ThreadBanger: DIY Heaven!

Recently, I discovered (via youtube, of course), the wonders of ThreadBanger, a website dedicated to craft junkies. The website is full of video tutorials done by the ThreadBanger team, and each video is filmed like a mini television show, which is cute. I can't even explain how awesome some of these tutorials are. I learned how to make wall decals for my new apartment (2 days!!!), how to make a bean bag chair (also going in my apartment), and how to screenprint my own shirts!!!!

 I can't stop watching videos... Although I have to now, because I have to pack. </3 Anyway, fellow d.i.y. junkies (that's do it yourself, in case you were wondering), join me in saving some cash on expense belongings you can create yourself, and check out ThreadBanger. So far, my favorite channels on ThreadBanger are Decor It Yourself, Secret Life of a Bio Nerd, and ThreadBanger Projects, which are generally clothing ideas. Enjoy! I'm going to go buy contact paper for my nifty wall decals a.s.a.p. I'll post directions on how to make them and after pictures when they're done. :) Wish me luck!

My hair smells YUMMY

My new hair addiction is Ojon Revitalizing Mist- This stuff smells AMAZING, and keeps my hair super, super soft! I mean, one time, my coworkers literally grabbed my hair and started sniffing it, because they couldn't get over how good it smells. Hahaha. I just bought the shampoo, conditioner, and hair treatment samples to try out, too.
Ojon Revitalizing Mist 4.8 fl oz (142 ml) 


I'm definitely going to update you guys on how it works. Apparently, the hair treatment visibly rejuvenates hair.
While I'm talking about products I love, I just discovered a MAC counter at my local mall that totally wasn't there before. I'm SO EXCITED! Being the carless young lady that I am, MAC products have, as of late, been more of a fantasy than a reality. Not anymore! Today, I bought powder blush in BLUNT, and used it as a contour. It's perfect for contouring, because it's totally matte. (Matte finishes are essential in contours, btw. Any hint of sparkle diffuses the shallowing impact of the contouring color, because it draws attention and light to the area.) I also bought eye kohl in SMOLDER, which is jet black, and by far my favorite eyeliner.
MAC Eye Kohl Smolder 
I can't wait to get my hands on more make-up. Mwahahaha.
Anyway, I hope you guys all had an awesome Thanksgiving! 4 more days until I move into my new apartment!!! Wish me luck!

Love always,
Andrei

I did it all by myself. Woooooah.

(Sorry, this post was supposed to go up last night, but my blog wouldn't let me post pictures!!! ahdfhsofhwen?!!?!)
Today, I razored my hair into one long layer with lots of short layers. Aka the Asian mullet. Aka Emo hair. Haha. I love it.

That's how much hair I chopped off O.o

I didn't like the way my face looked in all my pictures, so I started covering my face hahaha.

Basically, I pulled the bottom layer of my hair up into a bun, and razored the rest of it into short layers. This is what my hair looks like with the bottom pulled up!

I think it looks cute :) It's still gonna take awhile for me to get used to... But in general, I like it. Of course, you  never know... I might get bored and decide to chop it all off. *shrugs* Wish me luck!

Love always,

Andrei

Magical Transformations and Make-up

I simply can't get over Promise Tamang Phan's talent. She's almost my new favorite make-up guru, second only to Kandee Johnson. (Sorry, Promise, but there's just something about Kandee.... lol). I mean... her videos vary from Michael Jackson to Kim Kardashian, and every single time, she looks EXACTLY like the person her make-up is supposed to impersonate. The weird thing is, she's a cute lil asian lady that LOOKS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING LIKE THEM. In this video, she's dressed up like Jessica Rabbit. Her videos inspire me to really buckle down on my make-up skills. I mean, I want to transform myself to look like something else using only make-up!
So, I've decided to give Rihanna a whirl. Yes, I am aware of the fact that Rihanna is black, and I am not, to clear of the most obvious of trials. But, Nicki Minaj is black, and Promise did a make-up tutorial where she looks exactly like her, so I'm confident I can do it. It might take me a little while, though... I have to get a red wig, and green contacts... Technically, I have green contacts (somewhere in New Jersey lol), but I think they might be too bright a green... In any case, I'm going to attempt Rihanna's make-up look from her "What's My Name" music video. 

