Paisley Lys's Makeup Etc.

Cosmic eye and why does my stomach hate food?

2010-09-04T10:50:00.009-04:00

Every year when I come back to school I face an adjustment period. Getting used to waking up early, getting used to going to class and doing a plethora of homework, adjusting to always playing nice with people. The biggest adjustment of all is the food. In the worst of ways.

Every time I come back from an extended break I tend to get an upset stomach that involves me drinking Pepto as if it's my new BFF and we have all the same classes. Unfortunately, I also take a variety of important medications and with all this stomach trouble, none of my meds are getting absorbed. I won't go into too much TMI territory but my migraines and some spotting would like to personally thank my disgusting school food for letting them come out to play. I guess the only solution is to eat there more to adjust quickly and eat as healthy in the cafeteria as I possibly can, but damn, that's hard to do. Oh well.

So while I'm dealing with that, I figured I'd post a look that I forgot to post earlier. I know I said I'd post my back to school look, but due to computer and stomach troubles, I just haven't edited the photos yet. No worries, this replacement is look is fun! I can't believe I didn't post it yet!

Products used:
L'Oreal HiP eyeshadow duo in Platinum
Lime Crime shadow in Duchess
Cover Girl rich, royal blue shadow from the Tropical Fusion quad.
Clinique Glow Crazy Powder highlighter in Platinum Glow for highlight
any silver eye liner pencil will do
Mascara
Bobbi Brown Kohl pencil in black
Wet 'n' Wild waterproof black liquid liner.

I call it a cosmic look because when I was looking for something to use, I though that the black in the HiP duo reminded me of a starry sky. That HiP duo is a pure joy to work with and I am seriously considering going and hauling some more. Plus, it's drugstore makeup so I certainly won't feel guilty while doing so!
I'm off to go shower the sad, sick feelings away and maybe get a bagel and a banana to keep my stomach happy and satisfied. Soon I'll have new photos of the Grouch Monster in his new digs, too! He's pretty happy to be here at school but I think he's a little bored in his smaller bowl. See, even goldfish have to adjust!

Until later,

Love 'n' bubbles

Back to school eye makeup!

2010-09-03T15:53:00.008-04:00

All right, so I lied. I did not update the other day or yesterday. However, I had readings to do. Which becomes substantially more difficult when you realize that you got completely the WRONG textbook from eBay. Seriously, the wrong book. Now I don't have the cash to shell out for the correct book. Hopefully a nice classmate will let me borrow hers. You know, joint custody over the textbook. I'll take it on weekends, take it for food, love it, treat it well. Thank goodness for nice people and not having quizzes on every reading. But seriously, the money required to pay for textbooks is ridiculous. Thankfully, I buy all mine used for a fraction of the price - unfortunately I may occasionally run into problems like this one. Ugh! I'm so frutrated, seriously. Thanks, every single seller on eBay who said this book was the same as the one I needed to buy. Yup, not just one, but at least 5 different sellers all said that this edition was the exact same as the one on my class list. Of course it wasn't. Just my luck!

After all this, I had some birthdays to celebrate! Finally, 4 months after turning 21, I went to a bar. Seriously! At home I am not allowed to partake in things other 21-year-olds like to get out of their system before entering the real world. So for my friend's 21st last night and my boyfriend's 22nd today, we hit a cozy bar for some beer and drinks. It was nice to get off campus!

So, needless to say, this update is happening now and not earlier.

This is the look that I wore on move-in day! Yes, I rock the pin-up and red lip look on move in day. I move into school in style, my friends. Please excuse the smudges around my lips. I remembered to take photos of my eyes before I left but only took the photos of my lips after the long day.
This red is an incredibly pigmented liquid lipstick by Chickaboom. What's on my lips here is basically the intense stain left over after a long day. It's the perfect cherry red to rock something sexy or pin-up-y.

This is a simple look. I believe it was just Daybreak all over with a matte brown either by Lancome (Mochaccino) or Clinique (Chocolate Chip).
The eyeliner is my usual Wet 'n' Wild in the black waterproof.
NYX white pencil on the water line.
MUFE Aqua eyes in 12L on my lower lash line for a little bit of fun.

Tomorrow (yes, tomorrow for real!) I'll post the neutral green look I wore on the first day of classes. I also have a fun silver and blue Cosmic looking eye to show off, but I'll post that another day.

Love 'n' bubbles!

Home, sweet home!

2010-09-01T13:22:00.004-04:00

I'm back at school! I have never been more excited... or more busy! Today is my day off so I've been uploading some photos to edit and put on here and on the MUG forums. However, I SHOULD BE doing the mountain of reading due, er, tomorrow. Instead, I'm going to post some pictures!

I have my current mani to show first. I'm still enjoying the novelty of CND Copper Shimmer. Now that I've purchased one, I have decided that I actually like these and wouldn't mind shelling out the bucks for another bottle. At least I can say I'm only spending $5.50 on this CND effect. There are other polishes that I covet and they cost TEN DOLLARS! $10 for nail polish? Yea, I'm looking at you, Orly Cosmix and any nail polish that I can only find online. Are these polishes worth it? I may never know!

So anywho! Here are my nails with CND Copper Shimmer over OPI Jade is the New Black. They look like money, honey! The top coat has actually transformed the green colored varnish into a bronzy, antique looking color.
As usual, click to make it bigger!

That's all for now. I absolutely have to go do some readings about theory and the ancient Greeks and business managers. Sounds fun, si? Non mi piacciono i compiti! I will post some more photos and give a little update tonight or tomorrow!

