Update: Where Have I Been?

Hey everyone! So first off, Happy New Year! I am so excited to start the year off with a blog post. Now, as you may have noticed, this is an update post. I cannot believe it was October when I last posted! I truly apologize. My schedule just became very busy, and then the holidays showed up, and I have been nonstop busy ever since! I hope you have had a much more relaxing holiday season :)

So, since I last blogged, a lot has happened! I got a job promotion and have discovered that I will be studying abroad very shortly :) I will post more about my studies later, but believe me - I will blog no matter where in the world I am! Just as an update on my personal life, I am still dating Bentley, and he is honestly the sweetest guy I've ever met! For the holidays, I spent time with my family, as well as his family. It was great getting to know his family more, and look what he bought me for Christmas! It's a Betsey Johnson ring, and the bow is perfect for the holiday season!

As for upcoming makeup tutorials, I have gotten SO many requests and I am definitely working to get those completed shortly! Please send me any requests you may have to my email or simply comment below! Also, I have just caught up on all of my emails, so I apologize to those of you who were waiting on my response! While on the topic of emails, I want to give a HUGE shout out to Rebecca, one of my readers, who sent me a very long email wishing me all the best over the holidays! It really meant so much to me, so thank you Rebecca!!

Anyway, I hope everyone continues to have a wonderful year! Now that it is 2012, make every moment count!

~Serena
MakeupBySerena@aol.com

Tutorial: Nina Dobrev Emmy-Inspired Makeup Look

Hey everyone! Today’s tutorial is how to achieve Nina Dobrev’s makeup look from the Emmy’s! I primarily used the Urban Decay Naked Palette for this tutorial! Hope you enjoy and comment below if you have any questions J

To get Nina’s look:

-Apply UD Primer Potion all over your lid (including your lower lash line)

-Apply UD Hustle on base of your eye to just above your crease

-Apply UD Gunmetal lightly to base, and then focus it in your crease

-Apply UD Creep heavily to your lash line, smudge a bit toward your crease (gives it the effortless look), and focus it in the outer corner of your eye (gives it the dramatic look)

-Apply a black pencil liner to your bottom lash line (I recommend M.A.C. Eye Kohl in Smolder)

-Apply false lashes to your top lash line (I recommend M.A.C. 4 Lash false lashes)

-Apply a black liquid liner to your top lash line over your false lashes (I recommend M.A.C. Liquidlast Liner. **Tip: applying a liner over false lashes helps to make them look natural and blend in with your look!)

-Apply UD Creep on bottom lash line (gives it the dramatic look)

-Finish with a black mascara over false lashes and lower lashes (I recommend LashBlast Volume Blasting Mascara from Covergirl in Very Black)

And viola! That is the complete Nina Dobrev Emmy look :) I hope you have a wonderful week and if you try this look out, be sure to leave a link to a picture of your recreated look below! xoxo!!

~Serena
MakeupBySerena@aol.com

Update: Where Have I Been?

Hey everyone! Good and bad news, but first- I'M SORRY!!!!!!! I feel so bad for not posting a lot lately!

So for the bad news: I had an intense episode of vertigo (I've thankfully gotten over it), but my work load has skyrocketed! I am limited to how much I can post on my blog :( I had a makeup tutorial filmed to put on youtube and then my laptop crashed for the THIRD time! Such a stressful week!

For the good news: I got a promotion at work!! Woohoo haha but for the really good news- I have created some makeup tutorials and I'm going to be posting them all VERY, VERY soon :) They are fall-inspired looks, but if you want to see some other tutorials, just request them!

I hope you guys had a fabulous week and here's a little sneek peek of my upcoming tutorials:

~Serena

MakeupBySerena@aol.com 

Intervention Update + VEGAS!

Hey everyone! So quick update for you guys and some fun news to share :)

First- shopping intervention update! Have I bought anything? NO! I have been totally dedicated to not buying anything! It's been hard these first 2 days, but I'm getting through this (I think Hadley is having more trouble than I am lol :P). I hope you all are staying strong and not giving in to those sales people!!

