I'm going to try o post more videos instead of detailed blog posts. They're easier to see and follow along with.
There's a BH Cosmetics Giveaway on Instagram right now!
Monday, August 18, 2014
BH Cosmetics and My Brush Set Haul!!
I'm going to try o post more videos instead of detailed blog posts. They're easier to see and follow along with.
There's a BH Cosmetics Giveaway on Instagram right now!
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Andorian Blues Part 2 – Drugstore Brand
My last post on blue eye shadows and liners had pretty much
all higher end makeup that would have to be purchased at a MAC counter or
store, or a Sephora or Ulta. This post is focusing on a drug store brand that I have heard
nothing but good things about: NYX Cosmetics.
JUMBO EYE PENCILS
I have laid out the eye pencils so that you can see them in
order of color gradient, and I have included both Milk and Cottage Cheese as
they can be used instead of a primer to bring out more color. Milk is a bright
opaque white, and Cottage Cheese is an off-white with a little shimmer. These
are NOT water proof. I will be swatching each one alone, over primer, over
Cottage Cheese and over Milk, so you can see them each way. They are all matte
blue shades, except for Cobalt, which has a shimmer you can’t really see until
you put it on.
Baby Blue:
The top swatch is with no primer, the second is over Cottage
Cheese, the third is over Milk and the last is over regular eye shadow primer.
This color is sheerer than I expected (and more than it looks on the pencil).
The top swatch is four coats for that color payoff. The second and third are
three coats each, just so the white doesn’t show, and the last one is also
four. Overall, you will go through this pencil quickly, unless it’s just an
accent color. They payoff is best over Milk. After letting this dry for several
minutes, it wiped right of of my arm, which doesn’t say a lot for its staying
power.
Pacific Blue:
Top to bottom: no primer, over Cottage Cheese, over Milk,
over eye shadow primer.
The top is one
swipe, and the color payoff is great. The Cottage Cheese adds a bit of shimmer,
and required two coats to cover. The Milk pencil still shows through three
coats of Pacific Blue, but it changes the color nicely. The bottom swatch is
also one coat, over primer. Overall, this has a better color payoff than Baby
Blue. It smudges if you want it to, but it continues to do so even after allowing
it to dry, however, it doesn’t wipe right off, either.
Electric Blue:
Top to bottom: no primer, over Cottage Cheese, over Milk,
over eye shadow primer.
The top coat is again only one swipe, with great payoff. The
second is two swipes over Cottage Cheese, and the third is three swipes over
Milk. It takes more to cover the white pencils instead of the primer, but they
also change the color ever so slightly. It smears after allowing it to dry, but
over primer it smears a lot less than the other three swatches did, and it
doesn’t wipe off easily either.
Peacock:
Top to bottom: no primer, over Cottage Cheese, over Milk,
over regular eye shadow primer.
This has AMAZING color payoff. Everything is one swipe
except over Milk, which is only two swipes. It smears more easily on its own
and over Cottage Cheese, where it was more difficult to smear over primer and
Milk. It does not wipe right off.
Cobalt:
Top to bottom: no primer, over Cottage Cheese, over Milk,
over regular eye shadow primer.
This was the shade I was most excited to swatch, and most
disappointed in. I was hoping for a dark, matte blue, as that’s what it looks
like on the pencil. However, it has glitter in it, which I did not like. Each
swatch in the picture is one swipe, and the color payoff is good. The shimmer
isn’t even, though, so you may have to compensate by layering more on. It
smears after drying quite easily, and it doesn’t seem to make a difference if
it’s over primer, over a white pencil, or by itself.
Overall Impressions of the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils:
Electric Blue has great color payoff, and the others can be
built to do the same. They are not waterproof, and they smear easily, even
after over 10 minutes of drying time. I do not recommend wearing them if you
plan to sweat, might get stuck in the rain, have oily eyelids, have dry eyes,
or wear contacts. A setting spray may help, but I haven’t tried that yet.
NYX GLAM SHADOW STICKS
According to Ulta’s website, these are waterproof, but the
NYX website doesn’t say whether that is true or not. Unfortunately, there are
only two blue shades: Radiant Sapphire and Illuminating Topaz.
Top to bottom: Radiant Sapphire, Illuminating Topaz
These definitely have glitter, and they’re not ashamed of
it! They also crease without primer, and they’re not waterproof, though they
are a bit water resistant. They don’t smear as easily as the jumbo pencils, and
will hold up more under a day of working a Con.
NYX GLAM LINER AND GEL LINER/SMUDGE
POT
I saw these by chance in Ulta when I was looking for Jumbo
pencils. It’s not easy to find blue cosmetics, so I took a chance on them.
Top to bottom Glam Liner in Azure, Gel Liner/Smudge Pot in
Cobalt Blue straight application and smudged.
