Tech NEWS: Download The Makeup Show App

May4

Ladies, gentleman and DIVAS! Tomorrow is THEE day, Day one of the Makeup Show and the good people are making it easier for you to navigate in style.

Easy to read and understand home screen/dashboard which makes planning for your entire weekend a snap.

Don’t get lost or lose your friends again and find your favorite social media mavens and bloggers easy when they tweet their location. Also find your favorite brands in a jiffy.

Floor Plan of TMS App

Workshops, Keynotes, and Seminars don’t miss out on the most important messages with this app that will keep you in the know. *Special note* Arrive 15 minutes before the start time to guarantee seating.

Create your own show schedule, check out exhibitors, events, show buzz and get the latest updates from the show all from your phone.

To access the app, download the “Showcased International” app from the iPhone or Google Play store and contact info@showcasedinternational.com for a personalized login name and password. Personalize your app by starring your must-see keynotes, seminars and brands, and be sure to activate your alerts so you can stay up to date.

Can’t wait to see you there

Spring Cleaning: Makeup Bag Overhaul

Mar28

How many of you have a makeup bag that looks like a bomb went off in it and left a disarray of lip pencils without tops, unsharpened, powder pieces at the bottom of your bag, and brushes that look like you’ve been dragging it to the mud?Maybe something like this….

A Bomb went off in your bag time to say BYE Boom!

If that’s you it’s time that you say bye bye to that makeup and whose life has already passed on and continues to be the sole reason why you break out every time you apply makeup. The truth of the matter is that all of your makeup has an expiration date and after that you’re just harboring a germ infested fugitive and reapplying it to your skin, your lips and your eyes.

How do you know when to throw away, cleanse or sanitize your products? Well I’ve made a simple chart for you to know. Mark your calendars, set an alarm in your phone, smell your products, and your products believe it or not will become ineffective.

Below you’ll find a helpful chart that will assist you in knowing when its time to chuck somethings while, keeping certain things nice and clean will add life to your prized special edition colors from MAC (yup I understand)

Here are a quick few tips to keep in mind:

Wash your brushes every week
Keep a bottle of alcohol in a spray bottle and spray your bottles and wipe once a week if you can.
Sharpen pencils before every use and even if its just you wipe your point with some alcohol as well
Ladies your lipgloss can harbor so much germs before reapplying make sure your lips are clean and give your lip gloss wands some cleaning love as well.
Smell your products they’ll tell you and show you when they aren’t good for you anymore, let em Go!

Product	Throw it Away!
Mascara	Every three months
Foundation	One year
Concealer	12-18 months
Powder	18 months
Blush/bronzer	18 months
Cream blush	12-18 months
Eye shadow	18 months
Eyeliner	18 months
Liquid eyeliner	Six months
Lipstick/lip gloss	18 months
Lip liner	One year
Nail polish	One year
Makeup sponges	Wash after each use, then throw away after a month.

First Look: Rickycare 3D Blender

Feb28

Many makeup artists and beauty aficionados alike are in love with the skin like finish that the infamous egg shape pink beauty blender gives. Many companies have duplicated but none of have seem to quite taken the beauty blender off of its pedestal.

beauty blender

Enter in Rickycare 3D Blenders which looks like serious competition in my opinion. With various shapes I believe the beautyblender might possibly meet its match. Let’s wait and see.

Ricky’s 3D Blenders

Will you be buying or leaving this one on the shelf?

Rihanna Turns It Up With MAC

Feb20

Hello!?! Have my eyes deceived me or it true that Rihanna is coming out with a bomb collection with MAC Cosmetics? Yes it is true and its not just one lip color, its a four part collection which will debut during her concert in Brooklyn…Holla! The first product to unveil will be Rihanna’s signature piece RiRi Woo, a lipstick inspired by her favorite MAC product, Ruby Woo. MAC will open a pop-up shop on the first night to showcase the line. How cool is that?

Oh yea yea yea… Oh yea oh yea. Yes @badgalriri is doing it major 2013 collaboration with @maccosmetics and I’m super excited about this luxurious looking collection. #rihanna #maccosmetics #makeup #beauty #rosegold (Photo credit: MissMerli)

There is more though folks there will be four collections, under the cute name RiRi [Hearts] MAC but of course. Here is the breakdown as follows: The summer collection also includes two additional lipsticks, a Lustre Drops shade and a powder blush duo. Fall’s collection will be 16 pieces which include four lipsticks, a deeply pigmented Lipglass version of RiRi Woo, two multishade eye shadow palettes and false lashes. Then if you didn’t get enough or like I know will happen everything WILL sell out holiday will bring another 10 items, including nail polish, a makeup bag and more lipsticks.

