Sale Alert!

Old Navy in Bismarck is having a 50% of the clearance sale. I bought 4 t-shirts in fall colors and a tank. The highest price shirt was 4$ and the tank top was $1.23. I love buying things for $1.23. As of yesterday, the mediums and larges (which sell out first) still had a fairly good selection.

Lipfinity 3D Maxwear Lipcolor Review

Lipfinity 3D Maxwear Lipcolor At least that's what I assume mine is. I threw away the box, but this is the only product that looks even close on their website.
Experience with stay on lipstick: I've used several brands. I love stay on lipstick. I hate reapplying make-up. I've never met a stay on lipstick I hated before. Well, I have hated a few colors, but not the lipstick itself.



My rating: 0 out of 5 sit and spins.
What I like about it: Nothing.
What I hate about it. It doesn't look glossy or shimmery. The look is flat out greasy, greasy, greasy, greasy. I never kept the lipstick on for more then a minute. I hated the lipstick so much I never wore it. I thought I could possibly salvage it using the first step lipstick and a regular lip gloss for the second step. No dice. They ended up in the trash can without ever being worn. I'm glad I bought these on clearance.
Would I buy this again? No way.

I meant to casually mention that the lipstick looks like you've been bobbin' for fried chicken in the video. Well, I mentioned it a might more then I'd planned and I don't know why I don't iron that sheet either.

Using you BEK remote

* I posted this last night. This morning a got a letter saying the DVR is coming very soon. Oh well, the second two tutorials are still useful. :)
Here are a few helpful tips for using you remote if you subscribe to BEK cable. Since the fall TV season is starting and BEK still doesn't have DVR, I've added instructions on how to record with your VCR.
If you don't want to scroll past the block of kid's channels, the block of religious channels, etc. you can set up your own guide. In fact you could set up more then one guide. One for you, one for your hubby,... The downside to having several guides is that the remote is super sensitive. When changing between a list of several guides, you may accidentally jump right past your guide. You may prefer only one custom guide for your whole family. I highly recommend setting up a custom guide.
The last tutorial is how to access your TV's menu using the BEK remote. Then you can use your TV's sleep settings, closed caption settings, adjust the picture, etc.

How to Record
1. Set up your VCR to record. Set your VCR to record the channel your cable box is set to. The channel number is located on the bottom of your remote underneath the PurpleBEK logo on your remote. Set your VCR to record this channel no matter what channel your program is on.
2. Set your television to change the channel when it is time to record. Your VCR will only record the channel you are watching. If someone happens to be watching TV and changes the channel to America's Funniest Home Videos, that's what you will be recording. Your VCR will still record if your TV is off.
A) Press Guide.
B) Scroll to find the channel of program you want to record.
C) Press the circular red button labeled multiscreen. It is located just below the left/right/up/down/ arrows that surround the OK button. This will activate your Guide Per Channel.
D) Scroll down until you find the show you want to record. Only the next two days programing will be shown. You can not do this more then 2 days prior to recording. When you find the show you would like to record, press Info. This is a circular gray button right of the left/right/up/down/OK circle.
E) Scroll down until Reminders is highlighted. Press OK.
F) Save & Exit should be highlighted. Make sure it says Yes on the right side of the screen. Press OK.
G) Press Exit. The show you want to record should now have clock beside it. If you see this, you have been successful. Press either Exit (bottom left of the left/right/up/down/OK) or Live TV (top right of the left/right/up/down/OK). If the clock is not there, go back to step D where it says to press Info.

Might I also suggest Hulu.com. They have full episodes of many TV shows. And you can skip this whole complicated process.