Love 'n' bubbles!

Mooooooooooom, are we there yet?

2010-08-26T17:57:00.008-04:00

Well, now that I'm packed I think I'd rather sleep the next 36 hours away than wait so anxiously to get back to school. Seriously! I have some crazy anxiety right now! I'm not nervous to get back to school - not at all. I can say loud and proud that I love being crazy busy at school. I'm just so anxious that I'm not there yet! Slowly but surely, people with on-campus jobs or certain travel arrangements are trickling onto campus and where am I?

Parked on my butt watching Paula Dean pour "some buttah y'all!" onto everything. Mmmm. Not that I wouldn't love to have her cook for me, but there's only so much Food Network I can watch in a summer!

This is my last year as an undergrad and the first time I haven't moved in early! I feel so behind, so antsy. My freshman year was the only year I had to deal with the crowds of move in, but that was still "early" compared to the upper classmen! My sophomore and junior years, I had roommates who moved in early for special programs or sports and I just sneaked my little behind right into my room. I lounged around for a week, decorating and enjoying SILENCE! Ahhh. This year? Not so. My little arthritic body has to battle the crowds and drag my endless luggage to my room sans silence.

Even Groucho is beyond ready to get back! He's just been sitting in his tank looking at me like "Uhm. Mom. Stop taking pictures of me and bring me back to school. Kthxxxxxx." Poor little guy doesn't even like his big tank anymore. I think it's too deep for him and makes his swim bladder all funny and bloated. "Mom. I can't swim down. Put me back in my 'back to school' bowl!!!!!" Almost there, fishy, almost!

My back-to-school manicure is not looking so back-to-school fresh but all my polishes and supplies are packed away so this will have to do. I did the manicure on Saturday night and took these pictures Wednesday. It's Essie Chinchilly with a coat of CND Copper Shimmer, which gave it an awesome copper/pink duo flash. Sadly, I dyed my hair this morning - another story on its own. For whatever reason the dye just didn't take! grr - and now the manicure is looking a little different and a little more purple-rosy than Chinchilly. Oh well! Also, please excuse the bubbles and lines in the manicure - I have ants in my pants! Every time I sit down to let my polish dry, I suddenly need to do twenty things and always manage to eff up my mani! Hehe.

The next time I update, it will be from my lovely new quad in a few days!

Love 'n' bubbles!

One eyed Purple People (eyeshadow) Eater

2010-08-24T20:47:00.007-04:00

Ok, more purple! My eye has recovered and this is what I've done to celebrate - irritate it with glitter. ;) (Side note: Though ew, forgive the goop in the corner of my eye that I didn't notice until I uploaded the photos. Clearly I'm not 100% yet)

This look started out in a completely different direction than what it looks like now. I started with the Physicians Formula POP! Hazel eyes palette which I purchased during a retail (drug store) therapy sesh a few months ago. I used the 4th color up from the bottom. In the picture of the Hazel Eyes palette, it looks totally bronzy, but it is actually a deep, rosy bronze. I started with that all in my crease and then pondered for forever where to go with it next.

Uhm.
Er.
Oh yea, how about some purple?

So let's take my fave, MAC Fashion Groupie, and blend it in to the bronzy babe. Then let's just add some sparkle! I used Bobbi Brown Metallic Shadow in Pink Pearl to add some glitz and blend it all together. Interestingly, in the natural light photos (such as the one immediately above), these look has a matte appearance. However, you can see in the flash photo at the top of this post that there is indeed some shimmer!

Oh and that super shiny eye liner? It's a metallic gem from Modern Basics that I picked up at IBS New York this year. It's called a Diamondline pencil in Jezebel. It's an awesome fuchsia/purple color. It apples so smoothly and actually feels a little cool to the touch. It is tough to take off though, because even though it feels soft and smooth, removal leaves behind lots of glitter. However, I love this pencil. Gorge, absolutely gorge!

Also I think this is one of my first looks using my new Wet 'n' Wild waterproof liquid liner. I have never used the waterproof version of this HG liner. Let me tell you, I wore this to the hot, sweaty beach for 4 days. Oh my goodness, it did not budge one millimeter. Sweat and water could not get this off of my face. I needed a bulldozer of a makeup remover (Hello Lancome BiFacil!) to get it off. My only gripe is the tough felt tip. I liked the brush on the regular version better. It held the product better and moved smoother. Though I will say, the firmer tip is excellent for tight corners and super precision lines. All in all, not so bad. And for the cheap price and awesome quality of the liner, I can't ask for anything more.

As usual, here's a super contrast edit because I love how it looks.

Anyway, it's time for me to watch some America's Got Talent and root on some of my faves, including Antonio and the fantabulous Prince Poppycock. Helloooooo? The makeup, his outfits, the shoes? Not to mention his voice! Gotta love him. Also, Future Funk? HOW ADORABLE! This show is so my guilty pleasure.

Love 'n' bubbles!

Does your best bubbly taste like...cinnamon?!

2010-08-22T16:11:00.005-04:00

Hey all! Yup, here I am... still not packing. Oopsie! Instead I'm putting up pictures of a lip color with super staying power!

I have Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Lip Color in Best Bubbly. When I picked this guy up, I wasn't too sure what to expect. It's a pretty color in the tube, but would it really last? Best Bubbly is a very glimmery, sort of golden-pink. It's a little dark for summer time splendor, but I will most certainly rock it in the fall, but not by itself. Why? Read on!