Next- VEGAS! My friend called me last night and said she wanted to go to Vegas, so I thought she was planning a trip for like next week or something. Yeah, I was wrong about that. She decided to do a Vegas road trip and we're leaving soon... as in we're leaving today. Kind of crazy to plan something the night before, but I can't wait! She is bringing her boyfriend and I'm bringing Bentley, plus one other couple is meeting us in Vegas. It's actually funny the way things worked out because Bentley is great friends with her boyfriend and I'm great friends with her...so why not join together for a Vegas road trip? I'll be back late Sunday night or early Monday morning, so I won't be able to post all weekend. And no, don't worry, I won't be drinking (I'm only 20, 1 more year)! Bentley just turned 21 and so did my friend's boyfriend, but both of us girls are still 20. Should be interesting...

Anyway, I hope you have a fabulous weekend and leave any requests down below!

~Serena
MakeupBySerena@aol.com

Join me for a Shopping Intervention!

Hey everyone! I have to do this post really quickly, but I wanted to let you know why you might not see a lot of hauls coming up.

So basically, Hadley convinced me to go on this thing called a shopping ban. You've probably heard of it and yes, it is as bad as it sounds! It means that we can't buy anything related to makeup or fashion for... wait for it... 2 weeks! We're trying to really commit to this because over the past few months, our hauls and shopping habits have been insane! It's a legit shopping intervention (that is very needed).

I thought it would be fun to share this with you guys and I want every single one of you to join me! It's a lot easier to commit to something when you have people supporting you all around :) To join me in my Shopping Intervention, do not buy anything fashion or makeup related for 2 weeks. Skincare products (such as face wash, face lotion, etc.) are excluded from the ban because without any lotion, my face would actually hurt. So if you run out of your face wash or something like that, don't freak out - those are completely excluded from the ban!

This may be easier for some of you than you expected, but it may also be a lot tougher! I'm so excited to see how all of us do! Please pass this around on your blogs, facebook pages, twitters, youtube, etc! I want EVERYONE to join :) Post your updates below in the comments section or share them with me via twitter, facebook, youtube, or email!

I hope you'll join Hadley and me for a Shopping Intervention! To find out all of the details about this intervention, click on the shopping intervention page at the top of my blog! It will explain everything you need to get started and I'll be posting any updates I have right on the page!

Have a wonderful week everyone and get started on the intervention TODAY!

~Serena
MakeupBySerena@aol.com

Sorority Sisters Launch!

Hey everyone! I have amazing news to share with you guys! Many of you who follow me on twitter, facebook, etc... know that I've been saying I have a special announcement that would come this week. Well, here it is! Recently, Taylor from youtube (CollegeGlamoration) posted a video talking about an upcoming idea she had to create a virtual sorority. She asked for anyone who wanted to blog or do videos for the Sorority Sisters group, so of course, I knew I had to!

So let me slow down and explain what Sorority Sisters is. It's a virtual sorority that is basically a group of 40 bloggers and vloggers dedicated to giving college advice, tips, and general college information. When I applied to Sorority Sisters, I had to answer basic questions and decide if I wanted to blog, vlog, or do both. I decided to just help with the blogging part of Sorority Sisters! Since I'm not involved with the youtubers, I can't really say what their schedule for posting is exactly, so I'll just be explaining the blog part of it to you guys!

I am a weekly blogger, but some girls are only posting monthly. I will always be posting on Mondays (which means when Monday comes, you should check out my post :D)! The things I write about are mainly fashion, makeup, beauty, and then little random things- like designing your dorm. Other girls are focused on totally different topics- finances, safety, etc. So it really is a complete guide to college, but also a type of advice column!

The girls in Sorority Sisters are either juniors/seniors in high school or in college. They are a great group of girls and let me tell you, I've read some of their posts that aren't published yet, and you will definitely want to read them!

