My Filming Setup!

Hi friends,

I get many questions on the setup I use for filming, and want to share it here so you can duplicate exactly what I have.

For my camera I use the Canon EOS Rebel T3i.  It is pretty much the top entry level HD DSLR available.  This is the kit I bought with the 18-55mm kit lens.


I also use this entry level lens for most of my filming.  It is the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 lens.  This is the lens in my videos that gives the blurry softening effect in the background.


This is my current tripod which is a huge upgrade from my previous one.  It's a Manfroddo MKC3-H01.  It's light-weight, super sturdy, and folds down so it can be stored out of sight when I don't need it.


Now for my lighting.  This is a similar umbrella kit to what I have.  Only difference is this comes with much better bulbs than the one I got.  Stick with CFL's.  Halogen are great, but super hot indoors and will rack up your electricity bill.  The 5000K bulbs in this kit will give a very natural light.  I still recommend going with bigger more powerful bulbs.


These are the bigger bulbs that I was talking about.  They are about twice the size of the ones that come with the umbrella kit, and almost 3x's as powerful.  These are the exact ones I am using now.


So there you have it.  This is a great way to go if you are wanting to up the quality of your videos on your own YouTube channel.  As you can see, you can duplicate exactly what I have for under $900.  For an entry level DSLR setup this is a great deal!  Keep in mind I did not buy all of this at once.  Like my makeup kit everything was bought as I went along.  This should at least save you the time in research and trial-and-error that I went through.  I hope this was helpful. 

Nicole

FOOD!!!!!

Okay so I wanted to find out what you thought of me posting food diaries or just pictures of what I eat everyday.  I could do this on a separate blog if that would help some of you out.  I know it can be annoying when people get off topic on their blogs, vlogs, etc.  My butt is growing by the second and I need to put a stop to it.  If I have friends (you guys) to help keep me accountable I might be more successful at the whole losing weight thing.  Anyway, let me know what you think because I would like to start doing this tomorrow.  Thank you for reading this and I Will talk to you soon!!! xoxo

Turkey Burger Heaven!

 

1 lb. of ground turkey meat

1 egg

10 baby bell peppers or 1 large pepper

½ a medium size onion

2 cloves of garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

Uncooked spinach

Whole Wheat, high fiber buns, bread etc.  You can also wrap this in lettuce and skip the bun.

Condiments and veggies of your choice (I use extra mustard and a teaspoon of mayo)

Optional fried egg if you are feeling naughty!

First I peel the onion and garlic and cut off the tops of the bell peppers.  I throw those into a food processor because I want these all to be finely minced.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, minced veggies and the egg.  I used fresh cracked pepper and sea salt right into the raw meat, but you can season after if you prefer.  Now for the fun part! (Grab your kids) Mix together all of the ingredients by hand.  This is a goopy nasty mess, but it’s oddly satisfying!  Grab about ½ cup of the turkey mixture and I form it into a ball.  This recipe does not call for bread crumbs so the meat is extra juicy.  To ensure that the burgers held up during grilling, take the ball of meat and placed it into a paper towel and gently squeeze out all of the excess liquid that the veggies have created.  Heat your pan, grill, skillet to medium-low.  Spray your pan with EVOO to prevent sticking.  The balls can then be thrown on the grill to instantly form a perfect patty shape.  You can flatten the meat into a patty beforehand, but I prefer to throw them down and allowing gravity to do some of the work.  I find that helps me have a more even burger with the right thickness.  Cook meat thoroughly.  Now dress up your buns the way you like and have a healthy side salad.  My personal favorite is a side of steamed green beans.  It makes me feel like I’m eating fries! Haha I also threw on some avocado and a fried egg to add to the calories that we all know I need. ;)

Thanks for taking the time to stop by.  Please keep in mind that I have never written out a recipe and I am almost 100% sure I am doing this all wrong.  I was just trying to give an outline or idea of how I make a turkey burger.  Cooking is an art and it should be expressed in amazing, colorful and delicious ways! xoxo    

My 5 Minute Makeup on The Go and On a Budget!

This is a look I often wear when I am running late or I am crunched for time in general.  It makes me feel more confident and put together.  All of the products I used are drugstore so they are inexpensive and easily accessible.  I tired to accentuate my features while keeping it simple, soft and natural.  I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.  Please comment with any questions you might have! xo

 

Products I used:

FACE

Concealer- Maybelline Mineral Power in Cream Light 4-5
Foundation- Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse in Med 2.5
Blush- Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in90 True Red
Highlight- L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Iced Latte

EYES

Lid- Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze

Crease- Inglot Blush in 29

Brow Bone- L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Iced Latte
Eyeliner- Sally Hansen Natural Beauty in Chocolate Brown
Mascara- Maybelline Illegal Lengths

LIPS

Lipstick- Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in90 True Red

NAILS- Revlon All Fired Up

What's in My Z Palette 12.25.11

Hi Friends!

