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Quickie: Mattify Your Lipsticks with MAKE by We See Beauty

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I wasn’t planning on talking about this just yet but when something great compels you, you tell the world about it. By ‘world,’ I mean my readership. Heh. Anyway, matte lipsticks… are kind of a tricky subject, I feel. I personally love matte lips, but a lot of people have said that they can be drying etc. Sometimes, I’ll even find a color I like that would be perfect, save for the glossy shininess.

Anyway, I was looking at We See Beauty’s site, mainly for their cosmetics line, MAKE. I posted about them a long time ago but never got around to purchasing because they don’t accept credit cards outside the US. One night, my hankering for a palette led me to order from a third-party~ and now we are here. In case you were wondering, I picked up two other items, which I’ll talk about later, maybe.

So back to the pencil. I have a MAKE Colour Super Matte Lip Pencil, which is basically “the ultimate lip adjuster.” It turns your lipsticks matte… or, matte-ish.

MAKE Super Matte Lip Pencil Twisty

The pencil looks like this, and is a twist-up. The consistency of the product is a bit gel- and balm-like, but not glossy or creamy or liquid-y. It’s hard to explain. It’s kind of like a silicone-y but gritty texture… And I’m making it sound really, really horrible, but it’s kind of really nice on the lips! Anyway, like I said, I wasn’t planning on posting about this, but I wanted to show you how well it works!

Before: Happy Skin Shut Up & Kiss Me Moisturizing Lippie in The Morning After, alone:
MAKE Super Matte Lip Pencil Before

After: Happy Skin Shut Up & Kiss Me Moisturizing Lippie in The Morning After with the MAKE Super Matte Lip Pencil applied on top:
MAKE Super Matte Lip Pencil After

SORECERY, RIGHT?

The thing is, it’s sooooo comfortable on the lips, too. Not sticky or tacky. I’m going to play with this some more (yaaaay), but so far, I really, really like it.

If you’re interested in MAKE Cosmetics, here’s a bit of extra good news: they give some of their profits to charity. By some, I mean over 30% of what you pay. I was really surprised and really pleased. 🙂

Do you have anything in your stash that has wowed you lately? 🙂

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5 Product Face No. 2

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BareMinerals Prime Time in Bronzed Twig // Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Dixie // K-Palette 24H Real Lasting 2-Way Eyebrow Liner // KATE Super Sharp Liquid Liner // Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation in Just Sheer

A nice trick when looking for products for a 5-product face is to consider application. The ones I used for this particular look, I could use without brushes. For my base, I’ve got the Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation, which I sometimes apply with a flat foundation brush but works just as well when applied with fingers. Then, I’ve got the K-Palette 24H Real Lasting 2-Way Eyebrow Liner* for my brows. I appreciate it when my eyes are defined, so for that, I went with this gorgeous cream shadow (in atrocious packaging) from bareMinerals and a very thin, very slight wing using a liquid liner by KATE. I rounded out everything by using one of my favorite multi-use products—Illamasqua Cream Blusher—on my lips and cheeks.

5PF 2 - Face

* PR Sample

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Recent Acquisitions / Currently Testing

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Yup, another one of these things! I guess these are kind of like the offspring of hauls and first impressions posts. I don’t know. I had a moment in during which I splurged and now I’m in a very zen place of not spending money but spending time with the stuff I already have. I’ve got a package coming in with more ILIA and Kjaer Weis, but other than that, I haven’t been shopping.

I’ve been trying to be more mindful of what I purchase, but I’ve been thinking that purchasing might be the bigger problem, so I’ve been limiting that as well. I know it doesn’t look it, but these things were ordered and received quite a while ago (international postage and all). But that’s another story.

Anyway, onto the actual products!

Recent Acquisitions Currently Testing 3

Makeup Geek Blush in Rendezvous (pictured above)
This was the only available shade on my to-try list from the new Makeup Geek blush releases. I feel very lukewarm about it because I thought it would be more purple. As far as blushes go, it’s pretty decent, but it is certainly not what I had in mind when I got it. I have an overload of blushes as it is, so I was hoping for a more unique purple-y shade.

Makeup Geek Eyeshadows in Rockstar, Cocoa Bear, Mocha, Cupcake, Unexpected, Bleached Blonde, Pretentious, Sea Mist, Poolside, Twilight, Cinderella
These are the eyeshadows I got from Makeup Geek to try out. I got them in pan form, placed in a Wild Peach Palette (similar to the Z-Palettes). Rockstar swatches really prettily, but the nuanced duochrome disappears on the eye. I have to test that out some more, I think. I really love Cupcake—a dusty pink, used here—Unexpected, a muted purple-y shade, and Cocoa Bear (used here) on the crease. I use Mocha and Twilight on the outer corner, usually. Pretentious is so freaking buttery, and a pretty dirty bronze-gold. I’m thinking of just posting a kind of master post on my Makeup Geek experience some time in the future, since I’m still playing around with these shadows.

