what's in my stash? tarte LipSurgence

even though the Revlon Just Kissable Balm Stains just came out, let us not forget these tarte LipSurgence lip products! they weren't the first on the scene with chubby lip balm products as Clinique started it off years ago, but i think they are still just as good! two noticeable differences: minty taste & price.

i like all the colors i've received in kits, but i will not shell out $24 for one on its own. it's just not worth the price... especially when the Clinique chubby sticks are only $16 apiece and the Revlon balm stains are on average around $6-9 (depending on where you are). plus tarte comes out with kits with at least one or two or five LipSurgences! if you have a favorite color, let me know. i hope it's included with a kit! xoxo Kathleen

Revlon Just Kissable Balm Stains first impression, swatches, & comparisons

i was lucky enough to find these at my local Target!

i did try one of them (i think it was Darling, but it could've been one of the berry colors) after i filmed this video and i had dinner and it didn't come off at all!  i didn't wear it for hours on end, but usually anything i have on my lips have been eaten off after an hour or so. it lasted on my lips and it was a nice stain, too! it did feel a tad bit dry, but not drying. i think there is a difference between the two. i didn't bring any with me on vacation but i might pick up a couple more because my Target was missing a couple. the display only held 10 out of 12. so i'll keep you updated! i hope you're able to find them at your local stores but i read somewhere that it's permanent and will be in all stores by May 28. xoxo Kathleen

what's in my travel makeup bag? volume 2 (plus what's to come for the rest of May)

first off, i hit 300 subscribers today! w00t w00t! it feels like it took forever this time around. last time i started making videos for YouTube, i think i hit 300 after 4 months... this time i hit it after 5.5 months. i don't like to pimp myself because i find that bragging. i just like it for people to find me. if they like me, they'll sub. i've also been trying to see how i can incorporate a giveaway on my channel without looking like i'm fishing for subscribers... because let's face it... everyone says "you have to be subscribed to my channel" if you want to quality for a giveaway. that always attracts trolls and sore losers, i think, and drive-by subscribers... those who subscribe for the giveaway, never comment, and then unsubscribe when they didn't win.

so i am not sure what to do just yet. i have an idea, but i think it would be hard to accomplish... we'll just have to see. i still haven't hit that certain milestone yet.

so when i'm away on vacation, i'll actually only have to upload 5 new videos. we get to my parents' house on Saturday so i can upload a video when i'm there. they have DSL but their upload speed is way faster than ours! we have AT&T U-Verse with super-fast download but crappy upload. then we don't fly out until Sunday so i can upload a short video before we head to the airport. i have a couple of pre-recorded videos that are very short so i'm going to transfer them to my MacBook which is what i'm taking with me on vacation. if i wasn't uploading anything, i would just take my iPad, but since i want to edit and i'm not familiar with iMovie on the iPad yet, i'm bringing my MacBook. then from M-F, i'll upload short videos like FOTD or OOTD and other life stuff (that you'll see on my other channel: hellodaysies). we'll be back on Saturday sometime in the late afternoon so i'll be uploading a video around that time when we get back to my parents' house. i just don't want to skip any days in 2012. i want to fulfill my goal of uploading every single day in 2012. i know that's silly... but it's what i want to do.

i've gotta get a move on with packing... i have laundry to do, too... i always wait until the last minute to pack because i just don't know what to bring ahead of time. i just want to go on vacation! xoxo Kathleen

quick EOTD show & tell soft lavender eyes featuring tarte puttin' on the glitz girls' night out palette

this has got to be my shortest talking video to date! i did cut out a lot of stuff because when i film, i do film both eyes and i cut out what i do with one of the eyes.

i think what makes these EOTD videos go so fast is because i cut out eyeliner. you can achieve some darkness with using the darkest eye shadow in place of eyeliner. the way i did my "eyeliner" today was based on a technique that Joy on QVC did on yesterday's tarte show. she does this wedge thing with the darkest color in the outer corner and brings in the dark color to about halfway across the upper lash line. this brings depth in just the outer corner without having to do the outer V and all that jazz. i think this technique totally suits my eye shape and after trying it in this video, i think it came out looking good, if i do say so myself... i think this technique will also help me test the waters with different darker colors, like navy blue! yeah! i totally want to do a navy blue eye now. LOL stay tuned for that! xoxo Kathleen

