• a dupe •

I fell in LOVE with Pretty As A Junebug's BFTE Berry Patch Collection look. So I decided to duuupe it!! I use a LOT of Beauty From The Earth, but the Bring on the Berries collection was just released last week and I haven't been able to purchase it yet...I will be saving up to buy it, for sure!!

Here is the lover-ly Pretty As A Junebug. GORG.

And....here is my dupe! It's not as good as the original (it just isn't!) BUT it was really fun to do! xD This will probably be a look I do again soon!

I used:
Lid: Tequila Lime by Metal Glam Cosmetics
Crease: Anthrax by My Pretty Zombie
Browbone: Raspberry by BFTE
Highlight: Ladies in Waiting by Antoinette's Revolution Cosmetics

 ♥betsy

. a post of WINNING...literally! .

Hello Everyone!!

I posted about this last month - the lovely Gina, from Makeup Gets Me High, hosted a Peacock inspired makeup contest. I entered the Wearable category, because I didn't feel like I could even compete with some of those entries I saw (Although everyone on the fanpage is super kind and would've made me feel great about my look anyway!)

Here is my entry - THAT WON!

And here is my SWAG!

Here's what I got!
• Peacock handmade zippie pouch from Zippies

• Blush & Lip Whip from Glam R Face/Pink Stiletto Cosmetics

• 2 Eyeshadows from My Pretty Zombie

• Hello Kitty earrings from FrizzyLizy

• Blush & Blush sample from Rag Dolls Bath & Beauty

• 3 Eyeshadows from Metal Glam Cosmetics 

• Bow Ring from Dailee Dose

• Flavored Tinted Lip Balm & Eyeshadow sample from Lucky 107 Cosmetics

• Eyshadow sample from Rockeresque Beauty Company

• Bracelet from The Divine Muse Handmade Jewelry

• 3 Mascaras from The Chainsaw Mascara

• Cupcake soap from Simply Sweet Skin

• Eyeshadow sample from Thirtyonewest

• 2 Eyeshadows from Antoinette's Revolution Cosmetics

• Sweeeet thank you card from Makeup Gets Me High

I am BEYOND thrilled with this whole experience - being the contest winner & receiving all these wonderful prizes! I have only tried out a couple of these companies before, but every single product I received has impressed me and will have my shopping with them in the future (As money allows...of course! If money was no issue, then I'd be buying up ALL their stuff..STAT!!)

Thanks for sharing in my excitement! Don't be jealous ;] - enter a makeup contest! There are TONS on Facebook right now. I wish I could compile a list for you, but I don't have that kind of time at the moment - This girl works 2 jobs, and with a 5 year old...it's surprising I even was able to write up this post!
*If you know of any of these great makeup contests and would like to share them, pretty please link them in the comments!

♥betsy

. the giveaway reveal .

aaaaaannnnnd that means the WINNER is:

 25 - xinertiaticx!!

CONGRATS! I'll be emailing you for more information!! 
Thank you, Thank you to everyone who entered! I'm SOO happy with the turnout! :D


♥betsy

. makeup gets me high - peacock contest .

I love a chance to play around with my eye makeup! I've been SUPER busy and rarely have any time to dedicate to my eyeballs, let alone take pics...then crop those pics...then make a collage from the cropped pics...and so on and so forth. 

Since I had been such a silly slacker lately, I'd decided that I was going to participate in a makeup challenge/contest the next time I came across one on Facebook. 
*These types of contests are ALL over FB beauty pages right now!

I did a look for the Peacock Makeup Challenge that I saw on MakeUp Gets Me High's FB page. I immediately got out my blues (I can't wear blue shadows very often - does not compliment my eye color! Which sucks cause blue eyeshadows are sooooo pretty! That is why I was so excited to bust them out!)...so I got those and some various other colors and went to town! 

Whatcha think?

eyeshadows: over NYX jumbo eye pencil in black bean: inner to outer:
jaded - BFTE

copper bird - Sweetpea & Fay

von fersen - ARC

(highlight) beautiful tragedy - HiFi 

lol @ my "model" face.

