FOTD: More Than Just a Pop of Color

Oh my goodness I feel like I haven't done a face of the day post in FOREVER.  I get up do my makeup quick and then usually have to go do other things so I never seem to have the time to do a fun makeup look and take pictures of it.  I made it a point to do this week because this started as a makeup blog and I feel like all my latest posts have been....well not about makeup. Hopefully that will change soon. 

So I was wearing a teal tanktop with a purple sweater and felt like doing a nice colorful eye look to match. I started out with some NYX Milk on my lid to help bring out the Comet eyeshadow from BH Cosmetic's Galaxy Chic palette. Next I took Urban from Urban Decay's Electric palette and blended it into my crease and very lightly under my eye.  I deepened my outer corner with Urban Decay's Blackout and also smudged it on my lower lashline.  I then took my Jesse's Girl liquid liner and draw a regular wing, then went back in a drew another really thin one right under that, blending it in with the Blackout applied earlier.  To emphasize the space between the wings and my inner corner I dabbed on some NYX shadow in Whipped Cream.  On my lips is my favorite nude ever, NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Zurich. 

Here is an angled shot just so you can better see all my accessories.  When I match, I MATCH.

Finals Day Three: NYX Simply Vamp in Bewitching

Today is a reading day so it's nothing but studying. Sigh. 

On the third day of finals my grad school gave to me an entire day of studying with a lipstick in bewitching

Lipstick aside, I looooove this eye makeup.  I feel so bad ass wearing it, especially with a dark vampy lip.  This is especially awesome for those with hooded eyes who want to show off some intense color even with their eyes open.  To get this look I applied strange from the Naked 3 palette all the way up to my brow.  I then put Limit on my lid and drew a wing with my Jesse's Girl liquid liner.  I then grabbed my handy dandy electric palette and smudged Jilted under my eye and wing.  Then I carefully took Urban and put it as close to my lower lashline as possible.  To finish this up I took the tiniest bit of Black Out (Urban Decay single) and dabbed it where the wing meets Urban.

My boyfriend loved this eye look so I'll probably do it again on Saturday when he and my family come to move me home for the semester. :)

As for my red lip of the day, I'm wearing NYX cosmetics simply vamp lipstick in Bewitching.   Its a really nice wearable dark red.  However as a word of caution, make sure your lips are well exfoliated before use as it tends to cling to dry patches.  It is also a bit drying itself....but that color <3

Only two finals and two days until the end of the semester...let's do this!

Finals Day Two: MAC Russian Red

What is finals week without my favorite red lipstick ever? Even more stressful, that's what.

So...on the second day of finals my grad school gave to me a full day of proctoring with a lipstick in Russian Red.

Yep I get to spend 6 hours today standing, walking, and staring at students to discourage them from cheating.  I decided to go with a fierce red lip and winged liner for extra intimidation. After my six hours are done, its back to studying!

So I was originally going to go with just a regular winged liner but I was listening to Kamelot on shuffle while doing my makeup and it inspired me to do something a little more intense.  How can you listen to Karma without wanting to make your eye liner a bit more dramatic? I know I can't.

So anyway, for my eyes I put Strange from Naked 3 all over my lid and brow bone,  I then very lightly dabbed Skinny Dip by NYX on my lid.  As you can see its not really noticeable, I just wanted some sort of change between my lid and brow. I then took my trusty Jesse's Girl liquid liner and drew in my wings.  I'm a little interested to see how well the bottom wing holds up after a few hours.

As for that Russian Red...gah I love it so much.  It has insane pigmentation, its beautifully matte, and it doesn't budge no matter what.  Perfect for a full day of work without any time for breaks or touch ups.  Buy this lipstick. You won't regret it.

Pink and Green Birthday FOTD!

Happy Birthday to me! Even though I have a week worth of finals ahead of me, I never let it get me down.  

I was planning on reviewing my Sephora birthday gift for today but because I left it at home, I won't be able to use it until the semester is over...I'm so good at life....sigh.

So instead, in honor of my birthday I wanted to share with all of you one of my favorite looks!

