Adding on to my last post...

Jay McDowell, a high school teacher in Howell, Michigan, was suspended last month for disciplining an anti-gay student for making homophobic and inappropriate remarks towards another student. A 14 year old, openly gay student of Mr. McDowell's appeared on MSNBC to defend his decision and to support his choice to take action against the terrorism of homosexuals. Since his speech, the student has been given nation wide recognition for his courage and well articulated speech which was delivered to the Howell, Michigan school board, as you can see below.
Now, you have to be kidding me. If this 14 year old openly gay boy can make headlines by taking a stand and sticking up for something that he believes in - why isn't any more being done?
Watch the video. It's truly one of the most inspiring thing's I have seen in a long time. It is almost as inspiring as Lady GaGa screaming at President Obama from the Washington D.C. mall about Equal Rights, shown below.



Speech Transcript

"Hello my friends! I have seen so many things over the past two years, and I can say with such certainty that is the single and the most important moment of my career. I am humble to stand before all of you today. I know that some of you have fighting and doing advocacy work, that stems all the way back to the Stonewall riots. And I salute you, and you know I love Judy Garland.

I am also inspired by the masses of all the young people here today. The younger generation, my generation, we are the ones coming up in the world and we must continue to push this movement forward and close the gap. We must demand full equality for all. They say that this country is free, and they say this country is equal, but it is no equal if it’s sometimes.


Obama, I know that you’re listening. ARE YOU LISTENING?!!!


We will continue to push you and your administration to bring your words of promise to a reality. We need change NOW. We demand actions NOW. And to Barney Frank: We are putting more than pressure on this grass and today this grass is ours.


We will come away today, and continue to do the work in our own backyards, with our local politicians. And as fpr my backyard, as a woman in pop music, as a woman with the most beautiful gay fans in the whole world, to do my part, I refuse to accept any misogynistic and homophobic behaviour in music, lyrics or actions in the music industry.


And I’m very honored to hand this platform here today, and I will continue to fight for full equality for all. I love you all so much. Bless God, and bless the gays!"

It Gets Better

                I know this blog is supposed to be focused around makeup and beauty but there has been an issue blasted all over the media (for good reason) which is of particular importance to me. Bullying, specifically, homophobic bullying has become a recent epidemic and as a result of my upbringing I feel compelled to address this disgusting issue.

                Growing up in Washington, D.C., I have been surrounded by gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered people my entire life – some of my closest friends are gay. My best friend, Graham, is the absolute love of my life and has been openly gay since his freshman year of high school. I remember him telling me what a horrible experience high school was for him due to his sexuality – it got so unbearable that he decided to drop out of high school at age 16. My senior year I had a half day of classes and he would call me crying and begging me to come and pick him up.  Just to clarify, Graham is no small, scrawny kid; he is 6’7 tall and muscular, he doesn’t act overly “flamboyant” and has always gone out of his way to be nice to everyone – so obviously I was shocked to hear of his hardships at school.

                Kids are killing themselves at record breaking numbers and frequency; I will do anything and everything in my power to speak out and help end this devastating trend.

                To tie this post in with the theme of my blog, I was taught how to do makeup from a drag queen and I worked with many transgendered people during my time as both a retail and freelance makeup artist. These people are some of the most creative, intelligent, and brilliant people I have ever met and I was and continue to be constantly inspired by them. These gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people are children, siblings, grandchildren, artists, police men, congressmen, doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers, etc. and they deserve to be treated exactly the same as anybody else – to deny them that basic human right is equivalent to racism and anti-Semitism; it is deliberately and maliciously disregarding the Constitution of the United States which guarantees each and every citizen certain “inalienable rights” which consist of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. When these people are discriminated against, they are being raped of their rights, and being forced to participate in a sexuality holocaust. When kids, teens, or even adults choose suicide over living due to bullying those who have perpetually participated in the bullying of that person are responsible for their murder and should be held accountable accordingly.

                Enough is enough. As the youth of the United States it is our duty and obligation to stand up for what we believe in and to ensure that change occurs. The people who are choosing to commit suicide feel alone and abandoned – as well-educated, informed, and productive citizens we have an obligation to ensure that these people know that they are not alone and that we, as a country, are not going to allow ignorance to pollute the fundamental human rights we all deserve.

                It gets better.

Foundation Primers

I can not stress the importance of a good foundation primer. A foundation primer not only preps your skin for "complexion perfection", giving your foundation a solid canvas that it can hold on to, it also fills in small lines and wrinkles, AND can smooth over rough patches of skin. Some foundation primers can even correct problematic skin, but I'll get to that later.