ColorStay Ultimate applies opaque in one very wet coat. The first thing I noticed was that it has a faint cinnamon scent, which was unexpected for a lip color in my book! However, the scent only lasts until the color dries. Then I noticed the drying sensation. As the color dries and locks onto your lips, it is indeed really, really dry. My lips are prone to being severely chapped and I felt as if my lips were going to crack if I didn't get moisture fast!

That's the bad news. The good news is that this color definitely stays on all day. I can rub my lips and it won't budge. After a few hours and some food, the color could use some reapplication in the center of my lips. The edges, however, were fully intact and still ready to party!

Some more good news? I found that applying a lip gloss before the products is totally dry still allows the color to seal in, but also prevents that awful dry feeling. I haven't tested it thoroughly, but I expect the color won't last quite as long this way. I've tried ColorStay paired with a clear gloss and even a sheer brown gloss by Becca, which turn the look into a deep, glossy, fall leaf, apple pie kind of color. This, my friends, I will rock. And I will rock it often. Next time I wear Best Bubbly with glosses, I'll snap some photos. Remember, any gloss can instantly transform a lipstick color to make it new and fresh!
Here are my lips pre-color. All I have on is a little lip balm. Yes, my lips are naturally that pigmented for a pale girl (though I admit I might have been a little tan when I took this photo)! When I was little people used to stop my mom and say "How could you let that little kid out with so much lipstick on?!" My poor mom. I wasn't wearing any lipstick!
Click to make larger!

One other note, you will need makeup remover to get this off! No amount of blotting or water will be able to remove this guy! And upon removal, you will see a lot of glitter particles left behind! Thankfully, if isn't gritty or obnoxiously glittery while on the lips.

Love 'n' bubbles!

This is totes gross but...

2010-08-22T15:16:00.004-04:00

I've been hit! With the eye sty. Yeah, straight up nast. I'm not a fan of the tender, swollen eyelid thing. So needless to say, I don't have any look for today so I'm going to post a look that I probably never would have posted otherwise. It's nothing special, I've done a similar color combination before, but this is still kind of pretty anyway. Plus the one photo I have of it is kind of neat!
Like I said, I never would have posted this otherwise, so it is a bit old! All I can tell by looking at the photo is that the liner is a Gel Liner from Bobbi Brown and the yellow is Lime Crime Circus Girl.

Aside from being confined to my glasses and wearing no eye makeup, I'm busy packing for the magical land of school! I make my return to college-land next week! I seriously need to pack LESS stuff. I know that this year I'm living in a smaller room, but I'm also finally living in a single room. No roommates! I am sharing a bathroom with three other gals, though, so I won't be as lonely as those living in a true single. And of course, my bathroom is going to be shiny, shiny clean as opposed to sharing with 30 other messy, bleeding, hair clotting ladies. Yuck.

Anywho, I have some product images so I'll post one or two of those before the fish and I get back to sorting through clothes and sheets. Seriously, I mean it. I need to bring less. But I just bought so many nice outfits and I have to find room for King Groucho's tank AND my coffee maker...and the espresso maker. Uhoh, I'm in trouble! Never fear though, I bought an over the door shoe organizer to hopefully free up for closet space. First pair into the organizer are these cutie li'l booties I purchased just the other day from Aldo! Gosh, I do love school shopping!

Love 'n' bubbles!

Purple and Silver!

2010-08-19T15:47:00.007-04:00

In case I've never mentioned it, or it's not totally obvious, my favorite color is purple. Purple edges out teal by just a bit - I love them both. But, purple is the king of colors for me. Lately, I've been wearing it on my eyes every single day. Today is no exception! I used the simple combination of three shadows. The purple is a Clarins blue/purple duochrome called 26- Violet Electric/Vibrant Violet. The duochome shows up nicely in some of the photos, but fails to dazzle in real life. I did discover that layering it over a black base really makes the blue of the duochrome come out to play! I'll have to try a look with that sometime.... Hmmm, the cogwheels are already turning!

On my brow bone I have a simple matte, vanilla kind of color. I believe it's called Positive by Lancome. It matches my skintone exactly, so I love to use it to blend colors up to my brow bone. You can even use your regular face powder to do that, but I just happen to love the smoothness of Positive.

The star of this show though is the bright silver foil color on my inner corner. This is the super smooth, ultra pigmented silver from the L'Oreal HIP duo Platinum. For a drug store buy, this has to be one of the smoothest, most pigmented colors I've ever used. It looks like a foiled pigment, but no! It comes out of the pan just like that! Everyone has commented on how cool this bling bling looks on the corner of my eyes.

Will there be more purple next time? Who knows! But let's be honest, probably!

Love 'n' Bubbles!

Brash and Bold and Sloppy All Over

2010-08-17T15:44:00.009-04:00

I was playing around and wanted to do a look with bold liner and MAC's Brash and Bold pigment. I don't usually use this pigment because I'm afraid that I'm too pale too pull the shade off. This fun look actually works well on my skin tone. Perhaps now that I've gotten tanner since taking this photo, I should try again and see how the pigmented pink looks on me now. I can't remember what other colors I used. Oops. However, a black liner, silver liner, white liner, cool purple shadow (it might be MAC Fashion Groupie) and super shimmery white loose powder or shadow should get you this look.