I feel so insanely fabulous every time I wear this.  The colors can also easily be changed up to match whatever outfit you are wearing.

To do this I first put Ever in Your Favor by Shiro Cosmetics all over my eye lid.  Then I take Blackheart from Naked 3 and put it in my crease.  I add a bit of depth to the outer part of my eye using Blackout by Urban Decay.  Next I draw a wing with my (brand new just opened!!!!) Jesse's Girl liquid liner.  I finish it up with a sweep of Fringe from the Electric Palette under my eye.

On my lips is NYX lip liner in Plum with Starlooks Odetta on top. 

With a green cardigan and my dark pink Turkish scarf I feel awesome today!

Jesse's Girl Cosmetics Pure Pigment Eye Dust Swatches

I recently placed an order at Jesse's Girl cosmetics because Ipsy was offering a coupon code and I NEEDED another liquid eyeliner.  I should do a review of that liner because it is seriously my holy grail liquid liner.  Anyway with my order I received a bunch of little sample baggies from their new eye dust collection which I will now share with you!

Here they are! I was so stoked because it was almost like receiving a Shiro Cosmetics order.....except these aren't as awesome as Shiro shadows but we will get to that.

Here is every shadow with its respective name and number. After swatching I was especially drawn to Rogue Flambe, Sunset Blvd, and Ultra Violet so those are the colors I ended up doing a look with.  These were all fairly easy to swatch and as you can see some of them look a lot better over primer than they do alone.  However after walking around with these on my arm the colors faded alarmingly fast except for Brown Sugar which was the least sparkly of the bunch.

Close up of Pixie Dust (gold shimmer), Starshine (silver shimmer), Sunlit Cactus (interesting yellow with slight green shimmer), and Sunstone (orange shimmer).  The first two sound like they could be the names of characters from My Little Pony.

Brown Sugar (brownish orange), Rogue Flambe (rusty red), Sunset Blvd (pink with gold shimmer)

Ultra Violet (purple shimmer), Troublemaker (cyan shimmer), and Majestic Green (green shimmer)

Here is the look I created with Sunset Blvd on my lid, Rogue Flambe in my crease, Ultra Violet on my lower lashine, and Starshine on my inner corner. I love Sunset Blvd it is probably my favorite shadow of the bunch just because of the unique color the gold shimmer adds to the pink.  If I make another online order I think I'm going to pick it up.  Rogue Flambe however is not that great.  It was difficult to get good pigmentation even over primer.  As you can see even though it's supposed to be red it looks way too similar in color to the pink on my lid. Ultra Violet was nice but I already own a million purple eye shadows.  Starshine was INSANELY shimmery.  I will not be using this as a highlight again, it's just too intense, it will have to be a lid color from now on.  I sent a selfie to my boyfriend and he thought I was crying. Anyway, I did not put primer on my lower lashline to compare wear.  After about 2 hours the purple was almost completely gone but the red and pink looked great until I took it off about 8 hours later.  So wear these over primer or else they will not last at all.

Overall these are nice but with so many Indie brands like Shiro offering loose shadows with longer staying time, better pigmentation, and more unique color options these can't compare.  However if I get the chance I would pick up Sunset Blvd, the most unique of the bunch.  There are about 3 times as many color options online.

Where to buy: Jessesgirlcosmetics.com, savemart, rite aid

Price: $4.99

Pink and Purple Neutral Eye

I don't always wear neutral eye shadow, but when I do I almost always have to spice it up somehow.  This neutral eye has quickly become my  favorite and I'm so sad that my camera was not able to do this look justice because it just looks amazing in person. The little bit of pink seriously pops but doesn't overpower!

To do this look I....

1. Put Prometheus from BH cosmetics galaxy chic palette all over my eye lid

2. Put Jesse's Girl Plum Frost baked eye shadow in the crease.

3. Darken outer part of crease with Darkside from Naked 3

4.  Accentuate outer corner and teh lower lashline with Blackheart from Naked 3

5. Pat and blend Ever in Your Favor (super beautiful pink) by Shiro Cosmetics in between Prometheus and Blackheart on the lid.  

