April Makeup Obsession

So its the last day of April....already!! Oh my god.  I graduate college in like 2 weeks. AAAAAH. I'm not ready, not at all :(

Oh well, on the bright side I will be going to Istanbul Turkey to visit my mother after graduation.  I currently have plans to stay for about a month.  I'm not sure how often I will be able to update my blog but I am definitely going to try!! I hope I can find some awesome Turkish brand makeup products to share with all of you! :D

Anyway! My April Makeup Obsession has been pops of color under my eye!  With the temperatures rising I've been looking to add more bright colors to my face.  In the morning I often find myself doing my makeup, staring at my face a while, and deciding that I'm not near colorful enough and adding some blue, pink, or purple under my eye.

Purple on top with a line of blue under my eye has been my go to look lately.  Here I have NYX loose pigment in purple on my lid, eclipse from the galaxy chic palette in my crease, and Mary Kay's Teal me More eye shadow crayon under my eye. I'm pretty sure I have Revlon Balm Stain in Darling on my lips.

I did a similar look for Easter except with BH Cosmetics matte cool purple on my lid and matte cool blue under my eye. On my lips I'm wearing Buxom Lip Polish in Sandy.

On an unrelated note I've rediscovered my love for symphonic and prog metal.  Therefore look forward to makeup looks inspired by these genres!

<3__)~

Colorsmash Hair Shadow in Rags to Riches and Je Ne Sais Quoi

I love crazy hair  colors.  I want more than anything to be able to dye my hair purple but alas this is the real world and I want to go into science.  Back when my mom subscribed to the Beauty Army box we got these two cute hair shadow samples by Colorsmash.  Unfortunately we unsubscribed from the box soon after because this was basically the best thing we ever got from it.  

I first got it in Je Ne Sais Quoi (what does this mean?!) a hot pink and then a month later got Rags to Riches a bright purple. For samples these things are pretty huge.

You take the pan and smash it against your hair then drag it across to create pigment.  One sweep is usually fine for the purple but I have to do two for the pink. This picture was so hard to take...

Here they are in natural light.  They tend to look sort of chalky unfortunately.

The Good: They add a super cute and intense pop of color even on naturally dark hair. They are very easy to use and stay in fairly well.

The Bad: That is as long as you don't touch your hair.  On the right is the color after ruffling up my hair a bit, which I tend to do all the time.  I need to be very careful about touching my hair when I wear this or else I accidentally fluff it all out.  It also gets all over your fingers.

All in all I would not buy the full size when these run out.  I'm still looking for a good temporary hair color.  I've been hearing promising things about L'oreal's new hair chalk. I'll probably give that a try next!

Where to buy: Beautyarmy.com, Amazon

Price: $15

<3__)~

My Pitifully Tiny Blush Collection

Blush...something that until a year a go I had never gotten anywhere near my face.  The reason I started wearing makeup is because I inherited some of my mom's rosacea and my face is naturally very red.  I go a day without foundation and I get asked if I'm sick because my nose is red or if I've been crying because my cheeks are red.  Its awesome. No. No it isn't.  So as you can imagine putting more red on my face after working so hard to cover it all up seemed like insanity to me.  Well, after becoming a Mary Kay consultant I got a bunch of free makeup for buying inventory and all that and one of the products I got was a blush.  Well lo and behold it was so subtle and peachy and fresh that I actually like the way it looked on my face.  I still do not wear blush very often but I am trying really hard to remember to try and work it into my makeup routine.  I hope you enjoy the swatches from my minuscule blush collection.

This blush is the one mentioned above, the very first blush that I felt didn't make me cool like a clown.  It is very soft and sheer.  It has a shimmer to it when swatched but it isn't very noticeable on the cheeks. I would definitely wear this year round.

Where to buy: Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant

 (Knee@Marykay.com)

Price: $12

This is definitely my all time favorite blush.  It is just so freaking pretty.  While Mary Kay recommends it for darker skin tones I think when applied lightly can look amazing on light skin too. Its a pretty raspberry pink color and I often use it as an eye shadow as well.  Perhaps I should try it on my lips someday!

Where to buy: Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant

 (Knee@Marykay.com)

Price: $12

This blush I got in an Ipsy bag and I am definitely a fan.  It has a nice matte finish and I can see myself wearing this a lot as the temperature continues to rise.  I don't think I would wear this in winter.