If I were to do this exact look again, I would change the shape of the liner on the outer corner. It's a bit too boxy and reminiscent of Groucho's fins for my personal taste. I also feel like it looks a little bit sloppy. Live and learn! I do, however really enjoy the elongated liner on the inside corner. I want to try a subtle version of that for everyday wear - it's very flattering on my eye shape.

Also, don't mind my eyebrows. They were being coo-coo crazy. I really need to invest in some brow gel.
I included this last photo for fun! I know it's super big (and bigger if you click the picture!), but I wanted to show off the crazy cool macro abilities of my camera. And then I edited it for a bold photo, to match the BOLD! color. Lookit how crazy my lashes look!

Love 'n' Bubbles!

Quick and dirty look and an Afghan

2010-06-07T15:32:00.005-04:00

Today I was going out into civilization to my old high school so I needed to do something to myself, seeing as I’ve just been sitting around like a bum with no makeup on for too many days.
I decided to stick to my trusty Clinique Daybreak and paired it with Peacock, which actually does come in a triple palette with Daybreak. However, I use Daybreak so often that I had to upgrade to a full sized Daybreak AND Peacock! This look was quick and easy, if not also a sloppy around the edges. Oops!

On another note, I’m using Clarins Totally Black again! Generally I only use it to set gel liners on my water line. This is because I don’t have much luck with Clarins eyeshadows. Though they swatch beautifully and have a nice texture, I find I have a hard time getting them to stick to my lid no matter which base I use (UPDD, cream shadows, NYX, etc). When I blend the shadows into another color, they practically disappear! I am getting some success out of Totally Black, though. It seems to blend nicely and it sticks around. One small victory!

I used two mascaras on my top lid for the heck of it. I just got L’Oreal Voluminous in a goody bag at The Beauty Show and I think I like it. I used Clinique High Def because it works wonders at lengthening and separating my lashes. I think the combo worked well. I have thick, long lashes in this look. Love it! I added the teal mascara to my lower lashes because I wanted a little pop of something special. It’s not overwhelming, but it’s definitely visible and tons of fun.

Products used: Clinique Daybreak shadow
Clinique Peacock shadow
Bobbi Brown Nude Shimmerwash shadow
Clarins Totally Black shadow
Anastasia Eye Lights Shimmer pencil in Lace Shimmer (a golden, creamy pencil)
Bobbi Brown gel liner in Gunmetal
L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara
Clinique High Definition Mascara
Clarins Wondermint Mascara (teal!)
Bobbi Brown eye pencil in Jet

On a totally different, crafty note -I finally re-started knitting a blanket I started nearly two years ago! Stiff joints and lack of time have prevented me from finishing the afghan, but I'm trying to kick my butt into getting it done before the end of August. It's the Learn To Knit Afghan book. A book with 60 different squares to knit together into one giant blanket! I'm on Square 23 or 24. Hopefully I can do a square a day! So look for pictures of that project to crop up once an awhile as well!

Off to go knit and recharge my camera!
Bubblin' Out! (says my goldfish. Haha)

I'm back! With photos!

2010-06-04T13:44:00.005-04:00

All right, I’m here! I was so incredibly busy with the second half of my spring semester that stopping to take pictures of my looks and post them was absolutely impossible. I’ve been doing costume and makeup projects at school and working my butt off to kick some tail in my classes! Well, it paid off. All the shows went well and I made Dean’s List! Woohoo!

Finally it's summer and I have time to slow down and relax. Most importantly, I have time to play with my makeup! Double woohoo!

A few weeks ago I went to The Makeup Show NYC 2010 with my mom for my birthday! I bought a whole bunch of neat things, including something I’m using in today’s post. At Inglot’s station, I bought the AMC lip gloss and two of their gel liners. One in sky blue and the other in a jungly-y green. These liners are crazy. They are a little wetter than a Bobbi gel liner, so you have to NOT BLINK!! Withing the first few seconds of putting it on. However, once it sets, this stuff is ready to go all night – heck, ALL WEEK long!

Anyway, this look happened out of boredom and wanting to test the green liner out. The Modern Basics products I purchased at IBS NYC 2010. I think they’re generally just a distributor, but it does seem that they have a catalog online. I also frequently use a phenomenal crease brush by them. It’s number 813 and is one of the best brushes I’ve ever used!

Anywho, here are the pictures!

Products used:

Inglot gel liner in 86 (green)

Clarins Eyeshadow in Totally Black

i 259 i-spy by Modern Basics – a shimmery, lemon/butter yellow

i299 green squeeze by Modern Basics

Clinique Daybreak

Jet eyeliner by Bobbi Brown

Avon Super Full Midnight Mascara in Black Pearl

NYX pigment in Olive

I did this one on the fly so I can’t remember exactly how I did it.

I started with Olive applied foiled to the middle of my eyelid. I-spy blended into that on the inner corners. On the outer corners I blended Green Squeeze into the Olive. I drew with the gel liner a line slightly above the crease. Though it does stay wet for a few seconds, I had to work quickly to blend some of the lines to make them a bit softer.

Using a fluffy blending brush, I blended Totally black on the outside corners both into Green Squeeze and into the green liner. I also brought it under my eye for a smokey look.

Apply Jet liner to upper and lower water lines as well as top lid. Mascara, done!

And this last photo is just for fun! A little edited but I thought it looked cool.

More later!

Stranded with no camera!

