Year: 2013

Drugstore Finds: Wet n Wild Eyeshadows in Nutty and Penny

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Here are two of my favorite drugstore finds, the Wet n Wild Single Eyeshadows in Nutty and Penny. Notorious for being MAC dupes for Satin Taupe and Expensive Pink respectively, both shadows perform very well on their own, too. Nutty is a somewhat frosty taupe, a beautiful in-between brown and grey shade. It is quite cool in my eyes, though I have trouble estimating color temperature. Penny is quite a pretty golden-pink shadow. It has a coral pink base and shifts golden, depending on the light. The complexity of both shadows are more evident in a 3D setting; in other words, on the eye than as a swatch. I used Nutty all over the eye in the following look: I think it’s quite a pretty neutral that adds the right amount of depth and textural dimension to the eye. I don’t think it’s an exact dupe of MAC’s Satin Taupe, but it’s close enough: On the left pair of swatches, Satin Taupe sits on the left of Nutty. Penny is a bit more exciting, I …

shu uemura Glow On Blush in Soft Mauve 225

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Here’s a tricky little bugger. I bought the shu uemura Glow On Blush in Soft Mauve 225 after seeing it on a beautiful blogger, who sang it praises and I WANTED THAT GLOW. I wanted it! Unfortunately, I forgot to take into account the difference in our skintones, hers being quite pale. I am not pale. So. There. I had such a big problem with this blush, because it was so light and didn’t want to show up, no matter what I did. Enter, the Illamasqua Blush-Up Brush: It’s a dense, stiff brush that is just perfect for people like me who insist on wearing too-light colors. Ta-da! Aaaand here is a very heavy swatch: Soft Mauve 225 is a really pale lavender and it looked to be like the impossible dream. I don’t get a “true-to-pan” color on my cheeks, obviously, but I like the effect it lends. I’ve yet to try it under a cream, neutral base, but I’ve worn this mixed with other blushes, to great results. The blush itself is a …

Made-Up History: Robert Rauschenberg’s “Bed,” 1955

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One of my favorite artists is Robert Rauschenberg. The first Rauschenberg that I consciously “saw” was “Bed,” which was on display at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. It appealed to me in a very visceral and decidedly aesthetic way. I couldn’t explain why I liked it; I just did. “Bed” is a combine which is what Rauschenberg called pieces he made where he brought together the concepts of a found object and a painting (or a flat, wall-bound work). Rauschenberg worked as a costume and stage designer between 1955-1964, which may have had an influence over his work and use of materials. In this particular combine, he used an actual bed or beddings—rumored to be his own—and made it his canvas. This sets it apart from the traditional understanding of a painting or a sculpture. He also makes use of the “paint drip,” which at the time was sort of symbolic of Abstract Expressionism, a movement based on the artist’s subjective experience and arguably popularized and embodied in the world’s …

Drugstore Finds: Soap & Glory’s Sexy Motherpucker

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The Sexy Motherpucker is a gloss crayon by Soap & Glory. I was able to get my hands on three shades. Since the formulation is so sheer, it’s a little hard to describe the shades, so I’ll go by their names: Nudist, Fuschiaristic, and Plum Jam. These swatches aren’t very helpful either, huh? As swatches, they don’t look like they differ very much. Just random variations of the same nude gloss. On the lips, however, there is a significant difference. At least, in my mind: Each shade lends a different mood to the face. I think they’re actually arranged from most favorite to least. We’ll see, but I usually don’t like a lot of warmth in my lip color. Who knows why. These are different from your usual crayon, because it’s a gloss and not a matte lip color, or a stain or a balm. If I’m not mistaken, NARS also has a gloss lip pencil, but I haven’t tried those so I can’t compare. The Sexy Motherpucker is easy on the lips! Very comfortable …

Stash Shopping No. 1

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In line with trying to curb my appetite for shiny new things, I’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon and “shop my stash.” Each week (or so), I’ll pick out a few items in my collection that I want to revisit and use. Here’s what I picked out for my first week: EYESHADOW — shu uemura eyeshadow in ME medium brown 885: it’s a forever staple and perhaps my favorite single neutral eyeshadow ever. — shu uemura x Karl Lagerfeld Prestigious Bordeaux Palette: great neutrals and punches of color and textures. — Make Up Store Microshadow in Monty: pretty taupe that I should use more often. OTHER EYE STUFF — Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliners in Taupe, Black and Nude: new things that I want to test out. Watch out for a Manila-weather-based review! — Benefit Lemon Aid: eye base I’m trying to use up; part of my Project 10 Pan — Majolica Majorca Lash King Mascara: mascara I’m trying to use up! BLUSH — The Body Shop x Lily Cole Lip & Cheek Dome in Crazy …

Quickie: Addiction by Ayako Cheek Stick in Suspicious

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Ah, the last Cheek Stick I have in my possession—Suspicious. This Cheek Stick is not like the rest. It’s a little bit on the dry side and can take a bit if work to blend out. Still, it’s a gorgeous one to have if you sometimes like to have a deeper flush on the cheeks, with a but if a contour thrown in. Like most of the Cheek Sticks I own, it has no glitter or shimmer; Suspicious is just a delicious deep burgundy red. For the initiated, Cheek Sticks are multi-purpose products that you can use on your cheeks, lips, and eyes. I only like them on my cheeks, but for that purpose alone, they are amazing products. On the face, it’s not so severe-looking and you can definitely wear it out without drawing too much unwanted attention, though I find that it is also great for drama if that’s something you might be looking for. Because of the drier texture, I wouldn’t use it on my lips except over a heavy layer of …

Quickie: Make Up Store Brush Soap

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I love this stuff. I have been using a facial cleanser for the past few months, but when I ran out of that, I made it a point to give the Make Up Store Brush Soap a shot because I heard somewhere that it was good. Holy crap. This is great. It’s a bit pricey but you only need to swipe your damp brush once or twice on the soap and it works up a pleasant lather that gets rid of all of the makeup. I actually kind of really like the smell, which is sort of a generic soap smell, kind of medicinal… if that makes sense. Like part of an apothecary, but it’s not very herb-y. I don’t know what I am typing, but I like the smell. It comes in a sleek, plastic case that keeps it from melting, which results in less waste. It also rinses out fairly easily, and provides decent conditioning to my brushes. It’s going to be a while before I use the bar I have up, but …