Where to buy: Citycolorbeauty.com

Price: $2.99

I also received this blush in an Ipsy bag.  It is an all in one stick so it can also be used as a lipstick or eye shadow.  I havn't tried it as an eye shadow but it is horrid as a lipstick, at least with my complexion.  Otherwise, it is an okay blush.   You can't tell from the pictures but it is super sparkly and I'm not sure how I feel about that. It is really easy to apply and would be a nice soft versatile pink if not for the sparkle.

Where to buy: Beabombshellcosmetics.com

Price: $16

Holy crap I had no idea this was a $16 product. I like the City Color blush a lot more and its only $3....

This blush was given to me by my mother.  She said the color didn't work for her so she told me to try it out.  At first glance I thought I'd hate it.  It looks brownish orangeish in the pan and even when swatched.  However when it is actually on it looks much more pink and actually makes a really nice natural looking blush.  It blends easily and you need only a bit of product to get a nice natural look. Also my skin looks freaking airbrushed in this picture.  What did I even do o.0

Where to buy: Lorac, Beauty.com

Price: $20

And last but certainly not least the super popular Nars Orgasm.  My mom gave this to me as well because it was too sparkly for her.  I'm pretty sure this was one of my first ever blushes.  Its nice but like my mom said pretty darn sparkly.  After using City Color's matte blush I'm having trouble wearing these sparkly things on my face. Oh well, the color is pretty so I'll keep using it.

Where to buy: Sephora, Nordstrom

Price: $30

I hope you enjoyed my super small blush collection! I don't see myself ever buying blush in the future but if I ever get some from a beauty box or my makeup obsessed mother I'll be sure to swatch them for you!

<3__)~

Ulta Haul: NYX Gel Liner, Smashbox Arced Liner Brush, and a Riviera Flower Headband

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before but I live no where near an Ulta, Sephora, or anything like that so getting to go to an actual store is like incredible for me! Well when I was visiting my boyfriend I went to Ulta with his mom and used a 20% off coupon to pick up a few necessary items.

Sorry for the filter but as soon as I got home I snapped a picture of my haul and posted it to Instagram.

So far I'm liking this gel liner.  It is easy to use and goes on very dark and bold.  I've used it with and without an eye primer and honestly I think it holds up fairly well without.  There is definitely more smudging but it definitely won't result in tragedy if you forget to throws some on before using this liner. When I put it on my hand, let it dry, and rubbed it didn't smudge one bit! Here are two examples using this liner, one with a thicker wing and one a thinner wing.  So far I'm pleased with this liner and I really hope it doesn't dry out as fast as my Maybelline one.

Where to buy: Ulta, Superstore, Drugstore

Price: $8.99

I really needed a new liner brush to do some wings with.  I've always wanted to try the angled liner brushes and an Ulta employee recommended Smashbox's Arced Liner Brush #21.  So far I'm definitely a fan.  It makes the initial lining soooo easy.  Its also nice for winged liner as the tip is fairly small.  Above you can see some lines I did using this brush and the NYX Gel liner.

Where to buy: Ulta, Sephora, Smashbox.com

Price $20

I bought this headband because I needed some sort of flapper-esque headgear for my club's roaring 20s swing dance charity social, I'm hoping to attach a feather to it.  Anyway, not wanting to spend $10 on something I'll only wear once I found this cute way to wear it under my hair so it basically looks like I've pinned a flower to my head. Its cute and I really like it, however it is incredibly tight and I can't wear it for an entire day without getting a headache. Does this mean I have a big head?? :(

<3__)~

Revlon Matte Balm Stains in Shameless and Sultry

My boyfriend surprised me with these for Valentine's Day! We are long distance so I didn't actually get my present until April but I don't care because I was so happy! He got me Shameless because I talked forever about how much I wanted it.  He got me Sultry as well because he likes a more natural look and picked it out himself.

I know I haven't done swatches of them yet but I have a few of the normal balm stains and absolutely love them.  The matte formula is great, and the wear time seems to be good too.  Its not as long as the original stains but I got quite a few hours out of Sultry.  

So here I am being Sultry. This color is actually a lot darker than I was expecting.  I'm not actually sure how much I'll be able to wear it during the summer.  Regardless, it is very pretty and despite it being a more brownish pink I think it suits me quite well.