2010-03-12T14:19:00.002-05:00

I thought that during my spring break I would have a chance to play with makeup and take lots of pictures. Well, that failed. I somehow managed to leave my camera in my dorm room. And even if I had my camera, my laptop is brokey (coming to you now live from a desktop!), so I wouldn't be able to save, edit or upload my pictures anyway. Which stinks because my girl Gaga's Telephone teaser pictures have been getting me inspired all week. Of course, Lady Gaga and Beyonce's video for Telephone came out last night and I promptly woke up this morning and did my makeup. Then I took awful photos on my camera phone which I might share when I get my laptop back.

So, that is to say, Lady Gaga inspired makeup coming soon.

Also, manicures! I went to the International Beauty Show New York this week and picked up OPIs Jade is the New Black and a few hot, hot Essie colors. I picked up what I'm hoping is a match for a skin tone - mannequin hands are all the rage - Tea & Crumpets. I bought Mint Candy Apple as well. And my favorite is a sexy, vampy dark purple called Sexy Divide. And of course a new bottle of Matte About You, which I'm addicted to! I also splurged again later this week and bought two of the Milani 3-D holo colors. I bought the green HI-TECH and the blue CYBERSPACE. Currently on my nails I have Jade is the New Black with a stripe of Hi-Tech down the middle. It looks like money, honey! So I'll have to take a picture when I get back to my camera on Sunday to show off my chipped mani. Hah!

Also on the note of IBS New York, I got this bangin' lip product from a company called Chickaboom. It's called Lip Laquer and it is the ultimate liquid lipstick. Highly pigmented to the max, the Mad Red shade I purchased definitely stained when I swatched!

All this and more, when Groucho the fish and I get back to my beloved dorm and camera!

Winter Woes and a Pinky Purple Look

2010-02-12T13:21:00.006-05:00

Just when I thought I was safe, my dry winter skin has made a comeback. I'm not surprised considering the ridiculous amount of snow we received here on Wednesday and all the dry, windy conditions ever since. The only perk was my college being closed for two and a half days. Yipee! To celebrate, I of course went on the MAC website and purchased the Viva glam Gaga lipstick. It should be here by Monday!

Today I planned to bake blondies for everyone involved with the show I've been working on the past few months, which is running this weekend. Unfortunately, I somehow have no baking powder, baking soda or vanilla extract! And I still don't want to dig my car out of the snow and drive around the poorly plowed parking lots, which I don't think the old lady car can handle anymore. Yikes! All I have is a gingerbread syrup from Starbucks and, well, I don't know how that'll work. I might get desperate enough to try it!

Anyway...On with the makeup!

I did this awhile ago let' see if I can remember what I used.
Daybreak from Clinique on the brow bone and to blend.
MAC Fashion Groupie on the outer corners
MAC Violet Trance for the crease/outline
Jane Eye Zing in Bombshell. I found this in my stash and decided to try it out. It's a lightly frosted pink that can lean a little coral.

Basically I tried to use Violet Trance to outline the pink on my lid and blended it with Daybreak and Fashion Groupie. I think I'm also wearing the Dior Show Backstage mascara. I have no clue which eyeliner I'm wearing. Either Wet N Wild liquid liner or a Bobbi Brown gel liner.

And now it is time to do some homework and continue calling people who might have some vanilla on hand!

Lime Crime! Yipee!

2010-02-04T23:17:00.006-05:00

I am so excited! I have been waiting and waiting and saving so I could finally order Lime Crime makeup without feeling guilty! Earlier this week I got my package and it's amazing how makeup can brighten my day! Anywho... I loooove Doe Deere’s blog and some of the magic dust colors are unlike any of the others in my collection. Not to mention the LIPSTICKS! Not for the faint of heart, they are BAD ASS.

Can you tell by my use of caps lock how excited I am?

I ordered two Magic Dust eye shadows. I got Duchess, a really gorgeous bright turquoise-y blue, and Circus Girl, a fantastic bright yellow. They are both shimmery and so, so bright. I think if I were to use them dry, I’d have to use NYX Milk with them. However, when I use this product wet, it really doesn’t require a base at all, but I can imagine that a base would make them CRAZY poppin’!

I also got a lipstick. It’s called Centrifuschia and WOW is this intense. It is opaque in a swipe and really, really ultra pigmented. Actually, my lips were stained until I exfoliated later at night! The formula felt really good on my lips too, creamy, not dry. I don’t know where and when I will wear it but I am sooo excited to play with it.

This was a little pricey for me, but I figure that these products will last me a very long time, so I’m okay with that.

Anyway, I really wanted to play with my new makeup so I did a really super fast look on one eye. It’s not blended too well but as I said, I just wanted to play. Also, I did the liner and the cut crease with a Bobbi Brown gel liner. Gotta love Bobbi!

MAc Blue Brown - FINALLY posting!

2010-02-04T15:25:00.006-05:00

I did this awhile ago but I’m only just getting around to posting it because I keep getting distracted by newer, shiner things!

