I am often wondering, why I am so mesmerized by makeup. Yes, it’s a means of making money. Yes, you make people feel happy when they feel beautiful with your help. And, yes, it is satisfying to do a good job. But the most important aspect of makeup for me is the art. You work with color. You create something new. You perfect and embellish. So I guess that my fascination with “creating the perfect face” falls into this category of creation and art. I feel that if I see the perfection in people’s faces, and am able to bring it to the front then I was able to achieve something awesome.

I’m working on it.

xox,

Nadia

aka Singed Momma

Here is a list of products used in this tutorial:

Face:

Laura Mercier — Foundation Primer (oil free)

Bobbi Brown — Foundation Stick

Laura Mercier — Undercover Pot (concealer)

Chanel — Poudre Cristalline

Chicks:

MAC — Prism (contour)

St. Tropez — Bronzing Rocks (bronzer)

NARS — Orgasm (blush)

Shu Uemura — Duo Color Highlighter

Eyes:

MAC — Soft Ochre (paint pot)

NYX — Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk

Hard Candy — Daydream 260

Kat Von D — Missy, Cholita

Christian Dior — Hot Pink (?), 866 palette (discontinued)

MAC — Petalescent, Plum Dressing, Vanilla

Anastasia Beverly Hills — Matte Highlighter (on the waterline)

Urban Decay — Ransom (eye pencil)

Purple Glitter Liner

Givenchy — Effect Extension mascara (black)

MUFE  — Smoky Lash mascara (black)

Lips:

MAC — Lady Fabulous (lipstick)

Smashbox — Stunning (gloss)

Hope you enjoyed it

Don’t play with fire!!!

xox

Nadia

Anyway, as in November, this month I am letting you guys know about the products I loved the most in November. November for me was mainly makeup and cosmetics (what a big surprise, lol), but also some hair products that I enjoyed. I hope this information will be beneficial to you. Thank you so much for taking the time to watch my video and read my blog.

Here is a list of products I’m mentioning my the video, and links to online stores where you can find these:

* Tsumori Chisato for Shu Uemura limited edition Planet Cat Couture Pallette, $65

*  Tsumori Chisato for Shu Uemura limited edition Radiant Ribbon Couture Palette, $65

*  Tsumori Chisato for Shu Uemura limited edition Duo Color highlighter Golden Snow, $45

*  Shu Uemura Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O, price varies by size

* Shu Uemura Red:Juvenus Vitalizing Retexturizing Cream, $75

*Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation,$40

* Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit, $32

* Kevin Murphy ANGEL.WASH Shampoo, price depends on retailer

* Kevin Murphy BORN.AGAIN Hair Treatment, price depends on retailer

Take care guys, and don’t play with fire!!!

xox

Nadia

If you get these items from a Shu Uemura counter (vs. online), you’ll also get an authentic cosmetic bag with a generous travel size Rose Depsea Water, Premium Skin Purifier, and Red:Juvenus Cream.

The collection includes two eyeshadow and blush palettes, a duo highlighter, a lipstick, a cosmetic bag, a brush travel set, and a mini trio lip gloss set.The color combination is festive, dewy, and metallic, with a hint of a finely milled shimmer. The eyeshadow palettes also include cream eyeliners and cream highlighters.

These are the items I purchased:

Tsumori Chisato Limited Edition Planet Cat Couture Palette

Tsumori Chisato Limited Edition Radiant Ribbon Couture Palette

Tsumori Chisato Limited Edition Duo Color Highlighter Golden Snow

And this is the look I came up today while using the Bow palette:

CU Eyes golden holiday sparkle

Golden Holiday Highlights & a Pink Lip

I am planning to post a review of these products once I had more time to play with it.

Don’t play with fire!

xoxo

Singed Momma

This Friday I bring you a new haul with skin care and makeup products from Sephora, A Pea in a Pod, and Estee Lauder. It’s a great time to shop because many brands offer exclusive holiday deals and special value packages for a fracture of the regular price. Whether you look for goodies to gift yourself with or searching for a the perfect stocking stuffer for someone special, this is a wonderful time for finding kick ass deals that will bring the holiday spirit to you and yours.