And Shameless! Only bad thing about getting this so late is that its not winter anymore and this is such a dark purple.  Of course I'm still going to wear it but I feel like I won't get tons of use out of it until it starts getting cold again.  Anyway the up close pic looks pretty patchy  but from farther away its not noticeable.  Even in my makeup mirror it didn't look that patchy. Anyway, super pretty dark purple I love it.

And here is us the day I received my gift, I'm wearing Sultry :)

Where to buy: Ulta, Department Store, or Drugstore

Price: $6.50-$9.00

<3__)~

Shiro Haul: Mother of Dragons and Not Very Effective

My sample size of Not Very Effective getting dangerously low prompted me to buy my very first full sized eye shadow from Shiro Cosmetics.  I also picked up Mother of Dragons because I love Daenerys and Game of Thrones.

I also made sure to mention that I love pink and purple eye shadow and of course Shiro came through by giving me the perfect samples :)

So here is Mother of Dragons.  First off I love the art, not going to lie it was 70% of the reason I got the full size instead of the smaller size. The color is nice too.  When swatched it looks to be a pretty even mix of red, purple, and silver.  However when on, at least on my skin, the red is what shows up the most.  Overall I have no regrets! <3

Not Very Effective is my favorite purple crease color.  I wore the sample a lot and I'm glad to finally have the full size. I know I've swatched this before but oh well you can look at its prettiness again!

And here is a quick look I did using Mother of Dragons on my lid and Not Very Effective in my crease.

And here are swatches of the two samples I got.  Ever in Your Favor is from the Hunger Games collection and based off of the extravagant Effie Trinket.  Also it is the most beautiful pink ever.  I am seriously going to be sad when this is gone.  From what I could find I'll Move That For You is MineCraft themed, I've never played it so I don't quite understand the reference but its still pretty so I'm happy.

Here is a look I did using Ever in Your Favor on my lid, Mother of dragons in my crease, and I'll Move that For You in the outer corner.

Where to buy: Shiro Cosmetics

Price: $6 for full 2 gram jars

Oh also just because its related here is a picture I started a while ago of The Mother of Dragons that I never found time to finish. Maybe one day.

<3__)~

Zoya Purple and Pink Polka Dot Nails

I kept seeing all these adorable polka dot nails on Pinterest and I just had to try it myself.  Its nothing super special but people seem to compliment me like crazy whenever I do even a tiny simple design.  Not many people do their nails around here I suppose :P

Anyway I used two coats of Stevie for the base color.  Then I did dots of Demi, Odette, and Mason.  Mason and Demi look so different used separately so I was pretty sad to see them look almost identicle as dots.  Oh well, my nails are still adorable.

Where to buy: Zoya.com

Price $9-$10

<3__)~

MAC Lipstick Collection

Today I'm going to share my MAC Lipstick Collection, yay! I have seven in total.  I am pretty sure I have more full sized MAC lipsticks than I have from any other brand.  I'm pretty sure Revlon's Balm Stains come in at a close second.  I'll have to do those soon too! Anyway back on track I hope you enjoy the swatches and reviews of my MAC lipsticks while I do everything but look at the camera.

Here they are, so pretty! I put the names on the image for your convenience :)\

Vivacious.  I received this one as a gift from a friend who bought it and hated it because of the sparkle.  This lipstick is no joke. Sparkle. Everywhere. I haven't actually worn it out in public but maybe once the temperature rises I'll find the motivation to wear this glitter bomb of a lipstick. Taking it off is the worst because the lipstick comes off but the glitter remains.

Up the Amp.  My very first MAC lipstick and definitely one of my favorites.  The formula is super creamy and that color so nice for spring!

Violetta.  My absolute favorite.  I bought this because I couldn't have Heroine and ended up loving it sooo much.  The formula is creamy but it stays.  The color...I can't even describe it...so purpley and shiny and shimmery and perfect.

Heroine.  This is the lipstick that began my purple lip addiction.  Back when it was unavailable I bought purple after purple trying to find a dupe.  I bought it the day it became permanent.  Unfortunately it isn't all that I had hoped. The color is nice and the matteness is nice...but the staying power and application just isn't great.  Its hard to get even and then once I wear it for an hour or two it starts to turn hot pink around the edges of my lips.

Goes and Goes.  I picked this up last year for $13 at a makeup outlet store.  I believe it was already discontinued by the time I found it.  I was super excited to buy it but as far as wearing it...I just don't very often.  I can't get it to stay on my upper lip.  I don't know why it just won't adhere and once it starts to fade I look dead.

