All posts tagged: cosmetics

MAC Viva Glam Rihanna 2

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Hey ho! I have a short review on this lipstick I got a few months ago that I don’t think I’ve properly worn out for the sole reason that it makes me feel uncomfortable. For some reason, I put myself on this mad hunt for the MAC Viva Glam Rihanna 2 lipstick, which is a selection that’s completely out of character for me, since I tend to really, really loathe frost finishes. I do have someone to blame for this purchase, and that’s Liz, because look at how beautiful it is on her! I mean, look at the frost on this mother. It’s described as a “cool mauve,” but to my eyes, it’s just pretty fucking bronze, to be honest. But anyway. It’s kind of a warm, frosty gunmetal type of color that, again, isn’t really my usual style. I’m pretty adventurous when it comes to eye makeup, but I really, really, really shy away from overly bright/weird lip colors for some reason. And right now, I’ve yet to decide if Viva Glam Rihanna 2 …

Softly Sometimes and the Holy Grail: October 2015 Update

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It’s been a while since my last Holy Grail post (July 2013). Although the point of a Holy Grail list is finding the best products for you—which means there shouldn’t be another Holy Grail list—I think I’ve found and whittled down my own list to reflect my very best finds. There are some categories that lack a product, but that just means that I a) like to play around when it comes to that part of my makeup, b) don’t wear it all that much (e.g. mascara), c) have many favorites, but no ULTIMATE. About Base Primer — always and forever the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. I’ve tried a shit ton and while I enjoy them all, this is my favorite, go-to, most reliable one. Bases — for foundation, my favorite is the Ellis Faas Skin Veil* which I have in S104L. I think it makes me skin look great, but I rarely wear it to the office because I prefer a lighter base for stress-heavy days. That’s where the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint comes …

The Gang’s All Here: Recent Staples

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Like I mentioned a few posts ago, I recently took on a full-time job (the hours are flexible, but I kind of have been always working if I’m not sleeping) and I usually leave for work very early in the morning since traffic here is kind of ridiculous. I end up having to put my makeup on in the car—a skill that I feel very much proud of. I usually take along two bags: one with all the base stuff to leave in the car and one with all the things I want to keep with me for emergency touch-ups, though I’m usually too lazy to touch up at all, to be honest. Boring, Basic Stuff Sun protection comes in the form of the Bioré Aqua Rich Whitening Essence* which I love to pieces. I usually already moisturize before leaving the house so that I don’t have to bring around a bottle of oil or anything extra along with me. For my base, I definitely always use a primer always, my favorite being the Hourglass …

K-Palette 24H Real Lasting Eyeliner in BB001*

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I received this super cute K-Palette package a little over a month ago, which was essentially one of their newer eyeliner colors packaged like a Pantone series, complete with a swatch booklet. This isn’t exactly an official Pantone collab; the folks over at BeautyBox Corp. were just being cute. 🙂 If you’ve been a reader for a while, you probably know that my favorite eyeliner and eyebrow products are by K-Palette. I’ve mainly used the black liquid liner, but I also own the “deep brown” shade. This time, I was sent the K-Palette 24H Real Lasting Eyeliner in BB001*, which is described as “brown black.” Swatched, top to bottom: SB001 (super black), BB001 (brown black), DB001 (deep brown) People typically say that if you find that black eyeliner is too harsh, you can use brown instead. I find that this works with pencil liners, but prior to BB001/brown black, a brown liquid liner felt stark, too, but in a different way. Brown black is a nice middle ground between the two too-noticeable shades. This is …

FOTD: September 19

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One of my favorite FOTDS in a while. I have a confession: I’ve been mostly putting on makeup in the car, so I go with a few standard, boring combinations because I can’t afford to experiment in a moving vehicle. While I work on the post of my “daily staples,” here’s something I put together on a glorious weekend during which I had the time to actually think about makeup in a fun way. I just went to exhibits and had dinner. I don’t know what possessed me to do this, but I’ve been wanting to do a really dark, matte blue sweep over the lid and like, simple everything else. Also, just an FYI, this lipstick is way pinker and more neon in person. IDK why it went all demure in these photos. It’s ILIA Tinted Lip Conditioner in Shell Shock if you were wondering. Wearing this look made me realize that I miss wearing colors! So much! It’s kind of odd to experiment with eye makeup at the office, I feel like, so …

Bioré Aqua Rich Whitening Essence*

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Just a quick post to kind of get my bearings re: this blogging business. I received this a few weeks ago, and have been using it for a little over a month, if I’m not mistaken. So I think it’s time that I talk about it a bit. To be honest, I wasn’t really expecting much from the Bioré Aqua Rich Whitening Essence* mainly because it seems to be your standard sunscreen and, also, I tend to be automatically averse to anything that claims to “whiten” your complexion. Still, it was worth a shot. Bioré claims to be “Japan’s #1 sunscreen brand,” and judging from how this performed on me, I can see why. It’s incredibly pleasant to use, especially in this humidity. I find that it’s pretty impossible to find a sunscreen that doesn’t leave your face slick and oily, but this is a true gem. I’ve been using it, with pleasure, every day since I first tried it. It has the triple benefit of UV protection, hydration, and whitening (debatable as a “benefit!”), …

Beauty Inspo: One Direction

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Yup, you read that right. My One Direction obsession has leaked into my heart makeup life. Well, as far as the two gifs in this post are concerned anyway. Look 1 Let’s start with the obvious beaut, ex-member Zayn Malik: (source) I mean, I had a really hard time trying to think of an eyeshadow that would match how gloriously slick and shiny (um, lol) the stuff on his eyelids is. And even then, I failed. See, most of the ones I had in mind that could possibly pass as a “dupe” in terms of shade are a little on the frosty side. Anyway, I think this is actually something like vaseline or a lip gloss, to be honest. I ended up reaching for Shiro Cosmetics’ Baker’s Boy (from the Hunger Games collection) patted on a clear primer + eyeliner: concealer: Ellis Faas (S204)*, powder: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (Ethereal Light), eyeliner: K-Palette liquid liner (black)* and Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil (Crave), blush: Kjaer Weis (Abundance), lipstick: MAKE Matte Lipstick (Jakarta) A true …