Epica Concert Makeup

Alright! So last night my boyfriend and I went on a very special date to the Baltimore Soundstage in Maryland to see Epica! In addition to Epica, The Agonist and Eluveitie also performed.  As a warning this post is going to be super picture heavy.

So we were a bit rushed to get everything done in time to get to this concert as it was on a weeknight in a not very close location.  Therefore I did a very fast dark makeup look focusing on my eyes.  I attempted to spruce up my overall look by doing a bit more with my jewelry.  My dangle earrings are ones I made and after all that headbanging only one of the leaves fell off....but I ended up finding it so it wasn't even a loss! The Zelda necklace you might recognize from my Pagan Pride post, I decided to put it on a drop style kind of chain.  As for the choker....I totally sewed that together the day before using some ribbon and jewelry clasps.  I'm honestly surprised it didn't fall off because I can't sew for crap, haha!

Well this post is on a makeup blog so let's get the details on my face!  To do this look I put Urban Decay's Blackout all over my lid and blended it out into a smokey eye.  I then took Shiro Cosmetic's Mother of Dragons and patted it on my eye lid to give my lid a neat shimmery effect.  I then took Blackbird Cosmetic's Ruca and blended it under my eye, into Blackout to add at least a bit of color.  I then lined my eyes with Jesse's girl liquid liner and then did another layer over that with Jcat Beauty's red glitter liner.  I finished with Urban Decay's Perversion mascara.  My contour was done using MAC's Strange Imagination and on my lip's is Colourpop's Trap.  This only took about 15 minutes and definitely had the desired effect of dark but not too over the top. I wore dark lipstick to Nightwish and it looked horrible by the end of the night so I opted out of doing double dark eyes and lips this time. 

My entire outfit wasn't too exciting.  I went with all black and comfortable.  My top is a hand me down from B Crew, my jeans are from Loft, and my boots are from Hot Topic.

Now let's move on to the concert!!!

Here is the obligatory pre concert selfie Aaron and I took before getting into the venue.  We arrived right as the doors opened and the line wasn't long at all, the venue was super tiny, so we weren't outside for very long.

Up first was the Agonist.  I am pretty familiar with their songs from when Alissa White-Gluz was their vocalist but I haven't listened to their new album near as much.  Overall they did a pretty decent job.  I think its great that they kept pushing forward after Alissa went to Arch Enemy and I hope they continue to improve.

After that was Eluveitie, a Celtic inspired band that incorporates a large variety of vocal styles and instrumentals.  They played for a very long time, basically just as long as Epica, making me think that this tour is perhaps a double headliner.  Anyway they did a great job.  I had only listened to a handful of their songs before this show but it didn't even matter, they really made it enjoyable.  Once my boyfriend helped me move away from Inconsiderate Blonde Chick, I had a really great time dancing and headbanging to their set. 

And then EPICA! Simone is seriously even more beautiful in real life.  They played a great show with a nice mix of old and new songs. Sometimes Simone's voice was drowned out by the instrumentals but overall it was an absolute blast!

The only thing that I think was missing was a nice ballad.......and more play time, haha.

Now the only band left on my top list to see is Kamelot.

Here is what I bought.  I didn't go too crazy and only picked up a t shirt and a flag.  I got the only small in this design they had.  The guy actually had to remove it from the display.  At the end of the concert this style was completely sold out, as was the small size in most designs.  I hope they refill the stock each night because this was the first night of the tour and there were tons of people being turned away from the stands because they didn't have shirts in mediums and smalls. As for the flag....its freaking huge!! I have no idea where I'm going to put it but I can't wait to decorate my apartment with it!

If you are catching a later show on their North American Enigma Tour then I hope you have a great time too!

Ethereal Smokey Eye

Today's FOTD was completely unplanned.  I woke up and knew I wanted to do something dark but nothing too crazy.  I think I found the perfect combo between interesting, dark, and wearable.