This week (as almost every week… LOL), I found a few wonderful products at Sephora:

* CAUDALIE — Natural Gentle Cleanser for face & eyes

* JOSIE MARAN — Natural + Biodegrdble Bear Naked Wipes

* BOSCIA — Natural Jujube Rejuvenist Amino Body Wash

* OJON HAIR — Revitalizing Mist (weightless leave-in conditioner)

* FRESH — Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15

If you are looking for a Stretch Mark Fading Lotion, look no farther. Natural Tummy Honey Cream, by Bella B., is a wonderful product with a faint scent of honey & freshness. I bought it in A Pea in A Pod store.

And now to my favorite — makeup, of course 

This week I got A Lot of free goodies from Estee Lauder. I visited their online store to find a Christmas present for a family member. Currently Estee Lauder offers varies holiday packages that include makeup, skin care, and signature perfumes. They also have a wonderful online offer — spend $39.50 or more and receive a FREE GIFT worth over $125!!! It definitely worked for me. Of course, besides the present I also had to buy something for myself . I ended up getting a holiday limited edition Opulent Shimmer Powder (45 oz). And the free gift I chose included:

* Time Zone, Anti Wrinkle eye cream (7 day supply)

* Time Zone, Anti Wrinkle AM PM cream (14 day supply)

* Ripe Papaya pure color crystal lipstick (full size)

* Warm Shades exclusive lip & eye palette with 8 Eyeshadows (Honey Drop, Cinnamon, Tea Biscuit, Mink and Truffle Quad) and 3 Pure Color Lipsticks (Tiger Eye, Melon and Nectarine)

* Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex (14-day supply)

* Projectionist High Definition Volume Mascara (10-day supply, in Black)

* Patent-Trim Cosmetic Bag

And, if this wasn’t enough, I also got a signature eyeshadow quad in Smokey Pink (#03) and More Than Mascara (10 days supply, in black) by using a promotion code I found online — try MAKEUP35 at checkout.

A free eyeshadow quad from Estee Lauder (apologies for a terrible photo I took with my iPhone)

For more information about these product and my opinion and review of these check out my videos:

Have a great weekend, and don’t play with fire!!!!

xoxo

Singed Momma

]]> http://singedmomma.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/friday-11-13-09-haul/feed/ 0 37.802812 -122.163252 37.802812 -122.163252 singedmomma Smokey Pink Eyeshadow http://singedmomma.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/singed-mommas-october-favorites-cosmetic-products/ http://singedmomma.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/singed-mommas-october-favorites-cosmetic-products/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:40:20 +0000 singedmomma http://singedmomma.wordpress.com/?p=76 ]]> Here is a list of cosmetic products that I enjoyed the most during the month of October. I am also including links to virtual shops where you can find these.

* Givenchy PHENOMEN ‘EYES Mascara

* Kat Von D TRUE LOVE palette

* Chanel PRO LUMIERE foundation

* Shu Uemura HARD FORMULA 9 eyebrow pencil

* Lush GREASE LIGHTNING spot cleanser

* Lush DREAM CREAM

Hope it helps

Singed Momma

To make the process even easier I made a short “how to” video for you, so check it out:

Hope you found this tip helpful!

Don’t play with fire,

Singed Momma

So after looking on the web for safe solutions, I came upon this video that introduced me to the Beaute de Maman products:

After watching the video and checking out their website I purchased two products:

#1 Face & Body Cream for oily, blemished skin in pregnancy &  #2 Facial Scrub for pregnancy

So far I had relatively good results with these products. Even though my acne problem hasn’t been resolved completely, it seems to prevent major outbreaks. My skin feels less oily while still receiving moisture and nutrients. However, one unexpected problem I had with this product is that the smell of the cream made me noxious one morning. The main ingredient in these products is Tee Tree oil, which has an overpowering quality. I guess my pregnant nose decided to disagree with Michele D. Brown M.D., the obstetrician who developed these products.

In any case, this happened only once and since then I haven’t had any other problems with Beaute de Maman products.

Don’t play with fire,

Singed Momma

Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol or morphine or idealism.

~ Carl Jung

Do you remember Gus Van Sant’s movie, Drugstore Cowboy? Well, this is how I feel sometimes these days. And no, I do not steal pharmaceuticals from drugstores. I don’t need to. Really! I’m being prescribed all this stuff anyway. But let me put it this way, by now the woman behind the counter at Kaiser’s pharmacy knows my husband by name, as well as the whole story of my accident. And the wooden side table in my living room is filled with containers of various shapes and colors filled with painkillers, supplements, and vitamins.