6. Highlight inner corner with NYX Whipped Cream

7. Do eyeliner, mascara, and all that!

I'm in love with this neutral eye <3

On my lips is Castle by NYX

Ipsy Glam Bag October 2014

Get ready for Ipsy's October glam bag! YAY! I was actually not looking forward to this bag at all but after trying everything out my mind was definitely changed.  

Why was I not looking forward to this bag you ask? Well hair products tend to not work with my short hair, I prefer lipstick to lip glosses, cleansers can smell really annoying, hand lotion can give me a rash, and the eye shadow looked like it might be lame.  I was proven wrong with EVERY SINGLE PRODUCT.

As far as the bag itself, so cute! Such an adorable teal color, I love it! I could see using this as a clutch with either of my two teal dresses :)

1. ECRU New York Acacia Protein BB Cream for Hair

"A first in haircare. Finally, an ultra-light, incredibly versatile, all-in-one multifunctional beauty balm that harnesses the moisturizing and protective power of the patented Acacia Collagen™ for ultimate repair, conditioning, manageability, smoothness, body and shine. Perfect for all hair types. Color safe. Paraben free."

4/5

I was a little bit nervous about this product as over 50% of the time hair products don't work very well with my pixie cut however I am definitely a fan of this product! When used in damp hair I can style it without using my hair fiber and when I put it in dry hair it gives it a boost of softness and body.  I've used this every day since getting it in my bag! Only issue would be it has a slightly weird smell.

Here is the best attempt I could get at a before and after for this product.  It adds more shine and makes it easier to achieve volume.  What you can't see is how soft it makes my hair. <3

Where to buy: Ecrunewyorkcom

Price: $12

2. Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser

"Indie Lee’s bestselling Brightening Cleanser naturally washes away impurities to leave skin soft, refreshed, and luminous."

3/5

I usually hate clear cleansers because they tend to be super runny and hard to use but this formula has some viscosity to it making it not run everywhere when squeezed from the tube.  When rubbing it  into the skin it foams up a little bit and seems to throughly clean my face.  I have not broken out from this which is always a good sign.  My only issue with it is that it has too strong of a smell.  If the smell of my cleanser is going to be strong it had better be a freaking amazing scent, but unfortunately this is not the case for this product.  The smell isn't bad...just not wonderful.

\

Where to buy: Indielee.com

Price: $32 ($4)

3. Figs & Rouge Hand Cream in Rose Berry

"Figs & Rouge Shea Butter Enriched Limited Edition Hand Creams are deliciously fragrant & indulgent. These delectable creams soften, nourish & thoroughly pamper hands throughout the day, quickly absorbing to provide super-soft skin. Apply Figs & Rouge Hand Cream onto your hands and massage into skin throughout the day as needed."

5/5

Hand creams always make me nervous because the scent can either suck or I can sometimes get a rash on the back of my hands.  This lotion did not suffer from either issue.  I've used it a few times and have had no rash or burning.  The smell is also WONDERFUL.  While in Istanbul, Turkey my mom and I drank a lot of what they called Love Tea.  This lotion smells just like that tea so it brings back many fond memories every time I use it. :)

This may be a new product, I had trouble finding it for sale.

Where to buy: feelunique.com

Price: $6.50

4. Jesse's Girl Mneralized Baked Shadow Powder in Plum Frost

"Get out-of-this-world eyes with Jesse’s Girl Mineralized Baked Powder Eyeshadows. "

4/5

At first this eye shadow was a huge let down.  I wasn't able to get any pigmentation from it at all, it swatched as a very slight wine shimmer.  However after I kept using it and using it I noticed that as I got past that first initial layer the color went from barely there to a very nice deep shimmery wine.  I am now  very happy with this shadow and so glad I got this color over some of the alternatives. Use over primer or wet for maximum pigmentation.