FOTD show & tell purple smokey eye featuring tarte's envoke the smoke quad

i went a little bit more dramatic in today's look... i think you can easily do that with purples, don't you think?

i'm excited to do this again with a navy blue! there's an awesome navy blue in one of the bareMinerals READY 8.0 palettes. sometimes i have so many ideas that i can't even pick one to start with! well, there are still many more days left in 2012 where i can definitely come up with more looks. xoxo Kathleen

look at what i got! Sephora VIB 15% haul (bareMinerals, tarte, Laura Mercier)

i was finally able to upload this video (i still have a couple older videos) after teasing you all with the products in previous videos...

i don't have much to say today except that i'm finally watching Downton Abbey... it seems like it's a 1912 soap opera... kind of like Days of Our Lives. it's okay so far... there are only 7 episodes in season 1. hope you had a nice Cinco de Mayo... we had Mexican food for lunch. we should've gone to our regular Tex-Mex place and not this new one. we weren't very impressed with the service or the food. oh, well! xoxo Kathleen

makeup basket of the month: May 2012

i think i'll have fun with this makeup basket for May. i picked some good stuff that i've only looked at and never used! spoken like a true makeup collector, right?

when i picked up my hubby today from work, i asked him to look at my makeup, which i sometimes do, and he said he liked it, which he always does. i asked him if my lip was too bold and he said no. i was like, "really? it's not too hot pink or bright for you?" he still said no. so what looks bold and bright to me definitely doesn't look bold and bright to him, and since i value his opinion, it just gave me an extra boost of courage to wear more bold and bright lip colors. it's a good thing since i've been so drawn to them lately and i don't want to waste my money (his money) on makeup that'll never be used.

i've also been getting more comments and compliments on my videos where i wear a bolder lip so that's definitely helping my self-esteem some more, too! i picked up a couple more bold lip products from Revlon that i have already filmed in a haul video today and you'll be seeing that soon. i'm back up to 8 pre-recorded videos because i just can't stop! i just want to film and edit and film and edit. i'm also so behind on tag videos so maybe i'll run through some of those when i'm on vacation because i'll be doing a lot of relaxing and to me, making videos and editing them are relaxing! i know, i'm weird. xoxo Kathleen

birthday party OOTD & FOTD

i really need to figure out how to do an outfit of the day in proper lighting so you can see my clothes (and not my dusty mirror) and my face of the day, too.

if i aim my iPhone at myself so that i'm looking at myself in the phone, i feel like the phone is too shaky and i find myself out of frame all the time. i should just use my video camera but there is not a lot of room behind my makeup table and i find myself backing up against the closet door. i know i can reposition my camera, but i don't want the background to be so busy. i'll figure it out. xoxo Kathleen

look at what i got! tarte's The Miracle of Maracuja Skin Smart Collection from QVC

another pre-recorded video, but it, too, was over a month old. i can finally use this kit! LOL

just kidding... i could've used this kit already, but i completely forgot about it! oh the woes of having too much makeup. geez Louise! i really need to pare down my collection. i found a bunch of gel eyeliners that i got from Coastal Scents that have completely dried up. i didn't even use them! i think it was because the cap was plastic and even while i thought the caps were tightly screwed on, air still managed to leak inside. it doesn't matter to me anyway... i have lots of eyeliner pencils and potted eyeliners that i like to use more. the ones from CS are probably not salvageable anyway so i'll just toss them when i remember to do it.

question, though... i can't remember if i mentioned this in the video, but what can you do with the maracuja oil other than use it as a moisturizer on your face? can you use it in your hair? i really liked using the Josie Maran argan oil in my hair. i guess i can just Google it. it does smell good! xoxo Kathleen

what's in my travel makeup bag?

i think i did okay with not bring too much makeup during this 3-4 day weekend trip. i probably could've just taken one NAKED palette, but i wanted to bring both. it was also nice to bring my Clinique foundation as i'm finally done with the pressed foundation and i needed to start using up my liquid foundation.