How to set up a guide (or several guides)
1. Press Menu. (it's a rectangular gray button above the left/right/up/down/OK circle) Scroll down to Account Info/Settings and press the right arrow of the left/right/up/down/OK circle.
2. Scroll down until it says Favorites. Press the right arrow on the left/right/up/down/OK.
3. Scroll down to New and hit OK.
4. A blue menu with letters will appear. Type in the name of your guide. Your first (or last) name is a good name. Or you could name it after me. :) Move the box so it surrounds the letter you want and press OK. When your name is finished, highlight Done and click OK.
5. A new menu will appear with the list of all the channels. Press the right arrow to highlight the channel list. Press OK to add any channel you would like on your list. If a channel is added it will say On by that channel instead of Off. Scroll up and down (up and down arrows) to find all the channels you would like to add to your guide.
6. When all the channels you would like on your guide are added (say On beside them), press the left arrow. Save & Exit should be highlighted. Press OK. You have completed your guide. Press either Exit (bottom left of the left/right/up/down/OK circle) or Live TV (top right of the left/right/up/down/OK circle).
7. To add another Guide, begin again.

Access the Guide you just added:
A) Press Guide. This Should bring up your guide. In the top left corner of your TV there should be a purple circle that says BEK TV. Below that is a black bar that extends across the entire screen. The black bar has today's date followed by three times (Example 9:00AM 9:30AM 10:00AM). Directly above today's date and below the purpleBEK TV circle it should say My Guide: in white writing. To the right of My Guide: there will be a word in blue. If it says:

All-a list of all the channels you could possibly be subscribed to.
Subscribed- A list of ll the channels you are currently subscribed to.
Your First Name (or whatever you named your guide)-A list of only the channels you add to your guide.

B) If you do not have the Guide you'd like (Example: It says All and you want Your Guide), press the Guide button again. Continue pressing the Guide button until you have the guide you'd like. Now you can scroll up and down to browse your channels. Press Exit or Live TV to return to watching television.


To access your TV menu:
1. Press the TV button. This is a tiny circular gray bottom directly to the left of the power button. When you press this, the TV button should turn red.
2. Press Menu. This should bring up your TV menu. If it that doesn't happen, go back to step one. The remote is temperamental. It flat out doesn't work every time. You can be pressing all the right buttons and it still won't work. You can Change the settings using the up/down/right/left arrows. (at least on most TVs)
3. When you've done. Press Menu to return to live TV. Press the STB button. It is the small circular gray button to the far left of the power button and just to the left of the TV button. Pressing the STB makes your remote control cable functions again.

If any of this is unclear, feel free to leave questions in the comments.

Eyeshadow Trends for Fall (and for Cheeks and Nails)

Are you interested in the new make-up trends for fall, but your kids would rather you make supper then read fashion magazines? Then this post is for you. (see also my Lip trends for Fall post)
I had planned a grade school collage of magazine pictures. But my scanner is not cooperating. I did my best with pictures. I'm better at reading about make-up then I am at applying it.

Old rule: Choose either to play up your eyes or your lips. New rule: For nighttime you can wear a bold lip with a smokey eye. Don't believe me, look at last years Oscar photos. I plan on still choosing one or the other. If you like to wear both, you're in luck.
There is new basic eye shadow shape that is showing up. You no longer follow the crease of your lid in a windshield wiper like application. Now you continue outward from the top crease to the outer corner. This video shows a make-up application using the "outer corner" method, skip to 3:30 minutes in to see what I'm talking about. Outer corner method is my made up name. If you use this name you run the risk of looking silly. :) It's also possible this shape is not new and it's only new to me.
Winged eyes are big this fall. See this tutorial on youtube on how to do them. After seeing this video, I totally got it.

Though still in style, the look for blush is trending away from "apples of the cheek and swept on top cheek bones toward the hairline. The newer trend is blush applied to the hallows of the cheeks or applied directly to the cheekbones. Super trendy for the fashionista is 80's style rectangle under the cheekbone look. Ugh.
The number one look for fall is red lips. It's shown on almost every page of fashion magazines. The not even close second would be the all over peach shimmer look (scroll down to see).

