Category Archives: artist

How To Spot Fake MAC Cosmetics On eBay

My new video shows you what to look for when shopping for MAC Cosmetics on eBay. There are thousands of counterfeit M.A.C. Cosmetics in the world, and the internet makes it that much easier to dupe people into thinking it’s the real thing. In my video, I cover brushes, eye shadow palettes, and the Hello Kitty collection. I’ve learned from my mistakes, and I now know that there’s no better deal than buying MAC from real MAC counters, real MAC stores and the MAC website. They are extremely reasonably priced, and the US sells it for less than any other country in the world. This tutorial is meant for those of you who seek out those discontinued or limited edition products that are no longer available. A tip for brushes: JUST DON’T DO IT. The video explains why…

Integrity. Love. Unity. – Why I Am a Kerli Fan

Deep in the woods of Estonia, a little Moonchild was born. Her free spirit, big heart and artistic soul could hardly confine this whimsical creature to such a tiny place in the world. Keeping her integrity, her passion for self expression made her into the surreal beauty known as Kerli.
Jay (hair guy for Pomps n’ Gloss) was who first told me about Kerli. Knowing my love for gothic-lolita style he said
 “You have to check her out on myspace. You would just DIE!!!”
And I did. I swear I couldn’t stop squealing. Then something magical happened. I pressed PLAY on the music box thingy, and it was all over. Not only was she the closest thing to my perfect doll, but her music was awesome too! I was hooked- a Kerli fan for life.
As I did a little more Kerli Googling, I found that I was drawn to her makeup (which she does herself). It was so clean, yet fantasy like. Everything she wore (which she mostly makes) and sung (which she writes all of) was an inspiration to me.

Now for the icing on the cake…
Kerli started the movement of The Moonchildren. A Moonchild is “one who belongs to a community of integrity, love and unity.” She is very spiritual and grounded. She is crafty and resourceful. She is original and generous.
If you know nothing about this amazing artist, you can learn more about her on her Moonchild Academy website where my makeup tutorial was featured. She offers free downloads of her music and you can see all her videos (all the concepts are hers) on youtube. She makes music videos, craft tutorials and video logs.
I hope you all fall in love with her like I did. She really is amazing. There is something for everyone to like about Kerli.


Kerli Inspired Gothic Lolita Makeup Tutorial from Marissa Rhoades on Vimeo.

Marissa’s Pick of the Week – Lip Stain!

On my venture to buy makeup for my Drug Store Beauty Queen Tutorial, I found a precious gem. Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstain in Cherry Pop (Target.com, $6.49). I’ve tried department store stains like Benefit’s Bene-Tint ($28), but I like this one better for 2 reasons; convenience and price point. To me it looks just like the product that costs $21 more, except instead of having a messy loose liquid, it’s all contained in a little pen. The coverage is buildable, so you can keep coloring until your lips are as dark as you want it. It stays on all day. I’ve even slept with it on and my lips were still red the next morning. Color Sensational Lipstains are perfect for someone who doesn’t like to reapply lipstick or gloss though out the day and wants a natural looking lip. I like to wear it with a moisturizing lip balm on top. Even Chapstick would work. Love it!
Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstain Demo:

Marissa’s Pick of the Week – The Perfect Red!

So, a few days ago I made the mistake of walking by a Sephora. I swear that store pulls me in like a magnet. I left with a list a mile high of everything I wanted, but what stuck out to me the most was Make Up For Ever’s new Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick called “Moulin Rouge.” ($19)
I remember the whole magical experience exactly how it happened. I walked into Sephora and headed straight for the Make Up For Ever counter (naturally). I was excited to see that they finally came out with some new stuff. As my eyes wandered up to the new lipsticks, the perfectly shaded red was the first I snatched. I swiped it on the back of my hand, then gushed over that little stick of color as if I just gave birth to it. Not too orange. Not too pink. Just red.
I know everyone has a different perfect red, but I am positive “Moulin Rouge” will be red red red on most of you who try it. So if you “can-can-can,” stop by a Sephora store to try it or buy it.