Thanks to Tara for posting the video on her Facebook page, by the way... I never would have been inspired to try it out if I hadn't seen it! 
Wish me luck!!!

Interior Design!!!

I'm moving in an apartment on November 30th! Because of that, I've been mostly occupied with getting all my things in order for the move. I recently bought a new bedding set for my boyfriend and my bedroom.... I picked out a really nice black microsuede comforter and beige sheets. :) I wanted to do black, burgundy, and light grey, but it required a lil sewing on my part, and my power cord for my sewing machine is missing!!! :'(
I haven't quite decided on what else I want to for the room, although I'll probably move the little desk area we already have as it is to the new place ^.^

Don't you just love that picture? It's from my favorite anime, Nana :)

For the most part, I think I'm going to stick with black and beige for our room. We got a really, really nice wraparound beige leather couch for the living room, too! Our friend Alicia is selling it to us, so we even got a great deal on it. My boyfriend is a stingy boy, and keeps arguing over my ideas for the apartment (because they cost a lil money and might be a little more decorative than practical at times), but this is my first apartment, and I want to decorate!!! I'm all for diy ideas, however, because I got approval to do those. ^.^ The only problem is for all my great intentions... I don't know the first thing about interior design. Oh well. I'll do my research :) Wish me luck!

Practice makes perfect and my brief career in Modeling!

Yesterday, I practiced my make-up skills on my lovely friend, Grace, but I was preoccupied with my hair, and didn't post an entry on it!!! Sorry, Grace! >.< Anyway, much thanks to her for volunteering her wonderful visage to my artistry!

The lighting is a little difficult, but I basically did a brown smoky eye on her.

Also, just for the fun of it, I decided to post a few of my old modeling pictures...

This anime doll look was from the Emilie Jerard fashion show I did in 2008. Woooo hoooo.

The top two are from my first modeling shoot ever. The makeup was INTENSE. I remember I had never worn so much makeup in my life. It felt like it was 6 layers thick, and took an eternity to wash off. Now, I only wish I was that good at makeup. I worked with was Ashanti Ortiz for my make-up, aka FacingBeauty on www.modelmayhem.com, and she is a true artist. The make-up from my anime doll shoot was done by LadyJ, which is also incredible, and showed me how to use airbrush foundation.

My (minimal) background in modeling really stirred up my curiosity in make-up, and how amazing the transformation from bare-faced to done-up can be sometimes. So, I figured I'd show you guys what I saw. :)

Love always,

Andrei

Because Asians are good at everything they do

I cut my own hair today!!! Well, just my bangs, but still, I cut them myself! I'm planning on cutting the rest of my hair, too, but I didn't have time tonight :(

Not too shabby, eh?

I'm so excited! I used a razor from Sally's Beauty Supply, and it worked really well. The idea to do it came from SecretLifeofaBioNerd on youtube, who posted a tutorial on how she cuts her bangs, as well as her whole head. The bangs are shorter than I wanted (the shortest section is waaaaay above my eyebrows), but it still looks cute, so I'm satisfied. When they grow back in, I'll fix them. Here's SecretLifeofaBioNerd's Cutting Side Swept Bangs video if you want to see it. :)

Love always,

Andrei

Kesha Make-up Tutorial

Tada!!! Here it is! My Ke$ha make-up tutorial, based off her Blah Blah Blah music video. I had a lot of fun filming it, but it took FOREVER to edit, and the video footage came out blurry!!! Plus there was the issue of editing out all the shots where my boyfriend is playing Call of Duty: Black Ops in the background (>.<)

All-in-all, however, I think this came out pretty well. My editing skills grow with each video. I hope you like it!

Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention that the eyeshadow palette I use is 88 color palette by Coastal Scents. If you want a complete list of all the products I used, just ask, and I'll post it. :) Thanks for watching!!!

