Gyaru Hair Tutorial

Hey guys! This is a really quick video that is just a hair tutorial for the Gyaru Makeup Tutorial. I didn't want to make it too complicated so it's a bit of a cutesy-fied version of the Snooki pouf. Hahaha~

Products used:

Silk Elements Mega Silk Heat Protection Spray from Sally Beauty
BaByliss Pro Ceramic 1.5" Curling Iron
Headband is from http://www.ekilove.com (visit Eki's blog here)
Goody Spin Pins in Brunette

And a view from the back...

Like the makeup tutorial, I'm definitely not saying that this is how all gyaru do their hair, it's just a really quick interpretation of something you could use for a Halloween costume without ruining your hair. If you want to go all out, you could also buy yourself a really adorable wig but I didn't have anything that fit the look on hand. *closes vast wig closet*

Just kidding y'all, I only have that one toy soldier wig and it would not be right for this look! It's too bad I don't have my shorter bangs at the mo' since I'm growing them out, hence the fake curled + pinned bangs. Earlier this year I has having massive amounts of hair fall out after being sick for a couple months (probs due to stress, eep) last winter and it's all deciding to grow back all at once. I have the worst case of baby hairs and cowlicks right now and bangs would make it basically look like I'm trying to be David Bowie for Halloween instead. ;(

Oh well, always new opportunities in the future to redo looks again in different ways. ^_^

Time for me to go to a friend's bday party then get in my Halloween costume for tonight's party! It's going to be a very cool party for only the coolest, hippest, partying-est people, AKA my parents-in-laws. Gettin' crazy with the cheese wiz! Should be a good time. Hehe.

Tsubasa Hime Gyaru Dolly Halloween Tutorial

Hey everyone! This will probably be the last of my Halloween tutorials for this year and I left it for last since you might be able to scrounge up a costume for it last-minute. It's my gyaru tutorial!

If you don't know what a gyaru is, it's a Japanese term for young girls in their teens and twenties who are very fashion-conscious with a stereotype of having a child-like appearance. You will most often see examples of "gyaru" girls in Japanese fashion magazines like Vivi (my favorite), Popteen, and S Kawaii. Basically the look centers on having HUGE eyes and a very innocent dolly look.

Circle lenses I'm wearing are G&G A21 brown lenses
Nailpolish I'm wearing is Orly CosmicFX - Galaxy Girl
Headband is from Ekilove

Products mentioned:

Skin79 hot pink bb cream
Lioele Cushion Touch Blusher in Cutie Pink
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Lioele Real Stick Eyeshadow in Gold
NYX Single Eyeshadow in Salmon
Urban Decay Naked Palette (Buck and Virgin)
Lioele All-In-One Gel Liner
Dolly Wink Eyeliner
Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus Mascara
Dolly Wink Lashes in #1 Dolly Sweet
Ardell lower lashes in 112
Random light pink eyeliner for waterline
Wonder Eyelid Tape (purchase at http://frmheadtotoe.bigcartel.com)
Panasonic Heated Eyelash Curler
Lioele Artist Auto Eyebrow in Black
Revlon Soft Nude lipstick
Lioele Blooming Gloss in Vanilla Pink
Canmake blusher

Here are the pics:

The lash placement accentuates the dolly eyes. My eyes are so huge I wish I would've worn some 14.5mm circle lenses instead! The lashes were being a bit droopier than I would've liked but these Dolly Wink lashes are HUGE and fell right down. I don't recommend them for most days unless you enjoy looking really fake.

Here's my princess pouf hair with Eki's adorable hair bow. ^_^ Companion hair tutorial will be uploaded soon.

Here are a couple shots hubby took, making me look TINY! Hehe...

And just for kicks, here's a selca shot I took in the car on the way to a friend's house. Somehow, the car lighting just looks cuter.

