Pat McGrath Runway Makeup Recreation

For those of you that don't know who Pat McGrath is, she is one of the most sought after, self taught makeup artists in the world right now. In November of 2011 i saw a contest on youtube that was to recreate any Pat McGrath look we want! This was super exciting fro me & I won 1st place!!!! This is the look I picked to recreate:

This is my recreated look:

This was such fun to do! If you are are trying to learn how to be more creative with makeup, try recreating one of her looks. Its challenging but you will earn a lot & it will help when coming up with your own creative ideas. If you'd like to see how I did this, step by step, check out my new channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ErinLynnMUA

Thanks for taking a look! More to come soon! XO

NYX Jumbo Pencils & Lipstick Review

So a little while back I got more of the NYX Jumbo Pencils & lipsticks but I haven't been able to do a review for now. Lets start with the jumbo pencils....
From top to bottom I have Cottage Cheese, Strawberry Milk, Lime, Electric Blue, Purple & Black Bean.

Cottage Cheese is shimmery white in color & is very creamy & opaque. Strawberry Milk is a shimmery light pink & has the same creamy texture as the color mentioned previously. Makes a great base for soft pinks, any light shimmery colors that you want to add a pink undertone to & is even nice for light shimmery oranges. Lime doesn't remind me of the color lime. It is a shimmery green with gold duo-chrome. Very pretty but I wouldn't have called it lime. Still a great base for any green eyeshadows. It goes on opaque & even tones but its slightly less creamy than the other 2 mentioned. Electric Blue is a shimmery vibrant bright blue with tiny silver sparkles. It's slightly creamier than Lime but not as creamy as the 1st 2 mentioned. Purple looks like a dark blue in the pencil but when applied it is a medium purple. Its a creamy texture but it doesn't apply very opaque & even. It will still work perfectly fine as a base but blend it out well first. Black Bean is a favorite to many. Its a creamy matte black & also applies very creamy. Each of the jumbo pencils are $4.50. To check them out on the website & see what other colors they have, click here! I'm really sad that NYX no longer carries Yellow, Orange & Red. 
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Now, on to lipsticks. I have, from top to bottom, Athena, Power, Strawberry Milk, Lip Dujour, Bruised & Pure Red. The 1st 5 lipstick are from the "Round" collection & cost $4.00 each & the last one is from the "Matte" collection & they cost $6.00 each. 

Athena is a super light shimmery/sparkly light pink. It actually looks more peach in the photo but its more pink in person. On the lips no color shows but its leaves a light silvery sparkle. Best used very lightly or over another lipstick. Power is a medium pale pink with a hint of purple to it. Its a very cool pink. Much cooler than the photo suggests. Its super creamy & glides easy on the lips with no shimmer. Strawberry Milk is a super pale pink. Very creamy with no shimmer. Lip Dujour is a shimmery light pink, much like Athena except the pink. Very shimmery/sparkly like Athena too. Bruised is a deep burgundy color that is super creamy in texture but does not apply evenly. I was dab this on lightly with a finger to use more as a stain. Pure Red is a bright, super vibrant red. It applies evenly & is super opaque. Its not too orange based or too pink based. It's just a true bright red. To check out all of NYX's lipsticks, click here!
I hope this review was helpful. I have another NYX review up already for their 2 eye bases, 2 of their jumbo pencils, some of their single eyeshadows, lip liners & some other lipstick colors. To check out that review, click here!
Thanks for reading & I hope everyone is happy & healthy!!!!

New Changes at Cherry Street Cosmetics

Hi makeup lovers!
Cherry Street Cosmetics is launching there new website! They should have the new store up tonight or tomorrow. Click here to check out the awesome new website. Also, back by popular demand is the CSC Custom Palettes! They should be getting the palettes soon so keep watch by checking out the website, www.buycsc.com or keep up with all the CSC's new products & special deals on their Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/CherryStreetCosmetics. With the CSC custom palettes you choose 15 of your favorite CSC eyeshadows for only $19.99!

I also ordered a bunch of stuff & made a haul video. I'll be reviewing the brushes, the mascara & the primer soon so stay tuned!!!!