Elizabeth Dehn for One Love Organics Active Moisture Vitamin E Eye Balm
I was looking for a nice eye cream to replace my Bobbi Brown when I finish it up. I really like this for day (though used lightly) and night wear, though, and it sinks in really quickly and nicely. I love how this smells, too, and how the ingredients are all things I can picture in my head and not random chemicals.

Testing2

ILIA Beauty Mascara in Shadow of a Doubt
This was actually part of my original Eco Diva Beauty order (with the Kjaer Weis foundation, etc) but I didn’t test it out until recently because I was still going through some mascaras. I’ve since tossed a few of the older ones and some that I don’t like/don’t care to use up. This is actually brown! It’s the first one I’ve tried, I think, but it’s okay so far. Nothing fancy like holding my curl or providing extra volume, but it gives lash definition, which is usually enough for me. I’m not picky, really, I just need it to not smudge or flake. I love the wand on this, which is plastic, because it has two “sides” of bristles—one a bunch of long ones, and a bunch of shorter ones on the other side.

SasaTienne Party Queen 4D Hot Lash Mascara
I purchased this under duress. I was going to buy a mascara by Heroine Make and the saleslady at a Sasa in Singapore pushed this one on me. It’s OK, so far. No real thoughts about it just yet.

DHC Volume Mascara EX
I was on the lookout for a cruelty-free mascara, and purchased this thinking that DHC was CF, which they technically are except for the fact that they sell in China (which is a country that requires animal testing). This is alright, nothing spectacular.

MAKE Colour Super Matte Lip Pencil by We See Beauty
I mentioned yesterday how I love me some matte lips. OK, so. This magical pencil here turns any lip color matte/matte-ish. Think about that for a bit. (I’ve tried it a couple of times and it works really, really, really well.)

MAKE Colour Custom Finish Effects in Matte/Dew by We See Beauty
This is a “dual-texture finishing compact” with a matte side (mattify & reduces the appearance of pores) and a dewy side (hydrates and makes skin look supple and dewy). UM. Yes please.

I also have another palette from MAKE that I have yet to play with, which is why I didn’t include it here. I was going to get more color cosmetics from MAKE (I have my eye on a lot of them) but I figured I’d test these out first and then just pop into a Barney’s when I’m on vacay to see if I want more from them. (Spoiler alert: I totally do, huhu.)

And that’s it! Let me know if you want to see a more in-depth post on any of these items!

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5 Things Friday: Five Things I Wish I Knew

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I thought this would be fun to kind of look back into this hole of doom (i.e. makeup obsession) and think of five things I wish I knew before I took the plunge.

Research is your best friend.
Trawling the WWW in the dead of the night and reading reviews without taking much in is not research. Take note of colors that work well on you—don’t be happy with “it swatches well” as a criteria. Think of what you, as a person, would like to wear on a daily basis and then take it from there.

Hype fades away.
Refrain from letting yourself being swept away by the newest fad or product. Sometimes, you’ll run into a few gems—ahem, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder—but hyped products are usually things you can live without. Be smart and level-headed about your purchases and consumption.

Don’t always just base your opinions on a collection.
I know, I know. This is your favorite thing about makeup—when the collections make sense and look whole and well thought-out. The problem is that makeup should, in theory, be useful to you. Take product you are salivating over out of the context of a collection and ask these questions: Does it still work for you? Would you wear it by itself?

Just because something works so well for someone, it doesn’t mean it will work out as well with you.
Again, be discerning! Sometimes a product will look good when you try it on your arm, but won’t perform as well. Don’t be in denial. If a product is crap and doesn’t work for you, don’t pretend that it does. Give it away to someone who will like it more.

You won’t know unless you try.
Again, something to consider. You used to be scared of oranges and pinks, but now you kind of like them a lot? Maybe purples are next. You won’t know unless you try… but remember that you don’t have to try everything.

What are your five things?

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Feelin’ Fancy

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I’m not really that fussy or picky with my things—usually—but I do recognize the power that something fancy holds. When I put on something just a little fancier than my normal wares, I feel my mood perk up a little bit. Call it superficial, but it’s the truth! (Perhaps I am just a superficial person? Cue another existential crisis for Carina.)

FeelinFancy - 2

I don’t really rely on much makeup for pick-me-ups, though I do have to hand it to Guerlain Rouge G L’Extrait in Orgueil for making me feel like the HBIC and not a tiny, awkward mouse. I also feel a little bit better about myself when I pull out the Dior Addict Lip Glow to moisturize my lips, which was given to me by Laala from our swap! Recently, I’ve taken it upon myself to spritz on some perfume, something I used to do a lot in high school, but have outgrown now that I’m actually at an age when perfuming yourself is the norm. For extra fancy fumes, I use Diptyque’s Vetyverio.