♥betsy

50 followers! + giveaway!

hooray! 
i have just hit the '50 followers' landmark! this is awesome, and surprises me at the same time - i have been terrible about posting. apologies! :/
how about i make up for being so inactive on here by having a lil giveaway, eh?! 

the giveaway:

• 1 Oscar de la Renta perfume sample in Esprit d'Oscar 

• 2 pairs of earrings, made by yours truly!! :]

• 3 E.L.F. lipglosses (Strawberry, Perfect Pink, Unlabeled)
• 4 sample jars of BFTE eyeshadow (Lemon, Tickle Me, Grassy, Raspberry)

• 5 Wet 'n Wild nailpolishes (Clear Nail Protector, Blazed, Dreamy Poppy, Lavender Creme, Tickled Pink)

• 6 sample baggies of Antoinette's Revolution Cosmetics / Sweetpea & Fay Cosmetics / Hi Fi Cosmetics eyeshadows (ARC - Liaisons, Dupioni, le Soleil. SP&F - Sure Burt, Bulder Dash. HiFi - To the Moon.)

one lucky person will win all of this!

HOW TO ENTER:

• post any one comment on this post.

(and leave your email so i can get in touch with you!)

it's that easy!

there will be no "you must do this, this, and this...purchase this or that...link back...etc, etc." *

* it would be AWESOME if you became a follower of this blog and friended 'No Empty Yesterdays' on facebook, too - but that's definitely NOT a requirement. 

giveaway will close 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3RD

i will use random.org to choose the winner!

START COMMENTING!

(please remember, just ONE comment per person! thanks!)

♥betsy


* i would like to make note that i won a couple giveaways a while back, both were full of BFTE goodies! i have not used any of the samples i won in those giveaways in this giveaway. samples used in this giveaway are ones that were purchased by me or gifted to me.

. re • fashion • ed .

someone gave me this sundress a couple years ago, but it was just a bit too big. i loved the print/length/breezy material, tho, so i never got rid of it! i busted out my dusty sewing machine and altered it a bit. yay! 


i don't have any sort of tutorial - because, honestly, i didn't know if it'd be successful or not. haha! all i did was: 
1) cut off the straps 
2) take in the top part of the dress a bit on both sides to fit my waist (it's the scrunchy, stretchy fit that's on bust part of most sundresses - you know what i'm talking about?)
3) folded down the top part and sewed - it made it feel more like a waist band instead of just a top part of a dress.
*i may possibly take in the width on the bottom part, but i kind of like the poofyness with the high waist. seems very 50's.


so i chose this purple top (it doesn't flatter my tummy because of the super thin material, but i always liked how it fit my bust - and that's perfect for this skirt!) and with the belt, i feel like it was a win! i can interchange shirts/tanks and i think i can also wear the skirt lower, like a peasant skirt. 
i'm so proud of myself, can you tell?! haha!

ps - my hubby got me the sewing machine for christmas 2 years ago, and i've only used it once since. :[ so he was super happy i am using it (finally!), and he loved what i did with the dress!

i look a little funky here, but i wanted to show the earrings i made a long time ago - they went SO well with my outfit! :]

isn't my lil girlie the most beautiful?!

♥betsy

. MAC lipsticks .

i bought 2 MAC lipsticks a while ago from a blog sale, cause they were a good price (now i have a "no buying ANYTHING" rule in place...don't know when i will lift that! maybe when i can control my impulse buys and makeup cravings?!) and everyone and their sister loves MAC (never tried it, save 1 pressed eye shadow). i've been wanting to find a lipstick that i wouldn't have to reapply, reapply, reapply all night long at work. alas - there must be a trick that i'm not aware of. lip primer, maybe? i will say i really think the texture/consistency of the MAC lipsticks were the creamiest i've ever put on my lips. but i'm in NO possible way/shape/form a lipstuff expert!!
but the reality of it is - i'll just go back to never actually wearing any lipstuff, but being obsessed with having glosses/lipstains/lipsticks/balms/etc.