My ultimate favorite is Prime Time from Bare Escentuals, the makers of Bare Minerals... obviously. This primer is silicon based so it glides on effortlessly. I personally use this primer everyday and can't say anything but positive things about it. Living in south Florida, my skin is sometimes dry, it is sometimes oily, and sometimes it is combination, this primer, although it looks slick really gives a perfect finish to my skin without changing it. 

Now, Benefit makes an interesting primer called "That Gal". I had been on the hunt for a foundation primer, before I found Prime Time, and the lady at the Benefit counter convinced me to try it, I couldn't resist the cute packaging and cute skyline. Anyways, I bought it, brought it home to try it and was a little... disappointed - at first. I am assuming this product is water based because it doesn't glide on as smooth as any silicon based primer I have tried and it also didn't seem to spread as easily. With Prime Time, I use one pump and regardless of how dry my skin might be on that particular day, it is ALWAYS enough; with Benefit's primer, I felt like I was using a ton of the stuff to cover my entire face. The primer claims to brighten your skin and provide a base for foundation. I, personally, didn't see any difference in the coverage of my foundation or a change in how it looked. It didn't fill in any fine lines and it didn't cover any rough spots. With all these things said, I did find a positive use for this primer. I use it as an under eye brightener under and over my under eye concealer. It's pink pearly hue really does seem to give my eyes a well-rested look. While I don't recommend buying this primer if you are hoping for a really good foundation base, but I do recommend trying it out if you seem to have bags or dark circles under your eyes, because it really does make them disappear. 

Lastly, Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. This is and has been a cult classic since it came out. It glides on smoothly and is very similar to the Bare Escentuals Prime Time foundation primer. This foundation primer is a little bit different because it comes in a variety of types for different skin types. I have a small, slight, little, embarrassing case of Rosacea, (a reddish dry, bumpy, patchy skin disorder that tends to get worse with age. OY!) and using the Color Correcting line of the Photo Finish primer, (the greenish one diminishes redness in the skin) really did help the redness of my skin and it seemed to take away from the flaky feel that I often have when my Rosacea is bad. 

There you have it, kids. A basic rundown of popular primers. I strongly believe in always finding some sort of use for products, even when they don't do what they say they will do.

Fragrance Review: Gucci by Gucci

I decided that since it is getting a little chilly out, mind you, I do live in South Florida so chilly is anywhere below about 70 degrees, regardless, it is cold. So, I decided to go and purchase a new perfume. I had been wearing a whole bunch of differentt scents, mainly Princess by Vera Wang, Betsey Johnson, and as tacky as it may be, Supermodel from Victoria's Secret - but they all seemed a little bit too summery and fruity/sweet for this weather, so I decided to go with something different.
To your right, my friends, you will find Gucci by Gucci, which I have fallen in love with. Truthfully, I think that Gucci by Gucci smells very sophisticated (and I am FAR FROM sophisticated) and mature, almost too mature for me, but I love it anyways.
From Sephora:
Notes:
Guava, Pear, Tahitian Tiare Flower, Musk, Honey, Patchouli.
Style:
Beautiful. Confident. Influential.

Even though the top notes are Guava and Pear, it doesn't smell overly sweet or fruity in the least. It actually, to me, smells more amber-y and warm rather than fruity and exotic.
I agree with Sephora that it is a confident scent - and it seems to last all day on me, even though it is an Eau de toilette. The prices range from $65 - $85 for the spray, and I think it's worth it, since it seems to last throughout the day.
I know this is a short post, but Im still SO busy with school, but if you are in the market for a more wintery perfume, maybe you should head over to your nearest Sephora and give this one a sniff. I am not a serial perfume purchaser, meaning I rarely buy the same perfume more than once, but this one I can see myself going back for a second bottle.

HIP Gel Liner vs Mac Fluidline

hat attracted me to Fluidline is the intensity of the colors, which by the way are abundant. There are the basics, black, variations of brown, and navy, ofcourse. They also offer a selection of other colors for the more bold, such as a frosted white, bright aqua, platinum, and violet.
A girl can never have enough eyeliner, especially black eyeliner. For the most part, I only wear black eyeliner, I think other colors really don't suit me, but thats just me.
At first glance, the liner looks pretty solid in the container, but once I dipped my brush into it, I was shocked. It is more gel like than cream, a way different consistency then that of Loreal's.
I dipped a flat liner brush into the "gel", and wiped some on the back of my hand to apply it. Not surprisingly, it applied like butter and I was thrilled with my results.

