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bareminerals degrees of dazzling

One Week bareMinerals Degrees of Dazzling: 7 Looks

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I haven’t quite been able to keep up with my One Week series, mostly because I’ve been enjoying rotating my old and new products. I figured that I had to get around to using some of my sets and palettes that I haven’t been touching eventually. Here are a couple of looks that I came up with using my bareMinerals Degrees of Dazzling set (reviewed here). This came out last Christmas/holiday, so I don’t know if this is annoying that I’m posting about it. I don’t know, I pretty much believe that you can recreate most looks with whatever you have. (Which is probably a bit weird coming from a self-confessed hoarder, but you must admit that I do have a point.)

Ahem.

I picked this “palette” to work with because I wanted to explore and play a bit more with colors, and my goal is to use at least 3/4 or 15 of the 20 shades in this collection. Unlike my previous One Week series posts, I chose to go the full week and post 7 looks here. Enjoy!

DAY ONE, shades used: Iridescent Iris, Deep Sea, Velvet Nude
I did not hold back for the first day! I remembered to apply the shadows wet (I used MAC Fix+; sprayed on my brush, tapped the color on the lid and swirled the brush about, then applied) this time. And please ignore my upper lip. I think an insect bit me? Maybe?

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Iridescent Iris on the lid and inner 1/3 of lower lash line, Deep Sea on the outer 1/3 of the lid and outer 2/3 of lower lash line. Velvet Nude on the crease to blend everything out. Eyeliner’ed my eyes (hello uneven & mismatched folds) then mascara’d the upper and lower lash lines. Read More

Sample Stash Sunday: Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick Set

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I was going to publish this post next Sunday, but I figured it might be useful for people who wanted to get this set during the Sephora VIB sale this week.

OK, so I was eyeing Lovecraft from the new Kat Von D Studded Kiss range, but when I was about to buy it, I spotted a minis set with 9 shades that included Lovecraft, so I thought I’d give it a go. The Studded Kiss Lipstick range wasn’t really met with the best reviews—basically failing at their “an innovative lipstick that coats lips with bold color,10-hour wear, and luxe comfort” claims—so I’m not sure what possessed me to get this, but $39 for nine shades didn’t seem like a bad deal to me.

Here’s how much product you get when you extend the bullet:

Kat Von D - Studded Kiss Lipstick - Extended

Kat Von D - Studded Kiss Lipstick - Minis

The selection of shades is pretty decent, representing quite a good amount of shades of the range. From left to right: Countess (matte hot orange red), Agatha (matte pale peach nude), Adora (metallic golden red), Sexer (iridescent fluorescent pink), Wonderchilde (iridescent neon lilac), Bachelorette (matte reddish fuchsia), Mötorhead (matte black cherry), Lovecraft (matte mauve pink nude), Hexagram (matte blood red) Read More

Nailing it with Navy

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My relationship with nail polish oscillates so much between love and hate, we could probably star in a romcom. My small hands (short fingers!) with miniscule nails and nail polish are often a match made somewhere nasty. Call me babyfingers—ewwww. After much trial and error though, I figured out that a) I am not very adventurous when it comes to nail polish shades, b) but I won’t stand by a suckiness in formula, and c) the Seche Vite top coat is a godsend.

It is the turning point in my love-hate tale that finally turns it into a romance. Read More

Quickie: Sonia Kashuk Eye Palette in Precious Gems

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Sonia Kashuk was one of the drugstore brands I was most looking forward to trying when I went to the States. Unfortunately, none of the items I wanted to try out—except for the cream bronzer, which I decided I didn’t need more of—were in stock at the places I went to… so I picked this palette up instead, thinking it was a good move to stray away from my usual neutrals.

Sonia Kashuk Eye Palette - Precious Gems

Unfortunately (again), the Sonia Kashuk Precious Gems Eye Palette is not the best representation of the brand. The six-pan palette features jewel tones, of which the green was best performing, imparting color without much effort. I can’t say the same for the others. For the swatches below, I kind of mangled the palette and applied them on my arm really heavily. My palette now resembles an ice cube tray of colorful molten lava.

