Apologies and Make-Up Bag Essentials

Okay so first off I need to apologize. I normally do a Monday Morning Review post, but with the new job it's just not going to happen until later in the day. More like a Monday Afternoon Review ;-)

I have blogged about my fave products, and go-to products and products I love, love, love. But today I wanted to talk about a few products that are what I would call my "essential" items. Maybe my "first-aid kit" of make-up bag items, if you like.

I love reading magazine spreads about celebrities and their make-up must-haves, or the "What's in You Bag?" articles (side note: I have a You Tube Channel with a What's in Your Bag video. Side, side note: it's not that great but check it out anyway, it was the first video I have ever made.)

So to start, let's get a bag:

mark.'s new midi glam cosmetic bag (I love the color!) is a great basic size. It will fit easily in a tote, backpack, or purse. It also looks good by itself, carried as a clutch. It's a mid size bag so, not huge but bigger than the little bag for lip stuff only. It's plastic on the inside so if you have a spill it's easy to clean up.

Essential Item #1:

Cheat Sheets are oil blotting tissues that you can use throughout the day to get rid of excess oil and shine. This also helps to avoid powder overload (which looks stupid and wastes product). I actually have a pack of these in all 3 bags I use each week and it's usually the first thing to go in my make-up bag.

Essential Item #2

Make it Go Away wipes are awesome. Period. They can be used to wash your face at night in place of your cleanser. They remove eye make-up, I know people who have used them as baby wipes. I have used them when leaving the hair salon to get stray hair-dye spots off of my face. These are just a great essential item to have along because you never know when you might need them. In a pinch I also use these to clean my make-up brushes.

Essential Item #3:

Speaking of brushes...these are brand new for the holiday season (our regular ones have a brown case). These brushes are amazing. You would think that because they are small that they won't be as good, wrong! Each brush does exactly what it is supposed to do, and works just a well as a full size brush and in some cases better (concealer brush for example or the powder brush).

Essential Item #4:

Alright let me start off with addressing the obvious, these are not the best pair of tweezers out there. They aren't super sharp or pointy and they are small. BUT they can still pluck a random eyebrow hair, remove a sliver and I have been told that hairdressers can use them to remove hair splinters (which I didn't know you could get and I apologize if anyone has gotten one from me). And this product is a hook-up, so it can literally hook-up to another mark lip gloss, mascara, concealer, you name it. There are over 7500 hook-up combinations!

Essential Item #5:

mark. hook-up eye gel is perfect for taming unruly brows. I use this product everyday on my brows and it really keeps them in place and looking great! I hook it up to the tweezers above and carry it everywhere.

Essential Item #6:

All right, let's face it. We all have imperfections, I mean who doesn't have dark circles, the occasional zit or other spots they want to cover up?? This concealer is long lasting and it really covers. Anything you want to hide is easily hidden with the use of this little wonder. It is also a hook-up so you can add it to any other mark hook up product and simplify things!

BTW all hook-up products are full size, they just scale down the packaging to make it more portable.


So these are my staple/essential/required make-up items for my bag. Do you have any items you just can't leave home without??

All items listed above are available on my website at www.mymarkstore.com/mtrost

Love mark. products? Want to earn free product? Host a party, and believe me this ain't yo mama's make-up party, mark. parties are super fun, and chill, no pressure ;-) Want to earn a lifetime discount on all mark. products you use and love? Become a rep today! All it costs is $20 to start up and you get a 30% or more on all mark products plus a free eboutique to sell to your customers. Interested? Sign up on my website and enter referral code 9690254 and I will send you a free gift for signing up!!!

The Monday Morning Review: Oh Wait, It's Tuesday...

Hey there fellow beauty addicts! If you are a regular follower of this blog you are probably wondering where I have been the last week, right?

Well school has started and things are crazy as usual, especially since this is my last semester, but more exciting than that is: I. GOT. A. JOB.  Yes that's right and brand spanking new job! It's been just about a week, and I LOVE it!! Seriously, everyone is super nice, and I love that it's downtown St. Paul! It makes me feel like I'm in NYC or something, haha! And to add tot he NYC feel, I'm in the Empire Building.

Along with the new job comes work clothes, shoes and work make-up! Since I have to get up so very (ridiculously) early I have a few fave products that are my "go-to" products for early morning prep. I thought I would share those with you today :-)

Conceal for Real. I've blogged about this before, and I am serious when I tell you I love it and you need it. This concealer is long lasting and covers everything from skin discoloration and redness to dark circles! And because it's a hook-up it's super portable and can stash easily in your work tote.

Mattenificent Powder. Absorbs oil, and helps my face look fresh and not oily all day long! Love this product.

Mosaic Blush in Hush Baby. I love this blush! I am always reaching for it every morning. It gives my face such a nice glow of color and it's not overly shimmery (I don't work as a dancer I can skip the glitter on my face, heeh). Having several different shades to blend together really helps make my face look awake and fresh.

