Saturday, July 28, 2012

The Liebster Award!

Hey guys!

I am so excited that in the past couple of days I have been awarded the Liebster Award by both Charlotte and Hannah! So thank you both! I think you guys are so lovely and have great blogs. I'm really honored that my blog has gained so much more attention in such little time. I'm very content and expect for my blog to keep growing with time. Thank you guys again :)


The award is for new bloggers with less than 200 followers.

The rules are as followed:

  • Each person must post eleven things about themselves.
  • Answer the eleven questions the tagger has set for you.
  • Choose eleven people and tag them in this post.
  • Follow the tagger and at visit at least three nominees

So without further ado.. 11 things about myself:
  1. I have not only an American high school diploma, but also an International Baccalaureate diploma. I was in the IB program all throughout middle and high school and succeeded!
  2. I am entering college as a sophomore because I graduated high school with so many credits.
  3. Both of my dad's parents are Holocaust survivors. I am a child of the Holocaust. Although it doesn't define me, it does make a difference in who I am today. (On their side I am an Eastern European Jew)
  4. I speak French fluently. I speak it with my grandparents (the ones mentioned in #3), who immigrated to the United States from Paris. 
  5. I am only 5 feet tall (152 cm for all you Europeans out there).
  6. I'm very family oriented. My family means the absolute world to me. I wouldn't be who I am without them.
  7. I want to be the next Hillary Clinton without the sleazy husband. I want to be a big deal in the diplomatic world and kick major butt.
  8. I am a major coffee and tea drinker.
  9. I have hypoglycemia, which basically means I get low blood sugars easily if I don't maintain my blood sugar.
  10. I intend on going back to Budapest, Hungary to get more information on what happened to my great grandfather and great uncle when the Nazis occupied Hungary (they perished, but...). I do speak Hungarian and am further continuing to study the Hungarian language in college.
  11. I voted in a US election twice before my 18th birthday (yes, according to the laws of my state).

Here are the 11 questions Charlotte tagged me in:
  1. Favourite book? : (Hahah us Americans spell it differently) In French, it is called "Le testament d'un poète juif assassinée". The English version is called "The Testament". It was written by Elie Wiesel, one of my idols. He was from the same town in Transylvania (Hungary back then) that my great grandmother was from, Sighet or Marmarossziget. I don't want to get too lengthy in my response, so just look it up.
  2. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? : Without a doubt, Hungary, Russia, Israel, UK, Belgium, Poland, etc. I know I will be going to Hungary, Poland, and Israel within my college career. OH and how could I forget: back to France!!!
  3. Style icon/inspiration? : I would say old Parisian glamor. My grandmother is as Parisian as it gets, and she still has that charm. I love old Parisian music and everything about it. I love my winged liner and red lipstick and pearls and diamonds.
  4. What is your one weakness, the thing you can never resist? : Hmm, a French man's charm, a major bargain on makeup, garlic, anything pretty, anything French. I think you get the point.
  5. Song of the moment? : I don't know if I exactly have one of the moment. Some that I have been loving more lately than ever are Ma Chérie by DJ Antoine, Je l'aime à mourir (both the Shakira version and the original by Francis Cabrel), and anything by Charles Aznavour!
  6. Biggest fear? : I think just the unknown of the future, and just that things won't work out the way I want them to. I don't want to end up alone. 
  7. Why did you start blogging? : I saw other bloggers on the MUG forum and I think I became more and more obsessed with makeup and I needed an outlet. None of my friends were really into makeup so I needed an outlet and a means to express my passion. 
  8. If you could have any job in the world, what would it be? : I want to be PM of some country, but that's impossible since I was born in the US, so I guess maybe Secretary of State (of the US) or General Secretary of the UN. I would take any job in the UN, actually.
  9. City or country? Why? : I'm a big city girl! I was born and raised in the biggest city in my state, actually the #1 fastest growing city in the United States. I have to be in the city. I'm addicted to the excitement and the bustle and the shopping opportunities!
  10. Tell us something you've never put on your blog before. : Hmm, well I said a bunch already in the 11 facts about me. 
  11. What is/was the best moment of your life so far? : Going back to France with my bubbe and my uncle and my sister. I got to see where she was born, where she lived before she left France, and also where my great grandmother was interned before being deported to Auschwitz. That was the most special trip of my life.

