24 December 2013

look of the day - holiday cheer

It's been a rough couple of weeks for me, but it's the holiday season so I've brightened up a bit. My sister is home from university, as are the rest of my friends so I'll finally be able to see people! My cousin was over this past weekend but she jetted off to Florida for the week and now my godparents are here for the night.

My go-to look for the past few days, if I've even bothered with makeup, is just some BB cream and concealer, a defined brow, and my rms beauty Lip2Cheek in Diabolique applied as a lip stain and blush so I don't look like a total zombie. That was what I wore to pick up my sister from campus and I took a look at myself in a mirror and nearly shrieked at how dead I looked last week, whoops.

Today was a decent day so far and the sun was out despite it being obscenely cold. I didn't have to leave the house, though, so that was nice. I love the theory behind the holidays, but the practicality of trying to get around town makes me really frustrated. People seem to forgo the rules of the road and how to be civil and courteous, but it's just that time of year, I suppose.


I won't be leaving the house on Christmas since we've having our traditional big lunch at home, but if you have a party to attend, this is a great look! Since it's the holiday season, you can pull off bold eyes and a bold lip, and shimmer absolutely everywhere. This look is actually a bit toned down for what I'd wear to go to a Christmas party, but this way it can be tweaked for day or night. The eyes are very much focused on gold tones and a glitter/shimmer finish, while the lips are matte and very red. If you're going to be eating at the party, I'd definitely recommend either wearing a simpler lip or bringing lipstick to touch up through the night. I'm lazy and hate bringing my makeup with me anywhere, so I'd just go with a stain and call it a night.

BROWS
Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express brow kit in Brunette
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
theBalm Put a Lid On It! eyeshadow primer
Lid - Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal 24hr Cream Gel Shadow in Gold Rush 65 (yellow gold shimmer)
Inner corner - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Maui Wowie (metallic golden beige with silver glitter)
Outer corner + crease - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Smog (deep coppery bronze)
Waterlines - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero (black)
Upper lash line - Hello Kitty Charmmy Kohl Eyeliner in Chocolate Milk (brown shimmer)
Lower lash line - Hello Kitty Charmmy Kohl Eyeliner in Bicycle (teal green shimmer)

FACE
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè + Dr. Jart+ V7 Beauty Balm
Under eyes - Benefit Fake Up concealer in 01 light
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01
L'Oréal Paris Magic Smooth Soufflé Blush in Celestial (muted rosy pink)

LIPS
Bite Beauty Cashmere Lip Cream in Port (deep wine)


Happy holidays, my darling readers! Happy Christmas if you celebrate it and if you don't, I hope you have a wonderful few days.

15 December 2013

look of the day - blue brows and red lips?!

It's Sunday and there's about 5 inches of snow outside from the last few days, and though it's not snowing today, it's really hella cold. So naturally, I'm staying indoors trying to figure out what I want to do, and I decided I wanted to try out some of the new products I haven't touched.

Just the one picture today because there's nothing special about my eye makeup or anything, but you get to see the lovely Sugarpill ElektroCute neon pigment that I've used on my eyebrows and the Bite Beauty Cashmere Lip Cream on my lips. Sugarpill is obviously known for their highly pigmented products and their beautiful colours, and the neon pigments are no exception. I've used Hellatronic, a vibrant blue, for my brows and though I didn't even use that much product, it's still very bright. There is some fallout from the glitter in the product, so be advised if you use it for something that isn't just random usage. Also, it's important to note that the FDA has not tested or approved neon pigment for usage in the immediate eye area, although Canada and Europe have both deemed them safe. Use at your own discretion!

The lip cream, by the way, is highly recommended. I've been on a deeper red lip kick, so I bought it in Port, but they have a really nice pinkish red that would be awesome, too. Sancerre, I think it is? The consistency is really creamy and it's insanely pigmented. The only trick is that it can be difficult to apply, so I'd recommend lip liner if you don't have a steady hand. I'll do a full review some other time when I haven't decided I'm going to watch all the Game of Thrones commentaries in one go, or at least attempt it.


BROWS
theBalm Put a Lid on It! eyeshadow primer
Sugarpill ElektroCute neon pigment in Hellatronic (fluorescent indigo with red/purple/blue color-shifting super sparkles)

EYES
Upper lash line - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero (black)

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in 1.0
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01
Under eyes - Benefit Fake Up concealer in 01 Light
Blush - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Grifter (sheer lavender shimmer with silver micro-glitter)

LIPS
Bite Beauty Cashmere Lip Cream in Port (deep wine)

10 December 2013

look of the day - sunrise

I really wanted to play with colour today, so I went ahead and did it! I spent the afternoon running errands and I had to wait in line at the post office for a half hour just to make a Christmas card, so I channeled my frustration into my makeup when I got home.

This look didn't start out drawing inspiration from anything except that I really wanted to colour in my brows a true red, and then I started forming a plan whilst in line. The eyes are definitely inspired by a sunrise, with a rich orange and yellow being the main colours.


I think this look could be very wearable if you just filled in your brows naturally and maybe went a bit more neutral on the lips, and maybe toned down the colours with a few more browns thrown in there. Or you can wear this the exact way it is!


The brows are a little sloppier than I had hoped, but my brows are unruly! The eyeshadow looks less bright when your eyes are open but once you close your eyes, the orange really hits you. I think the winged liner really adds to the look.

BROWS
Makeup Geek Gel Liner in Poison (matte rusty red)
Sugarpill pressed eyeshadow in @#$%! (vampy pearl red with silver metallic sheen)

EYES
theBalm Put a Lid On It! eyeshadow primer
SauceBox Cosmetics Temptation palette (orange shade on lid, yellow shade in crease)
Outer V + crease - Oslo Cosmetics loose eyeshadow in Ara (dark brassy red)
Upper lash line - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Oil Slick (matte black with silver micro-glitter)
Lower lash line - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Last Call (metallic sugar plum)
Inner corner - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Polyester Bride (white snow shimmer with silver micro-glitter)
Upper waterline - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion (matte blackest black)
Liner - Maybelline Line Stiletto Ultimate Precision Liquid Eyeliner in Blackest Black
Lashes - Maybelline Volum' Express the Mega Plush mascara in Blackest Black

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in 1.0
Benefit Fake Up Concealer in 01 Light
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01
Contour - Maybelline Fit Me foundation stick in 235

LIPS
NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo (deep cranberry red)
Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid lipstick in Electric Orange 880 (vibrant yellow-orange)


08 December 2013

look of the day - purple ombre eyebrows

Today was one of those strange days where I didn't quite know what was going on or what time it was. It was snowing outside, and for some reason it's currently almost half past six in the evening, but it really feels like it's much later.

I decided I wanted to play around with my eyebrows because they're currently a serious source of annoyance for me. I didn't realise that I did so many weird things with them! This went unnoticed until I recorded myself in a video and it was the one thing that bothered me the most. So instead of trying to make them cooperate, I decided to make them stand out.


Since my natural hair colour is black, trying to give my brows any sort of light colour tends to make them look a little funny. But I think the lilac purple doesn't look half-bad! I don't have any close-up photos because the eyes were completely unimportant in this look. Also, my glasses are chronically crooked, ugh.

BROWS
theBalm Put a Lid On It! eyeshadow primer
SauceBox Cosmetics Forbidden Fruits Palette (deep purple matte and lilac matte shades)

EYES
Lid - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Sin (champagne shimmer)
Crease - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Chopper (copper shimmer with silver micro-glitter)
Liner - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Flipside (bright teal with silver-teal shimmer, discontinued)

FACE
Benefit Fake Up concealer in 01 Light
Benefit high beam
Maybelline Fit Me foundation stick in 110

LIPS
Rimmel London Lasting Finish Matte by Kate Moss lipstick in 107

07 December 2013

j.r.r. tolkien's the hobbit series #3 - elves simplified

Let me tell you that it is not easy trying to make yourself look as perfect as the elves in Lord of the Rings. They all look absolutely flawless, with glowing skin and hardly any makeup on. Now, as mere mortals, we have plenty of ways to fake it, but damn, is it hard to cover up undereye circles.

This look was based off of Arwen's look, which features a bit more colour than that of Galadriel, who was basically just a shining beacon of light, which was meant to be both beautiful and terrifying. Arwen has colour in her cheeks and lips.


This look was relatively simple and I loosely followed this tutorial by Alle from xoVain. The most work required is perfecting the skin, which is always a challenge. You want to look like you're glowing from within, so use a foundation that looks like skin or has some luminosity to it. Make sure to conceal any redness or unwanted spots. You want to use a highlighter or luminizer on the planes of your face that light would naturally hit: the bridge of your nose, your cheekbones, the Cupid's bow, and just below the browbone. Lightly contour your face if you weren't blessed with cheekbones and a jawline from the gods.

Blush is important here! Just on the apples of the cheeks. The eyes are very simple, with a dusting of an eyeshadow close to your skintone over your lid and some light definition in the crease with a slightly darker matte shadow. I didn't bother lining my upper lid but I did tightline the upper lash line to give the appearance of fuller lashes, and I put a but of a matte taupe liner below the bottom lash line for definition. Give your lashes a quick curl and a coat of mascara, and you're good to go. Also fill in your brows if you'd like, and if not, at least give them a swipe of brow gel to keep them in place.

Pick any lip colour that is close to your natural lip shade but maybe slightly pinker. I did use Clinique's Almost Lipstick in Black Honey, that cult favourite, but you can use any pinky nude.


I took these pictures while the sun was setting... Before 4PM. That is just not okay. I think I look really silly with filled-in brows and no eye makeup, but maybe that's just me. Also, my eyes are either uneven or I really just like cocking my brows, which is almost 115% the most likely choice. I realised that my eyebrows like to go crazy on a normal basis...

BROWS
Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express brow kit in Brunette
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
Lid - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Foxy (very light yellow/white matte)
Crease - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Tease (creamy pale brown matte)
Upper water line - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion (deepest matte black)
Lower lash line - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Desperation (deep taupe to gray matte)
Lashes - Maybelline Volum' Express the Mega Plush mascara in Blackest Black

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in 1.0
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat foundation in Beige Rose 20
Benefit Fake Up Concealer in 01 Light
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye concealer in Light
Contour - Maybelline Fit Me foundation stick in 235 + NYX Powder Blush in Taupe
rms beauty living luminizer

LIPS
Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey

03 December 2013

j.r.r. tolkien's the hobbit series #2 - elves

Greetings! It's been a long time since my last post. Last week was Thanksgiving (I hope you all had a good holiday if you celebrate, or a good start to Hanukkah, or you just had a good weekend. Maybe you all went shopping and I hope you got what you wanted!) and my sister was home for the week. Her first semester of university is almost over and it's weird.

I've been in a bit of a poor mood as of late, so I haven't had much inspiration to post anything. But I did do this look over a week ago and it's about time that I show you all! I'll admit that I'm not the most dedicated fan of LOTR or The Hobbit, if only because I was really behind in watching the LOTR trilogy and now I'm only just catching up. Regardless, everyone knows that the elves of Middle Earth are arguably the best race, and at the very least, they're certainly very pretty. Any mention of elves and I immediately think of how glowing and gorgeous they always are, and they're usually surrounded by blue tones.



This look focuses heavily on blue and white and is a bit heavier than what you'd see in the movies, but rest assured that it was intentional. In the first Hobbit film, the elves seem to be after their own interests, so they seem darker as a whole than they did in the LOTR films. In the second film, they feature heavily in the trailers and I'm really excited to see them in action, especially Thranduil the Khaleesi. (Come on, did you all see his sassy cape removal? It was straight out of Anastasia!)

I couldn't help myself--I had to pay homage to Lee Pace's fabulous eyebrows, so the brows in this look are darker than I usually do. The dark liner is in part inspired by Egyptian makeup, but the double liner also serves as a reminder that the elves aren't always there to be the good guys. The most important part of this look is the glitter.


LOOK AT HOW IT SPARKLES. For some reason, the little curlicues I drew on with a sparkling white shadow were hardly visible unless I did a close-up like this. If you look closely, there's one underneath my eye. I would advise drawing these in with a white eyeliner and then putting eyeshadow over that if you want it to look more noticeable!


  1. Apply foundation as necessary. Elves seem to have consistently flawless, glowing skin, so you're aiming for that sort of look. Don't use a matte foundation if you can avoid it. Instead, look for something more luminous.
  2. Conceal any dark spots or redness that you have. Your skin should look like a blank canvas!
  3. Prime your eyelid. I was being really bratty with my eyeshadow choices and decided I needed to use three different colours that ended up looking almost the same in these photos, so feel free to just pick one light, blue-based, iridescent eyeshadow for your entire lid. I really recommend something like Sugarpill Lumi because it's one of the best investments you could make in an eyeshadow.
  4. Tightlining your upper lashline with a black liner is optional, but it will help make the look more cohesive. Using either a dark, metallic blue eyeliner (Urban Decay has several and I know that other brands will likely have good ones, as well) or a dark blue eyeshadow with a damp brush, line your upper lid. Extend the line outward and upward to your liking.
  5. Repeat the previous step on the lower lid.
  6. Now to add some glitter. Lit Cosmetics has a liquid glitter base that you use to make the glitter stay on, but it really depends on what you use. I think their base is excellent and provides a really good foundation for the glitter. Line the upper lid over the previous eyeliner with whatever base you're using, and then apply deep blue glitter over it.
  7. Line your lower waterline with a white eyeliner to make your eyes pop.
  8. Using a loose white/blue eyeshadow with a damp brush, draw on as many curlicues as you'd like around the eye area. If you're as pale as I am, they might not show up too well. I would suggest drawing them in with a white eyeliner first and then going over them with the eyeshadow.
  9. Fill in the space between the upper and lower winged liner with glitter base. Take a clear iridescent glitter and pat it over that space.
  10. Curl your lashes and put on a few coats of mascara. Use a waterproof formula over a regular one if you're wearing this look to the movies! (I wouldn't advise it, as the dark liner might travel quite a bit down your face, but do whatever your heart desires.)
  11. Fill in your brows. You don't have to go as heavily in as I did, but I wanted to make it dramatic so the eyes didn't wash me out. I also tipped my brows with some iridescent shadow after applying a brow gel and waiting until it was tacky, but I don't think you can actually tell the difference in these photos or in real life.
  12. Blush is optional! You want a lip colour that won't complete with the strong eye and the strong brow, so apply a nude colour. Nude doesn't necessarily mean concealer coloured lips, either--think a my-lips-but-better shade, so something a little more pink, and don't be afraid to go a little more pigmented if your natural lip colour is very pink.

BROWS
Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express brow kit in Brunette
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite
Oslo Cosmetics loose eyeshadow in Dark Days: Pyxis (light iridescent duochrome pink-violet)

EYES
Lid - Shiro Cosmetics loose eyeshadow in Nestyr (violet-lavender with blue shimmer, discontinued)
Center of lid - Fyrinnae loose eyeshadow in Jade Ghost (white-green shimmer)
Crease - Sugarpill Chromalust pigment in Lumi (snow white with turquoise sheen)
Upper lash line - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion (deepest matte black)
Liner - Sugarpill Chromalust pigment in Magpie (black with metallic blue sheen) + Lit Cosmetics glitter in Elton Jon S2 (matte peacock teal glitter)
Lower waterline - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Yeyo (metallic white)
Decoration - Lit Cosmetics glitter in Barbie Shops S3 (clear iridescent glitter) + Fyrinnae loose eyeshadow in Otherworld (pale aqua shimmer)
Lashes - Maybelline Volum' Express the Mega Plush mascara in Blackest Black

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in 1.0
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01
Maybelline Fit Me foundation stick in 235

LIPS
rms beauty lip shine in moment (light rose-brown)
Buxom Full-On Lip Cream in White Russian (nude pink)


You can see that there isn't much colour on the lid. Most of the eyeshadows I used rely on duochrome and iridescence, so certain angles will show more saturation and different shades. I also had a lot of transfer from the liner onto my crease, so that's why it's kind of darker than I had originally planned. Whoops!

I think I'll do an elf look that is more based on what Galadriel and Arwen (and Tauriel, though her look seems more simple) wear in the films, so keep an eye out for that!

21 November 2013

looks of the day - quick looks for concerts!

Today was another cloudy/rainy day so unfortunately I haven't been able to get any clear photos in natural light. But I felt like doing this simple look anyway! This was also requested by my friend Meg, who is going to a Frank Turner concert soon.

This look is a lot simpler than it might look because you don't want to be fussing for hours over your makeup to go see a concert only to have it melt down your face. I have to confess that I haven't honestly been to many concerts that weren't orchestral in nature. (I'm weird, I know.) I've only ever been to a youtube performers concert to see Starkid, and a handful of Company of Thieves concerts. We performed spontaneously at one of them and were asked to perform with them at another, so that was one of the best experiences of my life.

With minimal concert-going experience, I know that venues can get crowded and it's not always the sort of place you want to wear a full face of makeup to. A red lip and a smoky eye are simple ways to make your makeup stand out and look edgy without requiring a lot of work. I did two variations of this look: one where the lip is the focus, and one where the eyes are.

I won't be doing a full tutorial written out for the two looks, but I will say how I achieved the looks. The face products stayed the same between the two looks and were as follows:

FACE
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01
Benefit Fake-Up Concealer in 01 Light
Under eyes - PIXI Beauty Correction Concentrate + Benefit Fake-Up Concealer in 01 Light

You don't need any foundation, and if you can get away with no concealer, I'd suggest it. If you need coverage all over your face, tinted moisturiser is your best option. Since we're going with a red lip, you want to neutralise any redness on the face or the lips will make you seem ruddy. I have rosacea, so a concealer was absolutely required to cover up the red patches on my cheeks.

LOOK ONE



The picture doesn't do the lipstick justice! This was a very simple look, even if it doesn't look like it--red lipstick makes everything look glamourous. I lightly filled in my brows with a brow pencil before taking a charcoal gray eyeshadow and patting it over my lids. There isn't a need to bring the colour up past the crease of the eyelid! I also used a taupe/grey eyeliner on my upper lash line and the outer third of my lower lash line, but that isn't necessary, either.

You don't have to stick to grey, either! I would advise against going any darker, but you can try any neutral shade--gold would be really gorgeous. Stay away from bright colours or jewel tones, though, or it'll compete too much with your lips.

The main focus of this variation is the lips. I used a matte balm pencil and just applied the colour all over my lips. If you want something that lasts longer (especially if you'll be eating and/or drinking, though I still wouldn't advise wearing lip colour through a meal since oils will break down the pigment) you could try lining and filling the lips with a lip pencil and topping it with a lipstick, blotting with a single ply of tissue, patting some translucent powder on, and then applying another layer of lipstick. OR try something like Stila's liquid lipstick, which applies like a lip gloss but dries down to a matte finish and stays put.

BROWS
Benefit Instant Brow Pencil in Deep

EYES
Lid - bareMinerals loose eyeshadow in k.i.t. (matte medium charcoal gray)
Liner - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Desperation (deep taupe to gray matte)

LIPS
Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in 250 Standout



LOOK TWO




This look was more focused on the smoky eye. At a concert, you don't want to worry about your eye makeup melting down your face or getting smudged, and a smoky eye is the perfect solution! The more it smudges, the more rock-and-roll you look, so you don't even need to check yourself in a mirror every few hours.

To get this look, all I did was take a black eye pencil and draw a thick line above my lashes. No need to be precise--you're going to smudge this out with a cotton swab so it doesn't need to be perfect. After smudging, take that gray eyeshadow and apply it on your lid up past the crease, as well as along the lower lash line. This is a simple smoky eye that only gets better as the night goes on and if it creases or smudges, just take a finger and run it over your lid and move on! I did put on a coat of mascara, which helps to emphasise the smoky feel.

Don't be afraid to try another colour, either! Since you're playing up the eyes, you can do a smoky eye with any colour you'd like. Emerald or eggplant would look amazing, or bronze or navy. Really, anything goes!

Since the look is heavy on the eyes, you want to balance it out by filling in your brows. I had the pencil on from the first look, but I put some powder over them to give them more definition and topped them off with a tinted brow gel.

Apply a tinted balm to the lips. I apparently don't have anything that is red but sheer, so I had to improvise by mixing a balm pencil with some rose salve. You can apply the same balm to the cheeks for a little colour and shine, but if you're going to be moving around or in a large crowd, you'll get a natural flush so you can skip that step.

BROWS
Benefit Instant Brow Pencil in Deep
Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express brow kit in Brunette
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
Lid - bareMinerals loose eyeshadow in k.i.t. (matte medium charcoal grey)
Liner - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion (deepest matte black)
Lashes - Maybelline Volum' Express the Mega Plush mascara in Blackest Black

LIPS
Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Lip Colour Balm in Mightiest Maraschino + C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve


20 November 2013

j.r.r. tolkien's the hobbit series #1 - hobbits

Today's weather took a complete 180 degrees because it was sunny earlier today and then just a few minutes ago, it was raining and even hailing a little bit. Weird!

This look was requested by my friend Meg, who asked for something inspired by The Hobbit since the second movie is coming out soon. I have to confess that I didn't watch the Lord of the Rings movies until two years ago at the constant pestering of my friend Erica and after I did, I have to say that I LOVE them. I have every intention of going to see the second Hobbit film--after all, I went to see the first and thought it was brilliant.

When I think of J.R.R. Tolkien's world, I always come up with primarily gold, brown, and green hues, especially in relation to the hobbits. Those were the colours I focused on here.


This turned out to be a bit of a smokey look that relied on golds near the inner corner and green at the outer corner with a deep bronze to transition between the two, and I quite like how it turned out! It's meant to be a slightly softer look, so I went for a brown liner instead of black, though I did use a bit of black to tightline the lashes. It's not a challenging look to accomplish, though I did spend more time on it than I expected--there's a reason why I didn't end up getting any good close-ups! You don't need to apply your eyeshadow in any particular shape, but just keep the outer corner from dipping down.

Because this look was so focused on the eyes, I just applied a gloss to my lips. The next picture, I used a nude lipstick and I think I like that combination a little better.


  1. Apply foundation/tinted moisturiser/BB cream as needed. I used a BB cream here because it's a little lower maintenance but anything goes.
  2. Apply an eyeshadow primer so everything stays put and wait one minute before applying eyeshadow. Before I put any colour on, I put a dusting of loose powder on my lids so it would be easier to blend the colours, but that's also optional.
  3. Starting at the inner corner, take a gold eyeshadow and pat it onto the lid, bringing it about a third of the way onto the lid. You want this to pop! I tend to use my finger to pack on colour because I find that the brushes I reach for tend to sheer out the pigment too much.
  4. Take a green-olive eyeshadow and pack on the colour at the outer corner of the lid, bringing it a third of the way toward the center of the lid.
  5. Using a brush, take a bronze/medium brown eyeshadow to blend the gold and green shadows together.
  6. THIS STEP IS COMPLETELY OPTIONAL! I used a dark blue-green eyeshadow and placed a light layer of it into the crease of my eyelid.
  7. Line your upper lid with a brown eyeliner. You can also tightline your lashes with a black liner here and line your waterline with a white liner, but it's not necessary. (Especially if you're going to wear this to the movie theatre to see The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug. You might risk eyeliner running down your face from tears! Don't be ashamed--I've cried in most of the movies I've seen in theatres over the past two years.)
  8. Apply two coats of mascara. The first coat I applied was a non-waterproof mascara, and the second was a waterproof mascara. This way, you get the stay-put benefits of the waterproof mascara but it's easier to remove at the end of the day.
  9. Using a thin brush, take some of the green eyeshadow and trace below your lower lash line.
  10. Clean up any loose eyeshadow! Apply concealer around your eyes and wherever else you need it.
  11. Pat a bit of peach-pink blush onto the apples of the cheek.
  12. Apply a coat of lip gloss to the lips and you're all set.


BROWS
Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express brow kit in Brunette
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
theBalm Put a Lid On It eyeshadow primer
bareMinerals mineral veil
Inner corner - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Sin (champagne shimmer)
Inner lid - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Half Baked (golden bronze)
Center of lid - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Smog (deep coppery bronze)
Outer corner and lower lash line - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Mildew (mossy green shimmer with gold shift)
Crease - Shiro Cosmetics loose eyeshadow in Lingered in Twilight (blackened blue-green with slightly metallic shimmer)
Upper lid liner - Hello Kitty Charmmy eye pencil in Chocolate Milk (shimmery brown) + Fyrinnae loose eyeshadow in Arcane Magic: Evocation (neutral taupe with pale rose/coral and mint green reflect)
Upper lash line - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion (deepest matte black)
Lower waterline - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Yeyo (metallic white)
Lashes - Maybelline Volum' Express the Mega Plush mascara in Blackest Black + Maybelline Volum’ Express The Rocket waterproof mascara in Blackest Black

FACE
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè
Dr. Jart+ V7 Beauty Balm
Under eyes - PIXI Beauty Correction Concentrate + Benefit Fake-Up Concealer in 01 Light
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01
L'Oréal Paris Magic Smooth Soufflé Blush in Celestial (muted rosy pink)

LIPS
Smashbox O-Gloss Gold

17 November 2013

look of the day - red lips and sparkling eyes

It's been longer than I had hoped since I last posted. I've been lacking inspiration in a lot of areas in my life, which unfortunately includes my love of makeup. I haven't really felt like experimenting, even though I have a lot of room for inspiration. I've been having similar troubles in my writing. I'm participating in NaNoWriMo and I'm already hating my story because I didn't do enough planning ahead of time.

Today I wanted to try something new just to get myself out of a rut. It's been raining all weekend here in the Chicago suburbs, and today brought strong winds and tornados south of here. Everything got dark so quickly that I almost didn't bother doing anything, but I pushed myself and I came up with something quick to post.


I'm also on the verge of being sick, which isn't fun at all! I think part of it is because of the weather and how cold it's been lately, but I also made a last minute trip down to my alma mater's campus to see Shoshana Bean perform this past Wednesday. I forgot how cold central Illinois can be, and my immune system isn't quite up to par after being home for a few months. I met up with a friend who was also sick, so that might've done me in.

This look relied on blending out liners to make for a soft, out-of-focus sparkling look, but the eyes weren't the main focus--that lip colour steals the show!

BROWS
Benefit Instant Brow Pencil in Deep
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
Lid - NYX Slide On Liner in Platinum (silver)
Crease - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Binge (pearly navy blue, discontinued)
Upper waterline - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero (black)

FACE
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01 Light

LIPS
Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate Moss lipstick in 11

08 November 2013

look of the day - retro inspiration

I've always been a fan of 50s-inspired hair and makeup and that was only made the more obvious to me when I joined a jazz a cappella group during my years at university. I'm still too lazy to do my hair and now there are too many layers for me to attempt any sort of decent curl, but maybe one day I'll actually do the makeup and the hair and post the results.


I look like I'm trying to channel the sexy librarian look, which, let's face it, is pretty awesome. Yes, that is the same sweater from Wednesday's post where the pictures were taking on Monday. Don't judge--I love it and it was cheap!

I'm usually not a big fan of lip products because all I do is chew on things when I'm sitting there doing nothing, but I just bought one of Revlon's new matte balm pencils and it's fantastic. I don't know how to describe it exactly since I put it on over another red lipstick in these photographs, but the colour is this really wonderful neutral red that is slightly dark and leans just a tad warm.


My bangs are doing something weird in these photos, but disregarding that, I love wearing a red lip with winged liner and no blush. In reality, I really hate blush because I'm naturally a tomato (yay rosacea!) but I love some subtle contouring. It actually kind of looks like I have cheekbones here!

BROWS
Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express brow kit in Brunette
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
Lid - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Foxy (very light yellow/white matte)
Crease - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Faint (warm, dusty brown matte)
Upper waterline - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion (matte blackest black)
Liner - Maybelline Line Stiletto Ultimate Precision Liquid Eyeliner in Blackest Black
Lashes - Maybelline Volum' Express the Mega Plush mascara in Blackest Black
False lashes - Ardell Wispies Black lashes

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in 1.0
Under eyes - Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 15 Fair
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01 Light
Contour - Maybelline Fit Me foundation stick in 235
Highlight - Benefit high beam

LIPS
Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid lipstick in 895 On Fire Red
Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in 250 Standout


Coming up next, I'll be posting about all the drugstore lippies I've bought over the last two weeks because I'm trying to find colours I enjoy and then I might splurge, but for now, the drugstore options are pretty wonderful. Have a great weekend!

06 November 2013

look of the day - new haircut!

I definitely meant to post this on Monday when I actually went in to get a haircut, but lo and behold, I've been lazy and kept forgetting to upload the pictures to my computer. I haven't had a haircut in 8 months, not counting the haphazard trim I did just to get rid of some split ends, but it was high time.


Don't I look like a happy camper? Forgive me for how tired I look... It's difficult having someone cut your hair and try to initiate small talk in Mandarin when you can't really understand his accent normally, let alone with a hair dryer blowing in your face. The length is more or less the same (I think he said he only snipped off a centimeter from the bottom of it) but he cut more layers into it and my bangs are finally bangs again.

Since I have bangs that end just at eye level, I can get away with not wearing as much eye makeup but you know me, I like doing up my eyes a lot more than my lips. But since Monday was a bit of a lazy day after the cut and I was trying to shake out all the bits of hair from my clothing, so I just did a simple lip-focused look.

BROWS
Sephora Brow Sculpting Pencil in Dark
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
Lashes - Maybelline Volum' Express the Mega Plush mascara in Blackest Black

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in 1.0
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01 Light
Benefit Fake Up Concealer in 01 Light

LIPS
NYX Slim Lip Liner in Plum
Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick in Brilliant Bordeaux

31 October 2013

halloween looks - wednesday addams

As Halloween comes to a close, I thought I'd share my Halloween costume! It was quick and easy and I ended up not even leaving the house after I put it on, but it was worth the fuss. I'm not actually a huge fan of most Halloween decorations because I'm really easily startled and I get nightmares from more or less everything, but this year I suddenly became fascinated with special effects makeup so I might end up taking makeup classes to work toward getting a professional license.


The best part of this costume? No need to cover any undereye circles. I seriously never realised how frustrating they were until this year. One benefit of wearing glasses for almost my entire life, I suppose! The clothing was just picked out of my closet: an old dress shirt from what must have been middle school, a black long-sleeved shirt, a skirt from Forever 21 that I bought ages ago, and some black tights.


BROWS
Sephora Brow Sculpting Pencil in Dark
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
Lid - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion (matte blackest black) + Urban Decay eyeshadow in Faint (warm, dusty brown matte)
Lash lines - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion (matte blackest black)
Under eyes - Too Faced eyeshadow in Like a Virgin (taupe-grey matte) + Sigma Crème de Couture blush in Blackberry Essence (amethyst berry mist) and Strawberry Ambrosia (cotton candy)
Lashes - Maybelline Volum' Express the Mega Plush mascara in Blackest Black

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in 1.0
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01 light
Benefit Fake Up concealer in 01 Light

LIPS
Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in Deepest Cherry (deepened dark plum berry)


And with Halloween coming to a close, it's time for me to work on my NaNoWriMo novel! Of course, as usual, I have no idea what I'm doing and there's only a half hour left before November, so like last year I'll be winging it. This might mean less frequent posts to this blog, but let's face it... I'm a chronic procrastinator so I'll want to do this and not write at some point.

29 October 2013

halloween looks - inspiration from alice in wonderland

Halloween is so close! I don't have much of an occasion for an excuse to dress up, but I've decided that I'm going to be an older Wednesday Addams because that doesn't require me to buy a costume (so many old shirts and skirts in my closet!) and I don't have to cover up my undereye circles. In fact, I just have to exaggerate them, which is even better.

My friend Krystal on Tumblr asked if I could make a tutorial for this Alice in Wonderland inspired look and as soon as I saw the pictures, I knew I had to try it.


Of course, I haven't done anything with my hair because it's stubborn and I'm lazy, but if you're looking to copy something like the inspiration photos, I'd suggest curling your hair with a tighter iron, something close to 3/4" if possible, and brushing out some of the curls but not all of them. Mess up your hair with your fingers and pin it up haphazardly, or leave it down!

By the way, glasses are a huge hindrance when doing looks like this. I wasn't quite sure what I was doing with my glasses off trying to get the circle around my eye right, but it doesn't look that bad.


This photos is hilarious mostly because I look really unamused and trust me... I was. I think I might have stabbed my waterline with the wood of my black eyeliner and it still stings, so no heavy eye makeup for this girl for at least a few days until I make sure nothing serious happened. Take heed, darling readers: keep your pencils sharp so this doesn't happen to you!

This whole look is meant to look a little deconstructed and messy, so don't panic if you think you've made a huge mess. It's supposed to be haphazard and rushed!
  1. Apply your foundation of choice all over your face. Ideally, you want something that's lighter than your skintone, but any foundation will work!
  2. Conceal anything you need to--spots, acne, redness--but you don't need to cover any undereye circles, which is always a good thing.
  3. After putting on eyeshadow primer from your lid to your browbone and down beneath your eyes (which will help your eyeshadow last longer), take a shimmery golden brown eyeshadow and start patting that on with your fingers. Start by applying it beneath your brows and then bringing it down to the crease.
  4. Next, take an eyeshadow brush loaded with the same brown eyeshadow and map out the shape around your eyes. This look is not about being exact, but this is the only part that requires caution and a steady hand. The shape for which you're aiming is an oblong circle that extends up to your brows, into the bridge of your nose, and goes down toward your cheekbones. The shape will be different for every face, so don't worry if it doesn't look like any of the inspiration pictures or the ones of me!
  5. Fill in the shape with the brown eyeshadow. You do not need to place any of this colour on your lid because we will be placing black cream over it.
  6. Using a black cream pencil or eyeliner, fill in your lid and trace a thick line beneath your eye. This can be haphazard and messy.
  7. Smudge the black as much as possible. The shape should be inexact, so don't worry too much about where the colour is going.
  8. Set the pencil with a black eyeshadow.
  9. Rim your waterline and lash lines with a black eyeliner.
  10. Using your black pencil, sketch out a curve beneath the inside corner of your brow down the sides of your nose. Blend with your finger. (Alternately, you can use a black shadow but be sure to use the colour sparingly on a brush so it doesn't spread everywhere.)
  11. Take a black eyeshadow and fill in your brows. The brow shape is meant to be slightly thin with a curved arch, not a pointed one, and the brow should extend quite far down.
  12. Using a deep bronzer or the same brown eyeshadow as before and a big brush, contour beneath your cheekbones. The easiest way to do this is suck in your cheeks as though you're making a fish face and fill in the hollows. I did this quite a bit lighter than the inspiration photos because I was using my finger since the eyeshadow pan was tiny, but you can go wild with the colour as long as you blend it out.
  13. Blend a deep brown-pink or plum blush onto the cheekbones and bring it up toward the hairline at the temples. You can also load the colour one far more intensely than I've done here because I was using a sparkly eyeshadow in a palette with my finger.
  14. Fill in your lips with a deep burgundy lipstick. The inspiration photos have a burgundy that is far more brown than the colour I used because I unfortunately don't own any lip colours that are brown-toned.
  15. Mix a light coloured lip gloss with a white eyeshadow and pat that on top of your cheekbones. This will give that radiant finish as seen in the inspiration photos.

BROWS
Sugarpill pressed eyeshadow in Bulletproof (deep matte black)

EYES
Around eye socket - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Smog (deep coppery bronze)
Under eyes - Oslo Cosmetics eyeshadow in Voltanis (tapped over Smog)
Lid - Ulta Eye Crayon in Black Tie + Sugarpill pressed eyeshadow in Bulletproof (deep matte black)
Lash lines + waterline - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion (matte blackest black)

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in 1.0
Benefit Fake Up concealer in 01 Light
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01 Light
Contour - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Smog (deep coppery bronze)
Blush - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Last Call (metallic sugar plum)
Highlight - Smashbox O-Gloss Gold + Urban Decay eyeshadow in Polyester Bride (white snow shimmer with silver micro-glitter)

LIPS
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Black Dahlia (blackest blackened red)
Wet N' Wild Fantasy Makers lipstick in Black

27 October 2013

halloween looks - broken doll tutorial

Wow, it's been a week since my last post. I've been lacking in inspiration and focus as of late, but I just discovered a desire to try special effects makeup and I went full out with recreating my look from last Halloween.

Ta-da! This was my last-minute costume that I wore to my a cappella group's rehearsal. I had my hair in tight ringlets and only managed to curl about 2/3s of my hair before we had to go and I was already late... And it still took me two hours to do the hair alone. I wore a dress I bought at Hot Topic, ripped nylons, and round-toed black heels. I think it worked well for something I slapped together.

There are a few changes I made this time around: I filled in my eyebrows to mimic a more rounded shape, I didn't bother curling my hair with a 1/2" iron, and I chose a lighter lip colour.

Pre-broken doll...

My hair takes too long to curl regardless of what I do to it, but I think this was worth it. If you want to try this for Halloween, you don't even need to curl your hair! You can just put your hair into pigtails of your choice, but I was going for a very made up doll look. The tutorial follows the next picture and if anyone needs a detailed description and/or photo for a particular step, please don't hesitate to ask.



  1. Prime your face. I'm using Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre because it's wonderful and my skin needs the extra moisture, but you can use a normal foundation primer if you'd prefer. (If you want to go all out and use circle contacts, put those in now before you start your makeup!)
  2. Using a foundation brush, cover your face with a foundation that is one shade lighter than your skin tone. You can forgo the lighter foundation if you don't have it, of course, but they don't call them porcelain dolls for nothing.
  3. Conceal as needed. I have a lot of redness in my cheeks, so I focused on that and on the dark spots around my face. Dolls have completely flawless skin, so aim for that. You can also use a full-coverage foundation so you don't need to do as much concealing!
  4. After applying eye primer, use a matte shadow that is close to the colour of your skin on each eyelid. You don't need to be precise with this--it's mostly to help the rest of the eyeshadow blend more easily. (Here's the fun part: you don't need to stick to the eyeshadow look I've done here! As long as you keep it simple, anything goes. If you want to use a light blue eyeshadow, go for it. Use a green, if you'd prefer!)
  5. Using a matte shadow that is a few shades darker than your skintone, work the colour into the crease of your eye. Make sure to blend blend blend! When you're done with this, use the same shade and contour slightly around your nose. You want to connect the inner corner of your brow to your nose and then draw a straight line down, and then shade the tip of your nose to get the dainty doll look. Make sure to blend out all the harsh lines. (I forgot to do this here, but you can also brush the shadow below your bottom lip to make your lips appear fuller. Add a little white pencil on your cupid's bow, too!)
  6. Take a matte black shadow and work that into the crease over the nude shadow. This is mainly to provide definition that will emphasise the doll lashes you'll be putting on later.
  7. Fill in your eyebrows! Mine are naturally thick so I didn't want to work against that. Dolls tend to have thin eyebrows so if you have thin brows or your brows are light, try playing around with changing the shape of your brows! Aim for a soft, rounded shape with no discernible arch.
  8. Line the waterline and just under your eye with a white pencil. You're shooting for big eyes, and this will work in your favour.
  9. Line your upper lash line with a black pencil. This will give you a place to hide the false lashes.
  10. Draw a dashed line with your black pencil below where you've used the white pencil on your lower lash line.
  11. Curl your lashes and add a coat or two of mascara. Now for the fun part: glue on those falsies! Thickness is not what you're aiming for--you want a pair of long, fluttery lashes.
  12. Using a red blush or shadow, go wild with colour on your cheeks. I used an eyeshadow with a sightly heavy hand. Focus the colour on the apples of your cheek and don't be afraid to make the colour bold.
  13. Take a taupe or brown pencil and dot some fake freckles on over the cheeks and the bridge of your nose. You don't want these to look too perfectly spaced, but aim for clean dots.
  14. Take a pink lipstick (or lip product of your choice) and fill in your lips. Don't be afraid to exaggerate the look and work out of your lip line! Dolls have naturally pouty lips so you can focus on the bottom lip and not apply anything at the corners of your mouth. If you have very pigmented lips, you might want to put a little concealer into the corners with a concealer brush.
  15. Place a bit of a light pink gloss on the center of your bottom lip.
  16. Time to make yourself as creepy as possible! Take a sharp black pencil and lightly begin to trace where you want the cracks and chips to go. Don't make these lines too harsh at first and don't think too hard about what you're doing with the lines. Make them haphazard! You can outline large pieces that will be missing.
  17. Fill in the large broken pieces. Use the pencil with a heavy hand to fill in the outlines to make them appear more multi-dimensional.
  18. If you're going out, you can possibly set your face with a translucent powder. However, the black pencil might prove difficult. Test it before you go out, and if that doesn't work, a setting spray will help tremendously.
  19. Keep reminding yourself not to touch your face. If you look at the first photo in this post, you can see that the eyeliner kept smudging because I have that bad habit of touching my face constantly. I'd also advise not to put a big missing chunk on your nose because that's likely where you're smudge things first.


BROWS
Sephora Brow Sculpting Pencil in Dark
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
Lid - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Foxy (very light yellow/white matte)
Crease - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Naked2 (taupe matte), Faint (warm, dusty brown matte) + Crave (deepest, darkest brown/black matte)
Upper lash line - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero (black)
Lower lash line - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Yeyo (metallic white) and Zero (black)
Lashes - Maybelline Volum' Express the Mega Plush mascara in Blackest Black
False lashes - Ardell lashes in #105 Black

FACE
Marc Jacobs Gel Genius Foundation in 10 Ivory Light
On cheeks - MAKE UP FOR EVER Full Cover Concealer in Pink Porcelain 1
Benefit Fake Up concealer in 01 Light
Under eyes - Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 15 Fair
Blush - Sugarpill pressed eyeshadow in @#$%! (vampy pearl red with silver metallic sheen)
Fake freckles - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Desperation (deep taupe to gray matte)
Broken patches - wet n wild coloricon eyeliner in black

LIPS
NYX Soft matte Lip Cream in Sao Paulo (plummy-pink)
NYX Butter Gloss in Merengue (pink lilac)


My mom told me that I'm creepy. I think that means this is a success.

19 October 2013

looks of the day - two looks inspired by lisa eldridge's videos!

So, after posting the last look inspired by one of Lisa Eldridge's looks, I saw her post about how she loved all of the photos that were being tagged #mylisalook and she set up a bit of a contest. (Look, my face is on her post!) It's been a few days but I just wasn't feeling like putting on makeup, especially with the cloudy weather over the past few days. But today, she posted a new video and I really wanted to try it! There's also a red eyeshadow video here that I just had to try because I'm all about the bright colours.


This look is very subtle but gorgeous for daily wear. I've been looking for every excuse to use the rms beauty lip2cheek in diabolique because I'm absolutely obsessed with it, and luckily it can be applied very sheerly for a nice berry tint to the lips. (Also, look at how I took this photo--I'm apparently in denial about my height despite the fact that I've been 5'3" for almost 8 years of my life...)

BROWS
Benefit Instant Brow Pencil in Deep
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
Lid - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Half Baked (golden bronze)
Inner corner - thebalm eyeshadow in Snobby (yellow with gold shimmer)
Lash lines - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero (black)
Lashes - Maybelline Volum' Express the Mega Plush mascara in Blackest Black

FACE
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè + Dr. Jart+ V7 Beauty Balm
Under eyes- Maybelline Fit Me concealer in 15 Fair
Benefit Fake Up concealer in 01 light
COVER FX Cream Concealer in N Extra Light
Contour - Maybelline Fit Me stick foundation in 235
Highlight - Benefit high beam
bareMinerals blush in t.t.y.l. (sheer poppy pink)

LIPS
rms beauty lip2cheek in diabolique (dark burgundy)

Since this was subtle, I was able to take it off with relative ease and put on the next look. Red eyeshadow is possibly one of my favourite things in the world but wearing it on a normal basis tends to earn you strange looks. Believe me, I've worn it a few times to class and people don't know what to say most of the time.


My glasses just make my eyes look even more misshapen. I've come to realise that I actually like a strong eye with a strong lip on me. I tend to think that with a nude lip, I actually look quite washed out because I'm so pale. So here's the look with some pink-red lips!

BROWS
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
Sugarpill pressed eyeshadow in @#$%! (vampy pearl red with silver metallic sheen)
Liner - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion (matte blackest black), Maybelline Line Stiletto Ultimate Precision Liquid Eyeliner in Blackest Black
Lashes - Maybelline Volum' Express the Mega Plush mascara in Blackest Black

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in 1.0
Benefit Fake Up concealer in 01 Light
NYX powder blush in Desert Rose (matte burgundy-pink)

LIPS
fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15
Sephora Rouge Cream Lipstick in The Red 04 (classic bright red)


I was going to do a third look, probably something for Halloween, but my eyeliner and my makeup remover wipe got into a catastrophic fight and I almost lost my eyeballs because of it. The skin around my eyes? Already a casualty. There was a great burning sensation as I was trying to take off all the black liner so I decided it was best to not do anything else!

17 October 2013

review - oslo cosmetics

As previously mentioned in this post, I ordered a blogger pack from Oslo Cosmetics, a new indie makeup brand. Joyce, the owner, is lovely and very prompt about sending everything out, and she's always welcome to customer feedback. I was dying to try their shadows because there are so many gorgeous colours.

Their loose eyeshadow is different from most brands. It's stickier than traditional loose eyeshadows. For those of you with sensitive noses, there is a bit of a scent to them--I don't know why, but I think they smell a little bit like stale cardboard. But it's a minor issue that doesn't affect my opinion on them.


They may look like they don't have much product in them due to the density of the formula, but trust me, a little goes a long way!


From left to right, we have Colossus: Carinae, Dark Days: Ara, Starlight: Grus, and Starlight: Serpens. Sidenote: can camera companies consider making lefthanded cameras? Because I am suffering over here. I made swatches on my right arm and then realised that I had to hold the camera with my right arm in order to actually see what I was doing. So I apologise that these swatches are out of focus... Holding the camera in my left hand was tedious! I wish someone took a picture of me during this process because it was absolutely bizarre. The following photos of the shadows themselves are also kind of haphazard in their size. I'm trying to get used to using my dad's 35mm camera, but it's a steep learning curve!

Let's start with the shadows!

Colossus: Carinae

Oslo Cosmetics' description:
Beautiful, shimmery/metallic peach-pink, with light green/gold shift.

As much as I love colour, I'll always gravitate toward peach-pinks that have hints of gold in them. They look amazing on everyone and this is no exception. It's perfect for everyday looks or to blend out warm shades. I didn't notice much of a green shift, but the gold was enough to sell it to me.

Dark Days: Ara

Oslo Cosmetics' description:
Dark, sultry shimmery brassy red.

For some reason, my photographs just aren't capturing the gorgeous red tones in this shadow and they always look brown. It's a deep red-brown and it would look wonderful in a smokey eye. (Sidenote: don't be afraid of reds in eyeshadows!)

Starlight: Grus

Oslo Cosmetics' description:
Bright, rich sapphire blue with duochrome blue glitter.

This is SUCH a gorgeous blue. The glitter can make it a little difficult to blend, but if you apply a thin layer of loose powder over your lid before you put on eyeshadow, it'll make everything much easier. I can't get over how wonderful this is for autumn because it's metallic and so bright.

Starlight: Serpens

Oslo Cosmetics' description:
Flashy, bright indigo-blue-violet, with mystic duochrome glitter.

This shade was much more on the dark blue/indigo side for me and I wish it had been a little more violet like the photo on the website. The glitter also made this one the hardest to apply evenly and it was the only shade that disappointed me.

Overall, I really liked how these applied. I tested Grus over primer on one eye and with no primer on the other, applied with my finger. The website suggests using a sticky primer like its eye primer wand or a velvet cream base, but since I didn't order one of those, I just used a silicone-based eyeshadow primer. Without primer, it only lasted three hours before it started to crease and after six hours, it was completely gone. The website doesn't make any claims about the shadows being long-lasting, so this was more for my own sake than anything else. With primer, it lasted about seven hours before there was any noticeable creasing.

I then tested the shades all together in a sloppy look that was slapped together before having to run errands, so no photos of that, unfortunately. This time, I applied the shadows with a brush and I think it made the application a lot smoother. I would definitely recommend using a brush because that way the oils in your fingers don't mess with the formula of the shadows and make them harder to blend out. With primer, they lasted 8 hours before creasing.

The shadows come in a variety of colours and there's even a Game of Thrones collection coming in November. If you're looking for an indie brand to try, Oslo Cosmetics may be for you!

14 October 2013

look of the day - autumn trends

I originally wanted to make another Halloween look today, specifically a monkey look, but I ended up helping my mom in the kitchen for over two hours and all the pictures I Googled for inspiration did nothing. The really good ones required prosthetics (or liquid latex, at the very least, and I don't have any of that lying around!) and the others just weren't cutting it. So instead, I did a look with some of the products I mentioned in this post about my favourites for fall.


When you've worn glasses for 17 of your 22 years of life and then start taking photos without them on, you realise the harsh truth: dark circles exist. My glasses have covered them for my entire life--either them or their shadow, and now I take photos and remain bewildered when I look like I haven't slept in weeks.


I had a lot of fun with this look regardless. I wanted to put a little sparkle in my brows and originally intended to use Sugarpill's Goldilux, but I found the Shiro shadow and thought that it would be slightly more subtle. Besides, I intend to attempt a gold brow look like Dior's during S/S 14 fashion week.

Also, go out and get RMS Beauty's lip2cheek in Diabolique right now. It's limited edition but it's so perfect for fall that I now own two in case they don't make it permanent like so many people are begging for them to do. I used the slightest bit on my cheeks and it made for such a pretty flush.

BROWS
Urban Decay eyeshadow in Hustle (mocha shimmer)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite
Shiro Cosmetics loose eyeshadow in Nic Cage Raking Leaves on a Brisk October Afternoon (coffee brown-black with gold and red sparkles)

EYES
Inner lid - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Half Baked (golden bronze)
Outer lid -  Urban Decay eyeshadow in Smog (golden brown shimmer)
Crease + lower lash line - Makeup Geek pigment in Enchanted (light plum shimmer)
Upper waterline - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion (matte deepest black)
Inner corner - NYX Slide On Liner in Glitzy Gold (pure gold)

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup in 1.0 (very fair bisque, soft warm undertones)
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01
rms beauty lip2cheek in diabolique (dark burgundy)

LIPS
rms beauty lip2cheek in diabolique (dark burgundy)