Rediscovered Love: MAC Violetta

I bought Violetta at least 2 years ago and it was seriously my most worn lipstick for a long time but with all the new purples that have come out lately it got pushed to the back burner for quite some time.  Well I woke up one day, had my clothes picked out, then sad down to do my makeup.  I did my eyes in all matte with my Blackbird Cosmetics shadows and just got this sudden desire to pair it with Violetta.  Oh my am I so glad I did!  I was really digging my overall aesthetic that day.  Violetta just went amazingly well with the matte eye, purple jewelry, and black top.

The best thing about Violetta is that its a very wearable purple.  It is definitely more pinkish purple than true purple and the slight shimmer just really makes it stand out when paired with a dark outfit.  I always feel confident when I have this lipstick on and I really need to pull it out more this Fall.

As you can see it looks much more purple in the tube than it does on the lips.  It is a beautiful pinkish purple with blue shimmer and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

For my eyes I used all Blackbird shadows with Figment on my lid, Gravity in my crease, Smudge as definition, and Vintage under my eye.  

Also if you can see my earrings I made them by wire wrapping the pearls that came in the Fall Fortune Cookie Soap Box.  They were just too cute to throw away so I decided to turn them into something useful!

tldr; GET MAC VIOLETTA. SERIOUSLY.

Pegasus22 Jewelry Haul

While browsing the internet for jewelry for my fairy costume I stumbled upon this amazing Etsy shop, Pegasus22.  This shop carries the most absolutely stunning jewelry at incredibly cheap prices!! They are meant to be added to and customized to create your own pieces so many of them have little circles for attaching chains and other bits. 

These are the 3 pieces I picked up.  Unfortunately my before shots of these were erased when my memory card got corrupted so I don't have the original pictures and I don't want to deal with undoing my metal bending to revert them to their previous state.  You will be able to find nice pictures of all of these on Pegasus22's shop by searching the names of the pieces, so no worries!

Green Dragon Scale Regal Woodland Elven Pendant

This is the piece that introduced me to the shop. I was searching for elven like jewelry and was captivated by this piece.  I instantly knew I wanted to turn it into a choker.  Because the prices were so cheap I decided to get more than just this to make shipping a bit more worth it.

This came without the chain, I attached that later.  I love the green jewel, the yellow flecks give it such interesting dimension.

It also has a gorgeous antiqued silver look which is my favorite kind of finish for silver jewelry! I get so many compliments whenever I wear this.

Price: $4

Starry Sky Purple Opal Glass Cabochon Silver Leaf Shape Pendant

These gorgeous things came in a set of two so I knew I needed to make them into earrings! You get only the main pendant, I added the earring hooks and the little leaves.

I needed these mostly because the gem looked like a galaxy and I was just instantly enamored.

These babies area  bit bulky so when I wear them I generally do not wear a necklace as they really do take center stage, especially with my short hair.

Price: $3

Fantasy and Galaxy Oval Silver frame Cabochon Pendant

I was going to stop there but after stumbling on this pendant while on the way to check out I couldn't turn it down for the price! This gem has no texture and instead has a solid shiny finish. I chose to get it in the light grey, there are quite a few other  color options available.

I love the dimension of the gemstone.  The circle decorations are not hollow so it isn't as easy to attach anything to this, so I've left it alone.  I think it looks great how it is.  It is nice, simple, and pretty.

My favorite thing about this pendant is that it matches almost everything I own so I keep it with me in my makeup bag so I can throw it on if I ever need to look fancy on the go!

Price: $2

Overall I am extremely pleased with my Pegasus22 purchase.  If you are looking for some cheap jewelry pieces definitely give them a look. I've had these for a month or so now and have had no fading or breaking. I know I'll definitely be ordering again.  Even while I was browsing to find the names of these pieces for this post I saw even more things that I wanted!

Where to buy: www.etsy.com/shop/pegasus22

Ipsy Glam Bag March 2015

Yes I know the first week of April is already happening but I only just got my hands on my March glam bag a few days ago while I was home for Easter.  I didn't hate this bag so I wanted to take the time to talk about it.

The bag is nice  and cute and floral....too bad it doesn't really match the mood of the month, at least here.  All of march has been cold, rainy, and miserable. Nonetheless the bag is very nice this month.