And now for the questions that Hannah tagged me in:
  1. Are you into this Olympics stuff? Why? Not really. I caught some of the swimming earlier when the Hungarian guy won, but I'm not really interested in all the hype. I'm not very patriotic I guess?
  2. What's your favorite pass time, other than blogging? :  Shopping, talking to my love, politics, watching the news, debate, being up to date with foreign affairs, reading, learning, etc.
  3. What's something that has made you smile today? : As I type this, my uncle is next to me scanning his mother's (my bubbe's) wedding pictures onto his computer. She was so beautiful! I look just like her!
  4. Your dream job? : Refer to number 8 above.
  5. Three things you're happy with about yourself? : I'd like to think that I'm a very intelligent person. I have a lot of love and care in my heart. And I tend to smile a lot too.
  6. How do you keep yourself positive? : Honestly, during my darkest times, I think about what my family had to go through as Jews in Nazi-infested Europe, and I think about how good I have it. I remind myself that I'm making the ones who perished proud. 
  7. What is your favorite blog post to do/write? : Just looks. They're easy because all I have to do is take pictures in decent lighting, upload them, maybe tweak them a little, and put together a post. Not too hard. I also enjoy showing off my work. It's nothing special or especially creative, but it gives you a look into what I wear on certain days. I also love giving my honest opinions on products.
  8. How can you describe yourself? : I'm a passionate, intense, crazy, ultra-intelligent, and fascinating young woman.
  9. What is your one weakness? : My ever-so-charming French man who I am oh so in love with
  10. Favorite word ? : My favorite French words are putain, truc, and donc. I don't have any favorite words in English or any other language I speak I think. Maybe some other Yiddish words.
  11. Are you an animal fan? What is your favorite? : Well, I wouldn't consider myself an animal fan. I don't hate them. They're just not my thing?

The 11 people I tag:
Rebecca Ann at Rebecca's 3 R's
The two lovely ladies at Wyo Sparkles
Natalie at Loyal to Fashion
Sabrina and Geneviève at High Heels, Lipstick, and Glitters
Stephanie at Stephoosh
Becca at Becca and Beauty
Ellie at JustEllieeBeauty
 

My 11 questions for those tagged:
  1. What is your career/future career and/or dream career?
  2. What is your drive/motivation?
  3. What are you really interested in besides makeup and blogging?
  4. Do you have a degree? What kind of education do you have?
  5. If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would you want to live?
  6. What languages do you speak?
  7. What's your favorite thing about blogging?
  8. What are your favorite simple pleasures? Guilty pleasures?
  9. Mac or PC?
  10. One person dead or alive that you would kill to meet?
  11. What is one thing you would change about yourself?

Dior-inspired look (avec lunettes!)

Hey guys!

I wish I was rich enough to truly call myself a Dior girl. I have several Dior products and I adore them all. Everything Dior just reeks of glamour and luxury, more so than any other brand, in my opinion. When I wear Dior, I feel just like my super glamourous Parisian grandmother, who is just so classy and beautiful.

Here's a picture of us at Tiffany this past June:

Isn't she gorgeous?? Je l'aime <3


Here was the inspiration for the look:
I wish I was rich enough to afford all the Dior Addict lipsticks!








Products used: (Project Pan items in italics)
  • Revlon Colorstay in Nude
  • Palladio Rice Powder in Natural
  • NYX Concealer in a Jar in Fair
  • Ulta Professional Concealer in Fair
  • Ulta Bronzer
  • ELF Natural Radiance Blusher in Bronzed
  • Clinique Beyond Blusher in Peaches
  • Shiseido Accentuating Color Stick in Champagne Flush
  • Rimmel eyebrow pencil in Black
  • ELF Essentials eyelid primer
  • Dior Eye Show eyeshadow in Undressed Beige
  • Lorac Ooh La Lace palette (the light champagne color all over the lid)
  • Lorac Front of the Line Pro (this wasn't dark enough)
  • ELF Essentials liquid liner (had to layer this over to make it darker)
  • NYX Round Lipstick in Louisiana 
  • Some Mentha Lipshine lipgloss

How do you guys like this look? I like it for the first time trying this out. The liner isn't exactly the same as the picture, but it's decent. I also really liked the way this looked with the glasses. This would be a nice, quick cute look for going to classes once school starts in August!



Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Impromptu post : my go-to look plus some ramblings

Hey guys!