Normally, though, I just go for clothes or jewelry. My two favorite necklaces are both from designer collaborations with Of a Kind. One’s by BRVTVS and it features two Vs that hang over your clavicle like vampire fangs (Double Arrow Necklace). The other one is by Aili, featuring three small sapphires, my birthstone, nestled in a golden triangle (Sapphire Lucky Number 3 Necklace). This is the first piece of somewhat expensive jewelry that I ever bought myself, so it holds a special meaning. It helps that these seem to be compliment magnets! I also put on this weird old ring when I want to make an effort. It’s not really classy or elegant—it’s kind of tacky, really—but I saw it at a flea market in Paris (Porte des Vanves!) and fell in love.

FeelinFancy - 1

This top by Alexander Wang is my go-to fancy shirt. I scored it on eBay for way less than it was going for (it was used for a photo shoot) and it is beautiful and billowy. The pair of shoes I recently acquired that makes me feel all sorts of fuzzies is this second hand pair of brogues by Mark McNairy, discovered thanks to my brother. It’s pretty fucking snug, but I’ll endure the foot pain because it’s so darn pretty.

What about you? What do you do when you need to feel fancy?

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FOTD: A Failed Minimalist

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I was going for another 5 Product Face… but things got out of hand. I wore this to an IMAX screening of Guardians of the Galaxy (dying so much) and I thought it looked cute. Oh, bee tee dubs, I cut my hair again. The next time you see me, I’ll greet you as a baldy. Half-kidding.

fotd

Face: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (Ginger), Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Pressed Powder (Shade 2)

Cheeks: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush (Diffused Heat)

Lips: Maybelline PinkAlert By ColorSensational (POW2)*

fotd2

Eyes: K-Palette 24H Real Lasting 2-Way Eyebrow Liner (G101)*, MAC Paint Pot (Groundwork), Makeup Geek Eyeshadows: Unexpected in the crease, extending past the outer corner, Cinderella and Bleached Blonde all over the lid, Mocha and Twilight in the outer ‘v’, Rockstar on the inner corner; KATE Super Sharp Liquid Liner (Black)

And that’s that! I hope you guys like this look. 🙂 Tellie asked me about my “eyeshadow diagram,” so I’m working on that… probably to be posted later this week or early next week. I’ll keep you posted!

Have you guys seen Guardians of the Galaxy? What did you think?

* PR sample

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Just Sheer with Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation

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For months, I hemmed and hawed, thinking about whether or not I’d spring for this $68 foundation. Yes, $68. It’s kind of ridiculous—jk, it’s really ridiculous—but I’m kind of ridiculous, so there’s that. I have a few face bases already, but I wanted to try out Kjaer Weis because it’s pretty known in the green beauty world (and otherwise).

Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation - Just Sheer - Swivel

The reason for the hefty price tag is the hefty compact, I’m guessing. All the Kjaer Weis products come in a “Refillable Make-Up System” that feature really heavy cases that remind me of my Guerlain Rouge G lipsticks and refillable compacts. In theory, there’s less waste and you can elect to go case-less if you really want to go minimal.

There’s a refreshingly short list of ingredients for this cream foundation: Sweet Almond Seed Oil, Capylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coconut Oil, Corn Starch, Cera Alba, Carnauba Wax, Jojoba Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-2 Diiososterate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Mica, Titanium Diocide, and some iron oxides for the pigment. It’s certified organic, too!

Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation - Just Sheer - Swatch

The texture of this foundation is fairly light for a cream and it blends really easily on my face, with my fingers, even without a primer. Just Sheer is created for fair to medium fair skin with olive or golden undertones. It is “a natural, warm beige color that achieves a semi-matte, flawless finish.” I’ve tried to apply it with a flat foundation brush (Real Techniques Essential Foundation Brush from the Travel Essentials Set), but I found that while it blends the product beautifully, it doesn’t pack on the pigment as well as fingers do. So, what I do is apply with my fingers and blend out with the brush… if I can be bothered.

Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation - Just Sheer - Swatch Comparison

For comparison purposes, here are some swatches of Just Sheer next to the bases I have left. I have to say that it is very light despite being the only cream formula in the bunch. Here’s a photo of when I first wore it out:

Winging It 2

Someone actually asked me what base I was wearing because it was nice (hi Karen!). 🙂 I mean, if that’s not an indication of a good product, I don’t know what is. The coverage of this foundation is also pretty good because I didn’t even have to use concealer on my under eye area—just this. I love how natural it looks and how it didn’t accentuate my pores or anything like that.

Here are some other pictures of me wearing the foundation:
5PF 2 - Face
Alone

bareMinerals - 3 - TDL - Face 2
Topped with Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood Light

Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation - Just Sheer

The cream foundation refills are $40 a pop. Still pricey, but worth it in my opinion if you want to go the green beauty way. I don’t know what you guys think… but I think I’ve found a winner, you guys! As in, HG material.

I really want to get their cheek and lip products, but I’ve hit my threshold for beauty purchases for now. If you want to try this out, you can get them from Kjaer Weis or Eco Diva Beauty, which is where I bought mine from. The latter gives a portion of sales to one of their supported charities, which you can select. 🙂

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