I Resove To Have No Resolutions!

New Years time is here once again, it has a habit of doing that. I am that person who aggressively refuses to make a resolution every year. I do not make resolutions, I just do things. I refuse to make promises that when failed will act as another thing to make myself feel bad about. I instead make changes throughout the year, I am the person angry at the gym around new years because when it is usually empty it is filled with New Year one monthers. I guess that if a few of those people keep going in the long run then it is a success. I speak only for myself and my personal motivators. I will also not be making any promises to be a nicer person, every day begins with that opportunity and I have decided that I am happy with my particular mixture of sweet and spice.
I will however take this opportunity to showcase some of my favorite products that although may not all be new 2010 releases were unknown to me until this year. I will also take this time to reiterate my whole reasoning in starting Dollface Factory and that is to have beauty of all kinds recognized. There is no reason for anyone to, for one more day, feel poorly about themselves based on what others find beautiful. The techniques and ideas that I introduce here and through my tutorials are not the “beauty law” but simply ideas and flexible guidelines shared to allow you to explore looks, almost an allowance to play and start viewing your features in different lights and for you to look closely at what is so plainly, beautiful.
My favorite products stumbled upon in 2010
Smith’s Menthol and Eucalyptus Balm by Rosebud Perfume Co. Inc.
I know that this balm in a tin comes in a variety of flavors/scents but this one is my favorite. The menthol scent is soft, not overpowering but noticeable. The shine is glossy and not sticky when you apply it to lips. I also use this as a salve when I burn myself with hair irons, in Beauty school that is often, and on dry weather chapped hands and cuticles. This product is sold at Sephora and Ricky’s stores.
Benefit Erase Paste
My blemishes and under eye circles reach out in praise for this product. I like this creamy concealor for a quick fix to under eye dark circles, thanks Sicilian genetics mixed with my very fair German skin! My advice is to apply thin layers and with a small eyeshadow or concealer brush. The smooth consistency will get heated very quickly with your finger temperature and slide all over otherwise.
Smashbox Photo Op
This illuminator will put a healthy glitterless shimmer wherever you desire. I gently pat with my ring finger a bit above where I apply blush all the way around my eye orbits. This glow takes a night look over the edge, it is so subtle but almost angelic looking. Naughty.
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese
I know it sounds gross as a color name but it is fantastic. I use this glowing white pencil as a shadow base from lash line to brow bone under vanilla and pearl white shadows. I also tap it onto inner corner of my eye to make me look more awake after a long day or night.
NYX loose pigments in all and any color
I love the shimmery pearl colors as a shadow and highlight. Piece of advice, either mix with visene to make a cream shadow or use dry but push the product into your shadow brush and tap on lids, do not swipe. Loose pigments are feisty but I know you are too. They can also be mixes into glosses to create your own custom colors.
Go, Play, New Year, Old Year. Make them all Your Years.

Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain Review

Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain and Balm Review
I am a makeup artist and I am well aware that I am supposed to be programmed to love lipsticks and apply them often. In this aspect I am a huge disappointment to the makeup gods. I will put lipstick on in the am and not reapply it all day. I will even just use a liner and chance looking like a dry flaky mess rather than have to tote and reapply lipstick after I eat or kiss or live.
I like the freedom and options allowed by cosmetic companies as they begin producing second generations of longwear lipsticks and stain formulas. Although these new products come with their pitfalls, dryness and uneven application if not done carefully, I believe that the benefits outweigh the annoyances.
One such product that can be found at most drugstores is Revlon’s Just Bitten Lipstain and Balm. It is a felt tip marker holding a lip stain and the other end is a balm to moisten after coloring. Although I have heard many complaints about the marker-like tip that is used as an applicator, I understand it completely. These stains by themselves have a water like consistency and when applies with a brush or roller applicator are very messy and not very precise. Removing lip stain that has “runneth over” your lip line is like removing hair dye that has dripped its way to your forehead, rub, rub, raw skin rub rub. The felt tip does not bother me in the least. I like that I can easily apply the stain with little mess or fear of going over my own lip line. I also like that I am free to make the pigment more intense by going over my lips a few times if I wish. I will warn you to exfoliate your lips with either a lip scrub or a damp toothbrush rubbed lightly in a circular motion so the stain does not settle in any dry patches. The balm is ok too, It is a tad eraser-ish long and does not retract so it does tend to break or get shaved off if you are an aggressive capper. I also apply balm often and it was soothing to my lips.
I recommend this product that will run you around ten bucks. When I tested it out at work, I received many compliments on the vibrant color (Crave) and had fun attempting to kiss it off on random objects and people. The entertainment alone made it worth it but the freedom to have a pop of lip color without thick or creamy lipsticks to reapply was a welcome addition to my routine.