I wasn't really expecting to make this post, but I wanted to share this look with you as it is one of my favorite go-to looks and I got complimented on it today :)

So before I get into pictures, I just wanted to get a little personal and say that my family is going through a lot of stress right now. Blogging has been my escape from this. But I would like to say to keep my family in your thoughts, and if you're spiritual at all, prayers, because I think we'll definitely need it. That means that I'll probably be scheduling posts for the weekend since I won't have time to post. I might add more details to this issue later, depending on how personal I want to get with you.

On a lighter note, I wanted to share this song with you guys. It's my favorite jam right now. I wouldn't share it on a beauty blog if it wasn't absolutely imperative that you listen to it. :) Comment and let me know how you like it!!

Now, on to the look...

I understand that the quality of these photos is not good. I took them with my webcam at 8:30 pm after realizing how good it looked. I think you can get the jist even from pictures taken with PhotoBooth.

This is just basically a classy neutral eye with a bit of black liner and a statement lip. Some contouring and color on the cheeks, but nothing special.











I was in a major rush to get ready to be with family for things, so this is the look I went for! It's classy, gorgeous, and looks great with or without glasses! I would do this look for school when I was in a rush. I like having those go-to eyeshadow trios or quads that will look great with any lipstick color and look great with barely any work.

Products used: (Project Pan products in italics)
  • Revlon Colorstay foundation in Nude
  • Palladio Rice Powder in Natural
  • Clinique City Cover Compact Concealer SPF 15 in City Fair
  • Ulta Bronzer
  • ELF Natural Radiance Blush in Bronzed
  • Clinique Beyond Blusher in Peaches
  • NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Brown/Dark Brown
  • ELF Essentials eyeshadow primer in Sheer
  • Stila eyeshadow trio in Champagne Glow
  • ELF Liquid Eyeliner
  • Clinique Quickliner for Eyes in Dark Chocolate
  • Covergirl Lashblast mascara
  • NYX Round Lipstick in Femme (my favorite!!!)

Let me know how you like this look! What's your go-to look when you're in a rush or have no inspiration?

My First Tag: This or That Beauty Tag

Hey guys! Since I've never done a tag before, why not start here?

I found this on Ashlee's blog at The Makeup Wonderland.

Here goes....


1. Blush or Bronzer? I like both, but since I've been more into contouring lately, I would say bronzer, if I absolutely had to pick one. (But I do get a thrill when I use a nicely pigmented blush!)


2. Lipgloss or Lipstick? No matter how obsessed I am with Bath & Body Works lip glosses, I will always be a lipstick girl. There's just something about that old school glamour that warms my heart every time I put on a gorgeous lipstick.

3. Lip Balm or Lip Butter? I don't think I've ever used a lip butter, so lip balm.

4. Matte or sparkle eye shadow? It doesn't really matter much to me because I don't have any wrinkles that sparkle might make more evident, but I have been loving mattes lately. I think it really depends on the brand of matte eyeshadow because some are more quality than others (My ELF mattes are better than my Lorac mattes, for example).

5. Eye Liner or Mascara? Hmm that's a hard one. I guess mascara because I don't look horrendous without eyeliner.

6. Gel, Liquid or Cream Liner? I would say liquid, because I do have some really great liquids that I love. On the other hand, I have not chosen the right cream/gel eyeliner for me. Maybe once I've made some definitive progress with my Project 20-something Pan.

7. Foundation or Concealer? Foundation! 

8. Liquid or Powder foundation? Liquid! Provides more coverage, and I've never really found a "powder foundation" that provided decent enough coverage to actually be called a foundation.

9. Neutral or Colour Eye Shadow? Neutral! I haven't been daring enough to use much color. Neutral will always be classy and elegant. I'm trying to venture out into color though.

10. Pressed or Loose Shadows? Pressed! Loose can just be a big pain in my tuches.

11. Waterproof or Non-Waterproof? It's never really mattered much to me. I'm not that finicky, but I'd say non-waterproof because the last waterproof mascara I used was a nightmare.

12. Brushes or Sponges? Brushes - they blend better. Enough said.

13. Powder, Cream or Liquid Highlighter? I've tried all three. I can't get the liquid to blend well enough. Cream is okay, but I reach more for a powder highlighter - no problems with blending, looks natural enough.

1. OPI or Essie? Essie. Where both are pricier than I would rather spend on nail polish, I own both brands and have had much more success with Essie.