Here are some swatches: 
In the first photo I have swatched Blizzard, Nude, Vanilla Bean & Reef. blizzard is a beautiful shiny white that's great for highlighting the brow bone & its also great for highlighting the skin if you are pale. The consistency is fluffy, highly concentrated & easy to work with. I have Nude in pressed form & it is such a lovely neutral color that looks so lovely on the lid. Its a light mauve with a light shot of silver running through it but its not too much. It's still very light & neutral. Vanilla Bean is a light shimmery vanilla color with some sparkles in it. Also another great highlight color. I swatched it without the primer so the sparkles didn't stick. I prefer it that way but if you want the little glittery particles to stay, use a primer. Its the same with all shadows with small glitter particles. They need something to hold them to the skin. Vanilla bean is also very easy to work with. I received Reef as a sample & fell in love with it! It's a shimmery orange with red duo-chrome, making it a lovely coral color. This is a great eyeshadow for blue & green eyes!!!

The eyeshadows swatched in this photo are Sulfur, Mistress, Tread & Bling Bling glitter. Sulfur is a bright shiny red. Very bright & very beautiful! This is another favorite of mine. Mistress is a gorgeous pink toned purple. The photo doesn't do it justice. Tread is a highly concentrated flat matte black. Bling Bling Glitter is a true gold glitter. The particles are fine so they can be used on the eye with CSC's awesome Sparkle Stay Glitter Adhesive.

If you'd like to see CSC products in action & learn about new products, check out my youtube channel & subscribe! Click here to check out my channel. If you'd like to send me a friend request on Facebook, click here. To check out & like my Facebook page, click here! Thank you & hope to see you around!

My Health (If I could hide it I would)

I wanted to make a blog post about my health to go with my new vid called, Creative Makeup Art & A Story, in which I show my creative makeup art & in between I talk about how my health but I don't go into detail. I did type it all out to put into the description bar of the video but it said it was too long. So, for those that are interested, this is my reality...

MY HEALTH:
I'm coming out with it all... I don't want to hide anymore.....before it got real bad at the end of 2010, the only people that knew I was disabled were my close friends. I hated showing it & if I was in a flare up I would stay away from people. My health makes me feel very vulnerable so I didn't want to share it with anyone I didn't know. When  it started getting bad at the end of 2010 I had no idea what was going on. By March of 2011 I had to tell my friends. I had not seen anyone yet that year. I started opening up to them & am so grateful for their love & support. Over time I knew I needed to just be open about it. Its been hard because it makes some people very uncomfortable. I understand its a lot to hear about but if you want true discomfort, spend a few minutes in my body & you'll understand....
I have a severe genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). It gets worse as you get older cuz the bones, tissue & skin wear down more & more over time. Its a group of inherited connective tissue disorders, caused by a defect in the synthesis of collagen. The collagen in connective tissue helps tissues to resist deformation. In the skin, muscles, ligaments, blood vessels and visceral organs, collagen plays a very significant role and with increased elasticity, secondary to abnormal collagen, pathology results. Depending on the individual mutation, the severity of the syndrome can vary from mild to life-threatening. There is no cure, and treatment is supportive, including close monitoring of the digestive, excretory and particularly the cardiovascular systems. Corrective surgery may help with the frequent injuries that may develop in certain types of EDS, although the condition means that extra caution is advised and special practices observed. There are 6 major types of Elhers-Danlos Syndrome. There are many symptoms depending on what variation someone has. I'll list some of the symptoms I have....


-Loose, unstable joints that are prone to: sprain, dislocation, subluxation and hyperextension 
-Early onset of osteoarthritis
-Easy bruising
-Vulnerability to chest and sinus infections
-Low muscle tone and muscle weakness
-Problems with proprioception including dysmetria
-Deformities of the spine, such as: Scoliosis (curvature of the spine), Kyphosis (a thoracic hump), Tethered spinal cord syndrome, Occipitoatlantoaxial hypermobility
-Nerve compression disorders (carpal tunnel syndrome, acroparesthesia, neuropathy)
-Vascular skin conditions: Raynaud's phenomenon, Livedo reticularis
-Arterial/intestinal/uterine fragility or rupture
My spine started to deteriorate in my teens. I had to leave high school after 9th grade. I now have several herniated & bulging disks throughout the entirity of my spine, I also have scoliosis & my rib cage is twisting. I have had a neurostimulator implanted into my lower spine in 2009 to help control pain. 
Video about the implant: 

