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Stashed & Forgotten: MAC Powder Blush in Plum Foolery

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It’s been a busy few weeks and makeup purchases have been few and far in between, so I’m still in the middle of testing some of them. Here’s an ode to an old blush love, though. Stashed & Forgotten is what I call some old-ish makeup items that I haven’t gotten around to featuring here. Today’s feature is the MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Plum Foolery

MAC Blush - Plumfoolery - Pan

I only have 3 MAC blushes from their regular range, and I think that this shade Plum Foolery is one of the best. I keep forgetting about it because I stash it in a MAC Large double palette, but I think it’s a great plum blush. Similar to NARS’ Sin, which is one of my favorite NARS shades, Plum Foolery is shot through with some fine, gold shimmer. It adds an overall glowy quality to the blush, so I usually forgo the highlighter.

MAC Blush - Plumfoolery - Swatch

This has more true plum tones than Sin, though, leaning more berry than muted with more pink and warmth than its NARS sister. It is well-pigmented and buildable, too:

MAC - Plumfoolery Face 1

NARS Kauai Look 2
Rest of the makeup: MUJI UV Make Up Base, K-Palette Real Lasting Eyebrow 24H (02), The Body Shop Brow & Liner Kit (02), NARS Eyeshadow Duo (Kauai), Happy Skin Eye Am Here To Stay Liquid Liner, Pixy Volumizing Waterproof Mascara*, MUJI Refillable Lipstick (A53)

I think the glowiness and the warmth of the pink tones make it a great blush all year-round, actually. I’m kind of surprised that I don’t reach for it more often.

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Victorian Disco Swatchfest

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Victorian Disco Order 1

Ahem, a haul/swatch post. We gotta stop meeting like this.

This Victorian Disco order was made back in January. I just got a hold of them last week, oy vey! I took advantage of the “blogger pack” and ordered two to save on shipping. Each pack comes with a mini jar, and 6 samples, I think. I was kindly given two samples by Ashley! Yay!

Victorian Disco - Extras - Why Does it have to be Dragons, Water Siblings
Here are the samples I got. I had ordered Why Does It Have to Be Dragons?, so I have an extra sample. It’s a beautiful rich chocolate brown with some sparkles and slight red tones. Water Siblings is beautiful and I’m glad to have been sent it because I wouldn’t have gotten it myself. It’s a bright pink with a strong violet sheen.

Victorian Disco - In Training, Dalek Disco, Spacey Wacey

In Training is a beautiful cool blackened eggplant shade with a sheen and some silver sparks. Dalek Disco is a toasted brown shot with gold. Spacey Wacey is TARDIS blue with minimal sheen but a smattering of multi-colored sparks.

Victorian Disco - Aura, NOOOOO!, Angry Italian Vampires

Aura is a really pale pink that’s kind of frosty. NOOOOOOOOO! is a pale silvery white. Angry Italian Vampires is a blackened burgundy with pink (ish?) sparks.

Victorian Disco - The Dept of Mysteries, Dobby's Socks, Astral Walker

The Department of Mysteries is a blackened charcoal grey with blue and silver sparks. Dobby’s Socks is a cool brown with a very strong bluish sheen. Astral Walker is an inky blackened navy with strong blue shimmer.

Victorian Disco Order 1 - Dementor's Kiss, Mollywobbles, Why Does it Have to be Dragons

Dementor’s Kiss is a cloudy dark brown with a strong gold shimmer. Mollywobbles is a coral with a strong pink sheen.

Victorian Disco - Dobby's Socks, Mollywobbles, The Department of Mysteries, Why Does it have to be dragons, Dalek Disco, Spacey Wacey - Swatches
Swatched, L-R: Dobby’s Socks, Mollywobbles, The Department of Mysteries, Why Does it Have to Be Dragons?, Dalek Disco, Spacey Wacey

Victorian Disco - In Training, Angry Italian Vampires, NOOOOOOO!, Aura, Astral Walker, Dementor's Kiss, Water Siblings - Swatches

Swatched, L-R: In Training, Angry Italian Vampires, NOOOOOOOOO!, Aura, Astral Walker, Dementor’s Kiss, Water Siblings

Victorian Disco Order - Minis

Here are the mini jars I got! Top row is comprised of Dashing Doctor (neutral beige with cool lilac-y sparks) and Sin’Dorei (taupe-y peach). Bottom row is comprised of Bella’s Range of Emotions (cool matte dark brown) and Fallen Survivor (glittery grey taupe with lilac and golden sparks). Most of them are just neutrals.