1. NYX Butter Lipstick in Pops

"Pamper your lips with a hydrating kiss of smooth Butter Lipstick in 22 luxurious shades. The delicate texture of satin fused with the high color saturation creates an even finish on lips that’s long-wearing and beautiful."

This loses a point only because I didn't get the color I was lusting after.  I used my Ipsy points to get it however, so at least not all is lost.

4/5

So I was super bummed that I did not get Hunk.  I wanted that purple soooo badly, but of course I got the nude. WTF Ipsy. STOP. Luckily this is a pretty color and the formula is awesome so I will probably get some wear out of this. It glides on smoothly, lasts for a few hours, and is very pigmented and non drying.  I'm a huge fan of this formula. Yay NYX!

Where to buy: nyxcosmetics.com, ULTA, Drugstores

Price: $6

2.  Pūr~lisse soymilk cleanser & makeup remover

"Appreciate your skin, don’t irritate it. Cleanse the day away in one simple step with this sulfate-free blend of Soy Milk, Whole Oat and White Tea. This gentle cleanser leaves your face silky soft, without a trace of impurity. The 4-in-1 sulfate free & non-drying formula gently washes away dirt and makeup (even mascara!), while soothing and toning skin."

I enjoyed the Pur~lisse brand moisturizer I got so I was definitely looking forward to trying this.

5/5

Just like the moisturizer this brand seems to pack everything I want into one package!  It removes makeup, its gentle, and non drying! I really couldn't ask for more.  The scent is mild and not unpleasant which is always a plus for cleansers.  I hate washing my face with smelly nastiness. 

Where to buy: purlisse.com

Price: $36 ($6.43)

3. Boo Boo Cover Up in Medium

"Have a Boo-Boo? Skip the bandage and the shiny ointment. Look your best even while you heal with Boo-Boo Cover-Up for face and body. Our innovative formula offers great coverage for skin imperfections while containing ingredients known in nature to promote healing."

I want to start by saying.....IPSY, WHY WOULD YOU GIVE A CUSTOMER WITH PALE SKIN A MEDIUM TONED CONCEALER.  Seriously, their "personalization" is absolute garbage.

1/5

In the image the top swatch is the concealer and the bottom swatch is what I currently use (Mary Kay Ivory 2).  That difference is laughable.  I absolutely need a very light pink toned concealer or else it will just look yellow and disgusting.  This gets a one for a few reasons.  First it is absolutely nowhere near my skin tone.  Second while my Mary Kay concealer rubs in creamy, this almost felt a bit drier, which is not good for my already dry skin. Third when I did try to put it over a pimple, besides it being a yellow dot on my face it honestly didn't seem to cover that well.

Where to buy: booboocoverup.com

Price: $20 ($8)

4. Gilchrist & Soames Body Lotion

"Sophistication and style are encapsulated in a complete package of understated elegance; crisp, clean and luxurious. Antioxidant-rich botanicals of red tea, soy, ginkgo biloba, grape seed and milk thistle, renowned for their beneficial attributes, combine in a dynamic blend to restore and revive.

This rich yet fast-absorbing formulation provides superior moisturizing benefits with nutrient-rich oils, humectants and emollients to heal and protect the skin."

It's kind of ridiculous how unimpressive and nondescript this product is....

2/5

 There is literally nothing about this that makes me want to buy it.  It gets two points for being a moisturizing and succeeding at such....however the brand name is unexciting, the color is white, the smell is strange, and the packaging is really boring.  I accidentally forgot to include this in the overall bag picture because I forgot it existed.  At first I thought this was unscented because of the weird smell it add that I assumed was the smell of the natural lotion.  Well apparently it is supposed to have a scent and some people are saying they like it.   On my skin I smell it more but it still isn't nice.  It's very old lady like.

Where to buy: gilchristsoames.com

Price: $16 ($5)

5. VINTAGE by Jessica Liebeskind Illuminating Face Highlighter

"Add a beautiful wash of color and subtle, sexy shimmer with the ILLUMINATING FACE HIGHLIGHTER. Created to be worn on top of fresh, dewy skin or as a delicate highlight over pretty blush – the reflective pearls add radiance on contact delivering a diamond-like finish to the skin."

This was an unexpected favorite, but for the wrong reasons, haha!

4/5

So this doesn't really work for me as a highlighter but I'm actually liking it a lot as an eyeshadow.  Its shimmery and very slightly pink, making it look more natural on my skin than a brown or tan colored shadow.  I have it swiped on my cheeks in this picture but you can't really see it. It just kind of makes it look like I'm wearing a shimmery blush.  Besides on my eyes I also like putting a tiny bit on the top of my lip as a highlight. Thank you Ipsy for finally sending me a highlight I have a use for!