Matte gray eye shadow: Use a matte eyeshadow. Metallic and frosts read silver and can look futuristic. I primed my eye. Then I lined the top and bottom with gray shadow (HIP Rascal), using a wet angle brush. Allure suggests light gray, but I don't own light gray. Apply gray shadow from lash line almost to the crease. Use a clean brush to blend/smudge the gray shadow into and above the crease. Smudge the shadow liner on the bottom lash line. I added dark brown eyeliner and mascara.
Cobalt Blue eye liner: My friend who loves blue eyeliner will be happy to hear it's in style. Allure showed a winged Egyptian eye (as seen in winged eye tutorial in above link) on a bare lid. Elle showed a smoked, smudged eye (runway look). This trend uses a metallic cobalt liner (also seen in teal). Elle suggests this look worn with a pinky pearly tan nude lip. (see the lip trend for fall post) I primed my lids. Then I applied HIP roaring (brown side) from the lash line to the crease. Then I blended this shadow into the crease. I applied the blue side of the shadow with a wet angle brush. I did the "day cat" eye shown in the you tube video in the above link. The liner should have began at the tear duct (oops). I also show an open and closed eye with a fully lined winged Egyptian eye. This should be done with an actual eye liner, but I don't own a blue metallic eyeliner.
This look was seen at Nicolle Miller and Versace.
Try L'Oreal HIP Cream Eyeliner Midnight Blue or for about 5 bucks more MAC Fluidline in Waveline.
Purple eye shadow: This is another big trend. Purple eye shadow is great for brown eyes. It makes green eyes look greener. If you have hazel eyes with green flecks, purple shadow makes them look greener. If you have warm skin tones, use blueish purples. Pinky purples can make your eyes look bloodshot or like you've contracted pink eye. If you have pink undertones in your skin, use an eyeshadow primer. Primers give the shadow a truer color. If you don't prime, you may end up looking like you lost a fight. If you have under eye circles, you will need extra concealer. Purple shadow brings out the purple in under eye circles. Here is a great video tutorial on concealing under eye circles. Allure says shimmer can make dark purple shadow appear less stark. If you have crepey eye lids and want to avoid metallic shadow, add iridescent powder along the lash line. Wear a brown liner (black for African Americans) in the evening. Be cautious of liner during the day time. Add a winged deep purple eyeliner for a rock look.
Some of the shades mentioned are shimmery lavender, metallic lilac, dark purple, iridescent violet, and eggplant.
I primed my lids. Then I lined the top and inner bottom 1/3 with purple eye shadow (MAC nocturnelle) with an angle brush. I applied the same purple shadow to the lids with a regular eye shadow brush, one brush width. I diffused the edges on the lid with a blending brush. I added a shimmery vanilla(MAC Nylon) to the inner corners and along the upper lash line.

Shimmery "peach" eyeshadow: Allure says to use similar colors as the peach blush. Marie Claire says to layer copper and gold on top of a muted brown cream shadow. Honestly, to me, the look appears to be achieved by combining a rose gold and copper shadows. I think you should be fine as long as you stay in the same color families.
This look seen at Donna Karan and Mui Mui.
I didn't get this look right. I should look a bit more pink/rosey. You'll just have to use your imagination. Lips- I used peach lip gloss. It should be pinky/pearly nude, but I don't own that color. Blush- should be as described below. I used a shimmery orange blush that reads peach on my skin and a bronzer . I used copper shadow over a muted cream shadow. It needed rose tones, in my humble opinion. Again, I don't own the proper colors.

Shimmery peach blush: This is worn with the pinky tan lip gloss mentioned in the lip trend link and the shimmery "peach" eyeshadow. Marie Claire says this total look can be a post summer bronzer alternative. You can either use a shimmery peach blush or a matte peach blush layered with a shimmery bronzer. Wear this color on the apples of your cheeks and just above the cheek bone.