Victorian Disco - Bella's Range of Emotions, Sin'Dorei, Dashing Doctor, Fallen Survivor - Swatches
Swatches, L-R: Bella’s Range of Emotions, Sin’Dorei, Dashing Doctor, Fallen Survivor

I am so impressed by these colors, oh my gosh. The complexity is so apparent, even without a primer. They are so beautiful. I want to order again (though I know I shouldn’t really, lol) when the shop is back up, since they are closed right now. Some of the shades are being discontinued, so be sure to grab any you like when the shop gets put back up since Ashley is selling the remaining stock of the shades!

Here’s a list of the shades in my post that are being discontinued: Dementor’s Kiss, The Department of Mysteries, Dobby’s Socks, Mollywobbles. Check the Victorian Disco Facebook for updates.

Shipping to the Philippines is just $2.50, so that was great.

Victorian Disco is cruelty-free.

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Helping Each Other Out: Blogging How-To’s

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Helping

Blogging has grown into such a different monster from what it was when I first found out about it. It used to be every nerd’s outlet but now most of it’s sort of been an extended arm of PR and advertising. When I started blogging, it was kind of really easy because you didn’t have to think of content; you just wrote whatever came to mind. Blogging these days, however, requires a little bit more forward-thinking.

I’m still trying to understand the blogging world now, but I have found a lot of helpful people whenever I read my feed. I thought I should compile them all here, in case you’re hankering for some help setting up your super cool new blog, but don’t really know where to start.

THE BASICS
— Blogging for Newbs by Lipstick With Some Sunshine (pretty basic, straightforward & concise)
— How to Start a Beauty Blog by Lily Pebbles
— An earlier version of How to Start a Beauty Blog by Lily Pebbles
— The Luxola Guide to Starting a Beauty Blog (Part I) by Bea of LXEdit

PHOTOGRAPHY
— Working with Backgrounds by Lily Pebbles (helpful tips for composition, styling etc.)
— Blogging Equipment & Photography Tips by Vivianna Does Makeup
— Product Photography & Lightbox Alternatives by Eula Sleeps

LAYOUT
— Custom CSS for Blogger by Eula Sleeps
— Customizing CSS by Eula Sleeps
— Layout Theory by Eula Sleeps

CONTENT, ORGANIZATION & OPTIMIZATION
— Extra Blogging and Organisational Tips by Lily Pebbles
— The Luxola Guide to Starting a Beauty Blog (Part 2) by Bea of LXEdit
— Blogging & Being Organised by Jennypurr
— Getting Organised by Bonjour Luce

VIDEOS
— How to Start a YouTube Channel by Vivianna Does Makeup
— Vlogging Tips & Tricks by Vivianna Does Makeup

MISC. BITS
— Blogging on a budget by Jennypurr
— What Blogging has taught me by Jennypurr
— Keeping the Blog Fresh by Bonjour Luce
— A Blogging Rut by Fabulous K
— Getting Your Blogging Mojo Back by Fabulous K

BLOG TIPS SERIES
— Bloggie Wednesdays by Tine of Beautyholics Anonymous
— Simply Beauty Blogging Tips by Paris of My Women Stuff

Feel free to share any other posts that have helped or are helping you out with starting a blog. Link yours down below, if you have any insight to this, too.

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Summer Babe: Lips

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“Summer Babe” is a song by Pavement and it has nothing to do with this post. (Sorry.)

OK, it has marginal relation, and that is—the summer time! Here are a few lip colors that I think you should try wearing during the hot summer months. I don’t know about you, but I am rather uncharacteristically being drawn to brights and semi-bright-ish lip colors. Picking a coral or an orange lip gives me unexpected exhilaration. Strange, but true.

Summer Brights - Lipsticks

Four lip colors in my rotation are Le Métier de Beauté Color Core Moisture Stain Lipstick in Riviera, MAC Satin Lipstick in Betty Bright, 3CE Lip Lacquer in Pink Boom*, and Tarte Glamazon Pure Performance Lipstick in Bold. I have a few lipsticks that I’m taking out for a spin this season, but these represent the spectrum of shades pretty well.