Loreal's HIP Gel Liners are cheaper and also come in a range of colors.
The first thing  noticed about the gel liners is that they "skipped" over my lid and also were not as deep, dark, and creamy as Mac's. However, they do work well as a base, which you cans see below.







So, let's compare:
Loreal's HIP Cream Eyeliner:
Price: $11.99
Amount: 4.5 Grams
Intensity: Nice, Matte Black
Texture: Cream

Mac Fluidline:
Price: $15.00
Amount: 3 Grams
Intensity: Deep, Dark Black
Texture: Gel

So, all in all... I would go with Fluidline, just because I am a Mac addict and I really liked the application, considering that liner can be hard to apply, especially in forms other than a pencil. Mac is only $3 more and you really can tell in the quality.
Obviously, if bang for your buck is more important, go with Loreal, or if you can't get to a Mac counter.

I really enjoyed using Fluidline, and it is a new staple in my makeup routine and collection.

Skincare Basics: Oily/Blemish Prone Skin

One of the most important aspects of beauty or makeup is having an ideal canvas to start out with. No one is perfect, and therefor no on has perfect skin, but there are all things we can do that can improve the overall quality, texture, and anything else that you don't like about your skin.

First, I'm going to start off by sharing my skincare routine. I have recently been using Philosophy On a Clear Day Skin System.

This kit includes:
- 6.0 oz Oil-Free Foaming Acne Cleanser
- 1.0 oz Oil-Free All Over Acne Treatment
- 0.5 oz Oil-Free Acne Spot Treatment 
- 0.75 oz Retinol Clarifying Lotion

After trying this out for over a month now, I can say I have seen a significant difference in my skin. Don't get me wrong, I don't necessarily consider myself to have acne, however, I do have oily skin and I do get a couple blemishes here and there. I have noticed that my skin has become less oily, my pores appear smaller, and I haven't had any breakouts since I started using it. Also, the Retinol Clarifying Lotion helps to push the junk that is stuck in your pores to the surface so that they can be scrubbed away. 
If you suffer from oily skin and minor acne, I recommend this kit. The only other suggestions I have as additions to this kit are a good eye cream and night moisturizer, but more on those later. 
Prior to using Philosophy's line, I was using different products from Bliss, and I wasn't unhappy with them, I just needed a change, and it's always good to switch up your skincare every so often. I was using their Fabulous Foaming Face Wash to cleanse, Daily Detoxifying Toner to tone (obviously), and a night cream and a day cream which I believe they have discontinued, since I can't seem to find them anywhere. The overall quality of the line is good, and I had no irritation or bad effects from using any of their products, however, while I don't have anything bad to say about the line, I just feel as though my skin needed a more targeted plan of action, because it is hella oily, and living in South Florida doesn't help at all. 
Everyone's skin is different and requires different kinds of care. The best way to see what works for you is trial and error, but you can always ask a skincare advisor at Sephora for help, they are pretty knowledgeable and can offer great recommendations.
xoxo,
- Samantha

Review: Urban Decay Pore Perfecting Primer Potion

What the website says:
Smooth on a little Pore Perfecting Complexion Primer Potion before foundation (or alone!) to totally minimize the look of pores and fine lines. The velvety, paraben-free formula flashes down to a soft-matte finish, without the greasy, heavy feel sometimes associated with foundation primers. The result? Flawless skin with an airbrushed look and feel. Foundation applies smoothly, evenly, and won’t fade away. Ideal for oilier skin, but dry complexions who want pore perfection will love it, too.
The convenient squeeze tube includes a twist-up dispenser (like school glue!) for easy portion control.


What I say:
Having been a huge fan of Smashbox Photofinish Primer, I was a little apprehensive about trying something new, however, I am glad that I did. This primer honestly does exactly what it says it is going to do: give you a pore-free complexion and makes your foundation last. When I first smoothed this primer onto my face, I immediately noticed a huge difference in the size of my pores, especially on my nose and cheeks, which is where they appear the largest. This primer makes those pores almost invisible. This primer also makes my foundation last much longer. The texture itself is a mix between a lotion and a silicone feel. It is thicker and a different formula than Smashbox, but I have found that although thick, you don't need to use too much to achieve the desired result. I smooth this over my entire face, let it sit for a few seconds, then apply concealer and foundation (either Temptu or Mac Studio Fix Fluid).
I recommend this primer to anyone with large pores. I personally have oily skin, and this primer didn't add to my oily dilemmas. It is rare to find a product that does exactly what it states it will do, and this really does deliver. Try it out and let me know how you like it.

Available at Sephora for $30 USD.