it's nice to have options when you go out of town because you never know what you are going to use and if bought any new clothes, you never know what will go with those new things. neutrals are always a way to go and that's why i only brought my NAKED palettes. that's what i tend to like anyway... xoxo Kathleen

what's in my stash? MAC face products (not foundation)

i'm really enjoying these trips down memory lane when i do these "what's in my stash" videos... i've been so engrossed in my tarte Amazonian clay blushes and Milani baked blushes that i have forgotten about my beloved MAC blushes!

i need to rotate thru my blushes a lot more... i have my tarte and Milani on my makeup table but i don't want to store them in my white cubes because i don't want to forget about them. oh, the woes of a makeup collector! sometimes i wish my collection was like 1/20th this size...

i also tried to record another video this afternoon to elaborate on my no buy 2012 plan, but it went on too long and it would not be interesting at all to watch. so i figure it would be better to just expand on it in a blog post. i just feel that if i share my plan with you, it will help me stick to it better... even though, i do have momentary lapse of reasoning (is that the correct word?) and fall off the wagon again. i want all the pretty things! LOL it'll be coming up soon... enjoy your weekend! xoxo Kathleen

look at what i got! tarte Puttin' on the Glitz collection

due to the bad weather today, i was able to upload a video i pre-recorded on March 3rd.

the video was able to finish uploading and processing before i headed downstairs to a safer place. i didn't go downstairs all the way to the first floor (i live in a townhouse)... but i was glued to the TV as we were watching all the tornado footage here in North Texas. i'm glad we escaped all the tornadoes (well, the city where i live). other neighboring cities got some damage, lost power, and baseball-sized hail.

i didn't think i would be uploading a pre-recorded video so early this month! LOL but i'm glad i had stockpiled a few... i have a few more tags to record to add to my growing reservoir of videos so i think i'll have plenty on hand before i go on vacation later on this month. tags and hauls are just easier to film! i hope you are all well (and safe) wherever you live... xoxo Kathleen

just a quick FOTD February 23rd

so i put a little bit more effort into my makeup today... i didn't go overboard, but i look put together. in case you didn't catch it, i didn't even use concealer! LOL well, it's only because i skipped it, but i still need it... just not in so many places anymore. you don't know how happy this makes me.

in the video, i teased a bit of what's going on Saturday... well, not so much, but if you follow me on Twitter (lazydaysies) and you read the tweets on my profile, you'll see why. SO EXCITED! i still don't know what to wear! i can't wait! i'll tell you more tomorrow or Saturday itself. xoxo Kathleen

what's in my stash? my mint green nail polishes (and an unfinished FOTD)

i don't think i've worn makeup all week... so it was nice to put some on for a change. okay, i did put some on a few days ago... and then when i did put on makeup, i forgot to put on mascara! oops. i just haven't been feeling 100% so that's why... but i do feel a bit better when i do. so why don't i put it on more, you ask? who knows. LOL

i hope you all have a good weekend. i'm not sure what i'll be doing this weekend... nothing has been finalized. i really need to do some housework, but i don't know... i'm just not feeling it! xoxo Kathleen

what's in my stash? tarte Amazonian clay 12-hour blushes

tarte Amazonian clay 12-hour blushes are all the rage! i only have 4 (and i want more!) but i'm happy with what i have, especially since i bought exposed. it is really such a pretty color and i don't know why i didn't buy it sooner!

i also wanted to share with you another video on my second channel... it's not a vlog channel (at least not right now) like the way other beauty YouTubers use their second channel... it's more of a channel where i can upload videos for my friends and family and not feel too embarrassed. LOL i'm not hiding myself from my friends and family on YouTube, but i just don't advertise it. i especially do not talk about my videos on Facebook, where i communicate the most with my friends and family. i just think they'd make fun of me... but i really don't know. my husband's parents both know about my channel but i don't think they watch my videos (but i think his dad does). my local friends know about my channel because i set up YouTube to tweet when i have uploaded a video. i don't know... i'm just scared to post my videos up on Facebook. honestly, i don't know how i would react if they told me they found one of my videos! anyway, below is the video... enjoy! xoxo Kathleen