Lash All You Want is an amazing mascara! If I don't have time for eye make-up I make sure to use this because it lengthens and volumizes and gives me that drama that I crave for my lashes. It comes in 4 shades too, so you can mix it up a little!

Usually if I have time I will put on some gloss, but if all else fails I just wear chapstick and hit the road!

All of the above products are from mark. and are available at www.mymarkstore.com/mtrost

Do you have any "go-to" makeup items for work or school??

The Monday Morning Review: E.L.F. Cosmetics

Good Monday Morning Fellow Beauty Addicts!!


Today I am going to review one of my new fave cosmetic lines, E.L.F. (eyes, lips, face) Cosmetics. I have used some of their products for the last couple years, and I have a few favorites to share today!


E.L.F. Cosmetics is sold at Target, Wal-mart and you can order direct on their website at www.eyeslipsface.com 


I will highlight my top 5 fave products below:


1. Eyelash Curler!!! 

This eyelash curler is $1, yup that's right $1. It really curls my lashes and is so easy to hold on to, personally I feel it works as good as the $20 Shu Umera one I have from Sephora. P.S. Did I mention it's $1!!!!


2. Fan Brush 

I do not understand why most brush sets do not come with this brush, it is a must have for anyone who wears eye shadow. When you put your eye shadow on, do you ever notice the little powder specs (a.k.a fall out) that land on your cheeks?? Have you tried to wipe them off only to have them smear across your face??? Well, then you need a fan brush. This brush can be used to wisk away the fall out from your eye make-up and it won't smear it across your face giving you a weird tribal look that more than likely you weren't going for. This brush is only $3.


3. Eyebrow/Lash Comb 

Another $1 wonder! I go through these brushes like nobody's business and I got tired of paying a boat load of money for them. This brush works just as good as some of the pricier options and it's $1, seriously I love it!!


4. Contouring Blush and Bronzer Compact 

This little compact has the look of a NARS compact but this one is only $3!!! I love both colors in this duo, I am super duper pale (think Bella Cullen, and then go paler and there's me), and I can wear both easily. The bronzer is great all over or to use as a contour, and the blush reminds me a lot of NARS's Orgasm blush. 


5. Lip Gloss and Lip Products

E.L.F. Glossy Gloss is awesome! It's $3 and for the price and color selection it's an affordable addiction ;-) It's not sticky, the colors are sheer and gorgeous and they aren't glittery, which makes them work appropriate! 


I only chose to focus on 5 products for the blog today, but I have many other faves! This brand has great quality for the price and the make-up looks just as good as my other brands when I put it on. If you haven't checked this brand out I highly recommend trying it. They have a full line of cosmetics including false lashes! Best selection is online at www.eyeslipsface.com


Happy shopping! 

Top 10 Fall Favorites

Fall is my FAVORITE season by far!! I love pumpkins and the smell of apple cinnamon, sitting outside at a football game, picking pumpkins from a pumpkin patch, halloween, and all the delicious foods that come with fall! Yum.

So today I wanted to share some of my favorite mark. products for the Fall. These items are great ways to amp up your wardrobe without breaking the bank! These are in no particular order:

1. The statement necklace:

Statement necklaces have been huge for the last few seasons, but for fall it's really a must-have. This necklace, mark's Scene Stealer Necklace, is amazing.  It's so gorgeous and luxe looking no one will believe it's mark! I love to wear it with a white t-shirt and jeans, it also looks great with an LBD for dinner, or with a nice blouse and dress pants for work. Very versatile. Also, the pic above shows the chain twisted, you can untwist for a totally different look, and you can untwist and take the long string of black beads and put that over your head doubling the length of the necklace for yet another look.

2. Boots:

Every girl needs boots. Yes, you NEED them! I just wore these out for the first time this past weekend, and I  am in love! I wore mine with a sweater and skinny jeans and I rolled the tops of these boots down under my knee. I was a little worried I would look like a pirate but I think it turned out super hot! These boots have a platform in them so they aren't as high, and I would recommend using the Dr. Scholl's Just for Her inserts to make sure the balls of your feel stay nice and comfy.

3. New Make-up!

I am loving the new imark metallics! They come in six new high-pigmented shades, and they are very blendable and wearable. Each season it's fun to update your look with 1 or 2 new products (think for summer a bright pink lipgloss, usually you dye your hair lighter too, and for Fall and Winter everyone goes darker). My picks for fall, if you don't get them all hehe, would be Jazzy(purple), Lava(black), and Moonshine(silver); worn together these 3 shades make a super hot smoky eye, and individually these are fab for fall!