2. Acrylic or Natural? Natural! Nothing can be better than natural when beauty is concerned.

3. Brights or Darks? I like both, really. I'm not picky with my colors. I just wear what looks good.

4. Matte or Shiny? Shiny!

5. Glitter or No Glitter? I'm not really into the glitter. I've used glitter before, but... glitter just isn't my thing.

1. Perfume or Body Splash? Definitely perfume. I like the scent to last all day. And I like strong scents too.

2. Lotion or Body Butter? Neither! I couldn't live without baby oil for my skin.

3. Body wash or Soap? I used to use a lot of body wash, but I've been using a lot of soap these days and I like that.




Alas, I tag anyone who wants to do this tag! If you do, just make sure you comment below and link the post so I can see what your responses are! I'm curious :)

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Beauty Blog Hop!

After joining the BBloggers Unite blog hop last week, I feel like I finally was making progress and getting "up there" in the blogging world. It makes this whole blog more worth it and makes it more fun for me.

So I came across another blog hop you guys may want to join: CLICK

To Mimika: I'm sorry I couldn't use the button. I tried everything and it would convert to an actual image when I published this post. I did put a link.



Also, I'm working on a couple guest blogs which should appear soon. I will do a post linking you to any others that I write.

Thank you all for following and supporting me through this adventure! :)

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @jessiefrancaise

Monday, July 23, 2012

Makeup for glasses look using Project 10 Pan items

Hey guys!

This past week, I made a life changing decision. After my yearly check up at the eye doctor (I've been going since I was 10), I went to the contact department and the ladies there were anything but nice. They were rude, not helpful, and I just wanted to get out of there. I didn't order new contacts. I then went to the glasses place to look at getting new glasses. Of course this time of year they always have great sales. I have two new pairs of glasses waiting for me to pick up at this moment :)

While choosing my glasses, I realized that after going two days without contacts, my eyes had never felt better, AND I want to wear glasses a lot more now. I'm starting a new life in college, so why not make these kinds of changes? I like to think I look good in glasses too!

Moreover, I am going to be including a lot more posts on makeup that looks good with glasses. More details later. I just wanted to show a look I made to wear with glasses that included some things in my Project 10 Pan post.

I will be including more informative posts about how to do makeup for glasses in the near future.











Frankly I'm kind of bummed out about how these pictures turned out. I had to use flash for most of them because it's been storming a lot lately with barely any natural light to take good pictures with. And due to that flash, the gorgeous color on my lid is washed out. In person, it's a gorgeous shimmery bright shade. 

So, products used:

Face
  • Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup in Alabaster (review here)
  • NYX Concealer in a Jar in Fair
  • Palladio Rice Powder in Natural
  • Ulta Bronzer
  • ELF Natural Radiance Blusher in Bronzed
  • Clinique Beyond Blusher Oil-Free Everywhere Color in Peaches
Eyes
  • ELF eyeshadow primer in Sheer
  • ELF Mineral eyeshadow in Natural
  • L'Oréal Soft Effects eyeshadow in Sable
  • ELF Studio single eyeshadow in Pebble
  • Morbid (Hot Topic brand) eyeliner (forgot to mention this one in my Project 10 Pan post..oops)
  • Lorac Multiplex 3D Lashes mascara
  • NYX Studio Liquid Liner in Extreme Plum Purple (review here)
Lips
  • ELF Essentials Lipstick in Gypsy

Let me know what you guys think of this look! If you want to see more looks for glasses, please let me know below in the comments section! 

I hope you all are doing well. If you have any requests, questions, etc. feel free to contact me! :)

Thank you all for reading, commenting, and supporting! xoxo



Sunday, July 22, 2012

Project 10 Pan! (LONG & picture heavy!)

Hey guys!

Today I am going to be talking about products that I have that I never use and want to use up before I add more and more to my makeup madness. I'm sure you all have seen posts about Project 10 Pan.

Basically, I am about to start college. I am starting a new chapter in my life. I think it's necessary to part with several makeup products I've been hoarding. However I don't believe in wasting makeup and I would rather just use these to the best of my ability before saying goodbye.

I could not pick any ten given products, and since there's so many things I want to use up and get rid of, I have many more than 10.

Another aspect of this "project" is that one does not buy any new makeup until these ten (or in my case MORE) products have been used or hit pan on. I have one major exception. My birthday is in less than three weeks and I always buy myself something for my birthday. This will be a minimal Sleek haul. More details on that later. Another exception is stocking up on things, such as foundation, mascara, etc. I know that many of these products will take forever to use up, so I will clarify the other various exceptions I am making for myself when talking about each individual product.


