Did you know that it will be my birthday in ten days? I was telling one of my friends yesterday that the countdown to my birthday officially begins. I have no plans; I'm pretty much fast-forwarding until January!

Since I don't really expect anyone to get me anything (maybe money), I bought myself some early birthday "gifts": Lancome Color Fever Plumper Gloss in City Mauve (from their Pink Irreverence Spring 2009 collection), The Little Mermaid Collection Fish Hook Hoop Earrings, The Spiked Earrings in 18k Gold by Obey, Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in Plum Perfect (435) and Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks in Berry Haute (signature shade; 660; creme), Iced Amethyst (pearl; 625), and Plumalicious (pearl; 465).

Earrings by Disney

I honestly don't know why I've been buying (and wearing) lipstick lately but it's feels...comforting. Especially when I went to the gym wearing Berry Haute. I made eye contact with several guys, all of them hella cute. Go me! I swatched them on my hand but am working on creating a collage so y'all will know what they look like on my lips. Until then, I want to know what shade of lipstick are you wearing now?

Editor's Note: This post will be updated as soon as find more information. I am so thankful that Mr. Sam Fine is sharing what he used on Mo'Nique via Twitter. I wish more celebrity makeup artists would do the same! You can also follow him @SamFineBeauty!

It all started with a question. Amber from Brown Bombshell Beauty asked Sam Fine on Twitter what type of lashes he used on Mo'Nique for the Golden Globes. I promptly emailed my contact and they sent me a complete breakdown of Mo'Nique's makeup look:

[face] Sam Fine described Mo'Nique's Golden Globes look as "classic glamour." He sculpted her face with one of his favorite drugstore foundations for women of color, Black Opal True Color Creme Stick Foundation with SPF 8. Next, he dusted CARGO Bronzer and MAC Bronzing Powder on cheeks to achieve a glowing complexion.

[eyes] Fine chose the #747 in long, a wispy style from the Image Exclusive store in Los Angeles. The #747 is Fine's favorite style and it also comes in small and medium. To make Mo'Nique's eyes pop, Fine reached for Shiseido The Makeup Eyeliner Pencil Duo in Desert Dusk. Instead of using white eyeliner, Fine recommends that for brown-skinned babes, we opt for a beige eyeliner since it is more wearable. He used the Shimmery Beige shade inside the inner rim of the eye to make it appear wider and whiter. For her eyebrows, first he bleached them and then he filled them in with Maybelline Define-A-Brow Eyebrow Pencil in Medium Brown.

[lips] Fine topped of Mo'Nique's look with Yves Saint Laurent GOLDEN GLOSS Shimmering Lip Gloss. This gloss contains 0.2% 24k gold, which of course was perfect for our Golden Globe Goddess.

Photos courtesy of Sam Fine's Facebook account.

Pressed Powder by M·A·C

Editor's Note: The product reviewed in this article has been sent by CoverGirl.

It seems like Pat McGrath, the P&G Global Creative Design Director, has worked her mojo again by creating another collection that is both affordable and fashion-forward! I want you to do two things: first, bookmark this link and secondly, circle November 2nd on your calendar. You can be one of the few to try out some of the products from the Blast collection. Check out the gallery to see which products you might be interested in!  The new collection will be available on Drugstore.com as well as CVS (get free shipping!). If you visit Drugstore.com, you save $5 and earn free shipping when you buy all three products - the Smoky ShadowBlast, ShineBlast Lip Gloss and the LashBlast Length Mascara.

My first impression of LashBlast is that is smells exactly like Maybelline Lash Stiletto. This came as a bit of a shock to me at first. However, both mascaras are advertised to lengthen lashes so of course their formulas would be similar.

Unlike the original LashBlast, the LashBlast Length brush is slender and has more bristles - 450 in all. While I've never poked myself in the eye with the bulky, medium-length brush that is the trademark of LashBlast, I favor the ultra-long, skinny brush that LashBlast Length has. I have yet to experience clumpy, spidery lashes (like L'Oreal's Telescopic Explosion Mascara!) with this one. No clumping, no flaking, no smudging and no wilting after a busy day.

Recently, Daily Makeover did a segment with CoverGirl celebrity makeup artist Molly Stern on how to maximize your eyes with three of CoverGirl's star players - LashBlast Length, Original LashBlast and LashBlast Luxe.

Did you know there is a certain way that you should apply your mascara in order to make your eyes appear more open? "Wherever you first place the brush, that's where you're going to get the most definition," Stern revealed.

I placed the tip of the brush on the outer corners of my lashes first. I always do this trick so that I can extend the corner lashes and my eyes will pop. She also shared a complimentary eye makeup technique as well: To accentuate that mile-long lash look, contour your crease with a colorful shadow and drawing a thin, angular line with liquid liner along the top lash line. "I tend to very little shadow or line with long lashes because it's such an innocent look -- it's nice to keep it subtle," she says. To read the rest of Stern's insider tips, click here.

While it defines, separates and lengthens nicely, LashBlast Length does have it faults. I've noticed that some of the product dried in the tube but it has not affected the performance of the mascara, surprisingly. I hope to get more uses out of LashBlast Length as it is one of the three mascaras that I reach for daily.

I was sent "Blue" but as you can see, the mascara looks more like regular black. Based on the ads starring Drew Barrymore, I expected LashBlast Length to produce fantastical length and a pitch of volume, but it's almost like a teaser. You would probably need a mascara primer to increase the benefits of LashBlast Length.

I also found out that it's a little difficult to remove but it's not such a hassle that I want to stop using it. I just have to be a little more patient with this one, since it does have nylon fibers in the mascara. I love that I don't see the actual nylon tubes on my cotton balls like I would if I used L'Oreal Double Extend with Beauty Tubes Technology Mascara.

My next goal is to buy this mascara in "Very Black." That's the shade I prefer whenever I buy or test a new mascara. What's yours?

Is it Copper Charm or Toffee Tango? That is the question. I mean I know Jessica is wearing a nude shade so automatically, I selected "dark" and perused through the selection of neutrals on the site. None of the shades seem to be the one that she has on in this ad though.

More Maybelline...

Blaq Vixen Beauty reader CREOLESU9AR says Jessica is wearing Color Sensational Lipliner in Nude and Color Sensational Lipcolor in Nearly There. Thank you for the information, babe!

I absolutely hate when beauty companies produce these gorgeous (although airbrushed) ads that are misleading. If you are someone you know have Jessica's skintone, will both of you look just as fine with Nearly There gracing your lips? I thought about this after Kia said that she doubted that Jessica really is wearing Nearly There.

Like I mentioned earlier, Nearly There isn't among the nude shades recommended for dark skin. When you buy a Maybelline lipstick (if you do), do you pay attention to the shade recommendation for you? Or do you just choose a shade that catches your eye, regardless if Maybelline thinks it will flatter your skin tone?