If you want to know more about the girls I'm working with, just visit the Meet the Sisters page:
http://sororitysistersblog.blogspot.com/p/meet-sisters.html

Here is the Sorority Sisters blog where we will post daily:
http://sororitysistersblog.blogspot.com/

Here is the Sorority Sisters youtube where videos will be posted daily:
http://www.youtube.com/user/SororitySisters

Here is the Sorority Sisters facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sorority-Sisters/225720164133407?ref=ts&sk=wall

With this blog, I have created a second twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/SororitySisSB

I have also created a second email:
SororitySisSerena@aol.com

I hope everyone enjoys the blog and youtube! Let me know what you think too! The first blog post will be posted Monday, so that is the official launch of Sorority Sisters! My post is going to be about the top 10 items of clothing you should bring to college! I started off with a fashion post and will most likely do a makeup post next week! If you have any requests for me to post on the Sorority Sisters blog, feel free to request away! Hope you like our blog and youtube!!

-Serena
MakeupBySerena@aol.com

Formspring!

Hey everyone! I just want to start by saying thank you for following me here! When I started this blog, I had no idea if anyone would support me, but every single one of you has made this expierence all worth it :)

Anyway, you may have noticed a little update on the right column. I have added my facebook, twitter, youtube, and formspring (yes formspring, I'll explain in a second), so that you can easily follow me AND so I don't have to post all that information at the end of every single post :)

Okay so now to the formspring news! I decided to create a formspring page because if you follow me on facebook or twitter, you know I was going to do a questions tag. Well, I decided that instead of sitting down and typing out answers to all these questions I was sent, I could have an ongoing place to answer things and VOILA...I created a formspring! I hope you all ask me anything you've wanted to know :) It doesn't have to be about me either- it can be about makeup, fashion, beauty, life, food, basically anything you can think of!

So anyway, here's my formspring!
http://www.formspring.com/SerenaBosworth

Enjoy! Oh and before I go, I have gotten a lot of requests for not only my new youtube channel (which you can find in the right side column, as well), but also to do lots of blog posts. So basically, I'm gonna be a little busy trying to get everything finished, but I will work as fast as I can to answer all your requests!
Thanks for supporting me :)

~Serena
MakeupBySerena@aol.com

Update: Huge Give Away!

Hey everyone! If you follow me on twitter or on facebook, you already know the news I'm about to share. So, I got a call last night from my boss telling me about this meeting that is happening in North Carolina. After telling me a lot about it, he asked me to also attend. The only bad part about this is that the day I was supposed to pick a winner is July 10th. On July 10th, I'll be on a plane (a long plane ride may I add, from North Carolina to Los Angeles...). Anyway, it would be very difficult for me to chose a winner not being on land, so I have decided to move the day I chose a winner to a later date. Instead of July 10th, I WILL CHOSE A GIVE AWAY WINNER ON JULY 15TH. It's only 5 days, so I hope everyone can just wait a little bit longer!

I seriously appreciate each and every one of you! I wish I could give every single one of you all of the makeup!

UPDATE FOR ENTERING: So I have decided to do a little referral thing. For every person you refer to this blog, you get entered an extra time. You must have them say somewhere- either via twitter, facebook, email, or here on the blog- that you referred them to my blog. If they say that, they will also be entered an extra time. It's a win-win situation! GET EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO ENTER BECAUSE IT WILL INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING! I hope everyone likes this addition! Let me know what you think!

If you have any requests for blog posts, please feel free to request them!

Email- MakeupBySerena@aol.com
Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/SerenaBosworth
Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/SerenaBosworth
Makeup By Serena on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/MakeupSerena

~Serena

HUGE GIVE AWAY!

Hey everyone! I announced my give away yesterday, but didn't announce the give away rules or items. So, here they are!