To be honest, this wasn't actually my favorite tutorial I've done on myself. I just think I look better with smaller eyes. Is that silly of me? I've never really loved the look of huge creases on me. BUT it was fun to do, and the transformation is pretty radical! I love makeup for its ability to do that sort of thing. ^_^

I hope you all enjoyed my gyaru tutorial! I do want to disclaim that I don't profess to be a gyaru (duh) so take this tutorial with a grain of salt and have a sense of humor when you apply your makeup, especially during Halloween!

xoxo

PS- If you haven't entered my Jewelry Payless giveaway, you can still enter here! They just told me there are so many entries, they'd like to add a $30 second place prize as well so yay for more chances to win! :D

Disclaimer: Lioele products provided by http://www.prettyandcute.com. For orders over $35 use code "jenmirror" for a free Lioele princess mirror or code "frmheadtotoe" for a free foundation brush. :]

Circle lenses provided by http://www.pinkyparadise.com. Code "frmheadtotoe" gets you a free beauty gift with each pair of circle lenses ordered.

Jewelry Payless Review, Coupon Code & Giveaway

I just realized that there is absolutely no doubt in anyone's mind that I love pretty, sparkly, shiny things. I would say it's a weakness but hello, I kind of think having lots of pretty sparkly things can't possibly be weak. If anything, it's powerful considering how distracted it can make people. If I were a superhero I would probably be a sparklemonster and every time I ran by, everyone would be put into a happy coma with a bit of drool dripping down.

*nods*

This is why I am especially happy to show off a few pieces that I received from Jewelry Payless. I mean, there are companies that contact you as a blogger and it's not always so common to see their wares and immediately say "Yes, please!" but in this case I can honestly say that it does fit in exactly with my own personal style. In the e-mail that Raymond of JP sent me, he actually said that he noticed in my Gradient Nail Tutorial that I was very much into fashion rings. Yes, yes I am. ;D

Here's my video review of what I received and also a coupon code and giveaway:

Discount code: 25FROMHEADTOTOE for 25% off at http://www.jewelrypayless.com from now until November 15th, 2010.

Products mentioned:
Three Stone CZ Sterling Silver Costume Ring
Curvy Micro Pave CZ Sterling Silver Fashion Ring
Angel Wings CZ Sterling Silver Stud Earrings
Sterling Silver Aqua Cat Eye Necklace

And here are the lovely jewelry items in picky pics:

I love wing jewelry of all types! So glad I can replace my old, non-sterling wing earrings.

A nice, big cocktail ring with pale pink & purple acrylic stones and cubic zirconia set in sterling silver. The shape looks almost floral in person. The pale pink stone is a bit loose in the setting but otherwise, really pretty. 

This ring is probably my favorite piece I received. Super sparkly and gorgeous in person, much more than what this photo shows. It looks really expensive and looks nice paired with my wedding ring.

This aqua cat's-eye horn/claw necklace is actually pretty small and dainty when worn and has a transformative quality to it. In some angles it's a glowy, opaque pale blue while in others it's translucent. I like it most when seen at a diagonal angle. I think it's a cool effect but I wish the little bolt at the top of the horn were hidden somehow. It just looks much nicer when opaque and hidden. Still quite pretty though.

(Also, looking back at these pics, did you notice how long my natural nails have gotten? :D I'm so proud of them since I usually have a big problem with them breaking and peeling. I've been using a new product that I'll be sharing with you soon!)

Now onto the giveaway. One viewer will be winning a $50 gift certificate toward beautiful jewelry courtesy of Jewelry Payless! All you have to do is be a frmheadtotoe Youtube subscriber and Twitter follower.

- Giveaway info -

Please leave a comment on this blog post with the following:

1. Your name

2. Valid e-mail address to contact you if you win

3. Youtube screenname (must be a subscriber. I will check!)

4. Twitter screenname (must be a follower. I will check!)

5. Your favorite Jewelry Payless item and the outfit you'd pair with it. :)

This giveaway is open to everyone and runs until November 15, 2010. Entrants under 16 must ask parents for permission to enter. Winner will be picked randomly from valid entries. Good luck!