I used:
Bobbi Brown foundation stick in 0
Makeup Forever Camouflage Cream Palette No. 1
Dream Matte Powder in Light 4-5
UDPP Clinique Daybreak
MAC Blue Brown Pigment
Bobbi Brown Shimmering Nudes Palette – the first shimmer color and the last matte dark brown (nude Beach and Espresso?)
Bobbi Brown Creamy Eye Pencil in Jet
Clinique eye pencil in Egyptian
Lash Blast original
Estee Lauder All Day Blush in Pink Sand

One of my good friends says to me my personal color palette is blue and brown. I came to realize that she was absolutely right. My college dorm room is a collection of brown, aqua and teal shades. The only Vera Bradley pattern I can stand is the Blue Java pattern. I love the color teal and some of my favorite outfits incorporate the popular pairing of brown with teal or turquoise shades. One day recently I saw someone on Makeup Geek show a look with MAC Blue Brown pigment and I was instantly obsessed. Within about 48 hours I had tracked it down and purchased it. Ta-da! On the same day I also bought UDPP. And now I can’t stop playing with the two. I paired Blue Brown with my GO-TO eye shadow, which is Clinique’s Daybreak – a shimmering light bright gold. I also used my favorite Bobbi palette. I’m not too sure on the shadow names for these, I had to look it up on other blogs. My palette doesn’t have individual shadow names because I received it from my mom before the line officially launched (My mom is a Bobbi makeup artist!). I also paired this look with a Lauder blush (sorry, no full face pictures!). It goes on fairly sheer which is good because I am - as you can see by my Bobbi foundation being a ZERO! - very pale. All other blushes usually make me look like a clown or like I’m on stage. Er. No thanks. Anyway, here’s how it’s done!

I used a concealer brush (I just bought Essense of Beauty brushes at CVS and honestly, I’m really impressed!) to use the green concealer on blemishes and what have you. Then I used the foundation stick. I just apply it with my fingers.
Prime eyelids with UDPP – any primer will do.
With an eye shadow brush (I use the amazing E.L.F brush) apply Daybreak to the inner corners through the inner 1/3 of the lid and under the brows. Don’t worry about blending just yet.
Using a long eyeliner brush (I used the Bobbi brush that came with my palette) I mixed a bit of the Blue Brown with water. Apply to the rest of the lid, but not into the crease. I brought mine out and up towards the end of my eyebrow, because that’s just the shape I usually do. You can do the outer part in whichever shape you usually do your eye shadow.
Now go back in with Daybreak and blend the edges of the two shades wherever they meet. Fill in any blank spots with the Daybreak, such as in the crease and between the brow and crease. I used the shimmer Bobbi color to blend into where Daybreak and Blue Brown met on the inner part of the lid just to darken it up a bit, but that’s up to you.
Next, to balance out the odd reddish town Blue Brown gets when softened, I took a small flat smudge brush (Essence of Beauty) and used the Espresso color in my crease, along the outer corner of the upper lash line and sort of outlining the little winged out area I made with the Blue Brown.
Blend Blend Blend! I like to use Daybreak to blend as well, so the colors don’t fade out so much.
Next I took the Jet eye pencil and lined my upper water line, smudging into the lashes a bit.
Egyptian on the lower water line. Mascara.
I used the Maybelline powder to clean up around the edges of my eyes and any fallout as well as to set my foundation.
Blush
Done!

The day I did this was a day of firsts and trials for me in this look. It was the first time I lined my upper water line. I love how this looks and it even eliminated the need for me to use eye liner on the lid, which is usually a daily MUST for me. I’m still not sold on Lash blast mascara. I received it as a prize and keep trying it out. When I’m done with it I doubt I’ll purchase it. I like how thick my lashes look at the base, but not the tips or lack of length. With this wand it’s all about going slow and rotating, rather than quickly wigglin’ it through.

I’m also excited to see how the primer holds up. I usually use a Bobbi cream shadow and also recently I have been sucked into the NYX Jumbo Pencil bandwagon. So we’ll see!

I’m also testing out these Essence of Beauty brushes. I purchased a travel Eye Brush set from CVS for $10. The brushes are double sided, which is nice. I’ll probably do a full review on them soon, as I know lots of people like me are on a budget but still want nice things!

The other day I got the Lime Crime makeup I ordered so I'll either post that in a few minutes or tomorrow. And this time I actually mean tomorrow!

I Like it MATTE!

2010-01-29T16:29:00.005-05:00

Ok years and years later, here's what Chiaroscuro looks like with a matte topcoat. Mmmmm I love that porcelain finish! A lot of the green flash vanished when I matte-ified this, but there are still some interesting gold flashes.
Pretty, pretty, pretty!

That was awhile ago. I moved back into school so for this first week I've been having trouble finding time to do my nails or interesting makeup looks. I'm slightly more adjusted and settled in now so I'll have a chance to get back in the game.

Anywho, right now I'm wearing CG Custom Kicks, which I bought the same day I got Chiaroscuro. It's not as spectacular as I had hoped. The gold shimmer in the teal polish is reallllllly subtle and I couldn't even get a great picture of it. But the shimmer seemed to show up better without a top coat. I used Seche Vite on one of my hands and not the other because I guess I was in a rush. The hand without the top coat looks a little more sparkly and speckled with gold. Interesting.

Back to homework and such! I'll post a look later probably tonight or tomorrow that I did awhile ago. MAC Blue Brown pigment, YAYYYY!

Oh and also, I just bought my first Lime Crime magics dusts and lipsticks! They should be here by the beginning of the week and I am SO excited to see what they are like.

CoverGirl Tropical Fusion Eye Enhancers review + look

2010-01-21T21:28:00.008-05:00

Maybe it’s because I’m on a budget, or maybe it’s because the stuff is actually good, but I LIKE CoverGirl eyeshadows. Yes, I said it!

My stash already has a purple shade and my makeup BIFFer from school has a variety of the single shadows, including a gorgeous teal. While I was at the mall I went into Target looking for some E.L.F so I wouldn’t have to pay for shipping. This Tar-jay had no E.L.F products, but I did stumble upon this bright CoverGirl compact called Tropical Fusion. I’m a sucker for all things teal and turquoise, so that eyeshadow in this palette sold me all by itself.