Boy am I glad I took a chance on these! Of all the purchases
I made from NYX, these are the ones that I will be using for my Andorian the
most. Neither one smudges easily, (the glam liner doesn’t smudge at ALL). The
glam liner is completely waterproof, and in fact took four applications of
waterproof eye makeup remover to get it completely off my skin. The smudge pot
is water resistant and doesn’t crease, and would make a great base for other
shadows.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
MAC Moody Blooms fun!
I promised I would experiment with the Moody Blooms collection, and I have tried two looks so far. I purchased some additional colors today to try and blend with them to complete some additional looks, so there will be another post about them later.
First Look
This one was inspired by flowers. I wanted something bright, pretty, and unusual. I started with Urban Decay Primer Potion all over the lid to the brow bone. I used Sephora Domed Shadow Brush to apply Green Room all over the lid, and then used an Angle Brush to pull some down under the outer third of the lower lash line. Using a Fluffy Crease Brush, I applied Bloomin Mad into the crease and just above, then I applied a bit of Hidden Motive to the top of Bloomin Mad and blended. I used a second Angle Brush to apply Lucky Green below the remaining 2/3 of the lower lash line. I lined my waterline with Urban Decay 24/7 Naked Liner in Crave.
I think this look could be a little more dramatic with a dark blue or black in the outer corner and crease to add some definition, but it's fine without it.
Next Look
This is a fun summery look that I think is suitable for the beach or pool, though I wouldn't try swimming in it. This look was inspired by Batalash Beauty. Please look her up on Youtube and Subscribe!
I started with Urban Decay Primer Potion from the lash line to the brow bone. I added Lucky Green to the inner corner, and then blended that with Makeup Forever N2 (bright yellow). I applied Artistic License into the crease and up to just above the crease with a Fluffy Crease Brush. I applied Green Room with the Sephora Domed Shadow Brush all over the lid, and used an Angle Brush to bring some down under the lash line. I felt like this took away from the crease, so I applied Artistic License a second time into the crease. I applied Urban Decay Busted to the outer corner and into the crease with an Angle Brush and used a blending brush to smooth it out. I used the same Angle brush to blend Busted under the lash line with the Green Room I already applied. I lined my waterline with Urban Ddecay 24/7 Naked liner in Venus, which is an off white, to brighten my eyes. I finished up with Makeup Forever Aqualash.
The lips are the only neutral pink I had, lined with Urban Decay 24/7 Lip Liner in Naked, and the lipstick is Smashbox Lipstick in Pink Posy. The Smashbox lipstick doesn't stay long, so I'm glad I coated my lips with the liner, too.
This look would have benefited from the outer corner being darkened with a dark green or dark blue, both of which I acquired today, so that I can try this look again.
More experimentation to come, stay tuned! I got three MAC shadows, as well as several NYX jumbo sticks today. Everyone kept telling me how great the NYX is (and that it's comparable to the Sephora 12 hour Waterproof Jumbo Liners), so I have to swatch, blend, and test their water resistance.
Overall Impression of Moody Blooms
This shadow doesn't crease, run or stay. Both looks stayed on for more than 8 hours with no issues. It applies evenly and nicely, and I have nothing bad to say about it.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Andorian Blues!
It's time to review and swatch all of my blue eyeshadows and liners.
Waterproof Shadow Pencils
Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes in 6e and Sephora Waterproof Jumbo Liner in Electric Blue.
This is what the pencils look like. They're easily packed for travel and touch ups (though they don't usually need touch ups).
Swatches: Makeup forever 6e on top, blended with an Urban Decay 24/7 blending brush, and a straight application. Both are single coat.
Sephora 12 Hour Jumbo Liner in Electric Blue are the bottom two, straight application and then blended with an Urban Decay 24/7 blending brush.
Reviews of these: I love both. I have performed outside a a Renaissance Festival (3 shows a day) wearing both shadows, and never had run off, creasing or needed touch ups. I have also done 30 minute swim shows in both of these, and they did not come off in the chlorinated water. The Makeup Forever dries quickly, so if you want to blend it, you have to do so almost right away, and a regular blending brush doesn't cut it, so I use the Urban Decay 24/7 blending brush because it was designed to work with waterproof shadows. It also can cake if you put on too many coats or don't hold your eyelid taut while applying it. The Sephora blends more easily, and you can use a regular blending brush. Neither shadow required more than one coat, but they are buildable if you feel you need more color saturation. The best part about the pencils (other than the staying power and the color payoff) is that there is no fallout to clean up after applying.
Eyeliners
Urban Decay 24/7 pencils in Deep End and Sabbath, and MAC Fluidline gel liner in Black Ivy.
The pencils are again easily packed for touch ups. The MAC pot is pretty sturdy and would fit in a purse nicely as well, however, you also need an eyeliner brush to apply it.
Swatches from top to bottom: Urban Decay 24/7 Deep End, MAC Fluidline Black Ivy, Urban Decay 24/7 Sabbath.