Maybelline quad in Amethyst Smokes - I got this as a "hand me down" from my bubbe. She's not much of a Maybelline woman so it looks like she barely used it. It will take a while to use up.


Maybelline quad in Velvet Crush - another "hand me down" from my bubbe, same thing as I said above applies to this one


L'Oréal Soft Effects single eyeshadow in Sable - I used to use this a lot. It's just a light matte taupe shade that's good for blending and what not. I got this as a "hand me down" from my other grandma. 


ELF Studio single eyeshadow in Pebble - I like this shade a lot, just never used it much. I want to grow an appreciation for this one. This will take a long time to hit pan.


Covergirl Eye Enhancers in Pink Chiffon - I've already hit pan, but I want to use it up completely. I got this years ago and it's a gorgeous highlight color. 


Revlon EyeGlide Shimmer Shadow in Pearl - I literally got this for my birthday in 5th grade I think. Yes, I still have it. It's the perfect brow bone shade. It should be gone soon.


Mary Kay eyeshadow duo in Onyx - I got this for Christmas what seems like a gazillion years ago. I made some pretty sophisticated looks with it back in middle school (yeah sophisticated back then). 


Hard Candy Eye Candy in Caramel - I really do like this shade and the gorgeous gold sparkle. I just don't use it much. 


Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Duo in Sweet Dusk - This was my HG eyeshadow my freshman year of high school. It looks perfect with my eyes, skin tone, and hair color. I used it back in this post


ELF Mineral eyeshadows in Natural, Caffeinated, and Sassy - I LOVE my ELF mineral eyeshadows. There are just some that get used more than others. These don't get as much love. I'd like to change that. (Click here to see a look I made with Caffeinated) These are an exception as I realize it would take me an immensely long time to finish these up. 


Clinique Pair of Shades eyeshadow duo in No Show Taupes - These shades make a decent natural soft smokey. This might be featured in a future LOTD post for glasses. I like these colors okay.


Clinique Soft-Pressed eyeshadow in Twilight Mauve - I wore this shadow frequently in 5th grade. I wanted to wear makeup on a daily basis, but I was young, so I picked this light shade and my glasses frames hid it for the most part. Gorgeous shade.


Clinique eyeshadow trio in Strawberry Fudge/Buttermilk - I absolutely love these. I used this all the time in middle school. I have a backup of Strawberry Fudge.


Clinique eyeshadow trio in Pink Tweed/Confetti - another one I used all the time in middle school. Very pretty. 


Clinique Quickliner for Eyes in Dark Chocolate - Just a simple brown liner. 


Ulta Bronzer - Yeah, it doesn't even have a name. It was a freebie in a gift bag after I spent a certain amount on Ulta brand products, which shows you how old this is. It warms up the complexion and has gold glitter. 


Palladio Rice Powder in Natural - I bought this to stash in my book bag for touch ups during the school day. I bought a primer and didn't need it anymore. Now I am a big girl and don't use a book bag. This will take a long time to finish.


Clinique Beyond Blusher Oil-Free Everywhere Color in Peaches - It's a peachy kind of blush. It creates a very soft hint of color on the cheeks. 


Shiseido The Makeup Accentuating Color Stick in Champagne Flush - Nice subtle highlight that I'd like to use more.


Lancôme Magique Blush in Raspberry Soufflé - I can't for the life of me seem to use this properly. It's a mousse blush. Gorgeous color. I can't seem to throw it away.


NYX Blush in Desert Rose - I have only used this a couple times. This is obviously an exception. It goes on dark, but I'd like to make it work.


ELF Natural Radiance Blusher in Bronzed - Obviously this is a bronzer. It used to be my favorite bronzer actually. Well, I'm on to better bronzers. Let's use this one up.


Ulta eyeshadow in Pink - This was from a Christmastime offer where you can get 5 select products for $5 for stocking stuffers. This isn't very pigmented, so it works as a soft highlight.


Clinique City Cover Compact Concealer SPF 15 - Umm, this concealer is ancient. I think it works well. It needs to get thrown out, but I'd rather use the last little bit. Maybe I'll get some more someday. 


So we'll see how this Project 26 Pan with exceptions goes. I will surely post updates. Have you guys ever tried the Project 10 Pan? Let me know your experiences in the comments section below! Also, if you want reviews or looks with any of the products pictured above, please let me know!

I hope you all are having a lovely weekend! 


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