Save your dollars ladies its about to get real, RiRi real! Are you looking forward to this collection?

Here are my all time fave makeup looks from @Badgalriri to date.

Alon Livne NYFW Fall 2013

Feb13

Futuristic simplicity that is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest, Alon Livne was truly out of this world beautiful. Black dominated the Fall 2013 line which mixed lots of geometric lines with sheer panels and leather. Ring the alarm Beyonce, Kelly Rowland and Rihanna will likely be calling on Alon to dress them. Body suits were plentiful, pants were also on board this ship. The makeup by Per-fekt glam team accentuated the already beautiful models skin and made it glow like beings from the moon, brought to you by bronzer and perfecting foundation. The foundation acted as Bb like cream that feels liked whipped cream mixed with air on your skin. Nails by Zoya and lead nail tech Sunshine elongated their already long fingers with colors that complimented each models skin tone perfectly. Like the stars everything aligned to make a beautiful show.

New York Fashion Week – FW13: Zoya Nail Polish Schedule

Kerry Washington Dazzles at NAACP Image Awards

Feb5

If you haven’t heard of Olivia Pope where have you been under a rock?! Though I myself haven’t watched a single episode of Scandal to date (don’t kill me) I definitely know about the darling damsal. She has been doing her thing stylistically for a long time and turned it on once again for the NAACP Image Awards this past weekend; where Kerry took home the Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Award for her role in SCANDAL; Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Award for her role in DJANGO UNCHAINED; and the President’s Award, given in recognition of special achievement and exceptional public service. Got get it Ms. Washington!

Kerry Washington who has been on a roll beauty and fashion wise for quite a long time can’t seem to get it wrong. For the festivities she donned a fabulous Oscar de la Renta Spring 2013 dress which melted my little fashion heart.

Now lets talk about her hair and makeup which I always love because she is always on point with both. She had a subtle smokey eye paired with a light pink lip that just paired so well with the dress.

I was able to get the skinny on hair from celeb hairstylist Marcus Francis who utilized the amazing much raved about Carol’s Daughter Monoi line.

To get the look, Francis:

Blow dried the hair with a round brush, adding a few drops of Carol’s Daughter Monoi Oil Sacred Strengthening Serum to the ends.

Flat ironed the hair from roots to ends to seal in the shine, adding in a small pump of Carol’s Daughter Monoi Repairing Split End Sealer after flat ironing to lock in added moisture.

Sectioned out the top middle section, creating a clean part on either side of the head, then lightly teased a few sections at the front for height, and brushed using a Mason Pearson hair brush. Francis then blended the teased hair into the back of the head, keeping the sides clean and securing with two bobby pins underneath the hair on either side.

With a 1 1/4″ size curling iron, Francis curled the ends of medium-sized sections and held for three seconds for added movement, brushing out to soften and break up any tendency the hair had to curl.

Smoothed the hairline with a spritz of Carol’s Daughter Macadamia Heat Styling Hairspray on a toothbrush-like finishing tool. Finally, Francis sprayed the entire head and finished with a final half pump of Monoi Repairing Split End Sealer on the curled ends.

: Monoi Oil Repairing Sacred Strengthening Serum

: Split End Sealer

: Macadamia Heat Styling Spray

New Year Lucky Golden Girl Manicure

Jan2

Hello Beautiful,

Happy New Year 2013! I’m back in full swing again with Miss Merli In NYC and I’m so glad to be. Like the general public out there in the world I have some goals or resolutions if you may that I’m aiming to reach this year. This this time around though instead of just writing them out, I’ll be creating a vision board that I will keep in my hallway. I did one last year and gave it away… maybe that was the start of my bad luck??? No I don’t believe in luck but I do believe in visually stimulating your mind through color and pictures. Green and Gold are one of those colors that remind me of strength, prosperity, and glamour so it’s only fitting that the first manicure of the year would be a golden green one.