Cheap Nails and a Special Sneak Peek!

I keep meaning to paint my nails fancily, like I did with the black and white striped nails I have in my past two tutorials. But, by the time I get home from work and get changed out of uniform, I simply don't feel like it. (Those stupid white stripes took me TWO HOURS to do, because I forgot my left hand doesn't function like my right one. >.<) The problem is.... I'm just not rich enough to go to a salon and have someone else do it. (*sigh*)

So, what was my solution?

PRESS ON NAILS.

Yes, press on nails are extremely cheap. Some of them are really cheesy. And, considering they are made out of plastic and take zero skill to put on, they're considered a little (*ahem*) ghetto. But I am ALL FOR THEM!! Look at how cute my nails are!

You can't even tell they're press ons. Seriously.

The real test, however, was the press-ons' durability.... I put these nails on last night, wore them to work all day, and they're still just as stuck on as last night!!! I mean, I really put these suckers to the test, ripping boxes open, lifting crates, even accidentally jamming my finger in a cash drawer. And they still look gorgeous. So if you have an issue with press-ons, but you're a teensy bit college-poor like me (minus the whole me-being-in-college part, of course), GIVE THEM A SHOT. These nails were $5 at Claire's in the mall. What have you got to lose?

Love always, 

Andrei

P.S. My KESHA MAKE-UP TUTORIAL is officially filmed, just not edited. I plan on posting it tomorrow... Wanna see a sneak peek??

If you like it, let me know!!! I'd love to hear what you think :)

Brigitte Bardot and Kesha

I've been trying to decide what my next tutorial should be for a little while now. Today, I thought, "Hey, why not do a Brigitte Bardot look?" (For those of you who don't know, Brigitte Bardot is a sultry actress/style icon from the 60s.) I found a couple of really good pictures of her, not that I expected otherwise, and came up with exactly how I would do her make-up.

Brigitte Bardot

Then, I thought, "Maybe people would be more interested in seeing me mimic a current celebrity... Let's try Kesha." So, I looked up Kesha, and came up with how I would do her make-up, too.

Ke$ha

Anyone else see a slight resemblance????? The tousled, bed-head blonde hair and heavy, dark eyes are almost identical! The similarities pretty much blew me away. It almost makes me respect Kesha that much more, seeing her styled after such a gorgeous and prominent woman. Of course, both women are extremely different in the way they are presented... For the most part... But, I still thought the overlay in style was interesting, and decided to share it with you all. :)

Love always,

Andrei

P.S. Oh, and as for the video... It's on the way :)

So excited!!!!!!!

So, I was on Facebook, lurking through make-up tutorials as per usual, when, suddenly, I received a message from a user I've never seen before. Artfreebie1001 sent me a message informing me that they looked at my page, and decided to give me a freebie picture, with the firm instruction not to harass them for another one. After a confused moment or two, I then received this:

I LOVE THIS PICTURE!!!! I don't know whether or not I was more excited that someone randomly took interest in my blog, or that someone drew such an awesome picture because of it, but either way, I AM SO EXCITED! So thank you so much to artfreebie1001! You are extremely talented, and I hope you get paid a pretty penny for the non-freebies you throw out there. :)

Love always,

Andrei

Arabian Goddess Make-up ;)

Sorry it's been awhile since I posted last... I got a little busy! Anyway, yesterday I went to hang out with a few friends, and I decided to use Promise's Arabian Gold Goddess Make-up look. It came out fantasically.

That's my boyfriend lol

I look stupid, but it's a decent shot of the make-up.

My friend, Grace, and I. I figured you might want to see how my whole outfit looked :) Gray tunic, dark gray lace tights, and knee-high gray boots 

The eyeshadow is an extremely pretty, shimmery gold by Maybelline (the same one Promise uses in her video).

The best part of it is that the shades were so nice and vibrant that I didn't need to layer a million colors on like I usually do. It was simple and easy. I might make a video response for Promise's video showing me mimicking it... I haven't decided yet. Anyway, I hope you like it!