To the touch, the shadows are incredibly smooth. You can see on my arm (swatched over NYX Milk) and fingertips that they have surprisingly good pigmentation for such a wallet friendly price. The yellow green is the least pigmented, but I still got it to show up well over my NYX Milk base as you can see on the swatch. They aren’t shimmers as they might look in the pans, but they aren’t matter. There’s a slight sparkle on my eyes, so I’d say it’s a satiny type finish.They all also built well, like really! I’m also surprised at how nicely the orange applied. The thin line you’ll see in the photos was just one precise swipe, it took no layering at all. And they blended so easily. I’m in love with this palette.

So I have a semi-look and a look today. I also used my new DiorShow Backstage mascara in plum today as well as the Essence of Beauty brushes from CVS. Both products I LOVE.

This first look was just for fun. I left the colors very bright and added a wing with the orange along the edge of the blue. I was going out to visit family, not to a party or anything, so I decided to blend out the colors and tone the look down.

Here in the second look you can see it’s more finished. I added my purple mascara and lined my eyes with Clarins Urban Grey shadow and blended the nearly black color into my lid.

Look at my lashes! Compare the first look to the second and see my lashes are longer, thicker looking and definitely separated and defined! This is also the purplest purple mascara I have ever used. I used to use the Bourjois purple when Sephora carried it and the Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush purple mascara. I love this mascara and maybe in the future I’ll even dish out the full price on a black tube.

News Flash:

2010-01-21T19:55:00.001-05:00

Millions rejoice as Cablevision and Scripps stop their dirty banter and put Food Network and HGTV back on.

I'll post my COLORFUL look later, but for now I am catching up with my inner foodie and watching food network, followed by a round of house Hunters!

Ulta mini Haul!

2010-01-20T20:08:00.004-05:00

I went to Ulta and took advantage of some great deals. The usual Buy 2 get 1 free for Maybelline, NYX Jumbo Pencil in Dark Brown, a few Ulta brand products, China Glaze on sale for $5 and a Buy One Get One Half Off deal for Marc Anthony hair care that I split with my mom. I don’t remember what she purchased but I got the Strictly Curls Curl Defining Lotion. I’m lookin’ for something cheaper than my current fave Living Proof products but something that works better than the Sunsilk curl cream I also use. We’ll see!

I want to share my China Glaze polishes today! I got Custom Kicks and Chiaroscuro. I was already wearing Hard Candy’s Frenzy, so I didn’t feel like doing a mani with Custom Kicks just yet, though custom kicks looks like it’ll wear bluer than Frenzy, which looks pretty green when I put a top coat on it. In the bottle Custom Kicks looks like it has a nice hidden gold sheen to it.

Chiaroscuro is a gorgeous sorty of dusty pinky shell base with and amazing gold sheen that also flashes green.

This mani is 3 coats Chiaroscuro with no top coat. My Seche top coat is thickening up so it either needs to go or be thinned! So for now I’m top coat-less. And yet, this is still super shiny! I really love the green-gold flash in this color. It is a little sheer though. With 3 even coats I can still see my tip on some nails.

Don’t mind the dents and dings. I’m one of those people who, as soon as I paint my nails, really has to go to the bathroom or do countless other important things. Aaaand the blue around my cuticles. Like I said, I was just wearing Frenzy and it’s pretty difficult to take off. Oops!

I would really like to do a French manicure with one coat of this. Or even use white or brown as a base and then go over it with this color. It’s really gorgeous! I think it now rivals OPI Pink Before You Leap as my go-to “neutral” nail color. I also think that once this mani needs to be freshened up I’ll use Matte About You and see what it looks like matte. This will save me another trip to the drug store seeing as I’ve run out of nail polish remover ;)

One thing is for sure, I have completely run out of portable nail polish storage. I used to use a small Ralph Lauren cosmetic case, but my nail polish addiction has suddenly flourished. I have a Betsey Johnson cosmetic bag, two Caboodle train cases for my makeup (and already need one more so I can separate my theatrical makeup from the rest…or maybe just color code everything). These are ideal because I travel back and forth to school frequently and like to take it all when I’m going to be gone for an extended period of time. I could just buy one of those soft, clear cosmetic bag… However, it’s starting to all get bulky. I really need to separate my must haves from “can live without for a week or two” makeup. But until then…

What do you use as on the go beauty storage?

Danni Transparent Powder Blush Palette

2010-01-18T20:39:00.005-05:00

I just had some dinner after a long day at the mall (can anyone say $10 Dior Show mascara? I CAN!) and now I’m waiting for some Costco banana nut bread to heat up. Yum, yum. So while I’m waiting I figured now would be a great time to review my Danni eyeshadow and blush palette!

My mother found this palette of 70 colors and 6 “blushes” on eBay and gave it to me since she really had no use for it. The back of this case labels the product as “Transparent Powder Blush” (which sadly seems to be a fairly accurate name…). I can’t find this exact palette online anywhere, but instead newer versions from Danni. I can’t find any information about the company either, just countless eBay sellers and other online sellers promoting the palettes. So keeping that in mind, I don’t know if the quality is applicable to other Danni palettes. I also wonder how it compares to the Coastal Scents palettes, but I can’t even think about spending the bucks when I still have this li’l guy. Obviously CS has more colors, as well as matte and a shimmer palette, but alas, my wallet forbids me to buy a new colorful palette.