**excuse the funny faces - i do that**

MAC's 'snob'

(TOO pink for betsy! i'm going to be selling this.)

MAC's 'pretty please'

(this is light enough pink, i think i can pull it off in most cases.)

♥betsy

. eye makeup removers: review .

almay oil-free eye makeup remover liquid:

i do not like this stuff. i'm being as blunt and clear as possible.
• it smells awful and chemical-y.
• when i apply it with my cotton ball to my eyes, it tugs and rubs. even then it doesn't get all the makeup/primer off on the first go or two...it takes a few swipes.
• it does NOT remove my mascara at all, tho. i can't ever get it completely off so i keep applying new mascara when i do the next days makeup...and it's just building up! i bought this remover during the first week in june, so i feel like i've had leftover mascara on my eyelashes for an entire month.
• the price was $5.99 at walgreens + i had a $2 off walgreens coupon. but for $3.99, this product SO isn't worth it!



equate oil-free eye makeup remover:

this stuff is worth it, to me.
• price = under $5 at walmart. it's the generic version of neutrogena's eye makeup remover.
• no smell really. tho, to be fair, i've used this product for like a year - so it may be that i'm used to any slight smell from it. just sayin' that i don't notice a smell from it now.
• DOES remove eye makeup! novel idea! only takes 1 swipe or 2 and even the primer is gone! a couple more swipes on the lashes and my mascara comes off, too.


* my FAVORITE eye makeup remover EVER: mary kay's. 
it. is. awesome. it feels like nothing is taking off your makeup. haha!
however - it's like $14 a bottle, and that is just too much to spend. for me at least. 


♥betsy

• freebie/coupons/deals sites •

i know there are TONS of freebie/coupon/deals sites out there, but these are a few that i frequent!


www.mojosavings.com
www.freebies4mom.com
www.smartcouponing.com
www.moneysavingamanda.com
www.thekrazycouponlady.com


(you can follow all of these on facebook, too!)


*i'll add more as i come across them!


enjoy your savings!


♥betsy

. a blog award .

i was tagged for this award by emily at makeup fancy! thank you so much, emily!

• to accept the award, there are only 4 rules you must follow:

1 - thank the person who gave you the award, and link back to them on your blog

2 - tell us 7 things about yourself

3 - tag some more bloggers for the award

4 - contact these bloggers to let them know they've been tagged

• seven (very) random (and very detailed, apparently...sorry!) things about me:

1 - my real name isn't betsy, it's elisabeth. i've been called 'betsy' since day 1, tho!

2 - i have a 5 year daughter named monaghan, and she is the VERY best thing about me!

*'monaghan' is the name of a county in ireland. the meaning of the name wasn't what drew me to it (it mean's 'land of little hills' - yikes, lol) but it was just so pretty and one-of-a-kind - JUST like my daughter! if in ireland, the correct pronounciation would be the 'g' being silent. i americanized it...the 'h' is silent. so it's said like this: 'mon - again' :]

3 - i have a big ole family - my mom (stay at home mom/homeschool teacher) and dad (long time employee at state farm/pastor) have been married for 30 years (awesome, right?!) and there are 8 of us kiddos - 4 girls and 4 boys. we are all pretty close (in age and in our relationships) so the family gatherings are freakin' awesome!

4 - i'm pretty sure my first crush was aladdin! :]

5 - in my high school days - i was co-capt/mvp of both softball and tennis...tres/v. pres/pres. of art club...outstanding foreign language student of the year (for german, and i don't remember a lick of it now :[ )...and had various other awards and achievements that were important to me at that time. before high school, i was homeschooled. :]

6 - when i'm in the artsy fartsy mood - i'm extremely crafty! i enjoy: jewelry making, painting with acrylics (oils don't agree with me), scrapbooking/greeting cards, photography, clay, sewing, working with mixed mediums of all sorts, etc, etc.