Where to buy: Jessesgirlcosmetics.com

Price: $3.99

5. Starlooks Lip Gloss in Guilty Pleasure

"Starlooks Lip Glosses are created with a truly moisturizing, luxury, non-sticky formula. This neutral-rose, yet glamorous shade provides the perfect glisten for any lip look and complements any skin tone! Can be worn alone or in combination with other Starlooks lip products for a truly customizable finish"

4/5

I was worried this lip gloss was going to be a repeat of last month's Caylin gloss.  I should have put more trust in Starlooks because it definitely is not! The color is very flattering and it does not settle into lip lines. It lasts a good 2 hours, gradually fading evenly during that time. Would have liked to potentially see a longer lasting potential

  It reminded me of Urban Decay's Naked lip gloss in Lovechild so I swatched them next to each other.  Guilty Pleasure is a bit darker and has a bit more pigmentation with an equally good performance. Perhaps this lip gloss could be a good dupe for Urban Decay's Naked line.

Where to buy: Starlooks.com

Price: $12 (Website does not list size so this mini I'm guessing is about $4 worth)

In total I really liked this bag much more than I was expecting.  I even bought the Guilty Pleasure lip set that Starlooks had as a special so look forward to a review of that!

All in all this bag came out to be about $30 which is extremely low for what it usually is.  However I like the products so much that I don't even really care if its not in the normal $40 range.  As long as I like the products and they work I'm not too concerned that they don't cost a fortune.  If anything there is a much higher chance I'll buy them because of affordability.

Click here to sign up for Ipsy for only $10 a month!

June 2014 Ipsy Bag Review

I'm not doing a review for May's bag simply because I wasn't thrilled with anything in it except for the sunscreen, but that doesn't really make for an exciting blog post.  Therefore I am skipping to the June bag which was wonderful and amazing.

1.Be a Bombshell Lash Out Mascara

This mascara didn't clump but it didn't offer much as far as length or volume.  The brush also isn't anything special.   This is the same price as the Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara I use almost every day, and performs severely worse. Overall its pretty lack luster and while I will use it for days I want more natural lashes but I definitely would not buy this. 

Where to buy: beabombshellcosmetics.com

Price: $15

2. Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray

I unfortunately do not have much to say about this simply because my hair isn't long enough to get any use out of it.  It does smell nice, like coconut. Once my mom gets back from Turkey I'm sure she will use it but until then it will sit around the house unused.

Where to buy: Ulta, Drugstore, marcanthony.com

Price:  $8.99 ($3.25)

3. NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee

I was super impressed with this product.  I was already looking into buying one but held off when I found out I was getting one in my next Ipsy bag.  First of all I can rarely find a nude that looks decent on me but this one definitely does.  I Love the color and will definitely be pairing it with some crazy Elecctric Palette looks.  It also goes on very easily, isn't sticky at all, and feels extremely moisturizing.  I would definitely buy this because I already have gone out and bought another color! Haha!

Where to buy: Target, Drugstore, Ulta

Price: $5

4. Jesse's Girl Waterproof Liquid Liner

So I keep hearing that this eye liner explodes for some people upon opening.  Well I've opened it about 5 times and I've still witnessed no explosions.  It is a huge shame if that is seriously an issue because I absolutely adore this liner.  It is so easy to use, I can make crazy thin lines, and can do a perfect wing very quickly.  It also seems to last for quite some time.  I'll wait to see how many more people have issues with this but I'm seriously considering buying this to replace my Stila liner I used to use.

Where to buy: Jessesgirlcosmetics.com

Price: $6.99

Here is an eye look I did using the Be a Bombshell Mascara and the Jesse's Girl liquid liner.  As you can see teh liner is awesome and the mascara is...well...not. The eye shadow is Revolt, Urban, and Jilted from the Electric Palette.

5. Skinn Olive & Enzyme Cleanser

I have nothing bad to say about this cleanser.  It smells nice and seems to remove all my makeup.  It also has a more creamy consistency which I prefer over an oily runny one.  I did wake up with a pimple this morning but I am unsure if they are related.  Further testing is required.  I don't think I'd buy it but I will enjoy using it while I have it.

Where to buy: skinn.com

Price: $24 ($12)

Total price of bag: $42.25

So I got over $40 worth of product for $10.  Seriously Ipsy how are you so amazing. Haha!

If you would like to sign up for an Ipsy bag click my rat! Thanks for reading!

What was your favorite thing in this months bag?

<3__)~