Love always,

Andrei

Promise there's another one!

Today, I discovered Michelle Phan's sister, Promise. PROMISE IS AMAZING! Seriously, I couldn't stop watching her videos. Most of them are extremely simple, using two or three eyeshadow colors, and don't involve any tricky make-up-artist-only techniques. They all come out absolutely stunning!!! A lot of them are costume-y, but the transformation between her without make-up, and then her with it, blew my mind away. So far, my favorite is her Fairy Barbie Princess make-up tutorial. Maybe I'm just partial to faeries (in case you hadn't noticed), but I found this tutorial incredible. She takes her Asian attributes and sculpts them into a thoroughly believable Barbie look. (For those of you who don't know, Barbie is a very Caucasian, blonde chick that most certainly has never been Asian.) I mean, seriously, the woman looks gorgeous with a blonde wig on. Since when can tan chicks pull off blonde hair?!
A few of the things I've noticed her (and her sister, make-up guru Michelle Phan) doing during their make-up looks are:
-creating a doe-eyed appearance by putting fake eyelashes on their bottom lashes as well as the top
-contouring their nose with bronzer/ brown eyeshadow to straighten it out
-using cosmetic lenses as a special effect to enhance the costume look
-using a foundation 2-3 shades too light for their skin for looks that require a paler appearance
-priming their eyes with Lancome: Ombre Perfecteur before using eyeshadow (I will be buying this asap, just so you know. Amazon has it for $20: Lancome Ombre Perfecteur Perfecting EyeShadow Base in Clair Full Size)
I can't wait to try out some of these little methods. I've decided to try a faery look for myself for my next video (seems only fitting, hahaha). This is the one I'm using as inspiration for the look I'm going to attempt to create for myself... Probably after I dress up like a fairy Barbie princess!! Hahaha.....

Let's see how I do, shall we? Self-challenge: accepted!

The Road Not Taken

About a week ago, I started rethinking the path my life is set on. I work full time (with one full time job, and one part time job, mind you), am not in school, and don't really feel like my life is headed in any particular direction. It's just.... going. Now, I've "rethought" my life goals quite a few times over my life (all 21 years of it), but enough is enough. Something needs to get done, and it needs to start now.
The problem is, how do I do it?
They always say that if you work a job you love, you'll never work a day in your life. I want to have a job that I love. So, I sat down, and wrote a list of all the different activities that I love. After talking to my boyfriend, and a few of the people who know me best, I came to the conclusion that despite everything else I love to do, the thing that I love best is...... Cosmetology.
I love make-up. Sorry, wait.... I LOVE make-up. I love styling people, helping them look into the mirror and say, "Damn, I look good." I love how make-up can change a tan brunette to look like super-pale beauty Marilyn Monroe. (Don't believe me? Check it out.) I love watching before-and-after shows like "How Do I Look?" and seeing the delight on people's faces when they see themselves post-makeover. I want to have that ability.
I'd been considering so many different career options for so many different reasons. I hate math, but I initially registered as an account major last year, because I wanted to be able to financially support myself. I considered nursing for the same reason. I wanted to become a business major to help my management path. (I have a dingy little job as a "shift manager" at a convenience store.) I was planning on going back to community college for English and risking my hand at the publishing industry, because all throughout high school, I wanted to be a writer. But these days, when I have free time, I live and breathe make-up, not writing, or taxes, or business.
When I think of all the reasons not to pursue make-up and beauty, all the other careers I could pursue that would be more lucrative, and therefore more socially keen, I think of a poem my mom had me read when I was younger, called "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. He talks of two paths a person can travel down: the one everyone takes, and the one more hidden one with a million more obstacles. The road not often taken is harder, but it's a thousand times more rewarding.
So, basically, long story short, no matter my financial situation, and no matter how many doubts I have about myself or my capabilities, I'm going back to cosmetology school.
Now, all I have to do is pick which one, and figure out how I'm going to afford it. Wish me luck! Here's to me one day having that job I never work at :)

New Phone!!!