I have 3 scars on my back & one on my hip from the surgery. However, because my connectives tissues are so sensitive & I also have fibromyalgia, the machine inside me is causing discomfort & I'm going to see about getting it removed this year. I cannot live alone cuz I need help with things constantly. There is always someone here with me. I've never been able to drive. The older I get the worse it gets. I'm starting to become very nervous & scared at how limited I've become. While there are several variations of the 6 categories of EDS & we all have different combinations of symptoms, I thought I'd share this vid with you....
EDS awareness:

As I said, I also have Fibromyalgia. I have severe muscle pain every second of every day. I've lived with severe pain for almost 15 yrs but it started out mildly as a child. Before I was 14 I had a collection of casts from various breaks , sprains & dislocations. I will be 30 on Halloween this year. Also from the fibro my muscles sometimes feel lumpy, kinda like rope. I also have several spots all over my body called trigger points, that when pressed lightly, send sharp shooting pain in that area & it doesn't go away for a couple days. These trigger points flare up & cause severe pain in all that surrounds them, including organs. 
Video on Fibromyalgia awareness:

I also have Myalgic Encephalomilitis & suffer from a fever 95% of the time. My brain is also affected. I have lost a lot of my memory, its very hard to make new memories (I struggle to keep up with things so set tons of alarms & write notes) & I have trouble with word placement sometimes. Before I became housebound & could go out every now & then, I would have a hard time meeting new people cuz I couldn't remember their name or answer questions about myself cuz I couldn't remember. It made me feel insecure. Its gotten a lot worse the last 2 yrs. I have been housebound since the very end of 2010. I only go out to see doctors or go to pharmacies. I try to go to the neighborhood super market with my mom every once in a while. I get so desperate to leave the house that I'll push just to go grocery shopping. Most often I regret going because by the time we get back I collapse & it can take a day to a week to recover depending on how I'm doing at the time & how much I've been pushing myself at the time. I have disabling fatigue that affects my breathing at times cuz sitting up is exhausting. It can take up to 3 hrs to do a regular makeup look for my channel. I have to stop in the middle of recording to take breaks several times. Sometimes I forget to hit record again which is extremely upsetting cuz I put blood sweat & tears into all I do. Why do I do it? I refuse to give up. I may have no choice but to give up all i love one day. I'll push until I can't anymore. Until then, I will gladly suffer to do things I enjoy. I've had to give up so much already....
I also have interstitial cystitis which is very painful. Google it if you'd like to know more. A lot of people become disabled just from that. Which reminds me, I forgot to mention that I've been on disability for 12 yrs. At 1st I could at least go out once in a while & have a social life. As I said, its gotten worse as I've gotten older & more diagnosis's have been piled on top. I've also developed Morton's Neuroma. Most get only one in one foot or one in each foot. I have 2 in each foot & its very painful to walk. I have to wear special orthodics in my sneakers. The bottom of my feet near my toes swell up, & I get lightening shocks in my toes & my toes are starting to twist in on themselves. Most who develop it get it from wearing heals for many years...the heals squeeze the nerves between the metatarsals, which eventually cause the nerves to swell, causing neuromas. I however could never where heals growing up cuz of my back & my ankles easily break & sprain, not to mention my legs pop out. Mine is caused from my various health conditions. Surgery is not an option in my case cuz it will just come back. I've had many injections between my toes to try & shrink them but because the surrounding tissue is so sensitive, they just get worse.
Video about neuroma:

So, last of the disabling diagnosis's....as if one wasn't enough! I also have a heart condition passed on from my mom. My mom had heart surgery called an ablasion when she was in her 30's. I will most likely have to have the same surgery. I started heart meds when I was in my teens. I have tachycardia & arrhythmia's. Without my medicine my resting heart rate is above 120 beats per minute. That is from the tachycardia. My heart started skipping when I was 24. My mom told me hers started in her mid 20's as well. they actually wrote about my mom's case in a medical journal cuz of the findings. Skipping heart beats is called arrhythmia. Its been really bad lately & I may need to have another heart monitor soon. When it skips it slows down for second & it feels like my breathe is being sucked out of me, then it does of series of skips & then returns to normal. 
So, that's the gist of it all. Thank you to anyone that actually read all this. I'll be recording a vid about all this & show you what my life is like. Thanks to you all for your support! 