Disclaimer: Items in this review were sent to me by www.jewelrypayless.com for consideration. Honest reviews, as always!

Toy Soldier Halloween Tutorial

*salutes*

Today I have another Halloween tutorial to share with you. I'm probably the most excited about this one because it's so over-the-top and probably what I'm going to wear for Halloween this year. (I love that lion costume so much but it's too close to Puss in Boots that I wore last year and I have to switch things up!) I hope the intensity of this tutorial comes across in the video because in person it is really over-the-top for me, especially since I wear pretty low-key makeup most days. ^_^

Presenting: Toy Soldier Halloween Tutorial!

Products mentioned:
MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation in NC30
MAC Face & Body Foundation in N1
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Urban Decay Naked Palette (Buck, Virgin, and Hustle eyeshadows)
Lioele All In One Gel Eyeliner
Revlon Matte Eyeliner in White
Dollywink Eyeliner
Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler
Lioele Real Waterproof Up & Down Mascara
NYX Fabulous Lashes in EL105
Lash Grip Adhesive in dark tone
Pretty & Cute Glamour Lash #122
NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Taupe/Ash 03
Lioele Blooming Shimmer Pearl Base in Pink Pearl
NYX Rouge Cream Blush in CB07 Red Cheeks
NYX Blush in 24 Red
Paul & Joe Lipliner in 01
MAC Select Cover up concealer in NC30
MAC Venomous Villains Heartless lipstick
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Medium

Circle lenses are EOS Candy Green lenses
Link to the Toy Soldier costume
Link to Goldilocks blonde wig
I bought the legwarmers separately from http://www.sockdreams.com

I was actually inspired to do this look after seeing the ridiculously adorable costume from dwdshoes.com which, I want to say for the record that they offered to send me a few things and although they had shoes and clothes I basically made a beeline to the costumes to do tutorials for you all. What's the point of doing a review on shoes when I could get something that would give a bit of fun back to the beauty community that has been so supportive of me?

So no, I'm not crazy enough to buy a million costumes to tramp around to several posh parties on Halloween this year, but I have been blessed an incredible amount of love and support to be able to make my silly little videos which I would not have been able to do without you. Sometimes even little opportunities give big rewards. :)

So here are the pics to my Toy Soldier/Doll/Mannequin look:

Does my jaw look like it's going to come unhinged here?

This was slightly fail because I was trying to show the eyeshadow. At least the hair looks good!

I salute you!

The costume designers did such a great job with the hat! It really makes the outfit. :)

Here are some pics of the full costume. I'm so impressed with how this wig lays! The layers fall in really pretty curls. I'm also obsessed with these legwarmers which happen to fit TINY which is great for me and my "chopstick" legs (that nickname is credit to my mom). These are size S/M so definitely size up if you are looking into buying them.

A shot from the behind. How adorable is the back of this dress! ^_^

 <3

 And just in case this post wasn't creepy enough, here is a photo that really shows the plasticy doll-face look that I was going for.

I did notice in the close-up photos that light was reflecting right into my cheeks so the red circles don't look round but you can tell in the full-length photos that they are. It was just the Lioele Blooming Shimmer Pearl Base that I used to make my face shiny and more doll-like that gave it that extra bounce of light. ;D

I also noticed that the blonde wig makes me look fairer. Totally weird! I hadn't even worn a wig before this one so I was impressed at how nice this looked. I'm going to have to find excuses to wear it again. (ooh, blonde Disney girls! ^o^) Hope you don't get sick of me as a blonde. I've never had anything lighter than dark brown highlights before. Haha!

Okay, for SERIOUS I am going to bed early tonight for some well-deserved rest. Thank you so much for reading/watching and let me know how you liked it in the comments. ^_^

Disclaimer:
Costume provided by http://www.discountwomensdressshoes.com, Lioele products, wig, and bottom lashes provided by http://www.prettyandcute.com, circle lenses provided by http://www.pinkyparadise.com.
I was not paid to use or promote any items in this tutorial. I only use what I like!