So, recently, I've been trying to eliminate my debt and/or the bills I pay every month, because I'm trying to move into an apartment with my buddy. This has resulted in me LEAVING T-MOBILE FINALLY! T-mobile has been charging me $85 a month for a crappy phone that can't even go online, all because I started with a G1. (I dropped that beautiful phone into a toilet promptly after receiving it, therefore null and voiding my need for mobile web on my contract.) BOOOOOO! Instead, I calculated how much I'll be spending on my $85 a month cell junk, plus the fee for breaking my contract, compared to $25 a month, plus the cost of a fancy new phone, with VIRGIN MOBILE. I figured out that over the course of 12 months, I'd be saving about $300 with Virgin Mobile.

Needless to say, I switched.

Word of advice, the Samsung Intercept for Virgin Mobile is beast! I love it! It runs just like my old G1 did, except more updated, which makes sense, considering it runs on a newer Android system. It has a better camera than my G1, and even connects to Wifi. I can't believe I have such a nice phone for such a cheap price! (The phone itself is $250. I'm referring more to the overall cell phone plan being cheap.)  The only problem I've found with it so far is that it gets crappy reception in my basement.

I think I'll take the trade off. :)

Smoky Eye Video!!!

So, it's past 3 am, and I really should be going to bed, because I have work in the morning... But I'm soooo excited about my new video! One of my friends Facebook messaged me, asking me to post a video on her wall on how to do a smoky eye. I contemplated posting a video by one of my favorite artists... But, then, I realized this gave me a reason to make another video! So check it out!

My Basic Brown Smoky Eye Tutorial!!!

I was really proud of the increase in my editing skills in this video, as compared to my first one. Everyday I learn more. One day, I'll be a pro ;) For  now, please overlook how amateurish this vid is, and like it anyway :)

Love always,
Andrei

HALLOWEEN!

Halloween is by far one of my favorite holidays! This year, I was a little too short on cash to buy a Halloween costume (saving up for a car and all that noise), so I used my make-up talents and some youtube tutorials to help me dress up instead. :)

This was my work make-up look! Andrei the Kitty Kat :)

This look is taken almost step for step from StephBusta's Halloween Tutorial: Kitty Cat. Mine is a little different, because I don't own gel liner, and she uses that a lot, but it came out just fine. Instead of black lipstick, I used black cream eyeshadow, and instead of the oily black eye shadow she uses, I just did a simple black smokey eye.

This was my Halloween night look! Andrei the Black Widow :)

This look was adapted from MissChievious's Spider Queen Black Widow Make-up. I decided to use red eyeshadow instead of blue, because black widows are red and black, not black and blue. (I love MissChievious, but I thought it was stupid to use blue for a black widow. Maybe I'm too nit-picky.) These pictures aren't the best, but it was a rather glittery look, because I used black glitter from the craft store under the arches of my eyebrows. I used two different dark red lipsticks blended in with the red eyeshadow to make the color pop as well. I think my favorite little touch was that I used red lip liner as an eye liner, and rimmed my waterline with it. Red really makes the whites of your eyes pop, and gave me a creepy, zombie look, too.

By the way, speaking of red lipsticks.... Recently, I purchased a bright red lipstick from Target, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! It's the Sonia Kashuk line. I bought the lipstick in Sheer Rosebud, and matching lip liner in China Red. There's also a really pretty, dark red called Bordeaux, which would have been perfect for both make-up looks I did.(You can find it here: Sonia Kashuk Luxury Lip Color - Bordeaux) The lipstick leaves your mouth glossy without any added lip gloss, was super comfortable, and didn't chap my lips, like some other lipsticks do. Used with the lip liner as a base, the color lasted me all day! I would seriously recommend it :)

Both of these looks took me about forty minutes to do. Not too shabby, huh? I was pretty proud of myself for my adaptations, especially since Halloween cost me $0 this year because of them. Yay for celebrating in style and on a dime! Hahahaha.

Hope everyone had a great Halloween!

Love, Andrei