Carole Von Allten Profile with Makeup Tips

7/6/2012

I have been having difficulties uploading my updated profile, so I decided to post it as a blog.

If you want to get to know me, and don’t mind reading a long profile, then proceed.

I don’t want to sound self-centered, but I am so pleased I made it to No. 1 Elite after a lot of hard work, and problems with not getting my points.  I feel like this is a real accomplishment, and that I have a big responsibility to Total Beauty and its members.

I finished a Cosmetology course last year, and this year I am taking Fashion Merchandising and Design.  I am a free lance photographer and makeup artist.  I worked a lot, and learned a lot about the cosmetics business.  The makeup industry has a goal, and only one:  To make money.  They develop crazy products that are expensive and we don’t need, like eye shadow primer, serums that are very expensive (good profit there), eye creams, and the Clarisonic.  Please refer to my recent blog about the Clarisonic and if it actually works the way they say it will.  All you need for skin care is a good cleanser, exfoliating product (Philosophy Microdelivery system is good), toner, day and evening moisturizer and a good humidifier.  Believe me, I have been a slave to all of the hype about eye creams, primers and the Clarisonic, and I now know they do nothing different, especially the cleansing with a good wash cloth instead of wasting your money on a Clarisonic.  Fortunately, I got mine through Walgreens on-line for $85, instead of the retail price of $149.

I was put on prednisone for fibromyalgia, and my face blew up like a balloon, and I gained 50 pounds.  My new doctor weaned me off the prednisone, and prescribed  something else that has no side effects.  Now I have lost 80 pounds, and my face has gotten thin, with wrinkles from the extra face.  There is not one product that helps me.  I am going to have microdermabrasion for which I have to save since I spent so much money on serums, creams, Clarisonc, etc.

A tip about foundation:  I saw a video about applying foundation. Use a makeup brush, put foundation on it, and spray a little Evian Water on it. When you apply this, your complexion looks dewy. You can get the Evian Water Spray bottle at Sephora or ULTA. The Evian Water is also nice to spritz on your face when it’s hot in the summer.

Another issue I have is my hair.  Over a year ago, I had the worst haircut of my life.  It was cut 1” all over.  It looks awful growing out; then, I discovered how pretty wigs are.

I put on a leave-in conditioner and wear one of my wigs.  I never have a bad hair day, and get wet in the rain without it ruining my hair style.  I order them from Wig.com.  They have the best prices and sales.  It’s nice to have a wig on hand as a help on bad hair days.  Most wigs in stores cost about $120; wig.com has really nice and comparable and better ones for $59-$69, and you can return them if you don’t like them.

Regarding makeup and fragrance, I realized I am a collector of L’Occitane, Benefit, Too Faced, Urban Decay, MAC, Tarte, Philosophy, Laura Geller, Yves Rocher, Aveeno, OPI nail polish and Butter London nail polish.  I have been on the hunt for a really lengthening and thickening mascara.  I saw a video with Jerrod, the founder of Too Faced cosmetics, and he demonstrated their new “They’re Better Than False Lashes.”  So, I bought it.  It was 2 tubes—one with mascara and the other a tube of dry as a bone fibers. (which according to Sephora,  is how it is supposed to be.  This product did absolutely nothing!  I had better luck with Maybelline.  So, I took it back (all $36 worth), and bought Urban Decay Big Fatty, which is the best so far in that it lengthens, thickens and does not flake.  I also bought a $5 eyelash primer from Sephora, which really boosts the lengthening.  I discovered a trick for applying mascara:  hold the wand perpendicular to your lashes, then apply the product that is on the end of the wand.  Then, go back like normal and apply the mascara.  This really works.

I also like to wear false eyelashes for a dramatic look.  To apply false lashes, squeeze a small strip of Duo adhesive (available at MAC and Sephora), onto a plastic eye shadow case top.   Roll the strip the strip back and forth to make it straighter, and hold it up to your top lashes to see if they are the correct length.  If they are not the correct length, trim the outer edges only.  Then dip the lash line of the strip along the adhesive, being careful to not apply too much adhesive because if you apply too much, you will have a real mess. (I know this from having it happen to me).  Wait 15 seconds for the adhesive to become tacky, and then apply the lashes one at a time, starting from the inside and moving out.  You need to work quickly before the adhesive dries.  Hold the front and back corners down with 2 fingers so they don’t pop up.  Continue to secure the whole strip, with attention to the ends.  Then apply mascara to join the lashes to your own.  Then apply eyeliner on the top lid to hide the top of the strip.  I have found that liquid liner works best.  To remove, use eye makeup remover, and gently remove the false lashes.  Do not tug, or you’ll remove your own eyelashes.  Just keep applying eye makeup remover until they come off by themselves.

I like to enhance my green eyes with shades of purple, green, pink and tangerine.  I use a lighter color combination for summer than for winter, and I have to be careful I don’t look “garish” as my husband called a look one day.  I splurged for Urban Decay’s Naked Palette, which has great colors for summer when I wear self tanner.  Speaking of self tanner, anything by Fake Bake is the best.  I discovered it when Total Beauty sent it to me to review.  I also splurged on L’Occitane’s Divine Poivine (shades of pink and grey), the Urban Decay 15th anniversary palette, Urban Decay’s Book of Shadows IV, and the Stila Christmas Palette.  I hate to admit it, but I have all of the Too Faced eye shadow palettes, and the Naked Face.  I have so many shadows because my eyes are my best feature, and I want to enhance them.  With these lines of eye shadows, I never use primer.  You simply don’t need it when using highly pigmented powder eye shadows. 

My favorite fragrances are the Juicy Couture line (especially Peace Love and Juicy Couture), Katy Perry Purr, Marc Jacobs Daisy, and L’Occitane Rose and Verbena.

I love heart shapes, and I designed a tattoo of the cosmos with the sun, moon, stars and flying hearts.  I also have a Bon Jovi heart tattoo that says “Keep the Faith” and a Guns N’ Roses tattoo that says “Patience.”  Both my husband and I have a tattoo of our wedding invitation he designed with a ying yang theme.  I do regret the Guns N’ Roses tattoo.  I like the original lineup’s music, and then I did some research and read Duff’s, Slash’s, and Steven’s autobiographies.  It turns out Axl Rose is a very mercurial person and not a good person at all, who cares nothing about his fans.  I did not follow the quote “Think, then Ink.”  That is the best advice I can give to anyone.

Thanks for reading this long profile, if you made it this far.  Now you know who I am.