Where to buy: vintagecosmetics.com

Price: $18?

This is hard to price as its sold out and I hate when companies remove the price when an item sells out. I found this price on a different website so I can't guarantee accuracy. 

So overall this bag wasn't great but it wasn't horrible.  In total everything cost about $43.43 which is in the standard range for an Ipsy bag. I believe my mom and I have made the decision to go back to only getting one bag every month starting in July when this subscription runs out.  

Interested in Ipsy?

Blackbird Cosmetics Haul

I had heard nothing but wonderful things about indie makeup brand Blackbird cosmetic's matte eyeshadow formula.  They recently started a new website blackbirdcosmetics.com and in celebration gave out a 30% off code.  I jumped at the opportunity and made my first purchase!

I bought a full size of their green Magic Trick Super Powder and matte eyeshadow in Vintage.  I also bought a sample of their matte eyeshadows in Imogen and Gravity.  Lucid and Dim Tradition were free!

I'll start my review with the green face powder.  I had bought NYX cosmetic's green concealer which is great for acne spots but when I tr to rub it on my face it gets in my pores and looks weird.  This powder is designed to be used all over the face under foundation or alone.  I was nervous to get a full size but the reviews I read were positive so I went for it!

And I'm so glad I did! I love it! I dusted it over half my face with a kabuki brush and instantly noticed my skin looked smoother and a bit less red.  You can build up the powder on areas that need extra coverage and it reduces the red even more.  I'm pretty sure I could wear this alone because I could not see any noticeable green, just reduced redness. So far I'm loving this!

It was kinda hard to get a good picture of this stuff in action.  The place I could see the most noticeable difference was on my nose.  The top image is my bare skin with moisturizer and primer.  The bottom is with the addition of the green powder.  Less red and more even skin tone! I'm so excited to use this every day! I put on my liquid foundation and usually I finish with a powder foundation but I had so little red showing through I didn't even feel that I needed to.

Next up are the eyeshadows!  I needed to have vintage as it looked like a super beautiful matte purple.  I also picked Imogen and Gravity because they also looked to have purple in them and I love cool toned mattes. I put a strip of eye primer down the middle so you can see the difference between the shadows over bare skin and primer.

I swear these are the most butter smooth easily blendable mattes I have ever used in my life.  Usually putting a matte shadow in my crease results in patchy blotchyness.  Nope. These are amazing and perfect. I'm so glad I finally understand what the hype is about.

This was a freebie.  I don't really have a use for a matte white as I already have two but oh well.  It is actually pretty light and barely shows up on my skin.  Maybe I'm too pale? I kind of like it as an under my eyebrow highlight as it isn't too obvious.

Imogen looked to be a nice matte pink, which it is.  On my eyes it looks much lighter than when  heavily swatched on my wrist. If I place another order I think I will be getting a full size of this. Its simple, cute, and pretty.

I got a sample of Gravity as it looked to be a taupy purple.  However once its on my skin it is mostly just taupe and loses the purple.  I was a bit bummed until I decided to try it as a contour.  Wouldn't you know it works pretty well with my skin tone.  I may experiment more with this and if I like it enough I might get a full size to use as a contour because it is so hard to find good colors for cool toned pale skin.

I bought Vintage in the full size and I have no regrets! It is a very beautiful deep matte purple.  It is half way between natural and vibrant.  I feel it could easily go both ways depending on what its paired with.  I love this color and can't wait to use it in more eye looks.

Finally, Lucid is a matte black and was another freebie.  Once again I already have two matte blacks so I didn't have a need for this. I may keep it at my parents house so I have an emergency matte black if I need to do my makeup back home.

And here is a quick look I threw together using all my eyeshadows!

On my lid is Imogen, in my crease is Gravity, under my eye and as a crease definer is Vintage, the liner is Gravity, and I used Dim Tradition as a highlight. Gravity is also being used under my cheekbone as a contour. 

I'm loving these shadows and I can't wait to use them some more!

I think next time I'm getting a sample of Ruca, that deep red looks gorgeous.

Where to buy: blackbirdcosmetics.com

Price:

Magic Trick Super Powder: $12

Matte Eyeshadows:  $6.50