Take me home or lose me forever, Red Lips

The red lip can be worn with many different eye looks, feel free to pair them with many looks and wardrobe options. Usually the red lip should be the focus of a look, be careful pairing a dark eye like a grey or black smokey eye with such a bold lip, although if you are looking for drama, that is a sure way to get it!
-Lip balm, nothing puts the kibosh on lusty lips like flaky lips.
-Lip liner as close to your lipstick color
-red lipstick, blue undertoned lipsticks work best with a variety of skin tones but don’t shy away from deep berries or dark wine colors either.
-a tissue
-a face powder or translucent powder
-concealor
-lipbrush
-thin concealor brush
Steps
1. Always start with well exfoliated lips, Lush has a killer lip scrub but a toothbrush across the lips with light circular motion will also do the trick
2. Moisturize, rub a balm into your lips but do not leave residue, wipe off what was not absorbed.
3. Sharpen your liner and line your natural lip line. I know that in an ideal world, unlike ours, we all have symmetrical lips. I must tell you, it is ok to go slightly above your natural lipline but be prudish with how much.
4. Fill in your entire lip, upper and lower, with the pencil, this will ensure the longevity of the color.
5. Apply the lipstick with a brush, not from the tube.
6. Blot on one ply of tissue
7. Hold that same ply flush against your lips and using the powder and a fluffy brush powder the tissue that is against your lips.
8. Reapply another coat with the brush
9. Dip your small concealor brush coated lightly in foundation and trace around your lip-iujiline. This will deter bleeding color as well and ensure that the edges of your lips look crisp.

There you go; a correctly executed red lip is like sex walking around on your face. People cannot look away. I disagree when people say that they cannot pull off a red lip. Yes, you can. It just takes the right shade of red and the right amount of spunk. The classic red lip surpasses time and trend.

Snow Day

The Holiday Season has been forced down our throats with the most financially inclined intent. With the season comes seeing many people that we do not get to see as often as we’d like and attending events that may have dress codes that we normally do not adhere to any other time of the year. By dress codes, I of course mean the rich, deep velvets, spicy animal prints, sequins and this year, feathers. Along with our holiday attire needs comes a great opportunity to change up your makeup to fit the festivities; if you are rocking jeans or a brocade strapless number.
As a fan of burlesque looks and any opportunity to be bold and doused in Glitter, the holiday allots me the perfect opportunity to “up the ante” in all of my everyday looks. My advice is to punch up the shimmer, a more sophisticated way to shine than glitter and watch your entire face glow. Use dark red and berry lips to offset your wintry white shadows or sport a fuchsia pout.
I will be explaining two of my favorite holiday looks in this tutorial one is a Golden look with shimmer that can be pared with either a nude, pink or red lip. The second look is a ethereal winter white washed eye that can be pared with the same three lip shades or just a sparkly gloss. The best part of both looks is that they will make your eyes pop and you will look less like you just stumbled out of a last minute toy store run because you forgot to buy your friends kids gifts lol.

Snow Day Look
Materials
-Black eyeliner, liquid and/or pencil
-Black mascara
- off white or pearl white eye shadow with a shimmer for subtle glow or all out showgirl glitter if your personality calls for it.
-a white eyeliner, or cream pencil, your illuminator stick can be used here too.h NYX jumbo pencil in cottage cheese is one of my favs.
-your regular foundation regimen, go dewy or matte
-a highlighter stick or liquid that will add an amazing glow wherever you apply it, or a loose pigment close to your skin tone will work too
-bright blush, I like to pull out the brutal pinks for this
Steps
1. Dab shadow base to thinly coat your eye from lash-line to brow
2. Using a medium sized shadow brush, cover your eye with your pearl or white shadow from lashline to brow, do not skip the brow bone because a shimmery shadow will pick up great light here.
3. Line the upper lashes with a smudgy black liner of a slick liquid liner. Also, use the pencil to line the waterline.
4. Take the same shadow you used on your lids and lie under the bottom lashes and dab some near the tear duct area of your inner eye.
5. Use your highlighter stick or liquid to bring out any area you would like to call special attention to, browbone, eye orbit, upper cheekbone.
Remember, this is the season when your outsides will easily reflect what is going on with your insides. Nothing looks better then feeling your best. The winter weather and life stress is the first to show up written all over that pretty face of yours. Keep hydrated inside and outside with plenty of water and facial creams, get sleep and take vitamins. Feeling good always looks good!