TLBC Bra Review & Coupon Code

Hi everyone! After I had posted my Bra Fitting 101 post and video, I had quite a number of people asking if I could review some of The Little Bra Company's other styles of bras since I really only covered the one strapless Sascha in the video. As you may already know, I adore my Sascha and it's my first holy grail strapless bra but TLBC also offers many other beautiful bras as well. :)

Here's my review of 5 different TLBC bras that I have including my very favorite one, the Lucia in Peony/Tangerine:

For the month of October The Little Bra Company is donating 10% of its bestselling Lucia bra, in Peony/Tangerine, to Young Survival Coalition, the premier international organization dedicated to the critical issues unique to young women and breast cancer. YSC works with survivors, caregivers and the medical, research, advocacy and legislative communities to increase the quality and quantity of life for women diagnosed with breast cancer ages 40 and under.

Because of TLBC's efforts to support Breast Cancer Awareness month, I really believe that this is the perfect time to try out this particular bra since part of the process go to such a wonderful cause. Sometimes I think we women take our breasts for granted and as silly as that sounds, it's really important to help each other when it comes to issues so close to our own identities. Boobies supporting boobies for the win! :D

I know some ladies have expressed their feelings that TLBC bras are expensive but from my experience they seem to fall in line with most other bras that I have come across (save the cheapy ones from Target or Kohl's that fall apart after a month or two...) such as Victoria's Secret or other companies like Wacoal, Chantel, and Calvin Klein. 

Despite this fact, I'm very excited to announce that TLBC is offering my viewers a 15% discount off their purchase from www.thelittlebracompany.com with the code FHTT15. This code is valid through January 15, 2011. Maybe it will ease the pain in your wallet while the bra eases the potential pain in your lovely lady lumps from wearing the wrong sized bra! ^_~

Although I cover all the details in my video, here are some key points for each bra:

Lucia in Peony/Tangerine ($56):

• gorgeous!
• my favorite overall bra (...from any company. ever.)
• great cleavage
• soft padded cups
• band runs slightly looser 

Lucia-AB in Aubergine/Blush ($58):

• slightly tighter band (TLBC told me they improved the band material and fit of the Lucia for this season. Peony/Tangerine is from an older season so I'm guessing all future colors and styles of Lucias will probably have a sturdier, tighter band that runs slightly smaller)
• adjustable strap hooks (can do traditional, halter, or cross-back)
• great cleavage
• soft padded cups

Angela in Nude ($52):

• everyday push-up bra
• cups run 1/2 size small (or straps run tight)
• adjustable strap hooks (can do traditional, halter, or cross-back)
• band fits like Sascha
• soft padding
• not heavily padded but SUPER CLEAVAGE MAGIC

Yvonne in Nude/Mocha ($56):

• wider-set, molded demi-cups 
• cups run 1 size larger compared to the other styles
• adjustable strap hooks (can do traditional, halter, or cross-back)
• very pretty lace band and straps
• good support if you have a fuller cup

Ethel-L in Lavender ($60):

• demi-cups
• beautiful all-over lace with pearl detail
• removable padding (can adjust for more or less cleavage)
• what I call "square type" shape for good support (versus V-shape)
• my favorite of the batch I was sent!

One thing that I find truly amazing from this company that makes them stand out from other bras is that they don't use tons and tons of padding to give cleavage, even for petite sizes, so it doesn't feel like your boobs are being squished up to your neck. Instead, they rely on superior overall fit to enhance the woman's shape and cleavage line. TLBC, I commend you for this!