I wanted to start posting this on my blog and on my YouTube channel.  I have decided to combine most of the powder products, which I am using for that week, in one palette to save on time and space.  I will be changing the products out frequently so I will do updated posts whenever I do so.  It would be really interesting to see what all of you have in yours as well.  Links for my video, the Z Palette website and a picture with all the shadows labeled will be listed below.  Thanks for stopping by! XOXO

Z Palette Websites

 http://www.zpalette.com/
 http://www.drugstore.com/z-palette/qxb62730
http://www.camerareadycosmetics.com/proddetail.php?prod=Z-PALETTE-propalette

 

 

Review: Urban Decay Naked 2

This video was just on my first impressions in the first week I received it.

Hi Friends!  I just want to first say that I am just being honest and my intention is not to be rude or harsh.  I want you all to know that I will always be honest about my feeling on a product no matter what.  If you love this palette, my opinion shouldn’t sway your thoughts either way.  Sometimes I feed into the hype about something and it will make me buy or even love a product for month.  I have to stop and really evaluate whether I like something or if I just think I do because others rave about it.  That being said, I was completely enamored with the Naked 2 Palette.  So many of us were so excited to try and get it with the first batch of 5000.  When the site finally allowed me to purchase, I felt as if I was in the cool club for a minute.  I ordered 3 and then went back and ordered 3 more (moment of insanity).  I sort of snapped back into reality and canceled the second order of 3.  Anyway, I was clearly just as excited as everyone else.  My excitement has diminished a bit because of the quality and pigmentation of this product.  I found it easier to make bulletins of the pros and cons.

Packaging A-

I love the hard case, but find it a bit inconvenient to have to pry it open every time I use it in one application.  I close it when I set it down so they don’t get damaged so I open and close the case about 3 times during one sitting.  Also, closing is odd.  Sometimes it does not want to snap in one of the corners and when it does…..watch out!  It snaps down really hard.

Brush A-

I love the blending side of this brush so much!  It is defiantly of my new favorite brushes.  It is the perfect size for getting your outer V and it blends eyeshadow so nicely and gives a clean professional look.  I have not had any shedding or bleeding so I am very happy about that.  The flat shader or lay down side is odd to me.  It is synthetic which makes it difficult to pick up a good amount of product.  I do like this brush for liquid or cream products, but for the actual shadow, not so much.  It would also be good for a foiled eyeshadow look since the product would be damp. 

Foxy A

I enjoy this color very much.  It is a bit chalky, but no more than most matte shades that I work with.  This is a matte shade and the pigmentation is good, but it can be sheered out to a very light wash of color.  I use this color every time I use the palette and I find it very nice for blending out any crease color I use.  The fallout is minimal.  The color selection is great for someone my skin toned (MAC NC35) or lighter.  I don’t feel like women of color would find this shade to be a very helpful nude or highlight color unless blended out to be sheer to almost nonexistent.

Half Baked A

I know a lot of you were disappointed with the selection of Half Baked being added to the Naked 2.  It is in a lot of the existing Urban Decay Palettes and some might say it’s overdone.  I personally think this color is beautiful for all skin tomes and is a great color to use in the fall and winter for a nice warm touch of gold and in the spring/summer for a sheer wash of warmth with just a touch of mascara.  It is very easy to use and looks great alone or as a lid color with a neutral smoky eye.  This is defiantly a shimmery color with great pigmentation.  The fall out is moderate so I would suggest foundation as a last step when using this color.  This is also a great color to foil for a really intense pop of color with a lot of shine.     

Booty Call A-

This color has nice pigmentation with minimal fallout and is great for a highlight color on the cheekbones or down the center of your nose.  I am not a big fan of frosty light colors on the brow bone, but that is just a personal preference.  I will be using this palette when I travel so to have this color is really convenient for me because I don’t have to bring an extra product for my highlight.  However, I don’t feel as though I will use this color as an eyeshadow because it is a bit too frosty and pale for my taste.  The shimmer in it is so fine that it makes blending a dream which is key to having a clean highlighted cheekbone without looking like a disco ball.

Chopper B-

I like the concept of this color, meaning I like it in the pan and what I thought it could be.  On the eye it looks like an orangey-pink.  It does not suite my skin tone very well.  Its shimmery with chunky glitter in it that falls out when applied to the lid.  Urban Decay is not known for having awesome glitter shadows.  I have never been happy with these chunky colors that they seem so fond of.  The pigmentation is good and fallout other than glitter) is moderate.  It is defiantly going to be one of the least used colors in my palette.    