Spring Sunshine Makeup featuring CSC

For my next tutorial using Cherry Street Cosmetics, I wanted to do a very warm look for spring. Lots of light pinks & oranges. 

This is what it looks like: 

Products used:

For the brows I have CSC eyeshadow in Amor (a neutral pink) for the inner part  & CSC eyeshadow Pasion ( a dark reddish brown) for the outer part. Both colors are sadly no longer available.

On the eyes I have CSC eyeshadow Geisha on the outer half of my lid & CSC eyeshadow Dreamsicle on the inner half of my lid.  In the crease In used Oscuro ( A dark brows) & Amor (neutral pink) & then blended it down with Suave (an off white). 

(All crease colors are part of a collection that is no longer available.)

I then went over the crease with my MAC Mineralized Skin Finish Natural in Light, to fade the crease colors into my natural skin tone. 

On the cheeks I have CSC Sugar plum blush.

Interested in Cherry Street Cosmetics? Check out their website:

www.cherrystreetcosmetics.com

Want to hang out with the CSC crew on Facebook? Click here!

If you purchase anything from CSC please tell them Erin sent you! Thank you! 

Want to recreate this look? Watch my tutorial: 

Want to be friends on Facebook? Click here! Would you rather check out my work on my Facebook 'like' page? Click here!

Thank you so much for checking out my blog! Hope everyone is doing great!!!

Dramatic & Juicy Spring Makeup featuring CSC

This is another makeup look I created using Cherry Street Cosmetics. This look is dramatic & edgy but also has a bright green that's perfect for Spring! This look is perfect for going out at night or if you're anything like me, you'll where it anywhere! 

This is what it looks like: 

Products used: 

On the brows I used CSC matte mineral eyeshadow in Pasion. Pasion was from a limited addition collection called Caliente & is sadly no longer available.

For the eyes I 1st blended CSC black gel liner into the lash line. Then CSC eyeshadow Juicy was placed on the lid over a green base (NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Lime). CSC eyeshadow Bat Cave was blended into the lash line. CSC eyeshadow Oscuro (no longer available) was blended into the crease. I then used Maybelline's gel liner to create the inner & outer wings. 

On the lips I have CSC Geisha Smooch Goo over a pink lipstick. 

Interested in Cherry Street Cosmetics? Check out their website: www.cherrystreetcosmetics.com

Want to hang out with CSC crew on facebook? Click here!

If you buy anything from CSC please let them know Erin sent you!!! =D

Would you like to learn how to recreate this look? Watch my video:

I also did a tutorial on how I did these brows using CSC's angled liner brush! Its my go to brush for drawing on my brows & better yet, its only $3.00! You can't beat the quality & price!!! 

Thank you so much fro visiting my blog! I'd appreciate feedback! 

Want to be my friend on Facebook? Click here! Would you rather just see my work on my Facebook 'like' page? Click here!

Have a great day!!!! 

Jammin Java Makeup Look featuring CSC

As a promoter for Cherry Street Cosmetics, I've done a few tutorials using their products so you can see just how awesome they are. I have 4 tutorials up already & this 1st one I named Jammin Java! 

This is what it looks like.....

 Products used: To draw in my brows I used the color Pasion from a collection called Caliente. This color is no longer available. I used the CSC angled liner brush to draw them. I'll be doing a review soon but for now let me say that I love this brush & its my new go to brush to do my brows. 
For my eyes I used CSC black gel liner all over the lids & into the crease as a base, blending the edges slightly. I then went over the entire shape I created with the base using CSC mineral eyeshadow called Java. Its a warm brown with a twist. Java has a green duochrome that when applied over a black base the green comes to life like you won't believe! Just look at the photos! 
On the cheeks I have CSC Sugar Plum blush (my fav)! 
On the lips I used a CSC Smooch Goo called Geisha. I applied it lightly over pinkish nude lip. 

Interested in these products? Go to www.cherrystreetcosmetics.com & find out all about CSC & their amazing products! If you order anything please let them know Erin sent you! =D Want to hang out with the CSC crew on facebook? Click here!

Want to learn how to do this look for yourself? Watch my video:

Hope you like my tutorial! I'd love to see the looks you can create using CSC!!! Want to be friends on facebook? Click here! Would you rather just see my work on my facebook 'like' page? Click here! Thanks so much! Hope to see you around!