I hope this video and quick review helps for those of you who are interested in purchasing a TLBC bra, especially with the coupon code. ;)  I do want to mention that I'm not being paid in any way to promote the company and the Lucia that I have in Peony/Tangerine I actually purchased myself completely before the company contacted me so I am being as honest as possible! They have been super supportive (lol irony) for me in more than 1 way and I am very enthusiastic about sharing good news. ^_^

For those of you living outside the US, a quick Google search brought up a few online stores that ship TLBC bras internationally including lindasonline.com which ships internationally for free, journelle.com, and herroom.com. I haven't personally purchased from those sites but it's an FYI. :)

Oh and one last thing I wanted to mention is that a little Twitter birdie (@thelittlebracom) told me that TLBC will be coming out with size C cups very soon. Good news for you more breast-blessed women who are petite as well!

Happy boobies and have a nice week!

Disney Princess Jasmine Halloween Tutorial

Wellllllcome to Agrabah! City of Makeup and Enchantment. ;D

That's how it went, right? That's how it goes in my version anyway. I think if I had three wishes from Aladdin's Genie I would probably ask for 1. everyone to have hope, 2. everyone to have empathy, and 3. everyone to have something that makes them incessantly happy.

I just realized I have, or like to think I have, all 3 of those things so I can spoil all of you with my wishes. ^_______^

Oh, and free makeup. HAHAHAwishfailIonlyget3.

So I'm really excited (and terrified) to share with you all my Princess Jasmine tutorial. I'd like to eventually cover all the Disney girls but I thought Halloween would be a great opportunity to cover my favorite iconic princess. The only caveat I have is her insanely sexy outfit! I must have been a very sassy child because I had no problems with the costume then but I find myself being rather self-conscious in it now!

Products mentioned:

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation in NC30
MAC Blot Powder in Medium Dark
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Urban Decay Naked Palette (Smog, Darkhorse, and Virgin eyeshadows)
Dollywink Eyeliner
Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil in Zero
Shiseido Eyelash Curler
Fairydrops Mascara
Covergirl Lash Exact Mascara
Pretty & Cute Korean High Fiber lashes #64
Duo Dark Tone Lash Adhesive
NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Taupe/Ash 03
Pretty and Cute contour palette
MAC Venomous Villains Bite of an Apple Blush
Laura Mercier Stickgloss in Sugar Plum

Circle lenses are G&G A21 Brown
My nailpolish is CND Green Scene
Ring is vintage from ebay

Just because I can, here are some adorable Jasmine pics I grabbed from Google Images:

And here's my version:

You can see the eyeshadow a bit better here.

Honestly, my favorite makeup faux pas is too much eyeliner. XD

I still love this green polish!

So here's a look at the Arabian Princess costume, sent to me by http://www.discountwomensdressshoes.com/
Get 10% off your order with code "JEN10" valid until 12/14 (my birthday ^_^ and nope, I don't get anything from the code, it's just for you guys ;)
Note the arm in front of my stomach to somewhat protect my modesty because I was feeling more like...

...THIS! hehehe.

But no really, I did feel very exposed in this outfit since I happen to be a pretty conservative person! But hubby approved of the video and he took the pics so I guess I'm okay. See what I do for you? lol.

I do want to mention that in terms of fit, the lion costume fit me much better than this one. Although the pants fit really well around the hips, the legs were far too long and I had to use elastics around my ankles so that they didn't hang down. I'm not sure if you can see, but it has built-in shorts so the pants themselves aren't too exposed. As for the top, all I can say is that I had to use a ton of double-stick tape to keep my bra from showing. I am not wearing this outside the house lest I flash someone fo-sho! Seriously, it fit weird and the back of the top kept wanting to ride up. Maybe a nu-bra would be a better option for wearing this out, but I obviously wasn't smart enough to realize this at the time I was recording. XD

Oh, and I also wanted to thank Joyce Jewelry for these earrings from a while back (you may remember them from this post) and Catherine from See Jewelry who sent me this bracelet which only matched the outfit because it was sparkly and matched my nails. Which still 100% works out in my book.