Tease A+

This shade is a cool toned taupe color with almost a mauve undertone.  I do find the quality of this shadow to be the best out of the 3 matte shades.  It is smooth and blends very nicely.  The fallout is minimal.  It does not suite my skin tone as well as buck (a warm med matte brown) from the original Naked palette.  I find I have to warm it up with a color outside of this palette, although this does not sway my feelings about how much I do like this shadow.  It is great quality and can be sheared out nicely.  It is great for you mid tone between your crease and brow bone.  This would be great for weddings or photo shoots in general.  I’m a big fan of this color.   

Snakebite A

This is a shimmery color with moderate fallout.  It is easily blended and can be used to give a gradient effect quite easily.  You could use this sheered out in your crease and then build up pigmentation in your outer V for a one step smoky eye.  It is a unique color and would look very beautiful on most skin tones.  I find myself using this color often when I reach for this palette. 

Suspect D-

This is a shimmery champagne color.  I have heard people rave about the pigmentation in it which leave me wondering if I ended up getting a “bad batch”.  This color for me had almost 0 payoff unless I built it up about 3 times.  It did not pick up on my lay down brush very well and would ball up into tiny fluffy balls that end up all over my face.  I have tried using this with different brushes, but nothing works.  You might try this as a wet shadow suing water or a mixing medium.  For me it was a fail because I have no use for it.

Pistol A-

This color is a shimmery silver brown.  It’s light and almost frosty looking.  This color has light to moderate fallout and would look beautiful on the lid with a winged Plum liner and some mascara.  Easy to wear, but I couldn’t see this being a blend out or crease color.  It only has the one use for me and that is the reason for the A- rating.        

Verve A

This is a very soft greyish pink color.  Strange, I know.  It is similar to Pistol in that I would only use this on my lid and possibly the inner tear duct.  The shimmer is so finely milled and it is like butter to apply.  It blends out really easily so be careful to not blend it away completely.  Not a color I would use every day, but a great option to have.  I don’t find that it was completely necessary to have in this palette.  I would have loved to have seen Naked, from the original, in its place.

YDK A-

This is a rose gold or dusty pink color.  It is shimmery and I find it chunky although there is no actual glitter.  The shimmer is not as fine as some of the others.  It is a great lid color.  This is a great color for applying with your fingers to the lid and just adding some mascara.  I find these shimmery colors to have the same uses for me so I’m just “eh” about it.  Nice color pay off and moderate to a lot of fallout. 

Busted B-

This is an aborigine color with tiny flex of glitter.  The pigmentation is great and the color is unique and I am a big fan of this deep eggplant shade.  The fallout is quite bad and it does not blend as nicely as I would have liked it to.  I wanted this to be the perfect outer V color, but I find it hard to work with and disappointing.  It is nice for the lower lash line or to use as a liner. 

Blackout D

This is a matte black shadow.  The fallout is minimal to moderate and the shadow is quite chalky, but pigmented.  Again, I wanted to love this because it was a staple color I was looking for in a palette.  This was probably the color I had the highest hopes for.  After all, how could you go wrong with a matte black???  This is hard to work with and if you blend it out too much it blends away.  I find that is it patchy and looks sloppy and quite muddy on the eyes.  I will probably stick to using this for a liner or to deepen my crease, but I am far from pleased with the quality and functionality of this shadow. 

All Around Rating C

All in all, I don’t find myself reaching for this palette like I thought I would.  I liked the concept of it because I thought it could be an all in one for me with a matte black and highlight and the shade range is much better than the original.  Unfortunately, I found myself reluctant to reach for this at all.  I had to force myself to use it because I promised I would use it for an entire week straight.  I will defiantly use this for travel, but not much more outside of this purpose.  I hope you enjoyed this and thank you so much for taking the time to stop by.  For amazing pictures of swatches and another opinion checkout  http://www.temptalia.com/urban-decay-naked-2-palette-swatches-photos-reviews

Giveaway: Urban Decay Naked 2!!!

Hi Friends!

I am so excited to be doing this giveaway for all of my great subscribers.  I really hope you enjoy this.  The video is linked below and all you have to do is be a subscriber to my YouTube channel.  Thank you all for being so great!  All makeup I wore in the video is listed below. xoxo

FACE

Foundation- Revlon Photo Ready in 005 Natural Beige

Concealer- Maybelline Instant Age Rewind in 50 Neutralizer

Powder- Lorac POREfection PF3

Blush- MAC Warm Soul

Bronzer- Urban Decay Baked Bronzer in Toasted

Contour- MAC Blunt

Highlight- e.l.f. Shimmer Palette and The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer


EYES


Primer/Base- MAC Paint Pot in Nubile

Base Shadow- Urban Decay Virgin (Naked)

Crease- Hustle (Naked)

Blending color- Toasted (Naked)

Eyeliner- Inglot AMC Gel Liner #77

Mascara- L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Waterproof

Lashes- Salon Perfect #110

Brows- Inglot #560


LIPS

Liner- NYX 860 Peekaboo Neutral

Lipstick- NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in San Paulo


NAILS

Revlon-Vintage and Milani