I started by placing Urban from the Electric Palette all over my lid and into my crease.  I then patted Black Out by Urban Decay onto my lid and slightly blended it into the purple. I then attempted to create a slight halo effect by lightly dabbing Mother of Dragons by Shiro Cosmetics onto the center of my eyelid.  I love how it turned out!! Lightly putting Mother of Dragons over a matte black creates this really interesting ethereal shimmer on the eyes.  I will definitely be doing this again! It takes a dark look and makes a bit less heavy and a lot more enchanting.

On my lips is Ches Desire Cat by JCat Beauty applied lightly. 

NYX Love in Paris Eye Palette in A La Mode

I have never picked up a NYX Cosmetics eye palette because I kept hearing again and again that the quality of the palettes failed in comparison to their singles.  However for Christmas my mom stuck A La Mode in my stocking and I've used it almost every day since.  I was a little apathetic at first because its all neutral browns, silvers, and grays but with a bit of use I've discovered not only do the quality of the shadows rock but I can make so many quick and easy looks with this!  Today I wanted to share with you a simple every day look I throw on if I don't feel like doing anything extravagant and also a more involved dramatic look with gorgeous results.

As you can see from the product picture I've been getting quite a bit of use out of this palette!  That is especially true for the matte black and light shimmery silver. There are still two color in this palette that I have not (and probably will not) use, the two matte brown shades.  I may be able to use the browns in my eye brows if I'm ever in a pinch, making those colors not completely useless to me.  

Here is an overall swatch of the palette in the same order as they appear in the case.  There is a strip of Mary Kay eye primer under each shadow showing that they definitely offer more pigmentation when placed over a primer.

The top three shadows are a shimmery brown, a midtoned shimmery silver, and a very dark shimmery grey.

The middle row includes a matte brown, a matte black, and a matte gray.

And the bottom row contains a matte white, a light shimmery silver, and a dark matte brown.

Here is my simple smokey eye that I do when I'm traveling and don't feel like spending a lot of time on my makeup.  I apply the dark shimmery grey to my lid and with a bit on the lower lashline.  Then I take the matte gray and blend it up into my crease and once again on the lower lashline.  The lighter mattes have a less intense pigmentation so it may take a bit more to get the color you desire.  Finally I take the matte black and lightly line my eyes.  I do it darker and thicker if I want a bit more drama, but here it is very subtle.  I then used the matte white on the inner corner.

This is my dramatic look! I am so in love with this, its just so sexy without being too over the top.  You bet I wore this during the day, who says intense makeup is only for evenings!?  Anyway on my lid is the shimmery brown, in my crease is the matte black, and on the bottom lash line close to the inner corner is the shimmery silver.  On my lips is Stila's Stay all Day Liquid Gloss in.......

Where to buy: nyxcosmetics.com, Ulta, drugstores

Price: $10

Sparkly Purple Smokey Eye Tutorial

I've never done a tutorial before so since I knew I'd be doing this look twice, once for a trial run, and again for the concert, that it would be a good opportunity to attempt something like this.

1. I covered my entire lid with Urban from the Electric Palette

2. I put Blackheart from Naked 3 on my lid

3. I lined outer part of lower lashline with Starlooks gem eye pencil in Topaz

4. I drew a double wing with Jesse's Girl liquid liner in black

5. I made a small line under the bottom wing with a discontinued purple Urban Decay Heavy Metal liner

6. I highlighted under my brow and on the inner corner with Strange from Naked 3

7. I finished the look with Urban Decay's Perversion mascara

Hope this was decently easy to follow!

Purple Smokey Eye with a Sparkly Double Wing

This was my trial makeup run for the Sonata Arctica concert. I rather love the look and am super excited with how it came out! I plan on doing a step by step tutorial for this look when I do it again for the concert.  Therefore I won't go into too much detail here as to how I achieved it.

First I covered my entire lid, crease, and lower lashline with Urban from the Electric Palette, next I put Blackheart from Naked 3 on just my lid. I then used a silver liner from Starlooks on half my lower lashline. Finally I did a double wing with my Jesse's Girl liquid liner and added a little sparkly accent underneath using Urban Decay's Heavy Metal liner. On my lips is Wolvesmouth by Kat Von D.

I love how I look with dark eye shadow...I really need to do it for every day and not just metal concerts....

<3__)~