ULTA haul (OPI, real Techniques, tarte)

i chose wisely with this haul... i could've gone overboard with the nail polish, but i think i picked out 4 colors i didn't already have in my collection... and i already told you that i was going to buy a few real Technique brushes from Sam/Pixiwoo... and the tarte blush has been in my wishlist since i remember Tiffany/MakeupbyTiffanyD featured it in one of her videos. i think she was the first one who talked about it... and now i finally have it and it's gorgeous!

anyway, that's it from me tonight... i had lunch with a childhood friend and then dinner with a couple of former co-workers. it was nice to catch up with them. xoxo Kathleen

FOTD & haircut talk (... again!)

just a quick, short video today showing how i used the tarte smoulderEYES and emphasEYES eye shadow sticks. i love them! they stay on so well & hardly crease! i just use my fingers to smudge and blend them out. so easy peasy!

so i made my haircut appointment at a new salon for tomorrow at noon. i'm actually excited for this haircut because it probably has been about 4-5 months since... i just checked my calendar... my last haircut was back in August!

i have some pictures to show my new stylist and i hope he can adapt them to my face shape. i hope he can live up to my expectations (based on the reviews i read on Yelp). i am just dying to get rid of all my split ends and get my hair back to my natural color once again. (also, please excuse my ginormous pores... i really need to fix that... i even exported the video in large (480p) instead of HD (720p) and you can still see them. my pores are a result of having extremely bad skin back in middle school and high school where i was plagued with severe cystic acne. yeah, gross. fortunately my skin is on the mend... i'm extremely happy with the way it looks right now... it's 1000x better than when i started using Murad in June 2011. i hate looking at those pictures. anyway... xoxo Kathleen

foundations that i'm currently using

i don't own a lot of foundation simply because i always have a hard time trying to find the shade that matches my skin and so i just don't buy any. i've only been matched a few times (by M.A.C, Clinique, and in Shoppers Drug Mart in Vancouver) and i've been satisfied with those matches. however, when i go by myself to the drug store, i just can't see what they see. in the past, i've bought my fair share of foundations that didn't match my skin, but i've been quite successful recently. however, i plan on not buying anymore foundations (as part of project no-buy 2012) until i've used up what i have. it's a good thing i really don't own that many foundations.

in today's video, i show you what i am currently rotating through, but i completely forgot about the other foundations that are stashed away in my makeup drawers (the white drawers you see in the background of some of my videos). i forgot i had bought the M.A.C mineralize satinfinish foundation and also the Clinique superfit and acne solutions foundations. i also forgot that i have a handful of tinted moisturizers, too. i'm not sure when i'll add them to my foundation rotation... probably when i've made a serious dent in what i have on my makeup table.

one of my longtime subscribers (from my old channel "daysies1974") mentioned that she really enjoyed this camera angle as she could see the true color of whatever i was showing. so i think i'll be filming from my makeup table a lot more and take advantage of the natural light that comes in from the windows that flank either side of the table. i'll probably film from my desk when i have to show products that aren't too dependent on the color or when i just need to vlog or something. i also want to cover up the wire shelving that's behind me because i think it looks ugly. i had put up some window sheers but that looked ugly, too. i don't know if i want to buy a screen and wrap it in some cute fabric. i just want a non-cluttered background. oh, well, it's not too too important at the time being.

well, thanks for hanging out with me again today... i'll see ya tomorrow! xoxo Kathleen

QVC/NewBeauty testtube Winter-Spring 2012

so here's the 3rd installment of the auto-delivery order from QVC for the NewBeauty testtube. i'm usually pretty happy with the deluxe samples i get in the testtubes. this one was no exception as i got full sizes of the tarte emphasEYES aqua gel eyeliner (in teal) and the famous volumizing mascara from Mally Beauty (my favorite!). those 2 products together cost way more than the $29.95 quarterly fee (as you get a new testtube every quarter). if i end up trying any of the products, you'll see them in an upcoming video.

i hope you have a good Friday! i'll be back again tomorrow! xoxo Kathleen