Reviews of these: Urban Decay Deep End is a bright blue, not sparkly, glides on nicely, and the swatch is a single coat. MAC Fluidline in Black Ivy is a midnight blue with a little glitter, and applies nicely with an angle brush, though I haven't tested its staying power yet. Urban Decay Sabbath is a deep blue, also glides on nicely, and the swatch is a single coat. The Urban Decay liners are waterproof, don't smudge unless you smudge them quickly after applying, and they have a lot of staying power. The MAC Black Ivy was just acquired yesterday, so I can't honestly say anything except it applied easily but you may need more than one coat if you want it a bit more opaque.
Powder Shadows
Ulta glitter topcat in Deep End, MAC shadow in Green Room, Urban Decay Gonzo, Fringe and Chaos.
Product pictures. The Urban Decay shades are all from the Electric Palette. Chaos looks like a deeper purple-blue without the flash.
Swatches:
Top to bottom: Ulta topcoat in Deep End, MAC Green Room, Urban Decay Gonzo, Fringe and Chaos.
Reviews: The Ulta topcoat was disappointing. It applies a much darker blue than it looks, and takes several coats to get ANY glitter to show at all.
The MAC Green Room is a nice teal shade, applies nicely, and stays all day with no creasing (though I haven't tried it without a primer). Here's an example of what it looks like on the lid when I tried it with other shadows from the Moody Blooms collection:
The Electric Palette shadows: I LOVE THESE!! Urban Decay got its start making alternative bright eye shades, and this is a return to their roots from the Naked Palettes (of which I own Naked 1, 2 and Basics). Technically, this palette is pressed pigments, not shadows, but they can be used as shadows. They stay all day with a primer, and I have had no problems with creasing. They do NOT apply well with a fluffy brush (too much fallout that doesn't clean easily), so I recommend an eyeshadow "C" brush, the brush that came with the palette, or the small shadow brush or domed shadow brush from Sephora. Gonzo is a super bright blue that will definitely stand out, and only requires one coat to get great payoff. Fringe is a little darker and requires two coats for the same color payoff as Gonzo. Chaos is more of a purple with a blue undertone, which would be nice if you wanted to stand out a little, and will need a little build up. I have worn these shades all day outside in the Florida heat, wearing sunscreen, performing in three shows a day at a Renaissance Festival and they did not disappear or run.I have NOT tried swimming in them. If you think you might get stuck in the rain, Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray will stop them from disappearing or running, unless you're in a torrential downpour.
Notes and overall impressions:
Every single one of these shadows and liners is wonderful. However, you will need a primer to prevent creasing with the powder shadows, and it makes application of the shadow pencils much easier. I use Urban Decay Primer Potion. Please remember the Makeup Forever dries quickly, so if you're planning to wear more than one color and blend them, do one eye at a time, and apply the Makeup Forever last, if you can, and immediately start blending. Also, for the shadow pencils, Urban Decay Liners and Urban Decay pressed pigments, you will need a waterproof eye makeup remover. Makeup Forever Sens'n'eyes is a lotion eye makeup remover good for sensitive skin, and works nicely. Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup remover is a liquid that you have to shake, apply to a pad or tissue, and then use, and that also works well.
If you have any questions, or different impressions of these, please post in the comments. :-)
Monday, June 30, 2014
Makeup!
What's in my makeup case?
I have, since April, practically replaced everything in and added much more to my makeup case (which I have outgrown and need to replace). I've been having a lot of fun experimenting, so let's show you what's in it!
Next up: Urban Decay and Too Faced! I already had the Naked 1 and 2 palettes, so I wasn't sure about getting the Naked Basics, but I did and I am glad I did. I also got the Electric Palette (which I love!) and the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palate. I purchased a Makeup Forever eyeshadow in N2 which is a bright yellow as that is the only color I think the Electric palate was missing.
Waterproof round 1: back row: Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Catfight (100 point reward from Sephora), Rapture and Turn on. Urban decay 24/7 Liner in: Perversion, Demolition, Sabbath, Stash, Zero, Delinquent, Deep End, and Muse; 24/7 Glide on Shadow Pencil in Mushroom, Noise, Delinquent, Rehab; and 24/7 Glide on Lip Pencil in Naked, Turn On, and Catfight.
Some Experimentations:
Top: Sunset eyeshadow Savage, Slowburn (Electric Palette) and Makeup Forever yellow.
Middle: Slowburn and Savage only
Bottom: Jilted and Urban (Electric Palette) and Creme Brulee, Triple Fudge and Champagne Truffle from Chocolate Bar.
Cosplay Experimentation:
More makeup experimentation and cosplay fun to come. Working on "Not Gaila: from Star Trek (2009) deleted scenes, Orion Dancer (probably Enterpise style) and will be tweaking the Andorian. I may also do a Trill (much easier than the rest of those). :-)
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