*i have a HUGE credenza in my bedroom that is just FILLED with random arts and crafts and supplies! and a few totes that are filled to the top, too! they take up SO much space, but i'll never get rid of them. once we move into a house (someday, *sigh*), i want a studio - complete with a potter's wheel and kiln! :D

7 - i am currently planning a trip to IRELAND with my cousin. we've decided that if we put X amount of money away per month, we will be able to go in 2.5 years. I. CANNOT. WAIT. so freakin' excited!!

•i've tagged a few fellow bloggers (* indicates that they've already been tagged by another blogger for this award - but i ♥ their blogs, so i couldn't help but tag them, too!):

1 - drea at like a rockett

2 - emily at venomous kiss

3 - courtney at all things glam

4 - christina at confessions of a glitterholic *

5 - krista at play hard, look fabulous *

6 - sara at world of a different color *

7 - pepi at make up like graffiti *

• FYI - this is just for FUNsies - so i won't be offended if any you choose not to carry this on! no worries! thank you all tho - for having blogs i love to follow!

have a wonderful day and thanks for droppin' in!

♥betsy

. makeup looks .

♥betsy

. makeup looks .

{click on pics for larger view}

♥betsy

. bfte . eotd .

eyes: {all BFTE}
inner to outer: soliel > mania > livid.
highlight: soliel.
liner: livid.

lashes: maybelline falsies.

lips: neutrogena brightening eye perfector and clear lip balm (with lemon scent/taste - yum!) from bath & body works.

face: a bit of l'oreal true match naturale - gentle mineral concealor - under the eyes, around nose. N.Y.C. bronzing face powder dusted lightly all over (VERY lightly, just to take away shine and add SLIGHT color). some BFTE's raspberry (eye shadow) on cheeks for a tiny bit of rosyness.

{click pics for larger view}

♥betsy

. nails .

a lot of people have commented on my nails, so i figured i would show them off a little. ;]

one person said, that from farther away, it looked like the paint splatter look that was big in the 80's...lol.


• white on xtreme wear by sally hansen
• cheatin by pure ice
(several coats of cheatin will create a massive glittery explosion (yay!) - but one coat is all i used for this)

*i have crappy nails/cuticles. i bite them all the time because if they grow past a certain length, they get soft and start peeling (like nail polish peels...from the top of my nail!). it drives me crazy, but it's something i have grown to accept :\ HOWEVER, i'm pleased to report that i have NOT bitten my nails in MONTHS!! i just have to keep them trimmed pretty short...*

. glittersniffer cosmetics with swatches .

there is a group on facebook of ladies that are selling/trading off their old GS stash. some are done with GS and ridding themselves of their stash, but some are just taking this opportunity to sell off some of their unused/hardly used/non favorite shades. anyway - a lot of good deals here! i DID order from a few of these ladies. like 3 pots for $8 shipped! :] that's where all the colors from the last pic came from! i think i have 1 or 2 on the way still...but here are some swatch pics of what i currently have from glittersniffer cosmetics...

{click on the pics for a larger view!}

below: wicked collection - dupes / not what was pictured on their FB {i emailed and asked}
this was my first order, and i was ECSTATIC to get it. seriously - you can ask my hubby. i freaking freaked out about being able to get it during the black friday sale - 50% off collections! welll...didn't get it at first. got something else. emailed and emailed and then i finally recieved it - but only to be disappointed. the textures are kinda grittyish, the fallout is insane, and the colors weren't the same as they looked on the site at all! BUT the colors are super pretty in the jars...so i think i'll use them to franken some nail polish...or do other artsy fartsy things. lol.