Sonia Kashuk Eye Palette - Precious Gems - Swatches
Swatched, L-R: Green, Blue, Red, Gold, Purple, Brown — these aren’t the color names, FYI. Read More

October Favorites

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I often add a space in my calendar to put in a “monthly favorites,” though I don’t always have “enough” products to show that would warrant an entire post. This is especially true for the month of October, most of which I spent in a different country. I do have a couple of skin favorites and mainstays that are similar to that of the last favorites post I did, but I hope you guys don’t mind if I also share some recent finds that I have been loving lately.

Oct-Favorites2

One Love Organics Brand New Day Scrub & Masque
This powder is to be mixed with water (to act as a scrub) or Greek yogurt/honey (to use as a mask). When I remember to use this—just about twice a week—my skin feels so refreshed and clean after. This will definitely be a mainstay in my routine. I just wish it were a bit easier for me to get.

La Roche-Posay Redermic R and Redermic R Eyes
This range is an anti-aging treatment that contains retinol, which has been really good for my skin, in my experience. I have only been using this for about a week and a half and I already see results in terms of my skin’s overall texture. I do think that the concentration of retinol in this might be a bit harsher than the one I’ve used before, so I’m limiting this to every other or every two nights. The eye corrector is to be used in the mornings and I quite like it, too.

Ellis Faas Skin Veil*
A recent favorite, but I hope it counts! I was surprised at this foundation because I wore it and didn’t even have to keep on checking to see if I was getting oily or greasy. My skin type is dry, but I live in a humid country, so I do look a bit oily at some point during the day. By the third check—with still no need to powder my nose!—I was impressed and stopped worrying about it altogether. Full review soon. Read More

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

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After hastily swatching the palette—running on a 5-minute before meeting back up with everyone deadline!—I went directly to the counter, patiently waiting to pay for this beauty. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette features 3 Ambient Lighting Blushes, one of which is limited edition and only available in this palette. I have big love for the Ambient Lighting range by Hourglass, so picking this up was kind of a no-brainer.

I resisted getting any of the blushes when they first came out, stubbornly insisting that they were nothing special and I could live without them. And then I caved and my best friend had to be my mule. I picked Diffused Heat and was blown away because it was just so stunning. The Ambient Lighting Blushes have pigment marbled into the famed Ambient Lighting Powders, aimed to create a “seamless, soft-focus, and multidimensional color.” Read More

Ellis Faas - Identity Revealed

Identity Revealed: a filmed triptych by Ellis Faas

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Earlier this week, I received an email about a new venture by Ellis Faas—a short film. I’ve always been intrigued by her, as she is one of the most successful makeup artists in the industry. Her line is also brilliant, and she began as a photographer.

Last Thursday, the former queen of the Netherlands Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix opened a new exhibition at De Nieuwe Kerk (which is an old church) in Amsterdam: “Magical Africa – Masks and Sculptures from Ivory Coast. The Artists Revealed”. For this exhibition, the curators commissioned a film by makeup artist/photographer/filmmaker Ellis Faas, asking Ellis to draw inspiration from the traditional masks from Ivory Coast.

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“Since ancient times, humans have been using masks – in order to express power and authority; to feel self-confident; to stand out or to hide behind; to not be recognised and disappear into the masses. Not only by traditional masks, but also by disguising and ornamental elements such as clothing, jewellery, hair and makeup. But can one truly change one’s identity, or is it merely a temporary transformation? And who or what defines someone’s true identity? Is it the mask, is it the human being behind the mask, or maybe even the creator of the mask?” — Ellis

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If you happen to find yourself in Amsterdam from now until February 15—which, if you are, LUCKY!—you can see the triptych and the exhibition at De Nieuwe Kerk, on Dam Square next to the palace. Otherwise, you can see it here:

I loved it a lot; it’s quite a thoughtful approach to makeup and its relation to us, wearing it in daily life. I often think about just how much makeup transforms a person, in ways beyond the physical areas. I kind of think that I become a more confident version of myself if I feel a little put together. Of course, this has nothing to do with the film—just something that it led me to ponder on.

You might also enjoy this behind-the-scenes, making-of film, where you can see the Ellis Faas products (and Ellis!) in action:

Visiting address
De Nieuwe Kerk, Dam, Amsterdam
+31 (0)20 638 69 09

Opening hours
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (The ticket office closes at 4.30 p.m.)
Closed 25 December 2014 and 1 January 2015

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