Some of the pills Singes Momma is taking

Before I was discharged from the hospital my doc and savior, Dr. Ikeda, had a talk with me about the pain killers I was prescribed: Morphine and Norco. Being quite adamant about wanting me to quit them as soon as possible, he said: “These pills are so addictive some people end up taking them their whole life after an accident like yours.” And of course there’s the whole pregnancy angle. My baby gets hooked on these narcotics as much as I do. Talking to Dr. Ikeda about this stuff made me think of heroin junkys’ newborns I’ve seen in films, veiny screaming little things hooked to tubes and monitors and machines. This terrible image is scarier to me than looking at my own skin in the mirror, but the daily amount of pain forces me into the drugstore time and again. I pray to get better so I can stop with the pain killers, and hope my unborn daughter is stronger and healthier than my fears and nightmares.

So I tried to be a good patient, and within one month I waned myself off the Morphine pills. Morphine sounded more ‘loaded’ to me, and I figured that this was the more dangerous of the two evils. It was tough physically and emotionally. I even experiences withdrawal symptoms that started with a major depression episode and turned into physical pain. But I took myself off of it. And I was oh so proud. It’s important to note that Morphine is a long lasting drug, while Norco is a short term pain killer; so, as soon as my body realized that there’s nothing there to take the edge off, my Norco intake started increasing rapidly. Every 4 hours, like clockwork, the razors in my burns would start sharpening themselves inside my skin, while a hunter’s knife curves into the veins and tissue under my knees. And then I pop in a Norco, and within 10-25 minutes most of hell’s kitchen disappears behind a soft curtain of vicodin. And the show goes on.

Yesterday I went to see our new primary care physician. We had to change providers because our previous doctor was a resident, and it was easier to get a hold of Barack Obama than getting an appointment with her. As we met Dr. Pierre, my husband and I took turns telling her the situation, recapping the last 3 months of our lives. We told this tragic story so many times that we know our lines and compliment each other with clearly strategized sentences containing the most crucial of details. By now we understand that strangers, including doctors, don’t care for the emotional aspects of my situation, and they don’t want to loose time with information that doesn’t directly serve them. For instance: “My accident happened on 8.11.09.  33% of my body was burned, mostly 3rd degree. No, it wasn’t a car accident. My clothes lit on fire…” — I usually have to stop and take a breath after delivering this particular line. In the beginning this would be a moment when I’d start choking on my tears and explain how desperate this whole situation makes me feel. I’d say that being burned alive was my biggest phobia, and that …. But I quickly realized that only a few people around me really give a damn about how I feel, the rest  — and particularly the medical field — is interested only in the details. Otherwise they might start caring for me as a person and that takes too much time.

So we filled Dr. Pierre in all the important facts, including my heroic victory over the Morphine pills. She listened to this specific detail with a raised brow, and as we finished she asked with a French accent: “Why would you want to stop Morphine and not Norco? Everyone knows that short term pain killers are more addictive?”

No, Dr. Pierre, apparently not everyone! So now I am back on Morphine with a lower dose of Norco. My new goal is decreasing Norco intake after the Morphine level in my blood sufficiently builds up in the next few days. I am quite depressed over the fact I had to start taking the poppy seed pills again, knowing how hard it was to get off of it in the first place. I am also pretty anxious about the possibility of my baby being addicted to these pain killers.

My body bends in and out internally, as it readjusts to this new meds regiment. I am nauseous, and sleepy, and a bit confused, trying to contain my mood while it spikes, flexes, and crushes again. I end up spending all day in bed, with no energy or desire to go downstairs and deal with the world. Around 4:30 pm my eyelids get heavy and I start dosing off. I don’t mind a little break from pain and anxiety. Maybe, as I fall asleep, I’d dream of myself wearing a ridiculous jumpsuit, catching a ride with a huge thumb pointing toward the sunset. In my dream I’d be healthy and comfortable in my own skin. And as I fall asleep I become the happiest cowgirl in the world.

Don’t play with fire!

Singed Momma

But since my accident it all changed. In the hospital I’d wake up every two hours in excruciating pain and call the nurse. The nurse would come in to ask me what I needed. “Pain medication please,” I’d mumble still groggy. The nurse would come back with a syringe of Dilaudid or Morphine, shoot it up my IV and I’d fall asleep… for at least another two hours.

After I was released home, and IV medication wasn’t an option, they put me on Norco. I’m taking it every 4 hours to help with the pain and it is supposed to be quite safe with the pregnancy. I also take Benadryl at night for the itching.