China Glaze Four Leaf Clover

Sephora OPI Gleek Out

Sephora OPI Only Gold For Me Top Coat

Step 1: Base Coat I used Qtica Natural Nail Growth Stimulator (Zoya)

Step 2: Two coats of China Glaze Four Leaf Clover

Step 3: On Various fingers 2 thin coats of Sephora OPI Gleek Out (let dry)

Step 4: One Coat of Sephora OPI Only Gold For Me Top Coat

Step 5: Fast Dry Top Coat Seche Vite

Step 6: Relax and let your nails dry for 15 minutes

Step 7: Enjoy!

Event Alert The Emiliani Beauty Expo Runway V

Oct4

SANTA MONICA, CA – SEPTEMBER 06: Hairstylist Vidal Sassoon attends the ‘Vidal Sassoon: The Movie’ event at Barnes & Noble on September 6, 2011 in Santa Monica, California. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

If you’re in NY, NJ, or Maryland for that matter this is totally right up your alley. Catering to beauty editors, make up artists, hair colorists, clothing & hair designers, you want to be present at this can’t miss meeting of the creative minds. Taking place in Edison NJ October 20th-October 22nd 2012. The festivities will kick off with an honorary night celebrating the amazing Vidal Sassoon with a runway show paying hommage to his most iconic looks. Highlights also include stylist Fernando Romero, special guest Elan Sassoon, fashion designer Elisa Jimenez from the hit television show, Project Runway, and guest speaker…wait for it Ted Gibson. As always opening night means cocktails, meet and greets, interviews and a presentation you won’t want to miss. The Emiliani Beauty Expo will be held on Sunday October 21st & October 22nd from 9-5 and tickets range from $40-99.

To order tickets call 800.624.0405 ext. 3976 (EXPO) or email beautyexpo@emiliani.com. For a full list of all exhibitors and a layout of the show, key speakers and workshops, visit www.emiliani.com

Review: Urban Decay The Vice Palette

Sep19

Hello UD Vice I’ve been waiting for you

ok people so it’s official I’m in love… with the Urban Decay Vice Palette. It is the first time in a very long time that I’ve crooned over a UD palette since the third book of shadows (4th one was a complete flop). With all the chatter going on in makeup groups and forums about this amazing palette with beautiful blues (Chaos and Unhinged) there was no way we could miss out on the action. Without further delay here are my thoughts on the palette and why this is a great gift for this holiday season.

Pros

First things first this palette is light years ahead in terms of packaging finally a non cardboard exterior which means I’m less likely to depot this baby.
the colors are a lot different from the previous palettes in UD history
huge mirror which makes this a great travel palette
the colors blend beautifully
color payoff is amazing dry and wet forget about it its pop pop pop!

Cons

Though known for their bright colors I wish secretly for more of a mixture of nudes and color in one place ( worse case scenario bring your naked palette series with you)
those glitters would of loved to see more mattes but hey a girl can dream and hope for it in the next palette
the brush included is so so quality, a decent shadow brush and horrible shader brush

Final Thoughts

Merli says Get it! The colors are amazing, great color pay off, your ability to do a wide array of looks are endless with this palette. It’s worth the money and certainly won’t let you down.

Here are the beautiful swatches from L to R Desperation, Muse, Jagged, Blitz, Penny Lane, Junkie, Chaos, Occupy, Unhinged, Black Market, Provocateur, Rapture, Vice, Noise, Armor, Nevermind, Echo Beach, Anonymous, Freebird, Laced

Will you be picking up this palette or leaving it on the shelves?

Get The Look: Yung Rapunxel Diva

Sep16

Today I was playing around in my makeup stash and thought to myself hmmm this looks a lot like that new lipstick that I purchased a week ago at FNO online. MAC Cosmetics and Azealia Banks collaborated for this dark plum colored lipstick that richens everyones lip palette and is right on trend for this fall.

Azealia Banks looking haute with her Yung Rapunxel lip

a Banks collaborated to create the lipstick Yung Rapunxel which I loved but what if there was a dupe for it. I just had to see so I tried out my covergirl Queen collection lipstick layered with gloss see the results below.

Lip with Covergirl Queen Collection lipstick in Fine Wine with MAC Cosmetics Dazzleglass in Funtabulous

Cover girl Queen Collection Fine Wine and MAC Cosmetics Dazzleglass in Funtabulous

MAC Cosmetics Yung Rapunxel with Dazzleglass in Funtabulous

Wrapped up with Lifestyle Beauty & Fashion

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