Russian Red.  My favorite red ever.  I have others but I just don't wear them because this one is perfect.  Its matte and stays on through EVERYTHING.  I wear it to dinner or out dancing and it looks perfect at the end of the night.  So much love....until I have to take it off.  It just doesn't budge, haha!

Rebel.  Probably tied with Violetta for the most worn.  When I'm not sure what to wear I just find myself reaching for this color.  Its a dark raspberry and seems to go with a lot of my outfits. It doesn't last as long as Russian Red but its also less drying. 

Where to buy: MAC or Nordstrom

Price $15 ($18 for Pro Longwear)

What's your favorite MAC lipstick? I'm thinking about picking up a MLBB shade, any suggestions?

<3__)~

Sparkly Purple Eye with a Pop of Mint

Since getting the Galaxy Chic palette I finally have some greens and blues to play with so I took today as an opportunity to try some of them out.  I was wearing a green cardigan with a light purple scarf so I did my eyes to match!  I'm usually not a fan of the bright color under the eye look but I think the pop of mint works for me. 

To get this look I put Eclipse from Bh cosmetics Galaxy chic palette in my crease.  Then I patted Stila's foil finish eye shadow in Metallic Violet on my lid.  I lined my upper lid with Eclipse and the lower with Comet from the same palette.  Finished with Bare Minerals Lash Domination Mascara

I am seriously loving this look.  Its interesting while not being over the top.  I think it makes my eyes look huge and adorable as well so that's always a plus.  On my lips I'm wearing Bare Minerals Speak your Mind because I'm obsessed with it.

Have a rat-tastic day! <3__)~

Pink and Purple Galaxy Chic Look

Here is another look I did using my BH Cosmetics Galaxy Chic Palette! I'm seriously in love with this palette I use a shadow from it almost every day.

To get this look I put a base of NYX Milk (yes after long last I finally picked this up and its amazing). On my lid I put Jupiter, in my crease I put Eclipse (I know I keep putting this in my crease I can't help it), and then I lined with Neptune. On my lips is Revlon's Balm Stain in Darling. 

Also my eye shadow matched my shirt which matched my nails.  Pretty awesome day. :)

<3__)~

Zoya Nail Look using Noot and Anaka

So you've probably noticed that I do a lot of Zoya nail posts.  Well for Christmas my mom got me a huge box of Zoya nail polish....so I kind of have a ton of colors.  I like the formula and they make some pretty sweet shades.  Anyway here is a two toned look I did using Noot and Anaka.  I am a huge fan of this look.  The pink is sparkly while the grey is just shiny so it gives my nails an interesting contrast.  Plus the colors are just beautiful...especially that pink.

Where to buy: Zoya.com

Price: $9

April 2014 Birchbox Unboxing Video!

And here is my Birchbox unboxing video! I didn't like the products as much as my Ipsy bag but I'll still get some use out of a few of them. My mom will probably enjoy this month's box way more than me.

Here is what I got!

Keims Hair Care Peppermint and Macadamia Shampoo

Kind Healthy Grains Maple Pumpkin Seeds Granola Bar

Skin & Co Truffle Therapy Serum

Cynthia Rowley Eyeliner

Supergoop CC Cream in Light to Medium

What did you get in your Birchbox?

<3__)~

Shiro Cosmetics Red and Purple Eye of the Day

I told you some looks would be coming soon, I bet you didn't expect one the very next day! :D

I did this using Majora's Mask on the lid, Philosopher's Stone in the crease, and Master ball in the outer corner and as a liner. I wish Majora's Mask wasn't so sheer. I think next time I'll need to use it over a white base.  I really need to get my hands on NYX Milk.

Sample Shiro Eye Shadow Swatches

To start I just wanna say I love Shiro Cosmetics and the owner Caitlin.  The products are amazing and she is so sweet and goes out of her way to make her customers happy.  I have collected a total of 12 sample sized shadows that I have pressed (some successfully some not) and put into a single palette.  I also have some of her lipsticks but that is for another post :)

So here they are all pretty and sparkly.  I pressed them all the same way, some pressed perfectly, others just won't hold.  I'm guessing its the formula.  Also most of these aren't even whole $1.00 samples.  I split a few of these with my friend and there was still a ton of product left to press!

Top Row:

Philosopher's Stone (Fullmetal Alchemist): A very pretty red. I received this as a free gift with an order.