My insomnia and my Norco intake are somewhat connected. I have no troubles falling asleep, but then I wake up in 4 hours intervals when my body feels Norco is needed. Many times after I wake up though, I can’t fall asleep. It takes Norco a while to digest within my system, so often I end up awake for at least two hours, counting sheep, playing with my iPhone, and listening to audio books.

But tonight my insomnia is worst than even, and unfortunately it’s my fault. Last night I took my Norco on time, one pill at 11 pm sharp. After the shower and the “lotion ritual” I was preparing my meds for the night. I took one Benadryl and left one for when I wake up at 3 am. I was about to grab an additional Norco for the same purpose, but I wasn’t paying attention. Instead of putting it on my nightstand I put it in my mouth. I pop one of these puppies every 4 hours, so I am on an autopilot most of the time when I deal with the pills. I haven’t realized this right away, but ten minutes later I started panicking. The doc clearly told me not to take two Norcos together. I was sure I’m not gonna overdose, but what about the baby?

My husband ended up calling the advice nurse in Kaiser, and after 30 minutes on the phone she told us it’s not a problem. “Just skip the next dose,” she said. We both were releaved, and a few minutes later I was sound asleep and my body happily numb… Until 2:45 am. Then I opened my eyes for the first time. Lifting myself up I looked at the alarm clock, realizing it’s way too early I managed to fall asleep.

Insomnia is a dirty player, and I know her tricks by now. There are those nights when she comes by and knocks on the window, she might stretch my heavy eyelids and look inside my skull, and then she leaves to find a better suited partner. But it wasn’t the case tonight.

I woke up again with a giddy feeling that I slept through the whole night without needing another Norco. I stretched, opened my eyes, realizing it’s still quite dark outside, and then looked at the alarm clock… 3:15 am was glowing red and clear on the digital display.  Insomnia had her way with me again.

Immediately I felt wide awake and at the same time stuck. My husband quietly sleeping by my side, and the puppies are locked in their crates downstairs. It’s only Insomnia, and me, and the night. I propped myself up with the pillows, realizing that my legs are in pain and my skin feels like it has been carved with a razor. I’m trying to shift my mind, “take it easy,” I say to myself, “we have 4 hours till next Norco, better use  the time wisely.” It’s dark, and I am trying to navigate through my nightstand which is covered with several body lotions and oils for my skin, facial products that I use at night, water, pretzels, pills, and other items I require either for my burns or for dealing with insomnia. I manage to grab my iPhone without making a mess and waking up my husband. I check my email accounts, all five of them. Nothing new there besides some spam. I update my twitter page, and check out my Facebook wall. Nothing interesting occurs in either of my regular virtual hangout places. I stick my headphones in my ears and finish Madness, by Marya Hornbacher, a great audiobook that has been saving me through insomnia in the last couple of weeks.

Although usually, while listening to Marya’s story I end-up dosing off after an hour or so, insomnia clearly has other plans for me for tonight… It’s 5 am and I am still wide awake. My husband wakes up for a second, realizing I’m up he says: “Babe, how long have you been up?” “Since 3 in the morning. Listen,” I continue, “sorry to bug you, but could you help me with my compression garments? I really need to pee.” Burn survivors get custom made compression garments they need to wear 23 hours a day. However because I am pregnant they couldn’t make anything special for me, so I am wearing thigh-high leggings with 20/30 compression. I can deal with those throughout the day, but I cannot sleep in it since it hurts too much.

Half awake my husband gets the garments. In the darkness we put it over my legs, half way up. It covers above my knees  — just enough to go to the bathroom and back. I get off the bed, unable to stretch my knees fully, and with slightly crooked legs start going down the stairs. My husband, who is a bit more awake now, follows me down the stairs to make sure I don’t fall over. I get to the bathroom and pee. Mission accomplished! I slowly ascend back to the bedroom, while my husband fetching a fresh glass of water from the kitchen.  Before he returns to bed I ask him for the laptop, knowing that insomnia isn’t planning to leave any time soon. He gives me the machine and immediately falls asleep. I turn it on and find myself writing this blog. I knew there is a good reason to take up blogging in the first place.

The alarm finally goes off. It’s 6:30 in the morning and my husband is waking up. The puppies also heard the alarm and they’re getting excited for the new day. I look away from the screen and realize that sometime in between the last three paragraphs insomnia, my nightly companion, has left without saying goodbye. I am not too upset though. In half an hour I’ll pop in a Norco, hoping to fall asleep for a couple of hours. Good night insomnia, my friend, I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.