see a brand new movie, sing a long with my favorite musicians and even get free "Camp Rock" merchandise! Here are some pictures from the event: