Thursday, December 30, 2010

MAC's Style Curve

It should be pretty clear by now that I'm obsessed with purple lip colors. Purple is not only my favorite color, but it's one of the very few colors that almost always looks good on me. I'm not really a MAC person, but I saw "Style Curve" on their website the other day and yesterday I just happened to be in the mall of a neighboring town that has a MAC counter. There isn't one in my mall, along with many other things. It comes with living in a small town. Anyway, I did a little swatch on my skin and even though it was more pink than purple, I liked it a lot so I went ahead and got it. See how it looks very purple in the tube but more pink on the lips? Either way, it's gorgeous. Believe it or not, this is actually my first MAC lipstick. I have a lipglass, but that's it. I just think it's over-rated and over-priced. However, I'm always willing to make exceptions for certain things.

I put this quick look together so that I could do some full-face shots with the lipstick. hai.
On my eyes I'm wearing Persephone Minerals "Princess Jupiter" (lid) and "Princess Mercury (crease). No primer, so they don't look as good as they could. Don't ever skip primer, the makeup gods will surely punish you. I love these two colors together. They brighten up your eyes so nicely.
I wouldn't really call Style Curve purple (same deal with LC's Airborne Unicorn), but it's very pretty. It's more of a fuchsia. It came from a collection that MAC just came out with and I honestly can't remember what it is. I do know that there are 3 other lipsticks (as well as other products) in bright red, pink, and orange. They definitely could have made this more purple since they already have a pink, but it's a great color nonetheless. OK, I think I've said that enough times now. :D

Have a lovely evening!

Persephone Minerals Sailor Senshi Mars and Jupiter Swatches

You know you like my visuals. :)
After being so impressed with the Sailor Mercury and Sailor Venus sets(see my review and swatches here), I decided to place another order from Persephone Minerals for Mars and Jupiter. I got the full size set of Mars with the free sample set of Jupiter. It's kind of cool that it worked out that way because as a kid Jupiter was always my favorite, and Mars is my favorite now. I know, I'm super cool.


In just the short amount of time between now and the last time I ordered, the packaging has improved. The full size jars now have a nice shiny silver label and the names are printed on the bottom instead of hand written like before.

Jupiter:Please excuse my messy swatches. I'm left handed but have to swatch with my right hand in order to get a good picture so sometimes it's not as pretty as it could be. Anyway, I'm in love with "Princess Jupiter." It's the perfect minty green color. I also love Sailor Jupiter, it's just like her uniform: medium green with noticeable pink sparkles. This collection was the one I was the least excited about, mainly because I don't wear greens much for some reason, but I really love it. I can already tell Princess Jupiter is going to get used up.

Mars:If you love red eyeshadow, you NEED this set. Mars Crystal Power is AMAZING (just like all of the "crystal powers," I've found) and Mars Flame Sniper is so sparkly it almost hurts my eyes. I wouldn't say Princess Mars is a light red, but it's definitely a soft red if that makes any sense. Rei is a gorgeous crease color. That's actually the one I've used the most so far. I can't wait to play around with these more.

I've noticed that all of these sets follow the same pattern. The ones named after their actual names (Rei, Makoto, Ami, Minako) are inspired by their hair colors. The ones named after their sailor names, like Sailor Mars, are inspired by the colors of their outfits. The "Princess" ones are soft, light versions of the theme colors, and the ones named after their special attacks are very sparkly and intense. The "Crystal Power" ones are all AMAZING duo chromes. If you don't get any other colors from these sets, I highly recommend all the "Crystal Power" shades. I wear Mercury Crystal Power ALL THE TIME, it's one of my favorite eye shadows ever.

What do you guys think? Have you tried Persephone yet or plan on it? I'm hoping to try out some of her other collections, the "Exotic Dance" one looks so pretty!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Perplexed!

So, I won my first giveaway the other day! I've entered probably about a million, but I finally won something. Revlon's "Perplex." I got it from The Peach over at Just Peachy. Everyone should go follow her now, she's a total sweetheart. Here's what it looks like:
I'm not really sure how to describe this color. It's definitely purple, but it's sort of..smokey taupe/gray/purple but with a subtle violet shimmer. It's hard to describe but it's gorgeous! It only takes 2 coats for it to be completely opaque. After I found out I won this, I looked for it whenever I was in stores that sell Revlon, just to see. Nope. I never saw it anywhere. Apparently it's supposed to be an exact dupe for Chanel's "Paradoxal" and judging from the pictures I've seen (because I'm not paying $23 so I can compare), it is. Thanks, Jill! :D

I also received my Hautelook package. Kevyn Aucoin products were featured recently and one particular lip gloss caught my eye. It's called "Alurabliss."Calm down, it's totally sheer. I'm actually a little disappointed at how sheer it is. I wasn't expecting neon blue or anything, but a little blue tint would have been nice for layering. The blue sparkles are very subtle but lovely, though. It smells sort of like..Smartees? Pixie Stix? I can't put my finger on it but it's definitely a subtle candy smell. This stuff retails for $27 and I got it for $9. Thanks, Hautelook, sometimes you're useful! I can't wait to try this over red lipstick.

Have a lovely evening! :)

Monday, December 27, 2010

EOTD using WnW Lust Palette

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything. My excuse is nothing interesting, just been busy/lazy (yes, both) because of Christmas. I've done lots of pretty looks, I just never seem to have time to take a picture before I have to run out the door. Today, though, I was able to. I only used colors from the Wet n Wild "Lust" palette. I LOVE this thing. They don't have names, so bare with me on the descriptions, but I really like how this turned out.


Eyes:
-Too Faced Shadow Insurance
All from Lust palette:
-gunmetal color all over main lid
-pale cream/peach blended from crease up to brow
-deep matte purple and dark sparkly purple in outer crease and lower lashline
-grape-y matte purple blended into edges of crease colors
-pale pink/purple on browbone
-Kat Von D black tattoo liner on upper lashline
-Maybelline black eyeliner on waterline
-Wet n Wild lengthening mascara (LOVE THIS STUFF.)

I got my mom two China Glaze nail polishes for part of her Christmas present("Rainbow" and "Heaven") and they were buy 2 get 1 free so I got "Midnight Kiss" for myself. I'm in love with this color. It's gold, but it's pale, almost champagne. It's very shimmery. It is completely opaque in 2 coats, but this is 3 because I wanted it to last a while.Pretty, right? I wore that ridiculous "Party Hearty" color on my nails all through December, but this is what was on my nails on Christmas. I wanted to keep it classy :)

Just so everyone knows, I have not forgotten about the giveaway I promised. There are a couple reasons why I haven't posted it yet. First, I wanted to wait until after the holidays were over just to get all of that out of the way. Second, I don't have all the prizes gathered yet. I have a China Glaze nail polish, a mascara (the one I used in this EOTD, new and unopened of course) and a full-sized Aromaleigh eyeshadow. I'm thinking of getting some mini jars from Fyrinnae for this but I'm not sure which colors to get. Help me out. They're for you guys, after all. :)

Have a lovely evening!

Monday, December 20, 2010

New Morgana Cryptoria Lipstick Swatches

During Black Friday weekend, Morgana Cryptoria had some really awesome sales going on. For the first hour of the sale, her new pastel lipsticks were only $5! Normally they are $9 each. I jumped right on that and also got two other lipsticks I'd been eying. I won't lie, I just got these in today, but I couldn't wait. Especially for the pastels.

I know lip swatches always seem kind of awkward(especially since I have a hideous chipped tooth that I NEVER notice until I see pictures of myself), but I think swatching them on your hand is less effective for showing what they look like so I did it anyway.

Sangria:I will probably wear this a lot. It looks quite a bit brighter in this photo than it actually is, though. That's not a bad thing, it's a really "wearable" color and I can see it working well for lots of different skin tones.

Wisteria:I LOVE this. Pearly pale pale lilac. It's surprisingly subtle, and really frosty. This looks great on it's own, and I bet it would be good for layering. It's not as purple as I thought it would be, but it's still nice. This is one of the brand new pastel colors from Morgana.

Icy Mint:OK, I have absolutely no idea when I'll be able to wear this, but I couldn't resist! Look at that awesome color! It actually smells and feels minty too. I'm going to have to think of a neat way to use this for a photoshoot.

Otherworldly:Last but not least. This is my FAVORITE of the bunch. THIS, my friends, is the cool-toned purple I've been looking for. Get ready to see this on me A LOT.

As with all the Morgana lipsticks, these are very firm in the tube, but smoooooooooth on your lips. I love the packaging for the pastels, because you can see the color in the bottom since the tubes are clear.
Has anyone else tried the pastel lipsticks yet? Or Morgana lipsticks in general? Otherworldy is my new favorite!

Have a lovely afternoon/evening! :D

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

A Ridiculously Bright EOTD

Ever have those days where it's 1am, you're bored, WoW realms are down, and you feel like playing in makeup? This is what came from one of those times for me, which is why it looks a little sloppy. I only did one eye, which is why there are no full face pictures. I also didn't put on any mascara because I hate wearing it since it's a pain to remove. It didn't seem worth it since I wasn't going anywhere. Even though I love bright colors, I rarely wear looks that are this neon. I should though, it really is more my style.


What I Used:
-NYX jumbo eye pencil in "Milk" smudged out all over the lid
-Sugarpill "Poison Plum" on crease and lower lashline
-Sugarpill "Dollipop" on outer half of lid
-Sugarpill "Flamepoint" on the inner half of the lid
-Sugarpill "Buttercupcake" on inner corner and blended above the whole shape
-Sugarpill "Tako" on browbone
-Kat Von D black tattoo liner

I wanted to use all the warm colors from Sugarpill's pressed shadows. I like how this turned out, it's very sunset-y. OH, and good news. Remember how yesterday I was all sad because I couldn't find the WnW Snow Sprite palette? Well, I must have had a snow sprite on my shoulder yesterday because I found one! It was a good day :)

In other news, I have over 100 followers now! Yay! I can't believe I've gotten that many in such a short time. I will definitely be doing a giveaway after the holidays. Any suggestions for what I should include? All I have right now is WnW mascara and a China Glaze nail polish, and will probably include some of my jewelry.

Have a lovely evening!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Wet n' Wild Color Icon Palettes Lust and Greed Swatches

Ever since the Wet n Wild holiday palettes came out (and every next person was raving about them) I was interested. The holiday palette that I really wanted was Snow Sprite, but I never could find it. I did find a display in my Walgreens but at the time all they had was one Night Elf. I went back the other day so see if maybe, just maybe, they got some more in, but they didn't even have the display up anymore. I was really bummed out, but hey, Aijuswhanakno is having a giveaway for these, so not all hope is lost! Anyway, while I was there I picked up a couple of their other palettes to make myself feel better.
First I would like to mention that obviously I have no need for two of the same mascara, which is why it will be included in my 100 followers giveaway. :) The one to the left is "Greed" and the one to the right is "Lust." I swatched them in the same order that they appear on the palette.
Greed:The one on the very top left is the same exact color as my skin, which is why it doesn't show up. The gray one kind of disappointed me, I thought it looked more lavender in the pan. The rest, though, I think look great. I love the bottom two (the matte black surprised me) and the 2nd one on the middle row is a really pretty shimmery salmon color. I can tell my mom is going to be stealing this palette from me a lot.

Lust:I wasn't really disappointed by any of these. They're all really pigmented and smooth. I would like to especially rave about the 2nd one on the middle row (again). It's pretty much the perfect gunmetal color. This one is organized pretty much so that the three on the left are matte and the three on the right are shimmery/sparkly. I'm really loving this one, and not just because of the purples.

On another note, I got my Sugarpill Black Friday (Pink Weekend) stuff in and um, how come no one told me they give samples now? Check it out: Only Sugarpill could even make their sample packaging awesome.

Have a lovely day! :D

Monday, December 13, 2010

Festive Green and Silver LOTD

In my last post I mentioned I had been pretty uninspired lately and asked for some color combination suggestions (since my mom picking out colors for me made it so easy). I only got two suggestions (thanks, Serena! :D) and one of them was green and silver. I just got my Sugarpill Black Friday order today and one of the colors I got was Tiara. Perfect timing, amirite? Anyway, this is what I came up with. I used all Sugarpill.

Man I suck at doing cut creases. This is why I never do them haha

Face:
-Hard Candy tinted moisturizer in "Light" (new stuff, I'll let you know what I think later)
-Hard Candy blush in "Pin-up" (also new)

Eyes:
-NYX jumbo eye pencil in "Milk" smudged out all over the lid
-Sugarpill "Tiara" applied wet all over main lid
-Sugarpill "Midori" directly in crease
-Sugarpill "Darling" blended up above Midori
-Sugarpill "Lumi" on browbone
-"Milk" again in the waterline and lower lashline
-Kat Von D black tattoo liner on upper lashline
-Wet n Wild mascara (can't remember what it's called specifically)

Lips:
-Avon lipstick in "Sparkling Peach"

I think this look would be so cute for a Christmas party. It's not TOO tacky or in-your-face, but it's definitely festive.

This is what's on my nails:China Glaze "Jolly Holly" with "Party Hearty" on top. Now, I'll admit, THIS is in-your-face Christmasy. I love it, though! It doesn't photograph very well, but it's really pretty. It looks great layered on top of all sorts of colors. I've tried it on top of dark red and seen it over silver and gold. I'm not normally a fan of chunky glitter polishes, but I had to have this one.

Anyway, keep your color combo suggestions coming, and have a lovely evening! :)

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Smoky Purple Look Using Fyrinnae and Aromaleigh

I'm slowly but surely coming back to life. Exams are over so I can finally have a break. WHEW. It's been kind of a tough semester. I had a geology lab, 2 art history classes (don't underestimate them, they're as hard as any history class), and a psychology class. Then, during exam week, I had THREE of those exams all in one day. Needless to say, I'm pretty damn glad that's over.
Anyway, yesterday my outfit was totally black so I could have worn pretty much any color combination. I asked my mom to go through my stash and pick out some colors for me and she picked out Aromaleigh's "Lilac" from the Pure Eyes Frost collection, and Fyrinnae's Shinigami. I was expecting her to pick out some boring neutrals but she surprised me.


Eyes:
-TFSI
-Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
-Fyrinnae "Shinigami" in the crease
-Aromaleigh "Frutti di Bosco" outer 1/2 of lid and lower lashline
-Aromaleigh "Lilac" on main lid and blended up to brow bone
-NYX jumbo eye pencil in "Milk" on inner corners
-Kat Von D black tattoo liner pen on upper lashline
-Maybelline Unstoppable black eyeliner on the waterline
-Maybelline Falsies black mascara

Cheeks:
-Clinique "Smoldering Plum"

Lips:
-NYX lipliner in "Pinky"
-Lime Crime "Airborne Unicorn" (I know you guys hate me for it but this is seriously one of my new favorite lipsticks)

Having my mom pick out colors for me was fun. It made it easy for me to come up with a look. If anyone has any color combinations you'd like to suggest for me, let me know! The weirder the better. I've been sort of uninspired lately, so hopefully that will help.

Have a lovely evening!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

My Simple Burlesque LOTD

I went to see Burlesque the other night. I was so excited about it because I really love the Burlesque style and I would become lesbian for Christina Aguilera. It started out promising, but I thought the storyline was really lame. I don't know why I was expecting something profound, but I was a bit let down. It wasn't a total loss, though. The make up and costumes were AMAZING. It definitely inspired me to do some looks. This one is more simple/wearable IMO, but I probably will do another one that is a little more intense.


Face:
-Meow Cosmetics concealer in Frisky Persian/Frisky Himalayan
-Covergirl "Clean" liquid foundation
-Clinique Blush in "Smoldering Plum"
-Meow Cosmetics powder foundation in Frisky Persian (to set it all)

Eyes:
-TFSI
-Shiro Cosmetics "Meowth" all over main lid
-Aromaleigh "Teddy Wisp" in crease
-more Meowth on brow bone
-Kat Von D tattoo liner on upper lash line, winged out
-Rimmel white eyeliner on waterline
-Maybelline Falsies black mascara

Lips:
-NYX lip liner in "Burgundy"
-Morgana Cryptoria lipstick in "Very Cherry"

I really like how this turned out, it makes my eyes look really big. I would wear this out on a normal night, but it may be a bit much for some people.
Anyone else go see Burlesque? What'd you think? I give it a B-

Have a lovely Sunday! :)

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Latherati Soap Foundry Review

A couple of weeks ago I placed an order with Latherati, a soap/perfume/lip balm etc. etc. company on Etsy. All of their scents are inspired by classic books, which I think is really cool. I bought a couple of things for myself and a couple of things for my mom, whose birthday is coming up.
I received my order within days, so shipping was really quick and reasonably priced. As you can see, everything was wrapped up really nicely and I received a free "Library" soap sample. Everything came in a white padded envelope.

"Secrets" Roll on perfume oil $5.00The inspiration for this scent is The Thirteenth Tale by Dianne Setterfield (I'll be honest, I haven't heard of it.) The description on etsy is:
"rich, hot cocoa mingled with lemon & ginger, intertwined with orange blossom and jasmine. The florals hit you first, then mellow to smooth chocolate."
I think this description is pretty spot on. This is one of those scents that you sit there and smell over and over to try and figure out what it is. You definitely smell the floral first, and then it's chocolate-y, though not overly sweet. I actually wouldn't describe this as a sweet scent at all. All I could think of when I was smelling it was "Chocolate flowers." I absolutely LOVE this, I've been wearing it every day since I got it.

"Curiouser" Roll on perfume $5.00The inspiration for this scent is Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. The description on the listing is:
"Sweet orange marmalade, white cake, tea and a hint of black pepper"
I was expecting a really light, sweet smell but that's not quite it. It's definitely sweet, but it's more of a rich sweet smell. When I've been wearing this one a while, you can no longer smell the orange marmalade, it's pretty much just a tea smell. I love this one as well. I wish all the notes lasted longer, but I don't mind reapplying. I keep this one in my purse at all times. Another winner.

"Sinister" Lip Glossary (hehe get it? GLOSSary?) $3.50The inspiration for this scent is Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked Comes This Way. The scent description is simply:
"Sweet cotton candy spiked with black licorice"
I could smell the black licorice first, then the cotton candy once I'd been wearing it a while. The formula reminds me of those "Soft Lips" lip balms, but not QUITE as slick. It has a very soft texture, and is quite moisturizing. I think this is a really great product, and the scent is really unique. It has no flavor, which I like because that way it stays on my lips and I'm not eating it off. I carry this in my purse at all times too.

*These next two are the things I bought for my mom. I haven't used them, so I can only comment on the scent.

"Avarice" Roll on perfume oil $5.00The inspiration for this one is Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. The scent description on the listing is:
"Warm cedarwood, patchouli and black pepper with hints of raspberry and a lush green forest"
My mom LOVES cedarwood and patchouli, which is why I got this for her. This isn't a scent I would pick out for myself, but it smells really nice. It's very forest-y, like the description says. I can't really smell any raspberry, but I definitely can smell the cedarwood and patchouli. If you like these kinds of scents, you'll love this one. It's very fresh.

"The Cobb" dry oil spray $8.00The inspiration: Persuasion by Jane Austen. The scent description on the listing is:
"A blend of marine, ozone & sea spray with whispers of jasmine, freesia, lily, citrus and wood grounded by the slightest hint of musk - very clean, fresh and invigorating!"
Again, this is not a scent I would get for myself but it's got my mom's name all over it. This is the definition of a "clean" scent. The flower scents are very subtle with a fresh, clean laundry smell. I can't comment on the dry oil spray formula, as I haven't used it. I will let you all know what my mom thinks of it, and I may steal it from her to try out.

I would definitely purchase from Latherati again. I was pleased with all the items I got, and since there are so many other scents, I can't wait to try some more! I'm curious about their soaps and lotions. I think their prices are very reasonable. $5.00 for a bottle of perfume oil is a STEAL.
Anyone else tried Latherati? If so, what scents do you recommend? Other than what I got I'm looking at Blossom, Gloom, and Sugar Bones (so Halloweeny!).

Have a lovely Saturday!