Blaq Vixen Beauty

I've forgotten how fun it is to participate in a beauty tag...even if I tend to overthink my answers! The stunning Khadine from Cosmetic Passion recently tagged me on her blog in a beauty preference meme in which I have to choose one beauty product in a series of questions:

[blush] or [bronzer]?

Sure, I love using bronzer as blush, eyeshadow and as a highlight, but nothing beats a gorgeous, ethereal glow you can get with a coral-, orange- or peach-hued blush. My favorites:

Face Blush by Iman

[lipstick] or [lip gloss]?

Purple lipstick please! But I think I might be wearing a host of fun lip tattoos this fall just because I hear they stay on forever with minimal retouching. My favorites:

Lipstick by M·A·C

[eyeliner] or [mascara]?

I know winged eyeliner and its variations is hot right now but give me a great mascara to define my eyes. Too much work to get the perfect cat eye nowadays! My favorites:

Mascara at Target

[foundation] or [concealer]?

Hands down, I have to choose foundation---especially a cream foundation that can double as a concealer. My favorites: In progress.

[neutral eyeshadow] or [colored eyeshadow]?

I love a nice wash of a metallic, neutral eyeshadow just because I'm too lazy to blend colored eyeshadow and make it look presentable. Besides, metallic eyeshadow is a great Fall trend! See below!

[loose eyeshadow] or [pressed eyeshadow]?

I hate loose shadow (too messy) but it doesn't stop me from using the loose eyeshadows that I have. I love pressed eyeshadows in palettes though...granted that I don't break them! [laughs] My favorites:

More Ulta...

[brushes] or [sponges]?

Believe it or not, I prefer using my BeautyBlender over my makeup brushes. I know there are people out there who think the BeautyBlender is nothing special but I have to disagree. First off, you're supposed to use it to stipple foundation, blush, etc. on the skin. If you use it like a regular sponge, you'll be disappointed. I love it because the technique is so artistic to me. My favorites:

More Beautyblender...

Which ones would you choose?

Photo via WireImage

Editor's note: This post is under construction as I am taking better photos!

I can't even express how happy I am right now! This feels like homecoming to me! I never realized how much I loved face-of-the-days (actually, this was my face I did last night so it's actually a "face-of-the-night") until I took pictures. Believe me, I took so many pictures until I found one that I wouldn't mind showing on the blog. I used my beautyblender but I forgot to do the first step: Dampen your beautyblender with water and then towel dry to remove access water. I used mine dry and here's how everything turned out.

Want to know what I used in my first face-of-the-day (FOTD) of 2010? Want to see more photos? Peep the details!

The Beauty Director for the Lookbook, Shannon Levy, reached out to me today to announce that the Lookbook finally has a beauty directory. Now until Friday, you can access this section of the Lookbook for free. After Friday, it is $12.99 a month for access to the thousands of updated beauty contacts listed. Do you know I was able to find the PR contact for Maybelline through this invaluable resource?! Yes, it was valid!

You can also subscribe to the fashion directory but since that is a separate section, it requires a separate membership. This section is $12.99 as well. The Lookbook also has an OnSugar blog so maybe, if you're lucky, the information that you need might be posted there. All I have to say is: about time.

But before I go, did you know that Shannon Levy created The Beauty Closet? Featuring 19 brands, The Beauty Closet contains a "tightly-edited" selection of cosmetics, makeup bags, brushes and other accessories.

Tired of using off-brand beauty sponges? The Beauty Closet has the ever popular BeautyBlender sponge and cleanser in stock. I have to buy this. I can't afford the TEMPTU AIRbrush Makeup System yet so this will have to do.

Then there's the Scott Barnes Beauty line. I knew that Gabrielle Union was a fan of his Flossy Glossy in Pretty Penny ($22) and the Illumineye in Chocolate ($35) but I wasn't familiar with the line until now.

The Beauty Closet sells his famed Body Bling Platinum, which leaves a stunning, champagne shimmer on the skin. I'm starting to love champagne-hued shimmer for the face and body (like Susan Posnick COLORME in Champagne Shimmer) so I have to check this out. I'm also adding his original Body Bling to my list just in case I go through another J. LO phase.

Other brands include Kevyn Aucoin, Hourglass Cosmetics, Armour Beauty, Billy B Beauty, Kreat Beauty, RGB Cosmetics, Sara Happ, pur~lisse, Suresh Beauty, Shadow Shields, Paul & Joe Beauté and more.

Inspired by Tempt'd and A Girl's Gotta Spa, Blaq Vixen Beauty vowed not to showcase pink or pink-ribboned beauty products sold specifically for breast cancer awareness and research.

Earlier, we posted about Hard Rock's PINKTOBER initiative. That post has been deleted. We were also going to write about Palmer's partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure campaign but have decided to pull the plug, as that promotion was still in draft.

We know that October is almost over but we figured that we would resume posting in November. Think about it - breast cancer doesn't just strike in October, right? And besides, breast cancer awareness should be a year-long initiative for all of us!

You may have noticed that we haven't deleted the post about BeautyTicket's Pink Boutique.

However, it has been edited to include that if you do decide to donate 10% of your purchase to BreastCancer.org, please make sure to ask for a confirmation letter or email to make sure that this organization has really received your donation and for tax purposes.

The money that you spend on products from BeautyTicket's Pink Boutique (or any other pink product for that matter) could easily be donated to any of the following foundations and organizations to include Think Before You Pink, The American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. This October (and for the rest of this year), Blaq Vixen Beauty challenges you to do more than just shop. Of course, if you need a BeautyBlender or a new lip set, then feel free to buy these items.

Furthermore, Blaq Vixen Beauty will not be hosting a fundraiser. If it in your heart to donate to the cause, you don't necessarily have to donate through a blog fundraiser or charity. We will also refrain from utilizing affiliate marketing as we feel that it would be in bad taste to receive any sort of monetary compensation from the sale of items associated with breast cancer awareness.

What have you done to contribute to the cure lately?