All posts tagged: cosmetics

Swatchfest: bareMinerals Degress of Dazzling

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Hey everyone! Here’s a quick swatch post for one of the few holiday items I ended up buying this year (I’ve been good, I swear!). I’ve gone crazy overboard last year, so I am taking my makeup purchases very seriously this year. This wasn’t supposed to be a purchase, since I am trying to cut down on eyeshadows and a 20-pc. set is not a step in the right direction, but I asked Sarie to look out for it for me in CA, since the set was on sale from $79 to $49 online and in actual bareMinerals stores (not counters). Luckily, she was able to find a set on one of her last few days out there. Similar to last year’s set, A Vision in Velvet (review), this set contains 20 eyecolors, but Degrees of Dazzling is such a way better deal, in my opinion, since the 20 colors come in 4 different finishes, whereas last year’s colors were divided into just two: mattes (or velvets) and satins. The swatches will be divided according …

Slap Dash: An FOTD and some tips on putting makeup in the car

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Here’s a quick-ish FOTD that I came up with in the car, on the way to a doctor’s appointment and a whole day out. Eyes: MAC Paint Pot in Constructivist, a bunch of Inglot Eyeshadows that barely showed up, K-Palette Real Lasting Liquid Eyeliner in 01, Le Métier de Beauté Anamorphic Lash Mascara in Noir. Eyebrows: Graymelin Seven Tatto Eyebrow in Dark Brown, The Body Shop Brow & Liner Kit in 02. Face/Base: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood Light. Cheeks: Le Métier de Beauté Kaleidoscope Face Kit in Cheeky Chic Lips: Hourglass Femme Rouge Lipstick in Fresco Way too much work—and product— went into this look, and you can’t even see it. Which made me want to draw up some tips on putting together a face when you’re in a hurry and only have your time in the car/on your commute to put together a presentable face. Here’s what I’d do instead: EYES: Use a cream shadow (that doesn’t crease) and a pencil liner, since it’s easier to do a smudge-y line. One color …

First FOTD of 2014: Eye of Newt & the Storm

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LOL, what a dumb title. Happy 2014, friends! 🙂 Here’s the first full face of makeup I wore this year. Full-ish, I should say. Since one of my beauty resolutions is to do a modified Project Pan, I picked out the things I wanted to/had to use up before I could buy another (if I want to replace that shit in the first place). Base: y.e.t. Cosmetics Fill It Up Primer, Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation (Cheers to Me… Champagne), Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (Ethereal Light) Cheeks: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush (Flush), MAC Mineralize Skinfinish (Lightscapage) Eyes: OCC Crème Colour Concentrate (Newt), MAC Prolongwear Paint Pot (Stormy Pink), Inglot Eyeshadow (125R, middle shade), MAC Eye Kohl (Prunella), Le Métier de Beauté Eye Brightening and Setting Powder (Refresh) to set shadows. I should note that Newt creased on my left eye, though I didn’t wear primer. Eyebrows: Inglot Brow Powder (569) Lips: MAC Lustre Lipstick (Jubilee) And that’s it! I’m trying to be more adventurous, too… In case you couldn’t tell. Hee! What …

Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Cream in White Russian*

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Earlier this month, I got sent two items by My Socal Shoppe, and one of them was a deluxe sized mini of the Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Cream in White Russian. I already have another shade, Berry Blast, reviewed here, so I was quite familiar with the formula already. Thankfully, I’m a big fan of the formula. White Russian is actually more my speed when it comes to lip products. I find myself a bit mistrustful of bright pinks and violets, so this beautiful pale pink shade is actually kind of perfect and more Carina-friendly. It is sort of like a very milky pale pink—and is opaque for a gloss. (I guess that’s why they call it a cream.) I have pretty pigmented lips, so I had to make sure that I covered every inch of that lip edge so I don’t look like an inadvertent chola. I didn’t do a very good job, but you can see what I mean! I wouldn’t call it a liquid lipstick, so it’s definitely an opaque, milky …

Swatches: Sigma Créme de Couture Palette

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Hey guys, just a quick swatch post of one of my Christmas gifts to my sister—the Sigma Crème de Couture Palette. I had such a strong urge to buy this for myself, but let’s face it. I’m not going to get a lot of mileage out of this one. It’s a beautiful collection of pastel-y matte eyeshadows heavily inspired by French macarons. There are sixteen shades in all—each corresponding to a macaron flavor. The packaging is quite nice; a slim cardboard box reminiscent of macaron and pastry boxes. Here are the shades from the first two rows: L-R, swatched on bare skin: Redberry Rose, Apricot Flower, Passion Fruit, Cherry Blossom, Meyer Lemon, Ginger Pumpkin, Café Au Lait, Blueberry Cream Here are the shades from the last two rows: L-R, swatched on bare skin: Violet Whip, Lavender Honey, Cassis, Elderberry, Crème de Menthe, Blue Chocolat, Almond Pear, Citron Pistachio Overall, it’s an alright palette, the biggest pro being that they have the weirdest colors ever that are still somewhat dainty, and they’re all matte. They’re not …

Beauty Goals and Resolutions for 2014

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Hey everyone! I hope you’re all having a great year. 🙂 I have been pondering on creating a beauty resolutions list for a while now, but didn’t want to post anything on the 1st, just for the sake of posting on the first day of the year, so I took some time and wrote down some of the things I want to achieve this year, at least in the spectrum of beauty. I’ve made similar lists and goals for my reading, which you can read here, and for life in general, which you can find here. Similarly, I have a goal for beauty and makeup, since it comprised a big chunk of my life (and finances) last year. I went on a fairly long no buy (and proceeded to break it, lol) from May to December, but it still wasn’t enough. I think you really have to personally come to a point where you realize that enough is enough. Until that happens, no-buys won’t work out. In any case, here is what I came up …

Nosy Beauty Vol. 23: Delia

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Hi everyone! Sorry for missing last week’s Nosy Beauty post. I didn’t even realize it was a Saturday until I was in the mountains and too late to even queue the post. New Resolution: Pay attention. HEH! Anyway, this week’s guest of honor ’round these parts is Delia, from Shimmery Black. She’s an amazing girl who comes up with some of the most stunning eye looks. She’s definitely one of my favorite beauty bloggers. • My name is Delia, I’m 18 and I’m currently a student (oh, the horror). I love nature, art and, besides blogging at Shimmery Black, I sometimes do photography. Regarding my beauty philosophy, I think make-up should be most importantly effective and not essentially obvious. For instance, a thin black line right at the base of the lashes is more flattering than painting your whole lid with liquid liner (which I’ve actually seen on some girls).