GIVE AWAY RULES:
--- You must be a subscriber of my blog. If you're not, just look to the right --> on the side bar and click Follow! Only followers are eligible to win.
--- You must have parental consent to participate in this give away if you are under age 18. (This is just so when I send you the package, your parents don't yell at you or me!)

HOW TO BE ENTERED MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE GIVE AWAY:
These options are for those of you who REALLY want to win. Do any of the following and you will be entered multiple times to win!
--- If you comment on my blog posts, you will be entered to win again! So, the more comments you post, the better chances you have of winning! (Example: Suzie and Bob are both followers of my blog and enter the give away. Suzie comments 5 times, so she is entered 6 times to win the give away- once for being a follower and five for commenting- while Bob is only entered once.)
--- If you follow me on twitter, you will be entered to win again! http://twitter.com/SerenaBosworth
--- If you like the facebook page "Makeup By Serena", you will be entered to win again!
--- If you send me an email at MakeupBySerena@aol.com and tell me why you should win, you could be entered up to an additional 5 times! (If your email is very convincing, you will be entered 5 more times. If it is not very convincing, you will only be entered 1 more time. Feel free to be as creative as you want! I will email you back saying how many additional times you have been entered!)

GIVE AWAY ITEMS:
--- MAC Surf, Baby! Cheek Powder (valued at $28)
--- Sigma Premium Travel Kit Hot in Pink (valued at $59)
--- Stila Lip and Cheek Stain in Coconut Crush (valued at $24)
--- Benefit Hoola Bronzer (valued at $28)
--- NARS Blush in Organism (valued at $27)
--- Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (valued at $18)
--- Urban Decay Naked Palette (valued at $48)
--- Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light (valued at $36)
--- Dior DiorShow 360 Mascara with Spinning Wand (valued at $36)
--- Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Toilette Spray (valued at $65)
--- Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink (valued at $21)
--- Yves Saint Laurent Volupte Sheer Candy Lipstick in Dewy Papaya (valued at $30)
TOTAL VALUE: $420



GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE! :) The give away will close on July 10, 2011 at 8:00PM PDT.

Email- MakeupBySerena@aol.com

Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/SerenaBosworth

Follow me on Facebook too! And like the "Makeup By Serena" Facebook page!

~Serena

March Favorite Beauty Gurus

So, kind of a twist on March Favorites. I was asked by one girl who reads my blog, Kelly (she asked me not to use her last name), to do my March Favorites: Beauty Gurus edition! I'm so excited to do this and hope that everyone else does this too! Just remember if you do this tag on your blog, to link back to my blog :)

1) Allthatglitters21 / Ellesglittergossip

--She is my favorite guru of all time- so sweet, and has so much knowledge on makeup! She also lives in Los Angeles, like me! Above is her Glitter Gossip: On the Go! video.

2) TmaraCo / Centered28

--I love these two because they're both Aussies...oh, and best friends! They have a cool take on the beauty guru scene, as they are still in school (like me), but know a ton about beauty! Above is their video on their new contest, be sure to participate in that!

3) Macbarbie07 / BethanysLife

--She's one of the more popular gurus, but she is still amazing! Her videos are inspirational, and she's gorgeous! Above is her must have spring jewelry pieces- love her style!

4) Leighannsays

--She is not a very well-known beauty guru, but she is so funny! She constantly does blooper/outtakes videos and they make my day so much better! She's from Texas and brings the attitude (a good one!) as well as the big hair with her! Above is one of her funniest outtakes videos, watch until the end!!

5) Shellx85x

--She's brand new onto the YouTube scene, but she is so sweet and her reviews are fabulous! Above is her MAC haul! It's a huge haul, btw!!

I have so many more favorite gurus, but I can't include them all or else this post would take forever to read! If you guys have other favorites (MissJenFABULOUS, ImperfectionsBeauty, etc), post them in the comments below!


Also, check out my favorite makeup brushes (I buy them from Amazon)... the very popular Sigma Makeup brushes! Here's a link to where I buy them from :) Enjoy and comment on anything below!!


~Serena