Nayru's Love (Legend of Zelda): A light shimmery blue. I received this as a free gift with purchase as well.

Masterball (Pokemon): A Purpley Red. I love this color and would probably repurchase in the future.

Majora's Mask: A sheer sparkly purple. Very pretty but too sheer for me, received as a gift with purchase.

Middle Row:

Not Very Effective (Pokemon): A deep purple with red sparkles. I LOVE this color and have already purchased the full size.

Twilight Realm (Legend of Zelda): A silvery blue.

Alkahestry (Fullmetal Alchemist): This is a light purple with all kinds of blue and purple sparkle.  I used half of my sample to make a custom lip gloss. 

Housewife (Fullmetal Alchemist): A shimmery silver.  I received this one as a gift with purchase.

Bottom Row:

Rupee (Legend of Zelda): A green with gold sparkles.  I don't wear green much but its a nice color.

Elite Four (Pokemon): A really nice purple with gold sparkles.  I might repurchase this.

Colonel (Fullmetal Alchemist): A dark blue with gold sparkles.  I only bought this because Colonel Mustang is my favorite character I havn't worn it much, haha.

Rebellion (The Hunger Games): It looks like a almost black purple in the pan but swatches mostly black. This was a gift with purchase.

Where to buy: Shirocosmetics.com

Price: Sample $1, Mini $3.50, Full $5

Affordable and beautiful, I highly recommend anything from Shiro Cosmetics. Look forward to some looks done with these shadows!

April 2014 Ipsy Bag Unboxing Video!

Yay! So this is my very first unboxing video! I know it is a big rough around the edges but I hope you enjoy it. I'm still learning how to video, haha!

What I got:

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion

Starlooks Luscious Longwear Lip Pencil in Naked

Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Spray Mousse

Elizabeth Mott Pop! Goes the Shadow in Champagne

Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide on Eye Pencil in Black Velvet

What did you get in your Ipsy bag?

<3__)~

League of Legends Leblanc Character Makeup

Finally got around to doing another one! It took me a while mostly because all the other League ladies I want to emulate have eye makeup that I can't wear outside the house without getting some strange looks.  Therefore Its been difficult finding a night where I can just sit down and do makeup without having to worry about leaving the house.

So, products! On my brow bone is BH Cosmetics cool matte purple, on my lid, brows, and wing thing is Shiro Cosmetic's Not Very Effective.  I've hit pan on my sample of this and its reminded me that I need the full size, I'm obsessed with this color. The black eye liner is Maybelline's gel liner with a bit of Urban Decay's zero mixed in.  On my lips is NYX lip liner in prune topped with MAC Heroine.  I dabbed a bit of a Lancome clear lip gloss on the center of my lips as well. The blush is actually an eye shadow, I used BH cosmetics warm matte pink.

Hope you like my League makeup! It was fun but super challenging.  I was considering cosplaying as Leblanc eventually but if I had to do this makeup every day...aaaauugghh!

<3__)~

Custom Lip Gloss Using Lip-Safe Shiro Cosmetics Alkahestry Eye Shadow.

I made this quite a while ago but just found my custom gloss and remembered that these pictures exist.  Now Shiro Cosmetics will make a lip gloss out of any eye shadow you want which is pretty cool but in case you want to do it yourself here's how.

Step 1: search the abyss that is your makeup drawer for random half used clear lip glosses.

I used a Victoria's Secret lip gloss and a Soda Foundation lip gloss that I don't give two craps about for the base.  I used a lot of these two and just slowly added shadow and then gloss until I had a pigmentation that I was satisfied with.

Step 2: Find and add any sort of random supplements.

I added a bit of my Rosebud Salve for moisture and a touch of my Lancome lip gloss in...I have no idea, its really old and all matter of identification has been rubbed off. All I know is that its clear and super sparkly. Anyway I added some of this for extra sparkle.

Mix it all together and what do you get? Awesomeness that's what. I put a cute little cat sticker on the lid to differentiate it from my container that holds a mixture of all the UD Primer Potion samples I've ever received. 

It makes me so sad that this gloss is so impossible to photograph.  It is sheer with tons of super pretty blue and purple sparkles.  I love putting it over purple lipsticks to make them moisturizing and super fabulous. Here is my lip gloss alone, then OCC Lip Tar in Hoochie, and then finally my lip gloss on Hoochie. It makes such a cute spring lip.

<3__)~