Nail color: I'm not totally up on this. Here is what I do know. Joining two years ago's matte black (still in) and last years matte navy (still in) we have deep, almost black, forest green and deep, almost black, purple. These shades dry to a velvet finish and are more wearable then they sound. That said, I won't be wearing them. Shimmery lavender is also in. Oh, nail shapes are trending away from square and toward almond shape.

Lip Trends for Fall

I'm writing this for people who might have actual lives and can't keep up with all the new trends. If you'd like to know what lipstick color is in style but your baby needs her diaper changed, this is for you. Coming soon...Fall Eyeshadow Trends.

First of all, lipsticks are generally trending toward matte and opaque as opposed to sheer and glossy. Love sheer and glossy? Don't worry it's still in for now.

Red lipstick- The biggest news for fall is red lipstick is back. You ask: Wait. Was it gone? Answer: Yes and No. Red lips have been worn recently at night, for retro looks, for rock looks, and by people like me who just liked it. But, it hasn't been worn by women in general in the daytime since the 80's. Well, red lips are back baby. Look in fashion magazines, and red lips are on almost every page. All shades of red are in. All finishes are in from glossy to very matte. Matte, opaque lips are very in. If you try this, be careful. Matte opaque lipstick can be aging. Another new look is dark red lipstick with a sheer black gloss on top. This gives you a vampire look, but in a good way (pictured). If you wear the red/black combo, keep the eyes and blush to an absolute minimum to avoid a goth look (unless that is what you're going for).
For a less trendy look use a satin finish lipstick in cherry red. Avoid lip liner so you don't look overdone and add a dab of gloss in the center bottom. Allure suggest dabbing lipstick on with your finger so the edges aren't precise. That sounds like a pain to me, but give it a whirl if you like.
Some red lipsticks loved by makeupalley.com reviewers are: MAC in Russian Red, Port Red, New York Apple (frost) and Ruby Woo (matte); NYC Ultra moist in Retro Red: Revlon matte lipstick in In The Red and Really Red: Victoria's Secret in Ruby Slippers.

Elle Magazine's top 10 reds included MAC Ruby Woo (they say the Cure's Robert Smith wears it), Max Factor's vivid impact in Mrs. Right (blue based red), Revlon's Fire and Ice (a favorite since it's launch in 1952), andMaybelline's color sensational in Red Revival.

Purple lipstick- It's not always as scary as it sounds. I once had a sheer dark purple gloss (almost black in the tube) that I loved (now back in style). Fuchsia is back from it's 80's lipstick grave. Grapeish colors are also back. Grape was last in style 15ish years ago. My friend called this color her ummm ..."female dog" lipstick. Awesome on her, crayola on me. If you want to try a darker Bordeaux/wine/deep purple color lipstick, make eyes and blush pale. Metallic lilac is also in, but that just scares me.

Makeupalley.com reviewers like MAC in Purple Rite.
Allure Recommends: Cover Girl Queen Collection in Shiny Port Wine (Bordeaux) and MAC in Violetta (grape).

Nude lipstick-Nude lips are in. Choose a tan nude on the pink side. Shimmer, not glitter. Shine is also fine. Just not a matte nude. With a beige lip, be sure to add shadow (medium to lots) to your eyes, or you'll just look flat. If your natural lip color is darker then this lip color, apply a concealer or foundation to your lips first.

Allure recommends: Wet n Wild Lip Shine in Reckless and Clinique Glosswear in Whisper. Marie Claire recommends Maybelline Lip Gloss in Born With It.

Red and purple lip colors can be tricky. Sheer lip colors have a larger margin of error. If you want something more opaque, it's harder to choose. This might be a time where you can save money by going to a make-up counter and actually being able to try a color before you buy. I've heard some drugstores will let you return opened cosmetics. I haven't researched that, so I have no idea if any drugstore currently does it.

The Cat Eye

The winged style eyeliner is really in style now. I've been confused on how to do it. I came across this excellent tutorial on youtube. I got mine right (well close) the very first time after watching this. I think I will be sticking to the daytime cat eye(an option shown in the video)in real life however.