4. Retro Flirt:

I adore this dress! I have another blog post where I go on and on about this dress, but really folks it's awesome! Doesn't it just remind you of something that Kate Beckinsale would have worn in Pearl Harbor??? It's so feminine, and I just love the colors for fall. You can wear this to work, or out for fun, when winter hits add tights and booties and you can wear it even longer! Love it!

5. A new purse:

Alright, those of you who know me, know that I would tell you to get a new purse because it's Tuesday. Purses are my addiction, seriously I can't get enough. BUT for fall structured bags are in big time, as are animal prints specifically leopard and snakeskin. This little bag is amazing. I used it at a wedding we went to earlier this summer and I was amazed how much I could get in there. There is a zippered pocket in the back, and two slip pockets for cell phones, sunglasses, lipstick, etc. On the front outside there is a little pocket under the buckle. It zips shut and you will love how expensive this looks! It's such a fun bag, and right on trend for fall.

6. Leafy Things:

mark's new Lingering Leaf Ring is a MUST HAVE for Fall or any season! This ring is so beautiful, it's another one I've posted about, so you know I love it! If you put it on so the leaf winds up your finger, it will probably hit somewhere around the middle of you finger at your knuckle (depending on your hands). It doesn't get in the way and every time I wear it I get compliments.

7. A wear to work and play blazer:

mark's Totally Suitable Blazer is a must have for all working gals! It doesn't matter where you work, just get it ;-) This blazer runs a little small so I would order one size up. It looks amazing with dress clothes, but it's also super cute with a dress, or jeans and a cute top. Plus it doesn't feel like your typical work blazer, it feels like a comfy sweatshirt, but has all the professionalism of a blazer. I love the pinstripes on the lining so when you roll up the sleeves you can see them!

8. A Delicious Scent:

mark. Jewel is mark's #1 selling fragrance, and for good reason! Have you smelled this?? "Cast a spell of irresistible sensuality with this decadent blend of Casablanca lily, macchiato flower, warm enticing vanilla and luxurious liquid caramel. Mysterious, intoxicating and mesmerizing – turn heads when you make an entrance; leave a lasting impression long after you’re gone." I get so many compliments whenever I wear this! It just smells good, it's like one of those scents when you smell it you just want to nuzzle your nose into it and smell some more! I have samples if you're interested!


9. Bling:

And I mean serious bling. The Glammed Up Ring from mark. is another jewelry item I can't get enough of! I just love the look of it, and people will definitely notice it when you wear it out. It's just so cool. I really don't know what else to say, except for you need it, now.


10.  Nail Polish:

New season means new colors, and these two mini polishes from mark couldn't be more on trend. Gray is once again a top color for fall and dark jewel tones like purple are also big trends. mark. gives you this set of two on trend colors that you can wear together or separately. I really like to wear all purple with gray only on my ring fingers of each hand. You could also do a fun french manicure using the purple as the tips and gray as the base or vice versa. Love these colors! Usually when mark. does these sets I only like 1 of the colors but this set I actually like both. 


So there's my Top 10 for Fall. What trends are you excited about for fall?? Anything you're dying to wear???


To shop these trends go to www.mymarkstore.com/mtrost 


How would you like to earn free mark. products?? Email me now to learn about hosting your own mark show! This ain't your mama's make-up party, us mark girls like to party it up and have a good time while showing off the latest in fashion in beauty!! Or how would you like to earn a discount on all of these items here and have instant access to the newest trends from mark??? Sign up to be a rep, it's only $20, no inventory, no deadlines or minimum orders, and zero pressure.  To sign up go to my website, www.mymarkstore.com/mtrost and enter code 9690254. 

The Monday Morning Review: Tuesday Edition

Hello Fellow Beauty Addicts!! I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day Weekend :-)

In honor of back to school I am going to give you a book report this morning. But not any old regular lame book report, it's a BEAUTY BOOK REPORT!!!!

There are a couple of beauty books out there that I love and have used for a long time now that I wanted to share with you all.

The first one is Cindy Crawford's Basic Face:

This book is awesome. I got it from my mom when I was in high school (mid nineties) and it was a life saver. I was really into wearing make-up and my mom really didn't wear much so I had noooooo idea what I was doing and would just put stuff on to try and make it look like the pages of Seventeen magazine and inevitably it never did...

Cindy Crawford's Basic Face is a great way to get started with make-up or to re-connect with it. Cindy walks you through how to apply make-up from concealer to mascara, and she even goes through the different formulas (cream vs. powder). She gives you a couple of how to guides and tells you that make-up should never take more than 5 minutes and that it should enhance your natural face not disguise it. She talks about skin care, and the use of sunscreen (love!). Also she even tells you what tools you should have in your beauty bag.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves make-up and if you have a daughter who is just starting out this would be a great tool for her to have.

Another bonus, when I got this book way back in 1996 I noticed that Cindy co-wrote the book with some chick named Sonia Kashuk.......now I buy Sonia's make-up at Target :-) Ahhh, it's the little things.....