*look at "nessa's shoes" - see how all the glitter in it just rubbed away to the sides? it doesn't stay! after applying, it just looks like a whiteish-gray color. :[

below: another small order i got. i ordered a $2 random bottle of harry potter magical creatures collection - since it was unlabeled...i searched/swatched for comparisions of other swatches on the fan page, i came to the conclusion that this is norbert. i was sent the magenta color as a freebie.

ok, norbert is very nice. i've used it a few times. this bright magenta - i've swatched it but never used it. it's TOO bright. and then...i heard about the recalled pinks and i'm glad i never put it on! it's very pretty, regardless - i'll use it for something crafty someday (sidenote: i tried to franken some nail polish with this shade...yuck. didn't turn out well. i'm still saving it for a rainy day tho, when i get my crafting mojo back!!)

below: onto the better stuff!! i really like these colors!

♥betsy


* EDIT * 3.7.2011 *
i have a few other GS "piggies" now, but have been shying away from using them in recent looks.

. some more make.up.look collages .

as i may or may not have made clear, my current obsessions are makeup and photography.
:]
aand here's examples of both:

{click pics for larger view}

inner to outer: nessa's shoes (glittersniffer) - devil's daughter (hi fi) - a black (?)
highlight: nessa's shoes again.
'tape trick' for the drastic wing.
my last post was a "new years eve look" - i'm thinking this would have been a good look for that, if i was setting out to do the trademark "new years eve" look..buts i didn'ts. :]

this is a current 'go-to' look for everydayness; it's so soft and subtle...amd the colors go so well together.

inner to outer: raindrops on roses (hi fi) - hitchcock (bfte)

eyeliner: sugar plum (avon)...which matched hitchcock PERFECTLY!

AHH! green! favorite color EVER!

inner to outer: epidemic (hi fi) - norbert (glittersniffer) - mania (bfte)

highlight: honey (bfte)

liner on bottom lashes: unnamed green shadow (orglamix)

liquid eyeliner: a black (elf)

thanks for takin' a gander at my pics!
:]

♥betsy

. my new years look {lil late} .

i know it's like, 21 days late...but better late then never, right? i use that phrase so much that if there were a copyright on it - i'd be paying some MAJOR royalties...

SO, these were my eyes for new years eve. i know it's not really the stereotypical new years eve look, but i'm just not one for stereotypes. it's not your normal "silver or gold/glitter/look at me!" look. i'm thinking it's def a "look at me!" tho.

{click pic for larger view}

i used: a black (?) / voodoo (hi fi) / lace (bfte)

i've been diggin' the 'tape trick' for a crisp line, and have incorporated it into many of my everyday looks, too; although this was my boldest thus far. i added the lower wing (pointing downward) as an afterthought. the dramatic wing up was way too drastic (drastic can be good...but it was a no-go in this case). i felt adding the other line balanced it out a touch. maybe. :]

also - can i just say that red shades do WONDERS for green eyes?! i've been bankin' on purples and browns to compliment my greens the most, but reds are def sneakin' up on them.

♥betsy

. BFTE . {with eye.makeup.look collages!}

i just wanted to do a little post on Beauty From The Earth again (aaand i'm sure i'll have many more in the future)...

i ♥♥♥ this company!

of course, part of this is due to the fact that they are the FIRST makeup company i've ordered from (it was only wal-mart stores and such before..) and i've ALWAYS had great experiences from them. like, nothing BUT great. the shipping is FAAAASSST and the customer service is awesome. and the product.....oooooh the product. no kidding - every. single. shade of their eyeshadow. is. awesome. even if the color doesn't compliment my eyes or isn't really my style, it's STILL fantastic. whenever i have some that i don't dig as much as the rest, i give them to friends that love it.

BFTE is doing "365 days of BFTE" contest/giveaway where they pick one look from their facebook fan page (every day, obviously) and the winner is posted on http://www.welovebftecosmetics.blogspot.com/ . the winner also recieves a FREE jar of makeup with their next order! sweeeet!

so, i've had a little fun doing some looks...and had some fun editing (only cropping/borders/backgrounds/fonts/etc). so here they are!!!

*fingers crossed that i'll win one day...at least one day this year!*

thanks for looking!!
:]