Thank you everyone for your well-wishes. I am starting to get better but there are a few straggling coughs left. Hopefully I can get some more rest this week and have some really cool posts up before the end of October. Sorry to my twitter peeps because I haven't been as active on there due to being super busy and work and resting at home but I promise I am trying to reply to people as much as I can. It's actually the best way to ask me quick questions. ^_^

It's late again, oh noes! Time for another sleep and another chance at feeling better for tomorrow!

Disclaimer: Costume provided by http://www.discountwomensdressshoes.com, contour palette and lashes provided by http://www.prettyandcute.com, circle lenses provided by http://www.pinkyparadise.com.
I was not paid to use or promote any items in this tutorial. Holla. ;)

MAC Venomous Villains Haul

Sob, sob, I was wanting to record another Halloween tutorial today but sadly, I am still very sick today. :( Pretty much sound like death. Instead I thought I'd post about my MAC haul that I recently did from the big Disney collection that came out with some of the best villains ever created.

I recorded this video a few days ago when I wasn't coughing as much. I know you've all probably seen tons of videos and pictures of this collection already but what can I say, I was still excited about mine. ;)

I didn't mention Bite of an Apple blush in my video because I actually received it as a gift from my dear (and amazingly talented photographer) friend Kassia which was TOO GENEROUS of her, but in return for having these swatches and photos for you all, you should visit her blog, full of makeup & eye candy magic!

The packaging had some pretty sweet sketches on the cardboard boxes. I always have such a difficult time throwing unique packaging away so I'll hoard them in a drawer until I need more space. ;D

The much-coveted Bad Fairy nail lacquer. This is a duo-chrome shimmer polish in the same vein as the ORLY CosmicFX collection. I have 3 CosmicFX polishes that I still need to post about, so I'll show all three swatches then. I'll just say that this type of polish makes me weak in the knees and very distracted by my hands while I'm walking/working/driving/in sunlight at any point.

Blushes! I love blushes, which you probably already know from my ridiculously huge Rock & Republic blush collection. I didn't used to be such a blush hoarder but now I can't go without them! Even on no-makeup days, I find a bit of blush brightens up the face so easily. ^_^

Briar Rose beauty powder blush. MAC Beauty Powders tend to be sheerer but impart a nice glowy look to your skin that makes it look more like a natural, beautiful flush. This one is such a lovely pinky-purple, which is a shade I've been loving for the Fall weather. It's more sophisticated than my summer corals. Although it's matte, I could see a few shimmery flecks in the sunlight.

Bite of an Apple blush is a wham-bam coral red that is VERY pigmented and completely matte even in sunlight. I recommend using a light hand with this one, or a stippling brush. This would actually look SO pretty with Heartless lipstick for a cheery holiday look.

The 2 lipglasses I bought were Revenge is Sweet and Strange Potion. Revenge is Sweet looks neon purple in the tube but is actually the prettiest glossy, sheer fuchsia pink. Super wearable for everyday and not too sheer in my opinion. Others complained about this color being underwhelming but I love it! Strange Potion in contrast is a cute opaque peach with pearl shimmer. Very wearable as well for those afraid to go full-nude with lipstick but still want an opaque nude lip.

Heartless lipstick is a very neutral, bright red. Cousin to my favorite red, NYX Snow White, but brighter. Can't wait to try this one out for the holidays! The image of Cruella isn't my favorite but honestly, she was never a very attractive lady. I'm pretty sure if the Evil Villains were all makeup bloggers Cruella would be the one with the most hater comments from 13-year olds telling her to re-shape her eyebrows. ^_~

And of course, swatches! Click for a bigger image.

For those of you who are wondering about my outfit/nail polish in the video, I'll have a video and OOTD post about it more in-depth next time. :] Hope you enjoyed these pics and swatches!

Now it's time for me to go nap before going to the in-laws to celebrate hubby's birthday. HE'S SO OLD!! Just kidding, he's only 2 months older than me. You can wish him a Happy Bday in the comments since I'm pretty sure he stalks my blog or something, wtf.

<3<3<3 lolzjkloveyouhubby! I'll try to stop coughing on you as my present. True love!