Summer Brights - Swatches

— Le Métier de Beauté Color Core Moisture Stain Lipstick in Riviera: warm, orange-based red
— MAC Satin Lipstick in Betty Bright: bright, light pinky coral
— 3CE Lip Lacquer in Pink Boom: neon pink
— Tarte Glamazon Pure Performance Lipstick in Bold: bright coral

What are your go-to lip colors this summer?

* PR Sample

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Tonal Exercise: Matte Browns

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tonal exercise

If you’ve ever taken an art class before, you’d be familiar with tonal exercises. Tonal exercises are what you use to study shade gradations. One such exercise is similar to what I have illustrated here—bars of a color, from white to dark/black, shown in varying degrees.

Here are some very utilized eyeshadows: my matte browns. Starting from a non-brown but a beige-y off-white, Laura Mercier’s Vanilla Nuts is actually a shade I use(d) fairly often as a base for my entire lid and as a browbone highlight. Le Métier de Beauté’s Tamarack and Laura Mercier’s Café Au Lait are two subtle crease colors, to aid with transition and slight depth. Addiction Truffle is a warm, creamy matte brown I use for the outer corner or crease. Laura Mercier’s Coffee Ground is darker, the shade of cocoa powder. I use that for the outer corner or a really dark crease, too. Last, but not the least, Laura Mercier’s Rich Coffee, which is great for the outer corner, too, but is also a very nice dark brown (almost black!) shade for a sophisticated smoky eye or subtle liner definition.

Now that I study it, it looks a bit like Urban Decay Naked Basics, except for the fact that my selection is all-matte. What are your favorite matte brown eyeshadows? Do share!

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Never Forget Mascara Expiration Again!

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mascara tip

This tip is so simple that I almost feel like a criminal for even sparing one whole post for it. I think the picture even says it all. Basically, like every other beauty nut, I tend to have more than one mascara tube open at a time. As such, it’s hard for me to keep track of their “expiration dates.” Most mascaras expire 3 to 6 months after the tube is first opened, and while some tubes helpfully state what particular time frame the mascaras should be kept, I doubt that we all remember when we first opened that delicious tube.

Writing down the date when you first opened the mascara can help with hygiene. The washi tape just helps with cuteness. As we can see here, October 2013 was a great month for mascara sampling for me. Sometimes, you can go with smelling the mascara (Too funky? Too bad to use!) but I think this is a more accurate way to do things.

Here is the why: Mascara is one of the beauty products notorious for going bad really easily. You need to replace them quickly because bacteria breeds inside the tube and close, constant contact with your eye exacerbates this (moisture is the essence of wetness, and so on).

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Think Pink

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Like most of OCC’s products, the Crème Colour Concentrates can be used for any part of the body. Specifically, it’s marketed for the eyes, cheeks, and lips. I have two colors, a pale green one called Cthulu that I will mostly use on the eyes… for reasons that, I think, are obvious. Then, there’s Newt, a pretty milky peachy pink.

I’ve used it a couple of times, but I thought it would be interesting to utilize it for all of the parts of my face. Here’s a look I made using it as a cream eyeshadow, a blush, and a lip color.

DSC_0118

To be honest, I don’t think this works well as a lip color. For the eyes, it’s a great base if you’ve got a primer on already. Which is to say it’s not that crease-proof. I mixed Newt with a bit of Smith’s Rosebud Salve for my blush. It turns out, it makes for a great highlight, too!

DSC_0120

On the eyes, I’ve also used the two darker shades from the Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio in Walking on Eggshells. I drew a thick-ish wing and lined my inner rim with a nude liner. For mascara, I played it safe and used a dry formula.

DSC_0128

Here, you can see the dryness of the OCC CCC as a lip product. You can also see my sweaty upper lip (ew). To be fair, I patted Newt on my lips on its own because I am a dumbass and didn’t use the Rosebud Salve with it instead. Even then, I don’t think I would have used this as a lip product.

In order of most preferred use to least preferred use: Blush/cheeks, eyes, lips.

Rest of the makeup: Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer (Alaska), Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Pressed Powder (Shade 2), K-Palette Real Lasting Eyebrow (02), The Body Shop Brow & Liner Kit (02), Happy Skin Eye Am Here To Stay Liquid Eyeliner, Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara*, Rimmel ScandalEyes Kohl (Nude), Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Crème Color Concentrate (Newt), Wet n Wild Color Icon Trio (Walking on Eggshells)

* PR Sample. OCC is vegan and cruelty-free. Max Factor and Rimmel are not cruelty-free.

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