I don’t use this palette as frequently as I should. As you can see, there’s a decent variety of colors. Unfortunately, my constant need to play with all the unused or favorite things that reside in my train cases catch my attention before I can remember to use this palette. Not to mention the quality of some of the colors disappoints me occasionally.

Some of the colors in this palette are completely matte with a texture so smooth it’s like buttah! Others have a little shimmer, but not to be mistaken for glitter and also apply smoothly. All of the shades can have a little bit of fallout while blending, but they DO blend. I’d say half of the shades are either very pigmented and the other half is…eh. They give nice sheer wash of color but not what I expected. I find that the lighter colors especially tend to go on sheer, as the product name might indicate. With a good primer they can add a nice hint of color, but not exactly the POW! that some of the darker shades have. This palette also doesn’t have a black. No black? Really?!

The most pigmented are the pinks and purples. The intensity of the blues depends on the exact color, while the oranges and greens are definitely sheer. The pinks and blues may actually temporarily stain the lids, so prime those lids and of course remove your makeup at the end of the day – which is something I’m ashamed to say I don’t do as often as I should! Here I am, almost 9pm, goin’ nowhere, with a full face of makeup on! But I digress…

The blushes also have good pigmentation, I just don’t think I’d ever use them for blush outside of theatrical purposes – last May I used the orange blush for a theatre department costume ball! They all tend to look a little silly on my pale skin. The white “blush” though works as an eyeshadow and I’ve mixed it with concealer and moisturizer to create a highlight color for my theatre work.

You can see in that first picture which shades shimmer and which do not. But this second photo shows the colors much more accurately. When I use this palette, I’ll refer back to this post so you can see which colors I used. Also, click on the photos for a bigger look! If I really find myself including this palette frequently for looks, I’ll swatch the colors, but for now I’ll leave it at this because it’s time for some delish, yet fat laden, dessert. Boy the gym better get ready to see a lot of me! ‘Night, all!

Never Too Late for New Year's!

2010-01-16T15:44:00.004-05:00

I love this look. It was neutral (for me, anyway!), matched my outfit, but was still colorful. I was definitely in a rush to get out the door when I took these pictures because my eyebrows are totally wonky and unplucked and there’s fallout all around my eyes. Sorry!
Also my skin has been completely misbehaving this winter and I don’t know why! My skin has never gotten this dry and flaky in the winter and now I can’t seem to get it under control. Icck. Dark circles, flakey skin, I need some serious skin TLC.

I used:
Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush Wet/Dry Shadow in Gold Rush
MAC Notoriety
DANNI Palette – my mother purchased this colorful palette on ebay. It’s very similar to the CS palettes except it is a mix of both matte shades and shades with a subtle shimmer. I mixed a sparkly fuchsia pink shade and two bright purples together to get this look. I will take pictures of the palette so it can be compared to all the various other slim black case, coin sized shadow palettes out there. For reference, once I get a picture up, it’s the 3rd column, the bottom 3 colors.
Wet n Wild Mega Liner in Brown
Smashbox That’s a Wrap mascara in brown
Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes in in 10L – a copper bronze.

I was wearing an awesome plaid shirt that was made up of tan, brown and bright fuchsia-purple on New Year’s Eve. I had just gotten the Victoria’s Secret eye shadow for Christmas from my parents so I decided to test it out to match my casual outfit for a relaxed night in with friends. Here’s how:

I used Gold Rush wet all over my lid. You can prime if you want but I found that using this wet all over was enough to get other shadows to stick.
Using my ELF shadow brush I dipped into three shades of my Danni palette. To start, I used more of the pink to blend Gold Rush onto the middle of my eyelid (which accounts for the orangey tone seen). As I moved out I used more purple.
Blend Blend blend!
To darken the look a bit and anchor it, I used MAC’s Notoriety on the outside corners and in the crease a bit.
Line with the brown liquid liner.
I used Aqua eyes on my lower water line.
Mascara
Done!

I also included this awful, dark, blurry photo because it shows the shape and the purple a little less washed out.

Next up, Danni Palette pictures and review!

The Start of a simple blog about a few passions...

2010-01-14T01:04:00.000-05:00

A lot of people who know me know that every day I have my free-time computer routine. I go to Bookmarks list and sit and go through all my favorite daily websites. I have a list for daily humor blogs (The Daily What, Oh NO They Didn't!, People of Walmart, Passive Aggressive Notes, etc!), a list for food (Coconut and Lime, All Things Cupcake, Cook to Bang, and more!) and of course, an extensive list of beauty blogs, tutorials, forums, theatrical supply websites and favorite YouTube channels. Of course, it was only a matter of time before I delved into my own bloggy journey.

I tried it once before but I just couldn't find a focus or a passion for it. Now I find myself wanting to share my passions for things makeupy, delicious or otherwise crafty with other people who have similar passions. I see this as being primarily a makeup/beauty blog, but I also love to bake and rock on my grandma self (says the college 20 year old) by knitting. These are all aspects of my life that give me joy and help me de-stress. I hope others can agree with me and follow their passions as well!

For now, I leave you with Groucho the red oranda goldfish, who is my mascot of sorts. I've had him for over a year!

He's another part of life that helps me relax and smile. What a personality this guy has! Groucho is very excited to start helping me review my makeup collection and share looks with everyone! Really, he just wants some of the spotlight too.