The next book is Sonia Kashuk's Real Beauty:

I just bought this book recently, and it's really great! Sonia walks you through how to apply every step from concealer and face make-up through eye make-up. She has models and actresses throughout the book with varying degrees of make-up on their faces and she tells you exactly what all each one of the models has on. She also talks about different formulas of make-up products and which skin type they would be good for.

I love the great photos of the all the ladies in this book, and I love even more the fact that they are all different ages and skin tones.

Another great bonus with this book is it comes with a DVD where you can watch Sonia in action and have her walk you through how to apply make-up.

Again this is something I would recommend for anyone who loves make-up, whether you've been doing this a long time or are just starting out. Also, for your daughter or niece or cousin who is just learning. Both of these books are great to have as references.

Okay friends, there you have it! Watch for tomorrow's blog: Fall Favorites!!!

Fashion Friday: Sneaky Peak at Next Week's Goodies!!!

Happy Friday!!!

What could be a better treat on this rainy wet Friday than a glimpse into your stylish future???

Before everyone heads out for the long weekend, I wanted to share with you what's coming out next week from mark. Of course as a Rep I've had access to all this hottness for a month already.....just sayin......hehe ;-)

So are you ready???????????


Here we go!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! It's the Lingering Leaf Ring from mark. OMG I love this ring so much!! I am a huge fan of leaf jewelry and I am so excited that mark. is getting on this trend wagon! I have worn this ring almost everyday for the last month and people are always shocked when I tell them it's mark. It goes up to curve around the knuckle of my right middle finger, and I haven't found it to be in the way when I type, write or get dressed. Super cute and this is something you could wear for a long time!

Next:

Besides a set of diamond studs, what's more classic than hoops??? These hoops come in gold and silver, and oh hey you get BOTH PAIRS!!!! YES! No choosing between metals, you just get both! Yup, you're welcome. Normally I am a silver gal, but I have been wearing the gold ones non stop! They are a good wear-to-work and play size, and the funky edges give these classic hoops a fun new twist. If you don't already have some hoop earrings in your jewelry wardrobe I highly recommend these ones! They are so versatile!

Moving along:

The Sheer Genius Dress. Love. OMG LOVE. This dress can be worn to work, drinks with clients, drinks with the girls, church, a wedding, the list goes on. It's so vintage-y, very 1940's glam. I love the navy and the yellow/gold/orange flowers together. For winter you could add tights and booties and have a whole new look!   This dress runs a little tight so I would order up a size. Just in case. I have it in a medium and it fits like a glove!

There's more:

mark. has re-done their make-up bags for fall! And they are ahhhhhhh-mazing!!! Soft on the outside with plastic lining on the inside for easy clean up. Naturally I have all 3, haha, and my absolute fave is the small snakeskin one. It's soooooo cute and perfect for you purse, backpack or tote. You can fit a lot of stuff in there and it's just so cute you want to pull it out all the time and show it off! The gold one is gorgeous and is the biggest and can hold hair products, skin care, make-up, nail polishes, whatever your little heart desires. The purple one is gorgeous too and the purple is so deep, perfect for fall! In a pinch this could double as a clutch for going out!

And even more:

mark.'s Super Flip Fall 2011. I did a blog post about this product a week or so ago, so I won't go into too much detail. BUT get this. It's going to be $10 with any $20 purchase, which brings your total to $30 and that means FREE SHIPPING. I have used this several times now and I really like it! Super fun for fall and really whenever. There are 9 shadows on one side and a facial highlighter on the other side. The shadows are sheer with build able color, and the highlighter works great. I love that the outside of this cover is pink!

And more:

Super cute right! Top is the Haute Cloche (the hat) and bottom is the Warm Wishes Scarf. Okay these are too cute to pass up! The hat has a very old school vibe to it, very 1920's and 1930's and looks adorable on pretty much everyone. The scarf is soooo cozy and warm you will wish for cold days so you can wear it. And best of all it has a little button clasp so that it stays on you and doesn't fall off, genius I tell you, genius!

And finally:

mark.'s Power of Change Necklace. This necklace is part of the m.powerment line at mark. Direct from the site: "m.powerment by mark. is a philanthropic initiative committed to breaking the cycle of dating and partner violence. Women ages 16-24 experience the highest rates of partner violence and mark. wants to change that statistic."  Also, 100% of the proceeds go directly to this cause. We, as mark. reps, were given this necklace at the NYC sales meeting in NYC this past May. I'm being serious when I say this is something that I support with all my heart, and if you buy nothing else, please make this necklace your purchase. You get two necklaces that can be worn together or you can keep one and give one to a friend. It's absolutely beautiful and you will feel good wearing it.

Okay guys and gals! There it is :) What are your faves??