Sexy Smokey Eye Time

Last week I became a wife. The process went smoothly and with little stress as far as the event itself. I was surprised at the frantic nature of the text messages I was receiving from my friends who would be attending our reception the week before the event. The wedding reception took place in a unique venue that brought the sexy. I insisted that my guests as well bring the sexy and dress to feel good and ready to party. My guests, heads set on not letting me down, started their outfit and makeup shopping and constructing their evening looks. This is when my phone began vibrating, hey now, with questions about the mysterious and apparently frustrating smokey eye.
I giggled when my coworkers frantically typed that they looked like Rikki Raccoon and how they wanted to return the smoky eye palettes that they had purchased strictly for my day and support of my own lust for makeup. I enjoyed their enthusiasm and getting these hysterical messages so much that I set up a lunch time beauty lesson with some of my coworkers to quell their fears. I dedicate this smoky eye tutorial to them and all the ladies who fear the smoky eye. Smokey eye, you sly hussy, you win the most feared eye makeup look of the decade.
I want to begin this lesson by mentioning that a smoky eye is like a kiss, nobody does it the same. Some end up being respectful in broad daylight and some are better saved for the dark evening hours in your bedroom but all in all they are all fun and to be played with and there are no rules set it stone.
Your Smokey Supplies-I am a product whore but worry not, I love all good products regardless of price and I will be giving you all sorts of product options and alternatives.
1. Eyeshadow base of your choice.
2. Two brushes, one medium brush to lay the base shadow and a crease brushes, NYX brush b13 and b15 can be used as an example and easily references on NYX website.
3. A vanilla shadow, shimmer or matte, closely one shade lighter than your skin tone would work well. NYX, colors white, nude, pearl, Urban Decay’s Virgin or Sin
4. Grey or silver shadow NYX Deep Charcoal, Frosted Flake, Grey or Urban Decay’s Gunmetal
5. Black or navy shadow NYX Black Sparkle, Deep Space, Navy or Urban Decay Creep. (Any brand’s smoky eye palette will work too as long as there are at least three levels color, light med and dark.
6. Black or navy eyeliner, liquid and pencil
7. Undereye concealer or foundation of your choice
8. Mascara of your choice
9. Nude liner, gloss or lipstick to polish off your look

Steps
1. Apply a light coating of shadow base or foundation on your eye area. This is optional and will elongate the wearing of your shadow and richness of color but I will not lie and tell you I always use base, I don’t.
2. With the larger of your two brushes, apply the lightest color of shadow from eyelash line to eyebrow. Fear not about being overly precise here.
3. Apply the medium color with the same brush just on your lid, go above your eyes natural crease, use a light hand for this step, you can always add more. Fear not if you feel it is too dark; just use a brush with no shadow on it to brush away excess.
4. Now it is time for the Sexy, use your crease brush to pick up some of that dark deep pigment color and prepare to smoke. The secret to the smoky eye is your discretion. Start in the outer crease you your eye and work your way inward. Use small circular strokes to spread the darkest shadow across the lid keeping closest to the lash line, gradually becoming lighter but not going much above your crease.
5. This step is optional and is used to pump the smoky up to another level. Use a small angled brush to smudge a bit of the medium or darkest color to smudge a bit of shadow on the bottom lash line.
6. If at any time you feel the look is to dark, feel free to add some of the lightest color on top or use a clean brush to shade the already on your lid color in the same circular motion, this will pick up excess shadow. The secret to a well blended smoky eye is to shade and smudge the shadow where you want it, this look is not one where you lay down shadow once and leave it as is. The skill is to play with it until you accomplish your desired amount of smoke. I also use a light vanilla color or illumination stick and dab a small amount near the inner tear duct area as a highlight.
7. Use a puffy brush, baby wipe or concealor to clean up the undereye area.
8. Line your upper lash line with the liquid or pencil liner and if desired, line your lower waterine with pencil as well.(Waterline is the area above the bottom lash that contains your tear ducts and runs along the length of your eye) Add mascara to the top lashes.
9. Blush cheeks with a neutral color and do the same with your lips; the eyes should be main focus here.

• I want to the press upon all of you trying this look for the first time that there are no die hard rules here. Play and have fun. Use other colors to smoke if the Black, Blue or Grey is overbearing. Just use the light and medium colors only if you like, use three shades of browns, use greens, blues etc. Leave the liner out if you wish. Have fun. It is makeup and the only goal is to have you feel and look your best and only you can know what is right for your taste.